Volume 98 Issue 8

The Fordham Ram Serving The Fordham dh University Community Since 1918 Volume 98, Issue 8

FordhamRam.com

April 13, 2016

University Prepares for Highly Contested Election

By ERIN SHANAHAN & LAURA SANICOLA

ANDREA GARCIA/THE FORDHAM RAM

Kasich greeted Fordham students at the Arthur Avenue Retail Market.

Presidential Hopeful Dines on Arthur Avenue

By ERIN SHANAHAN NEWS EDITOR

Republican presidential candidate John Kasich had a taste of Little Italy and met with New York and Fordham voters at The Arthur Avenue Retail Market last week.

Mike’s Deli served the Ohio governor a “Kasich Special” sandwich as New York City journalists live-tweeted his meal during his visit to the Bronx on Thursday afternoon.

“The Bronx has a lot of hardworking people,” said David Greco the owner of Mike’s Deli.

“I think we need a hard-working person in the White House too.”

Kasich thought similarly of the residents of the Belmont area.

“The strength of our country rests in our neighborhoods, just like here,” he said to crowds of supporters and reporters.

Kasich is not the first presidential candidate to visit the Bronx in recent weeks. Democratic SEE KASICH, PAGE 9

With OrgSync polls opening at the end of the week, United Student Government (USG) candidates have no time to lose.

They have spent the last week forming their tickets, promoting their platforms on social media and preparing for Wednesday’s USG debate. In a slightly accelerated election season, candidates aim to win over a historically apathetic student body in the most contested election in recent years.

This year features an all-male contest for executive president and vice president, a departure from the gender diverse tickets of the last

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

In a video release, Campus Activities Board (CAB) announced that Matt and Kim will be the primary band performing at Spring Weekend.

The indie pop duo from Brooklyn, New York, will perform on Saturday, April 30, on Martyrs Lawn.

Matt and Kim, formed in 2004, includes Matt Johnson on vocals

and keyboard, and Kim Schifino on drums and vocals. The group is currently on an international tour, but plans to play at upcoming music festivals, including Coachella in Indio, California and The Governors Ball in New York City.

The Spring Weekend lineup includes Olympic gold medalist Shawn Johnson, scheduled to give a lecture on Thursday, April 28, DJ Sliink, slated to play a set in the Lombardi Center on April 29 and Saturday Night Live comedian Aidy Bryant, who will perform on

to The Fordham Ram on Friday, April 8.

Five out of 10 positions are contested, as well as most all senate positions. Last year, seven of the nine board races were uncontested, including the executive ticket: Ashley Domagola and Nicholas Sawicki, both FCRH ‘16.

A Meet the Candidates event is scheduled for Wednesday, April 13 at 6 p.m. and the 2016 USG Debate is scheduled for 8 p.m., both in McGinley 237. Polls open on Thursday at 9 a.m. on OrgSync and close Friday at 5 p.m. As of Monday evening, the USG website had not updated its website with 2016 election information. Election results will be posted on social media.

USG Election Quick Facts Election Dates Polls open Thursday, April 14 at 9 a.m. and close Friday, April 15 at 5 p.m. Voting takes place on OrgSync.

Meet the Candidates Night and Debate Wednesday, April 13 McGinley 237 at 6 p.m.

Executive Ticket Candidates President: Sebastian Albrecht, FCRH ‘17 Vice President: Matthew Santucci, FCRH ‘17 President: Daniel Stroie, GSB ‘17 Vice President: Elisha Simon, GSB ‘17

Matt and Kim to Headline Spring Weekend

By LAURA SANICOLA

three years which saw two female executive presidents and one female executive vice president elected.

Daniel Stroie, GSB ‘17, and Elisha Simon, GSB ‘17, are running for executive president and executive vice president, respectively. The duo launched their website Monday afternoon. Stroie is the current VP of Finance and Simon is a GSB ‘17 Senator.

The opposing executive ticket is comprised of executive president hopeful Sebastian Albrecht, FCRH ‘17, and vice presidential hopeful Matthew Santucci, FCRH ‘17.

Albrecht is currently a FCRH ‘17 Senator and Santucci is the VP of Fordham College Rose Hill.

Both tickets were made official

May 1 at the Leonard Theatre at Fordham Preparatory School.

Bryant is known for performing impressions of celebrities such as Adele, Candy Crowley and Kim Davis on SNL. Shawn Johnson, a 24-year-old retired American gymnast, was the 2008 balance beam gold medalist at the Beijing Olympics, where she also won three silver medals. She was also crowned champion of popular ballroom dance television SEE CAB, PAGE 4

KIRK STAUFFER/FLICKR

Fordham Campus Activities Board revealed the indie pop duo as headliners for the Spring Weekend concert.

Acceptance Rate Drops

By CATE CARREJO FEATURES EDITOR

Fordham Universiy Enrollment services released statistics to The Fordham Ram on the class of 2020. According to Associate Vice President of Undergraduate Enrollment John Buckley, the university admitted approximatley 44 percent of the record 44,697 applications, about a five-point drop from the class of 2019’s acceptance rate.

Students who applied regular decision were notified of their acceptances by April 1. Madison Shyer, FCRH ‘20, an incoming freshman from Houston, Texas, put down her deposit on Monday night, April 11.

“Fordham was one of the first acceptances I got,” she said. “It was a really rough four months or so getting the rest of the decisions in, but somehow I kept coming back to Fordham.” Now that her decision is made, she is focused on what is ahead for her in the fall.

“I am excited to spend the next four years at a beautiful and lively campus,” she said.

Shyer will be joined by students from across the country and around the world late in August.

Admitted students this year come from all 50 states and over 100 countries, with over 2,100 prospective international students in the class of 2020. “[The admitted students] are exceptionally strong academically and very diverse,” said Buckley of the incoming freshman.

The academic profile of the class of 2020 is also improving over previous years. The mean high GPA is 3.75 on a four-point scale and the mean SAT score is 1,328 on the 1,600 scale, approximately a 1,992 on the previous 2,400-point scale.

“Both selectivity and academic profile have improved nicely over the last five years and dramatiSEE RATE, PAGE 9

in this issue

Opinion Page 13 Rape Cases Better Managed by Title IX

Culture Page 19 Vinyl Sales Best Streaming Sales in 2015

Sports Page 28 Softball Wins 11th Straight Game

NEWS

Page 2

PUBLIC SAFETY BRIEFS April 7 Cunniffe House 1 p.m.

A contractor working in Cunniffe House reported theft of his property to Public Safety. The contractor hung his sweatshirt on a coat rack in the morning, and it was missing when he returned about an hour later. The sweatshirt contained his property in its pockets, including the keys to his home and business. Public Safety is currently investigating the incident.

April 8 O’Hare Hall 5:25 p.m.

Residential Life reported to Public Safety that a male entered O’Hare Hall without swiping in. Residential Life was unsure if the male was a student, as he got into the building with someone else’s I.D. The male was identified as a student, and Residential Life is dealing with the situation.

April 10 189 St. and Hoffman St. 1 a.m.

A student reported losing her phone to Public Safety. She was able to track her iPhone using an app and found that it was in the vicinity, near Crotona Ave. The NYPD was notified. The student called her phone using another person’s phone, but no one answered. Someone called back saying that he would return the phone for $30. Police got involved and arranged a meeting with the thief under the pretense that the phone would be purchased. The police apprehended the individual who was found to have many previous charges.

April 13, 2016

Journal From Abroad

Race Relations in South Africa Protests Rile Up University Students

By CAITLYN VOGT CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Author’s Note: Throughout this reflection I have used the terms that South Africans commonly use to describe the different races of individuals in South Africa: white, black, and colored (a term accepted here to indicate mixed raced). I have used the terms throughout this piece to illustrate the way I have learned about South African history and politics.

After living in Pretoria, South Africa for the past few months I have recognized a distinct intersection between race, class and socioeconomic status among students and people living in the area. The city of Pretoria was historically an Afrikaans-dominated region and continues to be so today.

Afrikaans people are generally white individuals of European descent who settled in the area and speak the language of Afrikaans.

The Afrikaans culture and traditions are particularly alive in the area. The University of Pretoria, where I study, was also originally founded as an Afrikaans university.

Within a greater historical context of South Africa, apartheid was the official segregation of white people and black and colored people. Although, it ended over twenty years ago in 1994, the effects of

the long-standing separation and devaluation of one group of people continue to ripple through the social and political discourse.

After studying South African history in one of my classes, I learned during the apartheid regime, white, black and colored individuals were forbidden from interacting with one another. The black and colored people faced limited economic, political and social opportunities as compared to the white population, and they were pushed to the outer townships that lacked basic resources.

The African National Congress (ANC) political party spearheaded the fall of the apartheid regime.

Since the instatement of democracy in the South African government, the ANC has continued to retain political power in the country.

Even though apartheid ended in 1994 and the democratic South African government continues to rule, the social effects of the apartheid regime are still evident in daily life. The rural areas or townships where many students in my program complete service on a weekly basis are still largely populated by black and colored individuals.

Many of the people in the area are caught in chronic poverty, lacking the financial, educational and political resources to rise above the same social situation that their

family members experienced during apartheid. Even beyond the townships of South Africa where both black and white individuals have more resources, people of different races are separated. For example, in the city of Pretoria, some bars are clearly “black” or “white,” even though these social expectations remain explicitly unstated.

Within the first few weeks of studying at the University of Pretoria, classes were cancelled for multiple days because of student protests regarding language policy at the university. The reasons for the protests varied depending on the students with whom I spoke and their own political opinions.

On the surface, many non-Afrikaans students were incredibly frustrated with the university’s language policies in classes. Because the University of Pretoria was originally an Afrikaans University, many of the classes are offered in English, the universally spoken language in the country, and in Afrikaans.

However, South Africa has 11 official languages, with many students unable to take a course in their primary language. The majority of the students negatively affected by this policy are either black or colored. Some of these students claimed that the Afrikaans students had an unfair aca-

April 11 Keating Hall basement 1 p.m.

Someone broke into B07, the Office of Visual Arts, in Keating Hall basement and stole a Mac computer.

The computer was property of the university and was discovered to be missing the morning after by a faculty member.

— Compiled by Michael Byrne

Are You Studying Abroad This Semester?

Email: fordhamramnews @gmail.com

COLIN DAVEN/FLICKR

A Fordham student studying abroad at the University of Pretoria experiences protests at the university first hand.

demic advantage.

In response, student factions of political parties organized protests on campus, demanding all Afrikaans classes to be removed from the university curriculum. In response, some Afrikaans students reacted negatively, arguing that the Afrikaans culture and traditions were being unnecessarily attacked. Many Afrikaans students I spoke with during the protests felt that since classes in Afrikaans didn’t directly harm non-Afrikaans students, there was no legitimate reason for protest.

Needless to say, tensions were incredibly high on campus as the administration at the University of Pretoria deliberated on how to change the school’s policy in response to the protests. Eventually, tensions died and campus life resumed its normal activity, even though the university has not yet officially responded to the protests with an amendment to the language policy.

Fascinatingly enough, many students claimed the issues had nothing to do with race relations. To clarify such statements, some students stated that apartheid ended “so long ago” and that “everyone needs to move on and not talk about the past.”

I was shocked after hearing a similar sentiment from white, black and colored students from many different backgrounds. It seems to me that the social and political effects of the apartheid regime are clearly still affecting the daily lives of many people in Pretoria. To deny its lasting emotional impact seems unrealistic and unproductive in creating common ground amongst the groups of people. In the back of my mind, I continually see the similarities between the history and politics of the United States and South Africa, something that I was certainly not anticipating prior to my study abroad experience.

I am not from South Africa, and spending a couple of months in this country does not mean that I am qualified to have an opinion on the realities that I did not face.

With that being said, the past few weeks of my study abroad experience have provided me with the hindsight to consider matters related to race, class, social justice and culture in a completely different context from home.

This Week at Fordham Thursday April 14

Thursday April 14

Thursday April 14

Friday April 15

Tuesday April 19

FET Presents: One Man Two Guvnors

Staten Island Sign Shop

The Blackbox Theatre 8 p.m. — 10:30 p.m.

Let’s Dance with Alexander del Rosario

Expressions Dance Alliance Showcase

McGinley Entrance 1 p.m. — 2:30 p.m.

McGinley Ballroom 7:30 p.m.—9:30 p.m.

Spoken Word Open Mic Night

Collins Auditorium 7:45 p.m. — 11:45 p.m.

The Blackbox Theatre 9 p.m. — 10:30 p.m.

Fordham Experimental Theatre will be hosting its fourth and final show of the year, a British comedy. It was written by Richard Bean and directed by AJ Golio and MaryKate Glenn. Admission is free.

As part of Commuter Week, the Commuting Students Association will be hosting an event in which students can customize a green street sign. Students can put anything at all, such as name or address, on a street sign.

El Grito de Lares will be hosting Alexander del Rosario to teach a free dance class in anticipation of Grito’s 24th Annual Latin Gala.

Del Rosario will be teaching a variety of dance genres, such as salsa, merengue and bachata.

Expressions Dance Alliance is celebrating their 15 years of dancing with a dance showcase. Their spring show will be three dollars for students with ID, five dollars regular admission and free for performance groups.

Fordham Experimental Theatre and Verbal Essences Spoken Word will be hosting an open mic night in the Blackbox Theatre.

The mic will be available for any and all poets of varying skill and experience.

NEWS

April 13, 2016

Page 3

Palombo Closes but the Neighborhood Remains Strong

By MARGARET FAHEY CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Palombo Pastry Shop, once located on E. 187th Street just off Arthur Avenue, now stands vacant. The business quietly closed mid-March, just before students of Fordham University returned to campus after spring break. The shop’s closing, which appears indefinite, has caused members of the community to consider what this means for business proprietors and customers.

Just a month ago, Palombo Pastry Shop was alive, serving clientele a wide variety of desserts as it had since its opening. Terminating just about a decade of history for the bakery, which opened in 2006, the building now sits with a locked door and a notice stating that the landlord has legal possession of the premises.

According to public record, the building, which housed the pastry shop for the past 10 years, was under the name of Luca Palombo.

Luca, whose name appears on the store’s eviction notice, is related to Paolo (Paul) Palombo. Paulo, a former Fordham University Italian professor, operated the bakery from its conception to its now current state of closure.

Paolo Palombo has had a long and continuous history in the Bronx. His presence in the neighborhood has been sustained for many decades by his work as professor, a businessman and politician. He is the owner of other

namesake bakeries throughout the area, recently opening one on E. 161st Street and Walton Avenue in June 2015. These other businesses remain open.

Palombo was unable to be reached through one of his bakeries, including the one in Larchmont and another in White Plains.

The phone numbers listed online had been disconnected, and as a result, there is no concrete evidence as to why Palombo’s Arthur Avenue establishment closed.

Paulina Kajtazi from Simon’s Deli, which constitutes one of five businesses owned and operated by her family in the neighborhood, explained that from what she has heard, the closing of Palombo is not permanent.

Just down the road, Sal Natale, of Pugsley Pizza, offered his voice on the business’ closing as well.

When asked what happened to Palombo’s, he shrugged, stating that not even he or his fellow business owners knew why the bakery had closed.

“Mr. Palombo is a great guy, very intelligent, but who knows what’s going on,” Natale said.

“People wear a mask. We appear as one thing but, who knows.”

Palombo previously served a jail sentence for taking a bribe back in the late 1990s. Luca Palombo’s past and illegal history was explored and published in The New York Times in 1999.

Despite the state of Palombo Pastry Shop, both Natale and

KATE MACKIE/THE FORDHAM RAM

Palombo Pastry Shop on Arthur Avenue recently closed down after after ten years at the location.

Kajtazi want to reassure the community that their businesses are thriving and that the community as a whole continues to prosper.

Kajtazi, who came to the neighborhood from communist Yugoslavia 52 years ago searching for a chance “to live,” shared similar sentiments about the neighborhood’s current growth. Like Natale and many people living and working in the neighborhood, Kajtazi stated, “I came here to work hard.”

Ruben Diaz Talks Politics With College Democrats

By THERESA SCHLIEP ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR

Bronx Borough President, Ruben Diaz Jr., visited the College Democrats of Fordham University the same day republican presidential hopeful John Kasich sampled different Italian cuisines on Arthur Avenue. He discussed and answered questions about the current election, his support for leading democratic nominee Hillary Clinton, gentrification in the Bronx and how to get into

politics.

Earlier in the day, Díaz rode the 4 train with leading presidential candidate Clinton and appeared on CNN. Diaz supported Clinton at a press conference of Latino lawmakers from the Bronx and wore a Clinton campaign button to the College Democrats event.

His support for Clinton ruffled some College Democrats members who support Bernie Sanders.

“I know that people are ‘feeling the Bern,’” said Diaz, quoting the campaign slogan used by Sanders and his supports. “When people

ask if I am, I say ‘The Bronx has not been burning for decades.’”

Despite his support for Clinton, Diaz said that if Sanders were to be the democratic nominee, he would vote for him.

This sentiment of party unification behind whoever gains the Democratic nomination resonated with some students.

“I think his message of unification for democrats is important on the local, state and national levels, especially in this election,” said Neil Joyce, FCRH ‘19.

Other students expressed their

COURTESY OF FLICKR

Rubén Díaz Jr., Bronx borough president, visited the College Democrats of Fordham University to discuss politics.

With her family, including all seven of her children, Kajtazi and her husband operate their five businesses: Simon’s Deli, Howl at the Moon Bar and Grill, Michelangelo’s, Blue Goose Tavern and Tony & Tina’s Pizzeria. In all of her time as a business owner in the area she stated, “I’ve never had a problem.” She stated that neither her family nor her businesses had ever been the victim of crime.

“This neighborhood right now

is coming up. It’s a very good neighborhood. They’re fi xing, they’re doing and the best is coming,” Kajtazi said.

As explained by local business owners, the current state of Arthur Avenue is one of prosperity, despite the unexplained closing of Palombo Pastry Shop. Both Natale of Pugsley Pizza and Kajtazi of Simon’s Deli credited much of the success of the neighborhood to its customers.

reluctance to vote for Clinton if she secures the nomination.

“Many of us feel ostracized by Hillary Clinton’s record, and we don’t feel her message resonates with our generation,” said Matthew Santucci, FCRH ‘17.

He followed up and said that he and other college democrats in the New York City area might vote for Jill Stein, an Environmental Party candidate for president, because she better represents Sander’s democratic socialist values.

Diaz said that while he appreciated the dialogue in the Democratic Party regarding a potential Sanders candidacy, he felt it necessary to unite behind Clinton to prevent a republican nominee from winning the election. He also warned against empty promises.

Diaz also said that Clinton is qualified to be president, contradicting Sanders’ recent claim that the former Secretary of State is unqualified.

Additionally, Diaz discussed Bronx progress, such as increases in tourism and real estate values and decreases in unemployment rates and murder rates.

“People have begun to realize that we’re much more than the Botanical Gardens, the Bronx Zoo or Yankee Stadium”, said Diaz.

He attributed this progress to the Democratic Party.

“We’ve done that not by vilifying the community, not by divisive rhetoric or hate mongering, but we’ve done that as democrats,” said Diaz.

The Bronx Borough president said that he is excited about many projects in the Bronx, such as the

redevelopment of the waterfront between 149th Street and 138th Street and the Harlem River as well as a partnership with New York Governor Andrew Cuomo to fully fund the four Metro-North stations in the Bronx.

He is concerned about gentrification, and he said that it is something he thinks about everyday.

“We’ve learned from parts of Brooklyn, the Lower East Side,” he said. “Sometimes, it is not always bad to be last.”

He discussed plans to reconcile borough development and accessibility to these developments, such as increasing the Area Median Income of the professional class to rent in the Bronx to encourage successful Bronx residents to stay in the borough.

President of the College Democrats of Fordham University, Thomas Palumbo, saw the event as a good opportunity to encourage Fordham students to engage in local politics.

“I was glad to help spread the message that Fordham students should be involved in their home borough,” said Palumbo, FCRH ‘17. “The Borough president did a great job of telling people how they can get involved.”

Diaz also touched upon the relationship Fordham University has with the Bronx Community.

He said that the relationship will improve once people stop perpetuating the stereotype of the Bronx as a dangerous New York City borough. He said that it is not “what your parents think or remember it to be.”

“Only then will there be a genuine affinity from the students towards the Bronx, and vice versa,” said Diaz.

NEWS

Page 4

April 13, 2016

Fordham In The Bronx

Matt and Kim, DJ Sliink To Play FROM CAB, PAGE 1

MICHAEL DOBUSKI/ THE FORDHAM RAM

Fans of Batman can thank the Bronx for the nocturnal hero, as the creator Milton Finger grew up in the borough and went to Bronx schools.

Batman’s True Home: The Bronx

By MICHAEL DOBUSKI BRONX CORRESPONDENT

The world was once again treated with a trip to Gotham City with this past March’s Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. While the film received mixed reviews from critics, its profitability cannot be diminished having raked in over $166 million opening weekend.

What many Fordham moviegoers may not realize, however, is the blockbuster’s inherent link to our very own borough: the Bronx.

Milton Finger, the creator of “Batman,” was born to parents Louis and Tessie in 1914 in Denver, Colorado. Before the end of the decade, the Finger family, which included Milton’s two sisters, Emily and Gilda, moved to the Bronx.

Milton’s father started his own tailor shop and Milton began to attend Dewitt Clinton High School, which is still in operation today on Mosholu Parkway. The school was also attended by Stan Lee, another great figure in comic books. The next few years were difficult for the Finger family. Milton’s father lost his business during the Great Depression, and money was hard to come by.

Milton graduated from high school in 1933 and changed his

name to Bill because of the increased discrimination that Jewish residents were facing in New York in the early 1930s. Whereas “Milton” was a traditional Jewish name, “Bill” was much more likely to be hired given the social climate of the time.

His mother and father pressured him to become a doctor, but Bill had other plans. After working a string of odd jobs to support his family, Bill Finger settled into relatively stable employment as a shoe salesman in 1939. After work, however, Bill honed his true passion: writing and illustrating adventure stories. He and his friend Bob Kane, published a number of comic books throughout the 1930s and 40s, including stories for strips such as Rusty and Clip Carson. None of those stories received as much attention, however, as the one that appeared in issue No. 27 of Detective Comics in April of 1939. The character was drawn up in response to National Comic’s introduction of Superman the previous year, and was named simply: Batman.

The Batman who protected the streets of Gotham City in 1939 was very different from the one portrayed on film by Michael Keaton, George Clooney, Christian Bale and Ben Affleck. Kane and

Finger spent a great deal of time during those early days in Poe Park on Grand Concourse fleshing out the various aspects of Batman’s backstory and character. At Bill Finger’s request, the tortured hero’s costume was changed from its original red to a more sinister black.

It was also Finger’s idea to make Gotham’s Dark Knight a human, as opposed to the more colorful Superman, who was an alien. Marc Tyler Nobleman, author of the 2012 children’s book “Bill The Boy Wonder: The Secret Co-Creator of Batman,” had this to say about Finger’s contributions to the story of Batman: “Bill thought that Batman should be a human being who could be hurt. A superhero without superpowers. Someone anyone could be.” Other ideas that Finger came up with while working in the Bronx include the Batmobile and the name of Batman’s hometown, Gotham City.

Vin Sullivan was an editor for National Allied Comics, which would eventually become DC Comics, when Kane showed him the first character outline and sketches for Batman. Though both Finger and Kane collaborated on the character of Batman, it was Kane who received the lion’s share of the credit.

In fact, during the first 25 years of Batman comics, Finger’s name was

only mentioned once, namely because Kane never offered him a byline.

In 1964, Finger’s story came to light after an editor at a comic book convention introduced him as “a Batman writer from the very first.”

Not long after, Finger sat down for an interview in which he revealed his work on Batman for the first time on record. His creation was one of only two superhero comics to be published regularly since the 1930s, and not long after the interview, reprints of his original Batman stories began to feature his name alongside Kane’s. He continued to write for Batman until 1965, when he transitioned to writing for mystery comics. He died in his sleep on Jan. 18th, 1974, just a month before his 60th birthday.

Though Kane initially called the story of Finger’s involvement in the creation of Batman overblown, in 1989 he formally announced Finger had never received the true recognition he deserved. Kane did not, however, adjust the part of his contract that stipulated that he be listed as the sole creator of Batman.

Today, Poe Park, where much of the early work on Batman was done, is less than a mile’s walk from Fordham’s campus and the Bill Finger Awards for Excellence in Comic Book Writing are awarded annually.

show “Dancing With the Stars” during its eighth season.

A poll for the student DJ opening for DJ Sliink on Friday is live on OrgSync until April 12th at midnight.

Earlier this week, the Residence Hall Association has announced that this year’s theme for the Under the Tent dance, scheduled for Saturday evening, will be “Caught in the Cosmos.”

Students are encouraged to wear semi-formal dress, says RHA, and silhouettes and cutouts in whites, blues, purples, metallics and gray colors are suggested.

This is the third year in a row that CAB has chosen an indie band as the leading performer for Spring Weekend.

Last year, Twenty-One Pilots performed during the main concert on Saturday. The Suits, a student band, opened the concert after winning a Battle of the Bands contest at Rodrigues Coffee House. In 2014, indie bands Cartel and Cold War Kids performed on Spring Weekend.

The theme for Under the Tent in 2015 was The Last Illusion: An Evening of Magic and Mystery, and Humans of New York photographer Brandon Stanton was last year’s lecturer. DJ duo Solidisco was the headlining DJ act last year.

-Erin Shanahan contributed reporting.

Follow us on Twitter! @TheFordhamRam

Campus Briefs & Bites Panel Discusses Human Rights

Fordham Joins Amicus Brief

West and Reed Speak On Future of Education

Fordham Hosts Holocaust Survivor

On April 5, the Center on Religion and Culture hosted a panel of experts to discuss terrorism and the protection of human rights after terrorist attacks such as those in Paris and Brussels. The discussion was called, “In Good Conscience: Human Rights in an Age of Terrorism, Violence and Limited Resources.” Rwandan genocide survivor and human rights activist Consolee Nishimwe, the U.S. assistant secretary general on human rights Ivan Simonovic, PhD, Columbia law professor Matthew Waxman and the Marie Ward Doty university chair in ethics and director of the Center for Ethics Education Celia Fisher, P.h.D, were featured on the panel. Andrea Bartoli, P.h.D, dean of the School of Diplomacy and International Relations at Seton Hall University moderated the discussion.

They discussed systematic oppression, proactive preventative measures to prevent atrocities such as genocides, warning signs such as dehumanization and the death penalty.

Fordham University, along with 30 other Catholic dioceses, organizations and universities joined the Catholic Climate Covenant in filing an amicus brief in support of the Clean Power Plan. The plan is the first federal plan aimed at combating climate change through reducing carbon pollution from power plants. According to the Catholic Climate Covenant website, it is a Catholic duty to protect the environment and limit climate change. The amicus brief was filed in support of the Environmental Protection Agency and submitted to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, who is currently reviewing industry challenges to the Clean Power Plan. Other schools involved in the brief include University of San Diego, Loyola University Maryland and The College of the Holy Cross. It includes organizations of Christian and Jewish faith, but says that they share a common responsibility to limit carbon emissions.

On April 6, Cornel West, Ph.D., and Adolph Reed Jr., Ph.D., visited Fordham University’s Lincoln Center campus to discuss the current state of higher education in America. The event was sponsored by the American studies program, and the two spoke about what it means to be an educated and compassionate person in today’s society. West is currently a professor at Union Theological Seminary and professor emeritus at Princeton University, and Reed is a professor of political science at University of Pennsylvania. Each individually spoke to the crowd of Fordham students, faculty and administration, then answered questions from the audience. Both professors questioned whether our current paradigms of education were democratic and beneficial. West also discussed his support of democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders. West and Reed lamented how higher education has turned into merely a means to getting a job and discussed their hopes for the future of learning.

Judy Altmann, a Holocaust survivor, visited Fordham’s Rose Hill campus on April 4 to share her story with students and faculty in an event sponsored by the Jewish studies program. Altmann is from Jasina, Czechoslovakia, which was invaded by the Nazis in 1939. In 1944, Altmann and her family were arrested and sent on a four day ride on a cattle car to Auschwitz concentration camp.

Altmann was separated from her family and spent her time in various concentration and labor camps until she was liberated from Bergen Belsen camp by the English military in 1945. Altmann and her niece survived the Holocaust, and Altmann immigrated to the United States in 1948 after living in Sweden for a few years. Altmann told the audience we can make a better world, even though we cannot change the past. Rev. Joseph M. McShane, S.J., president of the university, thanked Altmann for her call to never forget the past.

April 6, 2016

NEWS

Page 5

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NEWS

Page 8

April 13, 2016

IT Introduces New Registration Tool

By THERESA SCHLIEP ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR

In previous semesters, registering for classes at Fordham University introduced a host of challenges. From picking a schedule that fills core and major requirements, to discovering a class is full when you try to register proved to be a frustrating endeavor.

Fordham IT attempted to eliminate technological difficulties during registration by unrolling new registration software and increases in bandwidth and, registration ease and efficiency will improve.

Before registration for the Fall 2016 semester began, Fordham IT rolled out a new registration software called Banner XE. IT tested Banner XE on a small segment of the student population during registration for the Spring 2016 semester.

A variety of improvements were made. IT moved the Banner XE interface to the cloud, which Elizabeth Cornell, Ph.D., director of communications at IT called “a more stable environment.” IT also added a “plan ahead” feature, which

allows students to select courses ahead of registration, drop them in a basket and submit them during registration. Improvements were also made in the search function.

Students found the new system streamlined and user-friendly. “The experience was really nice in that I could make a plan and add everything from the plan,”said Collin Whitten, FCRH ‘19.

However, the experience was not without flaws.

“Maybe the plan should tell you if you cannot register for a class beforehand, because two of my classes ended up being a conflict because I didn’t take the necessary prerequisites,” said Whitten.

Cornell attributed improvements not only to the new registration software, but also to increases in bandwidth.

“This is a result of the new registration program, called Banner XE,” said Cornell. “The network has been greatly enhanced as well, so between that and the new interface, registration should have been easy for just about everyone.”

Cornell said that while she has

FORDHAM RAM ARCHIVES

Fordham students made a quick switch to a new class registration system on my.fordham.edu.

not heard of problems with the new registration tools, IT is accepting both positive and negative feedback.

Instructions for class registration are under the Student tab on the my.fordham.edu page, which shows students how to plan ahead and search for courses. Students can search for courses using the subject, course number and keyword. They

can also use the advanced search, which allows students to search by college, course attribute, campus, level and meeting days.

The program also distinguishes between the course catalog and the course schedule.

“It’s also possible to see all the courses potentially offered at Fordham or the course catalog, and the courses currently being offered or

course schedule,” said Cornell.

After registration, Banner XE shows the user his or her schedule, and the user could view his or her class details by clicking on the class. These details include course descriptions, attributes, syllabus and prerequisites.

IT has more plans in order to improve registration, including a new mobile app for Banner XE.

Middle States Delivers Positive Decennial Report

By LAURA SANICOLA & MIKE BYRNE The Middle States committee delivered a positive report to the Fordham community on Fordham’s status for re-accreditation.

The Middle States accreditation team, a non-governmental affiliated organization tasked with evaluating university’s self-assessments, was led by President of Boston College, Father William P. Leahy, S.J. He summarized its report in a presentation to Fordham students, faculty and administration last Wednesday afternoon.

The report was based in part on the visit and in part based on information provided in the university’s Middle States Self Study, which can be found under University Featured

Links on the my.fordham banner.

The study was assembled administrators, faculty and an assortment of students into various task forces to assess Fordham’s strengths and weaknesses.

The Middle States team found that Fordham met all the standards of accreditation, according to Fordham administrators, and the committee not ask for any follow-up progress reports, monitoring reports or recommendations that the university is obliged to address.

“This is as good of an outcome as we could have hoped for,” said Associate Vice President of Academic Affairs and Co-Chair of the Self Study Steering Committee, Jonathan Crystal.

The Middle States Self Study was

released to the university in the same month as the draft of the Continuous University Strategic Plan (CUSP). Whereas the Middle States standards must be met for accreditation, CUSP is Fordham’s individual strategic plan.

“The Middle States Committee doesn’t come to judge whether or not we met or missed goals set out in our strategic plan,” Crystal said.

“They’re asking whether we set goals for ourselves based on our mission, whether we develop strategies to attain these goals, whether we assess how effective we are in achieving our goals, and whether we use the results of that assessment to improve our effectiveness.”

The Middle States committee will make a final decision on the university’s accreditation , which

COURTESY OF BOSTON COLLEGE

Father Leahy of Boston College led the Middle States team that examined Fordham’s self-study.

occurs every ten years, in June. At that time, a formal report on Fordham’s self-evaluation will be released, according to administrators. Associate Vice President of Student Affairs, Michelle Burris, attributed the success of this year’s evaluation to the accuracy with which the university assessed itself.

“Fordham took a very honest look at itself,” Burris said. “That’s reflected in the report, as well as a sense of community among those who participated.”

Burris directed Standard Nine of the Self Study, which assessed student support services in part through the dissemination of surveys and focus groups of administration and students.

The Self Study contained several recommendations the university made for itself, including the establishment of “an integrated Office of Institutional Effectiveness that includes institutional research and supports the functions of assessment and planning.”

This past report also addressed Fordham’s need to prioritize diversity. “The University should devote increased attention and resources to more focused recruitment of African-American students,” the report stated.

In addition, student enrollment was addressed in this report. The undergraduate enrollment team should attempt to strengthen the yield and employ strategic marketing, admission, and financial aid measures to influence results according to this report.

Crystal called the Middle States preparation a “three year process” and The Fordham Ram first reported in 2014 that the university had began preparations.

The accreditation team pointed to the CUSP process as being indicative of Fordham’s commitment to its

mission, according to university officials. The team felt that Fordham was effectively addressing many of its long-standing problems.

The team discussed the creation of the Provost office and the merging of the Undergraduate and Graduate School of Business under the Gabelli School of Business as showing Fordham’s commitment to institutional advancement.

The presentation also included advice for the university going forward.

“Hard decisions have to be made about priorities and effort needs to be devoted to developing new resources—for instance, alumni fundraising,” Crystal said. The team also said that the university would benefit from the creation of a long-term budget model to help make sure resources are available.

Leahy addressed connectivity issues between connecting the Rose Hill and Lincoln Center campuses, which make it difficult to promote events, according to university officials.

The team suggested that Fordham clarify the learning goals of the core curriculum and examine how the university measures progress, according to Crystal.

Leahy advised the university to adopt a plan that would improve diversity among Fordham leadership.

The chair of the Diversity Task Force, Peter Vaughan, Ph.D., dean emeritus of the Graduate School of Social Service, concurred with the team.

“The Task Force in addition to other things that are going on at FU reflect Fordham’s commitment to making it a more diverse and inclusive community,” Vaughan said. “I believe the creation of the Task Force and other initiatives are definitely steps towards progress.”

NEWS

April 13, 2016

Page 9

Bausert, Hauge Voted RHA Executive President and VP

By ERIN SHANAHAN NEWS EDITOR

After serving three years in the Residence Hall Association (RHA), two of which were on the association’s executive board, executive vice president Emma Bausert, FCRH ‘17, was elected executive president of RHA for the 2016-2017 academic year.

The executive vice president will be Haley Hauge, GSB ‘18.

Next year’s executive board of the Residence Hall Association (RHA) was selected following the release of the Under the Tent theme for Spring Weekend last week. Voting took place within the association itself. General board elections take place at the start of the academic year.

As executive president, Bausert plans on enhancing communication between RHA and the other student governments on campus.

“I think the biggest challenge we face is the lack of communication between student run groups on campus,” Bausert said. “We each have such vibrant plans and events, and should work together to make each one successful.”

Last year, Bausert organized Under the Tent: “The Last Illusion: An Evening of Magic & Mystery,” as RHA’s executive programmer.

In addition to her responsibilities on the executive board of RHA, Bausert is a Global Outreach leader having recently led a trip to Haiti. Bausert also interns

as the United Nations’ Network for Traditional and Religious Peacemakers office coordinator. She has a double major in international political economy and humanitarian studies.

Hauge currently serves as RHA executive programmer and is organizing this year’s Under the Tent, “Caught in the Cosmos.” She is the co-chair of the Diversity Action Coalition, a social justice leader and urban plunge assistant at the Dorothy Day Center for Service and Justice and a member of Students for Fair Trade and Smart Women Securities.

Outside of Fordham, Hauge is an associate consultant for The Concourse Group and a Met college group committee member at The Metropolitan Museum of Art. She is currently pursing a degree in marketing and visual arts in the Gabelli School of Business.

John Casey III, FCRH ‘18, Andrew Hof, GSB ‘19, Sara Chesnos, FCRH ‘19, Jiyoon Seo, GSB ‘19 and Aya Nukina, GSB ‘18, were voted next year’s chief of staff, chief financial officer, executive programmer, communications director and publicity director, respectively.

Casey’s platform includes increasing fluidity between individual residence hall boards through document sharing on OrgSync and revising the current RHA Constitution.

In his term, Casey is looking to expand RHA’s presence on

campus through more effective, wide-reaching programming. “I think we should work to capitalize on the current momentum,” Casey said.

Seo will manage all the social media accounts of RHA, create the questions for and run the monthly Quizzo contests, facilitate the distribution of The New York Times around campus Residence Halls and attend the weekly Commuting Student Association and United Student Government meetings.

Next year, Seo would like to work on creating transparency between RHA and the student body. “A lot of this can be done through utilizing social media

correctly,” Seo said.

As chief financial officer, Hof said his main goal for the upcoming year will be to use the budget more effectively in order to expand RHA’s impact through events like the Fordham Dance Marathon, the Trick or Treat Trot and Under the Tent.

Though no former CFO will remain on RHA’s executive board in the next academic year, Hof finds solace in what he believes is a liberating circumstance.

“I think this provides me a unique opportunity to bring innovation to the position and make sure that things are being done in the most practical and efficient ways possible,” said Hof.

Nukina, the current publicity director for RHA, will be retaining her position next year.

The publicity director designs the promotional material and executes various marketing efforts for events that RHA hosts.

Going forward in RHA, Nukina said she will shift her focus on digital forms of promotion.

“Although we will continue to advertise through physical promotional materials, posts on social media are becoming the most effective way to market our events,” Nukina said.

RHA’s largest event of the month, Under the Tent, will take place on Saturday, April 30 on Martyrs’ Lawn.

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Residence Hall Association recently elected a new executive board for the upcoming academic year.

Kasich Visits Mike’s Deli on Acceptance Rate Dips Arthur Avenue Below 44 Percent FROM KASICH, PAGE 1

senator Bernie Sanders rallied in the South Bronx at the end of March. Republican Senator Ted Cruz planned to visit a Bronx high school earlier this week but his staffers cancelled the event after students threatened to walk out, according to The New York Daily News.

Kasich’s appearance at Mike’s Deli was a side step from original efforts made by his campaign and Fordham to hold a press conference in the McGinley Center, according to university officials.

As of Wednesday afternoon, Kasich’s visit to the McGinley Ballroom had been scheduled for 12 p.m. on Eventbrite, an online event management service, but the site later indicated that the event would be relocated.

According to Bob Howe, Fordham’s director of communications, the university could not accommodate the campaign’s time frame nor venue needs.

John Carroll, vice president of Public Safety, commented on Fordham’s communication with the Kasich campaign: “Fordham University was

asked by The Kasich Campaign for a venue two days prior to the event date. The Kasich Campaign required a venue for 300 people and seven hours.

However, Fordham could not provide a venue for that specific request within the short period of time. The venues were already booked.”

The Kasich campaign could not be reached for comment as of Friday morning.

Sebastian Albrecht, FCRH ‘17, president of the College Republicans, contacted Greco to relocate the event to Mike’s Deli.

A March 2016 survey of Fordham’s political climate and students’ presidential preferences indicated Sanders has strong support among Fordham students, but the poll did not include Kasich. However, some Fordham students identify themselves as Kasich supporters and made their way off campus to see him.

“I’m here because I am a huge John Kasich fan and I feel he needs whatever support he can get,” said Ryan Quinn, FCRH ‘17. “A lot of liberal college republicans aren’t fans of Trump or Cruz, so I think he decided

to come to the Fordham area because he knows this is a demographic he can tap into.”

Brian Reardon, FCRH ‘18, appreciates Kasich’s more moderate political policies.

“I think we’ve become too polarized in American politics recently,” said Reardon. “Kasich is a much more moderate candidate who I feel can work with both sides of the aisle, which I believe is especially important in a political candidate.”

Others agreed that the close democratic race in particular, which the poll indicated divides students among partly lines, has increased political sentiment on campus.

“New York never gets any attention when it comes to general elections,” said Doug Spring, FCRH ‘17 and international political economy major. “Primaries are normally decided by the time New York’s primary rolls around, so it’s a really great time to be a political science major here in New York City.”

The New York primary will take place on April 19, 2016.

-Laura Sanicola contributed reporting.

Class of 2020 Data Released FROM RATE, PAGE 1

cally over the last 20 years,” said Buckley.

Fordham is currently ranked 66th on the U.S. News and World Report National Universities list, a 14 spot fall from the university’s best rank in 2013. As of the most recent ranking, the university is tied with Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah and the University of Pittsburgh. In 2015, Fordham’s acceptance rate fell between BYU and Pitt, but neither school has yet released data for the class of 2020.

The yield rate, the percentage of accepted students who end up attending the university, has not yet been released, but should be available soon. The preliminary rate should be available after May 1, the deadline for incoming freshman to put down deposits and claim spots for next fall.

Buckley told Fordham News in

February that the admissions department is currently aiming for a total of 2,135 students to enroll in the class of 2020.

With just under 20,000 acceptances mailed, that yield will be around nine percent, even lower than last year’s 11.5 percent yield.

This statistic will likely push the university even further down on U.S. News’ ranking of yield rate among national universities, a sign of competitiveness among universities (top-ranked Harvard has a yield of over 80 percent).

The final spring Admitted Students Day is next Friday, April 22. Students still making their decision before the May 1 decision deadline will attend a day full of information sessions and activities before prospectively placing their deposits.

-Laura Sanicola contributed reporting.

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April 13, 2016

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April 13, 2016

OPINION

Page 11

The Fordham Ram

Campuses Better Equipped E i d for f Sexual S Assault Cases

By EMILY SULLIVAN CONTRIBUTING WRITER

College administrations increasingly try to replace legalistic methods of defining sexual assault with personal education that is more realistic and accessible to students. With workshop classes taught by specifically trained professionals, schools throughout the United States are also accomplishing this change with the help of Title IX officers with great success.

Personable education and adequate responses to reports of sexual assault are imperative in both upholding Title IX and creating a safe and inclusive atmosphere for students. Some administrations may find it difficult to implement programs about phrases to use in asking your partner for permission, but creating such personalized programs is crucial.

Spending time on the nuances of consent places a “yes means yes” norm alongside the more commonly emphasized “no means no” norm, leaving little room for doubt and encouraging safer, consensual sex.

Title IX has been put in place to ensure at least some form of guidance takes place in our education system. Schools that receive federal funding but do not provide guidance to students who have been sexually assaulted or harassed are, by Title IX, at risk of losing financial assistance.

The media has been increasing coverage of reactions to Title IX violations. The Hunting Ground, a 2015 documentary detailing two

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Recent changes to Title IX legislation, first established in 1972, will help universities respond to sexual assault cases.

female students’ experiences in reporting sexual assault at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, is the most prominent recent example.

Universities have responded to reactions to Title IX in various ways. Over 800 colleges in the U.S. have imposed rules commonly known as “affirmative consent” that require verbal contracts of “yes” both before and during a sexual encounter.

Though these rules do emphasize active consent, education and awareness are crucial

in establishing an environment of inclusivity and safety. Harvard University has recently taken this route by hiring its first Title IX officer, Mia Karvonides.

Her daily duties as a Title IX officer include ensuring Harvard is successfully implementing adequate policy and overseeing how the institution responds to allegations of assault.

Fordham’s own Title IX implementation advisor is Anastasia Coleman, who holds the title of director of institutional equity and compliance. Fordham’s Title

IX website lists Ms. Coleman’s responsibilities as overseeing “compliance efforts and violations of university policies, including gender equity in athletics, and all forms of discrimination, limitations on consensual relationships, sex and gender discrimination, sexual harassment, rape/sexual abuse, other sexual misconduct, stalking, forcible touching, dating and domestic violence, intimidation and retaliation for filing such complaints.” The Sexual Misconduct Task Force was established in 2015 to better understand

campus climate and the extent of sexual assault awareness.

The information and data gathered by the task force was used to update and reassess the university’s already present and mandatory outreach programs. Examples include the lecture about consent and sexual assault during New Student Orientation and the Alcohol and Other Drug Education Core Program.

Fordham’s Title IX office conducts education and training seminars, awareness events and workshops, but these programs are not mandated.

In a statement hosted online at Fordham’s Title IX website, Rev. Joseph McShane, S.J., president of the university, cites Jesuit values in Fordham’s implementation of the law, stating that “kindness, dignity and protection of all persons are at the heart of cura personalis.”

Though Fordham has conducted recent thorough research with the task force and reevaluated its approach to dealing with issues of sexual assault, a crucial remaining point of contention is the relatively small amount of education regarding students.

A more comprehensive approach for Fordham could be to mandate comprehensive sexual assault awareness workshops throughout on-campus resident buildings that focus on what constitutes consent and maintaining healthy relationships.

Emily Sullivan, FCRH ‘17, is a psychology and women’s studies double major from Wall, New Jersey.

Taking Away the Gap Between Religion and Politics

By BRIANNA ALLARD STAFF WRITER

The governor of Georgia recently vetoed a bill that is eerily similar to a bill passed in South Carolina which “would have given faithbased organizations in Georgia the option to deny services and jobs to gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people,” according to CNN. Although the bill did not pass in Georgia, a similar law still stands in South Carolina. The correlation between religious freedom and tolerance needs to be examined, as these recent events have called the balance of these two ideas into question.

The crux of the issue lies in the controversy surrounding the phrase “separation of church and state.” This phrase often shuts down conversation, rather than stimulating, despite the fact that we should really have more discussion about this touchy topic in the political sphere.

By establishing the discussion of this separation of church and state as a taboo, we as a society have guaranteed the suppression of both the hidden meanings and implications within the relationship of the separation between church and state. Part of the problem with the phrase is that many United States citizens see it as a relatively simple

and straightforward idea. I myself used to be under that impression.

However, upon looking deeper into this issue, it is much more complicated than a simple phrase.

Religious freedom was defined in the first amendment of the United States Constitution: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.” As was their custom, the founding fathers left the nation with very vague parameters for religious freedom. The commonly accepted definition for religious freedom is known as the right to express one’s religion and beliefs both privately and publicly without fear of persecution.

However, that freedom can only be exercised until it limits the freedom of others such as the LGBTQ community. It is the government’s job to protect the freedom and liberties of all its citizens while also upholding the standard of religious freedom. So how is the government supposed to balance these two duties and where does it draw the line?

This is a very difficult question, and the United States has yet to come up with a consistently upheld answer. Fordham Professor of Theology Matthew Lootens suggests that public discourse could improve the situation. He observes that public discourse is usually shut down as soon as someone uses the phrase

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Separation of church and state may sound good on paper, but the phrase limits discussion about religious freedom.

“separation of church and state,” because both sides of the argument can use it to their advantage. However, the time has come to clarify where the government should draw the line during conflicts of interest between the state and religion. Since the topic has not been open for discussion, it has historically been very difficult to find a way to strike a balance.

However, it is very difficult to bring one’s religion into the political sphere, especially in the form of a law or bill, because it will not represent the wishes of all citizens, whether they identify as religious or not.

For this reason, laws based on religious freedom are problematic. They

present a complicated labyrinth of ideals and beliefs through which policy makers must navigate. This is the exact reason why the public discourse on the topic of religious freedom needs expansion.

As a result of its current status as a taboo topic, when laws based in religious freedom are proposed, they are often morally reprehensible and sometimes unconstitutional, as we have seen in recent events. The laws passed in South Carolina and recently vetoed in Georgia are perfect examples of the consequence of silencing the public discourse on a topic such as religious freedom. If there had been previous discussion

of these conflicting values in politics and in the public sphere, such a drastic law would never have been proposed or passed. It would have been struck down as unconstitutional a long time ago.

Furthermore, the American public, would have come up with a way to balance religious freedom and tolerance of LGBTQ rights. Once these values become part of the public political debates, we can find equilibrium between these conflicting values.

Brianna Allard, FCRH ’18, is an international studies major from Somers, Connecticut.

OPINION

Page 12

R Serving the Fordham University campus and community since 1918 The Fordham Ram is the university journal of record. The mission of The Fordham Ram is to provide a forum for the free and open exchange of ideas in service to the community and to act as a student advocate. The Fordham Ram is published and distributed free of charge every Wednesday during the academic year to the Rose Hill, Lincoln Center and Westchester campuses with a readership of over 12,000 and a web readershipi of over 300,000. The Fordham Ram office is located in the basement of the McGinley Center, room B-52.

Website FordhamRam.com Email Address theram@fordham.edu Mailing Address Fordham University - Station 37 Box B Bronx, NY 10458 Editor-in-Chief Laura Sanicola Managing Editor Drew Casey Business Director Zack Miklos Copy Chief Tara Martinelli Editorial Director Amanda Giglio Assistant Business Director Tyler Dikun Assistant Copy Chief Amanda Maile News Editor Erin Shanahan Assistant News Editors Mike Byrne Theresa Schliep Opinion Editors Margarita Artoglou Kristen Santer Culture Editors Bailey Hosfelt Libby Smislova Sports Editor Sam Belden Assistant Sports Editors Pat Costello Jack McLoone Features Editor Cate Carrejo Photo Editors Jack Brennan Andrea Garcia Kate Mackie Digital Team Ellie Bruckner Meghan Campbell Anna Carey Faculty Advisor Beth Knobel Editorial Page Policy The Fordham Ram’s editorial and ramblings topics are selected on a weekly basis and reflect the editorial board’s view on a campus issue.

Correction An article entitled, “Ram Van Adds Tech Improvements; Van Safety Questions Persist” on March 9, 2016 contained an incorrectly attributed quotation that resulted from the editing process after writer submission. The Fordham Ram has refined it’s editing process as a result and apologizes for the error.

Opinions Policy The Fordham Ram appreciates submissions to fordhamramopinions@ gmail.com. Commentaries are printed on a space available basis.

April 13, 2016

From the Desk | Tyler Dikun

Augusta (Not So) National Showcases Exclusivity As a history buff, I often find myself comparing current events to past circumstances. Place yourself in the shoes of a wealthy white family of the 1890s. As a successful New York family, you have come to reside on Park Avenue.

Your days consist of long walks in the park and browsing Macy’s Department Store or the Sears Catalogue for the next ‘must-have’ item. You have mastered the art of living completely ignorant to the problems that millions of your fellow New Yorkers must face.

What we actually know of New York in this time period is that it was a city infested with disease, greatly lacking in sanitation and unimaginably corrupt. By 1900, 2.3 million (roughly 70 percent) of New Yorkers lived in shoddy tenement houses, devoid of many basic needs. Legendary writer Mark Twain summed up this time of great social innovation coupled with a lack of social welfare in the three words, “the Gilded Age.” Sitting on my couch watching

the Masters at Augusta National yesterday, I noticed this same prevailing theme. The course was as pristine and lush as ever and the tournament was one of the best in recent memory. Yet Augusta National is a golf community that thrives on exclusivity. You might interject at this point that Augusta National has the right to be exclusive in order to maintain its place among golf ’s most hallowed grounds.

I have no problem with a country club keeping away potential members via membership fees or by invoking a waiting list 10 years long. My problem with the Masters is that the club it has been played at for over 80 years symbolizes a traditional ideology that America has long since done away with.

Let me be clear in saying that Augusta National is not a racist or discriminatory organization.

Augusta has accepted minority members in the past and offered membership to two women in

2012.

Rather, the likes of Chairman Billy Payne seem to hide behind a philosophy of fraternity over moral understanding. In the mind of Augusta National, this is a course built by men and should be set aside for men. Only as a result of public pressure, such as in 2002 when Martha Burk of the National Council of Women’s Organizations pressured then Chairman Hootie Johnson to accept a female member by 2003, has Augusta rethought its image.

The Masters Invitational is a gilded tournament. The course sits in Georgia’s second largest city, Augusta. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the city’s unemployment rate still outpaces both state and national averages. Augusta is a city with an African-American mayor, yet the club has few to no AfricanAmerican members. It did not admit its first black member until 1990 when the USGA, PGA America and the PGA Tour ruled

that no club could host a PGA tournament if it did not admit minority members. While Augusta National has raised millions in charity donations for the surrounding community, and estimates put its economic impact in Augusta at over $100 million per year, one cannot escape the sense that the members of such a treasured American golf course want to hold on to a certain exclusivity that seems a bit outdated.

Editorial | USG

Why You Need to Vote in the USG Election The 2016 presidential election is in full swing and the focus of college students should be to make sure we are registered to vote and exercising that right by participating in our respective primaries.

Voting is an integral part of our country’s democratic framework, and being able to take part in that is critically important to being active citizens, men and women for others.

With this in mind, let’s switch our view to the Fordham Rose Hill campus. In the next few days, the United Student Government (USG) will be holding its 2016 elections for executive board and senate positions.

USG is the only student government organization whose officers are elected by all members of the Fordham undergraduate community. Its mission statement, as posted on its website, emphasizes

its commitment to “advocating for our peers and improving the student experience” by communicating with fellow students and sending concerns to the administration.

For all intent and purposes, USG is our connection to the administration and these elections are our way to make a difference on campus as a student body.

In recent years, USG has not been as vocal and in the forefront of campus politics. Last year the majority of positions went uncontested, resulting in a less than exciting election process. This year, though, five out of the 10 positions are contested and most of the senate is contested, a huge increase from last year.

Is this due to the highly charged political climate in the U.S. elections? Most likely.

As this year’s presidential election is the first major election a

majority of the student body will be voting in, it makes sense. The issues talked about and the controversy with candidates are constant topics of conversation in media and in the classroom. With this positive atmosphere toward politics for college students, it makes sense that this is the most contested USG election we have had in a while.

Fordham’s Rose Hill campus has been historically an apathetic student body when it comes to student government. Whether due to lack of understanding of what USG represents and can get done or just a lack of care, it is hard to tell.

Since this year’s candidates are being more verbal about their campaigns and hopes, especially through social media, it is important to be correctly informed about what each candidate is representing.

It seems that an issue arises on Fordham’s campus on a near weekly basis that incites a large student reaction and ultimately a push for change. Whether it be mental health issues, bias incidents and dialogues on diversity or sexual assault, students have asked administrators to take a deep look at a policy or practice on campus.

But with hardly any push by students to use their USG representatives to formally converse with the administration on these issues, some have forgotten about or have not been examined as methodically as they should be.

Since USG’s mission is to serve its undergraduate peers, we should all encourage our representatives to take up our causes. It starts with voting and continues throughout their terms by providing them with goals to consider and work towards.

Letter to the Editor Re: “One in 10 Still Seek Work Six Months After Fordham Graduation: Report” February 10, 2016 In February, The Fordham Ram published an article based on the undergraduate outcomes overview report available on the university website.

The article concluded with observations about the limitations of that report. Additional analyses are in fact available to students through the career insights system, but those analyses, like the published

analyses, are sometimes limited by a shortage of salary or wage data.

As you prepare for summer and post-graduation activities, I am writing to encourage you to share information about those experiences with fellow and future students by reporting your activities to career services or entering information into the career insights system.

The completeness and accuracy of the information we can provide you and other students depends on the completeness and accuracy of the information you provide us.

Each year, the staff of career services reaches out to graduating seniors to find out what they plan to do after graduation and to offer assistance to those still searching for employment.

If you are a senior or a recent graduate, it is best if you sign on to career insights and complete the survey pertinent to your activities.

Alternatively, when you complete the survey at the Graduate Salute (April 18 and 19), answer all of the questions about your plans in detail.

Additionally, career services and the

Gabelli Personal and Professional Development staff welcome email updates and phone calls, especially from students who seek assistance.

With your help in completing these surveys, we can provide useful information to students and others.

We cannot do it without you.

— Jeannine Pinto, Ph.D. University Assessment Officer in the Office of Institutional Research

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OPINION

April 13, 2016

Page 13

BQX Streetcar Is Nice in Theory, Not in Practice

By ANDREW SANTIS STAFF WRITER

Without a doubt, New Yorkers depend heavily on public transportation. Our location on Fordham Road, a major transportation hub, provides us with numerous ways to travel to the rest of the Bronx, as well as the four other boroughs. Yes, our relationship with the MTA may be complicated and our complaints about reliability, cleanliness and fare prices persist, but at least we have options.

For many other New Yorkers, however, there are very limited options to get around. Areas like the South Bronx, Southeast Queens and East Brooklyn are practically transit deserts, with little to no viable or nearby public transportation available. Instead of focusing its efforts on these parts of the city, the de Blasio administration decided to focus on the booming East River waterfront, where it proposed to add a streetcar line to serve neighborhoods like Astoria, Long Island City, Greenpoint, Williamsburg, downtown Brooklyn, Red Hook and Sunset Park.

While this streetcar is an innovative idea for providing an alternative mode of transportation for Brooklyn and Queens residents, the Brooklyn Queens Connector is not necessary.

For starters, not all the neighborhoods that will be served by the BQX are underserved by public transportation. For example, the M, N, Q and R trains serve Astoria, the 7 forLong Island City, the G and L Williamsburg, and the D and R to Sunset Park. Buses are also plentiful in both boroughs.

One of the major downsides to the BQX is that there are no specifics as to how, or if, it will connect to the subways or buses. As of now, there is no guarantee that there will be a free transfer between the BQX and the subways and buses. [FYI, the BQX is not an MTA project, so the state agency does not have any control over how the streetcar will be implemented or how much a fare will cost.]

The chances of more congested streets, reduced parking and traffic accidents among pedestrians, bikers and other vehicles are also likely to increase because of the BQX. The streetcar is proposed to run on aboveground rails embedded in the road and alongside car traffic for about 16 miles. If you have even been to downtown Brooklyn during rush hour, you know how overcrowded the streets can get. I think what a lot of urban developers forget about New York is that the city is overpopulated and has outdated infrastructure unable to handle more traffic. A streetcar would only cause headaches.

In a recent New York Times article, residents in Red Hook, Brooklyn were divided on the BQX. One of resident’s reasons for opposing the streetcar was that its addition would drive up housing prices — a valid point. Gentrification and development have made the neighborhoods along the proposed BQX route desirable but expensive, and have led to the displacement of thousands of residents who can no longer afford to pay skyrocketing rents, which adds to the city’s housing crisis.

New York is the latest city to want

Promoting More Diverse Humanities

COURTESY OF FLICKR

A plan for a streetcar between Brooklyn and Queens is currently in the works.

to implement a streetcar. Cities like Portland, Oregon and Tucson, Arizona have had success with their light train lines, but cities like San Antonio, Atlanta and most recently, Washington, D.C., have run into problems.

Issues arise because of rising costs, lower-than-expected ridership, questions of adequacy and efficiency and constructed roadways. I would not be surprised if this happens to the BQX. Knowing New York’s less than stellar record on keeping deadlines and price tags low on major transportation projects, the city should not take a risk on the BQX. If the point of the BQX is to connect Brooklyn and Queens to each other and to other public transit options, the most logical thing to do is either increase service on the bus routes that already serve both boroughs, such as the B32 and B62, or add rapid bus line routes between more transit desert neighborhoods like Maspeth and Bedford-Stuyvesant. The city should

also find ways to improve commutes for New Yorkers in Woodhaven and the Rockaways, who have the longest commutes in the city. Of course, my bus proposal would never fly because it is not “sexy” enough for New York, which is why a streetcar looks and sounds more appealing.

If all goes according to plan, which it usually does not in New York, construction on the BQX will start in 2019, pending approval from all the communities involved and ideally be up and running by 2024. In order to alleviate mass transit problems for two of the most populous boroughs in the city by providing them a faster and more convenient route, Mayor de Blasio should reconsider the streetcar proposal and prioritize the objective over the design.

In other words: keep it simple, stupid.

Andrew Santis, GSB’16, is a marketing major from Queens.

Blackboard as a Blight to Fordham Technology

By MARGARITA ARTOGLOU & KRISTEN SANTER OPINION EDITORS

The use of technology in the classrooms at Fordham can be extremely varied. One class may rely on technology, while another completely disregards it.

Although students may bemoan the small bandwidth of Fordham Wi-Fi or the occasional faulty smartboard, most professors find that Fordham’s IT services and technology offerings are average compared to other schools.

Fordham offers several workshops to help get professors accustomed to new technology offerings and IT updates. Some of the workshops include introductions to SMARTBoards, Blackboard and creating and editing video files. Professor Lance Strate also agreed with the general consensus, “It’s a progression for sure, but I have seen schools that are much worse off than we are as far as not having [technological resources].”

The continuous problem that professors seem to have with Fordham’s technology is Blackboard. Michael Plugh, a Communication and Media Studies professor, finds it frustrating.

“Everything at Fordham is pretty straightforward, except Blackboard,” he said. “I’m sort of unwilling to get invested in Blackboard because I’m not convinced it has a life beyond itself.”

Other dissatisfied professors with Blackboard were not as nice

ANDREA GARCIA/THE FORDHAM RAM

Blackboard presents a headache for many of its users.

as Plugh. “I hate Blackboard,” Professor Lance Strate said. “I understand why it’s used but I think it’s a really badly designed system.”

It seems that discontent may be an understatement of the professors’ feelings about Blackboard. It clearly seems to cause more problems instead of making them simpler and more convenient.

Strate is not alone in terms of his problems with Blackboard.

Many professors dismiss the system completely and use alternative, free software to communicate with their students. Among them is Professor Cornelius Collins, who finds Google Drive to be a much smoother user experience than Blackboard. “There are

Elle Rothermich

fewer steps [with Google Drive],” Collins said. “It’s integrated with students email and it suits my purposes. I find that Blackboard has built in so much functionality that it’s hard to do it in a streamlined way.”

At the point where professors are shunning paid-for software in favor of free substitutes, it is clear that Blackboard represents a blight on Fordham’s technological progress. Furthermore, if professors are choosing not to use Blackboard, then the university is needlessly wasting money on the program that could instead be put toward more fruitful pursuits.

In addition, many Fordham students are disillusioned by

Blackboard. “It’s completely disorganized. I never know what assignments are posted for what day,” Nicole Cappuccio, FCRH ‘18, said.

Students have also expressed distaste with the way that professors under-utilize the application.

“None of my professors ever use the grading system on Blackboard either, and I think that’s a waste when I could be keeping tabs on my grades that way,” said Cappuccio.

It is quite clear that Blackboard is an inferior platform for grading and source materials, especially when free platforms like Google Drive and Wordpress are easily accessible. Fordham definitely needs to update Blackboard, either to a better platform or to a more workable interface with fewer bugs. However, the question becomes whether a university-wide platform like Blackboard is even necessary. Professors can just as easily use Google Drive and Wordpress, and often prefer to.

Perhaps instead of spending money teaching professors how to use Blackboard, it could offer programs to help teach students basic technology, software and coding skills.

Margarita Artoglou, FCRH ’18, is a communication and media studies major from Queens. Kristen Santer, FCRH ’17, is a communication and media studies major from Stamford, Connecticut.

In 1852, the University of Pennsylvania expected all candidates for admission to have gained enough familiarity with Greek and Latin to read Caesar, Horace, Xenophon and Homer. Men who met this stipulation and subsequently advanced to sophomore standing read Putz’s Modern History, which analyzed the past primarily as a succession of actions decided upon by a few illustrious personages and carried out by the nameless masses.

The Moral Philosophy curriculum given to the junior class included Evidences of Christianity as a textbook.

In 1794, William Paley, an Anglican clergyman, wrote and published this philosophical treatise. While Paley was, by all accounts, a brilliant mind — he graduated at the top of his class from Christ’s College, Cambridge — his writings are not presented alongside any works from philosophers with differing viewpoints.

Other sources from the period illustrate that the University of Pennsylvania was not unique in its commitment to the “what” over the “why.” America in the 1850s was yet to see the Civil War or the perils of the 20th century; the expectation for the ruling classes to look and act a particular way was readily spoken of.

Though the particularities of the value system differed regionally, the elite used education to ensure the stability of the social order across the U.S. For the financially disenfranchised, higher education could either be a ticket up or an insurmountable obstacle.

Despite the time gap, change in the educational system has been creeping slowly. Many American school curriculums still revolve around Western intellectual output and ideology, fostering the outmoded belief that world history culminates in the dominance of Western civilization and the white male within a rigid way of thinking.

Yet students must be taught to think critically about their education if they are to ever grow into adults with the ability to think critically about our world.

Intellectual works such as Paley’s should not be forgotten. Likewise, a complete secularization of the educational system is not only unnecessary but detrimental, for beliefs and spirituality are as much a part of human existence as subordinate clauses and neutralization reactions. But students must be taught the skills required to analyze the content they are given.

This is not to say that there has been no progress made. The New York State standard for World History necessitates that ninth graders learn not only about the Classical Greek city states, but also the Han Dynasty and the Mayans. African civilizations, traditionally under-studied, also make an appearance. However, other state standards still bear evidence of a West-centric worldview; in the current high school standard for Texas schools, the U.S. annexation of Hawaii is termed “expansion” while similar activities of Russia and other nations are defined as “imperialism” or even “aggression.”

Why not teach impressionable and inquisitive children “how,” show them “what” and trust that they can ask themselves “why?”

OPINION

Page 14

April 13, 2016

The Unfounded Bias Against a $15 Minimum Wage

Joe Moresky The Death of the Republican Party

By OLIVIA COOLEY STAFF WRITER

As of April 5, New York and California have gone where no states have gone before. They join cities such as Seattle, Los Angeles and San Francisco to incrementally reaise the minimum wage to $15 an hour.

For years, economists have grappled with the economic implications of raising the minimum wage. In a 2015 Bloomberg article, Jared Bernstein, a former chief economic adviser to Vice President Joe Biden, said that any jobs lost by raising the minimum wage would be worthwhile for the benefit of low-income workers.

While some economists agree with Berstein, others are not so sure. Economist Milton Friedman opposed raising minimum wages, saying “people whose skills are not sufficient to justify that kind of a wage will be unemployed.”

In response to both sides of the debate, low wage workers across the country are arguing against the notion that their work is just for privileged teenagers and college students, pointing out that many people rely on these jobs to make ends meet and to support their families. In fact, according to the Economic Policy Institute, the age of the average worker who would benefit from a minimum wage increase is 35 years old.

Setting the economic impacts of the two states’ wage hikes aside, it is important to recognize what the Fight for 15 movement and the resulting legislation represent on a broader scale — justified anger over the increasing levels of income inequality in the United States.

Regardless of the arguments for or against the minimum wage hike, the severe and increasing wage gap needs to be addressed in some way. According to Hart Research Associates in January of last year, 63 percent of Americans supported raising the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2020.

From King James’ 1604 legislation, which set a minimum wage for textile workers, to FDR’s New Deal implementation of the first official minimum wage in the

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The Fight for 15 movement protesters rally in favor of raising the national minimum wage to $15 per hour.

United States, the explicit intent of minimum wage laws has consistently been to provide a living wage for all workers.

According to the Economic Policy Institute, up until the early 1980s, a yearly minimum wage income was slightly above the poverty line for a family of two, meaning a single parent could support his- or herself and one child (albeit meagerly) while earning the minimum wage.

At its peak in 1968, the real value of the minimum wage was enough to even keep a family of three out of poverty.

However, the value of the minimum wage plummeted during the 1980s, when Reagan refused to raise it for all eight years of his presidency. Instead of championing the working class, Reagan highly promoted his “trickledown economics” plan, which eased up on taxing the upper class, stating that the extra money would flow into the economy as big companies would expand, invest more and hire more workers.

Since then, the minimum wage standard has never recovered to its original value and now fails to keep a family of two out of poverty.

Reagan’s stifling of the minimum wage also failed to keep pace with overall worker productivity.

According to some estimates, if

it had kept pace with productivity, the minimum wage would be about $22 per hour today.

Tim Worstall, a contributor at Forbes, argued that overall worker productivity should not be linked to the minimum wage, since it is impossible to know whether actual minimum wage workers are more productive than the rest of the workforce.

However, in an increasingly investment-based economy that pressures businesses to constantly bring in higher profits, large corporations tend to find ways to squeeze more work out of their employees for less pay. The book Low-Wage America: How Employers are Reshaping Opportunity in the Workplace details some of the measures employers use to increase profits and productivity, such as hotels requiring maids to increase the number of rooms they clean by 50 percent without proportionally increasing their pay.

“Seriously, does anyone think that hamburger makers have become more productive per hour of labour [sic] over the last 20 or 30 years?” Worstall asked.

To answer that question: Yes. It is reasonable to conclude that the average minimum or low wage worker has indeed become more productive in recent years as a result of corporations’ productiv-

ity-increasing measures. Workers deserve a wage that keeps up with the overall rate of worker productivity. The new minimum wage legislation in New York and California includes provisions that allow for the slowing or suspension of wage increases if it results in a significant negative economic impact.

While the economic effects of the minimum wage increase remain to be seen, the message being sent by low wage workers is loud and clear: all workers deserve a living wage.

Given the increased support for a $15 minimum wage among Americans, it is conceivable this could become a reality for low wage workers across the country.

As Americans, we need to start to close the wage gap in this country. The increase to $15 could bring us back to a far more and respectable time, when families could support themselves working low wage positions. We need happy and dedicated workers in these jobs who are essential to our economy. Since the New York and California laws have provisos to prevent economic damage, why not give $15 minimum wage a try?

Olivia Cooley, FCRH ’16, is a women’s studies and Spanish double major from Meriden, Connecticut.

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If anything has been accomplished during this election cycle it has been the death of the Republican Party as American voters have come to know it. Donald Trump’s unprecedented rise to political dominance has thrown traditional pillars to the wayside, and the average voter is vastly disconnected from orthodox GOP policy.

However, this isn’t necessarily a bad thing for republicans.

With the party shaken to its core, it can finally tinker with its foundation — and hopefully abandon its “say nothing different, do nothing different” approach to modernization.

Beyond improved messaging, republican leaders should take 2016 as a call to profoundly adapt their policy prescriptions and to show conservatism in a new light as a human ideology.

Traditionally, conservatism aims to create an environment in which society can naturally prosper and progress, rather than to directly prescribe society’s function.

It champions an approach to public policy that reflects the decentralized nature of a pluralistic democracy. Conservative initiatives seek to create a bottom-up, incremental learning process that empowers those with a problem to discover and implement solutions. While government retains a crucial role, it is far less intrusive than the centralized and overtly managerial role championed by liberals.

However, the modern Republican Party has lost this vision, governing as though the solutions enacted a generation ago can apply to the current problems Americans face.

This miscalculation reflects a colossal failure to recognize that conditions have dramatically changed and that conservatives have failed to keep up with these changes.

As a result, voters have branded the GOP as a party out of touch with the realities of modern life: disapproving of working women, minorities and young people. To fix the problem, a dogmatic adherence to conservatism of the past won’t be enough.

Policy proposals that use conservative principles are needed to create innovative solutions for modern problems.

These policies should stand up to big businesses to protect the entrepreneur and preserve market competition, recognize that implementations beyond tax cuts will be necessary to help families and understand that, before government can be reduced, society’s problems, like poverty, must be solved.

With fresh ideas, the Republican Party will convince the American people that it is on their side.

Only then will people see the changes they have been so desperately craving.

CULTURE

April 13, 2016

Page 15

The Fordham Ram

Vinyl Sales Exceed Those From Streaming

By MARK MCNULTY STAFF WRITER

Billboard reported that in 2015, vinyl sales in the United States generated more revenue than the advertising on Youtube, Soundcloud and Spotify combined. According to the Recording Industry Association of America, vinyl record sales totaled $416 million while ad revenues from the major streaming services earned $385 million.

There are two parallel storylines at play here: American’s growing fondness for the hands-on listening experience of vinyl which ultimately puts more money in the pockets of artists while, in comparison, a new streaming model collects paltry sums for artists.

The number of people who actually purchase music has decreased steadily since the digital revolution in the early 2000s, leaving merchandizing and ticket sales as an artist’s primary source of revenue.

“Vinyl records can fall into the category of merchandise when an artist personally presses and sells the vinyls” said Noah Padawer Curry, head of Onamazu, a hiphop label based in New York City.

“An artist typically pockets 100 percent of this revenue, and fans experience the music in a more intimate fashion.”

If style is cyclical and sound is

style, it is not surprising that vinyls are making a comeback. Record Store Day began in 2008 as a way to celebrate the history of vinyl and the record store itself.

When a person is used to digital streaming, walking into a record store is like going to a professional baseball game for the first time instead of listening to games on the radio. In 2009, approximately 85 records were released or re-released on Record Store Day. This year, over 500 records are being pressed for release on Record Store Day on April 16.

Streaming services like Youtube, Spotify and Soundcloud have been notoriously poor at compensating artists for streams of their music.

Artists like Prince, Tool, Taylor Swift and Radiohead’s Thom Yorke even boycott some of the services.

Swift, whose album 1989 was the second highest-selling vinyl in 2015, refuses to host her music on Spotify. “I’m not willing to contribute my life’s work to an experiment that I don’t feel fairly compensates the writers, producers, artists and creators of this music,” she told Rolling Stone.

So how does Spotify pay artists, and how much of the $385 million in ad revenue makes it into the pockets of deserving artists? It depends on a number of factors. According to SpotifyArtists.com, the average per-stream payout to artists is between .006 to .0084 cents.

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Though streaming offers new opportunities to both musicians and listeners, vinyl proves to be more lucrative.

This is averaged across Spotify’s tiers of service, from the subscription model to the free, ad-supported service.

Spotify also offers lucrative exclusive access deals to artists like Red Hot Chili Peppers and Metallica, but all an emerging artist can really gain from Spotify is exposure.

Thom Yorke, whose solo albums are not available on any streaming service, has criticized Spotify for this, but exposure is not bereft of value.

With merchandise and ticket sales bringing in the lion’s share of an artist’s livelihood, solid exposure through streaming services can help bring people to concerts and in turn, to the mercy table where a stack of vinyls may be sitting.

Licensing agreements often determine the amount of ad revenue that rights holders (musicians and labels) will see. Soundcloud, which recently announced its pay-for-premium-play subscription service called Soundcloud Go, has agreements with the three major music labels, Universal Music Group, Sony BMG and Warner Music Group, which allows the service to legally host the music owned by these labels.

In those agreements, Soundcloud and the labels agree that a certain percentage of ad revenue will go directly to the label. Then that money is filtered many times over through and after distribution costs are accounted for, the artist gets a paycheck which is often very

small.

So what does this say about the music industry? For one thing, despite the new millennium’s digital overhaul, which has created more access to music for fans and less control of music for labels, money is still flowing almost exclusively to the industry’s giants. Whether it is a major label or major-owned subsidiary like Dre’s Aftermath or Ye’s G.O.O.D. Music, or a worldrenowned artist like Rihanna, the earnings from streaming services is disproportional.

In this context, pressing vinyls and selling them directly to fans is a viable way for emerging artists to make up for profits lost from the streaming process that is absolutely vital for gaining exposure.

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CULTURE

Page 16

April 13, 2016

Students Assess the Top Spring Fashion Trends of the Season

By NOELLE KHAN CONTRIBUTING WRITER

This spring season calls for incorporating simple, yet bright and quirky, pieces in your wardrobe.

While some of these spring fashion trends are not cheap, it is still possible to snag some serious inspiration from the runways.

A few simple key tips and tricks can help any fashionista on a budget can create a closet that screams springtime. When first overhauling a winter closet, college girls on a budget should gravitate towards investing in staple pieces that complement the clothing items and accessories that they already own.

“For the spring, three key pieces every girl should have in their closet are a denim jacket, a neutral handbag that you could use day or night and statement necklaces,” said Courtney Acito, FCRH ‘17.

An oversized denim jacket is perfect for layering over tees, tanks and dresses on chilly spring days. If you love denim jackets, but do not want to settle for a simple one, opt for a choice that is frayed at the edges or embellished with unique patch work, like boho inspired florals.

“Denim jackets are essential because they’re so versatile,” said Kasey Bandilla, FCRH ‘18. “I love wearing a denim jacket with some of my fancier dresses because it can make them more casual, which allows me to get more use out of my clothes.”

A neutral-toned purse that can

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A classic jean jacket is the perfect spring staple, sure to make any outfit appear put together.

carry all the essentials is another investment worth making. Bucket bags are big this spring. Brands like Rebecca Minkoff and Sam Edelman offer a sturdy, well-made and trendy crossbody purse for a fraction of the price of a high-end designer.

Do not be afraid to make a statement this spring with a bold choker necklace. Channeling the 90s has never been this easy or inexpensive.

Celebrities like Kendall Jenner and Gigi Hadid can be found wearing simple, black-velvet or dainty gold choker necklaces that are sometimes embellished with unique charms. Find this staple accessory for under $10 at For-

ever 21 and H&M. Do not limit your love for outerwear this spring season. While the denim jacket is a staple piece to own, the bomber jacket will add some serious flair to a casual daytime look. A simple army green or black bomber jacket with gold hardware details will give any outfit an instant cool girl edge with minimal effort.

“I’m really excited to break out my bomber jackets this spring,” said Bandilla. “They’re key pieces that juxtapose some of the more feminine and flowy silhouettes or floral prints.”

Embellished bomber jackets are

perfect for accessorizing an all black ensemble on those busy mornings with no time to fuss with accessories. ASOS, a trendy online shopping site, offers unique embellished bombers that are waiting to make their way into every college fashionista’s closet.

Investing in a pair of white kicks this spring is essential. Crisp white sneakers, whether they are slip-on Vans, classic high-tops or Adidas Originals, are super versatile and can even be transitioned into the summer season.

“To carry your clothes into summer, wear your overalls with a cute

bralette underneath or pair your white sneakers with a light, floral dress,” said Maddie Legg, FCRH ‘17. “It’s all about contrast.”

Not only can white sneakers be paired with most items from your closet, they are also light on your feet and very comfortable. “I’m looking forward to wearing white sneakers because they are comfortable for walking around, especially in the city, and they go with so many different outfits,” said Katherine Falzon, FCRH ‘18.

While some fashion trends, like footwear, are easy to replicate off the runbway, other styles like lingerie are a bit difficult to pull off. “So I know that ‘lingerie by day’ was big on the runway during fashion week, and that’s definitely not something I would ever wear,” said Emily Belmonte, FCRH ‘17. “I’m sure some people can rock it, but I cannot.”

If lingerie as daywear sounds a bit too scandalous, try incorporating lingerie inspired pieces with more conservative staples. Throwing a basic cardigan or structured blazer over a delicate lingerie-inspired camisole or slip dress will make the outfit daytime appropriate.

“Being trendy does not mean wearing everything you see on the runway, but rather incorporating it into your wardrobe and making it uniquely yours,” said Acito.

Embrace the season and add a personal twist to spring trends seen on Instagram or while window shopping.

After all, in New York City there is endless fashion inspiration on every street.

Theater Talk | Claire Del Sorbo

Dining Out | Allison Russo

“Les Miserables”

Think Outside the (Burrito) Box

As the self-proclaimed “world’s most popular musical,” “Les Miserables” has entranced audiences for over 30 years. It has been performed in over 25 languages in almost every continent. It currently enjoys its status as the longestrunning musical of all time, with the original 1985 production still running in London. In New York, it currently plays at the Imperial Theatre.

“Les Mis” is also my personal favorite musical. Having seen it twice, there is something incredibly mystifying and touching about it.

It is a tale of redemption, love and courage. The songs are all greatly memorable. It is a roller coaster of emotions from start to finish.

After internalizing the Jesuit values that Fordham espouses, I view the story arches in a different light. Ironically, the author of “Les Mis,” Victor Hugo, was strongly anti-clerical. Yet “Les Mis” is truly a religious story — whether it was meant to be or not.

The Bishop plays a small role in the musical, but he is the catalyst for all of the events that take place. He offers Jean Valjean hospitality after Valjean’s release from prison. When Valjean steals from the Bishop and is subsequently captured by the police, the Bishop allows Valjean to keep what he stole as a gift and even adds two silver candlesticks.

Ashamed and humbled by the Bishop’s kindness, Valjean seeks to begin a new life, although he is relentlessly pursued by the unyielding inspector Javert. The Bishop’s sacrifice helped Valjean resuscitate

his hopes and desires to live free from the stigma of his criminal past — the first step in Valjean’s path to redemption.

The Bishop’s sacrifice is the precursor to a key theme in “Les Mis.” Several of the doomed, tragic characters — the desperate Fantine, the lonely Eponine and the defiant Javert — express the idea of self-offering to a higher power. Fantine sells all of her possessions, cuts off her long hair and eventually works as a prostitute in order to provide for her ailing child, Cosette. Eponine continually does favors and puts her safety at risk for Marius, who does not return her affections. Javert, who once considered himself a man of stern principles, faces an intricate moral dilemma: to do something illegal (allowing a convict to run free) or something immoral (arresting the man who saved his life).

The struggles of these characters reference the Jesuit Order’s emphasis on making sacrifices to obtain personal peace and happiness. They will do anything to protect what they love, although their oppressive world makes them pay the ultimate price.

“Les Mis” is a musical that appeals to all different groups of people. The final line of the show is “to love another person is to see the face of God,” which is analogous with the Jesuit belief of finding God in all things. St. Ignatius of Loyola and all the following Jesuits are able to find God’s love in all humans, regardless of appearance or social status. If St. Ignatius himself were alive today, he would surely enjoy “Les Mis.”

When you’re searching for cheap, fast and made-to-order Mexican food in Manhattan, look no further than Burrito Box. Nestled on 9th Avenue and 57th Street, this tiny eatery is just steps from Fordham’s Lincoln Center campus. Whether you’re looking for a bite in between classes, waiting for a Ram Van or just craving amazing guacamole, Burrito Box is your new best friend.

Its extensive menu offers a range of vegetarian options including seitan, tofu and portabellos. It also has healthy replacements like brown rice, soy cheese, tofu sour cream and wheat tortillas. Everything is totally custom-

izable and affordable. With a menu overflowing with options for nachos, quesadillas, wraps and salads, there’s definitely something for everyone.

Though the name of this establishment suggests that burritos are the main attraction, my go-to order says otherwise — I almost always get tacos. You get two per order, hard or soft shell, stuffed with your choice of filling, plus housemade pico de gallo. I usually keep things simple with rice and beans, but I’ve heard great things about their ranchero chicken.

Every order comes with three different kinds of salsa, so you

can bring as much heat as you want to your Tex-Mex. A side order of chips and guac is definitely worth the four dollars and don’t forget to grab a Jarritos on the way out. If you’re lucky enough to get one of the six seats inside, there are selfserve chips and salsa up for grabs.

Regardless of how bustling Burrito Box is, it rarely takes more than five minutes to make your food. Since it so close to Central Park, this is the perfect place to get take out and then skip over to Sheep Meadow for a springtime picnic.

Bonus tip: they’re open until 11:30 p.m., seven days a week, so check it out for a late night bite.

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Burrito Box, a cheap eat on Manhattan’s West Side, is sure to satisfy the craving for flavorful Tex-Mex.

CULTURE

April 13, 2016

Page 17

Putting a Political Message Into a Pint

By KWAMESHA JOSEPH CONTRIBUTING WRITER

In a few months, the United States will bid goodbye to its 44th president, Barack Obama, and welcome the 45th. As of right now, each potential candidate (Donald Trump, John Kasich, Hillary Clinton, Ted Cruz and Bernie Sanders) is campaigning for his or her respective parties in hopes of winning the nomination for the upcoming election.

For those who support Bernie Sanders and take pride in “Feeling the Bern,” Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield, the names behind Ben and Jerry’s Ice Cream, have recently come up with a delicious way to cool off and still remain

supporters of the Vermont senator. They coined the flavor “Bernie’s Yearning” to represent the aspiring candidate.

Currently hopeful for the democratic nomination, Bernie Sanders has been gaining a lot of popularity among young adults.

His background as a protester for civil rights and his determination to implement policies that include universal college education and eradicating tax cuts that only seem to benefit large corporations makes him appealing.

If free education is not enough to win over the crowd, maybe a pint of delicious ice cream will do the trick.

According to Jerry Greenfield, Sanders is “a politician who

Forty pints of “Bernie’s Yearning” were handed out at a Union Square rally.

comes along once in a generation.”

“We’ve been constituents of Bernie for over 30 years,” Jerry Cohen says. This is the first time that either of the two co-founders have publicly supported any presidential candidate.

The ice cream made its tasty debut during a rally in support of Bernie Sanders at Union Square in New York City, where the founders handed out cups of the new flavor. The main goal behind Ben Cohen’s creation was to come up with something creative that embodied what Sanders stands for.

The limited edition flavor is mint chocolate chip. Seems simple, right? Wrong.

This particular pint of ice cream is created in a unique proportion: the limited edition flavor is composed of 99 percent plain mint ice cream base and one percent chocolate chip. More specifically, it is composed of a chocolate disc placed at the very top of the pint.

According to the co-founders, the chocolate disc at the top of the pint is representative of the wealth that has been accumulated by the one percent, an issue that has been heavily addressed throughout Sanders’ campaign.

In order to properly enjoy the ice cream, individuals are supposed to break up the chocolatey goodness and mix it around in the mint ice cream. This is supposed to symbolize the wealth trickling down and spreading to the 99 percent, as opposed to being concentrated at the very top. The print on the pint describes the flavor as being representative of what is wrong with the United States.

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Democratic candidate Bernie Sanders promotes his platform to voters.

Unfortunately, those who want to try the confectionery metaphor will be disappointed to find that “Bernie’s Yearning” is not a permanent feature in Ben and Jerry’s line of frozen flavors. The two co-founders are adamant that people understand that they are only supporting Bernie Sanders as private citizens.

Cohen stated that his own political beliefs are separate from the company. As a result, the duo only made 40 pints of the flavor in total, 25 of which were used to

serve people at the rally in Union Square. The rest of the pints were given away in a friendly online competition.

For those who do not support Bernie Sanders, have no fear.

Sharing Cohen and Greenfield’s political views is not a prerequisite to enjoying their ice cream.

Ben and Jerry’s Ice Cream company is free of politics and full of deliciousness.

So, as the pint says, open joyfully and share with all fellow Americans.

Editor’s Pick| Bad Suns

Language & Perspective From a Listener’s Point of View

By MARGARITA ARTOGLOU OPINION EDITOR

Way back in high school, I took a psychology class. I distinctly remember one of my favorite chapters of my textbook, entitled “Language and Perspective.” The chapter discussed how language and perspective shape our mental state and the way we think and view the world around us.

The first album from the Los Angeles-based band Bad Suns, which shares a title with that psychology book chapter, does a good job of reflecting on life and how we think and feel. The album name is pulled from a lyric from the album’s first song, “Matthew James,” (“Language and perspective shape the way we live/Some things are hard to take and even harder to give,”) and is particularly indicative of the reflective nature of the album as a whole.

Typical Bad Suns lyrics resemble someone’s inward thoughts and philosophical musings, which is one of the things that is so alluring about this album. Every song has a relaxing, chill sound, with lyrics that provide insightful thoughts about life, identity and one’s mental state.

For example, “Transpose,” one

ANDREA GARCIA / THE FORDHAM RAM

Language & Perspective, Bad Suns’ debut album, is filled with emotive and powerful lyrics.

of my favorite songs on the album, is a poetic description of the kind of anxiety that keeps one awake throughout the night and is topped off with an extremely catchy guitar riff that takes the edge off the gravity of the topic. The unique thing about the Bad Suns’ take on anxiety is that it does not make me feel anxious — instead, it provides

an introspective point of view that calms me on my sleepless nights.

Another great song off the album “Salt,” was inspired by a friend of the band who was struggling with gender identity. The accompanying music video also showcases the heart-wrenching journey of a transgender person throughout their transition. The song itself,

however, is an ode to anyone dealing with an identity crisis of any kind.

When I listen to Language & Perspective, I do not feel somber or solemn. This is due in part to the upbeat nature of every song. There are no slow ballads or powerful vocals for Bad Suns. Their insightful lyrics are always delivered along-

side up-tempo melodies, exciting guitar riffs and attention-grabbing baselines.

In addition, the lyrics on Language & Perspective while thoughtprovoking, can be vague and open for interpretation, making its tracks accessible and applicable to any situation. Bad Suns have gotten me through a lot of stressful circumstances, from finals week to a breakup, but I still find their music appealing during cheerful times.

The album definitely puts me in a thoughtful mood, but the band’s sound reminds me of the sun setting on a day of sitting on the beach and doing nothing but looking at the waves. I come away from Language & Perspective feeling calm, but reflective. Bad Suns sheds light (no pun intended) on the things running around in your brain and reminds you that it is okay to be caught up in your own head, at least for a little while.

However, the band does not try to make their listeners feel with them. Instead, they just want them to listen to what they think and form their own thoughts about stuff.

In my opinion, Bad Suns do a great job of telling us how they see the world with wonderfully lyrical language and perspective.

CULTURE

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April 13, 2016

La Dolce Vita|Solidarity

The Brussels Attacks: A Paris Perspective

By PASQUALE GIANNI STAFF WRITER

The recent attacks at Brussels Airport and a nearby metro station sent shockwaves throughout the world. Of all the European cities to be targeted, Brussels was symbolic because of its de facto position as the seat of the European Union.

The attack took place in a city with a large network of radicalized jihadists. To be expected, fear was felt from Stockholm to Athens. It is beginning to turn into a tragic tale that has no foreseeable end in sight.

I woke up the morning of March 22 in a Paris hotel room to CNN International breaking the news of the events transpiring in Brussels. It was heartbreaking, but I cannot say that it was shocking.

The November Paris attacks that left 128 dead were reported to have been planned in Brussels.

On that solemn day in November, everyone in Europe became French: a spiritual transgression of nationality in solidarity with those dealing with the horrific tragedy.

On March 22, Europe, especially France, became Belgian. All over Paris, the black, yellow and red Belgian flag could be seen at the city’s most important institutions and attractions. Despite the circumstances, the display of fraternity was actually a beautiful thing: the kind of thing that Europe needs more of at a time when the European Union is facing such an incredible test.

But the French are showing the

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The incredible resilience and strength of Europe during recent terrorist attacks proves that nothing can destroy true hope.

Belgians much more than solidarity. They are proving that it is possible to move forward. Instead of responding to terrorism with crippling fear, the French continue on with their daily lives as a sign of unity, as if to say “we are not afraid.”

For this to happen, people must

first recognize a few things. First, the terrorists can only hope to bring down western civilization and establish a caliphate in Europe, but they can continue to be a menacing presence. This fear is mainly due to the media’s willingness to cover and talk about terrorism and terrorist groups

more than they should. President Obama was right to say that people are still more likely to face death from slipping and falling in the bathtub than from a terrorist attack.

More importantly, terrorists can incite overreaction, which is their main goal. On an individual

level, this means living with constant anxiety, as many now unfortunately do. People are refusing to travel, or even go to public places and events such as sporting events, museums or restaurants because of safety concerns.

In 2014, the number of Americans killed by terrorists on the home front was just 17. Meanwhile, 32,675 were killed in automobile accidents and yes, even a much larger number from drowning in baths: 464.

In France, despite being on high alert with tight security, people seem to understand this unlikelihood. They stick to their daily routines and western ways of life, making it a point to not let the terrorists succeed.

The night of the Brussels attacks and the few days I was in Paris afterwards, Parisian cafes were bustling, concert halls were packed to the brim and the city had a special feel to it.

The city hummed with resilience, letting the world know they’ve been through this before and they’ll get through it again.

It was certainly something to admire, but also something to learn from.

As I waited in the unusually long security line at the Paris Orly Airport, sad to leave what is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful cities in the world, an announcement came on the loudspeaker and proclaimed that lines are taking longer than usual because of heightened controls.

The man in front of me turned, shrugged his shoulders and uttered “these are the times we now live in.”

Review| Music

One Direction Gone, Zayn Malik Conforms to Mold in New Album Mind of Mine

By BRIAN CONWAY STAFF WRITER

Former One Direction member Zayn Malik, has gone solo in his debut album Mind of Mine — a project that, while very calculated in its approach, does not manage to kickstart his pop superstardom with originality or memorability.

If Mind of Mine has one thing going for it, it is the atmosphere.

The moody production gives way to a tone of deep lust and bitter angst as Malik croons about distant lovers. The beats range from upbeat and dance-ale to stripped down and pensive.

In almost every way, it represents the current pop landscape in 2016 — predictable and derivative. While the sounds here do not innovate, they do give Zayn the platform needed to potentially deliver the listener a certain personality, as well as the tools to succeed using the conventional pop/R&B formula.

Despite the adequate base for a solid album, his vocal performance leaves much to be desired,

as he never takes full advantage of what has been built around him (i.e., his skills and opportunities).

He comes off as uninspired and drab on most cuts, failing to make use of the production he sits over.

This record was intended to both differentiate himself from the members of his former band and to make him a unique player in the pop world, but only the former of those feats have been achieved.

In this sense, his debut is more style over substance, a cliche that has made a cringe-worthy reality.

It not only affects the sound of the songs, but the actual track list itself, which features stylized capitalization (“BeFoUr”) that tries a bit too hard to be edgy.

There are positives about this release, though. A handful of tracks do click on multiple cylinders, including “Pillowtalk,” “iT’S YoU” and “LIKE I WOULD.” These tracks manage to stand out through Zayn’s complementary instrumentals and his front and center role that gives him a fresh voice as an artist. In “Pillowtalk,” he provides booming, emotive vocals in

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The anticipated album from Zayn Malik leaves listeners disappointed with its overused sound instead of something new.

a very raw and refreshing way.

In the end, Mind of Mine bathes in pop mediocrity, fully self-aware of its own unremarkable artistry.

Most of the tracks here are a formulaic and manufactured way of

delivering a sound that appeals to the most common denominator in 2016.

The tracks that are welcomed are few and far between, making the album a tough listen from front

to back. This could have been the project that separated Zayn from other singers in his field with a new sound and fresh perspective but instead, Mind of Mine feels tired and familiar.

SPORTS

April 13, 2016

Crew Wins Two Finals

By TOM TERZULLI STAFF WRITER

The backbone of the women’s rowing team thus far has been its Varsity 8 boats. Rowers in these boats have secured a plethora of first place finishes in the opening two meets of the spring season. Last weekend’s Knecht Cup in West Windsor Township, New Jersey was no different, with the first Varsity 8 taking the third final and the second securing the petite final.

The Varsity 8’s third place finish in the first heat, ahead of SMU and Marist and behind Boston University and Old Dominion, was a good result, but not outstanding. Fortunately for the Rams, the top three in each heat qualified for the semi-finals.

Fordham finished sixth in the semis, in front of West Virginia and behind SMU, Drexel, Kansas, Miami and Wisconsin, registering a time of 6:59.70. This result placed Fordham in the third final, essentially the best of the teams that did not advance to the final stage. The Rams were able to end their day on a positive note, dominating the third final with a time of 6:57.07 on their way to a first place finish. The Rams finished a full five seconds ahead of runnerup Nova Southeastern, followed

by Delaware, SMU, Duquesne and Connecticut.

The Second Varsity 8’s heat finish was also middling, but just enough to survive and advance.

Finishing the course in 7:39.00, the Rams got past Delaware and Massachusetts and finished behind Boston College, Connecticut and Drexel. This boat fared better in the semis rowing past Drexel, Old Dominion and Miami in 7:03.45 en route to a third place finish. The finish qualified Fordham for the petite final, the second highest final behind the

grand final and ahead of the third.

The Rams rose to the occasion in the final, finishing with their best time of the day by eight seconds to secure yet another first place finish at 6:55.99. The other finishers were Drexel, Temple, West Virginia, Boston University and Alabama, in that order.

Several other Fordham boats raced in the event. The Novice 4 started things off, just missing out on qualifying for the semifinals in the first heat. Fordham finished fourth in 9:44.32 in front of NYU and Stockton. Unfortunately for the Rams, only the top three advanced to the semis, and Buffalo, New Hampshire and Massachusetts moved on.

A pair of Varsity 4 boats raced as well. In the main Varsity 4, the Fordham boat finished dead last at 8:34.78, behind first-place Old Dominion, Marist B, Massachusetts B, Miami C and West Virginia. The Second Varsity 4 unit finished a place better when they took fifth ahead of Drexel and behind Holy Cross, Marist, Alabama A and top finisher Kansas.

Finally, the Novice 8 garnered another last place finish for the Rams. They finished with a time of 9:26.12, way behind next-best Pittsburg at 8:35.65 and also were surpassed by Kansas, Delaware and the Army West Point Black Knights.

Several men’s boats raced for the club team, highlighted by Fordham A and B taking first and second in the Men’s Club 4 final, respectively.

The next stop for the Rams is the City of Brotherly Love. The team will head to Philadelphia on Saturday to compete in the Kerr Cup on the Schuykill River.

Page 19

Track Succeeds at Rutgers

By ALEXANDRIA SEDLAK STAFF WRITER

The Fordham men’s and women’s track and field teams competed at the 2016 Metropolitan Championships in New Jersey this past weekend. It was held at the Rutgers Bauer Track and Field Complex, which hosted 25 teams in total. The men, with 93 points, placed third out of 12 teams, and the women, with 61 points, placed fourth out of 13 teams. Overall, Fordham turned in a successful meet with both event and relay winners, as well as many runners scoring points for the team.

On the men’s side, there were nine runners who scored in events. Graduate student Jonathan Annelli placed second in the 3000m steeplechase with a time of 9:35.54, while sophomore Brian Cook took third with a time of 9:41.99. Senior Quincy O’Connor finished third in the 5000m with a time of 14:58.09, while sophomore Thomas Slattery finished fourth with a time of 15:03.60. Junior Nicholas Regan competed in the javelin event, coming in fourth with a throw of 177 feet, nine inches. Sophomore Fritz Heinrich came in fourth in the 800m run with a time of 1:57.87 and classmate Michael Campbell finished in fifth with a time of 1:58.56. Finally, sophomore Nik O’Brien placed seventh in the 1500m with a time of 4:10.37.

The women’s side also had nine runners who scored for Fordham. Freshman Maiya Larsen finished second in the 10,000m with a time of 38:56.10, while fellow classmate Kieran Hanrahan placed sixth with 40:53.64. Freshman Elizabeth Morisseau came in eighth with a time of 43:12.25.

Freshman Laurel Fisher competed in the 3000m steeplechase where she came in third with a time of 11:52.77, while sophomore Stephanie Leo finished fourth in 12:23.38. Sophomore Merissa Wright raced in the 800m run, and came in fifth with a time of 2:17.14. Junior Shanna Heaney finished fifth in the 1500m with a time of 4:43.76, while freshman Kate McCormack placed sixth with a time of 4:47.27. Finally, freshman Aidan Moroz came in eighth in the 400m run with a time of 1:01.56.

COURTESY OF FORDHAM ATHLETICS

Shanna Heaney came in fifth in the 1500m at the Metropolitan Championships.

Besides scoring in these events, Fordham placed a number of top finishes in individual events and relays. Junior Jake Duckworth started the day off by taking first place in the 10,000m with a time of 34:08.02. Senior Mike Turi followed just 0.82 seconds behind Duckworth, taking second place with a 34:08.84 finishing time. Duckworth also came in sixth in the 5000m with a time of 15:12.43, while Turi placed eighth with a time of 15:28.17.

Sophomore Louis Santelli also took home a gold medal, placing first in the 800m with a time of 1:56.37, just 0.13 seconds ahead of the second place finisher. The men’s 4x800m relay was also a champion, winning the event in a time of 8:05.57. The 4x400m

and 4x100m relays also scored in the meet, placing third and fifth, respectively. For the women, the 4x800m relay scored third place with a time of 9:49.39, while the 4x400m relay took first place with a finishing time of 4:30.82. Graduate student Brianna Tevnan also took gold in the 3000m steeplechase, winning the event in a time of 11:15.74.

In all, the Rams enjoyed a productive week at the Metropolitan Championships, with both the men and women showing strong finishes and event wins.

The Rams are next in action this upcoming weekend. On April 16, they will be competing in the Hopkins/Loyola Invitational in Baltimore, Maryland.

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FORDHAM RAM ARCHIVES

Crew traveled south to New Jersey to compete in the Knecht Cup.

Email fordhamramsports@gmail.com

Page 20

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SPORTS

April 13, 2016

Jack McLoone Story Time in Colorado I didn’t want to title this column “Story Time.” But sometimes these ideas just get handed to you on a silver platter, and not using the pun would be a disservice to the man.

It’s certainly a fitting name as his exploits sound like a myth: a previously unknown 23-year-old with a name that captures the imagination is playing up in the mountains and almost exclusively hitting rainmakers and moonshots. He sounds like a character in a Matt Christopher book.

Trevor Story’s skills are captivating. As of Monday, April 11, he has nine hits: two singles and seven home runs. This is in six games, which also happen to be the first six games of his major league career. To put that into context, I defer to Ryan Spaeder (@theaceofspaeder on Twitter, an incredible baseball stats account): “He has reached seven homers twice as fast as any player in history.” Forget joining the 3,000 hit or the 500 home run club, the most elite company is when you stand all alone.

Story virtually came out of nowhere. According to Baseball America, he was the 96th best prospect in 2013, and he did not crack the MLB.com rankings at any time. He was ranked the 11th prospect in the Rockies system coming into the season.

The story (man, this guy’s name is a problem) behind his climb to the majors is improbable. When he was signed as a compensatory pick in 2011, incumbent shortstop Troy Tulowitzki was the face of the Rockies franchise and it seemed like he would be a Colorado lifer. Over the next few seasons, he would be plagued by injuries, and also made a lot of noise about wanting to move to a more competitive club.

He was finally moved before the trade deadline last season to the Toronto Blue Jays. “Oh, so that’s how Story got his job?” Nope. The story gets even more complicated. Toronto sent shortstop Jose Reyes to the Rockies as part of the deal, filling the slot for the time being. While the common theory was that the Rockies would try to flip Reyes as well, it never happened.

But on Oct. 31, Reyes was arrested for allegedly assaulting his wife.

The MLB almost immediately suspended Reyes indefinitely, pending resolution of his court case in order to determine his official suspension.

While the charges were recently dropped, Reyes remains suspended, so it was out of necessity that Story was slotted into the Opening Day lineup.

Will Story hit 189 home runs this season, as he is currently on pace to do? I don’t see it happening. While regressing to the mean is expected, don’t be surprised if it hits a little harder for Story. His lack of other hits is concerning, as are his eight strikeouts.

But every good story is about the journey, not the destination. Watching an unheralded rookie hit well enough to send his batting helmet to Cooperstown after six career games is fun enough. If he ends up the next great home run hitter, it will be one of the more unexpected career arcs of all time.

Page 21

Men’s Tennis Wins on Senior Day

By TOM TERZULLI

Drew Casey

STAFF WRITER

The men’s tennis team has endured it all in its last six games. From extending a winning streak to breaking it and then starting a new one, it has been a busy stretch. There were highs and there were lows, with a Senior Day ceremony to boot. Through it all, the team is 13-6 with one game to go before the Atlantic 10 Championships.

The Rams rolled into their match against a 3-13 Rider squad on April 6, seeking their sixth straight victory.

The match did not start in promising fashion, with Fordham losing the doubles point, something it has been very successful with throughout its streak. Junior Tomas Cosmai and sophomore Joseph Kavaloski took the first position before the other Fordham duos succumbed in the second and third. However, Fordham came right back by taking the first four singles points on the backs of Cosmai, freshman Victor Li, senior Nick Borak and Sophomore Cameron Posillico. Sophomore Harris Durkovic fell in the fifth position for the only Ram defeat, before Kavaloski closed it out by defeating Agaazi Berhane, ending the match 5-2.

Fordham traveled upstate to West Point, New York the very next day for a showdown with the University of Hartford. There were no signs of weariness when the Rams cruised to their second 7-0 sweep in the last seven contests. They started off by getting back on track in the doubles game, taking two out of three matches. The duo of seniors Pedro Alonso and Borak got past Daniel Rombola and Luis Montes, followed by the pair of Li and Posillico besting Juan Molina and Jairus Baker. In singles, Cosmai, Li, Borak, Kavaloski and Posillico all picked up their second straight triumphs, while Alonso got his first after sitting out the last match. Head coach Michael Sowter highlighted the play of Cosmai and Li leading off in the one and second spots. “Victor and Tomas have done a great job of leading from the front,” he said.

Sacred Heart was next up with the Rams winners of seven in a row and the A-10 Championships in their sights. However, the Pioneers posed an eventually insurmountable obstacle, sweeping the Rams 5-0. “We were definitely looking past Sacred Heart so hopefully the team learns from this loss and we come back strong leading into the A-10s,” said Sowter. Cosmai, normally a stalwart in the first position, was dominated

by Brian Power (6-1, 6-2), while Borak and Kavaloski had similar results.

Spieth’s Masters Meltdown

COURTESY OF FORDHAM ATHLETICS

COURTESY OF FORDHAM ATHLETICS

Pedro Alonso stands with head coach Michael Sowter on Senior Day.

Borak gave the toughest challenge in the fourth spot, succumbing to Karan Narula (6-3, 6-4). The other two points were not decided as a result of both Li’s and Alonso’s matches going unfinished.

It is safe to say the Rams’ heads might have gotten a little too big going into this match. “We definitely showed some overconfidence tonight and we were complacent in both our preparation and our performance against Sacred Heart,” Sowter said. “We were the flattest we’ve been all year.”

Later that day, Fordham was able to right the ship in a 6-1 win over local rival St. Francis Brooklyn. In a very unusual turn of events, the doubles point was determined in just one game. Li and Posillico topped Milos Vukicevic and Zurab Tskhakaia in the first position. The second position went unfinished and the third was defaulted, giving Fordham the point with just one victory. Cosmai got back to his winning ways in first singles, getting past Martin Bedecarratz in three sets. It took one less for Alonso over Tskhakaia and Borak against Sacha Singh. Durkovic provided the only loss, once again courtesy of Vukicevic, and freshman Chris Caroli secured the final point in what was his first appearance in several matches.

The next day brought Fordham’s final two home games and the 2016 Senior Day ceremony. As the only senior on the team, Alonso was the star of the day, receiving a framed picture of himself from his coach of two years. However, there were still a pair of matches left to be played, with all eyes on Alonso. The first match, fea-

turing Rockland, was another easy 6-1 triumph for the Rams. Alonso made it 1-0 on his day, when he and Kavaloski swept the second doubles position from Jovana Marshall and Warren Brown. In addition, Durkovic secured his first victory in the past seven games with Borak by his side in the third position. Coach Sowter opted to sit Alonso in singles, but his teammates had no trouble picking up the slack. Cosmai continued his stellar play, besting Johnathon Compres (6-3, 6-0). Kavaloski, Posillico, Durkovic and Caroli were the other victors.

Adelphi was the final foe, and the Rams took their closest match since Hofstra back on March 12. The doubles game was not close. Fordham secured all three games, including Alonso’s second victory of Senior Day with Borak. However, things got very interesting when Cosmai uncharacteristically fell in the first position. The two teams then proceeded to trade the next four matches. Alonso (winning his third in a row on Senior Day) and Li won on the Fordham side, while Roey Heymann and Daniel Khodosh were successful on the Adelphi side. As a result the match came down to Durkovic, who might have been the shakiest Fordham player in the recent stretch. He lost the first set 6-3, before firing back in the next two (6-1,10-5), giving his teammate Alonso two triumphs on his Senior Day. Next, the Rams will finish the regular season with an A-10 warmup in Philadelphia against La Salle on April 13. They will see more A-10 squads in the following days when they head to the A-10 Championship.

Women Down Saint Joe’s

By ANDREA GARCIA PHOTO EDITOR

Women’s tennis soared to a 4-3 win over the Saint Joseph’s University Hawks. The Rams’ season record currently stands at a 9-4.

In doubles action, the team of juniors Mayu Sato and Estelle Wong took the first doubles point.

The teams switched the lead until the Fordham duo edged out Claire Minnoe and Alex Zachem, 6-4.

Freshmen Gianna Insogna and Whitney Weisberg stepped up together in second doubles, but lost 6-0 to Kristina Eisenbrand and Sarah Contrata. In third doubles, freshman Alexis Zobeideh and junior Destiny Grunin stayed focused to the end

of their match against siblings Anne Marie and Maureen Devlin, finishing 7-6 (7-4).

Singles action picked up with a quick win in third singles, with Zobeideh taking down Kristina Eisenbrand in repeat 6-2 sets. Sato moved up to first singles and posed a challenge to Minnoe. Sato won 6-1, 6-3. Wong was switched into second singles play against third doubles Maureen Devlin. Wong bested her opponent in two 6-3 sets.

Grunin made a memorable appearance in fourth singles. Although she won the first set, 6-3, her opponent, Alex Zachem, flipped the score cards in the second set and edged out Grunin in the third, 7-6 (7-6). In fifth singles, Weisberg played in her

first matchup of the spring season, but was downed by Arianne Polatnick in 6-2, 6-0 games.

The last point of the day rested on the sixth singles match between freshman Gianna Insogna and Anne Marie Devlin. She took the winning point for Fordham in three sets, 6-2, 4-6, 6-1.

The Rams will host St. John’s University at the Hawthorn-Rooney tennis courts at Rose Hill on Wednesday, April 13 before traveling the following day to take on Hofstra University. Fordham will host the last two home matches of the spring season against the New York Institute of Technology on Saturday at 3 p.m. and A-10 rival University of Massachusetts on Sunday at 1 p.m.

It was excruciating to watch.

No one could have predicted it.

Nationwide, nearly 10 million viewers sat watching as world No. 2 Jordan Spieth led the 2016 Masters by five strokes with just nine holes to go.

After rolling in four straight birdies to close out the front side on Sunday evening at Augusta National, it seemed obvious that the 22-year-old would don his second straight green jacket as the sun set on golf ’s first major of the year.

It would have taken an extraordinary comeback or a colossal collapse to change the script. It ended up being a combination of both, but the latter proved to be more significant.

The final chapter began as Spieth bogeyed the 10th hole and Englishman Danny Willett birdied the 13th simultaneously. A two-shot swing put Spieth just three clear of the field.

Another two-shot swing left the lead at just one for the former University of Texas star with seven holes to play. His closest competitor had just four holes remaining.

Many thought it was just a small scare and nothing the well-established young gun couldn’t handle.

But the many were left stunned.

I’ve never seen anything quite like it from the best player in the world. To be honest, I haven’t even seen it that often in recreational golf.

On the par-3 12th, Spieth knocked his tee shot into the water, well short of the protected green.

It was not an uncommon result for the hole, but certainly still surprising given the circumstances.

The next shot, the second straight into the drink, stopped time.

The 68-yard chunk into Rae’s Creek will stand as the signature moment of one of the most significant collapses in the sport’s history.

Spieth eventually made a seven on the hole, and another Willett birdie minutes later put the relative unknown out in front by four.

A bit later, Willett posted fiveunder for the tournament with Spieth just three back with four to play. It wasn’t quite over yet. A Spieth birdie on 15 made things that much more interesting, but a bogey on 17 ended any hope for his bid for an extraordinary comeback of his own. Willett was crowned the champion, outlasting Spieth by three strokes. The 28-year-old gained eight strokes in under two hours.

You have to feel for Spieth, but at the same time, you have to be ecstatic for Willett. He not only captured his first PGA Tour event, first major and first green jacket, but celebrated the birth of his first child, Zachariah, with his wife, Nicole, just days prior to the 2016 Masters.

In light of all this, for Spieth and for Willett, Ben Hogan reminds us that “the most important shot in golf is the next one.”

What happens next? We’ll have to see.

But the roads have certainly taken a sharp turn for both Spieth and Willet.

SPORTS

Page 22

April 13, 2016

Sandoval Dead Weight for Sox

By PAT COSTELLO

By MATTHEW MICHAELS

ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR

STAFF WRITER

It is no secret that you do not have to be the greatest athlete to be a great baseball player. C.C. Sabathia and Prince Fielder have seen massive success proportional to their weight, and Babe Ruth is a baseball icon in part due to his plump figure. However, these players are exceptions to the rule that obese players cannot become Major League Baseball stars. Pablo Sandoval, a two-time All-Star and former fan favorite, is proving that excess weight can easily impede playing ability.

Sandoval, or as Giants’ fans know him, Kung Fu Panda, immediately gained prominence as a pure hitter when he batted .330 with 25 home runs in his 2009 rookie season. He came up and was able to catch or play the corner infield positions, but it became painfully obvious that his 5-foot-11-inch, 255 pound frame was best suited for the hot corner.

During his tenure in San Francisco, he stopped catching altogether, limited his time at first and was primarily a third baseman because of his size. He was never mistaken for a Gold Glover but his defense was serviceable.

In his six years with the Giants, Sandoval was a consistent hitter who had little speed but was surprisingly agile. He was a leader for three championship teams as one of the best postseason hitters in history and author of a three home run World Series game. However, there are whispers of his weight being of concern every spring.

When Sandoval hit free agency in the winter of 2014, the Giants were cautious in their attempts to resign him, knowing that Matt Duff y was in the minors waiting

for a chance to sign. Kung Fu Panda made sure to sign with a team that would not give him a weight requirement and thus, ended up on the Boston Red Sox for five years and $95 million.

Sandoval fell apart in his first season with Boston. He had career lows in basically every offensive category and became a liability on the field. Early on in the five year deal, the Red Sox realized they had made a mistake. This season, Sandoval lost his starting job despite the fact that his salary is as hefty as he is. Last week, Sandoval reached a new low when his belt snapped while taking a big cut on a pitch that he invariably missed.

So far in 2016, Sandoval is hitless in six at-bats with four strikeouts. At 29-years-old, he has become a washed-up player who cannot catch up to major league fastballs. Sandoval’s defense does not help his cause and probably will result in a sooner end to his career.

Pablo Sandoval has been in Boston for barely over a year but the change of scenery has been brutal for him. His weight has increased and his stomach has expanded.

Sandoval is slower and can no longer perform basic baseball activities. He has even fallen flat on his only true talent: hitting. Sandoval must shape up or he will be out of a job soon.

It is sad to watch the fall of a player who was so talented, but this should be a cautionary tale for any out of shape athlete. It is possible to be a great baseball player if you are overweight, but it is more challenging and there is a fine line before your weight thwarts your skills.

Last summer was one of the best moments in the history of soccer in America. The United States finally accomplished its goal of winning a World Cup. No, it was not the men, who are still seeking their first World Cup victory. Rather, it was the women who won the title for the third time in history. It was supremely entertaining and their journey captivated the entire nation. The finals against Japan even set a record for the most-watched soccer match in US history, maxing out at over 23 million viewers. People loved the team for its incredible heart, top-notch skill and good nature. They piqued the interest of girls everywhere with their #SheBelieves campaign, which delivered the message that young girls can achieve their dreams through hard work and never taking no for an answer. Knowing all of that makes it hard to believe that the team may boycott the 2016 Olympics.

The trouble started before the 2015 World Cup when the women heard that they would be forced to play on field turf instead of natural grass. The men’s World Cup has been played on natural grass since 1930

due to the fact that it’s safer. The women’s team felt that the institution of turf was gender discrimination and sued FIFA. They felt as though they weren’t getting equal treatment simply because they were women.

The lawsuit was eventually dropped due to a filibuster instituted

by FIFA. This lasted until the start of the World Cup, at which point it was too late for any verdict to be reached as play was about to begin. Once the lawsuit was dropped, then-captain Abby Wambach came out and said, “I am hopeful that the players’ willingness to contest the unequal playing fields — and the tremendous public support we received during the effort — marks the start of even greater activism to ensure fair treatment when it comes to women’s sports.”

The women are currently in the midst of another legal battle involving unequal treatment, this time in the form of unequal pay. Five players have come together on behalf of the team and filed a wage discrimination action against United States Soccer.

The women claim that they make, on average, four times less than their male counterparts. A recent PBS article actually found the gap to be even larger; men who made the

COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA

The USWNT’s Becky Sauerbrunn has spoken out about the wage gap in soccer.

24-person roster made an average of $76 thousand, while the women only made $15 thousand. If the men were to win the World Cup, their team would get $9.3 million dollars to split amongst the players. The women’s team would only get $1.8 million. A disparity this large is unacceptable and incomprehensible.

The most shocking piece of information is that the women bring in twice the revenue that the men do. In their report, they claimed that they make $20 million more in revenue, and while PBS found that the number is closer to $10 million, the point remains the same. How can a team bring home so much less when they rake in so much more? That statistic even caught the attention of former men’s soccer star Landon Donovan, who tweeted, “I’m not for equal pay, I’m for fair pay. If #USWNT generate more revenue, they should be paid more.”

The women are not going to give up easily either. They have come together as a team and said that they are willing to see this all the way through. They hope to remain in the Olympics, but will boycott if it means standing up for their rights.

In a recent interview with ESPNW, Becky Sauerbrunn, one of the five players who filed the complaint, had this to say of the potential boycott: “It would still be on the table.

We are reserving every right to do so and we’re leaving every avenue open. And if nothing has changed, if we don’t feel real progress has been made, then that’s a conversation that we’re going to have.”

The fact that these athletes can’t get something as basic as grass fields shows that this will be an uphill battle, but not a hopeless one. Pay gaps in women’s sports are a continuing problem, and not much has been done to change them. As Americans, we should be proud that these women are standing up for what they know they deserve.

The Women’s National Teams’ message to young girls is that they can accomplish their goals, and they can overcome any obstacle that comes before them. We are all rooting for you ladies, and #WeBelieve.

Varsity Calendar HOME AWAY

Thursday April 14

Baseball

Friday April 15

Saturday April 16

Sunday April 17

URI 6 p.m.

URI 6 p.m.

URI 6 p.m.

Saint Louis 12 p.m.

Saint Louis 12 p.m.

Softball

Hofstra 3:30 p.m.

NYIT 1 p.m.

Yale Invite

Golf

TONY GUTIERREZ/AP PHOTO

Third baseman Pablo Sandoval has been a major flop for the Red Sox.

Wednesday April 20

Fairfield 6 p.m.

Columbia 3:30 p.m.

UMass 3 p.m.

Queens 1 p.m.

H/L Invite 11 a.m.

Track and Field

Men’s Soccer

Tuesday April 19

A-10 Conference Championships

Men’s Tennis Women’s Tennis

Monday April 18

FDU 6 p.m.

Women’s Soccer

Stony Brook 7 p.m.

Rowing

Kerr Cup

Rhode Island Invite

SPORTS

April 13, 2016

Anthony Pucik

NHL Playoff Preview It took all 82 games, but the NHL playoff bracket is finally set. Here’s how I think the quarterfinal round will go: Starting in the Western Conference, I think the Dallas Stars will handle the Minnesota Wild with relative ease. While I worry about the Stars’ defense and goaltending in later rounds, I think they will be able to handle Minnesota’s struggling offense in five games. Staying on the Central Division side of the bracket, the St. Louis Blues had a fantastic season and have the potential to go far in these playoffs. Unfortunately for them, they are playing a Chicago Blackhawks team that does pretty well in the Stanley Cup playoffs. If the Blues played any other team in the West they would be advancing, but they aren’t, so Hawks in six.

Moving to the Pacific Division, the Anaheim Ducks became more balanced as the season progressed. They found their scoring stride toward the end of the season, and boast the league’s best goals against per game, power play and penalty kill percentage, which bode well for the Predators. Despite being well balanced, they will have a tough time making it out of the first round. Unless Pekka Rinne takes over this series, the Ducks will beat the Predators in five. The Kings and Sharks matchup at the bottom of the bracket will be one of the most exciting to watch because the two teams cannot stand each other. It also helps that this season the Kings were one of the best teams in goals against per game, and the Sharks were one of the best in scoring per game. In the end, I think the Kings will take this series in six based on tremendous power play and the goaltending of Jonathan Quick, while the Sharks are still figuring out whether to start Martin Jones or Jonathan Bernier in net.

In the Eastern Conference, the Florida Panthers mix of veteran prowess and young studs propelled them to the best record in the Atlantic Division, while their opponents, the Islanders, are limping into the playoffs. A healthy Isles team would make this series much more appealing, but since New York is as injured as they are, I think the Panthers take this series in five. On that same side of the bracket, the Tampa Bay Lighting and Detroit Red Wings meet in the first round once again this season. This matchup is also compelling because the Lighting are missing key players on both offense and defense, while the Red Wings struggled down the stretch. I think the Lightning have the most important advantage at goaltender with Ben Bishop, which will make the difference in a very close matchup – Lighting in seven.

In the Metropolitan Division, the Capitals have been the strongest team in the NHL all season, and I don’t see that stopping against the Flyers.

They’ll win in five. For the RangersPenguins series, there is a lot of question marks. The Penguins have injuries to Evgeni Malkin and their top two goaltenders, while the Rangers could be missing captain Ryan McDonagh. The Penguins have been the hottest team in the NHL since late March, but they’re without Marc-Andre and possibly Matt Murray. This could be the difference between winning and losing the series for them. In my least confident pick of the bracket, I have the Rangers in seven.

Page 23

Varsity Scores & Stats Softball Fordham 5 St. Bonaventure 4 (FOR) Van Hoven 2-5, HR(1)

Women’s Tennis Fordham St. Joseph’s (FOR) Sato 6-1, 6-3

Fordham St. Bonaventure (FOR) Bradian 1-3, HR(1)

7 6

Men’s Tennis Fordham Rider

5 2

Fordham George Washington (FOR) Mayer 1-2, 3 RBI

3 1

Fordham Hartford

7 0

Sacred Heart Fordham

5 0

Fordham St. Francis Brooklyn

6 1

Fordham Rockland

7 1

Fordham Adelphi

4 3

Fordham 8 George Washington 6 (FOR) Vergona 1-3, 2 RBI Fordham George Washington

10 2

Women’s Rowing Knecht Cup Regatta Varsity 8 1st- 6:57.0

4 3

Baseball Rutgers Fordham

16 4

Fordham La Salle

9 0

Fordham La Salle

6 2

Fordham Iona

19 2

Men’s Track Metro Outdoor Champ.

Fordham 3rd Women’s Track Metro Outdoor Champ.

Fordham 4th

Luke Stampfl

Lindsay Mayer

Junior

Sophomore

Baseball

Softball Mayer had a monster week in the circle and at the plate. In six appearances Mayer compiled a 4-0 record, with a 2.47 ERA and two saves. At the dish she hit .632 with one home run and seven RBI’s. Her performance garnered her A-10 Player of the Week accolades.

Each week, The Fordham Ram’s Sports editors honor one male athlete and one female athlete for their on-field performances as their “Athletes of the Week.”

News & Notes • Joseph Chartouney Named

Met Rookie of the Year

Chartouney is the third Ram in a row to win the award, following in the footsteps of Eric Paschall in 2015 and Jon Severe in 2014. The freshman, who was also the A-10 Rookie of the Year, averaged 11.3 points, 5.3 rebounds and 6.2 assists per game last season. Ryan Rhoomes also was honored by the Metropolitan Basketball Writers Association, earning a spot on the All-Met second team. Rhoomes started every game last season, averaging 14.6 points and 9.7 rebounds and recording 13 double doubles in his final collegiate season.

• Basketball’s Rhoomes and Thomas Play in Gotham Hoops Invitational The event, with took place on April 9 at St. Francis College in Brooklyn, is a showcase of prominent college seniors from around the Tri-State area. The goal of the one-day event is to help players from NCAA, NAIA and CIS programs connect with scouts from all over the world. Alumni of the invitational now play for teams in over 20 countries around the world, including prominent European teams.

• Lucy Carlesimo, Mother of Fordham Alumnus P.J. Carlesimo, Passes Away Mrs. Carlesimo passed away on Saturday at the age of 93. Her husband was former Athletic Director Peter Carlesimo, who proudly served the Rams from 1968 until 1978. Mrs. Carlesimo was a loving mother of 10 children and 13 grandchildren. She also had a significant impact in the coaching career of her son P.J., who coached at the collegiate, Olympic and NBA levels. He won a gold medal in the 1992 Olympics and three NBA championships in the mid-2000’s with the Spurs.

•

5 0

La Salle Fordham

Athletes of the Week

Stampfl crushed two home runs against the La Salle Explorers in the first game of their doubleheader on Sunday. His 3-5 day yielded him three RBI’s, while also scoring three runs. The home runs were his second and third this season and contributed to the 9-0 victory.

Alvin Halimwidjaya

Football Alumnus Isa Abdul-Quddus Attends Spring Practice Abdul-Quddus, who played for the Rams from 2007-2010, visited the Rams during their fourth spring practice. Following his graduation AbdulQuddus signed as a free agent with the New Orleans Saints before moving to the Detroit Lions in 2014. Last month he signed a three year deal with the Dolphins worth $12.5 million after recording 57 tackles, a sack and a forced fumble in 2015.

– Compiled by Pat Costello

History in the Making At the start of the season, I predicted the Golden State Warriors, fresh off an NBA championship, would have an incredible season and no one would be able to stop them. However, I didn’t expect them to be this good and neither did anyone else.

After Sunday’s win against the Spurs, the Warriors matched the 72-win season of the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls, and they have the chance to break the record during their final game against the Grizzlies on Wednesday.

That’s just one of the records they’ve broken or tied. The team has also set records for consecutive regular season wins, most road wins in a season and consecutive regular season home wins.

Despite the team’s overall success, talent and depth, this season has undoubtedly been led by Stephen Curry. With talks of him being voted unanimous MVP and possibly even Most Improved Player, Curry’s meteoric season propelled him into sole possession of the title of best player in the league. He is currently averaging 34.2 points, 6.7 assists and 5.5 rebounds per game, while still shooting 45 percent from beyond the arc.

Curry broke the record for consecutive games with a three pointer and is still going at 151 games, while also demolishing his single season record for total three pointers; he currently has 392 threes, as opposed to his previous record of 286. He has improved to a point where it’s almost surprising when he misses a shot.

Curry’s achievements this season should not draw attention away from what everyone else on the Warriors has done. Draymond Green gained yet another Warriors record with 13 triple doubles this season. Stephen Curry may be the best player on the Warriors, but Green is the heart and soul of the team, as well as its motor and one half of the pick and roll that has terrorized the league for almost three years. Klay Thompson surpassed Ray Allen’s single season total of 269 three pointers, making him the player with the most threes in a season who is not named Steph Curry. He’s played the part of backcourt mate perfectly, feeding off the looks he gets when everyone is focused on Curry. Each person has played their roles to perfection on this team, from Andrew Bogut to Andre Iguodala to Leandro Barbosa. Even youngsters like James Michael McAdoo and Ian Clark have pitched in with valuable minutes. Everyone on this team has stepped up when needed and it’s led to incredible success.

You’ve probably heard every single take on the Warriors’ season about 100 times, and with good reason.

It really all boils down to one single conclusion: no one can stop them.

The Spurs loom in the distance, Lebron checks his Twitter account in anticipation for a possible Finals rematch and Russell Westbrook is demolishing punching bags with pictures of Steph on them. Losses have come few and far between; they will finish the season without a single set of back-to-back defeats, and no one has really found a strategy to consistently beat them. If it’s not Steph, it’s Draymond, Harrison Barnes or even Steve Kerr heating up, so it would ring a little hollow without a championship in the postseason. We shouldn’t look past how historically ridiculous this season and this team has been.

SPORTS

Page 24

April 13, 2016

The Fordham Ram

Rams Go 3-2 To Bring Record to .500

By SAM BELDEN SPORTS EDITOR

Last Friday, Fordham Baseball traveled to Philadelphia to take on the La Salle Explorers for its second conference series of the year. The Rams dropped the first game but came back strong on Sunday, winning both games of the doubleheader to take the weekend. These games, along with a Wednesday loss to Rutgers earlier in the week, brought the Rams’ season record to an even 1616.

Fordham’s game against Rutgers — its only non-conference contest of the week — was a disappointing one for the offense. The Rams were held to just five hits, making it one of their weakest performances of the season.

Rutgers’ trio of Serafino Brito, Christian Campbell and Kevin Romero pitched well, shutting out Fordham and walking just one batter on the day en route to their 5-0 victory.

Rutgers began to put runs on the board almost immediately. Rightfielder Tom Marcinczyk hit a triple to knock in Mike Carter and, on the same play, crossed home plate due to senior second baseman Joseph Runco dropping a relay throw. Another Fordham error in the second inning, this time a failed pickoff attempt by freshman pitcher Reiss Knehr, allowed another pair of Scarlet Knights to cross the plate.

In the fifth inning, a confusing sequence of events allowed Rutgers to score again. Senior pitcher Joseph Serrapica struck out Marcinczyk looking to end the inning, but as the rightfielder stayed behind

ANDREA GARCIA/THE FORDHAM RAM

Ben Greenberg had a strong outing in the second game of the doubleheader against La Salle.

to argue the call, junior catcher Pat Gardner tossed the ball out of his glove towards the mound as the Fordham defense cleared the field.

The Rutgers bench believed it to be a dropped third strike, so Marcinczyk and catcher R.J. Devish, on third base, advanced, giving the Scarlet Knights their fifth run of the game.

After some deliberation, the umpires determined that Gardner had indeed dropped the third strike, giving Rutgers an insurance run. The rest of the game was scoreless.

The weekend games did not feature as many mishaps, but they were far more consequential. Fordham won two out of three to improve its Atlantic 10 record to 4-2. The Rams had a rough first game, however, surrendering 16 runs to La Salle to lose by a margin of 12. Junior pitcher Kirk Haynes Jr. came into the game riding a streak of 29 consecutive scoreless innings, but he was shelled out of the

gate, giving up seven runs before being pulled in the second frame.

Fordham tried five other pitchers in the game, but the Explorers were relentless. As they continued to push ahead, the Rams managed only four runs, two of them off the bat of senior shortstop Joseph DeVito. They also scored two in the eighth inning off an error, cutting the deficit to eight. La Salle tacked on four insurance runs in the bottom of the frame, securing the 16-4 victory.

Haynes’ poor outing on Friday was a disappointing development, but the Rams got the pitching performance they were looking for in the first game of Sunday’s doubleheader. Junior starter Greg Weissert fanned eight in just under five scoreless innings, while freshmen Anthony DiMeglio and Knehr relieved him and completed the shutout. Meanwhile, Fordham’s hitters finally got hot, lifting the team to a 9-0 victory.

The game was scoreless until the fourth inning, when junior centerfielder Jason Lundy hit a single to plate junior rightfielder Mark Donadio. One inning later, the Rams put their power on full display: hits from junior first baseman Matthew Kozuch and graduate student leftfielder Ryan McNally went for extra bases, each knocking in a run, while a home run from junior infielder and pitcher Luke Stampfl scored two.

They tacked on three in the sixth inning, and Stampfl went yard again in the ninth, padding Fordham’s lead. It was the Rams’ first victory against La Salle since 2014.

The Rams continued their hot hitting in the second game. Stampfl singled with the bases loaded to put two runs on the board in the first inning. One frame later, McNally homered off La Salle starter Luke Reilly, also scoring Runco and DeVito. The Explorers scored two runs

in the sixth inning, cutting Fordham’s lead to three. However, another RBI single from Stampfl in the next frame brought the margin to four, where it would remain for the rest of the game.

“Luke had a big day for us Sunday and it was great seeing him come through in those spots,” said head coach Kevin Leighton. “Having him healthy has been big for us, not just in the lineup but on the mound.”

Sophomore starter Ben Greenberg was solid in five innings of work, while Serrapica and senior pitcher Jimmy Murphy combined for four innings of scoreless relief to close out the series. Fordham took the final game 6-2.

Stampfl was the top offensive performer for the Rams during the series. He hit .462 with three extrabase hits, including two home runs and six RBIs. McNally, who hit .385 with four RBIs, also had a productive weekend, breaking out of a recent slump that came on the heels of a white-hot start to the season.

Through two conference series, Fordham’s record is 4-2, tied for fourth in the A-10. This week the team will host the Rhode Island Rams, who possess an identical conference record, at Houlihan Park.

“Rhode Island is tough. They pitch and grind out at bats, which is why they are at the top of the conference year in and year out,” said Leighton.

“Being home should help us and I expect our guys to be ready for them. It will be a good challenge.”

The action will begin on Friday at 6 p.m.

Softball Makes It 11 Straight Wins

By PAT COSTELLO ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR

When most teams lose their best pitcher, they typically do not improve. The Fordham Softball team is not like most teams. Last week, Fordham’s ace pitcher, graduate student Rachel Gillen, went down with a sprained thumb. In her absence, multiple other Rams have stepped up to fill the void that she has left. Last Wednesday, the Rams proved that if one member of their team goes down, everyone else will be able to step up.

The Rams faced St. Bonaventure for an afternoon doubleheader.

With two outs in the bottom of the ninth of game one, the Rams were faced with a daunting task. Sophomore outfielder Morgan Figueroa willed a single through the hole between first and second to keep them alive. The next and final batter of the game was junior infielder Amy Van Hoven, who delivered in the biggest way, crushing a nodoubter over the fence into deep right field to give the Rams a 5-4 victory. It was the first home run of her career. Junior pitcher Lauren Quense matched her career high in innings pitched, throwing eight solid innings, giving up only two earned runs while striking out nine.

Game two followed a similar storyline, but with a different hero.

ANDREA GARCIA/THE FORDHAM RAM

The Rams were without star pitcher Rachel Gillen (27) this week, but did not falter.

In the bottom of the eighth, trailing 6-5, the Rams found themselves in the hole once again. Freshman infielder Chelsea Skrepenak reached on an error, which brought senior infielder Allie Bradian to the plate.

Following Van Hoven’s lead Bradian launched a two-run shot into the net above the fence for the second walk-off homerun of the day, and the first homerun of Bradian’s career. The story of the two Ram walk-offs made its way to ESPN, a well-deserved sign of respect.

Junior infielder Lindsay Mayer picked up two wins on the day, both coming in relief of Quense, while also going 6-7 at the plate for the afternoon.

Mayer continued her domi-

nation against A-10 opponent George Washington on Saturday.

The junior drove in all three runs in the team’s 3-1 win, while also picking up the save. Quense started the game, throwing four innings and allowing only four hits before turning it over to Mayer in the fifth.

Mayer came in and allowed one hit and struck out three batters, securing another in-conference victory for the Rams.

The Rams completed their three game road trip on Sunday in a doubleheader against George Washington. In the first game the Rams jumped out to a quick 6-0 lead in the first two innings, with one of those runs coming from a solo homerun from Mayer. However,

the Colonials did not die, scoring three in the third, one in the fifth and two in the seventh to push the Rams to extra innings for the third time in the week. Junior catcher Ally Vergona delivered a clutch double in the top of the eight, which scored two runs and pushed the score to 8-6. Mayer shut the door in the bottom of the frame, picking up the win for herself after throwing five innings in relief.

The final game of the weekend accentuated the point that the team has the ability to step up.

The score was tied 2-2 in the top of the sixth when the Rams blew the lid off of the game. They scored seven runs in the frame, coming in part from four straight doubles to

start the inning, as well as a Vergona solo homerun at the end.

Mayer, relieving Quense in the sixth, picked up her second win of the weekend and her fifth of the year to stretch the win streak to 11 games. She maintained a 2.47 ERA and hit .632 for the week, which earned her A-10 Player of the Week honors.

Coach Bridget Orchard had high praise for both of her pitchers. “Lindsay Mayer and Lauren Quense were huge in the circle and just grinded it out” she said. “They both battled adversity and kept us in the games so we could finish it with our bats.”

Orchard praised the team’s performance as one of the greatest thus far. “It really showed the team’s character and how strong they are,” she said. “We had a different hero every day and that was so cool to see.”

Although the Rams have the ability to win without Gillen, they will be more than happy to have her back. “Rachel got the results back and it was positive news, so she should be back soon,” Orchard said. “She sprained her thumb and we will have to see how healing goes but I know she is anxious to get back to playing.”

The Rams next play in a Saturday a doubleheader against Saint Louis at Bahoshy Field, starting at 12 p.m.