Vol 98 issue 19

The Fordham Ram Serving The Fordham University Community Since 1918 Volume 98, Issue 19

FordhamRam.com

FCRH Students, Faculty, Alum Favor Clinton, GSB Favors Trump

By AMANDA GIGLIO, AMANDA MAILE AND TARA MARTINELI Fordham students, alumni and faculty plan to vote for Hillary Clinton, the Democratic presi-

dential nominee, and are more confident with their pick than with Republican candidate Donald Trump, according to a study conducted by The Fordham Ram between Oct. 22 to Oct. 29. The study received 412 responses from

current students, alumni, faculty members and others. Of those surveyed, 399 respondents plan to vote, while 14 do not. 66.2 percent of respondents plan to vote for Clinton, 24.1 percent plan to vote for

Anticipated Student Voting Preferences

Hillary Clinton Donald Trump Gary Johnson Jill Stein Other Note: This study was conducted in a closed poll over a one week time span. Results are based off of 402 respondents. Data was analyzed in Microsoft Excel.

College Democrats Endorse Clinton

By LAURA SANICOLA EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

With 11 days until the U.S. presidential election, The Fordham College Democrats have endorsed Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton in a unanimous vote. College Democrats President Thomas Palumbo, FCRH ’17, shared the club’s endorsement with The Fordham Ram on Tuesday, as breaking news from national media outlets simultaneous revealed that the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) launched another investigation into Hillary Clinton’s emails.

The College Democrats cite Clinton’s extensive domestic and foreign policy experience, including expanding healthcare for veter-

November 2, 2016 Trump, six percent plan to vote for libertarian candidate Gary Johnson, four percent plan to vote for Green Party candidate Jill Stein and 2.7 percent plan to vote for other candidates.

Out of the respondents that attend, worked in or graduated from Fordham College at Rose Hill (FCRH), 198 said they were voting for Clinton and 49 said they planned to vote for Trump. Of respondents affiliated with the Gabelli School of Business (GSB) 35 planned to vote for Clinton and 37 planned to vote for Trump.

Gender division among Trump voters affiliated with both colleges was relatively even, as females made up 43 percent of his anticipated voter base and males made up 51 percent. Clinton’s anticipated voter base among both colleges was 72 percent female and 28 percent male.

When asked if they believed the candidate they were voting for would be a good Commander-inChief, 70.1 percent of respondents said yes, they were confident in their candidate, while 29.9 percent of respondents said no, they were not confident in their candidate.

For Clinton, 28 percent were not confident and 72 percent were SEE POLITICS, PAGE 5

By ERIN SHANAHAN MANAGING EDITOR

Ignatian Week kicked off last Monday with a discussion on the shortcomings and strengths of millennial behavior by Rev. Dr. Lito Salazar, SJ and Dr. Robert Parmach, assistant dean for freshmen.

Lito and Parmach described how unpacking the “typical millennial” is important to Fordham’s mission.

“It’s important for us to know how your mind works,” Lito said.

“We can only catch a glimpse of something about you, and from that small glimpse, we create our programs and our outreach.”

Paramach suggested that “unpacking the millennial mind” can also be helpful for millennials themselves. According to Paramach, self reflection is essential to growth.

“The importance of this lecSEE MILLENIALS, PAGE 3

Fordham Nightly News Folds For Good

By RYAN QUINN

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

“Fordham Nightly News” (FNN), the university’s embattled studentrun broadcast organization that produced several on-and-off-air professional talents, has been permanently pulled from the air. A lack of manpower and scheduling conflicts between the organization and the Electronic

Information Center in Walsh Library, where FNN was housed, caused the student leaders to vote to terminate the program, according to Lexy Leeds, FCRH ’18 who was the technical director of FNN. The decision has seriously altered the trajectory of the communication and media studies departments brand new FNN course, taught by Ann Westerby,

a professor of television journalism, which is designed to teach students in the ins and outs of broadcast. Students who registered for the class are now operating in a makeshift studio in the Walsh lab in Faculty Memorial Hall, recording unaired content for their reels.

“We used a recycled table as our news desk and a consignment shop bed sheet as our backdrop… it’s not

SEE DEMOCRATS, PAGE 3

in this issue

Opinion Page 7

Discussion Prevents Racial Insensitivity

Culture Page 11

Fordham Grad Co-Writes Broadway Musical

Sports Page 20

Football Falls to Lehigh, 58-37

Parmach, Lito Discuss Milennials and Tech

ALEXIS MOLINA/THE FORDHAM RAM

Fordham Nightly News filmed in the Electronic Information Center in Walsh Library, pictured above.

ideal, but it’s something,” said Leeds.

The non-OrgSync official club has faced serious setbacks since September 2015, when former president Dan Grbic, FCRH ’16, received notice from FNN’s production manager and Rose Hill professor Mat Schottenfeld that the studios were “retooling” to better accommodate a new journalism major, and that those at the helm of the studio were evaluating the “cancelling [sic] of all broadcasts for the Fall 2015 and Spring 2016 semesters,” and consequently locked Grbic out of the FNN email account.

The following month-long hiatus was broken when the communication department intervened, and the club resumed operation airing one less day a week.

“With a lot of effort on the part of last year’s seniors, we were able to get back in the studio by October and produce shows for the rest of the year,” said Leeds.

This time, the organization will not be revived. Michael Considine, director of the Information Technology Services at the Electronic Information Center (EIC), attributed his department’s difficulty in working with FNN to the loss of a full time library staff member in April 2015, who was never replaced. The absence left only Schottenfeld to run the studio and provide necessary services, and the likelihood that the Center will fill the position any time soon looks “remote”, said Considine.

“We just don’t have the manpower…[it] made it difficult to support Fordham Nightly News,” Considine said.

When asked for comment for this article, Schottenfeld referred to the SEE FNN, PAGE 5

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November 9, 2016

Chuck Todd Discusses Millennials and Media An Interview with the Moderator of NBC’s “Meet the Press”

By THERESA SCHLIEP CO-NEWS EDITOR

Since 2014, journalist Chuck Todd has served as the host of NBC’s news program, “Meet the Press,” and currently acts as the political director for NBC News.

Like most members of the news media, Todd has spent much of this past year covering the presidential election. In a phone interview with The Fordham Ram on Thursday afternoon he discussed the role of young people in politics and the current popular perceptions of mainstream media.

Todd also outlined some of the problems he sees in the American political system.

What is millennial engagement like?

It’s clear millennials are less engaged in this election. I don’t want to say engaged is the right word. For me, if you choose not to vote, that doesn’t mean you’re not engaged — you can be disgusted. I don’t want to say not voting is synonymous with not being engaged. I think millennials are turned off, and I understand

why they’re turned off. I think there is a larger issue here. I think millennials have never been more engaged in some ways, in problem solving in this country and social justice. One needs only to look at the Black Lives Matter movement for one example of millennial political empowerment.

I believe millennials are extraordinarily engaged and I think the two major parties have done everything they can to dissuade millennials from believing that American politics is a good calling, and that Washington is a place to go to solve problems. I think millennials look at Washington right now and see nothing getting done.

I can start my organization here, build my own atmosphere, go to Silicon Valley, go to a million other places to fix a problem I think needs fixing, but I go to Washington and get stuck.

This has got to change, because the lack of millennial innovation and millennial engagement in our political process right now is very dangerous. I’ll give you a statistic that has been haunting me for a year now: The federal government work force is only

seven percent under the age of 35.

What does that tell you? The best and the brightest don’t see Washington as a destination anymore.

In 1989, when I was looking at schools, I applied to every school in the DC area. I wanted to go to Washington, I was obsessed with going. It was a draw to me, and I don’t think I was alone. There isn’t a compelling draw right now.

I understand that there isn’t. One of the “criticisms” of millennials right now is impatience. I kind of see it as a positive attribute. I’d like a lot more impatience from Washington. I think millennials don’t view Washington as a place to solve problems, so why do we expect them to be engaged? In the millennial mind, you might think I may prefer Clinton over Trump, but is she really going to get anything done? You might be less offended by Clinton than by Trump personally, but I think that millennials have higher expectations for what they want out of political leaders. Politicians have failed that test big time.

Does this apply at the local level?

Of course it applies. Congress is broken. That counts double for Congress.

What do you think is the issue most important to millennials?

I’ll give you one that I don’t think is getting talked about enough: Governing reform. Before we have to solve problems, we need good infrastructure. Our political infrastructure is totally rotten, our voting methods are a mess. Politicizing voting, voter ID laws, we’re still technologically behind in civil engagement.

The way we fund campaigns, the way congressional districts are drawn, the way Congress is organized, the way the whole government works — we need a massive overhaul. The point is, our bureaucracy is stagnant and broken.

Sometimes you have a house that you can knock down but use the same old foundation and rebuild.

There are some parts of the government that need rebuilding.

We just need the guts to say we’re gonna knock it down. Government does not appear responsive and innovative. That has turned off millennials, and turned off the

COURTESY OF FLICKR

Chuck Todd talked with The Fordham Ram about the 2016 election and how the media and millennials affect politics and what needs to change in Washington.

country as a whole.

Has that resulted in the popularity of non-traditional political campaigns?

I’ve talked to people who have said “Trump offends me, but I’m voting for him.” I had a person say to me, “Donald Trump is my middle finger to you,” meaning the media and the whole political press. That’s what has kept Trump afloat. Any other candidate would have been chased out of the race right now. Trump is a protest vehicle. I think political leaders in Washington survive this, and don’t realize this, and say that Trump was an accident of history and once Trump goes away all of this goes away — no. We need to address the concerns of the Trump voters. I think that is something that if Hillary Clinton wins, and she doesn’t truly make every effort, we’re not going to fix this anytime soon.

Do you think the media has done this election justice?

A. I always answer this question with, “Can you define media for me?” How did InfoWars get mainstream? Yes, we are somehow, and this is mostly the fault of some on the right who have let this happen, we have mainstreamed too much innuendo, agenda-driven journalism — which isn’t even journalism. It’s a way to push an innuendo. I hear the criticism that the media has failed. I think some of this fault lies inside the two parties, I think some lies in each individual news organization. I can defend a lot of our coverage, but don’t make me defend what brand x and brand y are doing. I am glad to work at a news organization that does not make me do some uncomfortable defending.

I think its very dangerous when both sides hit us and say we both have failed, because it has led to all media being distrusted. Eventually, they’re not going to listen to you at all. I think transparency and openness are important. I can only be responsible for what I do, and I do my best to do that. We all try to help each other, and we can kind of earn credibility back one viewer at a time. We mainstreamed the need for fact-checking, and I will take that as one positive outcome of this election.

This Week at Fordham Friday Nov. 11

Friday Nov. 11

Sunday Nov. 13

Monday Nov. 14

Tuesday Nov. 15

Stringer, Old Table and Rest Ashore Concert

Documentary Film, The Bridgeroom, Showing

WAC November Bingo Keating First 9 p.m. — 11 p.m.

Suicide Squad Film Showing

Tognino Hall 8:30 p.m. — 11:30 p.m.

A Night of Poetry

Campus Activities Board will host the showing of the documentary The Bridgeroom in celebration of Diversity Month. After the viewing, there will be a discussion held on the subject of human rights and acceptance.

Campus Activities Board will be hosting the monthly WAC Bingo.

Students can attend and win various prizes during four rounds of bingo. The first board is free and each additional board is $1.

Campus Activities Board will be hosting a viewing of the 2016 film Suicide Squad. The DC superhero film was directed by David Ayer and stars Will Smith, Margot Robbie and Jared Leto.

Rodrigue’s Coffee House 8 p.m. — 11 p.m.

Rodrigue’s will be hosting a free concert featuring three bands. The show will have Stringer, an indiepunk band, Old Table, a longtime New York-based act and Rest Ashore, a math-punk group.

Flom Auditorium 3 p.m. — 6 p.m.

Rodrigue’s Coffee House 8 p.m. — 10 p.m.

Rodrigue’s will be hosting students from FET’s Black Sheep Performance Poetry along with two professional poets, Ashley August and Mercy TullisBukhari.

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ANDREA GARCIA/THE FORDHAM RAM

Students watch the first presidential debate at a screening held by College Democrats and College Republicans.

College Democrats Endorse, Republicans Stay Divided FROM DEMOCRATS, PAGE 1

ans and assistant New York’s recovery following the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, as a key factor in their endorsement.

“While she may not grab as many headlines as her opponent, there is no question that Hillary Clinton has a far greater understanding of policy and implications on every issue,” the College Democrats wrote in a letter of endorsement. The College Democrats were highly critical of the abilities of Clinton’s opponent Donald Trump, the Republican presidential candidate who the club calls “woefully uninformed” on policy and “unfit to be a President to represent all Americans as our face to the world.”

Trump attended Fordham from

1964-1966 before transferring to the University of Pennsylvania. He does not hold a Fordham degree.

The College Democrats feel that that while many in the organization supported Bernie Sanders in the primaries, Clinton would better serve as president.

“Within our club, many of us do not agree with everything that Hillary Clinton has done in the past, but every time Secretary Clinton has learned from her missteps, explained her evolving thinking and arrived at the correct position,” the club members wrote.

As of Tuesday afternoon, the Fordham College Republicans have not endorsed a presidential candidate and executive members of the organization were split on an

endorsement in September.

Clinton gained a wide lead over Trump in national polls following the release of an “Access Hollywood” tape in which Trump was heard speaking in explicit language about women. Her lead has narrowed in recent days. FBI director James B. Comey wrote to Congress Tuesday that new Clinton emails surfaced in an unrelated case. Comey wrote that the emails “appear to be pertinent to the investigation” into her use of a private email server, which had been closed by the FBI in July.

The full endorsement from The Fordham College Democrats can be found below: “For many students at Fordham, November 8th will be our first

November 2, 2016 opportunity to vote for the Presidency. While many people have derided the level of discourse and at times the sheer absurdity of this year’s election, voters this election are awarded a unique opportunity: a choice between the most qualified candidate for the Presidency in modern American history against the least qualified major-party nominee in the history of United States elections. Without hesitation, all members of the College Democrats of Fordham University unanimously endorse Secretary Hillary Rodham Clinton for President.

“During her four years as Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton was the most traveled Secretary of State in American history, visiting 112 countries and spending 401 total days on the road. She has earned the respect and cooperation of countless world leaders, including crucial American allies such as the United Kingdom, Germany, Canada, and Mexico. In addition, Secretary Clinton was instrumental in negotiating peace between Israel and Hamas, as well as levying sanctions against Iran that would eventually allow for the Iran Nuclear Deal which eliminates Iran’s ability to obtain a nuclear weapon in the near future.

“As a United States Senator, Hillary Clinton fought tirelessly for the people she represented. She expanded healthcare for veterans, protected businesses and farmers, and helped New York state recover after the terrorist attacks of September 11th. This experience is all in addition to her service as the most active First Lady since Eleanor Roosevelt, fighting for affordable healthcare and championing women’s rights across the globe.

“The next President of the United States will face serious challenges, and it is clear that Secretary

Clintown is by far more equipped to meet these challenges than Mr. Trump. While she may not grab as many headlines as her opponent, there is no question that Hillary Clinton has a far greater understanding of policy and implications on every issue During her time in Washington, Secretary Clinton has amassed a reputation of being able to work across the aisle to achieve real change for her constituents.

“Mr. Trump has consistently proposed unconstitutional and unfeasible policy ideas for some topics, such as banning all members of a specific religion from entering the United States. He has done this while refusing to give policy details about crucial issues, including his plans for healthcare reform and containing ISIS. This is in addition to his constant attacks against Women, Muslims, Mexicans, and countless other groups. Mr. Trump has proven that he is woefully informed on policy, but moreso unfit to be a President to represent all Americans as our face to the world.

“Within our club, many of us do not agree with everything that Hillary Clinton has done in the past, but every time Secretary Clinton has learned from her missteps, explained her evolving thinking, and arrived at the correct position.

There is no question that someone who learns from their mistakes is more fit to lead than someone who refuses to admit that they ever made a mistake. The Fordham Democrats, many of whom supported Senator Bernie Sanders during the primary, have unanimously endorsed Secretary Clinton as far and away the best and only reasonable choice for President. We strongly encourage you to vote Secretary Hillary Clinton for President on November 8th. “

Parmach Discusses Milennial Technological Aptitude FROM MILENNIALS, PAGE 1

ture can be depicted through an Ignatian quote: ‘He who wishes to reform the world must reform himself,’” Parmach said.

The characteristics of individuals who grew up in different generations have been more acutely studied in the past decade and have received certain labels: The baby boomer generation was born between 1946 and 1964, Generation X was between 1964 and 1977 and Generation Y betweem 1977 and 1994.

What separates millennials — a group that includes the Fordham student body — from their predecessors, is their technological aptitude, according to Parmach.

Technologies such as cellphones and laptops are essential to this generation’s personal and social success.

Parmach also referred to the way that the rise of social media accounts has changed the way millennials socialize with one another compared to their predecessors. This often causes categorical anxiety and a reputation of superficiality among members of this demographic.

Millennials, Parmach said, are often categorized by their psychological isolation and rejection of large institutions, especially religious institutions, and greater concern with their individual spirituality than a creed.

Despite this lack of religious affiliation, Parmach said millennials are highly driven towards vol-

unteerism, embracing diversity and opportunities to forge strong relationships.

Lastly, Parmach noted that millennials also tend to be more introspective and reflective than other generations, especially in regards to topics such as education, poverty and the environment.

Lito expressed his concern in regards to the general superficiality of social media communication and low-effort “friending.”

“We are not challenged to discover the mystery of another person,” Lito said. “We look at the ascetics of a person that are represented in an account. We do not look deeper into the individual and that is essential for both parties personal growth.”

Lito recommended that students combat this trend by having meaningful, face to face interactions with others. Lito encouraged millennials to engage with responsibility more.

“This is why here, in the Manresa Program, we encourage and provide students with volunteer opportunities,” Lito said.

Lito also addressed the rise of atheism and the increase of “Freerange faithfuls,” or people who are disinterested in finding a spiritual home among millennials.

Millennials are considered “less religious” because they have been taught by parents to be self-sufficient and to find their own moral compass, Lito said, due to a distrust of institutions. Millennials and their parents have seen how

ERIN SHANAHAN/THE FORDHAM RAM

Father Lito and Dean Parmach discussed millennials in terms of their role in the age of technology.

many different institutions fail.

Millennials are willing to believe in heaven and hell and share their faith with little institution-

al involvement. They desire a meaningful community based on shared goals rather than creed or blind faith, Lito said.

“What we desire is for you to become a whole person of solidarity,” Lito said. “We want you to become a whole individual.”

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November 2, 2016

Fordham In The Bronx

Only Barnes & Noble in Bronx Closes

Bronx Real Estate Investment Continues to Rise

COURTESY OF FLICKR

Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz at a Bronx Barnes & Noble which is set to close by the end of 2016.

By THERESA SCHLIEP NEWS CO-EDITOR

As retail and real estate development in the Bronx continue to rise, the borough struggles to obtain or simply maintain various commercial interests that other boroughs have in multiplicity.

October saw borough leaders advocate in a letter to Apple CEO Tim Cook for an Apple store to open in the Bronx, the only borough currently without one. All four other boroughs have Apple stores — 7 in Manhattan alone.

“The continued growth and success of The Bronx requires strong partners in both the public and private sector that help to not only create new jobs and provide new retail opportunities, but also contribute to the rebranding of our borough,” said the letter, signed by Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz and 25 other elected officials.

Tim Cook has not responded to the letter.

This is the second time in six

months that Diaz has advocated that the borough, which is home to the nation’s poorest congressional district, should receive the same commercial services as its neighboring New York City boroughs.

In April, he penned a letter to Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos demanding same-day delivery be extended to the Bronx, calling his failure to extend the service to the area “either an unfortunate coincidence or an act of digital redlining.”

A week later, the e-commerce company announced same day delivery would be extended to the Bronx.

Despite Diaz’s success, the Bronx is losing its access to books.

Last week Barnes & Noble announced it will close its Co-Op City location — the only general interest bookstore in the Bronx.

The borough had previously avoided the bookstore’s closing in 2008 as residents petitioned the Barnes & Noble.

The lack of bookstores in the borough has Bronxites heading

to the library in droves. Bronx libraries experienced a 225 percent

increase in attendance between 2002 and 2014, according to the New York City Public Library. This increase eclipses Manhattan’s, the borough with the second highest increase in attendance of 172 percent.

Evan Cramb, FCRH ’18, a member of Fordham Students United, said that the closing of the Bronx Barnes & Noble is indicative of the larger movement towards online shopping over retail, but also shows how large companies continually cater more towards wealthy communities. “This will hurt literacy in the Bronx and increase the education divide,” Cramb said. “Then, with corporations developing the Bronx for white and middle-toupper class residents, the current Bronx residents will be expelled like we’ve already seen in Brooklyn and Harlem. These processes just further inequality and call it progress.”

The tradeoff of the loss of Barnes & Noble is the retail outlet planned to be built in its place — a trend for

Photo of the Week

the expanding borough. Investors and developers invested more than $1 billion into South Bronx real estate alone in 2015, an 84 percent increase from 2014. More than 3,000 new homes were built, according to a second quarter 2016 report from GFI Capital Resources Group, a Manhattan-based real estate developer.

“The South Bronx has not seen this aggressive style of investment in the past and now prominent developers are coming in and scooping up land at record prices,” the report read.

The GFI Capital Resources Group said that the South Bronx commercial market has not yet seen the same augmentation as the residential market in the area, but that the two are “closely related.”

As the real estate market changes, it is likely the commercial market will as well. Whether this will bring a surplus of books and Apple products to the borough, and who will receive them if it does, remains to be seen.

OWEN CORRIGAN FOR THE FORDHAM RAM

The Statue of Liberty turned 130 years old this past week and remains one of the city’s most prominent icons. The landmark draws around four million visitors each year who come to climb the 354 steps within the monument. The Statue of Liberty remains one of the leading global symbols of human independence and allegiance between nations.

Campus Briefs & Bites Daniel Berrigan, S.J., Remembered at Lecture

Fordham Announces Poets Out Loud Winners

Professors Release Book on Films of Kieslowski

Fordham Alum Opens Restaurant in Manhattan

Fordham hosted the Tenth Annual Julio Burunat, Ph.D., Memorial Lecture, a series of talks aiming to promote theological discussion on Oct. 23. Anna J. Brown, Ph.D., from St. Peter’s University in Jersey City, New Jersey, hosted the lecture, “Keep Fracturing the Good Order: Daniel Berrigan, the Long Haul, and the Big Heart.” Brown met Berrigan through the Kairos Community, a community focused on advocating peace that Berrigan started in the late 1970s. Berrigan is known as the first priest to be on the FBI’s most-wanted list for his involvement in a draft card burning incident. Berrigan was a promoter of peace and arrested many times for incidents of civil disobedience. Father Berrigan was Fordham’s poet-in-residence, beginning in 2000 until his death in April 2016. The lecture focused on continuing Berrigan’s attitude of fairness and looked at contemporary issues such as climate change, war, mass migration and weapons dealership.

Fordham University’s Poets Out Loud (POL) announced the winners of its annual contest. POL was founded in 1999 and receives hundreds of manuscripts each year from authors hoping to win the organization’s prize on Oct. 25. POL then chooses two manuscripts from all the entries to publish. This year’s winners are Gary Keenan and Michael Snediker. Keenan is a poet from New York City who became the prize winner for his manuscript “Rotary Devotion.” Snediker is a Texas resident and won the Editor’s Prize for his manuscript “The New York Editions.” Fordham University Press will publish the two submissions in fall 2017.

After poet C.D. Wright, who was supposed to judge this year’s contest, passed away, poet Alice Fulton stepped in to select Keenan for the prize award. POL co-director Elisabeth Frost, Ph.D., picked Snediker as the recipient for the Editor’s Prize.

Two Fordham professors co-edited a collection of essays analyzing the work of Polish film director Krzysztof Kieslowski. Eva Badowska, Ph.D., dean of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, and Francesca Parmeggiani, Ph.D., associate professor of Italian and comparative literature, released the book, “Of Elephants and Toothaches: Ethics, Politics, and Religion in Krzysztof Kieslowski’s ‘Decalouge,’” to coincide with the film’s Criterion Collection re-release.

The book was inspired by a seminar held by English professor Philip Sicker, Ph.D., over ten years ago on the topic of the director.

Kieslowski’s film “Decalouge” is a ten-part short film series originally made for television in Poland, with each part based on one of the Ten Commandments. The book analyzes the context of the film, 1980s Poland, and look at the difficulties of translating the feeling of the film to English-speaking audiences.

Fordham Alumi, Matt Trebek, FCRH ’13, opened the Mexican restaurant Oso in Hamilton Heights. Matt Trebek, the son of Jeopardy host Alex Trebek, found his passion for the food service industry while still at Fordham by bartending at various establishments in Manhattan. After three years of planning, Trebek and his business partner opened Oso, which seats 44 people, last May. Trebek was inspired by his visits to Mexico City and derived much of the restaurant’s food and atmosphere from the culture there. Trebek also owns and lives in the apartment building in which Oso resides. The decor of Trebek’s restaurant is also inspired by the culture he saw in Mexico City and includes a graffiti mural, fake cow skulls and assorted greenery. The restaurant serves cocktails and plays jazz and hip-hop to set the mood. Trebek says he plans to open another bar or restaurant sometime in the near future.

NEWS

November 2, 2016

Page 5

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FNN Pulled From Overwhelming Majority of the Air Permanently Respondents Lack Confidence In Their Candidate FROM FNN, PAGE 1

new film and television major.

The organization formed when members of Schottenfeld’s BronxNet course expressed interest in continuing airing news on a volunteer basis.

Using equipment already owned by the library, between 12 and 18 students would air morning content four days a week.

Leeds and her colleagues, Tyler Bailey, FCRH ’18, and Kyle Morton, FCRH ’18, are reluctant to see Fordham lose its television broadcast training. To replace FNN, the students are drafting a proposal to the communications department for a new televised broadcast show, and a new studio to work in, tentatively named “FordhamLive.”

Leeds said that working with the communications and media studies department will provide the program with the autonomy that they could not get when recording in the EIC and that students would have more freedom to film shows that are not necessarily news related, such as sports shows or comedy shows.

Considine agreed that a direct relationship with CMS is “more appropriate.”

Whether a new show will be able to recreate the experience that FNN provided for students remains to be

seen, according to Leeds.

“The magic of FNN was in the camaraderie of creating something with your friends, and the comfort of being able to make mistakes in an environment where you’re not getting a grade at the end of every show,” she said.

The students are hopeful that the new show will be on the air by the start of next semester.

Students formerly involved in FNN often landed prestigious internships and jobs. Vanessa Tatulli, FCRH ’17, interned at “The Tonight Show,” and currently interns at “Late Night.” Gino Siniscalchi, FCRH ’16, interned and now works at CNBC. Evelyn No, FCRH ’16, interned at “The Today Show” and “Live with Kelly and Michael.”

Former member Ann Pierret, FCRH ’14, attributed her success in television to FNN. Pierret currently works in Michigan as a reporter at WJRT- TV, which is ABC12 in the Flint/Saginaw/Bay City market.

“The hands on experience and opportunity to get a feel for broadcast journalism [at FNN] confirmed my passion,” said Pierret. “I got a job in my field when I graduated and almost three years later, I’m still doing what I love. FNN set the foundation.

I’m forever grateful.”

FROM POLITICS, PAGE 1

confident in her ability as a Commander-in-Chief. For Trump, 33 percent were not confident and 67 percent were confident in Trump’s ability as a Commanderin-Chief.

The survey asked respondents whether their candidate represented the respondent’s beliefs on particular issues that were listed in a recent Pew Research

Center survey. The Pew survey concluded that the economy, terrorism and foreign policy were the three most important topics among those surveyed. Fordham students do not reflect these trends.

In the survey conducted by The Fordham Ram, the majority of respondents, regardless of their candidate preference, said they were voting for a particular can-

didate because he or she represented their views on gun policy (71.4 percent), the treatment of LGBTQ people (66.4 percent) and immigration (65.4 percent).

The answer which received the least amount of votes concerned views on social security, only 38.8 percent of respondents checked this box.

Election day falls on Nov. 8, 2016.

Are you confident the candidate you’re voting for will be a good Commander-in-Chief?

Yes No

29.9

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November 2, 2016

CSS Uses Tech of the Future Fulbright Scholar to and Media of the Present The West: Leave the Middle East Alone

By VICTOR ORDONEZ CONTRIBUTING WRITER

JULIA COMERFORD/THE FORDHAM RAM

Computer Students Society uses a complicated Twitter bot to churn out tweets according to emails recieved.

By AMANDA MAILE

ASSISTANT COPY CHIEF

The @Fordham_CSSBot account on Twitter appears defective. Every fifteen minutes, it spits out the same tweet (“On remote server. This is post number: 400”), with the exception of the post count. Ian Granger, FCRH ’17, president of Fordham’s Computer Science Society (CSS), said it’s no fluke. It is programming practice.

CSS, which is open to students of all majors, has access to some of the most innovative technologies available. Weekly workshops teach members about new technologies used in the professional world and guest speakers are brought in to discuss tech culture in New York City.

“Our club’s goal is to be the resource that students need, to keep up to date on the latest technologies and to understand how technology is shaping the world that we live in,” Granger said.

Granger put that understanding to use when he devised the two CSS bots that run on the same account. The first is a “simple” program which sends out a tweet every fifteen minutes and keeps track of how many times it’s tweeted. The second bot, a more complex coding projects, integrates with Gmail to track whenever it receives an email from some specific people.

“Once it receives an email, it tweets out the subject,” Granger said.

The club is highly popular on campus, and not just among computer science majors. Only twothirds of the club study computer science in school.

“The rest of our members represent a wide range of majors; from Math and economics, to philosophy and psychology,” Granger said.

“We see this wide range of interests because technology has become so

culturally ubiquitous that everyone can benefit from a better understanding of computer science.”

One of the most successful ways CSS gets students to flex their programming muscles is by partaking in hackathons ­— 12-24 hour programming events at various colleges throughout the country. There, students are encouraged to design and create technologies, so long as they are not illegal.

“Hackathons are a great way to increase your programming knowledge, while also making connections in the industry, and with other New York schools,” Granger said.

CSS has access to highly coveted and expensive technology, such as a 3-D printer, though Granger said that students are not taking advantage of it. The printer is located in CSS’s club suite and is available to the entire student body but it goes largely untouched by students other than CSS members.

“It is extremely disappointing, as it is truly a game changing technology in design and manufacturing,” Granger said. “And it is a lot of fun to play with.”

Nevertheless, the club is moving forward with its technology projects. This year, CSS has been building a program that utilizes Gmail to search for events and create a calendar for users. Granger calls the second project “more technologically impressive,” the project is presented at the spring undergraduate research seminar.

“We are still ironing out the details of our project for next semester, but our goal is to use machine learning and natural language processing to create a playlist for a user based on their mood. This would be a multi-disciplinary project, requiring math, psychology and music majors,” Granger said.

Next month, the club will sell keychains made from the 3-D

Printer to raise funds for the club and gain interest from prospective members.

The club is also producing leading technology specialists in the professional world as recent alumni have gone on to land impressive first jobs in the tech industry.

Former member Aaron DeVera, FCRH ’16, is a cyber risk advisory consultant at Deloitte. Kenny Durkin, also FCRH ’16, landed as a product engineer at Tumblr right out of college.

Sam Joseph, FCRH ’16, a former computer science major, attributed his passion for computer science to activities such as teaching people how to build websites and using virtual reality programs.

“While my degree in computer science gave me the foundation I needed, the CSS was where I learned to love the computer science community,” Joseph said. “It is where I made most of my lasting friendships.”

The path to instability in Middle Eastern and African nations involves several key players, including those we are hesitant to name, according to Dr. Hind Arroub, a Fulbright Research Scholar from Morocco in a lecture at Fordham Lincoln Center last Tuesday.

Arroub specializes in political science and is a part of the Core Fulbright Visiting Scholar Program. Fordham is hosting her as she continues to conduct her research.

“Both western countries and autocrats benefit from terrorism in a vicious way,” Arroub told an audience at A lecture on the “Instability in the Middle East and North Africa in the Post Arab Spring.”

The lecture broke instability and violence down to key factors that directly create the chaos prevalent in the Arab world.

Detailing a timeline that benchmarked significant policies and events directly correlated to modern instability in the region, Arroub spoke of a path to terror dating back to the Sykes-Picot Agreement of 1916. In it, Asia was broken down into spheres of influence, which eventually influenced the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks and the 2008 global recession.

Arroub regarded unemployment as a key factor among Arab youth in growing terrorist militia forces, citing a 30.9 percent unemployment rate in the Arab region.

“If education succeeds, so will employment,” said Arroub.

“There will be no peace if we have a huge number of people jobless.”

The ability to remedy unemployment lies in bettering Arab education, Arroub contended, and is less complicated than Western involvement physically in the Arab world.

Although Arroub did not identify Western involvement as the primary problem, she listed it as a key factor of instability. In fact,

Western involvement should be deterred, as it strengthens autocratic censorship in the Middle East, which consequently impedes freedom of speech, Arroub said “[Autocrats] claim there is no time for freedom of expression,” she said. “Western countries are defending those autocrats in order to fight terrorists.”

Dr. John P. Entelis, professor of political science and event organizer, addressed the audience after Arroub’s lecture. Entelis agreed with some of the factors contributing to instability in the Arab world.

“You need to construct a social foundation,” Entelis said concerning a faltering education system in the Middle East. “In certain parts of Morocco, 80 percent of the women are illiterate. So the question remains: Where should our efforts be made? Education.”

Despite the high levels of illiteracy in areas of the Middle East, Arroub advocated that countries such as the Untied States should let the Arab nations solve their own problems without intervention from the Western world.

As a whole, Arroub was actively against Western involvement in the Middle East.

“You [The United States] should pack up your luggage and go back,” said Arroub.

Kyle J. Kilkenny, FCLC ’19, is a student of Dr. Entelis and found Arroub’s response to have some substance. “I don’t necessarily think we should pack up our bags and leave,” said Kilkenny. “But we should leave soon.”

Arroub encouraged the millennials in the audience to find a solution to some of the more pressing issues in the Middle East through intricate examination of factors of instibility.

“A.P.E.: Acknowledge, Prevent, and Educate,” said Kilkenny. “You have to acknowledge what’s going on, you need to change the rhetoric, you have the prevent these actions and you have to educate people. We have to ask, what is perpetuating this cycle?”

United Student Government Updates Club Approvals USG approved two clubs. The first is Integrative Neuroscience Student Association, a club opening career paths for students interested in neuroscience, and programming for mental health. The second is Consulting Society. Consulting Society will hold networking events and enter consulting case competitions.

Upcoming Events USG is sponsoring three upcoming events. Firstly, they are hosting a livesteam viewing party for the TedX event on Nov. 9, at 5 p.m. Second, a Voter Edu- Office for Student Involvement cation Week during election week to educate students Cody Arcuri, assistant dean for student nvolvement, on the importance of national and local elections. said interviews for the vacant Assistant Director for Third, a United Walk, the inaugural event for Diver- Student Organizations and Programming will be sity Month. They will walk from Keating to Rod’s. conducted within two weeks.

November 2, 2016

OPINION

Page 7

The Fordham Ram

Racist Halloween Incidents as Teachable Moments

By MARGARITA ARTOGLOU OPINION EDITOR

Every year, Halloween breeds opportunities for lapses in judgment.

Halloween shenanigans have led to the suspension of one fraternity at the University of Central Arkansas due to the actions of a member. Photos from the Sigma Tau Gamma fraternity’s Halloween party show the student in question dressed up as Bill Cosby, complete with blackface paint.

University officials were swift in taking action. “This picture is highly offensive and repugnant, and this representation goes against all we, at UCA believe in and stand for,” said university President Tom Courtway in a statement. The student has already been expelled from the fraternity, just days after the party took place.

The Sigma Tau Gamma organization also condemned the blackface photo, according to the New York Daily News.

The student recoiled, taking to his Instagram account to apologize and writing that he feared for his life after receiving death threats for his actions.

It is important to take action in cases like these, and the university’s and fraternity’s speediness in handling the situation should be applauded. However, expelling the student from the fraternity immediately may not have been the best possible course of action.

While blackface is offensive, expelling the student from the fraternity seems like the easy way out. When faced with incidents

like this, universities and the affiliated organizations need to address the underlying issues that lead to insensitivities. Often, racial incidents are perpetrated by members of fraternities and sororities. A handful of Greek life parties have come under fire for inappropriate costumes and themes in recent years, including “Black parties” where white attendees dressed up in outfits playing on “thug” tropes and Mexican parties where students wore sombreros, mustaches and ponchos.

Clearly, there needs to be more discussion around offensive costumes of this sort, and why they are significant and harmful to the racial communities they affect.

It is not enough just to condemn and expel. Universities should foster communication about why the student’s or organization’s actions were wrong.

The University of Central Arkansas should make it a priority to ensure that this student does not leave without fully understanding the harms caused by his racist actions.

It is clear from his instagram apology message that he does not truly understand what he has done and why it is intolerable, as he wrote, “I am the farthest thing from discrimination (sic), as a matter of fact I fight for equality every day, I’ve been writing a book for the past two years on what it really means to be a good person.”

While the University of Central Arkansas and Sigma Tau Gamma might be trying to set an example by expelling this student

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During Halloween, many students wear costumes of different races like above, often resulting in cultural appropriation.

from the fraternity right away, they may also be losing the chance to make students understand the gravity of incidents like this that may seem innocent but are actually very offensive to the African American community.

The situation is not handled just because the vote has punished the offending student and thereby lose its opportunity to ensure that the student and his fraternity brothers understand the error of his ways. Blackface will probably not make another appearance on UCA’s campus, but that does not necessarily mean that students understand why blackface is harmful.

Students might instead only avoid it out of fear of being expelled. The university and the national Sigma Tau Gamma organization needs to

use this unfortunate instance as a teaching moment to enlighten students who might be ignorant as to why blackface constitutes cultural appropriation and why that is destructive. Educational institutions like universities are responsible for creating change in the mindset of its students.

Fordham has not been immune to accusations of racially-based Halloween costumes. At the Lincoln Center campus, a student put up a window Halloween display that some interpreted as a lynching of a person of color. Investigations concluded that the decorations were not racially biased and represented a traditional Halloween display.

Still, it was smart of Rev. Joseph M. McShane, S.J., president of

the university, to notify Fordham students of the incident and note that bias is unacceptable. Even though the NYPD found that no hate crime had taken place, the university took the opportunity to make clear that the display was done in poor judgment and that had the student responsible meant to represent a person of color being lynched, it would have been atrocious.

By making these statements, Fordham is fostering discussion about discrimination to ensure that things like the UCA incident do not happen here.

Margarita Artoglou, FCRH ’18, is a communication and media studies from Queens, New York.

From Cradle to Congress: The Path of Institutionalized Bias

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Representative Tammy Duckworth was the victim of a racist attack this past week at the hands of Senator Mark Kirk.

By DANIELLE CHUNG CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Racism is running rampant in the beliefs, values and attitudes of American government officials and representatives. If we thought Donald J. Trump was enough, the people under his reign are equally as brazen and opinionated as the current republican candidate. This past week, Senator Mark Kirk (R-Illinois), made a racist attack on Representative Tammy Duck-

worth (D-Illinois), questioning the validity of her family’s service to the Revolutionary War because of her mixed ethnic background.

How much longer will assumptions with clearly no substantial base be tolerated and unaddressed by America?

Senator Kirk is a prime example of how racism has been instilled in the mindset of Americans.

While government officials, of all people, should have a heightened awareness of such issues and re-

frain from making offensive comments, situations like this leave minorities speechless and distressed.

Are we really trusting these people to “make America great again?”

Institutionalized racism must be confronted more aggressively and the importance of multi-ethnic diversity in political settings — especially those of Asian Americans, who are largely underrepresented in U.S. politics to this day.

We challenge Kirk’s shameless comments such as when he told

Duckworth, “I forgot that your parents came all the way from Thailand to serve George Washington.” Kirk’s passive aggressive comment sheds light on the multitude of racist attacks that has gone unchecked. Institutionalized racism shows that old habits die hard and that people who do not abuse white privilege or people who are not white.

“Old habits die hard,” comes to mind when I think about Senator Kirk’s history of biased attitude.

According to NBC News, it is not the first time that this Republican representative blatantly made a racist remark in front of national media. A few months ago, he controversially claimed that President Obama was “acting like the drug dealer in chief ” when the $400 million debt to Iran was paid off.

If Senator Kirk has the audacity to make such statements in public, with his reputation on the line, it is evident that his racially-charged comments, whether said intentionally or not, reflect his genuine beliefs.

Addressing institutionalized racism starts with educating people, and urging them to be more sensitive about the things they say.

Calling our country’s commanderin-chief a drug dealer, because he

paid off a debt and he is a man of color, revels that people are quick to place judgments on people. By the same token, attacking Duckworth and doubting her family’s service and loyalty to the country, was a baseless and prejudiced belief voiced because she is AsianAmerican. Duckworth is a Purple Heart and an Iraq veteran who has lost both her legs as a result of her military service in the U.S. Many Americans who grow up in homogeneous environments may not be aware of their institutional racism, and so it is crucial that such matters are addressed from an early childhood. As a small seed of subtle racism left unattended only begins to grow and grow if the person does not confront it in a straightforward matter and continues to live in his or her own bubble, where colors outside their own are anomalous. For a future that honors a globalized society, America — as one of the most heterogeneous nations in the world — must initiate the need for a filter, respect and sensitivity to eliminate institutionalized racism.

Danielle Chung, GSB ’19, is a finance major from Edgewater, New Jersey.

OPINION

Page 8

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 Erin Shanahan Business Director Zack Miklos Copy Chief Tara Martinelli Editorial Director Amanda Giglio Assistant Business Director Tyler Dikun Assistant Copy Chief Amanda Maile 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 Photo Editor Andrea Garcia Digital Team Ellie Bruckner Meghan Campbell Anna Carey Faculty Advisor Beth Knobel Corrections Last week, the front page masthead on the front page of the newspaper was not in its traditional Gregorian font due to an editing error.

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.

Opinions Policy The Fordham Ram appreciates submissions to fordhamramopinions@ gmail.com. Commentaries are printed on a space available basis. The Fordham Ram reserves the right to reject any submission for any reason, without notice. Submissions become the exclusive property of The Fordham Ram . The Fordham Ram reserves the right to edit any submissions. The opinions in The Fordham Ram ’s editorials are those of the editorial board; those expressed in articles, letters, commentaries, cartoons or graphics are those of the individual author. No part of The Fordham Ram may be reproduced without written consent.

November 2, 2016

From the Desk | Sam Belden

We Like Sports (and The Fordham Ram) I like sports. Anyone who knows me knows this to be true.

I can talk about baseball and golf for hours on end, and my idea of a productive Sunday is plopping down in front of the TV and watching “NFL RedZone” for a few hours.

While I dabbled in a number of sports growing up, baseball was always my main focus (I was the Matt Stairs of my seventh grade Little League team). A decided lack of ability kept me from playing anything at an organized level once high school rolled around, but I never lost sight of the beauty that lies in pure competition. The sight of humans pushing themselves to their physical and mental limits, all in the pursuit of reaching that next level, has always awed me and always will.

Combine that with my longstanding affinity for reading and writing, and you might think sports journalism would have presented itself as a natural path. But, it never felt that way — not right off the bat, anyway. Anyone who lived in Jogues during the 201314 school year knows how much golf I watched in the third floor lounge, but my high school didn’t

even have a newspaper. I was completely green when it came to any kind of nonfiction writing.

The fall of my sophomore year marked a major turning point for me. I had started my own golf news blog over the summer and decided to reach out to The Fordham Ram to see if I could contribute some pieces for the new semester. One of the sports editors at the time, Max Prinz, not only said yes, but also offered me a spot as a beat writer covering the Fordham golf team.

My first instinct was to politely decline — I had never done actual journalism before, after all.

But I distinctly remember sitting on my bed and asking myself the question: what would happen if you actually did this? Somewhat impulsively, and having absolutely no idea what I was getting into, I took the job.

Fast forward more than two years, and I don’t think anyone else has written a single word about golf in The Fordham Ram. I became assistant sports editor after a few months of writing and took over the entire section at the beginning of this year. Along the way, I’ve had the opportunity

to work with some amazing colleagues, both on the sports staff and up and down the masthead.

I’ve now had the pleasure of covering Fordham Golf for five semesters, as well as Fordham Football, Men’s and Women’s Basketball, Baseball and Women’s Tennis for varying amounts of time.

I’ve also been able to give my thoughts on my favorite pro sports — special thanks to the readers for sticking around, even if you didn’t want to read a millionth column on the PGA Tour.

And now, after hundreds of hours spent tapping away on my computer or working down in the print shop, there are only a few issues left. The Fordham Ram will have a crop of new editors in 2017, just as it has for the past 98 years. I’ve had two years to leave my mark, and while it’s never good to stagnate, I can’t help but feel nostalgic about my time with Fordham’s foremost publication.

A few brief acknowledgements as I try to tie up any loose ends: thanks to Max Prinz and Matt Rosenfeld for giving my writing a chance. Thanks to Anthony Pucik for teaching me basically

everything I know in my current role. Thanks to Drew Casey, Jack McLoone, Pat Costello and Matthew Michaels for their friendship and dedication. And thanks to all staff members, past and present, for the hard work that goes into producing a newspaper every week.

As graduation nears, I find myself facing a challenging job market and an ever changing sports media landscape, as well as the worries I’ve come to expect as I try to shake off the last remnants of my teenage angst. But whatever challenges may come my way in the next few years, I know that I’m better equipped to face them thanks to my time with The Fordham Ram.

Editorial | Scholarships

Increase Investment in Socio-Economic Scholarships Despite offering a high quality education in an expensive city, Fordham struggles to remain affordable to low income students.

In 2015, The New York Times ranked Fordham 164 out of 200 universities on the College Access Index reviewing an institution’s commitment to making college affordable to low-income students. In April of this year, a nonpartisan think-tank study found that Fordham is the seventh most expensive university for low-income students to attend.

The university provides a considerable amount of aid in the form of merit scholarships to make up for its hefty $60,000 plus price tag. In the 2015-2016 academic year, Fordham awarded about $260 million in total financial aid and about $160 million in grants and scholarships.

Scholarships and financial aid are awarded on a merit or need basis depending on a student’s eligibility. The Presidential Scholarship is awarded to the top 20 admitted students each year and gives full tuition and room for four years.

The Semifinalist Scholarship is awarded to finalists or semifi-

nalists in the National Merit or National Hispanic Recognition Scholarship programs in the top two to three percent of all admitted students and gives full-tuition for four years. The Dean’s Scholarships are given to those among the top 10 percent of all admitted students.

Money to these merit scholarships is pouring in. Two weeks ago, Fordham alumni and notable donors Maurice and Carolyn Dursi Cunniffe donated another $20 million to Fordham. The money has been committed to funding Presidential Scholarships.

The Presidential Scholarship, which is being renamed the Maurice and Carolyn Cunniffe Presidential Scholars Program, usually goes to students who have the most impressive report cards and SAT scores. These intelligent students are thus highly likely to have attended some of the nation’s more premier institutions where they could be afforded the tools to help them achieve near perfect marks on their standardized tests and 4.0 GPAs. It is, of course, important to award high-achieving students

large scholarships in order to enhance the talent pool of the student body and give such students an incentive to choose Fordham over a myriad of other opportunities. Charitable giving to the university of any nature is to be commended and accepted graciously.

However, in a climate where a lack of diversity and understanding in the student body has resulted in in insensitive remarks and racial bias incidents, the imbalance between the number of merit-based scholarships and scholarships specifically targeted to high school students who live in less advantaged areas. is more noticeable than ever.

Some donors have made the effort to bridge the gap between the students that have resources and those that need additional assistance. Last year, Alex Trebek, host of the popular and long running game show “Jeopardy.” created and donated $1 million to the Alex Trebek Endowed Scholarship, a need-based program for students who live in North Harlem. The university also offers a Metro Grant, which is awarded to students who commute from a

permanent residence in New York City with a valid FAFSA and fulltime enrollment.

By disproportionately allocating more money to high school students with high test scores alone, Fordham is missing out on the opportunity to provide opportunities for those who cannot afford tuition. Fordham should provide more financial opportunities for less privileged students who have the potential for greatness but lack the resources. More need-based scholarships would also open Fordham up for these students and create a more diverse student body, for which Fordham continually advocates for.

All donations for scholarships are important for students to attend such an expensive institution, but college acceptance is not a meritocracy. As a Jesuit institution, Fordham can do more to bridge the divide. Creating more need-based scholarship opportunities for students and judging merit-based scholarships on other attributes of the students’ academic credentials will target a more varied and diverse student population.

Disagree with our editorial? Email us at fordhamramopinions@gmail.com to submit your ideas!

OPINION

November 2, 2016

Page 9

Culture and Creativity Dies with Vine

ANDREA GARCIA/THE FORDHAM RAM

Twitter announced it will shut down the Vine app, effectively cutting off several minority voices and perspectives.

By KRISTEN SANTER OPINION EDITOR

Last week, Twitter announced it will shut down Vine’s mobile app in the next few months. Vine is a social media site purely dedicated to user videos of six seconds or less launched in 2012. Existing Vines will not be deleted, but it is clear that the service will likely be discontinued altogether.

Although it never achieved the same popularity as Instagram, Vine inspired countless memes that are still referenced today. The skill and imagination used in creating these interesting and funny six second videos was astonishing. I would spend hours on Vine watching these videos, and unlike some other social

media websites, I always felt better after my time on it.

Vine was one of the last social media sites that had yet to succumb to advertisements and trolling (although to be completely free of that is impossible). Twitter has become overrun with journalists and direct insults. Facebook is now overflowing with millennials who recently became moms — ergo, plenty of baby and wedding pictures to make you feel good about yourself. Instagram exists so attractive people can make money off of their beauty. Vine was one of the only social media platforms where inventiveness and creativity still lingered in the Internet age.

For people who are starting to despise politically correct culture, Vine

completely embraced the opposite.

Different cultures, races and ethnicities made fun of themselves and others, pointing out the inherent humor can result from misunderstandings and awkwardness. Popular Viner Eric Dunn created one of my favorite Vines, which depicts him explaining why he loves to walk in white neighborhoods. In the Vine, he runs with his shirt off screaming, “Ha ha ha, I’m going to steal all your stuff!”

The site had a relatively large community built around it, although some might call it a “niche” group in the grand scheme of the internet.

One of the greatest aspects of this community was its ability to give voices to underrepresented groups in comedy. such as Toronto-based Viner Jus Reign, who posted about

Faustino Galante Snickers, Scares and Stereotypes Halloween costumes should be fun but are often a source of scandal. (Courtesy of Flickr).

Halloween costumes are often a source of scandal [columnist not pictured here]. (Courtesy of Flickr).

I’m not a huge fan of Halloween.

I hate horror, I’m not really a candy buff and in my opinion, most Halloween costumes nowadays lack originality and humor (and fear, for that matter). Despite my opinions of the festivities, I have always celebrated this senseless holiday.

This past year, my friends and I decided to hit the streets of the Bronx in full mariachi gear (sombreros and Mexican capes). Our intention was simple: find a semi-comedic costume for a cheap price. Many people, though our goals were directed elsewhere. They beleives that the costumes stereotyped and mocked the average Mexican citizen. Throughout the night, we were subject to various criticisms and condemned as “racists.”

I took much offense to the ludicrous claims made by these argumentative people. Getting into political and philosophical debates was not something I was interested in doing at a Halloween party (Fordham’s “Core Curriculum” provides enough of this during the

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Halloween costumes are often a source of scandal [columnist not pictured here].

scholastic week). The various controversies our costumes evoked led me to think deeply about the racial climate present within our nation. After some careful thought, I came to two main conclusions: political polarization has spurred racial hostility, and people have forgotten the true nature of what it means to be a “melting pot,” consequently becoming too sensitive.

Political polarization refers to extreme political ideological divides within society. According to the Pew Research Center, Republicans and Democrats are more divided today than at any other point in the past two decades. This should not come as a surprise to most people. Look at this year’s election, for example: it epitomizes both the hostility and extreme ideologies derived from political polarization within our society.

Unfortunately, polarization seems to have not only affected how Washington deals with situ-

ations (with much dysfunction), but has also impacted how citizens live in accordance with one another. In regards to racial hostilities, in particular, our current two-party system has divided the public on this issue. People who lean left are often categorized as being too sensitive when it comes to racial relations. When one thinks of the word “triggered,” a liberal usually comes to mind. On the other side of the spectrum, conservatives are scorned for being rich, white racists who look to undermine social peace in America. These polarized claims are, in my opinion, one of the reasons people took offense to the mariachi Halloween costumes.

People saw us, judged us as being “far right bastards,” and decided to slander us with politically charged rage. Because race has become subject to the political polarization of this country, racial relations have worsened. This year’s election has not helped direct the

South Asian culture and made it mainstream. Some of his best Vines ranged from turban jokes to more absurdist humor.

A Pew Research Center survey last year found that 31 percent Vine users identified as black and 24 percent identified as Hispanic. Vine had a vibrant community of black comedians who gave life to the most hysterical and creative videos on the website. Popular Viners such as Jay Versace and DeStorm Power greatly influenced and shaped the website and culture, and the “Why you always lying?” Vine by Nick Fraser is now iconic.

A writer for the New York Times, Jazmine Hughes, deftly explored the importance and popularity behind Vines for black Americans: “Versace’s Vines are a particular product of black culture — on the surface, they’re funny to anyone lucky enough to bear witness, but there’s a secondary layer that’s meant for black people, predicated on our shared culture, experiences and understandings.”

These videos were important parts of the minority culture, society at large. It is devastating to have these voices silenced. Everyone please bow your heads and remain silent for 6.5 seconds sometime this week to commemorate the loss of such an important and ingenious site, and prepare yourself for the death of “do it for the Vine.”

Kristen Santer, FCRH ’17, is a communication and media studies major from Stamford, Connecticut. country towards societal peace.

In the fourth grade, one of my clearest memories of history class (other than the Erie Canal Song) was learning about the idea of America being a “melting pot.”

Unfortunately, many of the aspects of the American “melting pot” are no longer present in our country.

This has led to the intensification of racial hostilities. Racial strife occurred throughout the 20th century, but this period encouraged cultural assimilation. People, specifically during the 1960s, 70s and 80s, looked to discover what other cultures had to offer. Ramen noodles became popular and culturally themed parties became a frequent occurrence. People came to take pride in the fact that America was made up of various different cultures. Most cultures during this period were not angered at this “cultural appropriation,” so to speak.

Today, people are not as enthusiastic about cultural assimilation.

Just yesterday, I heard about an Indian student who took offense to white Americans playing music of his culture. People in this country have become too sensitive and need to re-embrace the “melting pot” version of American society. If the “melting pot” were welcomed, I can almost guarantee that people would not have taken offense to my Halloween costume the other night.

It seems as though nothing nowadays can go on without offending some person or group. I guess I’ll just be a ghost for Halloween next year. Hopefully the spirits don’t find it discriminating.

Joe Moresky Youth and Conversatism Evan McMullin may become the most successful third-party candidate in nearly 50 years, but you’d be forgiven for never hearing his name.

At age 40, McMullin is within striking distance of winning the state of Utah and its six electoral votes.

The ex-CIA agent and Utah native has spent the last three months running as an independent conservative presidential candidate and has found some footing in his home state. Campaigning on a message of decency and positive generational change, McMullin strikes a chord with disillusioned voters who have grown tired of this election cycle’s low standards.

Along with his running mate, Mindy Finn, McMullin has repeatedly called for a new kind of conservative movement. Beyond the impact the independent ticket may have on the upcoming presidential election, McMullin and Finn seem intent on jump-starting conservative political thought for the 21st century. Equipping conservatism to meet the challenges of modern America is an imperative change that must happen if the intellectual movement is to survive. A pivot toward a more energetic, dynamic and welcoming conservative tradition is needed. A tradition, focused on average people, that actively proposes innovative policy solutions — and connects them with the hearts of voters.

For too long the conservative movement has grown stale, content with engaging in pure opposition toward the Democratic Party. While preventing the continued encroachment of ineffective big-government policies is a noble goal, it is an unsustainable one unless a compelling alternative is offered up. Political victory for the sake of victory slowly eclipses the construction of a governing agenda, which is paradoxically needed to build the electoral mandate required to actually govern.

The Republican Party has failed spectacularly at achieving this in recent years, and its public descent into obstructionism and populism has left it a husk of its former self. Its unwillingness to adapt to changing realities of how life in modern America is lived, or changing demographics, has left it wholly disconnected from everyday citizens and unable to build a winning national coalition.

The brand of change that the McMullin/Finn ticket offers, a hopeful optimism geared toward helping real people, is exactly what conservatism needs to grow by extolling the virtues of individual civic duty.

It should reinforce the importance of community institutions and reviving trust in public officials is an essential crusade and make it clear that conservative thought must address issues like economic mobility or climate change, and transform the perception that it cannot offer human solutions.

The Republican Party needs to welcome people of all races, religious creeds and sexual orientations by embracing a confidant pluralism, instead of simply allowing the Democratic Party to essentially pitch to these Americans unopposed.

Page 10

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November 2, 2016

November 2, 2016

CULTURE The Fordham Ram

Page 11

Fordham Graduate Gets Broadway Writing Credits With “In-Transit”

By BAILEY HOSFELT CULTURE EDITOR

“In-Transit,” Broadway’s first a cappella musical, makes its way to Circle in the Square Theatre on Nov. 10. Taking place primarily in the subway, the show is set to bring 11 New York City characters to life as each searches for personal success.

The musical features an original a cappella score co-written

by Kristen Anderson-Lopez, James-Allen Ford, Russ Kaplan and Sara Wordsworth. While all four writers boast impressive careers, Wordsworth shares something in common with current undergraduates: the degree she received from Fordham.

Having graduated from the Lincoln Center campus in 1998, Wordsworth spoke to The Fordham Ram in a phone interview about her collegiate years studying theater, transitioning into the professional world of performing a cappella and how she gained her playwriting credentials.

The Fordham Ram: Was there any one performance that you were a part of as an undergraduate that stands out from the rest?

Sara Wordsworth: It’s actually really funny. It’s the show that I didn’t get into that I remember the most. It was my senior year and I was set on getting into “Cabaret.” I had my heart set on being in that show and I didn’t make it. I didn’t even get in the ensemble. It was huge blow for me. I think it was what I did with that blow that then influenced my career. I met with the head administrator of the theater pro-

gram at the time and I never forgot the conversation we had. She said, “If you do theater, you do it for a lifetime and you’re going to deal with a lot of rejection. It’s going to take 10-20 years to establish yourself in New York. If you can wait that long, you’ll get somewhere.”

So what I did instead was decide to direct a Blackbox studio production that semester, a play called “What I Did Last Summer.” I was really proud of that production because I picked up the pieces of what I thought I was going to get and made it into something really beautiful.

TFR: What did your timeline after graduating from Fordham and transitioning into the professional world look like?

SW: I really thought my life was going to be in the direction of a performer. I was also hit with the harsh reality that that’s really hard and you have to find a way to support yourself. I kind of went through a big stage of depression trying to figure out where I go from college. I was auditioning everyday for things and just not really getting very far, and I thought I love to sing and the community and making art with people. That’s why I joined that a cappella group at Columbia where I was working at the time. That was 1999, the year after I graduated, and the people in the group became my best friends, my artistic community, my co-writers and what is now “InTransit.”

TFR: What is the collaborative partnership between you and your co-writers?

SW: Me and the other writers were doing what most a cappella groups do — singing cover songs

ANDREA GARCIA/THE FORDHAM RAM

After graduating from Fordham Lincoln Center, Worsdsworth had a rough transition that ultimately led her to success.

in little clubs and basements. We thought we should write original story songs about our lives, and as we did that, those songs always went over the best in our sets. People really liked hearing original story songs in the medium of a cappella, which no a cappella group was doing [at the time]. And we decided shortly after 9/11 to put together a cabaret about New York and our lives to try to say something positive about the city and make a piece of art.

TFR: So the inspiration for “InTransit” originally began as a collective autobiography?

SW: Absolutely. We always say this musical is based on us but also on the lives of people we know and love and strangers in New York. The show takes place in the subway mostly and we are just inspired by life around us everyday. I think there’s something for everyone in “In-Transit” now.

It’s a very universal story and the heart of the theme is very univer-

sal.

TFR: It seems like it is, in a way, a love letter to New York.

SW: Yes. An absolute love letter to the city. And it’s a show for anybody who’s trying to get anywhere who feels like they’re not there yet. How to appreciate being in the moment.

TFR: What was the writing process of “In-Transit” from where it started to where it is now?

SW: It has gone through so many transitions. We’ve all grown not only as people but as writers. “In-Transit” was the thing we would always come back to mostly because we were friends and we wanted to work together.

So we were just enjoying the collaborative process so much. So over the years we started with the cabaret show in 2002 and in 2008 we stopped performing it ourselves. We sort of took a step back and said we’re just the writers now we’re going to see how these characters can grow when we have actors doing them. The piece be-

came less autobiographical and more about dramatic stakes.

And then in 2010 we had an offBroadway production at Primary Stages. From there we got picked up by a commercial producer who wanted to take it to Broadway. It’s taken about six years to raise the capital and here we are now.

TFR: When can people see “InTransit”?

SW: We begin previews on the 10th and then our official opening is Dec. 11. What’s really exciting is that, even after all these years, our writing is changing everyday.

I think every preview might be a little different. And then we’ll open and the show will freeze, but I’m still so excited with the work we have to do because really I don’t ever want to stop working on this show. We’re about to enter a month of previews and I’m really excited to see audiences and how they respond to it and then as a playwright reacting to their responses to make a show that is really universal and enjoyable.

Review | Film

The Accountant Does Not Add Up

By GREG MYSOGLAND CONTRIBUTING WRITER

About halfway through director Gavin O’Connor’s new film, The Accountant, I found myself scratching my head. I was deciding whether I liked the film and came to the perplexing conclusion that it had an almost exactly equal number of pros and cons, which persisted until the film’s end.

The film is best described as proficient. A talented cast, notably Ben Affleck, and competently assembled action sequences make for a reasonably enjoyable two hours and eight minutes even if deficiencies in the script, average cinematography and score prevent the film from being great.

The Accountant follows Christian Wolff, played by Affleck, a man with high functioning autism who uses his advanced mathematics skills to work as an accountant for both normal clients as well as some of the most dangerous criminals in the

world. Eventually, Wolff must use his obsessively developed combat abilities to take on a client trying to wrong him and those he cares

for.

Affleck is by far the film’s greatest strength, with the role of Christian Wolff yielding his most

COURTESY OF FLICKR

Ben Affleck’s portrayal of autism in The Accountant is a new type of role for him.

chameleonic, impressive performance in recent years. Affleck portrays autism with commendable accuracy, exchanging his classic movie star charm for painful social awkwardness. Indeed, the film’s exploration of autism is one of the most effective aspects of the script. A conversation between Wolff and Dana Cummings (Anna Kendrick) poignantly displays the film’s message that it is important to accept and celebrate those who are “different” while also depicting the emotional toll of autism.

In addition to Kendrick, the film’s main supporting cast includes J.K. Simmons, Cynthia Addai-Robinson and Jon Bernthal. Of these four, only Bernthal gives a truly impassioned performance. This is not the fault of the other actors, but a result of their limited screen time. Bernthal is genuinely affecting in an emotionally charged confrontation with Affleck, even if the ending for his character makes little sense.

He said his character’s extend-

ed involvement in the plot seems overly coincidental given a thirdact plot twist.

The script is The Accountant’s greatest weakness. While the film’s exploration of autism is extremely well-constructed, the supporting characters for the most part lack development and motivation and the plot is somewhat muddled, even if the intention of connecting an antagonist’s motivation to Wolff ’s struggle is clever.

As mentioned previously, the cinematography and score on display are nothing special. The film has no memorable musical elements, and the only aspects of the film that seem particularly well-shot are the action sequences, which clearly draw inspiration from films such as The Bourne Identity.

Ultimately, The Accountant is a flawed but enjoyable film bolstered by a terrific performance from Ben Affleck. Watching this film is a perfectly fine way to spend two hours but it is not a must-see.

CULTURE

Page 12

Theater Talk | Claire Del Sorbo

Praise-Worthy Cast of “Cats the Musical” Cannot Salvage Plot If the Tony Awards were based on amount of ear worms instead of theatrical achievements, “Cats the Musical” would be likely to sweep this year. I can’t remember the amount of times I’ve sung “jellicles can and jellicles do” this past weekend. However, after the earworms disappeared, I considered this the end of my relationship with “Cats.”

“Cats” is a musical with words from T.S. Eliot’s “Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats,” and music by Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber.

The original production of “Cats” closed in 2000, and was once the longest-running show on Broadway with 7,485 performances under its belt. This record has since been surpassed by Webber’s other juggernaut, “The Phantom of the Opera,” which had almost 12,000 performances.

The problem with “Cats” is not merely its music, lyrics, choreography or set. The fundamental flaw of “Cats” is the simple fact that it’s just plain ridiculous.

The idea of fully-grown adults in leotards, wild wigs and garish makeup, licking themselves and hissing, is enough to make any person cringe. Furthermore, its source material does not exactly make for a strong musical. One of “Cats’” other main flaws is its lack of plot. The cats sing about the members of their tribe and the social stratification, but besides these numbers and the iconic tire scene at the end of the show, what else happens?

Nevertheless, I was somewhat able to overcome my internal biases towards “Cats,” and make an effort to enjoy the show. Most of the principal cast was enjoyable.

My favorite cast members were Eloise Kropp as Jennyanydots, Tyler Hanes as the Rum Tum Tugger

and Christopher Gurr as Gus the Theatre Cat. These actors stood out fairly well in a cast of relatively unknown actors.

The headlining performance was certainly Leona Lewis as Grizabella the Glamour Cat. Though nonexistent in Eliot’s original text, Grizabella plays an important role in “Cats.” She is also the character who sings the musical’s signature song, “Memory.” It would appear to me that Grizabella’s role serves no purpose other than to simply stop the show. Through the entire first and most of the second act, I continually checked my watch to see if it was time for this convoluted show to finally end.

Once I heard the opening arpeggio of “Memory,” Lewis had my attention. Her rich, powerful voice breathes new life into the famous ballad. However, Grizabella is old and grey. Lewis looked far too young to be playing an aged cat reminiscing about her youth.

Furthermore, it seemed a bit chaotic that after such an anticlimactic first and second act, the show reached its pinnacle with one song.

This production of “Cats” is a perfectly acceptable rendition of an otherwise campy and nonsensical show. The music showcases Webber’s diversity as a composer, especially when compared next to his two other Broadway musicals: “Phantom” and “School of Rock.”

The cast is talented and enjoyable, performing Andy Blankenbuehler’s avant-garde choreography while juggling Webber’s difficult score. But the show itself does not do justice to its praiseworthy cast.

It appears to me that this revival of “Cats” will not enjoy the same success that the original production had, cutting its nine lives short.

COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA

The revival of “Cats” features a strong cast, but the plot remains unimpressive.

November 2, 2016

Wonder Woman Named Honorary UN Ambassador, Sparking Controversy

By VICTOR ORDONEZ STAFF WRITER

Wonder Woman, a reasonably upstanding member of the superhero community, has been named an Honorary Ambassador for Empowerment of Women and Girls by the United Nations. Her goal: to achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls by 2030.

The announcement became official Oct. 21, at UN headquarters in New York. However, the announcement sparked controversy.

Not everyone at the UN views Wonder Woman as an appropriate symbol for such a campaign.

Although the character does have feminist roots, she is seen by some as being a symbol of objectification.

Over 600 United Nations staff members signed an online petition, created by “Concerned United Nations staff members,” asking Secretary General Ban Ki-moon to reconsider appointing Wonder Woman.

These concerned staff members regarded the character as “an overtly sexualized image” and continued to detail their growing trepidations within the petition’s description. Although the petition acknowledges that the creators may have meant to create a strong independent female persona, it explains how that idea has failed to be the case.

“The reality is that the character’s current iteration is that of a large-breasted, white woman of impossible proportions, scantily clad in a shimmery, thigh-baring body suit with an American flag motif and knee high boots — the epitome of a “pin-up” girl,” the petition stated.

Christina Gallach, a senior UN spokeswoman, addressed the opposition regarding Wonder Woman’s appearance during a press conference one day prior to the official announcement. “I would say what matters more are the values and substance that [Wonder Woman] will represent,” said Gallach.

Questions of qualification created additional controversy.

Anonymous critics who signed the petition found it disappointing that the UN “was unable to find a real-life woman that would be able to champion the rights of ALL women on the issue of gender equality and the fight for their empowerment.”

UN official Maher Nasser reiterated the motive behind appointing the character: “the focus [of the UN] was on her feminist background, being the first female superhero in a world of male superheroes and that basically she always fought for fairness, justice and peace.”

The film Wonder Woman is set to premiere in the summer of 2017 right here in New York City, with Israeli actress Gal Gadot playing the eponymous super-

COURTESY OF FLICKR

Wonder Woman being named an Honorary Ambassador received backlash.

hero. Gal Gadot has not directly commented on the controversy but was present during designation ceremony.

Linda Carter, the actress who formerly portrayed Wonder Woman on television addressed the issue.

“It is a superhero,” Carter said.

“Gender, it has nothing to do with anything. Wonder Woman is an idea. This is not the American flag, it is about fighting for freedom.”

Carter is opposed by what is currently 23,012 people who have signed the petition, including some Fordham students as well.

Christina D’Ambrosio, FCRH ’18 and Women’s Empowerment supporter, was outraged by the announcement.

“Selecting Wonder Woman as the UN’s Honorary Ambassador for the Empowerment of Women and Girls is completely unacceptable and beyond damaging to the real issues at hand,” said D’Ambrosio. She was upset that the UN could not choose a real woman who embodied the same characteristics which Gallach moves to focus on. “[Wonder Woman] is not a real woman who

has worked tirelessly to demand equality,” she said.

Though some are strongly opposed of her appointment. others see the contentious issues as a part of Wonder Woman’s long standing history of controversy.

Jill Lepore, American History professor at Harvard University, and author of “The Secret History of Wonder Woman,” tolf NPR that wonder woman is a complex character. “Part of the richness of this character is that there are many layers to understanding her,” she said. “Wonder Woman is always going to have a mixed legacy.”

Beyond the controversy, the intended result of the announcement was to shine light on the UN’s Goal Five. As a part of the UN’s “Sustainable Development Goals: 17 Goals to Transform Our World,” Goal Five works to achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls.

In the coming weeks, Gal Gadot will begin releasing PSAs at UN headquarters in NYC. The controversy will likely reignite after the Wonder Woman film star is spotted speaking on behalf of the UN.

CULTURE

Page 14

November 2. 2016

Who’s That Kid? | It’s Katie Dolan, FRCH ’18

Unique Childhood Yeilds Diverse Interests for FCRH Junior

By ERIN SHANAHAN MANAGING EDITOR

Katie Dolan, FCRH ’18, broke both of her legs this past year. In addition, she has kept up with her responsibilities as The Mimes and Mummers vice president, worked as the assistant director for an offbroadway show and continued researching the anomalous magnetic dipole moment of the muon using Lattice QCD theory with Professor Christopher Aubin.

Casual.

Katie was born and raised in the Roxborough neighborhood of Philadelphia with her mother, father and two younger, twin siblings, Becky and Chris. Katie’s upbringing as a child was unique due to the different beliefs and values of her parents.

“My parents are a little bit eccentric and crazy,” Katie said.

“They are very much over prepared in that they are very aware of the impending doom of the world.”

Her parents’ belief in the world’s inescapable demise very much influenced Katie’s childhood. From a young age Katie was taught key survival skills such as navigating forests alone, shooting guns and farming self-sufficient gardens.

Katie was also influenced artistically by her parents. Katie’s mother especially had a passion for theater and music. This passion was passed down to Katie.

“We would sometimes go into restaurants, pick an accent and then pretend to be from the accent’s country of origin,

she said. “It was a little crazy, but so fun.”

Also, Katie’s family enjoyed bonding through music. On long car rides, the family would break down songs from The Beach Boys into four part harmonies and sing together to pass the time.

Katie’s childhood was also characterized by animals. Her mother was a veterinarian and, as a result, many saved and adopted animals lived in her home. Katie’s family housed cats, dogs, guinea pigs, bunnies and even deer.

A Catholic education also added another dimension to Katie’s already colorful childhood.

Her high school, Merion Mercy Academy, is an independent, Catholic, all-girls college preparatory school sponsored by the Sisters of Mercy. Katie attended Merion Mercy on a music scholarship for piano.

Katie began playing piano at age five and continued to play competitively. While in high school, Katie played piano for school events as a part of her scholarship. As a result, Katie often passively participated in school theater events. She decided to give theater a try and joined several acting classes and productions during high school.

In high school, Katie participated in a production of “Twelve Angry Women” as Jury No. 8, “42nd Street” as the on stage pianist, “Oscar,” and “Legally Blond” as Enid Hoopes.

Katie also participated in mocktrial throughout high

school, admitting to “a small obsession” with the United States’ Constitution.

“There was a time in my life where I could quote basically half of it,” she said. In college, Katie decided to focus on mock trial, political science and her favorite subject, physics.

“When I was a kid, all I watched was ‘Star Trek,’ so I decided that I would be Spock when I grew up,” Katie said. “Now I know that this is not a realistic dream — he is a different species and a male and not real. Regardless, Spock and “Star Trek” instilled this love inside me for pushing the boundaries of what we know.”

Katie did not plan to join any of the theater groups on campus.

However, now she is a member of every theater group here at Rose Hill and the vice president of Mimes and Mummers.

“I remember sitting out in the audience of Collins, watching the Mimes and Mummers give their presentation about their theater group and thinking, ‘I could never be good enough for this club, so I won’t do it at all,’” Katie said.

As a freshman, Katie acted as assistant music director and piano player for “Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson.” Since then, Katie has participated in dozens of productions here at Fordham as both an actress and a director.

Katie also has a great deal of theater experience outside of Fordham as well. The summer before her sophomore year, Katie was the assistant music director of “Full House the Musical,” an

ERIN SHANAHAN/FORDHAM RAM

Theater is only one of Katie Dolan’s many passions at Fordham University.

off broadway production starring Perez Hilton. She helped with score maintenance, acted as the rehearsal pianist and recorded all of Perez’s music and sent it to him for practice. She said, “Perez was actually a lovely person to work with. His work ethic was amazing, he was extremely kind, and his children are adorable. It was a really cool experience.”

She also worked outside of Fordham as an assistant director for a one-man show, “Buyer and Cellar.” Outside of the theater, Katie has worked at The Bronx

Zoo. There she has taught children about conservation by writing songs about energy efficiency among other topics. In addition, she gave tours and worked the monorail.

After college, Katie hopes to acquire her Ph.D. in physics. In addition, she hopes to combine both her love for physics and political science by working in the area of Nuclear Disarmament, potentially with the United Nations.

Katie would also love to continue doing theater on the side after college.

The Met Cloisters: New York City’s Hidden Treasure

By ELIZABETH SMISLOVA CULTURE EDITOR

As a Washington, D.C. native, I adored the multitude of free and incredible Smithsonian museums on the National Mall. Throughout my life, I have turned to them as a refuge from a hectic life and reminder of the unimaginable history of and beauty in the world.

However, the National Gallery of Art has always been my favorite — I know it like the back of my hand. I thought the Metropolitan Museum of Art on Fifth Ave. or the Museum of Modern Art would take on that role of sanctuary in a busy city as the National Gallery did, but to no avail. I found my haven where some of the city’s best gems are hidden: way uptown.

The Met Cloisters definitely embody the meaning of their name, as they are as secluded as a museum could be in such an otherwise extremely crowded city. They are hidden within Fort Tyron Park in Upper Manhattan, which is one of the most beautiful places I have been to.

The park is on a ridge that overlooks the Hudson River, and is covered in beautiful flowers and greenery. The walk to the Cloisters through the park is long and winding, but the views are well worth it — especially in the fall.

Fort Tyron Park also has a special history, as it was created by John

D. Rockefeller Jr. in the early 1900s (he also bought a collection of Medieval art that spurned the building of the Cloisters).

The art collection at the Cloisters is mostly from Medieval Europe. The architecture of the museum itself is my personal favorite because it was designed to kindle the feeling of monastic life in medieval cloisters. There are outdoor gardens, enclosed

gardens and indoor chapels that all make the bustling urbanism die away, leaving you with just peace and art. During the warmer months, there is even a café in one of the outdoor gardens with a gorgeous view of the river. Much of the Medieval art is religious, so with the added monastery feel of the Cloisters, the museum can take on a faith-related role as well.

There are rooms filled with

ornate and aesthetically pleasing religious artifacts from thousands of years ago, like crosses, bibles, altars and paintings. This devout element is only there if the visitor wishes it to be, but there is something staggering in knowing the beliefs of so long ago are still prospering. It inspires hope that humanity as a whole can salvage good from any conflict or hardship.

COURTESY OF FLICKR

The Met Cloisters feature several gardens modeled after those in medieval European monasteries, exuding peace.

Amongst the 2,000 works of art and several gardens, there are a few specifics that are a must-see.

The famous Unicorn Tapestries from the late 13th century in the Netherlands are a prize in the collection. The one called “Unicorn in Captivity” is especially well-known, and for good reason.

The tapestry is so intricate and alluring; it is incredible that it has maintained so much of its beauty for so long.

One you cannot miss is the Apse from San Martín at Fuentidueña, which is a chapel from 12th century Segovia, Spain. The piece is huge, but it is mostly its age that makes the viewer feel small. The Cloisters truly evoke the feeling of being in Medieval Europe through their astounding preservation and presentation of ancient art, specifically art that is large and intended for more daily use than paintings, like chapels.

Admission to the Met Cloisters is by donation, so while they suggest students pay $12, you can offer whatever you can. To get there by subway, take the D or B train to 145th St. and take the A train up to 190th St. From there, walk through Fort Tyron Park, following the signs for the Cloisters.

The most direct route is taking the Bx12 bus from East Fordham Rd. to the Broadway/Isham stop.

The Met Cloisters is open every day from 10 a.m to 4:45 p.m.

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XC Shines at Atlantic 10s

By TOM TERZULLI STAFF WRITER

Fordham Cross Country has reached the home stretch of its season, with just three meets remaining on the schedule. The first of the “big four” was this past weekend in Glen Alen, Virginia for the Atlantic 10 championships. The Rams secured 3 All Atlantic 10 honors on the meet, two for the men and one for the women.

Beginning on the men’s side, juniors Thomas Slattery and Brian Cook set the pace, finishing 10th and 11th respectively.

“The importance of running all conference comes down to consistency. I’m really pleased that my training shined through enough to garner that privilege” said Slattery.

The pair each went out with the leaders from the very beginning and faded a bit towards the end, Slattery cited that strategy as the reason he secured all-conference honors: “My strategy was to hang up front and go out with the leaders. I think that strategy would have played out even better if I stayed out front with the leaders... maybe next time.”

Their teammates finished considerably far behind. Beginning with junior Louis Santelli (51st — 26:01.4), freshman Ryan Kutch (53rd — 26:02.3) and junior Nik O’Brien (57th — 26:06.7) in the top 60. Sophomore Sean Phillips (99th — 27:05.7), senior Jake Duckworth (100th — 27:06.4), senior Adam Schwenzfeier (111th — 28:11.7) and freshman Patrick Donahue (122nd — 30:36.2) rounded out the finishers. Santelli’s, Kutch’s and Phillips’ times were all career bests.

On the team scoreboard, the Rams finished seventh out of 14 teams with 184 points. Dayton took the overall title, while

Duquesne’s Rico Galassi won the individual title in 24:32.3.

Fordham Women’s lone all-A10 honoree, sophomore Angelina Grebe, crossed the line in a career best time of 18:03.9, good for 23rd place. The performance was one of six career fastest performances on the day: Freshmen Abigail Taylor (40th — 18:20.2) and Sydney Snow (55th — 18:29.5), junior Stephanie Leo (57th —18:32.0), senior Cristina Ulto (68th — 18:42.4) and freshman Katarzyna Krzyzanowski (81st —18:55.9).

Senior Brianne Roche (82nd — 18:57.6), junior Brynna Harum (92nd — 19:12.2), sophomore Kate McCormack (104th — 19:25.7) and senior Shanna Heaney (117th —20:02.8) were the other finishers.

The team finished a spot lower than the men at eighth of 14 teams, despite posting more points (234). UMass’ Heather MacLean secured the individual title, posting a time of 17:06.8.

Overall, there were some solid performances buried between middle of the road team results.

Ten runners posted career bests, but only garnered seventh and eighth place team finishes. Slattery summed it up best: “We went into this race expecting to obtain a better result as a whole. Looking back at the results, there were a ton of great aspects that we will now be able to learn from and approach differently next year.”

They could have raced better as a whole, but there is also a lot, especially individually, that can be taken away heading into their final three meets.

The final stretch of their season starts with the NCAA District Championships, at Van Cortland Park in the Bronx at 10 a.m. on Nov. 11 and ending with the NCAA Championships on Nov. 19.

November 2, 2016

Men’s Soccer Locks Up A-10 Spot

By TYLER FREIRE STAFF WRITER

With only two games remaining on the schedule this season, the Fordham men’s soccer team has secured a spot in the 2016 Atlantic 10 Championship with a thrilling 2-1 victory in Saint Louis over the weekend.

Things got off to a slow start, as both teams were scoreless after the first half. Saint Louis struck first, when Joe Saad connected on his fourth goal of the season on a shot from the top left corner of the box in the 63rd minute.

Fordham equalized the score in the 85th minute, as the heavy pressure from the Rams back line led to a transition opportunity for Fordham. The ball was played into the box, where freshman forward Dantae Greer popped the ball up in the air on a header. Junior forward Cole Stevenson then headed the ball toward goal, which went off the crossbar and down over the goal line for his third goal of the season.

The score remained tied 1-1 at the end of regulation, leading to free soccer. Fordham controlled most of the possession as the game progressed into overtime and both teams failed to get a shot on net in the first period of overtime. That changed in the final minute of overtime as Fordham was awarded a corner kick on a failed clearance from Saint Louis.

Stevenson took the corner kick from left of goal, which was punched out to the top of the box. Janos Loebe then picked up the loose ball and blistered a shot into the lower right corner of goal for his team-leading sixth marker of the season. With the 2-1 overtime win, the Rams are now 4-0-2 in overtime games. In net, sophomore keeper Rashid Nuhu made two huge saves for the Rams to help secure the win.

Head coach Jim McElderry explained the secret behind the Rams’ late-game heroics. “We have been fo-

COURTESY OF FORDHAM ATHLETICS

Jannik Loebe scored the game-winner in overtime to clinch an A-10 berth.

cused all year in our overtime games,” he said. “Our fitness, depth and overall concentration in these moments have been a strength for us. We are a confident group in overtime.”

He also explained the importance of the Loebe brothers, sophomore Janos and junior Jannik: “Janos and Jannik have had good seasons for us. We have high expectations for them,” said McElderry. “Our entire team expects a lot from each other and the last month we have shown it is all about working hard for one another. If we do this, we have the talent to win any match.”

This was one of the biggest wins for this team because it came against conference leader Saint Louis on the road in a hostile environment,and helped clinch a playoff berth.

McElderry was very pleased with his team’s performance.

“The boys played very well against

St. Louis and it was a total team effort on the trip. We went down a goal, but did not panic. We continued to keep the ball and earn chances. I was very proud of the performance,” said McElderry.

“I have always said to this group, that if we play to our potential we can compete with any team in the country. St. Louis is a very good team with a lot of talent, so to have twice as many shots, more corners and eventually win the game at their home field was a good accomplishment.

The challenge for us now is to keep that high standard for our next two regular season games and then onto the A-10’s.”

Fordham Men’s Soccer will next be in action on Wednesday, Nov. 2, as the Rams host Massachusetts for a 3:30 p.m. conference game. This is the rescheduled contest from Oct. 9.

Volleyball Losing Streak Continues

By ANDREA GARCIA PHOTO EDITOR

COURTESY OF FORDHAM ATHLETICS

Brian Cook finished 11th for Men’s Cross Country at the A-10 Championship.

After starting October with a win against A-10 foe George Mason, Women’s Volleyball is ending the month on a seven-game losing streak against their conference rivals. The Rams accepted two more sweeps on the road from VCU and Davidson over the weekend.

The VCU Rams heated up the court with an opening six point lead, with two kills and four Fordham errors. Fordham sided out and opened up their box score with three consecutive errors from VCU. This gap held until the 10-8 mark, before VCU jumped on another 12 straight points. Fordham’s offense struggled to keep composure and added eight error points to the VCU’s tally, bringing them securely to a 22-6 lead. The hosts’ inevitable win was secured at a 25-9 set point.

Fordham tried to reestablish its court presence in the second and third sets. The score remained balanced until VCU reached another attacking stride. VCU’s second set score bounced up 10 points to 17-6 from a combination of Fordham attack errors and VCU aces. Fordham called back with a three point run of its own, followed by three VCU points to regain its easy lead. This

sustained advantage held to the end of VCU’s second winning set, 25-17.

The hosts kept putting the pressure on Fordham in the third set with an early four point lead. The box crept up to 24-13 in favor of VCU. With a game point glaring at them from the other side of the net, Fordham sided out and rallied for eight straight points. Fordham valiantly postponed VCU’s final winning set, 25-21.

Later that weekend, the Rams were also swept in a three-set faceoff with the Davidson Wildcats. The three sets were characterized by tighter box scores than in previous games.

In the first set, both teams were able to match their opponents short-lived runs. The score remained even on both sides of the net until Fordham’s offense lost its swing at the 14-13 box.

The Rams gave up four attack errors and failed to communicate on a serve to give Davidson a needed 20-13 leg up. The Wildcats kept their lead to close out the first set, 25-19.

The second series fell to the same rhythm, with the hosts gaining a six point lead mid-set, which eventually grew to 18-9 due to three consecutive aces from their freshman defensive specialist. The second set concluded at 25-14.

The third set gave a glimpse of hope to the Rams, who jumped up to a three point opening lead. However,

the Wildcats quickly caught up to even out the court. The score ran up to an even 15-15, after teams kept siding each other out and rotated twice through their respective lineups. At this point, Fordham made a promising four point offensive front. Two rotations followed, and Davidson answered with a five point bump of its own, largely from Fordham lifts and hitting errors. For the second time in the third set, the score evened out to 22-22, and the teams found themselves surpassing the 25-25 point mark. Fordham, fighting for the finish, sided out with a cross-court kill from freshman Kaitlin Morley, but failed to follow it up for the winning two-point lead. Three consecutive hitting errors, two from Morley and one from fellow freshman Olivia Fairchild, respectively, gave Davidson their third and final winning set.

The Rams now stand at 10-16 overall and 3-8 in the Atlantic 10 Conference. More than a month removed from their last winning match, the Rams are hungry for wins this Friday, Nov. 4 at noon against the George Mason Patriots and the following Saturday, Nov. 5 at 1 p.m. against the George Washington Colonials.

SPORTS

November 2, 2016

Pat Costello What’s Wrong with the NFL? The NFL has hit a rough patch lately, with viewership shrinking every week as the season progresses.

The quick and easy response when this topic is brought up is that the World Series, NHL and NBA are drawing viewers away from the meaningless mid-season games.

There is no doubt that this rings true in some form, but the NFL has much bigger problems that it is dealing with, which is the real reason behind the ratings drop.

The biggest issue for most casual fans is NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell. The last few seasons have been a tremendous disaster for him.

There have been litanies of domestic violence cases, drug problems and other off the field issues that have drawn attention away from the players and onto Goodell himself.

Many have criticized him for how he has handled domestic abuse issues, such as the Ray Rice and Josh Brown situations. It isn’t a coincidence that the female audience has dropped significantly in the last season. Fans don’t want to watch a product that they feel has been tainted by off-thefield issues.

It’s impossible to bring up the NFL anymore without mentioning concussions. The last few seasons have brought concussions to the forefront of people’s minds.

The effects of the concussion scare have caused the NFL to revamp its rules, which aims to protect people’s heads more so than ever before.

Quarterbacks are barely touched anymore, mainly because doing so almost always results in a roughing the passer penalty. Many fans have voiced concerns on social media, calling the on-field product soft due to the lack of big hits and frequency of penalties. The NFL is forced to cover their backside in this case, particularly with a one-billion-dollar concussion settlement for retired players. Concussions in the NFL have also led many parents to stop their children from playing football at a young age, and instead steer them towards other sports. This drops the interest of younger fans, who will eventually grow up and feel disconnected to football.

The biggest problem the NFL has right now is that the product is simply not good. There have already been two ties this season, a feat that hasn’t been accomplished since 1997, which was, ironically, the last time Cleveland was in the World Series. There have been too many games that were not up to par with the product fans are used to seeing. No casual fan wants to watch a Thursday night matchup between the Jaguars and the Titans.

There are a lot of bad teams in the NFL right now, most of which are led by coaches who aren’t very good either. For example, the 49ers took a gamble on Chip Kelly after his failed experiment with the Eagles, which has completely backfired on them.

They are currently 1-6 after losing 34-17 to the Buccaneers. There are plenty of examples of this across the NFL as well, each of which strengthens fans’ cases against watching the games.

The NFL has a lot to figure out if it doesn’t want ratings and viewership to continue to fall.

Page 17

Senior Profile | Oscar Cabanas

By SAM BELDEN SPORTS EDITOR

The air is getting colder as we head into November, but don’t tell that to Oscar Cabanas. The senior co-captain of the Fordham golf team is a proud Floridian, and while he fondly speaks of his time at Rose Hill, the New York winters are one thing he will not miss.

Despite this, he will undoubtedly miss playing golf for the Rams, and judging from his performance this season, the team will miss him too. The psychology major played in all five of Fordham’s events this fall, helping the squad to a pair of fifth-place finishes. His best event was the 54-hole Macdonald Cup at Yale, where he tied for 46th.

The Fordham Ram sat down with Oscar to talk about golf, leadership and life after Fordham.

The Fordham Ram: How long have you been playing golf ? What sparked your passion for the game?

Oscar Cabanas: Since before I can remember. I was probably two years old, three years old. My dad definitely got me into playing.

I played a whole bunch of sports growing up, but I would wake up Sunday and he would be watching Tiger [Woods]. He got me into it, and I always loved watching golf with him, so that’s how I got into golf.

TFR: At what point in growing up did you start to see yourself being able to play golf at a high level?

OC: I got to middle school and I had stopped growing. I was playing baseball at the time and all my friends kept getting bigger and I said to myself, “Well, I don’t think I’ll make it in baseball, but I really love to compete.” So I sort of got more attached to golf and I started to love golf more and more. Probably around the end of freshman year of high school or middle of sophomore year, I started playing in some junior events. I won a couple and I kind of figured I can compete in this, so I’m gonna do this.

TFR: How did you end up at Fordham. Were you looking at any other Division I programs?

OC: I was looking at other DI programs, and I would have been a walk-on, practice squad kind of guy at schools like Boston College, Notre Dame, Northwestern, but then I wouldn’t have gotten to play in any tournaments. Fordham was in the perfect spot for me in New York City. I have family in the area, and when I walked on campus, I just fell in love with the area and the campus itself and figured it was the perfect spot for me.

TFR: No team wins for Fordham Golf this fall, but you guys did end up with a couple of fifthplace finishes. What’s your overall assessment of the team’s performance this season?

OC: I want to give a shout out to [junior co-captain] Joe Trim for winning an event [the Lehigh Invitational]. He played great and he’s been working hard. I think we can work harder. There’s so much talent on the team. We do play a lot of teams that are full scholarship teams, and we’re not a scholarship team at all. I don’t think that’s a barrier at all for us. I think we have just as much talent, if not more talent, and I think we just need to work harder. That’s really

all there is to it.

TFR: What do you feel was the best part of your game this fall?

Where do you think you need to improve for the spring?

OC: Best part of my game was probably my driving. I hit a lot of fairways, especially towards the end of the year. At the beginning of the season I wasn’t playing as well, and that’s because I couldn’t hit the fairway. My driving was much better towards the end. I would say the part I need to most work on is my mental game. There’s so much of golf that’s just completely mental that I just need to be better at. Need to be tougher, need to grind more. That’s really the biggest difference I could make.

TFR: You’re one of the only seniors on the team. Do you feel you’ve taken on more of a leadership role this year?

OC: I certainly have tried to, but what I’ve found is that the guys on the team can manage themselves in a way. Because the team is so small, it’s more of an equal leadership — everyone’s taking their own responsibility. Really, all I do is tell them when practice is and when to go and where to be, and they take it upon themselves to be there and do what they want to do and get the job done.

TFR: Is there any particular moment from your career with Fordham Golf that stands out as your favorite?

OC: I would say playing A-10s my sophomore year. It was down in the Orlando area, and being from South Florida, it was kind of like a trip back home for me. It was a big deal for me, getting to play in the conference tournament, the big-time tournament of the year.

My family was there. I remember walking down the 18th green — I was probably 10-over-par, 12-over-par, playing absolutely terribly — but my sister, my mom and my dad were there. I started playing college golf for them, and I wanted to represent my family and my high school and my community from back home. Them being there was kind of the “I made it” moment for me.

TFR: I wanted to talk about A-10s. You’ve been to the conference tournament on a couple of occasions. Can you describe the atmosphere down there with schools like VCU and Richmond in the mix?

OC: We get down there and we see those big-time teams, teams we don’t see at all during the year. It’s kind of like, these are the big guys, these are the teams we want to play, these are the teams we want to beat. I don’t think that Fordham has ever felt like we can’t compete with them, certainly not the team we have now. The atmosphere is like a major, I guess, a “this is what we play for” kind of moment. And for me and Joe Trim, being from Florida, we feel like we’re back in our element. We feel we’re ready for the rain that’s gonna come, the wind that’s gonna come, and you know that’s gonna happen. My favorite part about A-10s is how hot it gets and how it’s 90 degrees outside. I think that’s an advantage for me and for Joe. I think it’s more of a mental battle for those three days thanks to the heat.

TFR: What was your favorite tournament to play in this fall?

OC: I would say the Ryan T. Lee Memorial event. It’s a great event for a kid who unfortunately died

Brendan O’Connell The Kicking Conundrum

COURTESY OF FORDHAM ATHLETICS

in a car accident, and I actually had a friend who had something similar happen to him. That event is very close to me and I understand what that family’s gone through.

I think having a golf tournament in memorial of a kid is something special, and I think there should be more of it. Because golf is such a gentleman’s game, it fits in with the idea of honoring someone.

TFR: Last spring, Fordham Golf got its first team win in nearly four years. What do you think the team needs to do to pick up another one?

OC: We just need to work harder. We need to be more disciplined. We need to focus more on golf, rather than things outside of golf that I think plagued the team as far as discipline. Our coach, I don’t know if I should talk about this, but he’s older, he’s 81. A lot more responsibility falls on the team and not so much him, so we kind of babysit him around. But he’s there for us, and we need to be able to take more responsibility for ourselves.

TFR: Can you describe the level of camaraderie that exists among the team members?

OC: We’re a very tight group.

There’s two seniors on the team, a couple juniors, a couple sophomores and freshmen. We all hang out together, there’s no differences between us. We all get along incredibly well. And we love to compete with each other, which I think makes the biggest difference for us and helps us get prepared for tournaments.

TFR: Outside of the golf team, what’s your favorite part of Fordham?

OC: Fordham Women’s Soccer.

I’m a big English Premier League soccer fan, but more than my Liverpool team, I love Fordham Women’s Soccer. I go to all their games. The closeness, not only with the women’s soccer team but with other Fordham sports — you see the athletes walking around and you get to know them. It’s like that show “Hard Knocks” but every day in class. You see how they are in class and what they are on the field, and it’s cool to get to know the person behind the helmet or behind the jersey. I think that’s the best part of Fordham.

TFR: What are your plans for after graduation?

OC: I want to go to law school. I want to go back to Miami, get out of the cold for a little bit, go to law school and just keep going from there. That’s the plan for now.

I have a proposition. You know how certain mail packages have the word “FRAGILE” stamped on the outside to indicate the delicate nature of their contents? I say the NFL should institute a policy that forces every kicker to wear a jersey and helmet donning this label every Sunday.

Virtually every kicker in the league is a puddle right now.

Nearly everyone, from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ 2016 second-round pick Roberto Aguayo to New England Patriots veteran mainstay Stephen Gostkowski, has had trouble splitting the uprights on both point after tries and field goal attempts.

Kicks have sailed wide, doinked off of uprights and crossbars and been blocked by the opponent on a regular basis to this halfway mark of the season.

In the second year of the NFL’s new extra-point rule, which pushes attempts back from a 20-yard try to a 33 yards to increase difficulty, and the first year of the league’s new touchback rule, which brings the offensive possession’s starting point to the 25-yard line instead of the 20yard line to avoid as much injury risk as possible, kickers have been forced to adapt their long-established habits. While many kickers seem to deny that these rules have made their job more difficult, one may surmise that the mental strain is more to blame for their lack of execution than the physical challenges they bring.

With the PAT no longer essentially automatic, kickers are even more of mental cases than they have been historically. In 2014, the final season under the old PAT rule, no kicker with double-digit extra-point tries converted at a rate of less than 96 percent, and as a group, these same 33 kickers succeeded on 1,204 out of 1,211 attempts (about 99.4 percent). Last season, 33 kickers again attempted double-digit extrapoints, but 18 of those players converted at less than 96 percent, going a combined 1,099 for 1,164 on PATs (about 94.4 percent). This season, entering Week 9, 32 kickers have attempted at least nine PATs. These players account for a combined conversion rate of 527 for 553 (about 95.3 percent). In the past two seasons, even traditional field goal efficiency has dropped by about 2 percent. These are still heady numbers to be sure, but they indicate a significant and undeniable regression.

In short, the PAT in today’s NFL is a much more interesting play than it has been in decades. Failed field goal and point after tries have determined the outcomes of several recent pivotal games (such as last season’s AFC Championship).

Moreover, the rule change regarding touchbacks has led to an altered, more strategic or finessed approach to kickoffs by many teams’ kickers, which seemingly has had an impact on the games.

Every point matters. From Scott Norwood to Billy Cundiff to Blair Walsh, to Adam Vinatieri to Lawrence Tynes, a multitude of kickers can attest to the fact that making or missing a field goal can alter the outcome of history. This season will feature more goats than heroes as each kicker carries the hopes of their team delicately on the swing of their leg.

Page 18

Water Polo Makes a Splash on Senior Day

By TOM TERZULLI STAFF WRITER

Long time Fordham Water Polo head coach, Bill Harris, honored captain R.J. Simmons and teammate Jack Alexander on Senior Night at the Colonel Francis B. Messmore Aquatic Center on Saturday, Oct. 29.

“It’s really contrasting emotions.

In one sense, you’re happy they got a great education and had a great career here, and you’re sad to see two talented players go,” Harris said.

Emotions ran high with the pair playing their final home matches in a Fordham cap. Through the efforts of the four-year players and their teammates, the Rams won both contests as they said goodbye to their valiant team leaders.

The special day began with an afternoon matchup against the Mercyhurst Lakers. The Rams went up 2-0 early on scores from junior Cameron Shewchuck and sophomore Samuel Varshisky. But the first frame ended in a tie after the Lakers netted two late goals, including one as the buzzer the sounded. A seesaw second followed with the teams going score for score until freshman Jake Miller-Tolt found the net with 2:15 left in the half to break a 4-4 tie.

It was all Rams in the third quarter. Freshman Tristen Knoflick and Senior Day honoree Simmons netted early goals to make it 7-4. This set up Miller-Tolt, who added two more in the final three minutes, giving Fordham a 9-5 advantage. Mercyhurst would score the lone goal of the final frame to secure a 9-6 Fordham victory.

Miller-Tolt registered two assists and five steals to go with his three goals. Coach Harris talked about where the young freshman could be when he reaches his Senior Day three years from now.

“He brings a lot to the table. He has a great attitude and he’s got a work ethic,” he said. “That, combined with talent, leads to a higher performance. As long as he stays healthy I think he’s on track to do

what R.J. did: be a leader in and out of the pool.”

But Simmons was not quite ready to be replaced, adding two steals and an assist to accompany his one netter. Knoflick put up two goals and an assist, with Varshisky and Shewchuck rounding out the scoring. Junior keeper Alex Jahns had nine stops in net.

In the nightcap, the Rams jumped all over Salem-International in 14-9 rout. It was almost over from the start with Fordham jumping out to a 6-0 advantage in the first of five extra man goals. “When you take a team out of the game early, it’s almost impossible to score that many goals late in the game,” said Harris.

“Against Salem we executed very well in penalty situations.”

From there, the Rams poured on four more scores in the second to extend the lead to seven at 10-3. Salem-International made a late push, but the Rams were able to hold on to take it 14-9.

In his Messmore Aquatic Center swan song, Simmons led the way with four tallies along with two assists and a steal. His likely successor Miller-Tolt put up two goals, two assists and four steals. Knoflick and Shewchuck had two goals and three steals a piece. Sophomore Diego Delgado chipped in two goals of his own, three assists and a steal.

When it was all said and done, the Rams improved to 13-11 with the closing of their season on the horizon. And for Simmons, an extremely valued team leader, he went out a winner. “He was a captain, a leader and an extremely talented,” said Harris. “Whenever we needed a goal late in the game, R.J. was there.

He led by example and worked really hard in practice. I don’t think he understood how important he really was to our team.”

Two regular season games remain until the Mid-Atlantic Water Polo Championship. Next up are the Wagner Seahawks at 7:30 p.m on Wednesday, Nov. 2, in Staten Island.

SPORTS

By SAM BELDEN SPORTS EDITOR

You might not have heard about it, but golf history was made over the weekend at the WGC-HSBC Champions. Hideki Matsuyama of Japan became the first Asian-born winner of a World Golf Championship event since the series’ inception back in 1999, torching Sheshan Golf Club for a seven-stroke victory.

The win moved Matsuyama into the sixth spot in the Official World Golf Ranking, leapfrogging big names like Adam Scott, Bubba Watson and Danny Willett. It was also the 24-year-old’s third consecutive top two finish, as he won the Japan Open Golf Championship and finished solo second at the CIMB Classic in the two weeks directly preceding the WGC. While that run of form has been impressive, it shouldn’t come as a surprise to golf fans. Matsuyama has more than delivered on his boundless potential since bursting onto the scene with a pair of major top 10s in 2013. He’s become a PGA Tour regular with wins at Muirfield Village and TPC Scottsdale, and he’s notched 11 podium finishes around the world over the last three years.

His status as an elite player is secure.

But if Matsuyama has been as good as advertised, where are all the other Asian stars? At this writing, he and South Korea’s Byeong-Hun An are the only top 50 players who hail from the world’s largest continent. Other Asians dot the top 100, but Joe Ozakis they’re not — of that group, it appears that only Ryo Ishikawa has a chance to make a killing, and that’s only if he can put his injury woes aside and establish consistency, a big ask.

Of course, the simple answer is that golf is a British invention.

While popular globally, the majority of its participants are from the UK and her former colonies, as well as a number of other Western European states.

But doesn’t it feel like there should be more Asian stars by now?

The globalization of golf is nothing new, after all. Youth programs have existed in Japan for decades, while in China, the industry is exploding — dozens of courses have been built in

November 2, 2016

the past decade alone.

Three years ago, you couldn’t so much as glance at your favorite golf site without seeing an article about the nascent internationalism within the sport. But it’s been almost 35 years since Isao Aoki’s historic victory at the Hawaiian Open, and just three of his countrymen have joined him as PGA Tour winners during that time. What gives?

For one thing, we should never have expected things to shift so quickly. Yes, China, Japan and South Korea have laudable youth golf programs, but the infrastructure and access are still severely lacking compared to countries like the U.S. and UK, and even smaller players like Australia and South Africa. This may change as time goes on, but it’s an issue that will be solved over the course of decades rather than mere months.

Furthermore, the readiness of some of these players may have been overstated. If you think back to the golf landscape in 2013, there wasn’t really another budding Asian superstar after Matsuyama. Rather than viewing him as the first of a new wave, we should have seen him for what he probably is: a once-in-a-

generation kind of talent.

Finally, we have a kind of elephant in the room: the language barrier. Many Asian golfers are not fluent in English, the dominant tongue in the sport of golf. This detail doesn’t really affect the women’s game — the LPGA Tour is the only viable option for making a good income — but with more money in the men’s game, things are different. While the PGA Tour is the world’s most lucrative circuit, Japan and Korea have their own golf tours, and a male player can make decent money on them.

If not for the language barrier, we’d probably see more Japanese and Korean players travel to America to fight for a PGA Tour card. But even then, most would be peripheral players at best, especially with the challenge of figuring out a new batch of courses. If you can make a decent living while also enjoying the comforts of home, why wouldn’t you?

Make no mistake: Asian golf is still on the rise, and Asian golfers are surfacing more and more. But thanks to some real-life considerations, it may take years before we see them start to truly dominate.

COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA

Joe Ozaki was a pioneer of Asian golf, winning 32 times on the Japan Golf Tour.

Varsity Calendar HOME AWAY

Thursday Nov. 3

Friday Nov. 4

Football

Colgate 1 p.m.

Men’s Soccer

SBU 7 p.m.

Women’s Soccer

Volleyball

COURTESY OF FORDHAM ATHLETICS

Sunday Nov. 6

GMU 8 p.m.

Bucknell 2 p.m.

Water Polo

Keeper Alex Jahns had a solid weekend in net for the Rams.

Saturday Nov. 5

GMU 12 p.m.

GWU 1 p.m.

Men’s Tennis

Navy Invitational

Rowing

Fall Metro Champs

Squash

Siena 12 p.m.

Monday Nov. 7

Tuesday Nov. 8

Wednesday Nov. 9

SPORTS

November 2, 2016

We all thought Tim Lincecum was as weird as it could get. His height, flowing locks and “Wow, that shouldn’t work” delivery mystified all of us, and he earned the nickname “Freak.”

But just as Lincecum’s career was being sent over AT&T Park’s right field wall and into the Bay, a new enigma rolled into town: Trevor Bauer.

Bauer is a millennial in a babyboomer sport. He taught himself how to better control his breaking pitches by using mathematical equations to construct a box to throw through that represented the batter’s eye.

Most baseball players are afraid of math outside of mainstream counting statistics. Tell me that Madison Bumgarner or John Lackey wouldn’t puke if you talked to them about the quadratic equation or wOBA. But like Kevin Durant shooting in an empty arena full of media members, we don’t see Bauer working on his craft. What we do get to see is something that has worried first the Diamondbacks and now the Indians: his long toss program.

Before every start, you can watch Bauer long toss from such a distance that his throwing partner needs a cutoff man. Watching him throw from almost foul pole to foul pole is just as mystifying as Aroldis Chapman’s 105 mph fastballs. But like anything in baseball, being weird has been a huge knock against Bauer throughout his career. Just like with Lincecum, it was declared early on that it would never work, that he would break down or that the theory wouldn’t translate to the big leagues.

To be fair to his detractors, Bauer has had issues staying consistent.

This year was his best season, and the numbers don’t exactly jump out at you: a 4.26 ERA and 3.99 FIP, 160 strikeouts to 70 walks and a 1.31 WHIP. But one number does point to a bright future: 25, Bauer’s age.

It is clear that Bauer has been figuring it out. After starting the season in the bullpen, his numbers improved greatly this year. He showed flashes of the skill that justified his selection as the third overall pick in 2011, particularly in his first two months as a full-time starter. In the months of May and June, he sported a 2.76 ERA, spun 66 strikeouts and held opponents to a .212 batting average. He pitched the best game of his career on June 22, a complete game against the Rays where he struck out 10 while walking just one and giving up three hits en route to a 6-1 victory.

While he didn’t start the year as one of the starting five, injuries and his early-season strength forced him into the postseason rotation for the Indians, where he hasn’t given up more than three runs despite an 0-2 record. In 13 innings, he has 16 strikeouts, good for an 11.07 SO/9.

What’s fitting, however, is the reason that Bauer has become a household name. He was the victim of the most millennial injury since Joel Zumaya hurt his elbow playing Guitar Hero: tearing up his finger while fixing his drone, and then trying to pitch with stitches.

Bauer is the physical embodiment of sabermetrics. Watch him pitch in slow motion on YouTube and you’ll struggle to not be reminded of Michael Jordan’s stretching arm in the end of Space Jam. For those of us hoping for a revolution, Bauer embodies the same kind of whimsy.

Alvin Halimwidjaya

Varsity Scores & Stats

Jack McLoone

The Ballad of Trevor Bauer

Page 19

Volleyball VCU Fordham

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Davidson Fordham

3 0

Football Lehigh 58 Fordham 37 (LEH) Shafnisky108 yds, 3 TD (LEH) Bragalone 192 yds, 3 TD (FOR) Edmonds 182 yds

Women’s Swimming Fordham 170 Fairfield 107

Water Polo Fordham Iona

10 3

Fordham 191 Monmouth 66

Fordham Salem Internaitonal

14 9

Boston University 167 Fordham 133

Men’s Cross Country Atlantic 10 Championships Fordham- 7th (FOR) Slattery 11th- 25:05.5 (FOR) Cook 12th- 25:07.5

Men’s Soccer Fordham Duquesne

3 2

Fordham (2OT) Saint Louis

2 1

Women’s Cross Country Atlantic 10 Championships Fordham- 8th

Women’s Soccer Fordham Davidson (FOR) Salmon goal, ‘10

1 0

Fordham (2OT) George Mason

2 2

Men’s Swimming Fordham 182 Fairfield 100 100-yd Breaststroke (FOR) Magsino 1st- 1:01.93 Monmouth 189.5 Fordham 75.5 1000-yd Freestyle (FOR) Durner 1st- 10:11.52 Boston University 167 Fordham 133 200-yd Freestyle (FOR) Vizza 1st- 1:40.25

Athletes of the Week Janos Loebe

Amelia Bullock

Sophomore

Freshman

Soccer

Swimming

Loebe played a crucial role in the Rams’ 2-1 victory over Saint Louis last Saturday. He cleaned up a ball that had been punched away from the Biliken’s net and ripped a shot into the back of the net, winning the game with 58 seconds left in the second overtime. For his effort he was named A-10 Offensive Player of the Week.

Bullock performed incredibly well over the past weekend. The freshman came in second place in the 50 yard freestlye during the tri-meet against Monmouth and Fairfield on Friday.

She then won the 100 yard and 200 yard butterfly against Boston on Saturday. She was named A-10 Rookie of the Week.

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 • Fordham to Host Michael Kay’s Radio Show Monday On Monday Nov. 7 at 7 p.m. Fordham will

• Amanda Miller Given A-10 Rookie of the Week Award

• Espina-Esquivel Honored As Performer of the Week Diving’s Wendy Espina-Esquivel was given

• Cook, Slattery Given A-10 All-Conference Honors

host the “The Great Sports Debate” between Michael Kay and Don LaGreca. The event will be held in Keating Hall. It will be broadcast live on ESPN NY 98.7 and the YES Network. There will be a panel of judges composed of former New York Islanders goalie Rick DiPietro, ESPN Radio personality Bill Daughtry, Giants Super Bowl Champion Chris Cantry and WFUV Radio broadcaster and Fordham student Drew Casey. Kay graduated from Fordham in 1984 with a B.A. in Communications. He worked at WFUV, which is located in the basement of Keating.

A-10 Co-Performer of the Week after a great weekend on the diving board. She set a school record for the one-meter dive on Friday against Fairfield with a score of 298.50.

She also won the three-meter with a score of 275.33. On Saturday she one upped herself with a one meter score of 308.92, which was an NCAA Zone “A” diving qualifying score, before winning the three-meter with 295.57 points.

Phenomenmal Freshman Forward Amanda Miller was named Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Year after her performance against George Mason last weekend. The Rams were trailing the Patriots 2-1 in the 87th minute, until Miller tied the score with a goal, her second of the season.

The equalizer would allow the Rams to tie the Patriots after the game went past both overtime periods. The award was Miller’s first of the season. The Rams will head to the Atlantic 10 Tournament on Thursday, playing in Rhode Island.

Their opponent will be the same exact team, the George Mason Patriots. Kickoff for the opening round is set for 8 p.m.

Juniors Thomas Slattery and Brian Cook were named All-Conference at last weekends Atlantic 10 Championships. During the actual race Slattery finished in 11th with a time of 25:05.5.

Cook came in not far behind him with a time of 25:07.5. The All-Conference honor is the second for Slattery during his Fordham career.

Cook received his first honor. The Rams will compete in the NCAA Northeast Regionals on Nov. 11 at Van Cortlandt Park.

– Compiled by Pat Costello

The Plight of the Pelicans The New Orleans Pelicans have had a history of great players leading struggling teams. Back when they were still the Hornets, point guard Baron Davis was a fan favorite, but could never get his team past the second round. It was the same case for Chris Paul, who is still considered one of the best point guards in the league. Though he had a pick and roll partner in Tyson Chandler and multiple seasons as an MVP candidate, he was also stymied by better teams, as he has never made it out of the second round either. After all their struggles, New Orleans thought it had hit the jackpot with superstar Anthony Davis, but the Pelicans remain grounded.

Coming out of the University of Kentucky, Anthony Davis was heralded as the next Kevin Garnett, and for good reason. He has met, if not exceeded, those expectations so far.

However, what some people forget is that Garnett spent the first half of his career as a world-class talent on a Timberwolves team that could never quite turn that into playoff success.

Davis looks to tell the same story.

Though a small sample size, the Pelicans have started off the season winless through three games while Davis has averaged a ridiculous 37.7 points per game and 12.7 rebounds per game.

To say this team will immediately tank would be a little hyperbolic.

They’re missing their starting backcourt in Jrue Holiday and Tyreke Evans, and Davis’ sheer talent will earn them enough wins to retain some of their dignity. However, there is one crucial that the Pelicans have to work through. Davis desperately needs help on offense. Guards E’Twuan Moore and Tim Frazier have provided the most support for the Brow, but a supporting cast of only Moore and Frazier is not going to get any team far.

For the Pelicans to at least snatch a playoff berth in the cutthroat Western Conference, their supporting cast is going to have to step up. Rookie Buddy Hield, who has started out slow with 14 points through three games, needs to take advantage of his opportunities and prove he can be a scorer off the bench for New Orleans. In addition, high risk, high reward players like Lance Stephenson, Solomon Hill and Terrence Jones need to play to their potential and fill in the gaps the ‘Brow can’t. Throw in a mid-season trade for more talent and, at the very least, the Pelicans will not go down without a fight.

If the whole team can produce, the Pelicans will not only have a better chance of winning close games down the stretch, but consistent contributions from everyone will keep the team moving even when Davis isn’t having the best of nights. Again, despite the small sample size and Davis’ ridiculous numbers, the Pelicans have bottomed out at 29th in the league in offensive rating as well as 18th in defensive rating. Though having a team defense is important, the Pelicans’ offense is where help is painfully needed.

When it comes down to it, this could be yet another elite season from Anthony Davis that will be wasted due to the team’s inability to support him. The Brow will undoubtedly experience playoff success; it’s up to New Orleans if they want to be the team Davis makes it big with.

SPORTS

Page 20

November 2, 2016

The Fordham Ram

Football Drops Pivotal Game at Lehigh

By JACK McLOONE

ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR

The Rams are no longer in control of their own FCS Playoff destiny after their 58-37 blowout loss to the Patriot League-leading Lehigh Mountain Hawks on Saturday. Fordham and Lehigh both came into the matchup undefeated in league play, with Lehigh in first place due to having played — and won — one more game than Fordham. However, a win for Fordham would have catapulted them into first place and put them in the driver’s seat.

Instead, the Rams need Lehigh to lose their final two games while also winning their own final three to win the Patriot League.

The script for the game was written in the first two drives for both teams.

“It was mostly in the beginning. Those first two drives, we killed ourselves,” said senior quarterback Kevin Anderson. “We got ourselves in situations where we’re facing first-and-30, firstand-25, and that, as a play caller, is a nightmare. As a quarterback I’m like, ‘Geez, what are we going to do to get back?’”

The Rams, and particularly junior running back Chase Edmonds, looked solid early in their first drive. Edmonds took the team to right around midfield with a few strong runs against a stout Lehigh defense before the penalties that have haunted the Rams the last few weeks once again reared their head. First there was a hold called on a completion to sophomore receiver Austin Longi, backing the Rams to a first-and-18. But then, before the snap to try and dig themselves out of an already-deep hole, there was a false start penalty. The Rams went from a promising drive to backed up on their own 35-yard line with a first-and-23 and eventually punting.

The Fordham defense, which had been incredibly stout against Georgetown last week — including holding the Hoyas to -2 yards on the ground

COURTESY OF FORDHAM ATHLETICS

Kevin Anderson and the Rams offense had a lackluster day against the Patriot League-leading Mountain Hawks.

— was decidedly less so in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. The Mountain Hawks used multiple big plays en route to a quick first score. Running back Dom Bragalone found the end zone for Lehigh on a simple run to the outside, where he covered 19 yards essentially unbothered by the Rams front seven for the score.

Hoping to answer on their next drive, the Rams once again shot themselves in the foot before even snapping the ball. They broke the huddle prior to the first play with 12 players, which set them back five yards. And then before the snap on their second attempt, there was another holding call, setting them back to a first-and-25 and eventually another punt.

Lehigh only needed one big play to score on the ensuing drive. Quarterback Nick Shafnisky found Derek Knott streaking down the middle of the field, having beaten junior defensive back — and reigning Patriot League Defensive Player of the Week — Caleb Ham off the line for an 84yard touchdown. A missed two-point conversion resulted in Lehigh quickly being up 13-0.

“It was a big storm of us hurting ourselves and them making big plays,” said Anderson.

The Rams put together their best drive of the game on the next posses-

sion. Edmonds had carries of 20 and 30 yards, and Anderson eventually found the end zone on a 3-yard keeper to cap off the 10 play, 91-yard drive.

However, senior kicker Makay Redd pushed the extra point, so the Rams still trailed 13-6.

The Ram defense stood tall on their next drive despite giving up a big play on a bobbled handoff by Shafnisky.

With the Mountain Hawks deep in their territory, the secondary was able to break up a pass in the end zone and force a field goal, which Lehigh converted.

Fordham strung together another strong drive, but this time it was Lehigh’s turn to stand tall in the red zone.

They managed to stop Edmonds on a third-and-3 on their own 4-yard line and made the Rams kick a field goal of their own, which Redd converted to bring the score 16-9. The Rams would not get the score within seven for the rest of the game.

The Mountain Hawks repeatedly beat the defense for huge plays, ending the game averaging over 9.4 yards a play. Lehigh ripped off 21 straight points to end the first half and go up 37-9 headed into the half. The Rams final three drives ended with a fumble, a missed field goal and the end of the half.

The defense actually had Lehigh

stopped before their second straight touchdown, with freshman defensive lineman Max Roberts having sacked Shafnisky on third down. However, senior linebacker George Dawson was flagged for a defensive holding, giving Lehigh new life and eventually another seven points.

The weakness the Rams had against the run was evident in Lehigh’s third unanswered touchdown. On the first play, Bragalone gained a pretty easy 10 yards. On the next play, he burst into the secondary and raced of the remaining 70 yards for the score.

The first half stats looked like those of a totally different Fordham team than has been on the field this season.

The Mountain Hawks picked up 213 yards on the ground, 141 of them from Bragalone. Additionally, they committed seven penalties for a total of 55 yards lost.

“We played bad football in the first half, and it proved to just be too much,” said head coach Andrew Breiner.

The halftime break did not improve Fordham’s chances. Lehigh scored another two quick touchdowns on their first two possessions of the second half, pushing the score to 51-9, all but ending the game with 8:23 left in the third quarter.

Fordham finally got back on the board, scoring touchdowns on their

next two possessions — an 18-yard rushing touchdown for senior running back Kendall Pearcey and a 39-yard receiving touchdown for senior receiver Jorge Solano — to bring the score to 51-23. After another Lehigh score, the Rams picked up two more garbage time scores, 11-yard and 46-yard receiving touchdowns for sophomore tight end Isaiah Searight and senior receiver Robbie Cantelli, respectively, to bring the score to its 58-37 final.

“My expectation of the offense is that when we have the ball, we’re scoring points. We put ourselves behind the sticks in the first half and made that difficult,” said Breiner. “But in the second half, when we stay ahead of the sticks and we make plays in the passing game, you saw what we were capable of doing.”

While the Rams will not make the postseason without help from Lehigh, that does not lessen this week’s matchup with Colgate.

“Colgate’s coming to town, and we have a lot to prove against them.

They knocked us off last year,” said Anderson. “And it’s our Senior Night.

If you sulk on it, we’re going to get beat again, so we have to put our foot in the ground and get working.”

The Rams lost in a heartbreaker after being unable to send the game to overtime following a failed two-point conversion with no time left on the clock. That was also Cantelli’s final game of the season, as he tore his ACL. “For him [Cantelli], for me, for the offense, it’s a huge game because we started out that whole first half stalled and just not doing well,” said Anderson. “It was similar to this Lehigh game. We came out in the second half and erupted, stormed back to almost tie it and lost. It was a heartbreak loss in a game we thought we should have won last year and now we’re definitely looking for a little revenge.”

The Senior Day game against Colgate kicks off at 1 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 5, at Jack Coffey Field.

Women’s Soccer Heads to A-10 Tournament

By PAT COSTELLO

ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR

The women’s soccer team finished its regular season on a high note, beating Davidson 1-0 and pulling out a hard-nosed 2-2 tie against George Mason. The Rams clinched their postseason berth by winning the Davidson game, pulling ahead in the first 10 minutes thanks to a goal by sophomore midfielder Brooke Salmon.

Salmon proved to be opportunistic after the Davidson goalie misplayed a cross, allowing her to score an easy goal. That victory punched the team’s ticket, but they still had one last game against George Mason to close the regular season.

The Patriots took a 1-0 lead in the 18th minute, until Salmon was able to find the back of the net again in the second half for her team high fifth goal of the season. The Patriots retook the lead in the 70th minute, but the Rams did not quit. Last season, the Rams were in a similar predicament, down one goal with almost no time left when then-junior defender Brianna Blunck scored the equalizer. In a déjà vu moment, the Rams

COURTESY OF FORDHAM ATHLETICS

Brooke Salmon, center, scored the lone goal in Fordham’s postseason berth-clinching game against Davidson.

scored once again, but this time, the goal came in the 87th minute off of the foot of freshman forward Amanda Miller. True to their form during the in-conference season, the Rams headed to double overtime before the game eventually ended in a 2-2 draw.

“What impressed me the most about [my] team is their resiliency,” said head coach Jessica Clinton.

“They had already been on the road for five days, and traveling to play at the Division I level is not as glamorous as it sounds, but they were able to come back twice to tie George Mason.”

The road has definitely put a strain on the Rams, something of which Clinton is keenly aware.

“We were tired as a whole and could tell, but their ability to battle

and comeback was the most impressive piece,” she said. “We are always impressed with the teams grit and fight and willingness to be successful, it was just a lot harder to put Mason away given how tired their bodies were.”

The Rams will have time to rest up before meeting the Patriots again in the first round of the A-10 Tournament. Clinton believes that it will be

an advantage for the Rams, considering they had just squared off with George Mason. “I do think we are more prepared for this quarterfinal,” she said. “The staff and players know what to expect and it’s a matter of execution and playing smart.”

The Rams’ ability to maintain balance will be incredibly important as the tournament gets under way.“The biggest key is recovery for the team and sharpness,” Clinton said. “The five days away and traveling via plane and bus takes a toll. There’s school as well. Our team maintains a high GPA and they are in a place where it’s hard to balance.”

She continued, saying, “The other piece is being sharp. We know we need to train before we head into the tournament to get the group together and get good energy heading into the tournament, but we need them to feel that they are at their best.”

The Rams ended their season with a 10-4-5 record, while going 5-1-4 inconference. They return to the pitch on Thursday in Rhode Island for the No. 4 vs. No. 5 seed matchup. The game is set to begin at 8 p.m.