TheFordhamRam Serving The Fordham University Community Since 1918
Volume 98, Issue 18
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Faculty Senate to Admin: Open Letters Are Not Enough
COURTESY OF THE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT
The university sent students the above picture of a mask reported by a student.
By LAURA SANICOLA EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
The Fordham Faculty Senate admonished the practice of writing open letters with no further action after potential bias incidents in a widely disseminated email. The Senate’s email sent to “faculty,
students and the Fordham community” on Tuesday afternoon was prompted by an hate crime allegation in McMahon Hall at Lincoln Center. A student reported to campus authorities a fake corpse with a dark face, apparently a Halloween decoration, in the window of an in-
October 26, 2016
Student Makes Bias Claim AMANDA MAILE AND ERIN SHANAHAN
ternational student's dorm room, appearing to be lynched. The New York Police Department investigated the incident and found that it was not a hate crime and Fordham Public Safety is continuing its investigation. In an email addressing the student body, Rev. Joseph M. McShane S.J., president of the university, wrote on Tuesday morning that up close the mask to be that of a white person and provided an attached image for the student body. “As you can see from the attached/ embedded image however, if the mask can be said to represent any race, it would be Caucasian,” McShane wrote. Still, he urged the Fordham community to be more sensitive to these issues. “I understand fully the shock and anger felt by members of the University community at seeing the display and believing that it represented a lynching,” McShane wrote. “Had that been the case, the display would have been even more repugnant, hurtful and disturbing than it is....Be kind, in other words, to your classmates, and to yourself." However, Dr. Anne Fernald, Faculty Senate president wrote an
Tristen Dossett, FCLC ’18, reported an alleged racially biased comment made by his professor, Heide Morgan Jonassen, this past Sunday Oct. 23. The comment was written in an email by Jonassen, which was then posted on Facebook by Peyton Berry, FCLC '18. Berry also included Dossett's email to Title IX in the post, which reported the incident. Berry’s post has received over 500 reactions and almost 50 shares. Dossett’s initial email asked Jonassen for an extension on his midterm. “It is really disappointing to see you fall into a stereotype narrative the dominant society expects… your lateness non attendance… now this,” Jonassen wrote in her response to Dossett’s request for an extension. “You are better that that Tristen… please do not do this narrative.” This remark in the email ultimately lead Dossett to report the professor’s “racially biased comment.” “This remark made me feel in-
SEE MASK, PAGE 3
SEE EMAIL, PAGE 4
Family Weekend Sees Cluster of Robberies, Attempts, Public Safety Advises Caution By MICHAEL BRYNE NEWS CO-EDITOR
Three robberies and two attempted robberies which involved Fordham students as victims occurred off campus the weekend of Oct. 22 according to multiple reports from the Office of Public Safety. On Saturday Oct. 22 at 1 p.m. a student and Fordham alumnus were walking on Belmont Avenue when the suspect approached them coming from the other direction. The assailant asked the men for the time, then indicated he had a gun in his jacket pocket and stole $40 and an iPhone from the alumnus. On Sunday Oct. 23 at 3:45 a.m., a student standing on Hoffman Street near Blue Goose Tavern was approached by a group of men, one of which struck him on the head. The student fell to the ground and the men stole $60 and the student’s iPhone. The student was taken to St. Barnabas Hospital. One attempted robbery happened on Oct. 23 at 2:40 p.m. at 189th Street. A student was walking when the suspect approached the student from behind and pushed an object against the student’s back. The student fled the scene unharmed. Another attempted robbery oc-
curred on Oct. 23 at 7:05 p.m. when a man followed a student on 189th Street. The man had his hand in his jacket pocket simulating a gun and asked the student for his money. The student fled the scene and the suspect ran the other way. Neil Patel, FCRH ’17, was the victim of another robbery on Oct. 23 at 9:24 p.m. According to Patel, when he and his roommate were
on the corner of 188th Street and Lorillard Place a man approached them and asked them for their money and phones. Another man approached them telling them to comply. “I gave him my phone and my wallet and they just strolled off,” Patel said. “I guess the scariest part was that it was literally next to our house. We were about to cross the street to go in…we just ran inside
and called 911 immediately.” Patel and his friend reported the incident to the NYPD, but they were unable to find the suspects around the area. Patel’s wallet was later found on Arthur Avenue. Three separate emails were sent to Fordham students alerting them of the various incidents. A fourth email detailing suggestions on how SEE SAFETY, PAGE 3
Trustees Adopt CUSP By LAURA SANICOLA EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
The board of trustees has adopted the Continuous University Strategic Planning framework, a series of goals and initiatives set forth by the Strategic Planning Committee that includes the appointment of a Diversity and Inclusion Officer and the construction of a science center for the Rose Hill campus. The approved framework is separated into six focus areas that were set forth by the CUSP committee. Rev. Joseph M. McShane, S.J., president of the university originally announced the formation of CUSP more than a year ago. A draft of the framework was made public to the entire Fordham community and discussed at a town hall meeting last April. CUSP’s distinction from its predecessor initiative, Towards 2016, was addressed in a university wide email from McShane. “CUSP replaces a static strategic plan, written a decade ago, with a process,” McShane wrote. “It does three very significant things: it ensures that the University is agile and responsive to emerging needs and trends in higher education; it enables collaboration, empowering faculty and staff to share in the decisions that shape the institution; and it pushes the planning process down to the local level, ensuring that each department is able to contribute to the plan in a way that makes the most sense for its faculty and staff, and the communities they serve.” CUSP's site has been updated in the wake of the trustee approval.
CUSP and Notable Goals
CUSP outlined the following six priorities for the university that are not to be considered hierarchical, according to Patrick Hornbeck, cochair of the Strategic Planning Committee. 1. Contemporary teaching and learning infused with ethics and justice 2. Strategically focused research 3. The inspiration and challenge of New York City 4. A global perspective 5. A diverse and inclusive community 6. A strategic and agile institution SEE CUSP, PAGE 5
in this issue
Opinion Page 7 Follow Your Judgement and Vote Third Party
Culture Page 11
Unexpected Places to Get Active in NYC ANDREA GARCIA/THE FORDHAM RAM
A series of robberies and attempted robberies was most likely by the same group of people. according to John Caroll.
Sports Page 20
Edmonds Breaks Record, Defense Shines
NEWS
Page 2
PUBLIC SAFETY BRIEFS Oct. 10 O’Hare Hall 2 p.m. A fire was started in a laundry room dryer in O’Hare Hall. A student was doing laundry and noticed smoke coming from another dryer. The student alerted Public Safety and FDNY responded. The building was evacuated and there were no injuries. Oct. 12 O’Hare Hall 4 a.m. A security guard observed a student attempting to sneak a non-student into O’Hare Hall. Public Safety responded and removed the non-student from the building. Oct. 14 McGinley Center 12 a.m. Two service workers became stuck in the McGinley elevator between the first floor and the basement. The elevator repair company was notified and responded. The two workers were removed without incident. The elevator was repaired and put back in service. Oct. 14 Hoffman St. 11 p.m. The fire alarm of a student’s offcampus apartment was activated. Public Safety and the FDNY responded. The alarm was set off by an air freshener. There were no injuries, the room was ventilated and the alarm was reset.
October 26, 2016
A Conversation with Economics Expert Giacomo Santangelo By LAURA SANICOLA EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Pacing around the front of a full Gabelli classroom, Fordham economics professor Giacomo Santangelo gives the impression that he never stands still. His long, dark beard and ponytail, stylish brown jacket and hand full of rings separate his aesthetic from many professors at Fordham. Santangelo is no stranger to the press. In the past year, he has given several published interviews on economics and trade. Can you tell me a bit about your career path and what events from your early life shaped it? When I was an undergraduate at the Seton Hall business school, economics classes were the ones that made the most sense to me. They ran out of economics classes to give me, so I ended up with a major, and then I moved on to graduate school to take more economics courses. Another reason I chose to go to graduate school was because the job market was terrible out of college. Rather than be like so many of my classmates who were
having difficulty finding employment, I continued to intern on Wall Street. It was there I realized that I could go to graduate school for free if I agreed to teach. Again, I kept going to school until they ran out of classes to give me, while on the side doing any sort of consulting jobs that came up. What did you notice about education the first time you taught that surprised you? Early on, I noticed that in education when students would ask professors questions, professors would be reluctant to answer, often because they wanted to work on something else. I always thought that if I was a professor, I would answer students’ questions regardless of what they asked—I mean, that’s what I’m getting paid for. The first time you made a media appearance, what was it like and what was it about? When I got to my first teaching position at Seton Hall, Channel 9 News called and asked if there was anyone who could cover the 2006 pension crisis, and none of the pro-
fessors would do it; they all said no. When I asked them why they refused, the professors said they were paid for their opinion. They asked me why I would give my opinion for free. I thought that was awful. That was the first time I was on T.V., and since then, whenever I get an interview request, I never hesitate to speak. What are your favorite topics to talk about? Really all of it, all of the current issues going on the world right now. I want to teach people, including my students, the things they are passionate about. There are so many things that students need to know when they come into my class. Do you mean, Brexit? Trade deals? I think that students need to know about all of those things. One is not more important than the other. We don’t seem to know or have access to the information as to what is really going on. The media really chooses nonsensical things (no offense) to focus on when there are much larger issues that will affect
Oct. 15 Blue Goose 3:30 a.m. A dispute occurred between Fordham students and non-student residents. The dispute began inside the premises but continued outside. A student was punched in the face and received a minor injury on his nose. Public Safety responded and the student declined medical attention. A complaint was reported to the NYPD.
more people, and we really gloss over those. More often than not, students will come to me and say, “‘There are so many things going on in the world. How do you know what to care about?’” Isn’t that a crazy thought? All of them! What do you like most about teaching? Having two days off during the week... Just kidding! It’s the interactions with people that are very fulfilling. But also the time off. What do you enjoy doing outside the classroom? I like to read—I read two or three books a week. I can tell you that I don’t like grading papers. The problem is that I think so much about work that regardless of what I’m reading or what movies I’m watching, I tend to see a lot of the economical stuff in it. What is a common misconception people have about economics? People think it’s really hard, and because they think it’s really hard they don’t really take it as seriously as they should. They think of it like calculus, and economics is not really hard. It’s actually quite simple, and it benefits everyone just as much as being able to have good grammar. It’s just a tool, a way of looking at the world, and I think that if people had a better grasp of how simple it is then they’d look into it more. Because it’s everywhere. This article has been condensed and edited for clarity.
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COURTESY OF GIACOMO SANTANGELO
Fordham University economics professor Giacomo Santangelo discusses his life as a teacher and his media appearances.
This Week at Fordham Thursday Oct. 27 Republicans Host Professor McDermott Keating 312 1 p.m. — 2 p.m.
College Republicans will host Professor McDermott to discuss her research, work opportunities in her field and professional experience with anyone interested in careers in political science or related fields.
Thursday Oct. 27
Friday Oct. 28
Saturday Oct. 29
Sunday Oct. 30
Fordham Haunted Golf Cart Tours
Korean Students Association Barbecue
Arabic Calligraphy Lesson
CAB Presents: WAC October Bingo
As part of Campus Activities Board’s American Lecture Series, students can go on driven haunted campus tours in which they can learn all of the scary stories of Fordham’s haunted history.
Korean Students Association will host a barbecue. The event is a public cultural event for all Fordham students to learn about Korean culture. Miss Korea BBQ will cater the event.
Arabic Club and Professor Yasser will host a lesson on the history and styles of Arabic Calligraphy. Students will have the opportunity to try the calligraphy themselves.
Campus Activities Board will host their WAC October Bingo. Students can come and win prizes for four bingo rounds. The first board is free and additional boards can be purchased for one dollar.
McGinley Lawn 8 p.m. — 9 p.m.
Rose Hill Commons 6 p.m. — 8 p.m.
Keating 110 12 p.m. — 2 p.m.
Keating Studio B23 8 p.m. — 10 p.m.
NEWS
October 26, 2016
Page 3
Robberies Occur Around Campus FROM SAFETY, PAGE 1
COURTESY OF FLICKR
Gabelli School of Business Dean Donna Rapaccioli held an annual town hall for the business school, in which she introduced an exclusive Ted Talk event.
TEDxFordhamU To Be Held Next Week Featuring University Professors By ERIN SHANAHAN MANAGING EDITOR
At the annual Gabelli Town Hall Meeting on Tuesday, Donna Rapaccioli, dean of the Gabelli School of Business, introduced TedxFordhamU and updated the student body on curriculum, school ranking, incoming class statistics and community events. Sal Cocchiaro, GSB ’17 and United Student Government Vice President of the Gabelli School of Business announced the independently organized Ted Talk event which will bring together speakers from the Fordham community to share their ideas on Wednesday, Nov. 9 between 5 -10 p.m. Only 100 guests will be allowed to attend TedxFordhamU. As a result, 25 Gabelli School students and 25 students from Fordham College Rose Hill will
be invited. The remaining tickets will be given to campus leaders and faculty in hand out at their discretion. The event will also be livestreamed to Keating 3rd. At this live-streaming, there will be food and other interactive events. Five speakers have been announced for TedxFordhamU. Dr. Elizabeth Yuko, an internationally experienced bioethicist and communications strategist, will be presenting “A Lesson in Bioethics Given By Golden Girls.” Currenty, Yuko is the program administrator for the Fordham University Center for Ethics Education HIV and Drug Abuse Prevention Research Ethics Training Institute. In addition, she is and the founder and senior editor of the Ethics & Society blog at Fordham. Dr. Yuko also serves on the Advisory Board of the Global Bioethics Initiative and as an external
ethics expert for the European Research Council. Chester Elton, co-author of several successful leadership books, will be presenting “The Power of Recognition: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow.” His books “All In,” “The Carrot Principle” and “What Motivates Me” have been New York Times and Wall Street Journal number one bestsellers. Dr. Giacomo Santangelo, an economist with training in quantitative and qualitative research and analysis, will be presenting “Disney: A Ganymedan ‘Toy Story.’” Santangelo has taught for more than 15 years at various Universities in the New York area, including Fordham. Nicholas Tampio, an associate professor of political science at Fordham, will be presenting “Democracy and the Test Refusal Movement.” Tampio researches contemporary politics and philos-
ophy, specifically the legacy of the Enlightenment. He has written “Kantian Courage,” “Deleuze’s Political Vision” and several peerreviewed articles in leading journals such as the Journal of Politics, Political Theory and Politics & Religion. Currently, Tampio is writing a book on democracy and national education standards. Joshua Fredenburg, a nationally acclaimed speaker, media commentator, leadership/diversity consultant, relationship expert and author of five books, will be presenting “Fundamentals of Resiliency.” Fredenburg is known for his dynamic speeches with inspirational messages and expert advice that leads to life changing results.CASEY CHUN/THE FORDHAM RAM Students can apply to attend at TedxFordhamU through a short form on the event’s website. The form must be filled out by Nov. 3 at 11:59 p.m.
to stay safe off-campus was also sent out. The email recommends that students use local Ram Vans that run from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. when off campus and download the Trans Loc app, which shows the location of the van, and the Fordham Safety app, which allows students to send messages to Public Safety. According to John Carroll, vice president of Public Safety, all of the incidents, except the one on Oct. 23 at 3:45 a.m., are connected. “They’re all the same M.O., all in the general area,” Carroll said. “This is a good example of what crime really is. A lot of people think the neighborhood is awash with crime, but it isn’t. These are two criminals that are taking advantage of opportunity.” The incidents occurred on Fordham’s Family Weekend, but Carroll says that did not play a role in the crimes. “Thankfully, this didn’t happen to families,” Carroll said. Christopher Rodgers, dean of students at Rose Hill, commented that Public Safety is making sure students know what precautions to take in the area. “Our staff has reached out to the students involved in these incidents to make sure they are alright and to offer support and services,” Rodgers said. “As always, our Department of Public Safety's advice is excellent: we urge our students to use our shuttle service after hours, stay aware of their surroundings, stay to well-travelled avenue, and walk in groups — especially late at night.” Patel said that he will be more aware when he is walking off-campus from now on, but it won’t keep him from enjoying the area. “After spending time here, I’m very comfortable in the community, I never had any altercations or issues and I never really saw that happening,” Patel said. “I’m more cautious now and I’m thinking about my surroundings more.”
Faculty Senate Encourages More Than Open Letters FROM MASK, PAGE 1
Force on Gender and Race Equity and Faculty Diversity in which she affirmed that “public letters are not enough.” “A series of so-called 'isolated incidents' comes to look more and more like a culture urgently in need of some serious and painful interrogation of its persistent structures of racism,” Fernald wrote. “Open letters including the President’s and ours do not do enough to effect meaningful change.” McShane did not respond to a request for comment for this article. "So-called isolated incidents" refers to a series of racial bias and harassment incidents that occurred in the past 18 months at Fordham. The incidents included students drawing swastikas on university property, carving a racial slur in another student’s door, chanting “white power” in off-campus housing and writing incendiary remarks
about students’ sexualities on their dorm room’s white board. In response to several of these incidents, McShane wrote an open letter condemning the actions of the culprits and calling for increased awareness and sensitivity to such issues. Last year, the president created a Diversity Task Force to investigate matters of diversity on campus. The Diversity Task Force delivered its report to McShane this month, but he has yet to publically respond or reveal its findings. The Faculty Senate has now urged administration to respond to the report. “We write today to urge the administration to immediately release the Report from the President’s Task Force on Diversity, to take public and meaningful steps toward change and to provide systematic race training for all members of the Fordham community including students, faculty and administration,” Fernald conluded in her email.
COURTESY OF TWITTER
The president of the Faculty Senate Anne emailed a reaction to the university president's reactions to potential racism.
NEWS
Page 4
October 26, 2016
Fordham Cancels Ram Town By LAURA SANICOLA EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
After asking for an extension on a midterm, Tristen Dossett received a response from his professor, Heide Jonassen.
Professor Responds to Student Accusations of Offensive Language FROM EMAIL, PAGE 1
-validated and useless as a student, let alone as a black male,” said Dossett in his email to Title IX on Sunday afternoon. “Her comment that I am becoming a (what I have interpreted as) racial stereotype deeply affected my subconscious in many different ways, as well as saddened me.” Dossett repeated this in an interview with The Fordham Ram. “The first time I read it, I didn’t think that’s what the words were,” Dossett said, “When I actually started to dive into the email, I recognized what she was saying to me as a black student in America right now and I was hurt very personally, mostly because I felt that she was misjudging me to the core of my person.” Dossett said he was not the only student to ask for an extension. James Wygle, FCLC ’18, a caucasian student, asked Jonassen for an extension. She responded, ““This is why I give questions early and tell you all to do them early. Why are you drowning? When can I expect them?” Another Fordham student, who asked to remain anonymous, also asked for an extension for the midterm. Jonassen responded, “Are you kidding... Friday? No [Student’s name]. I gave them to you
all early... You have had weeks... You have till tomorrow. You should have planned your time better. You can do bullet points but this does impact your grade... Why should it not?? Disappointed.” Jonassen responded to Dossett’s email of accusation early Monday morning. “I regret that I offended you,” Jonassen said in her second email. “I felt you were not stepping up to the plate in a way you are capable of doing and personally I feel not holding everyone to the same high standards is disrespectful to someone’s capabilities. But I did presume and misspeak and I apologise for that.” Jonassen reiterated these sentiments to The Fordham Ram on Tuesday morning. “What I said came out as inappropriate and caused pain and was interpreted as meaning something that was not at all what I intended to convey,” Jonassen said. “I feel that in our racist society there are too often assumptions of expected patterns that are used as excuses to dismiss potential in MANY groups of people. It is something my colleagues and collaborators of color often discuss... but I think it is difficult for someone perceived as white to voice. I think
Tristen is very smart and talented, with enormous potential that I did not want to see damaged. I worded my concern completely badly and understand how it could be misinterpreted and cause his reaction.” Bob Howe, director of communications at the university, said, “We are aware of the situation and the information has been sent to the provost office for investigation and possible action,” when asked about the incident. Anastasia Coleman, Title IX coordinator, said, “The case is under investigation and I can’t discuss it.”
In an effort to increase the attendance at Fordham football and basketball games, Fordham cancelled Ram Town 2016 in favor of alternative programming. Resources formerly allocated for the seven-year-old event, which was traditionally held on a Friday night two weeks before the start of the men’s and women’s basketball seasons, will be funneled into smaller events on two separate game days, according to Scott Donnelly, athletic director of Marketing, Promotions and Ticketing. “We will try to drive some students in there to see our teams in action instead of on an off night in October,” Donnelly said at a Student Life Council meeting on Wednesday. The change is designed to increase attendance at both the football games and the basketball games. The first event will be held at the women’s basketball home opener on Nov. 11, the night before Fordham Football plays Holy Cross at Yankee Stadium. “We are going to try to tie that together as a mini pep rally [for that game],” Donnelly said. Fordham athletic events see underwhelming attendance at home games, according to NCAA data. Fordham enrolled 15,286 students in 2015 and averaged 6,499 at-
tendees at home football games in that year. By comparison, Holy Cross enrolled 2,912 students and averaged 6,523 attendees at home games in that year. Men’s basketball saw even worse attendance last year. The team averaged 2,140 attendees at home games in the Rose Hill Gym, which has a capacity of 3,200. The female Rams averaged a mere 930 attendees per home game. According to Donnelly, “energy and excitement in the gym” for Ram Town, which was often held the night before a football game, did not produce the same results at the non-conference home games. “It’s been very hard to replicate that environment resources wise,” he said, referencing the food and prizes provided by sponsors. “We wanted to make sure the experience on game night in the gym is what students come to expect when they come out in the first time.” The Nov. 8 event is set to host a DJ, contests and catering from Michelangelo’s Restaurant. Promotional shirts have also been designed for the event. The second event will be held on Nov. 18 at the Men’s Basketball game. “We want to make those two nights as student-centric as possible,” Donnelly said.
ANDREA GARCIA/THE FORDHAM RAM
The university will not hold an event two weeks before season opening, as it has in recent years with Ram Town.
Campus Briefs & Bites Author Discusses Glam Rock Book
Faculty Membership in AAUP Increases
Professor Discusses Race and Community
Panel Debates Religion in Election Season
Journalist and cultural critic Simon Reynolds visited Fordham’s Lincoln Center campus on Oct. 17 to discuss his book “Shock and Awe: Glam Rock and Its Legacy, From the Seventies to the Twenty-First Century” with other music historians. The event was hosted by the department of history in collaboration with other departments, such as English, communications and media studies, art history and music. Reynolds discussed various inspirations for the glam rock movement, including author Oscar Wilde. He also said that glam rock focused much more on theatrics and performance than the rock music before it. Reynolds discussed the popularity of glam rock icons such as David Bowie, Alice Cooper and Marc Bolan. Artists like Lady Gaga and Kesha use theatrics and sounds inspired by the glam rock era, according to Reynolds. He argued that elements of glam rock are found in contemporary popular music and that it still inspires Western pop culture.
Fordham faculty enrollment in the university branch of the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) has more than doubled since 2013, seeing a significant increase in recent months. Tension between faculty and administration over a botched faculty salary negotiation has characterized the relationship between the two parties in recent months. The AAUP chapter, which had between 11-15 faculty members enrolled since November 2013, jumped suddenly to 29 in September and 40 in October, according to data provided by the AAUP. The AAUP is a national organization that supports faculty and faculty governance as well as academic freedom. It censures universities who violate standards. The faculty senate is considering filing a grievance with the AAUP according to Dr. Andrew Clark, a member of the Fordham Faculty Senate who talked to The Fordham Ram last month.
Richard Rothstein, a research associate at the Economic Policy Institute, delivered “The Racial Achievement Gap, Segegrated Schools and Segregated Neighborhoods: A Constitutional Insult” on Oct. 24. The scholar discussed education in terms of race in the United States. He said that discriminatory housing practices from the 20th century resulted in educational disparities between blacks and whites. Federal public housing policy incorporated segregation, such as moving whites to suburbs like Levittown. African Americans were prohibited from moving to these suburbs. Despite legislation such as the Fair Housing Act that was intended to alleviate racial disparities in housing, housing inequity continued. The lecture was part of the Sapeintia Et Doctrina lecture, which is part of the Graduate School of Education’s ongoing celebration of its 100th anniversary. The Economic Policy institute is a non-profit think tank out of Washington, D.C.
The Center on Religion and Culture held a panel called “Soul-Searching on the Eve of the Election: Religion and the Future of American Politics.” The panel included David Blankenhorn, president of the Institue for American Values, Eddi Glaude Jr., the author of “Democracy in Black: How Race Still Enslaves the American Soul,” Tom Reese, S.J., columnist for the National Catholic Reporter and Nina Shea, director of the Hudson Institute Center for Religious Freedom, among others. The panel by and large discussed white Evangelical support for Donald Trump, the republican nominee. They noted that Trump may lose Utah, which normally votes Republican. There, the Church of Latter Day Saints is growing. They also discussed Hillary Clinton’s Methodist background, which may inhibit her from emphasizing religion in her campaign.
NEWS
October 26, 2016
Page 5
UNICEF Fundraises Through Photography, Social Media By THERESA SCHLIEP NEW CO-EDITOR
As Halloween rolls around, one would be hard pressed to miss Facebook photos of Fordham students campaigning for UNICEF. The club, revitalized in the spring 2016 by Monica Olveira, FCRH ’18, after it had dissolved in 2013, has started a social media fundraiser for their Trick or Treat for UNICEF initiative. Olveira, UNICEF president, said the goal for the social media photo campaign is to fundraise and engage. “We seek to fundraise for UNICEF via students who had taken part in our campaign,” said Olveira. “Secondly, we hope to instill a sense of humanitarian action by engaging with these students, meeting with them to inform them of UNICEF’s work and encouraging them to advocate for pressing issues that affect kids globally.” The social media campaign takes pictures of student athletes and student leaders at the university throughout the month of October. These students share their photos on Facebook and other social media, and solicit donations from friends and family. Fordham’s UNICEF club is a branch of the United Nations that emphasizes humanitarian aid for children. The club is a part of the “UNICEF Campus Initiative Club,” according to Olveira. “This partnership allows for a di-
rect contact with UNICEF, their initiatives and their current work,” said Olveira. Its most effective fundraiser has been the “Trick or Treat for UNICEF” online fundraiser. According to the website, the club has a $2,500 fundraising goal, of which 90 percent has been fundraised. The fundraiser, a UNICEF trademark for over 60 years, is different at Fordham than the hallmark UNICEF campaign. While it typically involves kids collecting money for children living in poverty while trick or treating, Fordham’s UNICEF instead designated October as “Trick or Treat for UNICEF.” During October, they hosted
programs such as the social media initiative, a Henna Night fundraiser and tabling for the #VaccinesWork initiative. In total, the club has fundraised $2,700. This money will go to education, medicine and relief for children around the world. Olveira highlighted certain global humanitarian crises that necessitate fundraising and advocating. “With the recent catastrophe in Haiti and the ongoing Syrian Refugee Crisis, there’s an increasing number of children who lack basic resources,” said Olveira. “Our hope is to fill this void as best we can.” United Student Government (USG) recently named UNICEF as
USG’s October Club of the Month. “UNICEF has done a phenomenal job starting off the year strong and successfully reviving the previously inactive club,” said Daniel Stroie, GSB ’17. “[UNICEF] is all over social media and have raised a ton of awareness and buzz about their mission. We’re really proud of all the work they have done so far and can’t wait to see what comes next.” Olveira said student interest originated at the club fair and has since increased dramatically. They have had nearly 20 sports teams and 10 clubs participate in the Trick of Treat for UNICEF photo campaign. She also said that attendance at their
ANDREA GARCIA/THE FORDHAM RAM
UNICEF has revitalized itself though fundraising and social media campaigns after it fizzled out in 2013.
other fundraisers was high. “[Athletics] help has been invaluable to us, and their excitement has truly pushed this campaign forward,” said Olveira. Thomas Slattery, GSB ’18, captain of the Cross Country Team, said him and his team have enjoyed their involvement with UNICEF thus far and look forward to their continued involvement. Olveira said UNICEF has functioned well because of their use of monthly committees. These committees focus on different issues, and an executive board member runs each one. They are aided with the help of a student committee head who is “an exceptional club member with demonstrated interest in the topic at hand, who provides additional support to ensure the success of their respective committees,” said Olveira. Thomas Slattery, GSB ’18, participated in these committees as well as the club as a whole. “Both the photo shoot and fundraising has offered me and the other UNICEF members a considerable amount of joy,” said Slattery. “All of the committees have been met with amazing participation and unwavering warmth from all of Fordham’s athletic teams, faculty and students. I can speak for cross country and track when I say we are looking forward to all future involvements.” The club plans on having a Hunger Banquet and a Holiday Benefit Concert.
Continuing University Strategic Planning Moves Ahead FROM CUSP, PAGE 1
The construction of new buildings and appointment of new administrative members stand out among the many initiatives in CUSP. Concerning the science department, CUSP outlines that the university “move resolutely toward the construction of state of the art science facilities and infrastructure at Rose Hill.” Several science students have argued that the Rose Hill laboratories have been in need of renovations for several years. Dr. James Lewis, chair of the biology department, is excited about the prospect of a new science building. “I think it reflects a focus on the sciences and the academics in general, as well as reflects student engagement and student involvement in research,” Lewis said. As the construction of the building will be costly, the details of construction will be discussed in local planning committees, according to Hornbeck. “The specifics of this plan will emerge out of further discussions with the science departments, arts and sciences deans, facilities, and other constituents,” Hornbeck said. “It is safe to say that to build a science building of the appropriate caliber will require a major investment of time and resources.” CUSP also states that the university will “appoint a diversity and inclusion officer” that will report to McShane directly. The university experienced several bias incidents in recent years. Juan Carlos Matos, dean of the office of multicultural affairs, declined comment for this article at this time.
Towards 2016 v. CUSP
Towards 2016 was a strategic plan-
ning initiative enacted in 2006 by McShane. The plan was distinct from CUSP in that it set specific benchmarks for performance in various academic and financial aspects of the university. Towards 2016 achieved some of its set benchmarks, such as raising Fordham’s population of minority and international students to 30 percent of the student body. However, several others, such as substantially reducing the university’s acceptance rate and maintaining average SAT scores for the accepted student body in the 1350-1400 range, were not reached. Notably, Towards 2016 set out to raise the university’s endowment to $2 billion by 2016. The university fell short of that goal as the current endowment is $665 million, approximately 35 percent of the original goal for 2016. Administrators and members of the Strategic Planning Committee have since cited the inevitable uncertain circumstances that arise in ten years as a potential reason for missing some benchmarks. This is a reason that CUSP lacks any language surrounding benchmarks or concrete plans that characterized Towards 2016. Towards 2016 was assessed on a ten year basis. In April, a five year basis was discussed for assessment of goals and in October, the CUSP page on the university website indicated that a three year timeline had been established for revisiting the framework. Patrick Hornbeck, co-chair of the Strategic Planning Committee, said that creating the framework was the first step in a multi-year effort on the university’s part. “This current academic year's work will include the development
of metrics or benchmarks that will help us understand both how well we are achieving the goals in the Framework and how well local planning activities in the schools, colleges, and administrative units are proceeding,” he said. “We hope to have agreement on a comprehensive set of metrics by the end of this year.”
Looking Ahead
According to the timeline established by the document, “In year two (2016- ‐2017), the local planning units will undertake focused strategic planning processes to delineate their goals and specify the initiatives they will undertake to accomplish them—all guided by and aligned with the University Framework. Year two will also begin a transition to a new approach to planning and budgeting that by year three (2017- ‐2018) will fully integrate local and University-‐level strategic planning, and better align resource allocation with institutional priorities.
Initiatives for 2016–2017
“As academic year 2016–2017 continues, Fordham will meet the following milestones to advance continuous planning. Some of these activities will continue in future years as well. 1. Scan and assess relevant internal and external environments and trends to identify implications for planning for the University and local units. 2. Develop metrics to assess progress in advancing University-wide strategic initiatives and goals and crafting a process for regular reporting, review, and interpretation of these metrics. 3. Assess commonalities among the local unit planning efforts and “seed” ideas for potential inter-school
and inter-unit programmatic collaborations. 4. Aim to complete strategic plans for school and administrative divisions by the end of the current academic year with at minimum a complete draft in hand. 5. Evaluate resource requirements of University-wide strategic initiatives and proposals emerging from the local strategic planning; identify priorities among them. 6. Ensure widespread understanding of and engagement with strategic planning through University-wide events (e.g., town halls, faculty convocations) and the creation of technology-based platforms for online updates, discussion, and interaction.”
2017–2018 and Beyond
“In this third year of the three-year process, the following objectives will be accomplished: 7. Fully integrate local and University-level strategic planning while aligning University resource allocation with institutional priorities and objectives. 8. Continue to scan and assess relevant internal and external environments and trends to identify implications for planning for the University and local units. 9. Assess progress in advancing University-wide strategic initiatives and goals on the basis of a clearly defined common set of metrics. 10. Continue to identify commonalities among the local unit planning efforts and “seeding” ideas for additional inter-school and inter-unit programmatic collaborations. 11. Consider possible modifications to the Strategic Framework based on changing environmental circumstances and strategic perspectives generated by local planning processes.
Continue to ensure ongoing community-wide dialogue about strategic planning and University initiatives to promote transparency, communication and collaboration and enculturate strategic thinking and continuous planning throughout the University.”
Prior Concerns
A town hall meeting last year that was well attended by faculty but illattended by students revealed several faculty concerns to the draft of the guideline. Concerns included the ordering of the six priority focal points of the framework. “We used the campus community's feedback to generate the final set of priorities,” Hornbeck said. “We also heard from community members that it was important to represent the priorities as interlinked, rather than sequential or in rank order.” Other faculty in attendance of the town hall voiced concern that the language of the draft was centered on innovation as opposed to cultivating wisdom and knowledge. Also, more debated the order of each of the priorities as they were listed in the document, including the separation of teaching and research. The most highly debated points, however, were how to accomplish a less tuition-based business model and how to increase and better support faculty research and intertwine it with student learning. Last year The Fordham Ram wrote an editorial supporting the goals of the initiatives while expressing concerns that its language with a lack of concrete benchmarks safeguards the university from reporting failures, therefore making it difficult to be held accountable.
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October 26, 2016
Don’t Forget to Recycle
The Ram
October 26, 2016
OPINION
Page 7
The Fordham Ram
Respect Your Political Views and Vote Third-Party By MATT JOHNSON
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
My fellow Fordhamites, I am here to tell you that there is no such thing as a wasted vote. Opponents of the two-party system have their reasons for thinking this way. For example, as my democrat friends inform me, a vote for Gary Johnson is essentially a vote for Trump. Yet, according to some of my Republican colleagues, it is also a vote for Hillary Clinton. How could a vote that is equivalent to throwing your vote away simultaneously count as a vote for two different candidates? If voting for someone you know will lose is wasting a vote, then unfortunately, most Fordham students will waste their votes this November. The president of the United States is chosen by the Electoral College, not popular vote. This means that every single vote for Trump in New York or California is completely worthless, and the same for every Clinton vote in Louisiana or Mississippi. Unless you live in one of the 11 swing states (Colorado, Florida, Iowa, Michigan, Nevada, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia or Wisconsin), your vote has already been decided. If it can be said that voting for a third party candidate is the equivalent of throwing this vote away, the same can be said of voting republican in a blue state. I have submitted my absentee bal-
lot for California, and I can already tell you I am going to lose on all but one thing I voted for. I suppose it could be argued that I wasted my vote. What I can take from this situation is that no one should vote. You are all throwing your votes away. Voting is a waste of time. Just stay home, watch “Parks and Recreation” and pretend you are content with the way things are. Most say, “I do not understand how you possibly think a third party candidate can win, Matt.” I do not, and no one that votes Libertarian or Green or Bernie Sanders seriously does. The point is not to win; but to be recognized. Under current election law, if any party receives five percent of the popular vote nationwide, the Federal Election Commission has to classify it as a “minor party,” and award it a sum of money to use in the subsequent election. On state levels, a certain percentage of the vote guarantees a party will automatically be included on the ballot, instead of trying to get access via futile door-to-door petition efforts, deadline and fundraising requirements, discovering something that does not exist and returning the One Ring to Mordor. “But aren’t most third party candidates insane?” some ask me. Being told I have to vote for someone in a democracy just because of the letter next to their name is pretty insane too. Next
COURTESTY OF FLICKR
Green Party nominee Jill Stein is running for President as a third-party candidate, and was also their nominee in 2012.
question. “This is the most important election of our lifetime, just swallow your pride and” — I am going to stop you right there. First of all, not every election can be the most important election of our lifetime. That violates the definition of “most,” and it is an old argument. I am not going to “wait until next time,” because then you will tell me the next election is the most important, so on and so forth. Second, I will never, nor will anyone that has a shred of self-respect, put aside his or her morals and timidly cower to the voting booth to vote for your candidate.
If you value your dignity so little that you can be bullied or bully others into voting for a certain candidate telling someone to put aside their morals if it means supporting their preferred candidate, then you are the problem. You are why the two parties nominated two candidates each with historically unfavorable ratings. What you are saying to me is that there is shame in voting for your candidate. So, Fordham, vote third party because you value your opinion. Your way of thinking is not dictated by what someone else tells you. Do not pick someone just
because of the (R) or (D) next to their name. I am not voting third party out of “protest” or because I cannot make up my mind, but because I disagree with the two major parties on several issues. “Okay, but who would you rather have?” Neither. To heck with both of them. They are equally awful. I am going to vote for someone I actually want to be my president.
Matt Johnson, FCRH ‘17, is a political science major from Palos Verdes, California. He is the Vice President of the College Republicans, and his views expressed above are his own.
Fixing Fraternies by Finding the Middle Ground
COURTESTY OF FLICKR
The Delta Upsilon chapter at the University of Missouri is currently in hot water after several racist and sexist scandals.
By BRIANA SCALIA STAFF WRITER
The only aspect of a fraternity that separates it from any other social organization is the implication that all members are treated as equals, and being in a fraternity implies a mutually beneficial relationship between you and your fellow members. Fraternities were originally created to discuss ideas and debate issues without the strict supervision of college authority. However, present day fraternities are surrounded by controversy. This controversy stems not only from
rumors, but also from tragic and horrific incidents that several fraternities across the nation have participated in. People are left wondering whether the institutions should be abolished, or if these incidents are not part of a disturbing trend but are merely outliers. If universities want to keep fraternities alive on campuses, they need to openly apologize instead of hiding things from students and the media. A harrowing example is when earlier this school year, the University of Missouri was convinced into taking action against one of its fraternities,
Delta Upsilon, for extreme forms of hazing on campus. Members of the frat were seen shouting racial and sexist slurs at black students. After complaints were filed from said harassed students, the university decided to temporarily suspend the fraternity from convening on campus. Not even a full month later, the fraternity was allowed access back on campus, only to be caught allegedly teaching their newer members ways to rape female students. Delta Upsilon is currently under investigation for allegedly giving their starting members date rape drugs, then instructing them on ways
to drug and sexually assault female students. A letter from Title IX Assistant Vice Chancellor Ellen Eardley found that, “active members of Delta Upsilon allegedly provided each new member with three pills and instructed them to drug women for the purpose of incapacitating them prior to engaging in sexual activity…in order to complete the initiation process.” Along with these terrifying accusations are reports of hazing new members. One pledge was found with a bloody hand, and though he refused to speak about it, in the reports the pledge claimed, “they made us fight each other.” Obviously this fraternity should be permanently suspended from campus, as both an example to other fraternities as well as a statement from the University of Missouri to show they will not stand for racism and sexism among students. While this particular case may not have happened in other fraternities, colleges throughout the country are entirely too apologetic when assessing their fraternities’ scandals. Allowing certain fraternities to commit plainly illegal acts sets a bad example for all fraternities. -Some fraternities are just gathering places for male students to hang out and have fun together, but they are grouped together with other frats that have no empathy for their fellow students. The problem is not the institution of fraternities, rather the colleges that allow these frats to commit such egregious acts.
The incidents at the University of Missouri could have been stopped in multiple ways, including the main one involving the institution of tightening restrictions and instituting more serious consequences for offending frats. The solution is not to abolish fraternities, as they will most likely continue congregating without university supervision. Instead, colleges should keep a closer eye on their fraternities, to both ensure the safety and peace of mind of other students, while allowing harmless frats to continue to meet. Many individuals are starting to consider the possibility that fraternities are not only uncontrollable, but dangerous to allow on college campuses. Between the many cases pointing to this conclusion and the lack of consequences administered by the universities responsible for the frats, it would be alarming if people were not concerned. However, most fraternities are not actually committing these serious crimes, but simply getting into trouble because of pranks that are not meant to harm others. If colleges in the country were to outlaw fraternities, they would still meet, albeit in secret. The only solution is for colleges to own up to their fraternities’ mistakes instead of sweeping the incidents under the rug to avoid media attention and correctly punish these young men for their actions.
Briana Scalia, FCRH ’20, is a journalism major from Long Island, New York.
OPINION
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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 Features Editor Cate Carrejo Photo Editor Andrea Garcia Digital Team Ellie Bruckner Meghan Campbell Anna Carey Faculty Advisor Beth Knobel
Editorial Page Policy The Fordham Ram ’s editorial and ramblings topics are selected on a weekly basis and reflect the editorial board’s view on a campus issue. 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.
October 26, 2016
From the Desk | Amanda Maile
Thanking The Fordham Ram and its Staff Name, hometown, major. This is how most classes start at the beginning of the semester. For most of my time at Fordham I would say, “Amanda, Philadelphia, undecided.” The first two answers I was sure of, but the last perplexed me. As I sat in classes and listened to other students rattle off their majors with ease, I wondered why I didn’t know what I wanted to do when my short time at Fordham ended. Like many freshmen do, I signed up for too many clubs. I didn’t know what I wanted to do, so I decided to try it all. Since the lap around Eddies during the club fair, the only club I’ve remained part of is The Fordham Ram. I remember seeing a large group of people blasting music and calling over anyone who came by. I decided to walk over and signed up to be a copy editor, not knowing what that meant or entailed. A week later I tried to muster up enough confidence to walk into
the first meeting. I would go on to edit articles until my sophomore year when I became a Digital Editor, and after a semester abroad junior year I signed on to be the Assistant Copy Chief under the lead of the incredible Tara Martinelli. And, after this semester ends, I’ll have to say goodbye to B-52. When I look back at all the other clubs I joined and think about why I didn’t stay involved, I realize just how much of an impact The Fordham Ram has had on my life. Because of The Fordham Ram, I realized my love for journalism. Because of The Fordham Ram, I met so many talented people in the field. Because of The Fordham Ram I know what I want to do. Knowing what’s going on around the world. Getting to meet people with incredible stories. Analyzing information and publishing it for public consumption. These are all things I appreciate
about journalism. I still have a lot to learn, and that excites me. Even though it’s only October, I want to say thank you. Thank you Tara Martinelli, our Copy Chief. I wouldn’t want to spend Mondays and (late) Tuesdays with anyone else. I am so fortunate to have you as my friend. Thank you Amanda Giglio, our Editorial Director. Thanks for your infinitely cooler music taste and for being part of my Ram experience since the very beginning — we made it! Thank you Ellie Bruckner, one of our Digital Editors. Thanks for your unwavering support. I’m so happy I got to share my experiences at The Fordham Ram with one of my closest friends. Thank you to all of our editors — past and present. I feel so fortunate to have worked in the company of so many talented people. Your hard work and dedication to this paper does not go unnoticed. Finally, thanks to all of our incredible copy editors who come
down and edit articles week after week. This paper would not print without you and I am so grateful for each and every one of you. Thanks for the late Tuesdays. Thanks for the pizza. Thanks for making my time at Fordham something I’ll never forget. Because of these last four years, I can confidently answer those awkward ice-breakers at the beginning of classes. Amanda, Philadelphia, communications with a concentration in journalism — and it’s the last part that means so much to me.
Editorial | Email Privacy
Sender, Recipient and the Entire World It seems to be common knowledge that once something is posted on the Internet, it is nearly impossible to erase. Students are time and time again instructed to be careful of what they post online. Emails fall into an internet grey area. They are often oneon-one exchanges that can easily be broadcast to a larger audience with a simple screenshot, leaving privacy guidelines unclear. Recently, an email exchange between a Lincoln Center student and a professor was posted to Facebook and shared several times among members of the Fordham community. The email consisted of the student asking the professor for an extension on an assignment. She responded by giving him a short extension and making a comment that appeared to be in reference to his race. A friend on behalf of said student posted the message to Facebook, believing it needed to be shared with the rest of the Fordham community. Others apparently thought so as well, since the post received nearly 600 likes and 50 shares two days later.
The professor’s response indicated that she wished the student approached her first about what he felt was inappropriate before broadcasting her full email on social media. The exchange raises questions regarding to what extent we can expect privacy whenever we write or type a response that has our name and identification. When a conversation intended to be between two people becomes a topic of discussion in an audience as large as the world wide web, we enter into relatively uncharted territories. A lack of legislation and discourse on internet and social media etiquette has resulted in a failure for society to reach a common standard to which they hold the written word. Emails, like letters, are often written with the assumption that they will not be seen by anyone besides the sender and the recipient. However, unless one is bound by government or corporate contract, it is not illegal to publish emails or letters online and share them on social media.
The immediacy of the internet also allows a comment to spread faster than a response from an opposite party. In journalism, it is common practice to ask a party for comment whenever they are referenced in an article in print or on the Internet, especially when they are referenced in a negative light. Without an article to prompt a discussion, a comment can stand alone with giving the responding party an opportunity to defend themselves in a timely manner. In the case of the Lincoln Center professor, the professor’s response was also posted on social media when the student received it, but by then a decent amount of time had passed before the initial post. The appeal of posting an exchange online is obvious — it allows a wide audience to be exposed to and respond to a situation the poster thinks more people should know about. By posting the email, more students and people can recognize this instance and take action, or convince others to do so. The poster is tasked with weighing a variety
of factors, including how and when to share and on what medium. When an investigation is made into a complaint, the respondent is afforded a certain level of privacy by a university until a decision is reached. There will always exist a court of public opinion, but we must all grapple with how to present ourselves and others when the audience is as large as the entire world. The Fordham Ram is not siding with, condoning or voicing an opinion on this particular incident, but given the current political climate in which a current presidential candidate’s emails are coming under national scrutiny, conversation as to why such a flawed medium is still being used to share praise information and how to handle the public and permenant ercord it creates. Having a chance to open up a dialogue about incidents or comments that could potentially be important to the community, doesn’t blur the lines of email privacy and sparks an educational conversation.
Disagree with our editorial? Let us know! Email us at fordhamramopinions@gmail.com to submit your ideas!
OPINION
October 26, 2016
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Celebrating Planned Parenthood’s Anniversary as a Feminist Holiday
COURTESTY OF FLICKR
Planned Parenthood has been a source of controversy for years, inspiring many protests and legislation against it.
By KATIE QUINLISK STAFF WRITER
Planned Parenthood celebrated on Sunday its 100th anniversary since the first birth control clinic opened in Brooklyn, New York. While my timelines, inboxes and feeds were filled with pink posts, exclamation points and balloon emojis, this day was not universally celebrated. Due to its role as a national female health provider in a grossly polarized country, Planned Parenthood has become an increasingly controversial organization. Planned Parenthood was introduced to me in several different ways. Planned Parenthood’s first clinic was opened at 46 Amboy Street by Margaret Sanger, who was a nurse, the daughter of Irish immigrants and the ringleader of the birth control movement of the 20th century. I first encountered Sanger’s name in my high school theology class. During my senior year at my Catholic, all-girls high school in the Philadelphia suburbs, I took a mandatory “Sex and Marriage” course, and its existence seems increasingly cringe-worthy as I get older. For homework, during a unit on Natural Family Planning, we were required to read an excerpt from Sanger’s 1921 article “The Eugenic Value of Birth Control Propaganda.” The assignment’s intention was clear.
Kathryn Wolper Genderizing Makeup Last week, CoverGirl announced that male teen beauty and makeup blogger James Charles would be its new spokesperson. This move is revolutionary not only for the brand, but for the industry in general. As beauty bloggers have become more prevalent, males skilled in the art of makeup application have made themselves visible and prominent. Previously relegated exclusively to drag, the phenomenon of male makeup has become more present and accepted in all areas. The fact that James Charles new role is revolutionary raises impor-
In this article, Sanger points out several benefits of the widespread availability of birth control. One of those benefits was eugenics, or selective breeding. Because this excerpt was introduced without historical context, we misinterpreted Sanger’s attempt to appeal to the eugenics movement for support. We discussed it in class the next day using key phrases like “deplorable,” “twisted,” “unethical” and “dead babies.” My teacher offhandedly mentioned that Sanger went on to forge what is now Planned Parenthood. That was the end of the discussion. The second time I came across Sanger’s name was at Fordham, during my “Feminist Theory in an Intercultural Context” class. But here, Sanger’s name meant something different. We discussed Sanger among women whom my professor deemed to be her counterparts, including Betty Friedan, Audre Lorde, Virginia Woolf, Sojourner Truth and Susan B. Anthony. We discussed her role as the fiery pioneer of a massive cultural movement, and we talked about how Planned Parenthood irrefutably changed the landscape of the American family structure and female experience. I firmly believe that the anniversary of Planned Parenthood is a feminist holiday, even though I am a Catholic school-educated woman
who was raised in the conservative Philly suburbs. Despite years of religion classes that demonized birth control and the female body, a handful of pro-life high school assemblies, yearly school-sponsored trips to D.C.’s March for Life and last year’s media frenzy, this past Sunday I celebrated Planned Parenthood’s 100th anniversary. I celebrated its birth, and I wished it many more happy and healthy years to come. Planned Parenthood is undeniably a success story. As detailed in Sanger’s memoir, Planned Parenthood’s mission began in 1912 when a 28-year-old poverty-stricken mother named Sadie Sachs died from an attempt to perform an abortion on herself. Just before her death, with Sanger as her nurse and her witness, Sachs begged her doctor for help. She asked him how she could prevent another pregnancy she could not afford. To this, her doctor replied with a laugh, “You want to have your cake and eat it too, do you?” This was the attitude towards contraception and women’s health in the early 1900s. Sanger recognized that this attitude bound women to what Sanger called “biological slavery.” Her goal was to give women access to reproductive choices, and educate women about their anatomy at a time when discussion of contraception was deemed obscene and unlawful.
tant questions about gender’s role in society and the things people take for granted. It draws attention to the brand’s name as CoverGirl being represented by a boy brings the seemingly oxymoronic gender conflict front and center. However, the brand shows through this move that it is more than its name. CoverGirl is not an exclusive club just for women. The CoverGirl lifestyle is for everyone. By hiring James Charles, CoverGirl has invited everyone to share in the fun and creativity of makeup — regardless of gender. James Charles encourages us to think about why makeup is largely considered for women. Although my personal approach to makeup is very minimal compared to that of many of my peers, I appreciate the artistry of a good contour and cat eye. I also know how far makeup can go in boosting my confidence before an interview or important presenta-
tion. Excluding much of the population from this creative art and confidence-boosting trick seems silly and out-dated. There is no biological determination that precludes men from feeling and looking their fiercest. Men do not look silly in makeup, either. Take a look at James Charles’s Instagram page (@jamescharles). The young man truly slays, and his looks range from Halloween costume inspiration, to drag and to senior portrait glam. Finally, Charles’s rise to makeup stardom calls into question the very basis of this revolutionary move: gender itself. If the things that society uses to label a person by gender are as fluid as they seem, then it only seems logical that gender is a mere performance. Of course, plenty of scholars have weighed in on the performativity of gender and the difference between gender and biological sex. Examples of how exceptionally
She did just that. Sanger championed the Birth Control Doctrine. She published birth control pamphlets, opened the first women’s health clinic in 1916, founded the American Birth Control League in 1921 (which later became Planned Parenthood) and organized research behind the birth control pill which debuted in 1960. With these innovations came a cultural shift: sexual liberation for both genders, smaller families and female empowerment. Women were no longer mere vessels for procreation and child-raising. With resources like Planned Parenthood, American women had the power to embrace their sexuality and put motherhood on hold for other things they wanted, such as a college education, a professional career and political power. Today, Planned Parenthood continues to provide these resources and more. Its centennial celebrates 100 years of access to not just birth control, but pap smears, breast exams, HPV vaccinations, HIV tests and treatments, emergency contraception, pregnancy tests and screening, sexual education, STI testing and treatment, prenatal services, access to abortions and adoption referrals. Its anniversary celebrates 100 years of education and resources and marks the beginning of a cultural shift towards women’s liberation and empowerment. Celebrate the birth of Planned Parenthood and everything its centennial means for women. Donate as they struggle due to recent political defunding, sign up for their newsletter, attend events hosted by your local chapter. If anything, perpetrate the Planned Parenthood culture — the culture of female empowerment through choice and education. Celebrate this feminist holiday by supporting a woman’s right to choose, because condemning Planned Parenthood ultimately is not pro-life, it is anti-women.
Katie Quinlisk, FCRH ’18, is an English major from West Chester, Pennsylvania. talented people are overcoming these tenuous definitions are good, practical reminders of scholars’ thoughts. If James Charles can be a CoverGirl model, then surely Hillary Clinton can be a major party candidate for president of the United States, teen girls can play high school football and a man can wear a dress to work. While popular attempts to free us of gender’s grip have been precarious such as Zara’s attempt to market sweatpants as genderless clothing, the moves are promising for people who feel pressured to fit into one or the other category. Pushes for gender-neutral bathrooms, for example, are practical applications of cultural awareness of gender fluidity. Truly talented makeup artists, fashion designers, athletes, politicians and scholars are at the forefront of the battle to make gender a less pressing consideration.
Marcelle Meyer Aramark’s Ethical History As most students know, Fordham University has recently switched food providers for on-campus dining from Sodexo to Aramark. What many students do not realize is that Aramark, which provides dining services to many prisons and universities, has a history of legal and ethical misconduct. According to the Corporate Research Project, a non-profit organization that researches various companies and organizations, the corporation has paid fines for a number of violation, including underfeeding prisoners, not providing adequate working conditions for employees and serving spoiled food. As a Jesuit university founded upon the values of service and social justice, it seems contradictory to provide funding to a company that has so egregiously violated our standards of ethics. Fordham focuses its non-academic pursuits on service for others. The Jesuits have a long history of advocating for social justice, and the number of service opportunities and organizations on campus is just one testament to that. Additionally, the Catholic Church is the largest charitable organization in the world and strongly advocates for prisoners’ rights. Religion aside, it is not just the Catholic Church and the Jesuits who believe these malpractices of Aramark are wrong; many people, regardless of religious affiliation, would say that the Aramark’s actions in prisons are unethical. Fordham has an obligation to uphold its values in all organizations that it contracts. Students are regularly held to a standard of Catholic teachings through university policies. We have housing policies that are used to enforce Catholic rules regarding premarital sex, campus policies that disallow contraception for non-medical reasons and a core program that deeply explores questions of theology and philosophy in order to align with Jesuit approaches to education. If students are expected to uphold these standards, then it is only right that institutions working with Fordham should also represent our values, or at the very least, not directly violate them. Fordham states on its website that it “hires and recruits with the intention of preserving its Jesuit and Catholic identity and mission.” Yet, by contracting with corporations like Aramark and providing profit to these institutions, Fordham is simultaneously violating its own code of ethics while helping to perpetuate abusive systems that will continue as long as they are able to make a profit. It is true that one university refusing to work with Aramark will not force them to change their policies, but it is also true that a university’s lax mindset is what allows corporations to continue their unethical actions. As a university that seeks to promote social justice, we must hold ourselves to a higher standard in our hiring practices in order to truly show our commitment to a mission of service to others.
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October 26, 2016
CULTURE The Fordham Ram
Page 11
Unexpected Ways to Get Active in NYC By ELIZABETH SMISLOVA CULTURE EDITOR
At the two-month mark of the school year, new semester resolutions to head to the gym and to explore New York City start to fade away as fast as the leaves from campus trees. So, why not kill two birds with one stone? The city offers countless unexpected ways to get active that keep exercising and exploring exciting. Be sure to check them out before the temperature drops and exercise begins to consist of reaching for another hot cocoa mix. 1. Steep Rock Bouldering Rock climbing is an unparalleled way to relieve leftover midterm stress. On the Upper East Side, oyu can go bouldering, which means there are no harnesses or ropes. It is an adrenaline rush that guarantees you will forget all about whatever embarrassing thing happened last weekend. Plus, it offers a student discount, so entrance is only $23. Located at 1506 Lexington Ave. 2. Chelsea Piers Sports & Entertainment Complex You have probably seen these huge piers on the Hudson River, as they take up 28 acres next to the Chelsea neighborhood. They offer virtually every sport and feature
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The Chelsea Piers are only one of many places to exercise in the city, but have a plethora of fun and different options.
drop-in classes for many different activities, such as gymnastics, hockey, golf, bowling, basketball and more. There are also a spa and restaurants to relax in, after an endorphin-filled workout. Located at 23rd Street & Hudson River Park, 62 Chelsea Piers 3. Self-Guided Walking Tours Take yourself on a free tour to avoid the embarrassment of following a flag on a stick with a group of annoying tourists. You will get a great walk in and explore new parts of the city or
even parts you thought you knew about. There are apps that make this easy, so there is no excuse not to go. Check out the “New York Map and Walks” app on iTunes or Google Play. 4. Brooklyn and Manhattan Bridges Running Route Everyone knows that the path along the Hudson River is a scenic and easy place to run, but in a city as large as New York, your running route should be varied, too. Mix it up by running across the Brooklyn Bridge, around the
beautiful DUMBO area and then across the Manhattan Bridge back to the island. This is about a six mile run, and has many obstacles to make working out interesting! Bonus: gorgeous sunset views if you go later in the day. 5. Yoga to The People Not all hot yoga classes are created equal. This one has six locations throughout the city, but the easiest to get to is in Bryant Park on 38th Street (just take the Metro North). The studio tries to make yoga accessible to everyone,
so classes cost only seven dollars and are usually an hour long. It is okay, everyone else is just waiting for Savasana too. Located at 1017 6th Ave. on the corner of 38th Street, Third Floor 6. The High Line Many New Yorkers tend to dismiss the High Line as a tourist attraction, but it has a lot to offer. Walking the entire High Line is the same as walking about 24 blocks but is more interesting due to the constantly rotating of art and events. There are even coffee stands along the route, but order skim milk so you do not discount all your hard walking efforts. Goes from Gansevoort Street in the Meatpacking District to West 34th Street, between 10th and 12th Avenues 7. Jazzercise Jazzercise is basically a dance party with workout gear and major calorie burning. Different classes target different areas of the body, and also help to switch up your routine. The drop-in class costs less than Soul Cycle, and there are membership programs and a special deal in October. Plus, you can make your friends jealous when you show off all your new moves at Mugz’s. Jazzercise Flatiron Located at 22 West 19th Street, Basement
Review | Health
More Students Kale Themselves Vegans By GABRIELA CHRISTENSEN CONTRIBUTING WRITER
In the past decade, veganism has received a great deal of attention for their “radical” alternative lifestyle choices. They choose to eliminate all dairy, eggs and meat products from their daily consumption. Burger lovers and cheese fanatics are often astonished with how vegans are can make such a “sacrifice.” The popularity of veganism is rapidly spreading, according to the website Food Navigator. Vegans are not only hippies from California. Now the growing group includes young people on college campuses everywhere. This has become especially relevant today among the student population of Fordham, where many students are practicing vegans or transitioning to a vegan diet. One of the main attractions of veganism are the health benefits associated with the diet. Recent studies, including one by the American Journal of Clinical Health, have found that by eliminating animal products from one’s diet, one can improve their physical and mental health. Current Fordham student Caroline Martin, FCRH ’20, found medical relief through her vegan diet. “I used to have horrible stomach issues, and those went away after a week or two of being vegan.,” she said. Many people have reported that the diet promotes an increase
in consumption of nutritionally dense foods such as fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, nuts and beans. The combination of eliminating animal products and increasing intake of nutritionally dense foods can reduce the risk of heart disease and significantly lower cholesterol and blood pressure. The vegan diet can also be a helpful tool in weight loss and cutting down Body Mass Index. The diet helps promote thicker hair, stronger nails and even clearer skin. The benefits of veganism are not not just personal. Veganism benefits the world through environmental means. In fact, that is how Martin initially discovered the alternative diet. She was impressed after learning that the best way to help the environment is by cutting out animal products. Some environmentalists have also been pushing for increased adherence to the vegan diet. This is due to the link between meat production and upsurge in greenhouse gases, as well as the vast amount of water required for meat production and the pollution and destruction of the environment that follows. Laura Rathjen, FCRH ’20, finds it is difficult not to want to change one’s lifestyle and put down that burger. In March 2015, Rathjen made the transition. Rathjen said she was pleased by the effort that Fordham has put into supplying an adequate amount of alternative foods for vegans on campus,
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Swap out meals with vegan options a few times a week to join in on the trend and reap some health benefits.
but Rathjen is concerned by the tremendous amount of “vegan” mislabeling made by the university. Regardless, she reports that the marketplace has a great variety of food and believes that it is the best option for vegans. Almost every food vending location
on campus has at least one or two vegan options on their menus. Martin disagrees and advises that Urban Kitchen has the best vegan options and more than just a few salad options. The campus continues to develop with the increasing commu-
nity by providing more vegan options or making Fordham overall vegan-welcoming. Both Martin and Rathjer agree that the community at Fordham has been accepting and even inspired by their decision to live a vegan life.
CULTURE
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October 26, 2016
Sweet ‘N’ Sour | Caitlyn Letterii and Patrick Hood
Papaye Restaurant Serves Ghanaian Good Mood Food Join Caitlyn Letterii and Patrick Hood, two scattin’ jazz cats just looking to dance the night away, as they explore and critique the cheap eats available around the Bronx and Rose Hill campus. Papaye Restaurant, located on Grand Concourse, is a bit of a hike but worth it if you want to try some authentic Ghanaian dining. The restaurant labels themselves on their website as “The Best of African Cuisine,” but we at Sweet ‘n’ Sour never trust anything on the internet until it has been fact-checked by Snopes. In spite of this, the restaurant came highly recommended by a rabid fan of the column, so we were totally stoked to check it out! CL: Our epic quest began with a long trek to 183rd Street. Lucky for us, the path to Papaye was marked by a number of exciting sights and fun spots. By the time we arrived at Papaye’s door, we were energized and
ready to expand our culinary horizons. PH: Let me tell you folks, I could not have been more thrilled to try some delicacies from south of the Burkina Faso border. The restaurant was a bit bare in terms of decor, but rich in personality. Literally! As in there were constantly tons of people getting grub, so Papaye was clearly doing something right. CL: We placed our things at an open table and went up to the main counter to order. This should have been a fairly simple process, but it ended up being very confusing. There was a main menu posted above the counter and an additional menu up on a television. I had settled on a plantain and rice combo from the television menu, when suddenly it disappeared, never to be seen again. Because of this, I had to check back in to the regular menu board, which offered no vegetarian options. Thankfully, the woman at the register was very kind and accommodating,
COURTESY OF PATRICK HOOD
Hood’s meal came on two plates thanks to the restaurant’s large portions.
and she offered to fix me up a plate of whatever veggie options were around, which ended up being rice, beans, tomatoes and onions. Nothing but the classics! PH: I am very unfamiliar with Ghanaian food, so a lot of the words on the menu meant very little to me. Luckily, there were visual aids to help me make my choice. Not that my choice mattered much, because even though I ordered fried yams and palaver sauce, I got fish (and palaver sauce). CL: Our platters arrived at our table very promptly, and I was taken aback at how huge the portions were. My first taste of my beans was a gigantic shock to my system. I have a woefully weak palate (thanks a lot, MOM) and find spicy foods delicious, but extremely overwhelming, so I immediately had to buy a Snapple to assure my survival. It got so bad that the woman next to us offered me her water when she saw how much I was struggling to enjoy these beans. These hellish beans. On a less spicy note, the rice and other veggies on the plate were very flavorful and filling. PH: Now typically, here is where I would call Caitlyn a big baby, but I tasted these beans and, my gosh, were they spicy. I am a Southern belle with a greater passion for spice than a 16th century Dutch merchant, and even I found these a bit overwhelming. Despite the fact that it felt like frenching Satan himself, it was still quite tasty. CL: Thank you for validating my feelings, Patrick. PH: Call this one a freebie. My meal also had a sort of slow burn, but it was much more manageable. The fish, while distinctly not yams, was on the bone and seasoned to perfection. The accompanying palaver sauce, a sort of stew, complemented it nicely. I was also, surprisingly, served a zip-
COURTESY OF CAITLYN LETTERII
Letterii pauses before her first forkful to pose with a full plate of Ghanaian grub.
loc baggy full of yuca presented in a bowl. Why it needed to be bagged if it was going to sit in a bowl anyway escapes me, but I did find the yuca to be a good palate cleanser to match my spicy main course. CL: Enough pussyfooting around, Patrick. Let’s hit these suckers with our official Sweet ‘n’ Sour Ratings! PH: You got it muchacho. Overall, Papaye was a lovely place to dine. The portions are large, the food authentic and the service is wonderful (even if they did give me yam-fish). Plus, if you’re a spice aficionado like moi, Papaye has a lot to offer in that department. But beyond the palaver sauce, decoy menus and yuca baggies, Papaye offered me a totally new experience, and you cannot put a price on that. So if you’re looking to cross Ghanaian food off from your culinary bucket list, this place is perfect and conveniently close to Rose Hill. For all this and more, I am giving Papaye a Sweet Rating of four out of five stars. CL: I’m really torn on Papaye. There were so many positive aspects. Everyone who worked there was so
nice, a fellow diner basically saved my life, the portions are huge and the dishes are very flavorful! However, it’s tough to overlook some of the odder aspects of Papaye such as the vanishing TV menu, the wrong food order and a very odd interaction with our busboy wherein he told me I could get our receipt outside of the restaurant. All in all, I think I can chock these up to eccentricity and give Papaye a Sweet Rating of three out of five stars. This may not have been the ideal spot for a spice-wimp vegetarian like me, but if you do not fall into similar categories, I would definitely recommend checking this hot spot out! Overall Recommendations: You should try anything with the palaver sauce, the rice and a bottle of water if you order those beans! Pass on the yams if you don’t like fish. General Info: Address: 2300 Grand Concourse, Bronx, NY (Between Grand Concourse and 183rd) Phone number: 718-676-0771 Hours: Noon-Midnight
Editor’s Pick | Television
“Crazy Ex-Girlfriend” Tackles Tropes, Intertwines Comedy By ANNA CAREY DIGITAL EDITOR
This past Friday, one of last year’s best new shows, The CW’s “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend,” returned for its second season. The musical comedy revolves around former New York City lawyer Rebecca Bunch (Rachel Bloom) who moves to small town West Covina, California after running into her childhood summer camp boyfriend, Josh Chan (Vincent Rodriguez III). Josh reminds Rebecca of happier and simpler times, so when he tells her his plans to head back home, Rebecca decides she wants to follow him there. Rebecca spends much of the first season convincing her friends (and herself) that she did not move across the country and leave behind a coveted law firm partnership because she still loves Josh, though she eventually realizes that is exactly why she left New York. A number of Rebecca’s new friends and neighbors accuse her of being a crazy ex-girlfriend who is obsessed with Josh, hence the show’s title.
The show features original songs in every episode. The characters break into song much like in musical theater: during a dramatic moment, an emotional realization or humorous scene. My personal favorites are “Settle for Me,” “I Have Friends” and “I’m a Good Person.” Santino Fontana performs “Settle for Me” as Greg, a bartender who wants to date Rebecca and attempts to get her to “settle” for him instead of Josh, his best friend. Bloom and Ava Acres, who plays a young Rebecca, perform “I Have Friends” while insisting that they have enough friends to invite over for a party, despite only being able to list coworkers, acquaintances and assorted misfits. Rebecca sings the ironic “I’m a Good Person” to Greg when trying to prove to both him and herself that she is good, even though she goes around threatening people to say she is as kind as she thinks she is. Bloom is the creator, writer and star of the show. Before her hit show, she released musical comedy songs and videos, along with writing for television shows “Robot Chicken” and “Allen Greg-
ory.” Alongside Bloom as writer and creator is Aline Brosh McKenna, who is best known as the screenwriter of The Devil Wears Prada and 27 Dresses. This past year Bloom won a Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series Comedy or Musical and a Critic’s Choice Award for Best Actress in a Comedy Series for her role as Re-
becca, demonstrating the show’s critical acclaim. While “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend” could have revolved around stereotypes and tropes of how women supposedly act insane after a breakup, the show quickly acknowledges that it will not fall into these traps. In the season one theme song, Rebecca points out that “crazy ex-girlfriend” is a sexist
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Rachel Bloom created, wrote and stars as Rebecca in “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend.”
term. In addition to misogyny and feminism, the show delves into other serious themes like mental health issues, sexuality and marital troubles. Rebecca has both anxiety and depression, which contribute to her decision to move to California to get away from the stresses of a high-profile law career. Her new boss, Darryl, tries to figure out his sexual orientation in the wake of his recent divorce from his wife. Paula, Rebecca’s best friend and coworker, comes to harsh realizations about her loveless marriage while helping Rebecca win over her true love. The relationships between the characters manage to feel complicated and real, in spite of the over-exaggerated musical numbers. “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend” is the perfect combination of comedy, drama and musical numbers. If you are looking for your new favorite show, all of season one is currently on Netflix and season two just premiered last week, so there is only one episode to catch up on. Until next Friday, you can listen to the soundtrack on Spotify or watch the musical numbers on Bloom’s YouTube channel.
CULTURE
October 26, 2016
Page 13
Playlistism | Meredith Nardino
Five Songs That Give Listeners a Fix of ‘90s Nostalgia Those of us born in the late 90s are stuck in an awkward position between true ‘90s kids and more millennial identities. While I certainly embrace the best (and worst) qualities of the millennial generation, I feel a sort of confused nostalgia for ‘90s culture. From fashion, to cult films, to music, the decade is full of iconic references upon which much of our modern pop culture depends. The simplicity and wonder of ‘90s culture lay the foundation for so many current trends, especially when it
comes to music. 1. “Fade into You”— Mazzy Star If this song feels like it could have been used in every post-break up montage in every cheesy romantic comedy or television show produced in the ‘90s, it is because it was. The Santa Monica based alternative band perfectly encapsulates the dreamy, love-struck quality of adolescent relationships. “Fade into You” is certainly the group’s most successful track in the mainstream sense, peaking at No. 44 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart following its
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Toad and the Wet Sprocket’s music is slow-paced and passionate.
1993 release. 2. “Sometimes Always” — The Jesus and Mary Chain Continuing in the theme of lofi love songs, this band of Scottish brothers recruited Mazzy Star’s lead singer, Hope Sandoval, for an uncharacteristic duet. The Jesus and Mary Chain got its start in the mid-1980s and remained fairly successful among underground post-punk crowds. Like many of the groups on this list, JAMC suffered a turbulent rise to fame, ultimately leading to its split at the turn of the ‘00s. “Sometimes Always” is a testament to the band’s softer side, as much of its discography leans toward aggressive, energetic noise. 3. “Hey Jealousy” — The Gin Blossoms Before their inevitable split in 1997, the Gin Blossoms experienced highs and lows in the busyness that characterize their upbeat, yet defeatist music. In a style that recalls R.E.M. and the Replacements, the group masks their tumultuous history beneath an irresistible hook. “Hey Jealousy” is about as ‘90s pop-rock as a song can get — the fuzzy guitar and bittersweet lyrics envelop you in a weird, unrelenting angst. 4.“Dreams” — The Cranberries Contemporary Celtic Rock seems to be a genre that could only be a product of the ‘90s. The
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Hope Sandoval sings vocals on the Scottish duo’s track “Sometimes Always.”
Cranberries made waves with their debut LP, Everybody Else is Doing It, So Why Can’t We?, featured both “Dreams” and the now-classic single, “Zombie.” “Dreams” thrives off of an instrumental melody that draws clear inspiration from the likes of Fleetwood Mac, but a vocal tone that is unique to the era and to the band itself. 5. “Something’s Always Wrong” — Toad and the Wet Sprocket After it rose to No. 9 on the 1994 Billboard Alternative charts,
“Something’s Always Wrong” propelled this California band to mainstream success. From the title alone, it’s easy to tell this song is a sensitive, cathartic five minutes of music. There is something oddly comforting in the despair that is evident in this tune, making it yet another go-to soundtrack feature. Toad and the Wet Sprocket appeal to the young romantic in each of us, proving their music is more profound than their amazingly absurd name.
Virtual Reality Comes to Life Through Three Headsets By ANTHONY PICCINCH CONTRIBUTING WRITER
The recent release of the Playstation visual reality (VR) headset has marked the true beginning of “the year of virtual reality,” as many tech hobbyists have dubbed the recent VR phenomenon. Countless virtual reality headsets have been released this year as many companies want to try to capitalize on this newfound consumer interest in virtual reality. The technology for virtual reality has been around since the 1960s, but it is finally somewhat affordable for the average consumer and is likely to change many industries besides entertainment. The three major VR headsets that are to be released this year are the HTC Vive VR, Oculus Rift and the PlayStation VR. The HTC Vive VR starts at $799 and is by the far most expensive of the three VR headsets. The price includes two controllers to be used in tandem with your PC and Vive VR headset. The HTC Vive VR is aimed at a niche group of PC gamers which helps explain the high system requirements needed for the VR headset to run properly. It is set to be released on April 5, 2017. The Oculus Rift is the other major VR headset set to be released for the PC starting at $599. It also includes a controller with high system requirements to be used with your PC. The Oculus Rift VR headset was the first major VR headset to be released during March of this year.
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The tech industry has three different virtual reality headsets scheduled to hit the shelves this year.
Lastly, the PlayStation VR headset is currently the only VR headset that has been created for console gaming, giving it exposure to a huge base of consumers. Another factor working in its favor is its price point at just $399. It will likely be the most mainstream way for the average person to experience high quality and immersive VR. Gamers at Fordham, like Matt Ly, GSB ’17, are hopeful that the new technology will enhance their experience. “I think it’s pretty cool,”
Ly said. “It’ll be interesting to see where it takes video games.” Others feel VR won’t take off after this year. “I have no interest in virtual reality, as it is too expensive,” Connor LeClair, FRCH ’17, said. LeClair, like many opponents of VR, thinks it is an interesting idea but it is definitely not a necessary purchase, especially at the price points set for it. Even if VR doesn’t take off for the entertainment industry,
there are many other industries that are going to change due to more affordable VR technology becoming available. The three major VR headsets outlined above are all focused on the consumer market and their ability to change the way people view movies and video games. This VR craze has been portrayed in the media as present in the entertainment and media industries, but there are many other industries that are also changing due to
the emergence of VR. Many educators are hoping to bring VR into the classroom to bring lessons to life. Students could explore famous cities such as Rome and Paris in virtual reality. In higher education, medical students could study how red blood cells travel through the body by taking a virtual trip through the human body, a lesson much more memorable than reading a textbook. Healthcare has already been using VR for years. VR has been used to help treat PTSD, severe burn victims, phantom limb syndrome and various phobias. Surgeons have even used virtual reality to help get a better understanding of how to operate on patients that require complicated procedures. In real estate, many brokers are hoping to be able to give tours of properties in virtual reality, which would help sell properties to buyers who are not around to physically see the real estate but could still make an informed purchasing decision. They could even take a tour of a building that was not yet built. In many design and engineering firms, they are using VR to help better visualize whatever they are creating. “The Year of VR” has been an important year for technology hobbyists. It has already made a big impact on the media and entertainment industries with the three major virtual reality headsets to be released this year. It has also made a large impact on other industries as well. Where will it take humanity next?
CULTURE
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October 26 2016
Who’s That Kid? | It’s Jess Corcoran, FRCH ’18
For One Fordham Student, The Third College is the Charm By TARA MARTINELLI COPY CHIEF
The old saying “third time’s the charm” is one that Jess Corcoran, FCRH ’18, knows all too well. Jess’s journey to Fordham is a little different from that of most of the student body. Not only is she a transfer student, but Jess has transferred twice since beginning her college career. Some may see this as indecisive, but Jess sees it as finding herself and exploring her passions. “I always had two true passions growing up: the arts and social justice,” said Jess. She was in private art classes all through her childhood while also staging a sit-in on the soccer field when the boys wouldn’t let her play at recess. However, when she started thinking about college, art appealed to her more than anything else: “I just thought, ‘what the hell?’ I’m just going to go full force into the arts and see what happens.” And that she did. She was accepted into the Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, New York and started her college career there. Jess looks back on her time at Pratt with happy memories and many life lessons. “Art school is like its own little world.,” she said. “People would walk around in tutus to class and no one would look twice. It was the most accepting, nonjudgmental community I have
ever been a part of.” Along with being exposed to many different types of people and personalities, art school also taught her to deal with criticism. “Homework isn’t just homework in art school,” she said. “When you turn in a project, you really feel as though you poured your whole heart and soul into it. It’s so personal. And when a professor takes one look at it and just says ‘ehh,’ it really hurts.” Jess admits that art school made her grow up and develop a thicker skin. As many young people do, Jess reevaluated her lifeplan. “I loved being there and the community was great but I knew that fashion design was not what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. Because Pratt only offers art majors, I knew I had to leave,” said Jess. After one semester at Pratt, she decided to transfer to Pace University in Manhattan. “Pace has this thing called ‘Transfer Tuesday.’ You go, give them your application and find out within 20 minutes whether you are accepted or not. Needless to say, it was an easy decision.” However, after just one month at Pace, as a communications major, Jess still did not feel like she found her place. “I wasn’t being challenged academically or socially and I missed the com-
munity at Pratt,” she said. She described how going to school of mostly commuter students created very basic friendships. Pace’s Manhattan school does not have much of a campus either, which is something that she found to be important to her. So she, yet again, hit the drawing boards. This time, she applied vigorously to about a dozen schools. Jess has found her way to Fordham University and can not be happier about it. Jess had a moment of realization regarding her compatability with the univeristy last year. “One day in October, I was walking by Keating as the leaves were falling all over Eddie’s,” she said. “I can honestly say that I had never felt so peacefully happy in my whole life.” Jess is pursuing her other passion of social justice by studying political science and humanitarian affairs. To those who do not know her very well, Jess seems like a very spontaneous, indecisive person. However, upon getting to know her, she is clearly a very passionate, strong-willed young woman. “I saw what other people had at their respective schools,” she said. “I didn’t want to settle for what I had, so I didn’t. And I could not be happier about my decision.” The one constant in her jour-
COURTESY OF JESS CORCORAN
Jess Corcoran finds her path in life by taking the trial and error approach.
ney to find her dream school has been New York City. All three of the schools that she’s attended have beenhere. New York City, she said, is the one thing that she was not willing to give up. “When I applied to Fordham, I applied to a bunch of other schools as well. But when I went
to visit their campuses, I just kept thinking about NYC and how I really didn’t want to be anywhere else.” Jess is living out the motto that is plastered all over Rose Hill. New York has always been her campus, but now, Fordham is her school.
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The Fordham Ram
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SPORTS
Page 16
October 26, 2016
Men’s Tennis at ITA Men’s Soccer Splits At Home Northeast Regional Against Lehigh, Davidson By ALEXANDRIA SEDLAK STAFF WRITER
Two members of the Fordham men’s tennis team had the chance to compete in the ITA Northeast Regionals hosted by University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. The tournament lasted from Oct. 20 until Oct. 23 and featured several teams, including Quinnipiac, Princeton, Brown, Colgate, Yale, Columbia and Cornell, among many others. The Rams that played in the tournament performed well. Sophomore Victor Li and freshman Fabian Mauritzson were the two players who traveled to the Regionals. They competed as a doubles team, falling to Boston University’s Lucas Bombonatti and Satyajit Simhadri. It was a single-elimination doubles tournament, and the Fordham Rams put up a good fight, ultimately dropping the set 3-8. Mauritzson said that as a freshman, it was a great learning experience for him because the novelty behind the tournament was something he had never seen before. “We had a bit of a rough start in our doubles, but I really feel like we got into it after a while, and I hope we can maintain that level of competitiveness through the Navy Invitational in two weeks,” he said. Li also played in the singles tournament. Again, he played great tennis, but it was not enough to overtake his opponent, Freddie Zaretsky from Quin-
nipiac University. It was a long, close match, but Li eventually fell by a score of 3-6, 4-6, a feat to be proud of. Li commented on his time at the tournament as well, stating, “It was a great experience to compete at this level again, and I cannot wait to come back next year stronger.” As is evident by the comments of the players, this was no easy tournament. The level of play was extremely high and competitive, which meant the players had to step up their game and bring it to new levels. Head coach Mike Sowter spoke of his players, saying, “I thought both Victor and Fabian competed well today. There were some key points on which we needed to execute better, but overall it was a good learning experience for the guys.” they both said they are grateful for the opportunity and experience they received and are looking to come back stronger next year. The team has trained and practiced for these end of the season tournaments, where they can hopefully see their hard work pay off with a victory. This is especially true now, as the Rams approach these two weeks before their last tournament for the fall season. The Fordham men’s tennis team will wrap up the fall season on Nov. 4. On that date, the Rams will head down to Annapolis, Maryland to compete in the Navy Invitational, where they will attempt to have a fitting conclusion to a strong season.
By TYLER FREIRE STAFF WRITER
As the season wound down and the Rams looked to solidify a spot in the Atlantic 10 conference playoffs, they played host to Lehigh and Davidson this past week. The first of the matches for the Rams was against Lehigh on Tuesday evening. Lehigh netted the open goal in the 16th minute off a free kick by Matt Morana, which found the head of Zarin Tuten who knocked it in from six yards out for his second goal of the season. About 10 minutes later, Fordham equalized on a long distance effort by sophomore midfielder Janos Loebe. Janos lined up for a free kick from about 50 yards out from goal, and put a strong kick on the ball, which Lehigh’s goalkeeper Will Smith overran. The ball then bounced in for Loebe’s team-leading fifth goal of the season, matching his total from last season. The score remained tied 1-1 due to some outstanding play from junior goalkeeper Jordan Black, who was making his first career start. Black made seven saves on the night but would concede a late goal in the 84th minute as Lehigh’s Doyle Tuvesson dribbled into the box off a pass from Gianfranco Giammatteo, and scored from eight yards out. It was his second goal of the season. Fordham would have two more chances to tie the game back up, the better of which was right after the goal from Lehigh in the 86th minute on a header from freshman defender Joergen Oland off a Loebe corner kick. But Smith was in the perfect spot to make the save and give Lehigh the 2-1 victory. The Rams then welcomed the Davidson Wildcats this past Sunday, in what would be a wild scoring affair between conference foes. The Wildcats struck first in the 15th minute as Davidson’s Cort Coxhead passed a through ball to Jon Creel streaking toward the penalty spot. Creel then took a shot from 12 yards out into the net for his second goal of the season, giving the Wildcats the 1-0 lead. The Rams equalized the score in the 26th minute in an unlikely fashion, as a handball in the box was called against Davidson, giving the Rams a penalty kick. Junior midfielder Jannik Loebe then stepped to the penalty spot
ANDREA GARCIA/THE FORDHAM RAM
Bart Dziedzic goes up for a header against Davidson on Sunday.
and calmly scored his third goal of the season, tying things up at one a piece. The game did not stay tied for long as the Wildcats regained the lead in the 27th minute. On a long throw-in, Oland headed the ball away from goal, but Christian Fechter of Davidson one-timed the clearance attempt right back at goal, scoring his fourth marker of the season. Fordham fought back to tie the game again right before the teams headed to the locker room. It was the 44th minute as junior defender Christopher Bazzini collected the ball on the right side of the box, and then turned and crossed the ball to the left post. Fellow junior defender Matthew Lewis was in perfect position for the header and his third goal of the year, making the score 2-2 headed into halftime. After four goals in the first half, both teams struggled to create scoring opportunities in the second half, thus leading to over-
time. In the extra period, Davidson had thought they had won the game on a goal by Creel, but the play was called offside and the goal was disallowed. Just over a minute later, Fordham got the break it needed, as freshman forward Dantae Greer beat the Davidson defender to the box and was tackled aggressively, awarding another penalty kick to the Rams. Jannik again stepped to the spot and converted, giving Fordham the 3-2 overtime victory. It marked the second multigoal game of Jannik’s career and his fourth goal of the year. In net, Black made six saves for the Rams to earn his first career win. With the loss to Lehigh and the win against Davidson, Fordham improved to 6-5-3 on the year and 3-1-1 in the Atlantic 10. The Fordham men’s soccer team will next be in action on Saturday, Oct. 29, when the Rams play at Saint Louis, beginning at 8 p.m.
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fordhamramsports@gmail.com OWEN CORRIGAN/THE FORDHAM RAM
Victor Li traveled to the tournamet to play singles and also as part of a doubles team.
SPORTS
October 26, 2016
Sam Belden Two Spectacular Shortstops The World Series gets underway this week, and the degree to which the two combatant teams resemble each other is remarkable. Both represent Midwestern cities. Both will be fighting to raise the Commissioner’s Trophy for the first time in more than 65 years. And both have young, dynamic shortstops who are shaping up to be franchise icons for years to come. The Chicago Cubs, the top team in the MLB by most measures, have 22-year-old Addison Russell. Acquired as the main return for the midseason sale of Jeff Samardzija and Jason Hammel back in 2014, the veritable glove wizard sometimes struggles to stand out among a positively stacked lineup. However, his 25 doubles and 21 homers are signs of burgeoning power, and his total of 95 RBIs, while inflated by Chicago’s ridiculous offense, suggests consistent practical importance to the team. The Cleveland Indians, meanwhile, feature 22-year-old Francisco Lindor. A native of Puerto Rico and a graduate of Florida’s Montverde High School, Lindor has been one of the organization’s top prospects since being selected with the eighth pick of the 2011 draft. Called up to be the Indians’ starting shortstop last summer, he began his career playing in the shadow of reigning American League Rookie of the Year Carlos Correa, but he has ably reversed that narrative this year, blasting nearly 50 extra-base hits and playing sterling defense to guide his team to the playoffs. While few would dispute that Lindor has had the more impressive Major League career to this point, the number of similarities between the two shortstops is striking. Both are 22 years old. Both are wrapping up their first full season. Both have the potential to develop into major five-tool stars. While there are clear distinctions between the two — Lindor is a better pure hitter than Russell, for instance, while Russell has a slight edge in the field — their similarities are more striking than their differences. Why do I bring this up? After all, the Cubs and Indians are markedly different teams. The former is an absolute juggernaut, bursting at the seams with potent bats and quality arms. The latter was the luckier team in 2016, hobbled by injuries but still standing tall thanks to some timely bullpen performances. Well, Russell and Lindor aren’t the only talented young shortstops in the league right now. While Correa was eclipsed as the best youngster in the game this year, he still performed. Presumptive NL Rookie of the Year Corey Seager is also a future superstar, clouting 40 doubles and 26 home runs this year. The Red Sox’s Xander Bogaerts also performed well this year, ranking among Boston’s best players on both sides of the ball. Older young guns like Elvis Andrus, Anthony Rendon, Didi Gregorius and Andrelton Simmons all had representative campaigns. It’s all adding up to what could be a new golden age for shortstops in the MLB, and Lindor versus Russell could end up as the first of many outstanding World Series head-to-heads among this group.
Page 17
Senior Profile | Turner Block By PAT COSTELLO
ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR
Turner Block, a psychology major at Fordham College Rose Hill, was named one of three captains before the 2016 soccer season. However, she is far from prototypical. She has only appeared in four games this season, starting only once on Senior Day, netting a single goal early in the season and accumulating 84 total minutes of playing time, yet none of that seems to matter to Block. Her desire for the team to succeed exceeds her desire for personal glory. In fact, it is difficult to get her to talk about herself for more than a few seconds, as she would rather talk about the team. Block is easily one of the most team oriented people you could ever imagine, which is part of what makes her such an interesting individual. Block and the Rams now sport a 9-4-4 record and are 4-1-3 in the Atlantic 10 after a recent win over Richmond on Senior Day. She talked to The Fordham Ram about adversity, leadership and the potential of this year’s team. The Fordham Ram: You tore your ACL in high school. What happened and how tough was it to not play your senior season because of it? Turner Block: It’s something that is definitely never easy to deal with. The recovery was six months and the rehab was so intense. It was definitely hard because you always look forward to your senior year. I did it right before summer so I had time to think about it and realized that my senior year wouldn’t be what I hope it would. I had to figure out how to still make it a memorable year and still support the team. I was a captain and it was difficult to lead and support while injured, but I learned from it. It went the best that it could have gone. TFR: Did that affect the recruiting process at all? TB: I had already committed to Fordham a few weeks before I tore my ACL. Coaches know that the injury is part of the sport and are, unfortunately, really common. A lot of players go through them. It really didn’t end up effecting my arrival at
Fordham. TFR: This year you were named one of the captains for Fordham. Did you expect that? TB: No, I didn’t expect it. Leading up to senior year all I had on my mind was whatever I could do to help the team. Whatever extra work or what I could do during practices to put my team in the best place they could be. It was easy because as a team, we’re a family. A lot of teams say “oh yeah we’re a family” and preach it, but we really are one, so it’s easy to have that type of mentality. TFR: Your class is an incredibly connected group of seniors. What is it that makes your group so special? TB: We’re definitely connected as a senior class, but that speaks to us as a whole. We’re really close, and it’s easy to be when we’re all on the same page. With how we want to win, with what that takes and how we’re all willing to sacrifice and play for one another, we’re just all on the same page with what we want to do and how we want to do it. TFR: You’re an atypical captain in that you don’t necessarily play as much as the other captains (defenders Ally Doyle and Nicole Bates), yet you’re still the loudest person on the field. What lead you to become a vocal leader on the sidelines? TB: I don’t even think of it as vocal leading, I just think of it as doing whatever I can to help my team on the field. I know hearing encouragement and hearing your teammates having your back always helped me, so I just want to do what I can for them. TFR: You guys just had you Senior Day the other day. What were your emotions like after the game when you realized it would be your last home game? TB: Oh my gosh. I don’t know if it’s really going to hit us until a week goes by and we realize we don’t have any more games at home. Honestly, it couldn’t have been a more perfect day with three seniors scoring and not just any three seniors, but with Bates and Doyle from defense and Nicol [Natale, forward] who has been so great up top getting another goal. Ally scored her first career goal.
Time to Reward the Best
COURTESY OF FORDHAM ATHLETICS
It’s one of those senior games where you say “if that happened it would be perfect” and then the fact that it really did happen was really awesome. TFR: Based on her reaction, Ally Doyle seemed like she surprised herself. TB: [Laughing] She definitely did. She always said that she really wanted to get a goal from that spot and the fact that it worked out on senior day was so perfect. After Bates got her goal in the first half, I said to her during halftime, “Ally, it’s your turn, you’re getting a goal,” and she was sort of like, “yeah okay,” but then she did. It was amazing. TFR: You guys are 9-4-4 and 4-1-3 in the league. How do you feel about the rest of the season? TB: Right now, we’re in a great place. Not only did we win the past game, but we played great too. We capitalized and finished. It hasn’t been an easy road coming here, but I think that’s part of what will make us successful. We’ve been challenged, we’ve gone through these challenges and we know what we have to do to get to the A-10 Tournament. We know what we have to work on. More than anything it’s come to a point where we know that battling from start to finish is what it takes and I think we’re ready to do that.
Women Compete at ITA Regionals By MICHAEL SAPUNOR STAFF WRITER
After a strong and smooth victory over Seton Hall on the Rams’ own Bronx tennis courts, the women’s tennis team sent representatives Estelle Wong and Mayu Sato to compete at the ITA Regionals in New Haven, Conn. last Thursday. It was a cool 62 degrees at the Yale-sponsored tournament, which continued until Oct. 25. The women played one round as a doubles team, unfortunately losing in the single elimination doubles tournament to Rutgers’ Chloe Lee and Mingxiu Du after a respectable battle, 8-5. Lee and Du moved up the bracket to fall to Faybyshev and Rodriguez of Boston University, 8-7 (2). Following this, they began their respective singles tournaments. Senior Sato found herself in a tough situation, falling to Seton Hall’s Anna Fajnorova, 6-1, 6-3. Fajnorova had previously proven herself a tough opponent for the Rams, as she and teammate Luize Strike had
COURTESY OF FORDHAM ATHLETICS
Estelle Wong battled at ITA Regionals but ultimately came up short in her match.
emerged from their battle against Wong and Sato last week victorious, 8-5. Fajnarova fell in the next round to Rutgers’ Jacqueline Cochrane. Junior Estelle Wong fared a bit better in her singles play, beating out Fairleigh Dickinson’s Shreya Pasricha. She began their competition with a smooth 6-2 victory before a closer 7-6 (4) win to advance. Moving up the bracket, she encountered Columbia’s Star Makarome 6-0, 6-3 in an
Drew Casey
uphill battle. After their encounter, Makarome lost to fifth seed Dayna Lord of Brown, 6-2, 6-4. As of press time, fourteen matches remain to decide the winner of the tournament. While the leaves turn brown and folk music plays from iPhones everywhere, the Rams put their season on hold until late January, when they compete at New Jersey Institute of Technology’s NJIT Winter Invite, in Newark, New Jersey.
As the 2016 World Series continues, it’s time to change the way home field advantage is determined for the annual Fall Classic. Despite dominating the early rounds of this year’s playoffs, the 94-win Indians do not deserve to be the home team over the 103-win Cubs. It just doesn’t make sense. The best team over the course of a grueling, 162-game season more than deserves the advantage to play four of a possible seven games at its home ballpark. Since 2003, home field in the seven game series has been determined by the result of the season’s All-Star Game months earlier. The victorious team in the Midsummer Classic is rewarded with its pennant winner enjoying home field advantage in the same year’s World Series. Regardless of playoff seed or path to playoff qualification among the pennant winners, the method of determining home field does not change. It’s simply based on the AllStar Game result. Some might say that home field advantage in the World Series doesn’t mean much and thus this argument is invalid, but that is not the case. Since this became the policy, nine of the last 13 World Series champions have taken home the crown with home field advantage at their disposal. My biggest frustration with all of this, though, is centered on the structure of the annual All-Star Game. First, every Big League club must be represented in the Midsummer Classic. As a result of this requirement, each All-Star team is not made up of the league’s best players. Some of the league’s best individual talents have to be left off to accommodate the biggest “star” on a struggling club. Another issue is the place of the fan vote in the All-Star Game. Fans pick the starters for the game, with the exception of the starting pitchers. As evidenced, especially in the past two years, this can result in vote inflation and unfair voting practices. In 2015 Royals fans rallied to nearly select an entire Kansas City starting lineup, while earlier this year Cubs supporters voted an all North Side infield into the Midsummer Classic in San Diego. If an All-Star manager should do his best to get everyone into the game on precedent, how can the game count for so much? A manager or coach who wants to win cannot work effectively with such a prevalent unwritten rule on the table. By no means am I suggesting that Major League Baseball abolish the All-Star Game. They should simply make it an exhibition of the game’s biggest stars. Fans will still tune in and look forward to the game each July. In a time when the sport is transitioning to adapt to the baseball fan of 2016, the process of awarding home field advantage in the World Series goes against the very integrity of America’s pastime. While the bases are still 90 feet apart both in Cleveland and in Chicago, I would certainly be frustrated as a Cubs fan, and not just because it’s been 108 years.
SPORTS
Page 18
October 26, 2016
Trim Wins, Golf Takes 5th By SAM BELDEN SPORTS EDITOR
It was a winless fall for Fordham Golf, but at least one Ram was able to add to his trophy case. Battling through the rain and wind, junior captain Joseph Trim won the individual title at the Lehigh Invitational on Saturday, propelling his team to a fifth-place finish to wrap up the campaign. After shooting a 71 in his opening round, which included an ace on Saucon Valley Country Club’s 11th hole, Trim was able to sleep on a share of third place. He then faced a pressure-packed final round. The Florida native shot even par on the front nine, recovering with consecutive birdies on five and six after a pair of bogeys over the first three holes. After another bogey on the par-5 10th, Trim was unshakeable, making a birdie and seven pars over the final eight holes to reach the clubhouse at one-under for the week. “My game plan was to stay patient and to keep the ball in front of me, trying to minimize as many mistakes and errors as I could,” Trim said. “With the rain and the wind picking up and making solid pars down the stretch to finish at minus-one, I figured there was a chance I had won.” Trim’s victory should not come as a surprise to followers of Fordham Golf. He had already posted a pair of top 20 finishes this fall, including a solo fifth at the Ryan T. Lee Memorial Collegiate, where he also held a share of the first round lead. “When the final scores came in and it was official, it was very satisfying,” he said. “After being in a similar position early this year and to not win, to get it done this time was very rewarding.” Trim was the only Ram to find the top 10. Fordham’s next man on the leaderboard was sophomore Tommy Hayes, who shot rounds of 76 and 79 to end up in a tie for 20th. Senior Oscar Cabanas and sophomore Josh Madarang
shot solid opening rounds but imploded on Saturday, finishing in a tie for 54th and solo 56th, respectively. Junior James Mongey brought up the rear for Fordham, posting scores of 87 and 77. Bucknell defeated tournament host Lehigh in a playoff to win the team title. The top two teams were just two strokes clear of Hofstra, three clear of St. John’s and five clear of Fordham, making for a tightly-bunched top five. On the individual leaderboard, Gerald Mackedon of St. John’s came the closest to matching Trim, but he was doomed by a double bogey on three and a pair of dropped shots on the back nine, landing in solo second. While the individual victory was a nice accolade for Fordham, Trim said the team was not satisfied with its performance, both last week and over the season as a whole. “We really believed we had a shot to win a couple tournaments, notably the Ryan Lee and our most recent at Lehigh,” he said. “We had guys play well in certain events, but we were unable to get all of us to click on the same weekend.” The team participated in a total of five events this fall, with bookending fifth-place finishes standing as the highlights. The Rams will now turn their attention to the spring season, which gets underway next March. Trim believes the team must improve its scoring ability in order to seriously contend in the events that lie ahead. “Sometimes we fall into a trap of trying to play perfect and forget that it does not matter how we do it — we just need to put the ball in the hole in as little shots as possible,” he said. “I think we can do this with smarter practice and more preparation.” If all else fails, a bit of wisdom from the captain could go a long way. “Something I have been told and I firmly believe in is that by failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail,” he added.
By JACK McLOONE
ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR
This year has been terrible. One of your favorite people undoubtedly died. We’re about to replace the objectively coolest president ever with one of two painfully uncool candidates. There have been shootings across the country and terrorist attacks across the world. Drake ruined what looked like the best year for rap music ever by releasing Views. The UK voted to Brexit the EU, meaning a major historical event will be referred to with a pun. In fact, 2016 could be described as the “Cleveland” of years. And yet for some odd reason, that’s the city experiencing a sports renaissance. Cleveland is not supposed to have nice things. It’s in the city’s DNA to be the Newark of the Midwest, but with more soul-crushing sports disappointments. So don’t be surprised that I’m a little suspicious of the fact that while the rest of the country is turning into the United States of Cleveland, Cleveland is turning into Boston circa 2004. So how did this happen? Maybe Clevelanders burned a Dan Gilbert effigy in the flaming Cuyahoga River. More likely, someone cut a deal. Maybe it was Tyronn Lue trying to get everyone to forget about that time Allen Iverson disrespected him more than any human has ever been disrespected on a basketball court. Considering his rise to head coach, it would make sense, but then you remember AI is the devil’s favorite player. No one on the Indians has the kind of clout to even exchange Instagram DMs with the devil, so this isn’t their doing. There’s only one answer: LeBron made a deal with the devil. Not only did he get to have his redemptive career arc — The Chosen One bringing one to his pseudo-hometown — but he also was in Trainwreck, and a basketball player being good in a movie hasn’t been done since Michael Jordan in Space Jam. Also, he clearly got hair plugs and no one has said a single word, which is some type of devil magic for sure. What did LeBron give the devil in exchange? The entirety of 2016. Look at all the evidence: LeBron leaving to go to Miami in 2010 was
the single greatest encapsulation of the Cleveland experience: man tries to do good in the city with basically no help, does as well as can be expected but “fails” and then finally bolts to a place people actually want to live and is almost immediately successful. My conspiracy theory about The Decision is that LeBron wanted to show the people of Cleveland that they too could decide to leave a place literally called “The Mistake on the Lake.” Even in the 2014-15 season when LeBron decided that he for some reason wanted to come back to Cleveland, it looked like everything was back to normal with him trying, and ultimately failing, to drag the Cavaliers to a championship all over again. Cleveland was at the lowest possible low. But then this year — this year of all years — their luck suddenly changed. The same year ESPN literally made a 30 for 30 about how a major Cleveland sports team had not won a championship since 1964, the Cavs overcame a 3-1 deficit in the Finals against what seemed to be the best team in NBA history. They not only won a championship, but they also did it directly in the face of what looked like just another Cleveland disappointment. “That’s nice,” we all thought, and we were sincere. Cleveland breaking their championship drought meant that we could start bagging on San Diego, where the gorgeous weather and people had to be gorgeous around two teams with a decidedly
less gorgeous zero championships. But then Cleveland got greedy, and we got suspicious. All of a sudden, the Indians are going to play in the World Series against the Cubs. The freaking Indians, who had two movies starring Charlie Sheen made about their ineptitude, are the only team standing between the Cubs and their first World Series ring since 1908. It’s like getting away with stealing a candy bar at a bodega and deciding to steal the ATM the next time you’re there. What’s even shadier is that they’re doing it in such a non-Cleveland way. By that, I mean they’re actually overcoming the obstacles put in front of them like they aren’t the antithesis of a Disney sports movie. Danny Salazar and Carlos Carrasco went down with injuries right before the postseason started. Trevor Bauer mangled his finger fixing a drone during the ALCS. They still have a racist team name and logo. And yet, here they are. This is too much. “God Hates Cleveland” isn’t just a saying, it’s a symbol for order still existing in this world. On the same night the Indians won the ALCS, the third presidential debate was going on, with candidates bickering like children on a road trip. God has been loving Cleveland, and now hates everything else. I can’t stand for this. So my conclusion: LeBron traded the entirety of 2016 to the devil for a ring and a title shot for the Indians. The Browns are still awful though. There’s no saving them.
COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA
LeBron James led the Cleveland Cavaliers to their first-ever title this spring.
Varsity Calendar HOME AWAY
Thursday Oct. 27
Friday Oct. 28
Football
Lehigh 12:30 p.m.
Men’s Soccer
Saint Louis 8 p.m.
Women’s Soccer
Volleyball
VCU 7 p.m.
Tuesday Nov. 1
Wednesday Nov. 2
Wagner 7:30 p.m. Davidson 1 p.m.
A-10 C’ship 10 a.m. Head of Princeton the Schuykill Chase
Rowing Swimming
Monday Oct. 31
UMass 3:30 p.m.
Mercyhurst 10 a.m.
Cross Country
THE FORDHAM RAM ARCHIVES
Sunday Oct. 30
GMU 1 p.m.
Davidson 7 p.m.
Water Polo
The golf team notched a pair of fifth-place finishes this fall.
Saturday Oct. 29
Fairfield 5 p.m.
Boston U 1 p.m.
SPORTS
October 26, 2016
Peter Valentino
Baseball is More Alive Than Ever There has been a long-standing rumor that baseball is a “dying sport” and that rumor has had some credibility in the past. Pitching dominated the sport from the late 90s up until last year, and the World Series wasn’t exactly the most exciting of events. Most years, the Fall Classic was a sweep or wasn’t even a contest, with the World Series finishing in less than five games for eleven of the last eighteen meetings. The new replay system has made the sport more open to public opinion. Although many criticize replay for elongating a game that the league has attempted to shorten, it provides many different angles of play that people seem to appreciate. In the same fashion that NFL fans responded when replay was introduced in 1986, replay in baseball was initially scrutinized, then praised for adding more information to the game. While many traditionalists felt that replay removed the human element from the game, a quick-reaction sport needs to have a second look in order to make the correct call. As a result, younger fans have responded well to this new addition to the game. However, unlike the NFL, the MLB encourages different personalities and does not penalize celebrations. The sport’s new stars have taken a stranglehold of this league, with Bryce Harper, Noah Syndergaard, Mike Trout, Kris Bryant and the late Jose Fernandez showing how personality can liven baseball. Harper, along with many of these new stars, have led the “Make Baseball Fun Again” movement in order to appeal to a younger audience, and it has worked very well. These new offensive stars have led to a surge in offensive production this year, one that has led the league out of the pitching dominance that started after the steroid era. One of the biggest issues in sports today is how NFL ratings have been down this year. While most people blame the election, two of the main reasons are the Cubs run to the World Series, and the quality of play in the NFL. From the ridiculous penalty calls, its handling of different problems off the field and its oversaturation and concussions, the NFL has taken a downturn in a way that was almost predictable. This has led to other media outlets and sports taking its place, such as the aforementioned election and the baseball playoffs. With the hockey and basketball seasons starting, the idea that the NFL is a dying sport, while blasphemous in America, is much more realistic than baseball dying off. This problem is not something that will just go away once Nov 8 rolls around either. The quality of the NFL has gotten to the point where it will have to be addressed immediately. With the current direction of the NFL and the new stars and rules in baseball, it seems appropriate to say that baseball is no longer a dying sport. The notion that it was dying in the first place was a bit of a stretch, considering it’s hard to believe the sport would completely die out. Now, one can say that baseball is having a renaissance, as the sport has renewed itself in the public eye. With the storylines in this upcoming World Series, baseball is going to places that were never thought to be possible.
Page 19
Alvin Halimwidjaya
Varsity Scores & Stats Volleyball Rhode Island Fordham (RI) Kinnan 29 assists (RI) Self 9 kills, 2 aces (FOR) Williams 8 digs
Football Fordham 17 Georgetown 14 (FOR) Cantelli 2-40 yds, 2 TD (FOR) Edmonds 179 yds (FOR) Ham 2 INT (GT) Norris 112 yds, 1 TD
3 0
Women’s Swimming Fordham 176 Marist 67 200-yd Individual Medley (FOR) Polaha 1st- 2:08.25
Men’s Tennis ITA Northeast Regional (FOR) Li 3-6, 4-6 Women’s Tennis ITA Northeast Regional (FOR) Wong 0-6, 3-6 (FOR) Sato 1-6, 3-6
500m Freestyle (FOR) McBride- 1st 5:08.28 Men’s Soccer Fordham (OT) Duquesne (FOR) Loebe (2), ‘26, ‘95 (FOR) Lewis goal, ‘44 (DUQ) Fetcher goal, ‘37 (DUQ) Creel goal, ‘15
3 2
Golf Lehigh Invitational Fordham- 5th (FOR) Trim-1st (-1) (FOR) Hayes- 20th (+11) (FOR) Cabanas- 54th (+18)
Women’s Soccer Fordham (2OT) George Washington (FOR) 1 save Fordham Richmonds (FOR) Bates goal, ‘7 (FOR) Doyle goal, ‘50 (FOR) Natale, ‘84 (RICH) Beam, ‘19
200-yd Individual Medley (FOR) Viera 1st- 1:56.49 100-yd Freestyle (FOR) Vizza 1st- 46.45
Joe Trim
Ally Doyle
Junior
Senior
Golf
Soccer Entering Senior Day last Sunday, captain Ally Doyle had zero goals in her career and had started to believe it would never happen. In the 50th minute Doyle finally got her goal, ripping a shot past the goalie and into the back of the net, giving the Rams a 2-1 lead. They would later add one more, winning 3-1.
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 • Football’s Roberts Placed on FCS STATS Watch List Freshman Lineback Max Roberts has been
• Ham Named Patriot League Defensive Player of the Week
• Chloe Mitchell Honored as A-10 Rookie of the Week Mitchell kicked off her Fordham career in
• Women’s Basketball Pegged to Finish Sixth in Atlantic 10
announced as a member of the FCS STATS Freshman of the Year Watch List. Roberts is one of 17 players to appear on the list and the only Patriot League player. He has recorded 33 tackles, seven tackles for losses and four and a half sacks in seven games. Roberts has also forced three fumbles and recovered one. He leads the team in quarterback hurries with nine. Roberts’ best game came against Penn, when he recorded 10 tackles, three sacks and forced two fumbles en route to a 31-17 victory. He was named Patriot League Player of the Week.
style, winning the 1000 yard freestyle in 10:36.07 at Marist. She later finished third place in the 500-yard, posting a time of 5:14.90. Mitchel was also a member of the 400-yard freestyle relay team, which put up at time of 3:38.30. The honor, as well as the meet, was the first of her career. The Rams will host Monmouth and Fairfield for a trimeet on Friday night at 5 p.m.
Junior safety Caleb Ham was named Patriot League Defenive Player of the Week after recording two interceptions and three tackles. The honor is Ham’s first of the season and the fifth overall for the Rams this season. His second interception played a key role in the Rams 17-14 victory, as it set up a game winning field goal. Ham’s two interceptions against Georgetown served as a solid follow up performance to his pick-six against Yale the week prior. Ham was also named College Sports Madness Patriot League Defensive Player of the Week. The Rams play at Lehigh on Saturday, with the game starting at 12:30 p.m.
The women’s basketball team has been picked to finish in sixth place according to a preseason coaches poll. The Rams finished in sixth place last season and won in the first round of the A-10 tournament before falling to Duquesne in round two. The team will return four starters — Hannah Missry, Danielle Burns, G’mrice Davis and Lauren Holden — as well as grad student Danielle Padavano. The season starts Nov 7 against Furman.
3 1
Men’s Swimming Fordham 138 Marist 103 1000-yd Freestyle (FOR) Semple 1st- 9:42.16
Athletes of the Week
With winds whipping at 40 miles per hour and the temperature below 50 degrees, Joe Trim faced heavy adversity on Saturday. Following a first round 71, which included a holein-one, Trim came out swinging in round two. He shot an unbelievable even par, putting him in first place overall, the first win of his career.
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– Compiled by Pat Costello
NBA Northwest Division Recap With summer having drawn to a close, various trades and signings have shaken up the NBA landscape. In anticipation of the 2016-2017 season, here are some of the highlights of the offseason in the Northwest Division. Upstart Trailblazers Continue on Their Rise in the West: After Portland took the league by surprise last year, they’re ready to prove that they’re a force to be reckoned with and not just a flash in the pan. It all starts with their dynamic duo: guards Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum are arguably the second-best backcourt in the league. Both can explode on offense and carry the Blazers for stretches, and Lillard’s ability to drain clutch shot after shot is a gift not many players possess. With complementary pieces like Mason Plumlee and Evan Turner, look for the Blazers to continue to wreak havoc in the East. Young Wolves Look to Feast This Season: This year, Minnesota is chomping at the bit to snatch a playoff berth in the Western Conference. With one of the best big men in the NBA in 20-year-old Karl Anthony Towns, they are already poised for a bright future. However, throw rising star Andrew Wiggins, combo guard dynamo Zach LaVine and rookie stud Kris Dunn into the mix, not to mention a great coach in Tom Thibodeau, and it becomes hard to imagine a near future in which the Timberwolves aren’t constantly contending for championships. Jazz Trying to Reach Their Potential (and the Playoffs): With injuries to Dante Exum, Rudy Gobert, Derrick Favors and Alec Burks throughout last season, the Jazz fell victim to misfortune and missed the playoffs by a single game. Despite previous turmoil, Utah is still an incredible defensive team with a quality scorer in Gordon Hayward. With coach Quin Snyder calling the shots and veterans like Joe Johnson, Boris Diaw and George Hill coming into the fold, this might be the year the Jazz get their act together and wins a playoff berth. The Thunder Live in Westbrook’s World Now: In a world where his running mate left to form a super team in the Golden State Warriors, one man is ready to rain fire on the rest of the league. With Kevin Durant’s departure, every single facet of the Oklahoma City Thunder’s game plan will revolve around and go through Russell Westbrook. The possibility of him averaging a triple double throughout the whole season is unbelievably in play. If Victor Oladipo can tread the balance between supporting Westbrook and getting out of his way, and if Enes Kanter and Steven Adams remain a productive frontcourt, Oklahoma City could be a team that no one will want to face. Nuggets Yet to Strike Gold: The Denver Nuggets are an enigma. They have young, valuable pieces like Emmanuel Mudiay, Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokic. They also have quality veterans like Danilo Galinari and Wilson Chandler. The Nuggets have decisions to make; not only do they need to determine the direction of the franchise in terms of youth, but they also need to figure out what they’re going to do with Kenneth Faried, a tenacious forward who provides solid production but simply doesn’t fit on the team. How Denver moves forward with Faried and their veterans will be telling of their future success.
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SPORTS
October 26, 2016
The Fordham Ram
Edmonds Breaks Record, Defense Shines By JACK MCLOONE
ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR
Fordham was able to take down Patriot League foe Georgetown 1714 on Saturday, but the Rams looked very different than they have in their previous games this season. For one thing, they needed to rely on junior running back Chase Edmonds even more than usual, which was fitting considering he was just 67 yards away from the school career rushing record. The Edmonds-focused offense was necessary due to the absence of senior starting quarterback Kevin Anderson, who received a one game suspension for violating team rules. This meant junior quarterback Luke Medlock had to step in for his first career Fordham start. But it was the defensive side of the ball that stepped up, as it saw the returns of junior linebacker Niko Thorpe and senior defensive lineman Manny Adeyeye for the first time this season. Thorpe was the Rams’ leading returning tackler coming into the season after racking up 78 total tackles last season. The Rams also got back senior defensive lineman Justin Vaughn, who had been having a stellar season before leaving the Lafayette game with an injury. Head coach Andrew Breiner underscored the importance of having those defenders back on the field. “It brings an attitude. It brings a confidence,” he said. “I think it was easy to see that it gave us that juice. The defensive performance was just outstanding.” The Rams defense played their best game of the season so far, holding the Hoyas to just 167 yards of total offense, including -2 yards on the ground. The strength of the defense allowed the Rams to grind out a tight victory. Predictably, the game started off with a lot of Edmonds. He gained 40
COURTESY OF FORDHAM ATHLETICS
Chase Edmonds breaks through a tackle. He brought his career rushing total to 4730, setting the new Fordham record.
yards on the opening drive, which was capped off with a pass over the middle to senior receiver Robbie Cantelli for a three-yard touchdown. The Rams were up 7-0 after the opening drive. The Rams defense made their presence known right away, forcing the first of seven three-and-outs of the day on the Hoyas’ first drive. The stand included a tackle for a loss by graduate student David Barletta and a sack by sophomore linebacker JM Nocket. Sophomore returner Corey Caddle misplayed the ensuing punt in the sloppy weather, letting the Hoyas recover the ball in Fordham territory. But the defense stepped right back up, with senior defensive back Jihaad Pretlow coming away with an interception early in the next drive. Medlock took advantage of the new possession, uncorking a beautiful throw to split double coverage down the seam to once again find Cantelli, this time for a 37-yard score. With 3:48 left in the first quarter, the Rams were up 14-0 without their starting quarterback, and their backup had already thrown two touchdowns. The Hoyas finally answered back
on their next possession in really the only bad play of the day for the defense. Quarterback Clay Norris found a leaping Brandon Williams down the sideline for a 59-yard touchdown, making the score 14-7. The first quarter would end with the same score, but the big story was still Edmonds: he racked up 60 yards on 12 carries in the first quarter, meaning he was just seven yards away from the record. However, the offense then stalled dramatically. With the Rams having already given up one blocked punt on the day that the defense kept from being turned into points, the Hoyas special teams unit once again got a hand on a ball from senior punter Joe Pavlik. They recovered the ball on the Fordham 10-yard line, and there was nothing the defense could do. Try as they might, they could not keep Georgetown out of the end zone, and the Hoyas tied the game up at 14 with 11:27 left in the half. At this point, turnovers for both sides started amassing in an incredible fashion, though none turned into points. The second quarter featured two Fordham fumbles and one Hoya fumble as well as an interception for each side, though none of the turn-
overs translated into points. The offenses for both sides stalled for the rest of the half. Edmonds was actually held to -1 rushing yards in the quarter. While neither team scored in the third quarter, there were some notable moments. The first came on a very run-of-the-mill rush for Edmonds up the middle for eight yards. With that carry, he became Fordham’s all-time leading rusher, passing Kirwain Williams with 4618 yards. “Congratulations to Chase for breaking that record,” said Breiner. “That’s a special thing, to be a career record holder at a Division I institution.” The team had to rely on Edmonds even more just one drive later, as Medlock was absolutely crushed and left with a concussion, leading to the entrance of sophomore Colton Smith. Luckily, the other side of the ball was continuing its success, keeping Georgetown from even sniffing points. “For the defense to have that kind of momentum and not let the momentum get away from us, for the whole team it was very important,” said Edmonds.
The Rams could almost taste a lead late in the fourth quarter, when they tried to convert on a fourth-and-1 on the goal line but were rebuffed. But the defense once again stood tall, with senior linebacker George Dawson laying a huge hit on the Hoya quarterback and forcing him to loft the ball into the air for an easy interception for junior defensive back Caleb Ham, his second of the day. Facing a third and short with time ticking away, Smith made what may have been the play of the game. “They presented a look that they were going to blitz right into the run and Colton does exactly what we taught him to do on the very first day, which is throw out to the bubble,” said Breiner. Smith completed that pass, his only completed pass of the day, which would help put the Rams in field goal range and allow them to take the 1714 lead off the leg of senior kicker Makay Redd, a lead they carried to the final whistle. “I can’t put into words how proud I am of this football team,” said Breiner. “The adversity that we faced coming into the game, to have bad things happen – a lot of them within our control – turnovers, special teams errors, but no one flinched. No one panicked. Then Luke goes out. Again, no one panicked… It’s such a blanket term but that is the picture to me, the definition of a ‘team win’.” With a record-breaking performance and incredible defensive play, the Rams were able to eke out another crucial Patriot League victory, bringing them to 2-0 in conference play and 5-2 overall. Their next game will be the biggest of the season, on the road this Saturday at 1 p.m. against Lehigh, the current leader in the Patriot League standings at 3-0. “Next week, we’re going to have to really grit up and make sure we play complementary football,” said Edmonds. “We’re playing a great Lehigh team and that’s going to be fun.”
Department of Defense Takes The Offensive By PAT COSTELLO
ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR
Following a 0-0 double overtime tie against George Washington, the women’s soccer team marched into Senior Day with the intent of winning the final home game of the season. All eight seniors earned a starting spot against the Richmond Spiders, something that senior captain and defender Ally Doyle relished. “It was a once in a lifetime experience to be able to play on the field with all of the seniors at one time,” she said. The scoring started early, but came from an unexpected source. In the sixth minute the Rams earned a corner kick. Sophomore midfielder Brooke Salmon tapped the ball in to Doyle, who lofted a cross into the box, where it found the forehead of fellow captain and backline-mate, senior Nicole Bates. Bates flicked the header past the Richmond goalie for her third goal of the season. “Being able to assist Bates on her goal and score a goal myself was an unbelievable feeling and for it to happen on Senior Day was a whole different experience,” said Doyle. “I am so grate-
ANDREA GARCIA/THE FORDHAM RAM
Rachel Collage (5, left) and Natalie Sims (6, right) converge on the ball.
ful we all got to celebrate Bates’ goal together.” The Spiders found a quick response in the 19th minute off the foot of Brooke Beam, knotting the score at one goal apiece, where it would remain for the rest of the half. Shortly after the beginning of the second half, the Rams were given another corner kick. Again, Salmon played the ball in to Doyle, but this time Doyle took a shot of her own. She sent a rocket towards the goal that blazed by the goalie and into the
back of the net. Doyle threw her arms up, shocked that her first career goal had just gone in. “I definitely surprised myself,” she said. “I have been playing center back my entire career here and never thought the day would come that I would score a goal, let alone on our senior day. I always made it a goal to score at least one goal during my career and I’m glad I could finally check that one off the list… I couldn’t have asked for a better day.” The seniors who had become so synonymous with defense proved
that they had a knack for the offensive game as well. The Bates and Doyle goals would be all that the Rams would need, but not all that they would get. Senior forward Nicol Natale, a player who has gained the nickname “Little” due to her small stature, came up big for the Rams in the 84th minute. Natale has been battling a shoulder injury all week after dislocating it during practice a few days ago. “It’s a little sore, but with only a few weeks left of my last season, it’s nothing I can’t play through,” she said. Na-
tale shrugged off the injury and made her presence known. After intercepting an ill-advised pass, “Little” juked a Richmond defender and flicked her fourth goal of the season into the back of the net, pushing her career high for a season even further. Her goal sealed the game for the Rams, which they won 3-1. The Department of Defense, Natale and the Rams still have their work cut out for them, with games at Davidson and George Mason to end the regular season. “We know we have to walk away with points on the weekend,” said head coach Jessica Clinton. “Winning one game this weekend I believe would help us clinch a spot, but winning two makes things so much easier.” “We’ve put some pressure on ourselves at the end of the season to pull off two wins on the road, but this is a team that can pull it off,” she added. “They’ve been in a situation like this before and they’ve come out successful.” The Rams play Davidson on Oct. 27th in North Carolina.