Volume 98 Issue 3

The Fordham Ram Serving The Fordham dh University Community Since 1918 Volume 98, Issue 3

FordhamRam.com

February 10, 2016

Fordham RFP Receives Bidders Revealed Record Apps

Hochul presented Governor Cuomo’s plan for New York to Fordham students and faculty.

COURTESY OF FLICKR

Lieutenant Governor Presents “State of State” Address at Fordham

By MIKE BYRNE ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo’s message of reform and progress has reached Fordham University’s Rose Hill campus. On Wednesday Feb. 3, Kathy Hochul, Lieutenant Governor of the state of New York, presented Cuomo’s State of the State and Executive Budget Address to a crowd of Fordham students and faculty.

Rev. Joseph M. McShane, S.J., president of the university, opened the event by thanking Cuomo for maintaining the fund-

ing of opportunity programs such as Higher Education Opportunity Program (HEOP), the Collegiate Science and Technology Entry Program (CSTEP) and the Liberty Partnership. “We look forward to working with the governor and with his administration in ensuring that New York State continues to attract brilliant and talented students regardless of their economic circumstances from across the state and across the nation,” McShane said.

Hochul, who previously served as a New York State Representative, began the address by focus-

Fordham Prep Copes with Recent Student Deaths

By ERIN SHANAHAN NEWS EDITOR

Students, parents and staff at Fordham Preparatory School continued to mourn the loss of two sophomores during the past month as the school held meetings and brought in counselors to help its community cope with the tragedies.

Rev. Christopher J. Devron, S.J., president of Fordham Preparatory School, said that the Fordham University administration has been assisting the all-boys high school located on the Rose Hill campus.

in this issue

Opinion Page 7

B.O.B.’s Theory Undermines Intellectualism

Culture Page 12 Barbie Dolls Introduce Diversity

Sports Page 20 Women’s Basketball Picks Up Key Road Win

“So many people at the university — from the President, Fr. McShane, S.J., to John Carroll at the Office of Public Safety — have offered us practical support, resources and special attention and care to their younger brothers at the Prep,” Devron said in an email to The Fordham Ram. Fordham Prep is technically not part of Fordham University, having become independent in 1972.

“It’s wonderful to experience, at a time of great need, how our shared Jesuit mission transcends our institutional boundaries,” Devron said.

A Fordham Prep student was killed at Philipse Manor train station in Sleepy Hollow in Westchester County on Jan. 18. The sophomore was struck and killed by a MetroNorth train after police say he deliberately stepped in front of it.

A second student from Fordham Preparatory School was fatally struck by a Metro-North train in the Bronx last week.

Prep students were made aware of the second fatality last Tuesday morning, Feb. 2, while in their small mentor groups.

“Our teachers shared the news of their classmate’s death with all stuSEE PREP, PAGE 3

ing on the Bronx. “This is a tremendous community…I really sense that there is optimism occurring,” Hochul commented.

She explained that since the governor had taken office in 2011, the unemployment rate of the Bronx decreased from over 12 percent to six percent.

She also described the Bronx Unemployment Strike Force which the governor, the borough president and other elected officials formed a year and a half ago. “It’s a strategic way to identify areas of the population SEE STATE, PAGE 5

By THERESA SCHLIEP

By ERIN SHANAHAN

ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR

NEWS EDITOR

The four dining companies involved in the Request for Proposals (RFP) process are Sodexo, Compass Group, Aramark Corporation and CulinArt Group, according to Deming Yaun, University Dining Contract Liaison. The proposals will now be due Feb. 19, instead of a previous Feb. 16 deadline.

In an interview with The Fordham Ram, Yaun said that the decision to terminate Sodexo’s contract was a mutual one.

“Its unfortunate that there have been some challenges and while some of those appear to have been resolving, we thought we really need to take a time out,” said Yaun.

Three of the four companies involved in the RFP process are in the top 50 largest U.S. foodservice management companies, according to a Food Management ranking released in 2012. Sodexo, Inc. is third, Aramark Corp. is second and Compass Group North America is the first largest.

CulinArt is a smaller company, operating out of Plainview, New York. Yaun had previously worked for Aramark and Sodexo, but was not familiar with CulinArt.

44,343 applications have been received by Fordham University for the undergraduate Class of 2020, according to Fordham’s Office of Admissions. This is a record high for the university.

Associate Vice President for enrollment John W. Buckley said this application pool appears to be particularly diverse. Applications came from all 50 states and over 125 countries. This year, about 4,332 applications came in from international students applying to Fordham. This is a 17 percent increase from last year’s international application pool of 3,690.

“We’ve built strong relationships with guidance counselors nationally and abroad,” Buckley said in a Fordham Notes article. “In addition to the inherent strengths of the university, international students love our location in New York City. It’s a global city, and students from diverse backgrounds find it very appealing.”

As a whole, this year marks the 25th consecutive cycle of application growth. This growth may have been due to the reintroduction of the early decision option.

This category of applications is

SEE SODEXO, PAGE 3

SEE ADMISSIONS, PAGE 3

Fewer Fordham graduates are employed six months after graduation, as compared to graduates at peer institutions

The above data for all schools was from the Class of 2014, as peer institutions have not released their Class of 2015 first destination reports.

CATE CARREJO/FORDHAM RAM

One in 10 Still Seek Work Six Months After Fordham Graduation: Report

By LAURA SANICOLA EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

One in 10 Fordham graduates from the Class of 2015 were not employed, doing service or pursuing further education within six months of graduation, according to new information released by the Office of Institutional Research.

59 percent of the Class of 2015 was fully employeed six months after graduation, a slight drop from the previous year. Ten percent were still seeking employment. In comparison, the Class of 2014 at Georgetown University boasted 71 percent of students employed full time during this period, and New York University saw 85 percent of its studetns employed full time,

according to those universities’ websites.

According to Fordham’s website, the Office of Career Services reached out to every member of the Class of 2015 and was able to learn the “first destination” of 98.2 percent of the graduates, which it states is “an exceptionally high response rate.”

SEE DATA, PAGE 6

NEWS

Page 2

PUBLIC SAFETY BRIEFS Feb. 5 Walsh Hall 10:30 p.m.

An alarm was set off by a student cooking on a stove. The New York Fire Department responded and the room was vented. There was no damage and no injuries.

Feb. 5 9:25 p.m.

Lombardi Center A former student used his old Fordham ID card to bring six guests into the Lombardi Center.

He also used a current student’s ID to bring another six students in. The Public Safety Supervisor was notified and both ID cards were confiscated. The former student and his guests were asked to leave, which they did.

Feb. 7 Campbell Hall 12:00 a.m.

A smoke alarm was activated by students cooking popcorn. The New York Fire Department responded and the floor was evacuated. There was no damage or injury and the system was reset.

Feb. 9 Botanical Gardens MetroNorth station 4:54 p.m.

A Fordham Preparatory student reported that he was robbed by three males, one of whom reached into his sweatshirt to show that he had a weapon. The student complied and gave the assailants his money. The men were described as being 16 to 19 years old and continued walking southbound on Southern Boulevard toward east Fordham Road after the robbery.

February 10, 2016

Journal From Abroad

Behind the Instagrams

By KATIE SCOTT CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Studying abroad: visions of visiting a laundry list of countries, eating the best food, exploring the world with the best people and posting better Instagrams than all of your friends at home come to an end. One assumes that there will be plenty to see, and plenty to do. After traveling from London to Sweden, traveling was as easy as hopping on a train in Malmo and arriving in Copenhagen, Denmark, in the short span of about 30 minutes.

While it is true that you can experience the best aspects of new and different cultures and can easily travel from Sweden to Denmark by train, this idea of traveling from country to country and exploring aimlessly is not “easy” or simple by any means. You have to be smart, aware and careful with every step you take. You have to be open-minded, but stay true to yourself.

Coming from America and being a newbie to London for this semester, I wondered how I would put my best foot forward when exploring outside of the U.K. I decided to stay openminded, but remain true to myself. From country to country, things operate very differently.

That train from Sweden to Denmark, for example? I learned

from Reuters upon arriving to Copenhagen that, “Starting January 4, 2016, all Sweden-bound trains will be stopped for mandatory identification checks.” Even though travellers have been able to cross borders between the two Nordic countries without passports since the late 1950s, “Sweden recently instigated tightened border controls and asylum rules as an attempt to slow an influx of migrants from war-torn Syria and elsewhere,” Reuters reported. It just so happens that these new regulations were put into place the month that I decided to study abroad. Life will always throw you a curveball, so you have to accept that things will never go exactly how you plan them. The passport checks extend the train ride from 31 minutes to an average of 45 minutes. Not only are the stricter checks and added ride time an unexpected inconvenience for me as a traveler, but more-so for the 16,000 people that make the trip every day.

It is key to stay open-minded, and adapt to inconvenience.

When in Rome, do as the Romans do. Americans wouldn’t normally expect to have such a thorough passport check on a short train ride, especially when it is known that the same precautions are not reciprocated for trains entering Denmark from Sweden, but the country makes the rules — not

you. Allow yourself extra buffer time to your trip because it will make up for the ambiguous passport checks that could take longer than expected. Always be prepared with your passport and ticket. From my personal experiences on all forms of public transportation in Sweden and Denmark, tickets are almost never checked.

There is no system of swiping in for the subway and the train staff did not hole-punch train tickets.

However, stay true to yourself, and always do the right thing. Remember that buying a ticket for your ride is always the right thing to do. I know some other fellow study-abroad students who traveled on this specific train without tickets (since public transportation cost are hefty), and by a very off-chance, were caught and fined about $100 for traveling without a ticket. You never know what will happen, but always follow your moral compass.

Being open-minded has guided me in more ways than simply navigating the train from Denmark to Sweden during my study abroad experience. As I mentioned earlier, studying abroad is not as dreamlike as it may seem from your friends’ Instagram accounts.

It is no vacation — it is a wakeup call. It is life slapping you in the face and showing you what the real world is really like on your own. The highest highs come with

— Compiled by Michael Byrne

Follow us on Twitter! @TheFordhamRam KATIE SCOTT/ THE FORDHAM RAM

Katie Scott has learned that despite picturesque Instagram opportunities, studying abroad is not all Kodak moments.

the lowest lows. You will have to plan your weekend vacations far in advance and be responsible for securing every flight, train and hotel without help from your parents. You will be forced to overcome the unavoidable obstacles that come with living with eight girls in an insanely small, old flat.

You will cram studying for your management test in the airport after an exhausting weekend. You will catch a 24 hour bug in Rome, and throw up 15 times while your friends are visiting the Coliseum.

You will cry in a smelly airport bathroom after a phone call with your mom on your birthday, because you miss her and your twin brother a little bit extra that day.

Your phone will break in Sweden, and you’ll have to figure out how to take the train to the nearest Apple store, which isn’t that close.

Your goals will clash with your travel buddies’, and you’ll end up spending a day in Copenhagen alone, navigating and planning your own to-do list for that one day you have to explore.

However, if you stay openminded, and stay true to yourself, you will have a better time than you thought imaginable. You will see the most beautiful sunset from the top of a castle in Wales.

You will take a boat ride for only three pounds in Cardiff Bay, and learn how the captain chose a life on the water under his own terms over a structured desk job. You will ride a bike along the canals in Copenhagen and still find reasons to smile even when it starts to rain. You will eat the biggest and best cone of Gelato you have ever tasted in Rome. You will see the biggest double rainbow over the River Thames in London.

You will take advantage of the opportunities to travel that you are lucky enough to have. You will discover more than what you were looking for.

While studying abroad, you are quickly forced into being more independent than you’ve ever been — and that means being self-sufficient. Have an attitude that is welcoming to any and all new experiences. At the same time, never forget who you are and what you stand for. Studying abroad is an incredible experience, if you learn how to play the game right. The reward is there, but you have to work for it. From the surface, that pretty Instagram account with eye-catching study abroad photos can seem perfect and easy. However, behind the pictures is the photographer who worked through many obstacles and earned valuable life lessons before capturing that picturesque moment on his or her iPhone camera.

This Week at Fordham Saturday Feb. 13

Sunday Feb. 14

Tuesday Feb. 16

Tuesday Feb. 16

Rodrigue’s Birthday Concert

CAB ‘s WAC February Bingo

Legacy of Dorothy Day

McGinley Ballroom 6:30 p.m.-7:30 p.m.

RHA’s Annual Benefit Auction

Rodrigue’s Coffee House 8 p.m.-11:30 p.m.

Keating 1st 9 p.m.-10 p.m.

McGinley Ballroom 7:30 p.m.-10:30 p.m.

The Campus Activities Board will be hosting “A Jesuit’s Guide to a Successful Relationships” with the new Vice President for Mission Integration and Planning, Michael C. McCarthy, S.J.

Rodrigue’s coffee house will be hosting a concert in celebration of their 25th year in operation.

Alumni bands such as Penrose, Doubting Thomas Cruise Control, Hiroki Saki, Dylan Earl and Abhay Singh and Friends will be in attendance.

The Campus Activities Board will be hosting their monthly game of bingo. The first board is free, and all additional boards are one dollar. Four rounds of bingo will be played for a variety of prizes.

The Residence Halls Association will be hosting their annual benefit auction as part of “The Series.” This philanthropic series of events raises money for The B+ Foundation, an organization that sponsors pediatric cancer research and helps families affected by pediatric cancer.

Thursday Feb. 11 Bucket List with Father McCarthy

The Saint Ignatius Room 8 p.m.-9 p.m.

Students for Fair Trade, along with Campus Ministry and the Dorothy Day Center for Service and Justice, will be hosting a presentation on the life of Dorothy Day, with Martha Hennessy, granddaughter of Dorothy Day and director of the Dorothy Day Center will be in attendance.

NEWS

February 10, 2016

Page 3

Psychologist Assists Fordham Prep Students FROM PREP, PAGE 1

dents,” Devron said. “It was a very safe and protected environment.”

Fordham Prep and Fordham University brought in Dr. Amelio D’Onofrio, Clinical Professor and Director of the Psychological Services Institute. “Dr. D’Onofrio is a respected psychologist, published author and an authority in the field of adolescent mental health, selfdestructive behavior, suicide and depression,” Devron said. “The university Counseling Center also sent additional clinicians to assist our Prep counselors.”

Dr. D’Onofrio, who is an alumnus of Fordham Preparatory, and the faculty have been working with students and parents to provide information about suicide factors, risks, prevention and coping mechanisms. The school also held a special meeting with parents on Thursday regarding this information.

In addition, the Fordham Prep administration has mobilized what it calls the “Prep Crisis Team.” This team includes counselors, a clinical social worker, members of Campus Ministry, teachers and staff according to Devron. “These resources were organized in order to offer support and assistance to our student body,” he said.

Fellow Prep students supported one another following the tragedies as well. Notes with words of inspiration were posted by students on every locker at the Prep last week, saying things like, “You are loved.”

A post on Fordham Prep’s Facebook page with pictures of the notes received over 100 comments in support of the community.

Fordham Prep parent Sheila Healy commented, “I am a Prep mom. I wanted to add that this idea came from 15 students. They thought of it. Asked permission to execute it.

And did it from their hearts.”

Alex Farah, Fordham Prep ’12 and FCRH ’16, reacted on Facebook to the locker photo by saying, “This is what FP is. Men for others.”

Devron also brought the community together in the University Church to celebrate a Mass of Hope and Healing on Sunday morning, Feb. 7. In his homily, Devron called for the community to stand together and continue the process of healing after such a difficult tragedy.

“Today and in the days to come, stay in the boat with your brothers and with the Lord who stills the waves and instills in us a greater wind — the Holy Spirit — God’s ultimate gift of peace and calm,” Father Devron said in his homily,

“With the Holy Spirit’s peace problems get transformed into possibilities, negatives turn to positives, defeat into victory, stumbling blocks into stepping stones and crucifixions into resurrections.”

Devron called for Fordham University students to help look out for their younger counterparts at the Prep.

“Since Prep and university students share the same campus, if you encounter a Prep student on campus about whom you are worried, please contact the Office of Public Safety or our Dean of Students, Mr. Steve Pettus by calling the Prep at (718) 367-7500. Taking that first step is very important.”

Dr. Jeffrey Ng, director of Counseling and Psychological Services at Fordham University, also called for Fordham students to take action and help prevent suicide.

“As a community, I think it’s critically important for us to recognize that mental health and suicide prevention is everyone’s responsibility,” Ng said.

“Framing vulnerability as a normal part of the human experience and help-seeking as a sign of strength contributes significantly to reducing suicide risk on campus, especially in the context of recent trag-

edies like those at Fordham Prep.”

Devron asked the Fordham community to continue offering support for the students at the Prep.

“Times like this remind us of both the fragility and the value of life,” he told The Fordham Ram. “May your Jesuit education at Fordham and our collective reflection on these tragedies, inspire in all of us a greater commitment to become ‘women and men for others.’”

Fordham’s Dean of Students Christopher Rodgers provided the following information about resources for students in crisis: In any emergency, please call Public Safety at (718) 817-2222 immediately. At Rose Hill, counseling is available through Counseling and Psychological Services in the basement of O’Hare Hall: (718) 817-3725 or by calling Campus Ministry at (718) 817-4500.

Students may also contact Christopher Rodgers, dean of students at Rose Hill, at (718) 817-4755/ deanrodgers@fordham.edu or their resident assistant or resident director for assistance. Members of the University community can also call Public Safety at any time at (718) 817-2222 with questions about counseling services or requests for assistance.

Sodexo Liason Speaks Out on Ranking FROM SODEXO, PAGE 1

“CulinArt is new to me and very fascinating to work with,” said Yaun.

Sodexo’s contract with Fordham is to be terminated June 30, 2016. A contract from 2013 stipulated that if Sodexo had not removed itself from The Princeton Review’s “Is It Food?” rankings

by August of 2016, the company would incur a $3 million financial penalty. Fordham’s dining services ranked 13 on that list this year.

Under this new agreement, Sodexo will avoid that penalty.

Yaun said that this was because of timing.

“Our fiscal year ends June 30,” said Yaun. “There is no good time, but it is just about the slowest point of the year, so if we brought in a new company, we want representatives on campus early if we make the change. We did not want to wait till June 30, 2017 for a renewed approach to Fordham dining. Those factors overrode our decision to stay to that commitment.”

Additionally, the timing of The Princeton Review surveys played a role. Fordham and Sodexo had made the 2013 contract anticipating The Princeton Review would publish in August 2016, according to Yaun.

“We are not going to be surveyed before August 2016,” Yaun explained. “At the time that date was selected, we were looking at being surveyed October 2015, with the results published in August 2016. They only publish once a year, so it made sense at the time. So we went for the early survey in February, because we were confident since our [internal survey] scores had gone up so high.”

“We did better, but we didn’t do as well as we would have liked.”

Sodexo might face smaller financial penalties due to other Key Risk Indicator goals, which include overall satisfaction, speed of service, friendliness of staff, ability to answer questions and customer knowledge of how to report feedback.

“We do have our annual scores that we agreed to last May on all of these criteria. Those add up to a much smaller penalty if they’re all enacted. But, they could incur a penalty for those,” said Yaun.

Yaun also discussed discrepancies between Fordham’s presence on the worst food list rankings and internal surveys depicting around an 80 percent satisfied or highly satisfied rate in Fordham students.

“Go back to 2012 when we were number one on the worst food list. Our internal scores of overall satisfaction, students responding satisfied or highly satisfied, was four percent. So we matched, totally. We got up into the sixties in the subsequent years, and then the eighties. The Princeton Review does surveys every three years. So the only way we went from one to seven is that other schools came in worse.”

Yaun had questions regarding The Princeton Review’s survey mechanisms.

“Do they add new data to the old data, or are they just shoving out the old data and using the new?” Yaun said. “My guess is they’re adding it to the old, because how can there be this discrepancy. But, thats the thing that is public.”

An explanation on The Princeton Review’s website detailed its surveys.

“We conduct these ‘official surveys’ more often once every three years if the colleges request that we do so or if we deem it necessary for one reason or another,”

it says. “About 80 to 85 percent of students have indicated our profile on their school was ‘extremely’ or ‘very’ accurate.”

The proposals are now due Friday, Feb. 19 at noon. There are various criteria that must be addressed for the RFP outline.

For example, programmatic expectations include, but are not limited to, excellent quality and a culturally diverse menu. Fair wages, employee benefits and industry leading practices must be addressed in the proposals, amongst other human resources criteria.

Fordham University has one of the highest room and board rates in the country, but has been unable to get off The Princeton Review’s worst food list in the past few years.

Yaun said that an increase in retail sales would decrease food

plan prices.

“The more we can do that, the more we can take the pressure off of resident dining,” Yaun said.

Amongst grievances about the food, the chance of dining services employees losing their jobs has concerned many students.

“I am not always thrilled with the food here, but I am concerned about losing the employees,” said Samantha Trabattoni, GSB ’19.

“They’re so friendly and everyone is on a first name basis with them. It would be a shame to lose them.”

Yaun stated the likelihood that they will be rehired. “Generally, companies will typically keep the vast majority of the workers,” he said.

The companies will be having presentations of their proposals the week of March 7.

Record Applications Received FROM ADMISSIONS, PAGE 1

for hopeful students who are sure of their commitment to Fordham University. In other words, by applying in this category, students commit to enrolling at Fordham upon acceptance. This category is different than “early action” which is a non-binding early application process.

According to the Office of Admissions, the early action program was reinstated for several reasons.

However, its success was the top motivator. As a result, the option was made available to applicants for the first time in more than 15 years.

“More than 19,000 students applied under the early action or early decision options,” Buckley said in the article, “which marked another record for Fordham.”

Early action and early decision applications were due Nov. 1. Decisions were announced just prior to the winter holidays for these students.

Buckley felt that Fordham’s campus experience helped to increase the amount of applications received.

“I think we do a very strong job of encouraging students to visit campus, and when they visit campus we provide them with a good experience,” Buckley said in the article. “Our number of visitors this year was record volume. We had lots of people coming through on tours, information sessions and open houses, which I think is critically important as part of the college search process, because it allows students and families to have a firsthand experience [of Fordham].”

Regular decision applications were due Jan. 1 and admissions are still sorting through all the applications. However, despite the record 44,343 applications received, the admissions department is currently aiming for just 2,135 students to enroll in the Class of 2020, according to Buckley.

Potential students will be notified of Fordham’s Office of Admissions decision by April 1.

KATE MACKIE/FODHAM RAM

Sodexo is one of four potential dining services providers involved in the Request for Proposals process.

NEWS

Page 4

February 10, 2016

Fordham In The Bronx

Seeking Healing at the Bronx’s Botanicas

MICHAEL DOBUSKI/ THE FORDHAM RAM

Shops like Sundial Herbal Products incorporate differenct cultures in their medicinal products.

By MICHAEL DOBUSKI BRONX CORRESPONDENT

Santeria is an Afro-Caribbean religion born out of Cuban slave culture in the early sixteenth century. It mixes traditional aspects of the Yoruba religion of old Nigeria with Catholic elements, making it a “syncretic” religion. In essence, Santeria exists due to a need for the slaves of Cuba, who were living in an extremely trying cultural climate at the time, to preserve their heritage and customs from their homes in Africa.

Fast forward to the 1950s, as the descendants of those slaves began to stream into the Bronx, particularly the Bronx River area and the South Bronx, which is why places like Sundial Herbal Product exist. A big part of Santeria is the use of traditional herbs, religious memorabilia and incensed potions as remedies for anything from physical ailment to emotional disposition. Owned and operated by Baba Rahsan Abdul Hakim, or “Pops Baba” as he is known by close friends, Sundial is what one customer calls a “nutritional oasis” in the health food desert that characterizes the rest of the Bronx. Sundial is a botanica-type of emporium for all the mind, body and soul remedies, catering primarily to Latino and Caribbean immigrants.

Hakim is his family’s designated healer — a bush doctor in the most traditional sense. Starting at the age of eight, he began the tradition of

making the tonics and medicines that line Sundial’s unvarnished wooden shelves. Hakim learned from the best: his great-great-grandfather, also the family healer — who was a direct descendant of the Koromantee Tribe — and his grandfather, Charles Williams, who was instrumental to the introduction of several important plants to Jamaica as well as the developer of the largest botanical government in the Caribbean.

Sundial carries a number of products that are especially rare in the United States, such as sorrel, a sort of spiced Jamaican iced tea traditionally consumed around Christmas or New Years. Also stocked are Koromantee Corkscrew Bitters, which are used in everything from weight loss remedies to “Sundial African Man Back Tonic,” which carries the perhaps intentionally-vague promise of restoring one’s manhood.

It appears as if the stigma surrounding things such as holistic medicine, bush doctors and the like is being roundly ignored by the Bronx. Since its inception in the 1970s, Sundial has all but become a local landmark, with Pops Baba appearing regularly on local television.

He has a program on AM radio that broadcasts for an hour every Friday morning and he even published a book in 1985 titled, “Basic Herbs for Health and Healing”.

Sundial is far from the only Bronx business centered around Santeria’s

herbal healers. La 21 Division Botanica on the Grand Concourse was founded in 1996 and carries a wide variety of folk remedies recognizable to those familiar with Afro-Cuban culture. This botanica features an entire section dedicated to potted plants, as well as the requisite reli-

gious figurines, healing potions and votive candles. They also provide religious consultations in a secluded back room. These consultations are for anyone and allow even those who don’t belong to a particular faith to partake in the practices of a given religion. What does that mean? Customers are consulted via a number of different divinatory techniques, including Spanish cards, tarot cards and cowry shells, depending on that particular customer’s faith.

One of the more visible botanicas is Original Products, known to many Fordham students simply as “the Santeria store.” Located on the corner of Webster and East 189th street, Original Products has been in operation since its founding in 1959

by Turkish immigrants and touts itself as the “premier source for all your Spiritual, New Age and Occult products.” In addition to Santeria, Original Products also caters to voodoo and Wicca crowds and claims to be the largest botanica on the East Coast.

The building itself used to be an A&P supermarket. While its ground floor serves as the establishment’s primary retail area, many of the original prod-

ucts of Original Products are made by staff members in the store’s basement. The building’s second floor is rented out to the Pagan Center of New York, that holds witchcraft rituals officiated by the Bronx’s resident Wiccan high priestess, Lady Rhea.

Original Products turns an approximate $3 million annual profit, helped in no small part by their biggest customer, a distributer in Holland who buys at least one forty-foot container of goods per year.

New York City’s botanicas, specifically those found in the Bronx, are the subject of an ongoing study

by Dr. Ina Vandebroek, an ethnobotanist from the New York Botanical Gardens. Her goal is to provide a comprehensive list of the uses, potential dangers and health benefits of the extreme variety of merchandise offered at places like Sundial Herbal Product, La 21 Division Botanica and Original Products. Her work would provide medical advice that is both culturally aware and effective to the Bronx community and the larger population who use medicinal herbs.

The study is expected to be published later this year.

ANDREA GARCIA/THE FORDHAM RAM

Manhattan From The Brooklyn Bridge From Manhattan, this sculpture by the Brooklyn based artist Deborah Kass reads “Yo”. From Dumbo, Brooklyn, it reads “Oy”. It is easily accessible by walking accross the Brooklyn Bridge.

Campus Briefs & Bites Student Travels to Jordan to Study Water Conservation

Global Outreach Takes Students Through New York

Faculty Honored at Arts and Sciences Faculty Day

Fordham Assistant Professor Writes Book on Food Justice

Miranda Morton, FCRH ’16, travelled to Amman, Jordan, in order to study the politics of water security and conservation.

While she is there, she will learn Arabic and focus on the environment and methods to solve the water problems plaguing the Middle East. Morton is a recipient of the Boren Scholarship, provided by National Security Education Program, which aims to have students learn languages that are not often taught in university in various countries throughout the world. As a part of the scholarship, Morton will work with the federal government for one year after she graduates. Morton has said that she hopes to work in the State Department’s Bureau of Oceans and International and Environmental and Scientific Affairs.

This will allow her to help with policies that focus on water conservation and environmental protection in the Middle East.

During winter break, a group of ten Fordham students spent time participating in service projects and visiting various cultural sites in New York City. Global Outreach, the program that sponsors the trip, has created many opportunities for Fordham students to get involved in service projects all around the globe. From Jan. 7-17 the ten students stayed at Our Lady of Refuge Rectory in Kingsbridge and primarily focused their attention on the Bronx.

The students helped in an after-school program, assisted in fixing a house and distributed supplies to the homeless. Colette Berg, FCRH ’16, led the trip and said that she hoped that working with different volunteer organizations would show students how many opportunities they have to get involved in their community. “There are so many ways of serving the community, and we wanted to discuss what speaks to us the most,” Berg said in a Fordham Notes article.

On Feb. 5, Fordham hosted the Arts and Sciences Faculty Day. Anne E. Fernald, Ph.D. and professor of English and women’s studies at Fordham College Lincoln Center, gave a talk entitled “Choice and Change: Modern Women, 1910-1950,” in which she discussed the lives of various women throughout history. The night included a reception in which awards of excellence were given. The Award for Excellence in Graduate Teaching went to Associate Professor of Psychology Rachel Annunziato, Ph.D. The award for Undergraduate Teaching in the Social Sciences went to Associate Professor of Communication and Media Studies Amy Aronson, Ph.D. The Award for Undergraduate Teaching in Science and Mathematics went to Assistant Professor of Chemistry Amy Balija, Ph.D. Finally, the Award for Excellence Undergraduate Teaching in the Humanities went to Frank Boyle, Ph.D.

Garrett Broad, Ph.D., assistant professor of Communications and Media Studies, published a book titled “More Than Just Food: Food Justice and Community Change.” The book discusses the access, or lack thereof, to information on food systems to marginalized communities. Both the information insufficient and the availability of inexpensive and nutritional food are insufficient. The reason for this, Broad argued, is because of structural racism and socioeconomic inequality.

A result of this food disparity is a decrease in the quality of life for marginalized people, including health repercussions. In his novel, Broad offers both reasons and solutiond for this institutionalized inequality. Broad’s book was published on Feb. 9 by University of California Press, and is available for purchase on Amazon.com. Much of Broad’s research focuses on environmental issues in the digital age, especially in regard to local and global food systems.

NEWS

February 10, 2016

Page 5

Office of Multicultural Affairs Plans Race Relations Initiatives

By SHEA REDWINE STAFF WRITER

The Office of Multicultural Affairs (OMA) is currently developing programs to institute change in race relations following last semester’s bias incidents.

Dean Juan Matos, who is in his second year as dean of the Office of Multicultural Affairs, received the 2016 Outstanding Midlevel Professional award from the Latino(a) Knowledge Community through Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education, an umbrella organization for student affairs.

“The biggest thing we are working on right now is trying to create a program specifically about race,” said Matos.

The Office of Multicultural Affairs began conducting focus groups on race relations with Diversity Peer Leaders (DPLs) and is now reaching out to clubs and organizations on campus. Additionally, OMA is researching similar programs at other institutions, but the type of program that the Office of Multicultural Affairs plans to create is not yet found at any other institution.

“The archetype we are hoping to follow is the same as the one we have for the LGBT and Ally Network of Support; an opportunity to have faculty, staff, students and administration come together and have a better understanding of the LGBT population, how to be resources, how to be allies and getting a better understanding of the lived experience of an LGBT person,” Matos said. “That’s what we want for this program, having a program where folks have the opportunity to learn more about other races and cultures, to have an opportunity to better understand the lived experience of an individual and understand how someone fits into the larger picture.”

The Office of Multicultural Affairs recently received an award for the LGBT Ally and Network of Support, the third award won for that program. The first two awards were through Jesuit networks and the third will be announced in March.

Some topics that will be includ-

ed in the new program on race will concern white privilege, race and racism, micro-aggressions and cultural appropriation. The OMA will launch a small inviteonly pilot in the fall of 2016 for key administrators, as well as some student groups. The soft launch of the program will take place in the spring of 2017 and will include people in different departments that have previously worked with the OMA. The actual launch of the program will take place in the 2017-2018 academic year.

As far as a mandatory race training program goes, Matos clarified that it would be “difficult to come out of our office in the sense that we don’t have that ability.” However, Matos referenced the Core Civility Program, a related program that all freshman are required to attend along with the Wellness and Fire Safety Training. “[The civility program] was created based on incidents that happened in the past and the desire to create a mandatory program in order to talk about campus culture, campus climate and what Fordham civility looks like on campus,” said Matos.

He added that one challenge OMA is “trying to improve students’ perception of that session — that it’s nice to open doors for each other.”

“There seems to be a disconnect on us having the session on civility and what it means and people still doing whatever they want. [The bias incidents are] opening up the opportunity for us to be a bit more frank, whereas in the first year we decided not to be as direct — not for any particular reason, it was the launch of the program,” Matos said.

“But now we’re in a place where we can talk about bias incidents in a very open way and express that these are instances of incivility happening on campus, and students not understanding how to deal with cultural differences.”

Matos discussed whether there was any discussion of how to include students in off-campus housing in the race-relations focus groups. “Some of that will be with regards to us opening up to the community, specifically

FORDHAM RAM ARCHIVES

Dean Juan Carlos Matos discusses Office of Mulitcultural Affairs initiatives in response to bias incidents

with focus groups,” Matos said.

He added that they would have to work with the Commuter Students Association, but that there would be many challenges to overcome.

In addition to the development of a new program on race, a Diversity Task Force was also created.

The Diversity Task Force has had three meetings so far and plans to have bimonthly meetings. The task force is composed of students, faculty, administrators and alumni. In the first meeting, Rev. Joseph M. McShane, S.J., president of the university, informed them of his vision for the task force and charged them to present a report with recommendations and suggestions at the end of the semester.

The Office of Multicultural Affairs hosts cultural programming and dialogues that are open to the student body. Some examples of dialogues that have been held are “Vegetarianism: Gender, Race, and Class,” “Does Being White Equal Being Racial?” “Women in Media” and “Body Images in

Masculinity.” The dialogues are facilitated by Diversity Peer Leaders and a staff member from the OMA. The OMA promotes these events through its social media accounts on Facebook, Instagram, Tumblr and Twitter.

Another capability of the Office of Multicultural Affairs, according to Matos, is that “We are open to meeting with folks whether it’s a dialogue about a specific topic, or whether it’s a workshop or training, or doing a cultural program or workshop.

We’re really open to the possibilities we have with working with student groups on campus.”

Rodrigue’s has approached OMA about a diversity training possibility, but they have not yet scheduled a consultation. The Office of Multicultural Affairs has the opportunity to do a diversity workshop, or a workshop tailored specifically to the group that approached them. For example, in the fall semester after the first bias incident, OMA was approached by the contemporary science fiction group. After a consultation

with the student leaders, OMA facilitated a workshop on bias in “geek culture” that examined race, gender, sex, class and religion and how all of that ties back into how an individual experiences “geek culture.”

According to Matos, “anything can connect back to diversity and inclusion because each of us are a culmination of a variety of different identities and different experiences. So that’s something that any group could connect with us and more than likely we could figure out something to do, have a consultation and see what the groups wants.”

The Assistant Director of the Office of Multicultural Affairs at Lincoln Center, Dr. Ijeoma Nwaogu, will not be returning for the next academic year. The department has started its search with hopes of hiring someone in time for the Fall 2016 semester.

As of the end of the fall semester, over 1,000 people on campus have attended workshops or training with the Office of Multicultural Affairs.

Kathy Hochul Discussed Cuomo’s New York Initiatives at Presentation of State of State Address at Fordham FROM STATE, PAGE 1

in need, the skills that are going unfilled and how to do the training that’s required to step into those jobs,” she explained.

Hochul praised the governor for his accomplishments, such as getting five budgets passed during his time in office.

She outlined the governor’s economic goals for the future and the administration’s focus on encouraging small businesses.

“I’ve walked down Arthur Avenue and places around here,” she said. “It’s small businesses that are the bread and butter. This is the opportunity for the immigrant community, people bringing their talents and skills from other countries.”

Hochul also discussed various transportation reconstruction projects. She spoke about improving the Tappan Zee Bridge, La Guardia Airport, JKF Airport, Penn Station, the subway system and adding four new Bronx stops to the Metro-North.

The lieutenant governor addressed many of the governor’s other plans such as his $15 minimum wage proposal, focus on green energy, enhancement of family work leave and investment into cancer detection services, especially for low-income individuals and families.

Hochul continued to describe the governor’s education plans.

“We need a world-class education system. The governor proposes

another record increase in spending for education. Last year we did a record $1.4 billion, we’re gonna spend another billion on top of this.” She went on to explain proposals focused on higher education.

“We’re talking about student loan forgiveness programs, because that is the killer. The fact that student loan debt has exceeded $1.3 trillion, higher than credit card debt, is deplorable,” she said.

Hochul expressed her bewilderment at the student interest rates.

“I never understood why the student loan interest rate was 6.8 percent, when for a house you could get a three percent mortgage interest rate.”

She continued to speak about

how the state had to continue to fund educational plans, tuition assistance plans and financial aid packages to give everybody the opportunity to attend college.

Housing, another issue that affects the Bronx community, was also discussed. Hochul spoke about the increasing cost of living in New York and described the problems of people not being able to afford proper housing.

She was concerned about the number of children and families living without a proper home and explained the governor’s proposal of $10 billion to be allocated to affordable housing.

Hochul concluded her talk on the importance of voting and student engagement. “We’re going to

try and get greater participation among the electorate,” Hochul said to the crowd.

“If you care about your country and you’re an active citizen and you realize that we do live in an amazing place, why not cast that vote? Why not say, ‘I care about who my leaders are?’ And if you say they’re all corrupt, then vote for someone who’s not.”

“Vote for someone you can believe in. Or get involved yourselves,” she added.

Hochul concluded her address as she acknowledged the ambition of the governor’s plans for the future. “You’ve gotta understand, this is the New York state,” she said. “We dream big, but we also do big.”

NEWS

Page 6

February 10, 2016

CLSS Develops Leadership Skills

Fordham Reports Comparatively Low Grad Employment Data FROM DATA, PAGE 1

The Office of Enrollment could not be reached at the time this article reached print publication.

The data also shows 20 percent of graduates continuing education, one percent in military service, two percent in public service, two percent in auditions and two percent working part time.

A disclaimer to Fordham’s placement analysis read as follows: “Fordham adopted the standards with the Class of 2014 in order to facilitate comparisons of outcomes for current and prospective students. As Fordham’s earlier placement analyses did not use the same methodology, caution should be used when comparing the outcomes of classes prior to 2014 with those since then.”

Some students have taken to social media to voice their astonishment at the statistics.

“17.9 percent of #Fordham ‘14 grads are neither in work nor in school, and we’re bragging???” read a tweet directed to The Fordham Ram’s twitter account.

This number was also unsurprising to some recent graduates who struggled to find work after college. Max Prinz, FCRH ’15, searched hours on end for an employment didn’t turn up.

“I feel frustrated,” Prinz said. “I

spent a long time searching for a job and the whole while it felt like I was doing something wrong or I missed something important other people didn’t.”

Eight months later, Prinz took an educational publishing job near his home in Westchester.

“I do wish the career services office had a stronger infrastructure in the communications field,” Prinz said. “It may have been perception but it seemed like the opportunities were overwhelmingly focused on business major and in communications capital of the world I wish there had been opportunities for communications majors like myself.”

McSween said that she is surprised that only 84% of graduates are employed or are enrolled in graduate education or the like.

“Many Fordham seniors seem to get great jobs and graduate school offers,” she said. “And, we’re right in New York City, so while the labor market is tightening, there are jobs to be found if one is looking. Career Services has resources to help: job search tools, some of which I’ve used before; career fairs; mock interviews.”

McSween guessed that this number is caused graduating seniors are unaware of the resources available to them. However, she also feared that this number could

place a greater financial burden on students who financed college with money they did not have.

“Fordham does place students in great careers, but at the same time the 84 percent statistic is worrying to a certain extent because so many graduates have taken on debt to attend Fordham,” she said. “How can they start paying it off without a job, or at least a deferral while in grad school?

The report also lists the class of 2015’s average starting salary as $55,000. However, only 34 percent of the class of 2015 reported their starting salaries.

McSween finds that number misleading for several reasons.

“The distribution of salaries could easily be multimodal because Fordham sends many students into fields with relatively high and relatively low salaries such as financial services and social services.

She recommends that Fordham behave more like NYU, which breaks down the average salaries based on industry. “That could be helpful in future reports,” she said.

The full report can be accessed on Fordhams website and includes information such as leading industries graduates enter into, top employers of graduates and law and medical school acceptance rates.

By KENNETH ISELHART STAFF WRITER

Stepping into an officer position of a student organization can prove daunting for some. The Office of Student Involvement has created a new monthly workshop to help club leaders ease into the transition as part of its new Club Leaders Success Sessions (CLSS) initiative. The sessions aim to give club leaders skills that will help them to develop their clubs and make them more effective on campus.

Each workshop focuses on different topics such as event planning, budgeting and collaborating with other clubs and departments on campus. A typical workshop usually expects anywhere from 10 to 30 club leaders. The hour-long sessions feature discussions, presentations and question and answer opportunities.

After a session, they can also have one-on-one discussions concerning their club with Dumaine.

Eileen McLean, FCRH ’17 and secretary of People Recognizing Identities and Differences for Equality Alliance, attended this workshop.

“I received important information on how to advertise for my club on the TVs around campus,” she said.

Club leaders attending the meetings are also given essential information on policies and procedures

regarding the maintenance of a club.

Daniel Stroie, GSB ’17 and treasurer/VP of Finance for the United Student Government (USG) attended a workshop where he learned about making payments through the Office for Student Involvement and spending money approved by the USG Budget Committee. He thought the workshop gave “the opportunity for club leaders that did not think to go to her [Dumaine] with questions a chance to learn useful information for managing their club.”

A Club Leader Summit is hosted by the Office for Student Involvement at the start of every academic year. The year-round workshops essentially act as in-depth reviews of the skills and information that were taught at the summit.

According to Dumaine, student feedback on the sessions has been positive. She said that after attending a workshop, students apply what they learned to the daily functioning of their clubs. “It’s exciting to see students who are passionate about their club and creatively bringing the club’s mission to life.”

The next Club Leader Success Session meets on Feb. 29 and is open to any club leaders or executive board members.

Session I: May 31–June 30 Session II: July 5–August 4

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SUMMER SESSION 2016

Learn more at fordham.edu/summer eeo

February 10, 2016

OPINION

Page 7

The Fordham Ram

Flat Earth Conspiracy i Challenges Ch ll Intellectualism

COURTESY OF FLICKR

B.o.B stirred up controversy when he questioned the fact that the Earth is round and suggested that is was flat.

By JACLYN WEINER STAFF WRITER

B.o.B. recently took to Twitter to declare that the Earth is flat. Over the course of multiple tweets, B.o.B provided some reasons why he is unconvinced of the fact that the Earth is round, including multiple pictures that he believes prove this theory.

B.o.B’s comments inspired criticisms from many, such as the well-known astrophysicist, cosmologist and author Neil deGrasse Tyson, who pointed out the irresponsibility of such statements made by public fig-

ures and the rise of this type of antiintellectualism in America.

Anti-intellectualism is the mistrust of intellectuals and the recession of intelligence, reason and curiosity. Throughout history, there have often been times when scientists and academics have been mistrusted. Individuals have been persecuted over their scientific theories and intellectual thoughts, regardless of research or other marks of credibility.

This had been due to the view of academics as privileged elitists that lack the common sense and street smarts that most “common” people

possess. B.o.B clearly depicted this mindset when he told his 2.3 million followers that, “they want me to be a ‘good little rapper’ and sing and dance and don’t question things…” and “I’m going up against the greatest liars in history ... you’ve been tremendously deceived.”

This mistrust of academics and scientific theories is perpetuated by this “us” versus “them” mentality that comes with large political divides.

Scientific theories, such as global climate change, have been so closely tied to specific political parties and groups that it has become easy to dismiss le-

gitimate scientific discoveries as parts of the “liberal agenda.” This has contributed to breeding a society where the loudest voices are believed, rather than the voices of true experts.

As trust in academics and scientific researchers has lessened, people’s trust in celebrities has increased.

This makes it possible for celebrities to spread false ideas without having any true knowledge. Neil deGrasse Tyson expressed the harmfulness of this societal setup when discussing B.o.B’s flat Earth comments.

“In a free society, you can and should think whatever you want and if you want to think the world is flat, go right ahead,” said deGrasse Tyson, “but if you think the world is flat and you have influence over others, as would successful rappers or even presidential candidates, then being wrong becomes being harmful to the health, the wealth and the security of our citizenry.”

B.o.B is not even the only celebrity championing this flat Earth theory.

Tila Tequila, television personality, singer and model, chimed in on the whole flat-Earth issue on Twitter in early January. Her reasons for believing this include that you cannot find a picture with a horizon with a curvature, that airplanes could not land without crashing if the Earth was a spinning globe and that all the NYC buildings stand straight up. She also claimed that all NASA’s pictures of

Earth are fake CGI and that the outer edges of our flat Earth have huge ice caps so that no one can escape.

We hardly need celebrities spreading more ignorance throughout our country and the world in a time when the National Science Foundation reveals that one in four Americans are unaware the Earth revolves around the sun, when the National Research Council reports that only 28 percent of high school science teachers consistently follow the National Research Council guidelines on teaching evolution and when a University of Texas study finds that 25 percent of public school biology teachers believe that humans and dinosaurs inhabited the earth simultaneously.

Ignorance runs rampant. We need to make efforts to not only educate Americans, but teach Americans how to properly educate themselves.

We need to stop taking what we hear online, on TV or even during our everyday lives, at face value. B.o.B was correct when he said that we should question things. It is important to be skeptical, but we should be more skeptical of what people like B.o.B are saying than experts with legitimate scientific research backing up their statements.

Jaclyn Weiner, FCRH ’18, is a Communications and Media Studies major from Wantagh, New York.

Schools Are Robbing Students of Financial Literacy

By JOHN CHRISTEN CONTRIBUTING WRITER

The United States government needs to prioritize the drafting of a federal law that requires all states to include one personal finance class in the requirements to graduate from public high school.

Financial literacy, or the ability to understand how money functions in the world, is a vital skill for any adult that wishes to attain some level of monetary security and prosperity in his or her life.

As of 2015, only 20 U.S. states mandate a high school economics course, two less than in 2014. All 50 states and Washington D.C. include economics in their K-12 school curricula, either optional or mandated, yet financial illiteracy remains a large problem in the United States. A striking one in every six students in the U.S. fails to reach the baseline level of proficiency in financial literacy.

Not surprisingly, the U.S. ranks 14th in the world in a recent survey of 150,000 citizens gauging financial literacy, with a meager 57 percent of American participants scoring a passing grade. This statistic is alarming to say the least.

The survey presents a series of five simple questions testing one’s understanding of basic financial concepts, such as interest rates and wise investing.

So, why is it important that this country have a larger percentage of financially literate citizens? The answer is straightforward: people who have basic personal finance knowledge are less likely to be irresponsible with their money.

Maintaining a firm grasp on one’s pecuniary pursuits as a result of economic education makes financial mistakes less common. Also, smarter spending, saving and investing contributes to a healthier economy with more financially secure buyers.

Already, three states (Georgia, Texas and Idaho) have required that public high school students take a personal finance course in order to graduate. Idaho, for example, mandated in 2000 that all students take a semester-long personal finance course.

Texas also has this requirement for its students, but it uses standardized testing to ensure that each class is effective. In these states, personal finance acts as a formal course. Georgia even trains its teachers specifically for the presentation of financial material. The results have been staggering.

In an article on cnbc.com, Shelly Schwartz notes the credit score improvements for the three states that mandate all schools to include personal finance as a required course. “Credit scores for those individuals in Georgia jumped nearly 11 points, or 1.8 percent, compared to average credit scores prior to the mandate, while young adults from Idaho increased their credit scores by 16 points, or 2.6 percent,” she wrote.

“Those in Texas raised their credit rating by 32 points, for a 5.2 percent gain.” These types of improvements for those educated in personal finance are a direct result of the requirements implemented by Georgia, Idaho and

COURTESY OF FLICKR

More classes teaching personal finance skills should be implemented in college curriculums nationwide.

Texas.

Credit scores are the numbers used by banks to determine how likely an individual is to default on his or her loan. This three-digit number is derived from one’s past experiences with borrowing money, either from a credit card company or another bank.

Depending on one’s credit score, a bank decides how high or low the interest rate will be on any given loan. A higher credit score means a higher likelihood of getting a loan in the first place, not to mention receiving it at a lower interest rate.

Required personal finance classes in high schools across the

country would create a nation of people less likely to be delinquent with their payments. More monetarily responsible buyers will yield more consistent spending, since less people will face situations in which money is an issue. This is not to say that the implementation of these types of courses in public schools will heavily influence the health of the United States economy, however, it is an important step to help prevent situations like the Great Recession in 2008 from reoccurring.

Although bureaucratic red tape and budget issues will prevent this type of change from happening in the near future, the eventual ap-

plication of required personal finance courses in all 50 states will give young people the tools they need to manage their money effectively in the future. States like Georgia, Idaho and Texas have done this to the great benefit of its students.

Hopefully, the rest of the country will soon understand the great necessity of this change, and create measures that will grant people the competence to spend, save and invest properly.

John Christen, FCRH ’19, is undecided in his major from Glenside, Pennsylvania.

OPINION

Page 8

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

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

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.

February 10, 2016

From the Desk | Michael Byrne

Extending Our Empathy in Politics in 2016 With the election season coming up, social media is becoming riddled with political memes depicting Republicans and Democrats as idiots.

I am asking those of you who are posting these to please stop. First, 95 percent of them are not funny.

Second, and more importantly, they disingenuously represent an entire population.

There is nothing wrong with using humor to criticize politics, but these memes are trying to fuel the fire of one group hating another. They do not try to deconstruct any facet of politics, they merely succeed in keeping anyone who views them and agrees with them in a mental cage, uninterested in trying to understand the rationale of the other side.

In the United States, we have created an “us vs. them” political disposition. Our two-party system probably does not help this, as it continually pits two groups against one another.

Maybe if we had multiplicity of major political groups the discussion would become more open and less like a rat race.

Regardless, our political field is in need of a dose of empathy. I say that

with full awareness of the statement’s borderline unbearable sentimentality. I do not think we should stop making scathing political comedy, but I do think the conversation could use perspective. Is empathy a panacea for our political woes? Not at all, but I am pretty sure that it could not hurt.

We need to start seeing those we disagree with as fully formed humans instead of manifestations of ideas. It is easy to view someone like a Bernie Sanders supporter as a representation of what you think has gone wrong with America. You can complain that these people are naïve and wrongheaded, or that they do not care about other people’s earnings. But what you are doing is homogenizing an entire group and not looking at what would cause someone’s wish for a political revolution.

The same exact thing can be said about supporters of someone like Marco Rubio. You can say they are not open-minded and do not care about other people, but the truth is this is not accurate. It is so easy for us to imagine every Republican or every Democrat as part of a monolith. We like to think that they all share the

same beliefs for the same reasons because it makes them easier to attack.

But the truth is that each individual has his or her own experiences that lead to ideas.

Now, I acknowledge political motives of presidential candidates, but on some level I think that is a different conversation. Voters do not necessarily share the same desire for power.

It is impossible to take every individual and try to understand why he or she believe the things he or she does. But we can still recognize the fact that people who support the candidates from the other side of the aisle have motives that are far from evil. And in admitting that people’s ideals, more often than not, come from a place of good-naturedness we will create a political landscape more conducive to conversation between parties. We will create a better country.

Polarization has gotten much worse in the United States in recent years. We have friends who only share our political beliefs and we feel animosity towards the other party so much more now than ever before. It is this increasing division that causes

such hostility between people of differing viewpoints.

Empathy is not easy. It is looking at someone who you fundamentally might disagree with and saying, “I’m going to try to understand where you are coming from.” But if we can succeed in doing so, would we not get so much more done? It is so much harder to try to work with someone whom you feel programmed to hate.

I am not asking for us to hold each other’s hands and sing “Kumbaya.” I am just asking that we start trying to understand where people get their ideals and political values from so we can have a more understanding discussion.

Editorial | Mental Health

Barely Enough is Not Enough: Mental Health Resources Must be Prioritized at Rose Hill Two student suicides at one school occurring in a two week period is an obvious tragedy and a cause for concern. The recent deaths of two Fordham Preparatory students have brought the need to evaluate mental illness in our own community into the forefront of university-wide conversations. National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) statistics show that one in four adults have a diagnosable mental illness.

How can we ignore the prevalence of mental illness? Why do we continue to perpetuate the stigma surrounding mental health? What can be done?

We must question whether or not our community is equipped with effective resources to accommodate students seeking counseling and psychological services. We must question whether or not we are doing everything possible to eliminate the stigma of seeking help for mental health. It is our duty to ask these questions and to try and make sense of the senseless.

Suicide among America’s youth is not a new concept, but it is growing. According to the Center of Disease Control (CDC), close to 4,900 individuals between the ages of 15 and 24 committed suicide in 2013 compared to approximately 4,200 in 2005 — a near 16 percent increase. While adults aged 75 and older currently have the highest rate of suicide among all Americans, suicide is the tenth leading cause of death in the United States for all ages, according to the CDC. NIMH finds that seven in 100,000 youths ages 15 to 19 die by suicide each year. Each day in our nation there are an average of over 5,400 suicide attempts by young people grades seven to 12. Among high school and college students, anxiety and depression are the most common

health diagnoses.

A similar trend of student suicides was observed at the end of last year in Silicon Valley, specifically in Palo Alto, California,. Two high schools in the area hold the highest 10-year suicides rates in America, between four and five times the national average. In 2009, over a span of nine months, three students from the same school committed suicide. sSnce then, it has happened another time. This phenomenon is referred to as a suicide cluster — multiple deaths in succession and close proximity. In the United States, there are about five clusters a year of three or more suicides.

These numbers are staggering and horrifying, and signal a need to increase the quality and quantity of these resources at schools around the nation. In the fall, compared to the same time period last year, Rose Hill experienced an approximately 12 percent increase in overall clinical utilization.

“This increase is likely determined by multiple factors, but certainly includes our collective efforts to normalize vulnerability, de-stigmatize help-seeking, and provide training to faculty, staff and student[s] on recognizing, supporting and referring students in mental-health distress,” said director of Counseling and Psychological Services Jeffrey Ng. Fordham’s Counseling and Psychological Services (CPS) staff has expanded significantly in recent years, yet it has very obvious limitations.

The website for CPS at Rose Hill lists our campus as having eight staff psychologists, including a director, an assistant director, four supervising psychologists and a staff consultant with a medical license. Rose Hill also has four clinical interns, five clinical externs and two psy-

chiatric residents. In total 24 individuals staff the department at Rose Hill, a campus that handles a total of nearly 7,000 students. In 2010, USA Today reported that one in 10 college students seeks out counseling each year. This means that the Rose Hill CPS office potentially has an upwards of 700 students come through its doors.

If you think that 700 students and 24 individuals might result in a waiting list at the CPS office, you are correct. At the end of the fall semester, Rose Hill CPS had a wait list for individual counseling.

“The students on the waitlist were all evaluated, did not present with any high risk or urgent concerns, and were provided with alternative treatment options, such as group counseling and customized referrals for off campus providers,” said Ng. It is hard enough for students to muster the courage to walk into CPS and admit they need to seek mental help. But to be told that resources are unavailable is crushing.

It is easy for a high-risk student to hide his or her illness, as evident by the number of student suicides that occur each year, baffling friends and family members.

To address the waitlist, Ng said that the office increased the hours of the part-time clinical staff and hired an additional part-time staff psychologist. Currently, the Rose Hill office does not have a waiting list.

This improvement is encouraging, but it means that just barely enough resources exist for students to see a mental health counselor at Rose Hill. Barely enough is not enough.

Fordham administration, this is directed to you: ensuring adequate funding and resources for CPS should be a top priority at Fordham.

We cannot reiterate how important it is for CPS to be heavily funded. CPS saves students’ lives every day, in big ways and in small ways. We cannot cut corners when it comes to the lives and well-being of our students.

Broader implications exist with less tangible solutions. CPS offers 10 sessions at no cost before referring students to outside providers. These providers are financially inaccessible to students without insurance. Furthermore, most college students are on their parents’ insurance, which means that at the end of 10 sessions, they must alert their parents of their mental health struggles in order to continue seeking professional help. Try as we might to destigmatize mental health on campus, but some students may face family members who are far less accepting of mental health counseling.

Given the recent tragedies at Fordham Prep, the shocking statistics regarding the mental health of our nation’s youth and the recent difficulties CPS faced in providing mental health services, The Fordham Ram strongly believes that the Rose Hill community must become comfortable discussing mental health.

While the stigma surrounding mental health can seem insurmountable for those struggling in silence, the community’s openmindedness and willingness to start dialogue is paramount to the success and well-being of all students on our campus and all members of society.

This editorial should serve as a call to action for administrators and students alike. Mental health is a serious issue that involves everyone and we can begin to tackle the stigma if we are willing to take further steps towards change.

OPINION

February 10, 2016

Page 9

How to Make Fordham More Sustainable This article was written by the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences Conservation Biology Class of Fall 2015.

At Fordham University, we strive to enrich our lives and the lives of those around us through the principles of a Jesuit education. The Society of Jesus, founded by St. Ignatius of Loyola in 1534, has long held a deep respect for the intellectual and ethical challenges of our world. As such, a Jesuit education should be revered as one that embraces the potential of its students to be the change they want to see in the world. Rev. Joseph M. McShane, S.J., president of the university, said that “students have to be invited to wrestle with the great ethical issues of their time.” One of the greatest ethical issues of our time is the conservation of our planet. As a group of conservation biology students, we know now, more than ever that steps must be taken to preserve the world that we are so spiritually and physically intertwined with. As a Jesuit university, Fordham should be leading the way, but all too often we have seen signs that environmental concern and conservation are not top priorities for our institution. As such, the Fall 2015 Graduate School of Arts and Sciences Conservation Biology class has compiled a list of unsustainable practices our university is currently engaged in, alongside meaningful — and easily employed — changes that can be made. In doing so, Fordham can truly be seen as challengers of unethical standards.

Landscaping & Horticulture The Rose Hill campus has been lauded for its landscaping efforts which, while aesthetically pleasing, are ripe with unsustainable practices that Fordham has made no public commitment to address. One such practice can be found in the irrigation system. Running the sprinklers during rain or in peak sun on hot days is inefficient and wasteful. Additionally, a number of sprinkler heads target paved or non-landscaped areas.

With no greenery to absorb the water, runoff drains directly into local waterways along with the pesticides, herbicides and non-organic fertilizers that are liberally applied on the campus. Runoff has been shown to be the cause of many deleterious effects to local ecosystems.

Another example is the intensive landscaping and horticultural practices that are used to cultivate ornamental plants not native to the region or even the continent. Some of these plant species may be invasive to nearby ecosystems. Meanwhile, forcing these plants on campus supports little biodiversity and minimizes the capacity for native flora and fauna to provide valuable space in the ecosystem. The industrial supplies, gas-powered equipment and human effort needed to maintain ornamental species and expansive turf lawns come at a high energy cost.

Irrigation concerns can be easily addressed at low cost in order to use water more sustainably by following the Environment Protection Agency’s “WaterSense: Tips for Watering Wisely.” “WaterSense” offers a number of simple steps to ensure the maximum efficiency and sustainability of irrigation systems. These options are simple, cost-effective and would help Fordham reduce water waste without sacrificing the beauty of our campus grounds.

utilize the space once lost to asphalt and concrete. Retrofitting the inaccessible roof with solar panels would certainly make a difference to those who park beneath it, potentially offsetting some of the annual $580 per capita cost accrued by commuters.

Further efforts to obtain more clean energy and more savings could be made by equipping the parking lot, adjacent to the parking garage, with solar canopies. Although the administration prohibits parking, at least the lot will function as a source of clean energy.

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There are many ways to make Fordham a more sustainable community.

Fordham can easily cultivate a diverse array of native plant species, utilizing campus waste as a nutrient source. Native flora will provide food and habitat for native fauna, linking the the campus ecosystem to that of the region, and these plants require less maintenance because they are adapted to the local climate. Native flora is also adapted to local pests and attracts organisms that feed on potential pests. Finally, Fordham can end the use of commercial fertilizers by composting campus waste and plant litter. Managing a local nutrient cycle will maintain soil richness, support beneficial microbial life and reduce harm to the local environment.

Vehicle Usage & Emissions Carbon emissions from burning fossil fuels are one of the biggest problems plaguing energy reform in the world today. Unfortunately, Fordham relies on the burning of nonrenewable resources for nearly every means of inter- and intra-campus transportation consequently contributing to the pollution that is causing irreversible damage to the global climate system. With regards to vehicular emissions in New York City, Fordham appears to be maintaining the (unsustainable) status quo.

Undoubtedly, the Ram Van service provides safe, speedy and convenient transport for Fordham students.

Within the last year, Fordham has invested in a new fleet of vans that utilize both biodiesel and regular diesel thus decreasing Fordham’s negative impact on the environment. However, the new fleet of vans has yet to begin utilizing their biodiesel capabilities.

While security vehicles patrolling the streets surrounding campus at night in an effort to deter crime and cultivate a sense of security for offcampus students is a commendable practice, the daytime patrolling of our small, pedestrian campus as well as idling near walkways or in parking garages, seems unnecessary. These vehicles may give the impression of safety, but are really just a symbol of campus excess. The campus should either invest in hybrid vehicles with a stop-start function while parked or turn off the engine while in park.

Public Transportation New York City’s public transportation system is a part of everyday life for Fordham students. The cost of one subway ride is currently $2.75 which, while individually inexpensive, quickly adds up for a student commuting to class daily. Ideally,

Fordham should supply some form of compensation to aid students in their travels. However, another solution might be a Green-Travel Policy.

For example, in exchange for a Fordham-supplied MetroCards, students would participate in a weekly green, environmental or conservation initiative.

Power & Energy The Ram Fit Center is a great place for Fordham students to work out and maintain a healthy lifestyle, while simultaneously balancing a busy college schedule. Unfortunately, in order to run this facility, vast amounts of energy are required to power the overhead lighting, climate controls and the cardiovascular equipment — including stationary bikes, treadmills and ellipti-cals. Currently, the Ram Fit Center does not utilize any source of alternative energy, making it a carbon-heavy component of the Rose Hill campus.

ReRevTM is a technology system capable of converting our gym facility into a carbon-neutral operation.

Aerobic activity creates heat energy that is usually wasted. However, by installing ReRev onto the Ram Fit Center equipment, this kinetic energy can be converted into electrical energy that can be used to power the gym. According to the ReRev website, a typical 30-minute workout produces enough electricity to run a Compact Fluorescent bulb for over two hours, charge a cell phone six times or to run a computer for 30 minutes. By retrofitting the Ram Fit Center equipment with ReRev technology, we can make the Rose Hill campus more sustainable and give students the opportunity to directly contribute to these efforts.

Alternative Energy While our campus is rich with quaint green spaces for natural vegetation to grow, a comparable number of concrete structures, such as the Rose Hill parking garage, are consequences of Fordham’s urban locale.

Fortunately, large concrete structures are easily transformed into green complexes.

Currently, the top floor of the parking garage is inaccessible and, in fact, houses a small green roof used for student research. Because not all of the roof space is utilized, the installation of solar panels atop the parking garage would allow Fordham to reduce demand on both the environment and the commuters who park on campus. Solar panels are becoming an increasingly popular way to

Green Roofs While the research-allocated Rose Hill parking garage green roof is currently the only one on either of Fordham’s campuses, there is an abundance of space for prospective green roofs at both Rose Hill and Lincoln Center. Green roofs have long been a topic of research for Fordham’s graduate students focused on environmental sustainability, but putting green roofs into practice has not yet been considered by the university.

To become a more sustainable and environmentally progressive facility, Rose Hill’s Fordham Urban Sustainability and Ecosystems (FUSE) project has been working to determine the specifics of integrating green roof systems into campus infrastructure for several years. Properly installed green roofs offer environmental and economic benefits through the reduction of energy and maintenance costs by protecting rooftops from sun exposure during warm seasons and increasing heat retention during cool seasons. Green roofs are durable — easily tolerating a range of heat, moisture and wind levels — and function to both filter rainwater and capture ex-cess water during heavy storms. Additionally, research conducted by Fordham alumnus Dustin Partridge, under the advisement of Dr. Alan Clark, found that birds land on green roofs while passing through the city on their migratory route. The consequences of erecting green roofs on campus are only positive with New York legislated green roof incentives including a one-year tax abatement of $4.50 per square foot (up to $100,000 or the building’s tax liability, whichever is less) through March 15, 2018.

Waste Food waste is a large, yet easily rectifiable issue for any college campus.

Adopting measures such as offering smaller portions, buying smarter and utilizing fresh local foods for multiple meal recipes could offer some relief from an overabundance of waste.

Another solution is establishing composting facilities on campus. Additionally, repurposing unused food by donating it to homeless shelters or local food banks would uphold Jesuit morals while simultaneously reducing wastefulness.

As a class, we cannot thank you enough for taking the time to hear our plea and consider these issues.

The first step is to get our university talking. Change must and will come with Fordham leading the procession as we so often do.

— GSAS Conservation Biology Class of 2015

Marcelle Meyer Steinem’s Flawed View of Female Voters Many will have heard that Gloria Steinem, a prominent figure in the feminist movement, made several problematic comments last weekend in support of Hillary Clinton. Steinem, who later stated that she misspoke, argued that women do not become involved in politics until they are older and that women supporting Senator Bernie Sanders are doing so in an attempt to meet young men. It does not take much analysis to see why this is deeply flawed.

However, the greatest flaw in Steinem’s statement is not the obvious error, but rather the underlying assumption about women in politics that is accepted by the majority of Americans.

The “women’s vote” is fought for by almost all candidates in election season. An inordinate amount of money is spent on attempting to discover which issues sway the elusive women’s vote.

These issues are highlighted by candidates to capture that demographic.

However, I see no polling numbers that demonstrate which issues will sway the men’s vote. No candidate is ever told that if they support a certain policy they will gain the support of the male population in the United States.

It almost sounds ridiculous to say that men will vote for the candidate who supports tax cuts or stricter gun laws. This is because the male population is accepted as a diverse group, containing a variety of values and political ideologies. Why are women still seen as so homogenous?

Steinem was obviously wrong in her assumptions about why women are supporting Sanders, but her statement was even more harmful in that it assumed some kind of female consciousness that is motivated by the same factors and leads to the same conclusion.

When we consider that women support not only Sanders and Clinton, but also Rubio, Bush, Cruz and even Trump, we cannot legitimately say that a group of women think a certain way because of any particular and singular motivation.

This is more than just a flawed assumption. It is actively harmful to women as they attempt to gain more presence in politics and other male-dominated fields.

There will never be equality in society, and especially in the workforce, if women are seen as having one given set of values, while men are complex.

These assumptions are harmful enough when they are used against women directly. However, they are even more pernicious when perpetuated by feminist leaders like Steinem and Clinton.

The next step for feminism in the political arena is for politicians to recognize the complexity of the “women’s vote” and acknowledge the diversity and conflicting views among women throughout the country.

OPINION

Page 10

February 10, 2016

Innovative Dorms Could Improve Race Relations

Kathryn Wolper Super Bowl Ads Showcase Activism

AP IMAGES/BOB CHILD

The University of Connecticut has introduced a new housing program that aims to bridge the disparity in graduation rates for African American male students.

By KACIE CANDELA CONTRIBUTING WRITER

At the University of Connecticut, applications are now open for the ScHOLA2RS House, “a scholastic initiative to groom, nurture and train the next generation of leaders to address grand challenges in society through the promotion of academic success.”

Like many of the Integrated Learning Communities (ILCs) here at Fordham, ScHOLA2RS will be a small community of about 40 students, located on one floor of a new STEM dorm currently under construction.

However, what sets it apart from the typical collegiate learning community is that it will serve only male, African American students.

The University of Connecticut has come under heavy criticism for the program. Many question whether the program itself is segregating.

I do not think so and neither does the university. The primary reason for the creation of the program is graduation rate. According to the 2016 data, the six-year graduation rate for all University of Connecticut students is 83 percent.

For minorities, that number slips to 77 percent. And for African American males, little more than half complete a degree in six years.

For a student body that is only 30 percent minority, these statistics are staggering.

University of Connecticut soph-

omore John Odoom was initially skeptical of the program, but after realizing the focus of ScHOLA2RS, he supports “any effort the university is trying to do to ensure African American males get the resources they need and the guidance to graduate and have success.”

“As an African black male born in Ghana, nothing would make my parents happier than to see me graduate and be successful because they sacrificed so much for me to be where I am,” he said.

However, Odoom will not be applying for ScHOLA2RS. “I really think that the program should be only for those who really need the support and the push,” he said.

He has already been admitted into the John and Valerie Rowe Health Professions Scholars Program, which supports students from backgrounds underrepresented in the health fields.

While many like Odoom are hopeful that ScHOLA2RS will serve the UConn community in a positive way, a major criticism of the program is that it is male only.

According to the official ScHOLA2RS webpage, “Black females are encouraged to consider applying to participate in one of our other Learning Community options.”

The reason why African American women were excluded is that their average graduation rates are higher.

Gianna Capriotti, a sophomore at UConn and an Actuarial Science major, is not upset that ScHOLA2RS is only for men.

“As a woman, there are already

so many resources available to me,” she said. In regards to supporting underrepresented groups, she believes that the administration “has covered all its bases.”

There is presently an all-female STEM learning community thriving at UConn, namely, the WiMSE House (Women in Math, Science, & Engineering) and a Women’s Center in the Student Union.

However, Elicia Bates, FCRH ’19, a first-year African and African American Studies and Anthropology double major, is critical of this gender disparity.

“There should be a similar program [for women], because they face similar issues regarding being a student of color on campus,” she said. “But it is understandable that they have one for males first, because African American males tend to have more trouble in school. Still, there’s no reason why they shouldn’t have one for black female students as well.”

It is not yet known how well ScHOLA2RS House will fit into the fabric of UConn’s larger community.

“We have a very connected and strong-willed African American student body, and to me, this should only help the community as a whole,” Odoom said.

Bates agreed that “it will definitely help with inclusivity…it won’t set them completely apart, like they would be at a historically black university.”

“They’re still in class and clubs and work with all types of students, but they are going home to a group of people who are similar

to them,” Bates added.

Capriotti does not believe the program will change much in the UConn community at all.

“It’s one of those things that doesn’t affect anybody except the individuals in the program,” Capriotti said. “Those people might be more excluded, but if its something they want to do, who cares?”

The program is voluntary and its future members will forgo the experience of living in a non-racebased community.

But perhaps the support system provided by the community will benefit them more.

While there is an obvious sensitivity surrounding the concept of a learning community solely based on race, I believe that ScHOLA2RS House has the potential to create the same supportive atmosphere that members of ILCs at Fordham know and love.

American colleges and universities are supposed to nurture social experimentation and societal progress. The University of Connecticut is attempting to do exactly that by implementing ScHOLA2RS House.

The administration at the University of Connecticut should be commended for trying something that would be shunned as “taboo” at many other universities.

If this program is successful, it could serve as the model for similar programs all across the nation.

Kacie Candela, FCRH ’19, is an International Political Economy major from Franklin Square, New York.

Are you dying to see your writing on these very pages?

Let us know you want to be an Opinion writer!

Email Margarita and Kristen at fordhamramopinions@gmail.com!

During Sunday’s Super Bowl, many commercials garnered laughs (Doritos baby, I’m looking at you), but some took advantage of the massive audience to share progressive, activist messages. Some of these spots aimed to sell a product along with their progressive messages, while others were purely public service announcements.

Axe aired an advertisement that challenged traditional ideas of masculinity and male attractiveness and encouraged men to “find your magic.” The advertisement is an inspiring and boldly inclusive movement that shows men that they can own the features that make them feel the most confident. The advertisement began, “Come on, a six pack? Who needs a six pack when you got the nose?” and continued through a series of qualities that might make someone feel confident in his ability to succeed romantically. The spot included dancers, lovers, men in heels and men in wheelchairs.

This advertisement’s social commentary is meaningful in a broader, more generalized context, but it is especially important in that it affirms Axe’s image as the preferred scent of ultimate bros trying to attract women. In fact, an old Axe ad claimed that “a man plus Axe equals a man with a woman on each arm.”

Through this new advertisement, Axe attempts to shed its negative reputation and include more people in its consumer base. Though the goal of the advertisement is to sell a product, the company made a bold choice in deemphasizing the objectification of women and striving to include more people. Broadcasting so-called “alternative” ideas of masculinity during one of the year’s most-watched and most hyper-masculine telecasts is an excellent step towards increased representation in media.

In a less consumer-driven effort, No More, an organization focused on ending domestic violence and sexual assault, aired an advertisement that may have struck a chord with many Super Bowl viewers. The spot showed a simple text conversation developing between two friends.

One is at a Super Bowl party and asks the other to come, but the other declines because her boyfriend is in “one of his moods” and she probably shouldn’t go out. The spot ends with the ever-ominous, intermittent “typing” ellipsis that iPhone users know so well. The advertisement encourages people to look out for the less obvious and expected signs of domestic violence among their friends. This advertisement surely cost more than $5 million, so the fact that No More was willing to shell out for prime advertising space is indicative of the importance of domestic violence and sexual assault as social issues today.

Coldplay, Beyoncé and Bruno Mars also made use of the massive Super Bowl audience to share both generically positive and controversially political messages. This trend towards everyday activism is helping normalize what used to be considered “special issues” and bringing attention to real social ills during mainstream social events.

February 10, 2016

CULTURE

Page 11

The Fordham Ram

Mattel Makes a More Inclusive World of Barbies

By KWAMESHA JOSEPH CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Women all over the world come in many different shades, shapes and sizes. Now, apparently so does Barbie.

After years of criticism, a new Barbie made her debut on the cover of Time magazine’s February issue. The ‘pleasantly plump’ American icon stood adjacent the caption, “Now can we stop talking about my body?” Mattel recently announced its most radical change yet: the addition of three new body types. Barbie dolls will now be offered in petite, curvy and tall, all of which will stand next to the original doll on toy store shelves beginning on March 1.

The first Barbie dolls arrived on the scene almost 60 years ago courtesy of founders, Ruth and Elliot Handler. Barbie was inspired and named after Ruth’s daughter, Barbara, who seemed to be fascinated with fashion and teenage life. “My whole philosophy of Barbie was that through the doll, the little girl could be anything she wanted to be,” she said. “Barbie always represented the fact that a woman has choices.”

Ironically, a lack of choices seemed to be a large criticism of the brand. While Barbie’s professional resume is extremely lengthy, for many years Barbie was characterized by her blonde or brunette hair, blue eyes and unrealistic body proportions. There were no alternatives for young girls who

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The makers of Barbie released a more diverse lineup of dolls that will be in stores starting March 1.

did not carry those same features.

In fact, it was not until about 1980 that Mattel released its first Barbie doll of color. However, even then, the body measurements remained the same.

A 2006 study that was published in the Developmental Psychology journal revealed how much the anatomical impossibility of Barbie dolls affects young girls. The study

showed that young women often aspire to be just like Barbie, so the thin body proportions on the dolls have had very negative effects on young girls’ body images. The doll has since been linked to numerous eating disorders and lower self-esteem. For that reason, Barbie dolls caught a lot of media attention and eventually parental concern.

Speaking on this issue, Natalie

Erasme, FCRH ’18, said, “Believe it or not, dolls are one of the ways that little girls envision their future. When there is a standard set — in this case by a doll, and you don’t seem to fit that standard, often times it’s hard to set realistic expectations for yourself.”

It seems that traditional standards of beauty have become a thing of the past. Mattel will be

adding 33 new dolls to the Barbie collection. The new dolls will be combinations of three new body types, seven new skin tones, 14 new face sculpts, 22 different eye colors and over 40 new hair colors and styles.

“The Barbie dolls are a step in the right direction. Through them, Mattel is showcasing that there is so much more to young women than just one standard of beauty, ” said Matthew Vasquez, FCRH ’18.

Over the past three years, Mattel has been seeing a consistent decline in sales. In October, the company reported that its stock price was down about 43 percent from its peak in 2013. Many believe that these new dolls are by no means an attempt to change the standard of beauty. Mattel, like any good corporation, did what was best for the sales — appeal to a larger audience.

Nicole Guice, senior designer at Mattel, believes that with the release of the new dolls, children will begin “seeing the differences amongst their friends and family being celebrated.” The dolls are starting to reflect what real people look like.

In the midst of numerous social justice reforms, the hype over the new Barbie dolls comes as no surprise. The dolls are seen by many as a symbol of the changing, more inclusive standard of beauty. The new dolls are now available for pre-order on the Barbie website and will appear on store shelves later this Spring.

Harlem Brownstone Hits the Housing Market

By BAILEY HOSFELT CULTURE EDITOR

New York City’s Mount Morris Park neighborhood is home to a myriad of historic brownstones that stand tall on tree-lined streets. With the likes of actor Neil Patrick Harris and chef Marcus Samuelsson flocking to properties in the gentrified Central Harlem locale, it is no surprise that the asking price for 58 West 120th Street is five million dollars. The former owner of this property is what has added quite the curb appeal.

Maya Angelou, acclaimed author, poet and civil rights activist, occupied the spacious Harlem home for just over a decade. Although her primary residence was located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina near Wake Forest University, the institution where she taught, Angelou often returned to the city of her literary roots. As longtime friend and director of the Howard University libraries, Howard Dodson said, “She’s got big footsteps in New York.”

The Pulitzer Prize winner first moved to New York in 1959 and joined the Harlem Writers Guild, an organization where African-American writers could hone their craft.

While gaining name recognition in the literary realm, Angelou simultaneously climbed the real estate ladder moving from a modest Brooklyn

apartment to the Upper West Side before relocating to North Carolina.

It was not until the early 2000s that she became weary of staying in hotels while back in town for her frequent lecture circuits and decided to invest in a New York home. During her real estate hunt, Motown songwriting couple and close friends of Angelou, Valerie Simpson and Nick Ashford, discovered the 120th Street location.

The vandalized brownstone, complete with missing front stairs and rotting floorboards, was the true definition of a fixer-upper, but Angelou saw something special in the dilapidated space. She purchased it in 2002 and hired architect Marc Anderson to perform the gut renovation. In just under a year it was transformed into an impressive four-story home with five bedrooms, five bathrooms, high ceilings, a spacious kitchen and a backyard garden that sprawled about 5,500 square feet.

Angelou and Anderson kept many of the original architectural flairs but also incorporated contemporary elements. The pair preserved the oak front door, detailed wainscoting, decorative fireplaces and carved staircase banister. However, they added skylights, central air and an elevator to the space.

Angelou’s master suite took up the entire third floor and contained her floor to ceiling library of titles that she

NEIL REDMOND / AP

The asking price for Maya Angelou’s former Mount Morris Park residence is $5 million.

had collected over the years. She painted the dining room ceiling to display a blue sky and clouds and put a birdcage lamp on the piano, perhaps a reference to her autobiography “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings.” The parlor level served as the canvas where Angelou could display her eye-popping decor and colorful artwork. When asked about her stylistic choice of brightly upholstered furniture in shades of yellow, lime green, grape and tangerine, she said, “I wanted the [living] room to look like a bowl of summer fruit.”

The walls of her century-old Harlem home heard the laughs of editor Marcia A. Gillespie after a heated game of

Boggle, actress Cicely Tyson during a spontaneous dance party and novelist Louise Meriwether with a glass of wine in one hand and a pen in the other. She was notorious for hosting her New Year’s Day parties here — celebrations that brought musicians, activists and writers from all over the world together for a grandiose gathering, complete with home-cooked cuisine and conversation.

Because Angelou once described the home as her refuge, “not only from the world, but a refuge from my worries, my troubles my concerns,” one may find it hard to believe that the Harlem home was not intended

to stay in the family. Her grandson Colin Johnson spoke to the press at the Sundance Film Festival premiere of Maya Angelou: And Still I Rise and explained the reasoning.

He recalled spending many holidays at the brownstone and was sad to see it leave the family, but said that, ultimately, his grandmother “would have liked us to chart our own course” regarding real estate.

It is impossible to predict who Valon Nikci, the Angelou family broker, will hand the keys over to in the future, but it is no question of whether the former owner will remain a part of this historic home. She always will.

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February 10,2016

La Dolce Vita: Cyprus, a Land of Conflict and Beauty

By PASQUALE GIANNI STAFF WRITER

The island nation of Cyprus is a special place, to say the least. Let’s face it, there is something very special about the Mediterranean region in general: its people, its food, its climate and its beauty. In these aspects alone, Cyprus is much like the rest of the Mediterranean, but in others it is a place truly unlike any other.

It is a place where you can eat fresh fish out of the sea and exotic fruits and homemade cheeses that will bring joy to your life. It is a place where the people have a certain warmth and desire to give, love and live. It is a place with endless historical sites, pristine beachfronts, year round sun and a mesmerizing landscape. And while these are all characteristics that make Cyprus a wonderful place to live or visit, they are not what make it unique.

Most Americans have never even heard of Cyprus, a small island nation in the eastern Mediterranean just 40 miles south of central Turkey. Geographically, it is almost surrounded

by Asia. Politically, however, it is a new member-state to the European Union, located just a puddle jump away from the conflicts in Syria, Lebanon and Israel. In fact, British Prime Minister, David Cameron, just announced that the country would be ramping up airstrikes on ISIS in Syria using jets launched from their

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Cyprus’ geography in the Mediterranean Sea makes it a unique place to visit, not a typical tourist destination.

military base in Cyprus.

Here is where things get complicated: while the entire island is technically considered part of the EU, only about 60 percent is controlled by the Republic of Cyprus and comprised of primarily ethnic Greeks (Greek Cypriots), while the northern part of the island is “illegally occupied” by Turkish forces. The ‘Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus’ is only recognized

by Turkey within the international community. The ‘green line,’ a chainlink fence surveyed by UN peacekeeping troops, separates the island (especially fascinating, the line also divides the countries’ capital, Nicosia, one of the world’s few remaining divided cities, which served as my base

for the trip).

Unlike most of my excursions that consist of a hotel or Airbnb stay and trying to find my way around to the popular attractions I read in a tourist manual, this one was special. I was hosted and chauffeured around the entire island by local Cypriots, Andreas Constantinou, a professor of biology and medicine at the University of Cyprus in Nicosia and his lovely wife, Toulla, a retired business executive. Both are native-born Cypriots, but have been long-time family friends since they had lived for many years in Chicago where they still have a home. Traveling this way always makes for a truer, more authentic experience.

Nicosia’s “old city” was filled with cafes, bars, shopping and some gambling. It was also bustling with people on the Greek side. After a magnificent dinner there on my final evening, I had convinced my hosts to take me over to the Turkish side of the city. Reluctantly, they agreed to take what was for them an uncomfortable journey across enemy lines.

Greeks and Turks have, for many centuries, had a bitter and sometimes ruthless neighborly rivalry that extends much further than the ongoing conflict in Cyprus. For me, the cross was pure excitement. We walked towards the city center and were confronted with huge signs

that read “border approaching” until we reached an actual pedestrian crosswalk manned by border patrol agents waiting to check passports. Let me tell you, crossing an international border on foot in a major city is not an everyday occurrence.

Once we arrived to the Turkish side, what we discovered was near abandonment: a true ‘tale of two cities.’ To be fair, it was late on a Sunday and there were many shops that were closed but very little street lighting and only an occasional pedestrian left an eerie vibe.

Due to its hazy and unofficial status, the Turkish north is a magnet for Russian money laundering interests and draws many tourists from all of Europe that come for their cheap all-inclusive beach hotels, casinos and shopping that consists of high quality, knock-off luxury goods.

There is light at the end of the tunnel with all this, though. Peace talks between the two sides are at their best point in history. John Kerry’s recent visit was a reassurance of U.S. commitment to conflict resolution, but there are a myriad of concerns that center on property disputes and shared government, among other things. What will materialize and when, well, we just have to wait and see. In the meantime, learn some of the incredibly fascinating, and unique, history of Cyprus.

More importantly, make it a point to make the journey one day and take it all in. You will not regret it, I promise.

Candidates Gain Celeb Status Through Social Media

By JOHN CHRISTEN CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Presidential candidates are using social media more than ever before as a platform to convey messages, communicate with voters and discredit the claims of their competitors.

Donald Trump’s twitter rants often appear in the feeds of almost four million users due to retweets and his massive following. Not surprisingly, Trump tweets the most and has the most Twitter followers out of all Republican and Democratic candidates.

He also receives the most attention on Facebook, with over five million likes on his campaign page. One could argue that his celebrity status propelled his social media presence to its current height, but his internet presence has been an advantage to consider regardless.

Donald Trump (@realDonaldTrump) is not the only candidate to heavily utilize social media as a way to reach voters. Bernie Sanders and his team often attach the hashtag #feeltheBern in many Twitter posts on his account (@ SenSanders). Despite his age, Bernie ranks fourth in followers and fifth in tweets sent out.

Hillary Clinton, along with Sanders and nine other presidential hopefuls, use Snapchat to reach the millennial demographic specifically, a demographic whose vote was indispensable for President Barack Obama in the 2012 presidential election.

According to a survey, nearly two-thirds of millennial Snapchat

users likely to vote follow the 2016 campaign closely, illustrating one example of the importance of social media in the upcoming election. Communication platforms like Snapchat provide an opportunity for possible voters to see behind-the-scenes content of each candidate’s campaign.

This consequently drives candidates to show more of their “true selves” when they publish content online, a phenomenon that has become more important as the internet’s popularity and universality has grown.

This heavy utilization of social media platforms makes candidates seem more accessible to possible voters. It also adds an element of humanity to an otherwise separate group of political and social elites.

Young people tend to focus more on online sources of news and information, which makes each candidate’s active presence online paramount.

For instance, Donald Trump’s unapologetic Twitter personality, although consistently popular, can be interpreted as both confident and over-aggressive. His tactic to maintain political popularity is simple: display the positive feedback he has received from supporters and observers, quote poll numbers that show he is dominating, and quiet dissenters via steps one and two. Unsurprisingly, this strategy has been extremely effective.

Trump also uses Twitter to take jabs at other candidates, such as his Feb. 6 strike against Jeb Bush.

“Wow, Jeb Bush, whose campaign is a total disaster, had to bring in mommy to take a slap at me. Not

MARY SCHWALM/AP

Presidential candidates use social media to their personal and unique advantages, becoming more like celebrities.

nice!” Bush’s mother, former first lady Barbara Bush, said she was “sick” of Donald Trump when asked to share her thoughts regarding the billionaire while campaigning with her son in New Hampshire. In this instance, Twitter provided Trump with an instant mode of rebuttal, a clear demonstration of his perpetual online presence.

Clinton’s campaign Twitter account (@HillaryClinton) focuses primarily on keeping potential voters aware of her political comings-and-goings and reinforcing her position of key issues. Her online campaign tends to give users clear examples of Clinton’s dedication to working Americans and others without a voice.

The page includes several photo-

graphs of Hillary going door-todoor in New Hampshire before the primary. The Democratic frontrunner’s Twitter strives to convince voters that relatability and humanity are at the center of her campaign and policy — not to mention that she is not intimidated by Donald Trump.

The social media political sphere also provides an excellent atmosphere for 2016 presidential campaigners to debate certain issues with their adversaries. Often candidates butt heads in “Twitter fights” about certain aspects of each other’s campaigns, policies and sometimes personal lives.

For instance, Jeb Bush’s comments about the funding of Planned Parenthood in early August stating that he is “not sure

we need half-a-billion dollars for women’s health issues” prompted Clinton to quickly retort: “@JebBush You are absolutely, unequivocally wrong.” The ability to rapidly and succinctly deliver messages to the online public makes it easy for candidates to be certain that their sentiments about relevant issues are not misunderstood by possible voters.

The online social environment of sites like Twitter, Snapchat and Facebook are excellent forums for presidential hopefuls to communicate with potential voters on a more personal and accessible level.

Social media is steadily becoming one of the most prominent ways in which people attain information, and that fact is changing the way citizens make their final vote.

CULTURE

February 10, 2016

Fordham Road: A Shopper’s Paradise

By KATHERINE KELLY

Page 13

Woman of the Hour | Erin Cabrey

Serena Williams

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Our little area of the Bronx offers a variety of tourist activities such as the Bronx Zoo, Botanical Gardens and Little Italy on Arthur Ave. However, many Bronx visitors and residents can overlook the abundant and affordable shopping options that Fordham Road has to offer. Fordham Road is home to the largest shopping district in the Bronx and the third largest in the city. Stores stretch from Webster Avenue to Jerome Avenue, providing the convenience of a variety of mom-and-pop shops and 300 big box stores.

Located adjacent to campus, Fordham Road shopping has become a favorite activity for many Fordham students. However, many students have never ventured far along Fordham Road or taken the time to stop and look while racing to the subway. Some have yet to experience the selections, sales and enjoyment that Fordham Road shopping supplies.

Whether shopping for a specific item or just going for a day out with friends, shopping on Fordham Road provides the utmost convenience. A shopping spree is an effortless activity for students and residents in the Bronx. Residents of the Bronx do not have to leave their neighborhood to buy clothing, furniture, shoes or office supplies.

Fashion favorites include brand-named stores like American Eagle Outfitters, Gap and Nine West. Footwear brands like Foot Locker and Payless Shoe Source supply fresh kicks for athletic, work and leisure purposes.

In addition to brand-name corporations, the large shopping district is home to several unique stores.

Fordham Road favorites like Easy Pickins, Dr. Jay’s Ladies and Celine offer options for a night out outfit, including fun, sparkly and colorful items to spice up your wardrobe.

ANDREA GARCIA/THE FORDHAM RAM

Fordham Road offers more to students than an uphill trek to the D Train.

Retailers like these also serve as the perfect place to find odds and ends for dressing up for a senior night, theater performance or Halloween. If you are feeling generous, Fordham Road presents many choices for gift giving. During the holiday season, Fordham Road becomes filled with customers looking for the perfect gift and sale.

Kelly Davis, FCRH ’16, found shopping on Fordham Road to be either a blessing or a bust.

“Either you find 80 awesome things or absolutely nothing,” she said. Davis loves spontaneous trips down Fordham Road, especially to find accessories for dance costumes.

Fordham Road does not only provide selections for fashion, but also has practical stores, like Modell’s, TJ Maxx and Target. These stores are great for getting the necessary appliances for college students’ apartments and dorms.

An additional benefit for college students, who are glued to their phones and laptops, is that Fordham Road has multiple phone service and technology stores such as Verizon, T-Mobile, Sprint and Best Buy. Having these stores at such close proximity saves students the time and expense of taking a trip to Manhattan, a benefit for college students whose only time to shop might be after class.

What makes the shopping experience on Fordham Road is not just

its unique and endless options, but also its great deals. Many discount outlets on Fordham Road exist for the savvy shopper. J & J Discount, Webster 99 Cent Store and Save-A-Thon target shoppers who are looking for deals. The affordable merchandise found in the retailers reflects the inexpensive rent space. The low rent allows such vast numbers of merchants to stay in business despite competition from neighboring venues.

Moreover, Fordham Road is known for its accessibility and versatility. Fordham Road can be reached by shoppers near and far via the 4, B, D or MetroNorth trains. If in need of withdrawing some funds for a Bronx shopping spree, Fordham Road has several banks that can be accessed before one begins spending money. When customers have shopped until they have dropped, they can take a break to eat at a wide selection of food vendors. A complete list of food vendors, banks and stores can be found at fordhamroadbid. org.

As the snow melts and warm weather approaches, and students need a break from studying, they should take a stroll down Fordham Road and take advantage of the endless affordable and fun options that its shopping facilities offer.

Editor’s Pick: The Lumineer’s New Album, Cleopatra

Ho Hey, There’s Finally a New Album!

By JACK BRENNAN PHOTO EDITOR

After nearly four years of radio silence, The Lumineers are finally back with their new single “Ophelia.”

“Ophelia” is a small taste of what is to come from their new album Cleopatra which is set to be released in April of this year. The song has the same Lumineers-folksy sound with a soulful piano tune and slow, building stomps in the background that I have grown to love.

I have listened to their first album, The Lumineers, in its entirety in my car over a hundred times. Without skipping through the songs and really trying to fixate on the lyrics, I have come to believe there is a story within the album. This is going to seem like a string of overthinking with undertones of an insane person’s conspiracy theory, but trust me on this one.

In the first song, the story begins with a man meeting a very pretty and “Classy Girl.” Next is “Dead Sea,” which describes the wedding of

the two new lovers and their vows to each other. The following songs, “Ho Hey” and “Stubborn Love” describe the positive state of their relationship within the lyrics and upbeat tones. The final energetic song of the album, “Big Parade,” shows the strain on the unnamed couple’s relationship, opening with the line, “Lovely girl, won’t you stay, stay with me.” Next, “Flapper Girl” describes a woman trying to get her husband to notice her new hair, and her husband trying anything to keep her happy, including buying her a new Cadillac. The final song takes a sudden dark and sad turn.

“Morning Song” represents the final chapter to the hidden story and the demise of the fictional couple’s relationship. The husband asks his wife, “If it was easier to pack her bags and book that flight to Paris,” showing how she left him. The husband then brings up how she cheated on him, asking “And did you think of me when you made love to him? Was it the same as us or was it different; it must have been.”

The love between the two has finally ended and the relationship is beyond

repair. Lead singer Wesley Schultz finishes the story in a desperate and wavering voice, “When my hands begin to shake, when bitterness is all I taste, and my car won’t stop cause I cut the brakes, I hold on to a hope in my fate.”

The final words before his suicide are his selfless thoughts, showing his unwavering and stubborn love for his wife. Finishing with “may you return to love one day,” he expresses his hope that she can love again after his own death.

The lyrics and possible underlying story are poetic and show the effort The Lumineers pour into all of their lyrics. When asked about the new album, lead singer Wesley Schultz stated, “The [new] record is our greatest hits reflecting what’s happened to us over the last three years. We tried to come up with the best possible version of every song.”

I have been impatiently waiting for the new album for these past four years and I have complete faith that they will return just as strong, if not stronger, than before.

Serena Williams is defying labels.

In the new Mini USA campaign introduced during Sunday’s Super Bowl, the tennis phenom recalls the many unfair tags she’s been given throughout her career and urges women to define themselves on their own terms.

Changing the Game: On Sunday, when over 100 million Americans tuned into the Super Bowl, they were treated to a wider array of sports than just football. Tennis star Serena Williams headlined the Mini USA commercial, which also featured fellow athletes Abby Wambach and Tony Hawk. This TV spot reached beyond the traditional bounds of advertising to deliver an important social message to viewers. In the extended ad for the campaign, Serena lists the many labels commonly applied to her, including “too strong,” “too sexy,” “too focused on tennis” and “mean.” She states that overcoming these labels has been “really easy, because I define myself.” Though the main purpose is to squash labels typically applied to the Mini, the depth found in the campaign’s stories, such as Serena’s, portrays something much more important than the comedic or visuallygrabbing fare usually featured during the football broadcast.

Serena’s discussion of labels, specifically in reference to her body, is something the 34 year-old has always been candid about. While many people have slammed her body for being overly muscular, Serena has refused to let these critiques bring her down or distract her from her goals. During her championship run at Wimbledon last summer, Serena told the New York Times, “I realized that you really have to learn to accept who you are and love who you are. I’m really happy with my body type, and I’m really proud of it.”

As Sports Illustrated’s 2015 Sportsperson of the Year and the first woman to hold the title in 32 years, Serena has used her standing as the country’s most successful female athlete to change the conversation about race and gender in sports and to become a role model for people across the world.

Serena’s Story: Serena’s athletic career has been unorthodox from the beginning. Instead of attending an elite tennis academy, she and her sister Venus were coached by their father in Compton, California. She turned pro in 1995, before even graduating high school, and quickly climbed her way to the top of the rankings. In 1999, she won the U.S. Open Championships, her first grand slam title, at the age of 17.

From 2002 to 2003, Serena won all four grand slam tournaments in a row, completing what was known as “The Serena Slam,” a feat she achieved once again in 2015.

Serena continues to break records,

make history and hold the title of one of the country’s most revered athletes. She has accumulated four Olympic gold medals and a total of 21 grand slam titles (placing third on the women’s all-time list), holding the record for the highest-earning female athlete in terms of prize money.

Last year was monumental for Serena’s career. In April, she returned to the Indian Wells Masters in California after a 14-year boycott of the tournament due to racial slurs she and Venus were subjected to in 2001.

When she returned to the court, she was met with a rousing standing ovation that brought tears to the eyes of everyone in the stadium, as well as mine at home.

In July, she completed her second “Serena Slam” by winning Wimbledon. At the U.S. Open, Serena made history beyond the bounds of her own career. For the first time ever, the women’s final sold out before the men’s in anticipation of her completing the calendar slam. In addition, her quarterfinal match against Venus was the second-highest rated tennis match in ESPN history.

Advantage Serena: I attended the U.S. Open the day before the Williams vs. Williams match last year, and the sisters’ highly anticipated clash accounted for the majority of the buzz throughout the grounds.

Spectators flooded the practice courts just to get a peek at Serena practicing, and I somehow managed to squeeze my way to the front of the pack, landing just feet away from the legend herself as she volleyed with her coach.

People desperate for a glimpse of her were actually tapping me on the shoulder and handing me their cameras to take pictures and videos.

In a tennis center filled with every elite player hailing from every corner of the world, they were all drawn to Serena Williams, a woman from Compton, California, who practiced with her dog watching eagerly from the sidelines.

In a sea of Lacoste polo shirts, Serena Williams is wearing a Puma catsuit. “As a black tennis player, I looked different. I sounded different.

I dressed differently. I served differently,” she said. “But when I stepped onto the court, I could compete with anyone,” she told Time last year. As one of the most dominant forces in such an international game, she has flipped the script on a predominantly white institution, historically labeled a gentlemen’s sport.

She has shown that labels regarding race, gender and economic standing only matter if you let them.

Serena Williams proves there are no boundaries that humility, integrity, bravery and a blistering serve cannot overcome, a sentiment that is guaranteed to inspire women long after she hangs up her racket.

SANG TAN/AP

Serena Williams’ journey to success goes beyond the typical rags-to-riches story.

CULTURE

Page 14

February 10, 2016

Who’s That Kid? | Sarah Champlin FCRH ‘16

Senior Blends Coffee, Friends and Social Justice

By AMANDA GIGLIO EDITORIAL DIRECTOR

If you have ever walked into a Rodrigue’s meeting looking to get coffee, only to be confused and redirected, you have probably seen Sarah Champlin, FCRH ’16, sitting cross-legged on top of the counter.

“It had always been a dream to sit on the counter from day one, so of course I wanted to become copresident,” said Champlin jokingly about her being one of the co-presidents of Rodrigue’s Coffee House.

A member since freshman year, Sarah, an Illinois native, has been on the e-board of Rodrigue’s for three years now. Beginning as secretary, she then became vice president and now is president, alongside Tim Livingston, FCRH ’16.

“Rods was where I found my first friends,” she said. “I really appreciate the space and how it is safe for people and has a personality and heritage of its own.”

As an e-board member, Sarah is able to take the history at Rodrigue’s and preserve it, but she continues to help the space evolve for current students. When she is not sitting on counters and making coffee, Sarah is partaking in GO! projects and most recently producing this year’s “Vagina Monologues.”

“I performed in it two years ago

COURTESY OF SARAH CHAMPLIN

Senior Sarah Champlin is a familiar face on campus, especially if you frequent Rodrigue’s Coffee House.

and wanted to be able to take a leadership role with it and bring my love of it to the stage,” she said. “It is a cool production and I wanted to make sure it happens, anyway I can.”

Sarah explained how the “Vagina Monologues” is a series of feminist sketches about the experiences of women. Her feminism and social justice-driven mind can also be seen in her involvement in Wom-

en’s Empowerment and GO! projects, including GO! Mexico and, most recently, GO! Nicaragua.

In Mexico, Sarah and her team built compostable outhouses from mud and tutored kids, and in Nicaragua she helped to build an addition on a house out of cement and cinderblocks. These were perfect for her as she already had building experience after working at a home repair organization.

Review | Theater

Experience “A Whole New World” in Aladdin the Musical

By KATHERINE FALZON CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Hop on your magic carpet and experience a “whole new world” in the Broadway musical rendition of the 1992 Disney film “Aladdin” at the New Amsterdam theatre. Tony-award winning director and choreographer Casey Nicholaw is the real “genie-us” behind the play, and has done a spectacular job staging the show and bringing the streets of Agrabah to life. The ensemble cast’s extravagant costumes are glittery and eye-catching as they dance across the stage, thanks to their talented costume designer, Gregg Barnes. The beautiful clothing is rich in color and decorated with jewels, sparkles and feathers galore. The exotic music (composed by Alan Menken, lyrics by Howard Ashman and Tim Rice) and scenic landscape will transport audience members to the Middle East as they follow along in this adventurous tale.

The story of Aladdin, originally written by Chad Beguelin, is told in the same way, coming to life right before your very eyes. The handsome and charming Aladdin (Adam Jacobs) still finds a magic lamp with a Genie inside that grants him three wishes, which he uses to win the heart of Prin-

cess Jasmine (Courtney Reed).

The beautiful Jasmine continues to stand as an important figure of girls’ empowerment because she stands up for herself and makes her own decisions. Although her father, the Sultan (Clifton Davis) is determined to find her a well-suited husband, she asserts her freedom to choose who she wants to marry.

However, it is clear that some changes have been made to the original Disney picture. Many animal characters that were seen in the Disney movie are transformed into human form. Aladdin now has a trio of friends named Babkak, Omar and Kassim (Brian Gonzales, Johnathan Schwartz and Brandon O’Neill) in place of his monkey companion Aboo. The boys make comical remarks and joke with one another as they roam the streets of Agrabah, struggling together in poverty. Villain Jafar ( Johnathan Freeman, who also voices the character in the film) no longer has a talking parrot, but is instead accompanied by a sinister human sidekick, Iago (Don Darryl Rivera). It is hard not to notice Iago’s bold facial expressions and bulging eyeballs as he deviously schemes with Jafar. Their loud, wicked laughs echo throughout the theatre. The duo make the

perfect evil team.

Although Aladdin is the main character, the Genie, played by James Monroe Iglehart, steals the show with his magnificent energy and clever wit. Iglehart’s Tony Award in 2014 for his stellar performance as the Genie proves that he was born to play this role. He surely wins audience members over, as evidenced by the crowd’s roaring applause and standing ovation, especially after his hit number “Friend Like Me.” The romance and passion between Aladdin and Jasmine is intensified as they belt out the famous ballad “A Whole New World” during their iconic magic carpet ride scene. The flying carpet appears to float effortlessly above the stage without any visible assistance, almost as if it were magic. The beautiful starry sky staging is mesmerizing and out of this world. Audience members will surely fall in love with the enchantment of it all.

“Aladdin” is the perfect show for anyone—kids, adults, couples and families. As a Fordham student, take advantage of the opportunity to receive a discount on your next ticket purchase offered at the Student Services Office.

You do not want to miss out on one of the best Disney shows on Broadway right now.

“I love cultural immersion trips that have an aspect of service, as it gives me a new perspective and a genuine look into another person’s culture,” Champlin said about GO!.

“Everyone I go with have become great friends of mine and we all bonded so well and still continue to hang out frequently.”

Both of her GO! projects, as well as her time abroad in New Delhi in her sophomore year, have con-

tributed to her open-minded personality and cultural outlooks. She utilized these experiences to learn and bring her knowledge back to Fordham.

After graduation Sarah hopes to work with the Jesuit Volunteer Corps in a one year domestic program. As a Sociology and Theology double major with experience in low income home repair, she would be able to combine her two passions by working in youth ministry through JVC. “I feel like it is exactly what I was meant to do,” she said. “I am so pumped to be able to work with the youth: they are like today’s angst, tomorrow’s future.”

As a senior looking back on her time at Fordham, it is hard for her to imagine a different experience.

“I have learned a lot because of the groups I’ve been a part of. The great professors, great friends, great classes and great clubs here at Fordham have made me more aware of my place in the world and in social justice,” said Champlin, “though I wish the tuition costed less.”

Other than the crazy amount of time she dedicates to her activities on campus, Sarah quotes her fun facts as being adopted and that she does not like mint. You can usually find her around campus wearing a scrunchy since it is a signature of her style.

Fordham Professor’s Off-Broadway Play: “Skip to My Lou”

By ELIZABETH SMISLOVA CULTURE EDITOR

Steve Romagnoli, Fordham graduate, former writer for The Fordham Ram and current professor at FCRH, is the playwright of the new offBroadway play “Skip to My Lou.” The play will run from Feb. 17-23 in the TNC Theater Complex on 155 First Avenue (Wednesday-Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 3 p.m.).

Romagnoli says that he was inspired by the true story of Ota Benga, a man who was taken from Africa in 1906 and put on exhibit in the Bronx Zoo in a cage in the monkey house.

“At the time, this was not viewed by most people as something bad, unnatural or cruel,” he said. “Thousands of people went to go see him in the zoo, and they eventually took him out of there. He eventually committed suicide.”

In addition to teaching literature at FCRH, Romagnoli teaches a similar college course at Bedford Hills Maximum Security Women’s Prison.

Marymount College sponsors the program where the women can leave with a degree in sociology.

His experience there moved him to creatively connect the seemingly unrelated history of Ota Benga and the current prison systems: “It’s an honor for me to be a part of that [program] and their lives,” he said. “It’s terribly sad going there and leaving when I

know they’re behind the walls.

“In a lot of ways, the prison systems have a lot of cruel and immoral elements, like solitary confinement, that people looking back on it 100 years from now, will look back on it the same way we looked back on Ota Benga,” he added. All the proceeds from the play will be donated to the college program at Bedford Hills.

Before writing “Skip to My Lou,” Romagnoli taught “at-risk” youths in small environments such as drug rehabilitation centers, homeless shelters and halfway houses. During his opening lectures, he says he used the story of Ota Benga to engage and strike a cord with the youths.

His actions and writings prove that the Fordham grad has no fear in the face of revealing and fighting injustice, especially in an artistically beautiful, yet simultaneously tragic, way. Benga’s account may be appalling, and therefore be taboo, but that does not inhibit Romagnoli from using the horror inflicted on him as a lesson more than 100 years later.

“The play itself is directly inspired by that story and I guess part of it being that, looking back on that we could look at it as something as cruel and unusual and bizarre, clearly so,” he said. “But in our society today there are things that are going on that people don’t register the same way that are cruel, just as bizarre, and they are just wearing a disguise or mask.”

SPORTS

February 10, 2016

Swimming Wins Home Finale

By BRYAN KIEL STAFF WRITER

The Fordham swimming and diving team finished its regular season campaign in style against the St. Francis Brooklyn Terriers at its last meet of the season at the Col. Francis B. Messmore Aquatic Center. The interborough matchup featured a number of stellar performances from both the men’s and women’s teams, both of whom took home victories. It was also Senior Night for the Rams, who honored nine seniors in their final home meet at Rose Hill.

The women’s team, who beat the Terriers by a score of 110-62, featured a winner in the majority of the races, thanks to a school-record performance from sophomore Wendy Espina-Esquivel. Esquivel’s score of 288.52 in the 1m dive was just enough to top her previous record of 286.65 set in October, while her performance of 279.60 in the 3m dive was also one of her best.

Esquivel was joined by senior Megan Gray as multi-event winners, as Gray took first in the 500-yd freestyle and was part of both winning relay teams. In the 200-yd freestyle relay, coach Potsklan used a tandem of sisters with Megan Gray, sophomore Erin Gray and seniors Shannon and Chandler Lulley. In the 200-yd medley relay, Coach Potsklan opted instead for a classdiverse group, with Megan Gray, junior Katerina Lisitsin, sophomore Julia Day and freshman Siobhan Dale leading the way to sweep relay races.

The men’s team had another strong performance from a young group of swimmers, led by senior Steve Sholdra in the 500-yd freestyle and 100-yd breaststroke.

Junior Miguel Mattox also took first in the 200-yd freestyle, while sophomores Tommy Christensen and Matt Luther won in the 100-yd

freestyle and backstroke, respectively.

Sophomore Liam Semple also won in the 200-yd individual medley, while both relay teams took first in the 200-yd medley and 200-yd freestyle.

It was a great night for the Rams, who went into senior night looking for big wins against a lesscompetitive opponent than they have been used to this campaign.

Overall, there were 20 event wins, with five seniors playing a role.

While the women’s team certainly has the edge this year in terms of experience, the men are no less optimistic about their future. With a win over St. Francis and a strong showing at UMass the weekend before, the men’s team is not backing down with the A-10s eight days away. “Seeing improvements such as these near the end of the season really encourages us for A-10s,” said Christensen. “This is a young team with a lot of potential, and that will definitely be shown at A-10s.”

The women’s team is going to the Championships, looking for a win against a number of competitive schools. While St. Francis did not pose the same threat teams like Richmond or Duquesne may pose, a win against preseasonranked UMass is certainly telling of Fordham’s place in the conference. Chandler Lulley is excited to perform with her team in the most important meet of the season. “The hard work for the season is done, and now it’s time to focus on the small details that make our races come together,” she said. “We have all put in the work and are excited to see more fast racing at A-10s.”

Lulley and her teammates on both the women’s and men’s side will kick off the championship action next week at the SPIRE Institute in Geneva, Ohio, on Feb. 17.

Page 15

Both Track Teams Place Fourth

By ALEXANDRIA SEDLAK STAFF WRITER

The 2016 Metropolitan Championships at Ocean Breeze Park in Staten Island proved to be a truly successful meet for Fordham’s men’s and women’s track and field teams. All teams participating in the Metropolitan Championships were from the tri-state area. On Friday, Feb. 5, both teams finished in fourth place. The men’s team competed against 12 other teams, and the women’s team competed against 14 other teams. The men fell to Rutgers, Manhattan and Southern Connecticut State, and the women to Rutgers, St. John’s and Manhattan.

Among the 21 career-best and debut times at the meet, there were also seven IC4A/ECAC qualifying times between both groups.

For the men, freshman Jared Benn competed in the 400m dash, finishing in a time of 49.13, which was a personal best as well as an IC4A qualifying time. Benn also made his debut in the 200m, which was good for fifth. Freshman Sean Phillips won the 1000m race with a finishing time of 2:30.84, while freshman Patrick Dineen also raced in the 1000m, coming in sixth with a time of 2:36.31. Sophomore Thomas Slattery accomplished a first place finish in the 3000m race with a time of 8:33.15. Senior Mike Turi followed this standard with his first place victory in the 5000m race. Sophomore Nik O’Brien, senior Quincy O’Connor and junior Jake Duckworth also competed in the 5000m race, coming in second with a time of 15:14.40, third with a time of 15:18.60 and sixth with a time of 15:35.47, respectively.

The Rams also scratched out wins in the relay races. The team of sophomore Michael Campbell, freshman Sean Phillips, sophomore Louis Santelli and sophomore Fritz Heinrich won the 4x800m relay with a time of 7:53.03. The distance medley relay consisted of sophomore Brian Cook, freshman Jared Benn, sophomore Nik O’Brien and senior Mike Turi. Their first place win and finishing time of 10:12.06 also qualified them for the IC4A. Not to be left out, the men’s sole field participant, sophomore Ryan Riviere, set a new personal best with a height of 13’ 7.25”, good enough for fourth place.

The women’s side saw no less success. The first event to go was the 500m run, in which senior Danielle Rowe and sophomore Merissa Wright qualified for the ECAC with times of 1:14.36 and 1:14.84, respectively. Junior Shanna Heaney, who finished in second with an ECAC qualifying time of 2:13.89, and freshman

COURTESY OF SHANNA HEANEY

The track team performed well in the Metropolitan Championships.

Aidan Moroz, who finished in fifth, competed in the 800m run.

Freshman Mary Kate Kenny finished ninth in the 60m dash with a time of 7.93; this beat her previous record by .06 seconds, but just missed the final round qualifying time by .03 seconds. Freshman Kate McCormack came in third place in the 1000m run with an ECAC qualifying time of 2:54.03. Sophomore Brynna Harum was the next Fordham runner to finish this race, with a personal best time of 3:01.40 putting her in sixth place. All four Rams competing in the 5000m – senior Brianna Tevnan, freshman Angelina Grebe, junior Brianna Roche and freshman Kieran Hanrahan - placed within the top 10: third, fourth, seventh and ninth, respectively.

As with the men, the women’s relay teams showed great finishes. Sophomore Christina Perrier, freshman Morgan Menzzasalma, freshman Mary Kate Kenny and freshman Aidan Moroz ran in the 4x400m relay, with a finishing time of 3:55.60 giving them fourth place. Then, in the

4x800m relay, the team of Wright, Rowe, Heaney and McCormack accomplished a first place finish with an ECAC qualifying time of 9:11.91. Summing up the results of the meet, McCormack said, “The Metropolitan Championships went great for most people.

Great way to start the championship season! Looking forward to seeing what we can do as a team!”

Just like the results of the Terrier Classic, this meet brought many personal best times and IC4A/ECAC qualifying times.

They are all proud of their success so far, and excited for what is to come.

“We’re rolling well going into A10’s. This was a great confidence booster,” Slattery said.

Next weekend, the Rams will be back in action at the Valentine’s Day Classic hosted by Boston University. They will be racing at the Boston University Track and Tennis Center in Boston starting at 2 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 12. Following this will be the big Atlantic 10 Championships, taking place from Feb. 20-21 at the University of Rhode Island.

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THE RAM ARCHIVES

The men and women both took down Saint Francis Brooklyn on Senior Night.

Stop by McGinley B-52 next Monday, 8 p.m.

We’ll show you the ropes.

Page 16

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February 10, 2016

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SPORTS

February 10, 2016

Sam Belden Simply the Greatest Let’s get something out of the way: the Denver Broncos’ unlikely victory over the Carolina Panthers in Super Bowl 50 was not about Peyton Manning. Sure, he was there, but he threw for just 141 yards and an interception, good for a passer rating of 56.6. That’s a hair better than that of Panthers counterpart Cam Newton, but still one of the worst quarterback performances from a Super Bowl-winning team in the game’s long history.

Denver’s win was more about Von Miller, the game’s MVP. It was about C.J. Anderson, who ran for 90 yards and a touchdown under the most intense spotlight in sports. It was about DeMarcus Ware, who contributed two sacks. These men did more to lift the Broncos organization to its third Super Bowl win than the team’s de facto leader, both on Sunday night and over the course of the season.

And yet, I’m going to sit here and write 500 words on Peyton Manning, if only because Sunday may have been the last time we ever get to see him take a snap in the National Football League. He’s yet to decide whether he wants to retire, but given his diminished performance, it’s a strong possibility. Besides, he would feel good about walking away after having just won it all — it’s a luxury that few other football players get to experience. For that reason, I offer a brief eulogy for Manning’s career.

Peyton Manning is the greatest quarterback to ever pick up a football. It was true before Super Bowl 50, and it’s true today. He didn’t just dominate nearly every time he took the field, he changed the meaning of what it meant to be an NFL quarterback.

It’s difficult to sum up 17 spectacular seasons in the space provided, but much of Manning’s legacy was forged during a three-year period from 2004 through 2006. In 2004, he set a new single-season record with 49 touchdown passes, a mark that’s been surpassed on just two occasions: once by Tom Brady, once by Manning himself (albeit in a much more pass-heavy league). He led the league in passer rating in each of those three years. His Indianapolis Colts were a juggernaut, going 38-10 and beating the Bears in Super Bowl XLI. Over the course of his career, Manning came to be regarded as the standard of excellence at the quarterback position. Even today, he is renowned for his play-calling skills, and his football mind is regarded as one of the best in the industry. He is the NFL’s all-time leader in both passer yards and touchdown passes, and he’s tied for fourth in completion percentage.

I can already hear the naysayers: yes, they concede, Manning was great, but they claim that his postseason record pales in comparison to those of Tom Brady and Joe Montana. I just don’t see the argument.

The playoffs matter, but to reduce one’s legacy to a few games against the best of the best is foolish. Week in and week out, Manning combined incredible skill with an unbelievable ability to lead. The end result was a career record of 200-92.

In some ways, it’s inconsequential that Super Bowl 50 wasn’t about him.

Thanks to nearly two decades of work to perfect his craft, Peyton Manning is simply unforgettable.

Page 17

Senior Profile | Samantha Clark

By SAM BELDEN SPORTS EDITOR

Samantha Clark, a native of Neptune, New Jersey, is a senior forward on the Fordham women’s basketball team. The Communication and Media Studies and sociology double major is having her best season yet, leading the squad in points, rebounds, blocks and steals. With Clark leading the way, the Rams are 6-4 in Atlantic 10 play, good for fifth in the conference.

The Fordham Ram: Tell me a bit about your recruiting process. What made you ultimately choose Fordham?

Samantha Clark: It was pretty crazy in the beginning. Coach Gaitley actually recruited me since I was in eighth grade. I had a really long relationship with her, and she’s always really persistent. She was at Monmouth before she came here, which is 20 minutes from my house.

I was always in contact with her and just grew a great relationship with her. That’s a big thing with me, the player-coach relationship, so the more comfortable I got with her, the more I wanted to play for her. Then she came here, which is in a better conference than Monmouth, so it just worked out for me.

TFR: You were Fordham’s first ever Top-100 recruit for women’s basketball. Did you feel any pressure in your first year, coming in with that label?

SC: I didn’t know it was such a big deal at first. People were like, “Oh my God, Top-100 recruit!” I just wanted to do the best I could freshman year. Of course, you get jitters your freshman year and everything, so I just wanted to prove to myself that I was that good player and not just be nothing special. Nothing extra though, just the freshman jitters.

TFR: How have you adjusted to being a senior on the team?

SC: It’s different. Usually, I take a step back from the leadership roles, and this year it’s really been pushing me forward out of my comfort zone to be a leader for the team. There are only two seniors, and I’ve had so much experience on the court, so I’m really learning what it takes to be a leader. I think I’m doing better than I was at the beginning of the year.

TFR: You’re averaging careerhighs in points per game, rebounds per game and field goal percentage.

What’s been clicking for you in your

Assessing Derek Fisher’s Dismissal

COURTESY OF SAMANTHA CLARK

Samantha Clark has scored the most points of any Fordham player in 2015-16.

last go-round as a Ram? SC: I’m really working on inside game more. Usually, I defer to the outside, and Coach Gaitley’s always telling me to post up. I work out with her at least once a week, every week, and I think it’s really helping me this year.

TFR: Is there any one aspect of your game in which you take the most pride?

SC: I’d say defense. Help defense is my thing. I love being there to help my teammates and just get the extra stop. I know it’s not usually someone’s favorite thing to do, but I actually enjoy it.

TFR: Since you got here, the Rams have gone 83-41. What’s it been like for you to be a part of such a successful program on this level?

SC: I think it’s exciting. When coach Gaitley came to Fordham, it was not really that great of a program, and she said, “You could be a part of this turnaround.” My freshman year, we went to the A-10 Finals — didn’t win that one. My sophomore year, we won it, and last year we were in the semifinals, so getting to be that turnaround team and getting us back on the map is really exciting.

TFR: Your team went to the NCAA Tournament in 2014. Describe what that experience was like

for you.

SC: It’s just a crazy experience.

It was so exciting to win A-10s and seeing our name on the big board, seeing we’re going to Waco, Texas.

Playing a team like Cal, a big name team, was just so exciting, and we were right there to the buzzer. It was great to play with that team.

TFR: Your team is 9-3 at home this year. Is there anything about the atmosphere in the Rose Hill Gym that gives you guys an edge?

SC: We do have Kids Game at home, and that’s just a crazy environment. The entire gym’s filled with kids screaming. No one’s really used to that. But the band, our supporters, everyone’s just great. It really helps us get more motivated.

TFR: What’s your favorite nonbasketball part of being at Fordham?

SC: I think just being around my teammates. We’re all great friends.

Getting to build those relationships with people, I think I’ll have some of those relationships for a long time.

TFR: What are your plans for after graduation?

SC: As of right now, I don’t know.

I’m double-majoring, so I’m hoping I can find something in my two fields, but as of right now, I’m just going to go home and enjoy the summer.

Squash Finishes Regular Season

By TOM TERZULLI STAFF WRITER

Fordham Squash rolled into the weekend after taking three of four at its last event. There were two matches on tap versus the NYU Bobcats and the Bucknell Bison, Fordham’s final home matches of the year.

The Rams ended up falling to both squads.

The NYU match was lopsided: Fordham was blown out 8-1. The Rams played tough against the Bobcats earlier in the year in a 5-4 loss, but head coach Bryan Patterson noted that this was a different Fordham team. “Without our No. 2, No. 4 and No. 5, we are under strength and consequently weaker than the first half of the season,” he said.

Senior Kincade Webster continued his stellar season for Fordham in the first position, securing its only point of the day with a victory over Max McCafferty. NYU coasted after

Jack McGuire

the first position and took the next seven matches. There were some bright spots for Fordham, namely sophomore John Lennon and junior Sahil Bahri’s ability to extend their matches in the fourth and fifth positions. It took four sets for Ashad Hajela to top Lennon. Bahri dueled Luca Diadul in a five set marathon.

Bahri stormed back after going down by two sets to none to tie it, but succumbed in the fifth and deciding set.

The downtrodden Rams had yet another tough team in their way a few hours later. Fordham put up a fight, but lost a 6-3 battle to Bucknell in their last home match of the year.

Webster and senior Jeremy Keller once again steered their team in the right direction to open the match. It was an undefeated day for Webster when he rolled past Mike Gagnier in a straight set sweep. It took the maximum of five sets, but Keller gave Fordham a 2-0 advantage in a five set victory over Tyler Edwards.

The Rams were up 2-0 and riding high on the back of their two best players, but their hopes of breaking even were dashed by five straight Bucknell wins. The Bison clinched the match in the seventh position on a triumph over Fordham senior James Potts, who was undefeated in four matches at Johns Hopkins.

The Rams picked up a meaningless third point in the next matchup from freshman Robert Levis over Sam Klahu.

Fordham finishes a game above .500 at 8-7 in regular season play.

There are two tournaments left to go, the National Team and Individual Championships. The team competition is up first from Feb. 19 through Feb. 21.

Coach Patterson is confident his team will bounce back. “No matter what, the team are ready to give their best,” he said. “This will be an interesting weekend and one that we could do well in.”

As head coaches go, I was never a fan of recently-fired Derek Fisher of the New York Knicks. Giving a guy $25 million to coach a team just a few months after he himself was playing in the playoffs is sort of like your mom suggesting a three-week long family vacation: very ambitious.

Still, he wasn’t a total mess. It’s worth wondering: was the Fisher firing warranted?

Last year was a mess, but it was expected to be. Finishing with a 17-65 record was, of course, embarrassing, but science could have reincarnated Red Auerbach and the Knicks still would have missed the playoffs.

They started Samuel Dalembert in 21 games, for goodness’ sake — the roster, something Fisher couldn’t control, was simply terrible.

Leading a roster that featured more legitimate NBA players, Fisher came into this season with a bit more hope. It started off better than most could have expected. In their first 44 games, the Knicks finished with a record of 22-22 — fairly impressive for Fisher — and it had a lot of optimistic Knicks fans thinking about the playoffs. In terms of advanced stats, Fisher led the Knicks to a 102.7 offensive rating (an estimate of points scored per 100 possessions) and a 103.8 defensive rating (an estimate of points allowed per 100 possessions). That gave the Knicks a net rating for -1.1 (the Warriors’ is +12.6), which would put them in the middle of the league. Although not perfect, this was encouraging considering the Knicks’ net rating last season was -10.1.

Fisher’s real blunders occurred over the last 10 games, which killed the Knicks’ chances at a playoff birth.

The team has gone 1-9 and had a 98.7 offensive rating and a 107.3 defensive rating, giving them with an awful -8.6 net rating. To put that in perspective, the 14-39 Brooklyn Nets have a net rating of -7.6 this season, so to say the Knicks have been awful over the past 10 games is an understatement.

In Fisher’s defense, the Knicks’ opponents over that 10-game stretch were the Grizzlies, Pistons, Celtics, Warriors, Raptors, Thunder and Clippers. It’s also worth nothing that Carmelo Anthony, still far and away the best player on the team, missed three of those games.

So, back to the question: was the firing warranted? Fisher was only given 54 games to coach a real NBA team, and even that team isn’t very good. You can also look at it from the other side and say his work during those 54 games was subpar. Fisher is also not a great play-caller. Some of his decisions late in games and after timeouts have left a lot of people scratching their heads.

Overall, I am a fan of the firing. I think Phil Jackson looked at Fisher and saw no future with him as coach of a team that finally has a franchise player, Kristaps Porzingis, on its roster, so he pulled the plug. This also sends a message to the fans and players that this team is incredibly serious about it’s future. The rebuild is over, and they aren’t going to retain players or coaches that won’t help them win now. Today is a good day to be a Knicks fan, and hopefully the new hire (please let it be Tom Thibodeau) will make tomorrow even better.

SPORTS

Page 18

February 10, 2016

Tennis Falls to Saint Joseph’s

By TOM TERZULLI STAFF WRITER

The Fordham men’s tennis team is undefeated no more. The much more experienced Saint Joseph’s Hawks rolled over the young Rams (6-1) and handed them their first loss of the season.

In spite of coming off of their most dominant win of the season last week, a 7-0 trouncing of Saint Peter’s, the deck was stacked against the Rams as they took on their A-10 rival. First, facing off with the Hawks did not conjure fond memories for Fordham because they were swept by Saint Joseph’s 7-0 in a matchup last season.

Secondly, the Rams are a young team, featuring only two seniors in comparison to the experienced Hawks, who boast five fourthyear players. Head coach Michael Sowter knew all too well about the challenges that the opponent posed: “Saint Joseph’s has a lot of upperclassmen and had beaten us last year so we knew that they would be a tough opponent.”

The match opened with Fordham’s continued struggle in the doubles game. If there was one problem with the victory over Saint Peter’s, it was the close matches in doubles play. The problems continued, but in even greater fashion on Saturday.

“We hit too many double faults and with the new no-ad scoring format, you cannot afford to give up any free points,” said Sowter.

Saint Joseph’s took all three matches to secure the point. The Rams’ top doubles pairing of senior Pedro Alonso and sophomore Joseph Kavaloski did not win a single game against the Hawks’ top players Renier Moolman and Andres Urrea in a 6-0 thrashing.

Senior Nick Borak and freshman

Victor Li put in the best doubles effort, but still came up short in a 7-6 defeat, courtesy of Kyle Chalmers and Peter Dewitt. Junior Tomas Cosmai and sophomore Cameron Posillico took two games in a 6-2 loss to the Andre Fick and Dan Tan pair.

Singles play began innocently enough, with the two teams splitting the first two positions. Moolman topped Cosmai in straight sets (6-2, 6-4) and Li got Fordham on the board with a three-set rout of Urrea. That would be the only point the Rams posted, as the Hawks took the next four singles points. Saint Joseph’s was as dominant as a team could be, taking each position in straight sets. The losers — Alonso, Borak, Kavaloski and Posillico — all had won their positions in straight sets against Saint Peter’s, but they faced the other side of the coin on Saturday.

The closest contests came from Borak and Pocillico in the fourth and sixth spots. The Hawks’ Tristan Boustany, who did not participate in doubles competition, topped Borak (6-4, 6-4). After a 6-2 loss to Kevin Gates in the first set, Posillico took the Hawk senior to a 13-game set, the longest of singles play.

In a match where bright spots were few and far between, the Rams fought hard in their sweep losses, posting better results in the second set of each match. Coach Sowter was uplifted by the fact that his players did not give up. “That shows me that nobody gave up and we are developing a more competitive culture,” Sowter said.

The loss drops Fordham to 3-1 on the year. They will be right back at it with a double header at the Lifetime Athletic Center on Sunday. Colgate takes the court at 2 p.m. and Villanova follows at 7 p.m.

By JACK McLOONE ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR

When I was a kid, I never pictured myself hitting a single in the third inning of a mid-June MLB game or catching a three-yard slant in the middle of the second quarter. I imagined myself hitting a walk-off grand slam in the bottom of the 12th inning of Game 7 of the World Series or catching the game-winning Super Bowl touchdown. Yet somehow, we like to criticize the people who actually get to live out these fantasies.

The main focus of this critique — at least recently, since there aren’t any bat flippers to criticize in the MLB offseason — is Cam Newton. There is a large sect of people who think that Newton is childish, his effervescence is a front and his behavior sets a bad example for children. In other words, they think he’s representative of everything “wrong” with the modern day NFL. Cam Newton embodies everything fun about the NFL. And in case it gets forgotten under the fact that the NFL is a billiondollar industry with concussions plaguing the sport, football is, at its heart, a game. As the game moves towards cookie-cutter offenses based on dump-off passes and conservative play calling, Newton exists as an outlier. Besides just being the MVP this season, Newton was also the most exciting player in the league. He’s the Steph Curry of the NFL — a cultural phenomenon, the most beloved player among kids, up there as the best currently playing and appointment viewing whenever he’s in action.

The newest “transgression” Newton has on his record is his bailing out of his postgame press conference after losing the Super Bowl. He showed up, gave a statement, tersely answered a few questions and then suddenly left.

Many – particularly in the media – took great offense to this, saying that it’s just another example of how fake he is and that he can’t reject the spotlight once things aren’t going well for him.

While there is some validity to

this, that’s not the whole story. In watching the video, you can see Newton’s thousand-yard stare, his eyes never leaving the back wall of the room. And while his answers to the questions weren’t in depth, they were more than “we’re on to Cincinnati.” Some of the questions he was asked looked for game analysis, while most were variations on “how do you feel?” and “what went wrong?,” which were clearly not something he was interested in talking about.

Should he have conducted himself better? Yes, and he’s already answered more questions since.

But using one press conference — one that followed a loss in the biggest game of his life and receiving questions that only reminded him of his failure — as confirmation that Newton is no better than a petulant child, is honestly kind of insulting. He is simply a man who is highly emotional and possibly left the press conference to avoid doing anything he would regret.

Forgotten in this whirlpool of “Cam isn’t a man” hot takes are the pictures of Newton congratulating Peyton Manning on possibly ending his career with a Super Bowl win, where he is all smiles.

“Cam couldn’t have been nicer to me,” said Manning. “He was extremely humble.” This stands in

contrast to Manning’s actions following Super Bowl XLIV where, following his loss, he stormed off the field without shaking a single player’s hand.

I’ll admit my bias here: I love everything about Cam Newton.

Despite how his story is often spun, he is a constant positive presence both on the field and in the community. No one in the NFL smiles more than Newton, on the field and off. He goes out of his way to give a ball to a kid in the stands after every touchdown and is a fixture at area hospitals as well.

There is something inherently wrong when people decry someone having fun while playing a sport as “damaging to the game.”

Why get mad after someone celebrates after scoring a touchdown?

For some reason, we’ve taken to making sports into a wholly serious matter, but it’s so much more fun when players are allowed to let loose and celebrate freely. This “outrage” is just the old guard trying to hold onto their sport, while the new generation embraces the intrinsic joy of playing a sport and doing it well. Give me more Cam Newtons. I’ll take the boundless fun along with the trumped-up negativity over “play the game the right way” players any day.

COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA

Cam Newton’s critics have forgotten that football is supposed to be fun.

Varsity Calendar HOME AWAY

Thursday Feb. 11

Friday Feb. 12

Saturday Feb. 13

Sunday Feb. 14

Wednesday Feb. 17

Richmond 6 p.m.

UMass 7 p.m.

Women’s Basketball

La Salle 2 p.m.

Richmond 7 p.m.

Valentine’s Day Classic A-10 Champs

Swim and Dive

Softball

Men’s Tennis suffered a tough loss to Saint Joseph’s last week.

Tuesday Feb. 16

Men’s Basketball

Indoor Track

THE RAM ARCHIVES

Monday Feb. 15

Women’s Tennis

UCF Knights Invitational

Stetson 12 p.m.

NJIT 1 p.m.

SPORTS

February 10, 2016

Anthony Pucik

Paying the Price One of my picks to go deep into the playoffs this season was the Montreal Canadiens. They were ousted by the red hot Tampa Bay Lightning in the Eastern Conference Semifinals last season, but had the second most points in the conference. The Habs had one of the best goaltenders in the league in Carey Price, captain Max Pacioretty, who had 37 goals last season and a solid defensive core led by P.K. Subban. They looked like they were one of the stronger teams in the conference once again and had the potential to be a Cup favorite.

Early on in the season, Montreal looked like they were on a pace that would be unmatched by anyone in the Atlantic Division. On Nov. 27, the Canadiens had 36 points, the offense was clicking and Price looked like an early Vezina favorite, despite a lower body injury that kept him out for nine games in the middle of October. However, Price aggravated the injury again in a game against the Rangers on Nov. 25 and hasn’t been back since. Early on, 25-year-old backup Mike Condon was doing a good job keeping Montreal afloat, and the team’s hot start kept it atop the division, but after a while the team started to struggle and saw itself dropping out of the Atlantic Division and Eastern Conference playoff picture.

As of Sunday night, the Canadiens were fifth in the Atlantic Division with 56 points, 12 behind the surging Florida Panthers and four behind the fourth place Detroit Red Wings. Aside from their struggles in the division, the Canadiens find themselves in 11th in the Eastern Conference and three points out of a playoff spot. Condon wasn’t able to maintain his torrid pace and Montreal dropped to 19th in the league in goals against per game, giving up an average of 2.7 while acquiring Ben Scrivens from the Edmonton Oilers in an effort to solve its goalie issue.

Everyone believed that the team simply needed to weather the storm until Price’s return and it would be fine. Not only is it taking Price longer to return than expected, but the Canadiens are also struggling immensely. The Habs only average 2.7 goals per game, good for 12th in the league, and have the 16th best power play in the league, scoring only 18.2 percent of the time. Subban leads the team with 41 points and Pacioretty leads all goal scorers with 19, but the team is not getting contributions from its bottom six, and seems to be losing more and more confidence with every loss. Now, Price’s return doesn’t seem to be the automatic fix that Montreal believed it would be because they have other issues that need to be addressed that are out of Price’s control.

Of course, Montreal will welcome Price back when he is healthy. He will be a significant improvement over the Condon, Scrivens and Dustin Tokarski revolving door they’ve been throwing out on the ice. However, if the Canadiens are unable to address their other glaring issues, they will find themselves out of the playoffs this season.

Page 19

Varsity Scores & Stats Men’s Track Metropolitan Champ.

4th 1,000m (FOR) Phillips 1st- 2:30.84

3,000m (FOR) Slattery 1st- 8:33.15

Men’s Basketball St. Joseph’s 82 Fordham 60 (FOR) Rhoomes 16 pts (FOR) Sengfelder 16 pts (SJU) Bembry 16 pts, 10 rebs

Women’s Basketball 5,000m (FOR) Turi 1st- 15:12.92 (FOR) O’Brien 2nd- 15:14.40 (FOR) O’Connor 3rd - 15:18.60 Women’s Track Metropolitan Champ.

4th 800m (FOR) Heaney 2nd- 2:13.89 5,000m (FOR) Tevnan 3rd- 18:06.29 (FOR) Grebe 4th- 18:08.58

Fordham 76 George Washington 69 (FOR) Burns 31 pts (FOR) Davis 16 pts, 4 rebs Fordham 60 UMass 55 (FOR) Clark 17 pts, 10 rebs (FOR) Holden 12 pts, 6 asts Tennis St. Joseph’s Fordham

6 1

Men’s Swim Fordham 140 St. Francis Brooklyn 77 500-yd Free (FOR) Sholdra 1st- 4:40.43 Women’s Swim Fordham St. Francis Brooklyn 100-yd Fly (FOR) Gray 1st- 58.83

Squash NYU Fordham

8 1

Bucknell Fordham

6 3

Steve Sholdra

Danielle Burns

Senior

Junior

Swimming

Basketball Burns dropped a career-high 31 points last Wednesday, helping her team overtake the powerhouse George Washington team. Burns went 11-14 from the field, including four three-pointers. Her efforts gained her A-10 Player of the Week.

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

News & Notes • Softball Voted Preseason

Favorite in Fourth A-10 Championship Last week, multiple

• Student-Athletes Honored at 13th Annual Breakfast of Champions While most were

Rams were named to preseason All-Conference teams. This week they are back in the headlines again, this time as a team. The softball team, who has won three A-10 championships in a row, was selected as the favorite to win again. The poll was taken by the 10 head coaches from each team, respectively. The Rams will begin their season on Feb. 12 in Orlando, where they will take on the likes of UCF and no. five Alabama in a day-night doubleheader.

preparing for the Super Bowl, Fordham student-athletes were honored for their outstanding academic performace at the 13th annual Breakfast of Champions. 328 Rams were honored for accumulating at least a 3.00 GPA, which encompassed an astonishing 67 percent of all athletes.

Speakers included Athletic Director David Roach and Rev. Joseph M. McShane, S.J., president of the university.

• Fordham Alumnus John Wolyniec to be Honored at NYC Soccer Gala John Wolyniec, who was the 1998 Atlantic 10 Player of the Year and is now a member of the Fordham Hall of Fame, will be honored at the NYC Soccer Gala in early March. Wolyniec led the nation in points in 1998, tallying 60, which included a school record 25 goals. After three and a half years, Wolyniec graduated early to train with the U.S. National Team and join the MLS. He currently serves as the head coach of New York Red Bulls II, the organization’s USL affiliate. The Gala will take place on March 3 at the New York Athletic Club.

•

110 62

200-yd Free (FOR) Malicki 1st- 1:59.82

Athletes of the Week

Sholdra continued to impress on Senior Night, winning two events.

Sholdra dominated in the 500-yd Freestyle and 100-yd Breaststroke, catapulting his team to victory over St. Francis Brooklyn. The men came away with a 140-77 victory.

Alvin Halimwidjaya

Football Announces 2016 Recruiting Class Head Coach Andrew Breiner has announced the newest recruiting class.

The signee’s include four offensive players, four defensive players and one flex player. The recruits hail from five different states, with Ohio sending four players to the Rams. The nine will join the 18 returning starters, 10 on offense and eight on defense. Coach Briener believes that the new class brings unique size and speed to the team.

– Compiled by Pat Costello

Clippers Shake-Up on the Horizon?

It’s been a few years since the dunk that kick-started Blake Griffin’s career, the dunk that turned the name “Mozgov” into a verb for NBA enthusiasts and started the trend of social media imploding whenever someone gets posterized. Since that November game in 2010, Blake Griffin has risen as one of the most polarizing stars in the NBA. People thought he was only a dunker, a spoiled franchise player who only complained to refs after breaking his hand by punching a Clippers staff member and a problem. Despite all this fanfare, should he really be traded?

This season, Griffin is averaging 23 points, just under nine rebounds and five assists on 50 percent shooting from the field. However, one number that stands out is 30. Griffin has only played in 30 of the Clippers’ 51 games. More importantly, he’s missed their last 20 games, in which the team has gone 16-4. With Blake Griffin gone, everyone else on the Clippers has stepped up. Chris Paul is now, once again, the best player on this team and as one of the elite point guards in the league, he is leading this team to victory after victory.

With Griffin’s presence gone in the post, the Deandre Jordan-Chris Paul combo in the pick and roll has had more space to work and Deandre is free to flex after all those alley-oops he’s throwing down. J.J. Redick has also been on absolute fire as of late. In the month of January, he averaged 17 points a game, shooting 49 percent from beyond the arc. With the roll this team has been on, is it any wonder that people are starting to question Blake Griffin’s importance to the team?

It’s true that we haven’t seen much evidence of the Clippers shopping Griffin. However, it is also evident that it’s on some people’s minds with all these rumors flying around. From the Nuggets to the Knicks and even the Thunder, speculations have begun to flare up in full force. Whispers of Blake Griffin leading a Denver team or maybe the fantasy of Chris Paul and Carmelo Anthony finally playing together? The list can go on and on.

Blake Griffin injuring his shooting hand for a significant amount of time because he hit someone is not a good look for his character and is most likely going to provide fuel to those trade rumors. The Clippers are a very good but stagnant team and there is a belief growing that change must be made in order to bring a championship to the other team in Los Angeles.

On the other hand, we’ve seen Chris Paul paired with both a dangerous shooter and a center to finish his lobs: the 2007-2008 New Orleans Hornets fell to the San Antonio Spurs in the Conference Semifinals, proving that while Paul is incredibly talented and determined, he cannot do everything. Blake Griffin, misgivings aside, is a bona fide superstar. He is learning how to carry a team on his back for stretches and with his improving jumper, he is an athletic freak turned scoring machine that will continue to run over at least half of the big men in the league. The Clippers probably do have to shake things up, but trading Blake Griffin isn’t the way to go. Not only would it be hard to replace him, but why would they want to? He’s only 26 and constantly getting better. For better or for worse, it’s the Clippers’ best bet to stick with BG.

SPORTS

Page 20

February 10, 2016

The Fordham Ram

Men’s Basketball Loses Big to St. Joe’s

By JACK McLOONE ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR

In the next game after one of its biggest wins of the season, an overtime victory against UMass, Fordham Men’s Basketball fell to a talented Saint Joseph’s team on Saturday by a final score of 82-60. The Rams have now lost both games against the Hawks this season.

Coming into the game, the big story was the absence of senior guard and leading scorer Mandell Thomas, who was sidelined due to injury.

The game started in Fordham’s favor. After about two-and-a-half minutes of play, the Rams were the first on the board via a layup from senior forward Ryan Rhoomes. Less than a minute later, freshman Joseph Chartouny came up with a big steal and fed the ball to sophomore Christian Sengfelder on the right corner for a three-pointer. The Rams would end up going on a 7-0 run to start the game, with Rhoomes grabbing an offensive rebound and a put-back layup moments later.

Shortly thereafter, Saint Joseph’s came back with a vengeance. Hawks guard Shevar Newkirk put his team on the board with a three from the

MICHAEL REZIN/ THE FORDHAM RAM

The men’s basketball team was in the matchup early, but was unable to fend off a strong Saint Joseph’s team.

left wing. While the Rams would respond with another Rhoomes bucket to make it 9-3, they turned it over on their next possession due to a bad pass attempt under the basket, which let Saint Joseph’s get out in front for an easy fast-break layup to make it 9-5. After good shooting performances from Newkirk on their next two possessions, the Hawks suddenly held a 13-9 lead.

The Rams would battle back, sink-

ing back-to-back layups from Sengfelder and junior guard Jon Severe to make it even at 13. Over the next seven minutes, however, the Hawks went on a 23-11 run, pushing the score to 36-24 with 2:45 left to play in the first half. At the end of the half, the score was 40-30 in Saint Joseph’s favor.

Fordham was strong out of the gate in the second half. Chartouny hit a three to bring the Rams within

seven, though it would go right back to 10 after a three-point play for Hawks senior forward Isaiah Miles.

The Rams would cut the lead down to single digits a couple more times in the ensuing minutes, but a Miles layup with 17:36 left once again put Saint Joseph’s up by 10, and the lead did not fall below 10 for the rest of the game.

The Rams were out of sorts on both sides of the ball. They shot just

39 percent from the field and went just 8-29 from three, while Saint Joseph’s shot 51 percent and 11-24 from three. Saint Joseph’s outrebounded Fordham 41-28. While the Rams were able to force 14 turnovers, they committed 14 of their own. Head coach Jeff Neubauer expressed particular displeasure for this aspect of the Fordham loss.

“That’s been the story of our season,” he said. “We don’t have value for the basketball.”

The Rams had two players tied at 16 points, Rhoomes and Sengfelder.

Sengfelder’s performance was a lone bright spot for the Rams.

“We had two guys – Ryan and Chris – that were able to produce offensively,” said Neubauer. “We need to have a night where we have five, six guys produce offensively.”

The Rams will hope to put this game past them and try to salvage a .500 record in Atlantic 10 conference play. To do so, they will have to go 6-2 over their final eight games. Their next game will be at home against St. Bonaventure at home on Wednesday at 7 p.m.

Women Shock GW, Down UMass on Road

By SAM BELDEN SPORTS EDITOR

It was a banner week for Fordham Women’s Basketball. On Wednesday, they defeated George Washington by a score of 76-69 in front of the home crowd. Three days later, the team traveled north for a showdown with Massachusetts and earned its first road win since the beginning of the season.

After all was said and done, the Rams moved to 6-4 in Atlantic 10 play and 11-12 on the season.

Wednesday’s game featured one of the team’s most memorable performances in recent memory. The powerhouse George Washington squad, victorious in its last 12 games before running into Fordham, was simply unable to keep up with the home team. The Colonials shot just 37.5 percent from the field and trailed for all but 30 seconds of the game. Meanwhile, Fordham’s field goal percentage was 54.2 percent, and they made half of their three-pointers.

The Rams were strong from the start. Junior forward Danielle Burns scored Fordham’s first seven points of the game, allowing her team to take a six-point lead out of the gate. She added a three-pointer to push her first quarter total to 10, and by the first buzzer, the Rams were in front 16-7.

The Colonials began to turn things around in the second quarter, cutting Fordham’s lead to just four with 5:27 remaining. However, an offensive outburst from sophomore forward G’mrice Davis provided some breathing room, and another good jumper from Burns put the lead back in the double digits. A timely three-pointer from freshman guard Lauren Holden allowed Fordham to keep it that way as the halftime buzzer sounded. The score at the half was 37-27.

Just three minutes into the third

DREW DIPANE/ THE FORDHAM RAM

The women’s basketball team followed up shocking A-10 leading GW by beating UMass on the road.

quarter, George Washington had already closed the gap to just four points, but another good shot from Burns with 5:44 remaining ended the 6-0 run. The Colonials kept charging, however, and a three-pointer from Mei-Lyn Bautista put them within one point of the lead. Fordham’s advantage was three at the end of the quarter.

The final quarter started out evenly, but a trio of Fordham three-pointers — one from Burns and two from senior forward Samantha Clark — brought the lead back to eight points.

From there, junior guard Hannah Missry took over as the game’s hero.

While she failed to hit a single shot from the field, the New Jersey native went six-for-six at the free throw line toward the end of the game. From there, the teams traded points as the clock wound down, and Fordham won 76-69.

With 31 points and seven rebounds, Burns turned in the stron-

gest performance of the game. Davis added 16 points, while Clark contributed 12 points and eight boards.

The victory put an end to George Washington’s 12-game win streak and 17-game A-10 win streak. It also provided some nice closure for the Rams, who fell to the Colonials in last year’s A-10 Tournament.

From there, the Rams traveled to Amherst for Saturday’s contest against Massachusetts. The score remained close for the duration of the game, but Fordham was able to pull through and win by a score of 60-55.

The Minutewomen got off to a strong start, making the first two baskets of the game, but Fordham pulled right back to within one thanks to a three-pointer from Missry. After a jumper from Davis, the Rams took the lead, but they were unable to open up anything substantial. They traded blows with Massachusetts for the rest of the first quarter, after which the score was tied at 14.

Another three from Missry put the Rams back in front, but Massachusetts then went on a 4-0 run to reclaim the lead. Fordham bounced back with good shots from Clark and Holden, and Davis converted on a three-point play to put her team back up by four. Another two points from Davis gave the Rams a lead of six, the largest of the game at that point. The remainder of the first half was evenly matched, with Massachusetts making up some ground. At halftime, the score stood at 30-28.

The Minutewomen landed the first blow of the third quarter, evening the score, but the Rams countered by going on an 8-0 run over the next four minutes of play. The home team battled back, however, and a threepointer from Massachusetts guard Alyx Stiff tied the game once again. A pair of good free throws from Burns gave the Rams a narrow lead heading into the final period.

Massachusetts pulled even once

again within a minute of the last quarter, and the two squads began to wrestle over the lead. A three-pointer from guard Cierra Dillard allowed the Minutewomen to take a onepoint advantage (their first lead since the beginning of the second quarter), but Fordham kept pace. A layup from Clark put the Rams back out in front, and a pair of free throws made by their star forward stretched the lead to three with 3:21 remaining. Massachusetts once again cut the deficit to one, but another Clark layup increased it once again.

Rashida Timbilla of Massachusetts was fouled after making a shot but failed to convert on the threepoint play. Instead, Clark grabbed the rebound and found Holden, who was quickly fouled. She sank both attempts, putting the lead back at three. The Minutewomen missed a three-point attempt, and Clark, after another board, headed to the line to score Fordham’s last two points of the game. Time expired, and the Rams won it 60-55.

Fordham lost some momentum in the second half of the game, shooting just 32 percent from the field. However, their defense was in fine form and was able to survive Massachusetts’ challenge, holding them to just 35.29 percent over the same stretch.

Clark was the major contributor in the Fordham win, scoring 17 points and adding 10 rebounds for her 10th double-double of the season. Three other Rams — Holden, Burns and Davis — reached double digits in points scored.

The team will return to action on Wednesday, when they will travel to Philadelphia for a matchup with Saint Joseph’s. After that, they return to the Rose Hill Gym for a Saturday showdown with La Salle.