Volume 98 Issue 7

The Fordham Ram Serving The Fordham dh University Community Since 1918 Volume 98, Issue 7

FordhamRam.com

April 6, 2016

UTT is Sanders Rallies Over 18,000 in South Bronx Caught in

By MARK McNULTY the Cosmos CONTRIBUTING WRITER

By ERIN SHANAHAN NEWS EDITOR

The Residence Halls Association (RHA) has released this year’s theme for Under the Tent: “Caught in the Cosmos.” Under the Tent will take place the Saturday night of Spring Weekend, April 30, beginning at 9 p.m.

According to RHA Executive Programer, Haley Hauge, GSB ‘18, this theme is “simplistic but edgy,” “ultramodern” and “future sleek.”

This year’s theme was inspired by a recommendation RHA received from the survey sent out at the start of the semester.

According to Hauge, RHA received an overwhelming amount of suggestions related to space, Star Wars and the future. Several different themes were proposed to the RHA general board, however, “Caught in the Cosmos” received overwhelming support.

“We worked really hard to inSEE RHA, PAGE 5

Senator Bernie Sanders became the first presidential nominee to visit the south Bronx in over 35 years. Sanders held a rally at St. Mary’s Park in Mott Haven this past Thursday, attended by local Bronx citizens and Fordham students alike.

“This is special,” said Moses Ortiz, a father of two who grew

up in the Paterson Houses of the Bronx. “I haven’t seen something like this in the neighborhood in a long time, maybe never.” Ortiz called out of work, and pulled his son and daughter from class so he could bring them to this historic event.

Over 18,500 supporters turned out for the rally. The line for entry surrounded the park and snaked down several blocks before the rally even began at 4 p.m. and

MARK MCNULTY/FORDHAM RAM

ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR

A 92-year-old Holocaust survivor attracted large crowds of students and faculty to the first floor auditorium of Keating Hall last week.

The Bias Incident Resource Group, Jewish Student Organization, United Student Government, Campus Activities Board, Commuting Student Association and Residence Hall Association organized the talk, which centered around Esther Bauer’s experience living through the Holocaust

“Countries are not judged by how many millionaires and billionaires live there,” said Sanders.

“They are judged by how they treat the most vulnerable members of society.”

The diverse crowd was composed of African-Americans, Asian-Americans, Latinos, Caucasians and Middle Eastern people of all ages and genders.

“Bernie came here because SEE SANDERS, PAGE 3

MARK MCNULTY/FORDHAM RAM

Many gathered in St. Mary’s Park in the South Bronx to hear Senator Bernie Sanders outline his platform and raise support for his candidacy.

Holocaust Survivor Esther Bauer Recalls Life In World War II Germany

By MIKE BYRNE

official rally grounds reached capacity quickly. Law enforcement officers siphoned over 5,000 supporters into a ball field to watch the speeches on a jumbotron.

Sanders localized his message by focusing on the issues which directly affect Bronx residents: affordable housing and education, universal healthcare, a $15 minimum wage, and restoring justice to a “broken criminal justice system.”

in Germany.

“I can only tell you what happened to me personally,” she said. “There are thousands of other stories, but I can only say for myself.”

Bauer was born in Hamburg, Germany. Her father was the principal of the Jewish School in Hamburg and her mother was a medical doctor and biology teacher at the same school.

She came from a highly Orthodox, middle-class family and had a relatively ordinary childhood. However, she soon became witness to growing anti-Semitic sentiment and Hitler’s

rise to power. As restrictions for Jews became commonplace, her family suffered.

“One day, we couldn’t go swimming anymore,” she said. “We couldn’t go to the opera anymore, not to concerts.”

One day, her mother and her father were sent to the Theresienstadt ghetto. Each of them were only allowed to bring one suitcase.

According to Bauer, the camps were in terrible condition. Her father died of meningitis soon after they arSEE SPEAKER, PAGE 4

JACK BRENNAN/FORDHAM RAM

Esther Bauer spoke in Keating First to Fordham students about surviving two Holocaust concentration camps.

Fordham Ranked 167th on Forbes List

CUSP Draft Released to Community

By THERESA SCHLIEP

By LAURA SANICOLA

ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Forbes Magazine recently released its “Best Value Colleges 2016” list, with Fordham ranked No. 167 of 300.

Comparably, Forbes ranked Villanova University No. 64, Boston College No. 68, Loyola University Maryland No. 121 and Fairfield University No. 143.

In Forbes’ “America’s Top Colleges” 2015 list, Forbes ranked Fordham No. 153, Villanova No. 72, and Boston College No. 37.

Forbes considered tuition costs, quality of the institution, graduation success rates and post-graduates earnings in making the list, according to its website.

Both freshmen and seniors voiced concerns about the ranking.

“I’m not concerned about the quality of Fordham as an educational institution,” said Amanda Boyajian, FCRH ‘19. “Rather, I am concerned that Fordham is not committing itself to helping students’ financial needs.”

For some, the term “best value” was a confusing indicator for a university’s quality compared to its cost.

“I am really interested to learn more about what “best value” entails, because on one hand I think that Fordham has a lot to offer and provides a great education,” said Jamie Toto, FCRH ‘16. “But on

Almost one year after Rev. Joseph M. McShane, S.J., president of the university, announced he was creating a new strategic plan for teh university, Fordham’s Continuous University Strategic Planning Committee (CUSP) released a draft of a new strategic framework for the university. The draft outlined “strategic priorities” related to Jesuit teaching, utilizing New York City, strategically focused research, global engagement and the creation of a diverse and inclusive community and a strategic institution. The draft was advertised to the Fordham community via a university-wide email. A link to the full document is also available on the my.fordham homepage under University Fea-

SEE RANKING, PAGE 3

SEE CUSP, PAGE 6

in this issue

Opinion Page 7 MTA Allocates Funds for Luxuries

Culture Page 11 A Guide to this Spring’s Television

Sports Page 20 Softball Extends Winning Streak to Six

NEWS

Page 2

April 6, 2016

Journal From Abroad

PUBLIC SAFETY BRIEFS March 30 Salice and Conley Halls 6:10 a.m.

A student living in a dorm on the first floor returned after spring break to find that his living room window was shattered. It is unknown how the window was shattered. Public Safety is currently investigating the incident.

March 30 Dealy Hall 10 a.m.

An employee on the fifth floor of Dealy in the economics department reported that her belongings that she kept on her desk were scattered when she returned to work the next morning. The door to the office was locked.

March 30 665 East 181 Street 9:45 p.m.

A student was approached by two males, one of whom placed his hand on the student’s shoulder and asked to talk to him. The student left the two men and fled up Crotona. The student went into a corner store to avoid another confrontation. He was not threatened or pursued and reported the incident to Public Safety but did not want the NYPD involved.

April 3 574 East 189 Street 5:30 a.m.

Students were sleeping in an offcampus apartment when an apparent burglary occurred. The burglar broke in and stole two iPhones and two wallets containing various forms of identification such as Fordham IDs, drivers licenses and debit cards.

A kitchen knife was also taken from the apartment. One wallet was later retrieved when someone turned it in to Fordham Public Safety. The doors to the apartment may have been left unlocked and the gates in front of the apartment may not have been working properly. The students did not encounter the burglar and the police were notified.

— Compiled by Michael Byrne

Follow us on Twitter! @TheFordhamRam

COURTESY OF LUKAS BARTH

Colombia is more than just the dangerous stereotypes it is known for, argues one Fordham student studying abroad in Bogota.

Redefining Danger In Colombia

By LUKAS BARTH CONTRIBUTING WRITER

BOGOTA — Colombia is dangerous. Universities are bad.

Drugs are prominent and cocaine is everywhere. Does that sound familiar? For many outsiders, the main source of information on Colombia is the series “Narcos”, which gives an acute misrepresentation of the dangers of life in most parts of the country. While I have been living in this country, people have asked me how I felt about wasting my education at a bad university. I was surprised by the almost universal wall of prejudice that surrounds Colombia.

Bogota provides many opportunities. Before arriving in this amazing country, I was unaware of what kind of everyday “dangers” I would face here. For me, Colombia is “dangerous” mainly because once you arrive, you will never want to leave.

It’s “dangerous” how early we have to wake up here in order to get to school safely and on time.

Although nobody has been able to explain why, university starts at the (ungodly) hour of 7 a.m. in Colombia. This means that many of my friends need to wake up between 4:30-5:30 a.m. in order to arrive on time.

The lack of quick and efficient public transportation creates a “danger” of getting to work late.

With a total of 11 million inhabitants, Bogota is one of the 30 biggest cities in the world, yet it doesn’t have a metro. The current system of public transportation is exclusively made up of buses. The old buses leave clouds of black smog every time their engines turn into gear, and the new ones can become overcrowded.

‘Rolos’ (people who live in Bogotá), as a result, are in “danger” of being late all the time, often using the excuse of ‘trancón’ (Traffic). “Being on time” in Bogota means something very different than what I have been taught.

Let’s say you meet up at 3:30 p.m.

At 4 p.m., your friend will message you saying that he or she just got in the taxi. At 5 p.m. your friend, who only lives five minutes away by cab, arrives. Fortunately, this doesn’t happen all of the time.

Yet, the general lateness of 15-45 minutes is deeply ingrained in the culture. It results in a planned lateness that can be applied to many aspects of life here: events, flights and even group projects for class; some university professors even decide to start the class 1020 minutes after the official time!

The education system in Colombia has proved to be dangerous for my GPA. My classes are all in Spanish and, despite studying here for nine months and speaking entirely Spanish, I find them significantly more challenging than those at Fordham. I’ve even found

the grading system to be much stricter than Fordham’s, possibly because the exchange university, Pontificia Universidad de Javeriana (PUJ), is the fourth best in the country. What I am learning in Colombia, be it through the people or even through a university course about creativity and innovation, is more valuable than the letter grade with which one could label it.

Colombia, of course, has an element of traditional danger. It is notorious for Pablo Escobar, guerrilla warfare (FARC, ELN) and its cocaine export. This dark part of its history has visible effects; for example, displaced farmers who, after having their properties forcefully taken away by guerrilleros, moved to the cities without any money or housing opportunities.

Colombia also suffers from the stereotyping by foreigners. When some hear ‘Colombia’, they think drugs and incompetence, but in reality, most Colombians are extremely aware of the calamities that the drug trade has caused.

Many disapprove of drug use because it finances a conflict that has terrorized their home with civil unrest, corruption and guerrillaa activity for over a century.

The real danger in Bogota, arguably the least safe big city in Colombia, is to “dar papaya” — a Colombian expression used to describe situations resulting

from neglect. When someone ‘gives papaya’, they are not aware of their surroundings. They may walk in the wrong neighborhood at the wrong time or be walking down the street with their eyes gazing down at their iPhone. For outsiders, the possibility of being assaulted at knife point seems like a big risk. However, it’s easily avoidable when you follow a general guideline, take precautions and most importantly, don’t give papaya.

The beauty I have found in this country has made all of the “dangers” seem small. The people here are endlessly kind, and the culture is rich and beautiful. Foreigners are rare, and Colombians love to learn about different cultures.

My inconcealable Western look, combined with the infrequency of foreigners, means that almost everywhere I go people take interest in talking to me and finding out what I am doing in their country. One thing you can count on is that the people here are the kindest and, according to a survey done by Worldwide Independent Market research in January, the happiest on earth.

To the outside world, little is known of Colombia and rumors about it should be taken with a healthy portion of skepticism. Danger is present, there is no doubt about it, but it is very avoidable and worth it to visit this country.

This Week at Fordham Thursday April 7

Monday April 11

Monday April 11

Tuesday April 12

Tuesday April 12

Inside the Bronx: A Talk With Borough President

New York City Food Trucks

Dealy 115 8 p.m. — 9 p.m.

Ram’s Night Out At Laser Tag

Guest Speaker Ottis Anderson

Outside of Keating 12 p.m. — 3 p.m.

McGinley Ballroom 6 p.m.—10 p.m.

Queen’s World Fair In The Bronx

McGinley Ballroom 4 p.m. — 6 p.m.

McGinley Second 6 p.m. — 9 p.m.

College Democrats will be hosting a talk with Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz, Jr. He will speak about his career in politics, spanning from the state assembly to his presidency of the Bronx, as well as how Fordham students can become involved in the borough.

As part of Commuters Week, the Commuting Students Association will be hosting an event with NYC food trucks. Students will be able to obtain food vouchers for the trucks.

If one is unable to get a voucher but still wants food, the trucks will continue to sell until 3 p.m.

As part of Commuters Week, the Commuting Students Association will be hosting laser tag. Students can recruit team members and participate in a laser tag game. CSA will be providing food catered from venues located in Harlem, NY.

As part of Commuters Week, the Commuting Students Association will be hosting Ottis Anderson, a former New York Giants running back, in McGinley Ballroom. Anderson played for the Giants from 1986-1992. Doors open at 3 p.m.

As part of Commuters Week, the Commuting Students Association, along with the Office of Multicultural Affairs and several student clubs, will be featuring Queens Borough with various cuisines and activities.

NEWS

April 6, 2016

Page 3

NFLPA Executive Combines Philosophy and Football

By CATE CARREJO FEATURES EDITOR

Professor Gary Percesepe’s philosophy of human nature class hosted a guest lecturer DeMaurice Smith, executive director of the National Football League Players’ Association (NFLPA), on Friday.

Smith, a former National League Football player, connected his work with budding football icons to Plato’s Allegory of the Cave.

“The illusion of Plato’s Cave is always a great frame for me, because while our players are in the middle of living this dream, it is the best, most crystalized, most colorful illusion that you could possibly live in,” Smith said, speaking to the overnight fame and fortune that ebbs and flows for many football stars. “I become the person who, if you follow the allegory, will step outside of the cave and realize that there’s actually reality.”

Much of Smith’s job is making sure the players have a backup plan when that illusion inevitably comes crashing down. The NFLPA is in charge of helping players transition after their football careers are over, as well as representing players’ interests in wages, hours, and working conditions.

Smith boasted that over 90 percent of his players fully enrolled in their 401ks, a sign that they are consciously preparing for their time after the league.

Smith saw the illusion reaching into college sports as well. “I went

to a small liberal arts school where I ran track,” Smith said. “I look at that as an integral part of my college experience, but there was a balance. The shame of college sports is that the balance is out of whack.”

According to Smith, the difference seems to be college players’ lack of an organization like the NFLPA and a neutral, protective interest like himself.

“If you’re in a world where it makes it tough for those students to get the education that they were promised, then you have to ask yourself, ‘Is the institution doing what it’s supposed to do anyway?’” he said. “The problem I think at its core is that for over 100 years the NCAA has been unwilling or unable to address these issues.”

Smith pointed out parallels to college careers and the average player’s career timeline. Just as Smith advises his players for their post-football careers and making the most of their time in the league, he gave Professor Precesepe’s students advice for their postgraduate careers and utilizing the tools of their institution.

“The reason why [the humanities] are so important is after you leave your undergraduate institution, it will be the last time that you engage in this kind of discussions in this formalized, institutionalized manner,” said Smith.

“Because then we all move into the paradigm and the rules of the paradigm.”

FORDHAM RAM ARCHIVES

Forbes ranks Fordham low on the list of top-value institutions.

Forbes Ranks Fordham No. 153 FROM RANKING, PAGE 1

the other hand, I recognize that it is expensive” Robert Howe, senior director of communications at Fordham, said in an email interview that the other universities on the list have greater endowments than Fordham.

“The Forbes ranking is disappointing,” said Howe. “But it does not reflect the quality of education nor research at Fordham.”

There are inconsistencies between various ranking systems administered by publications such as U.S. News & World Report, Forbes and Businessweek. Howe attributes

the ranking to Fordham’s relatively small endowment as compared to peer institutions.

“There is no private college above Fordham in the U.S. News ranking with an endowment smaller than ours — the vast majority measure their endowment in the billions,” he said.

However, Fordham’s endowment was about $665 million in 2015, compared to Villanova’s approximate $554 million endowment, according to the National Association of College and University Business Officers’ research.

Harvard University’s endowment, in contrast, stands at ap-

CATE CARREJO/THE FORDHAM RAM

Professor Percesepe invited DeMaurice Smith to speak to his class about law, sports and Plato.

Smith said that he fears a deemphasis on education in higher education institutions, and blames it for the “erosion of our democratic society as we know it.”

Smith had extra wisdom for students specifically looking to emulate his own career paths in law and sports. For both, Smith warned of going in too deep too soon.

“The difference between a good lawyer and a great lawyer is who can be creative,” said Smith, extolling the virtues of a liberal arts education in critical thinking and problem solving. “Our job is to take issues and problems that don’t have answers and to come up with creative interesting ways to think about them.”

That need for outside the box proximately $36.7 billion.

According to Howe, endowment inevitably affected ranking.

“A larger endowment affects all the variables the ranking systems measure,” he said. “It means universities can offer more financial aid, hence greater selectivity, higher faculty salaries and smaller class sizes, among other issues.”

Nationally, universities use endowment resources at a rate of about 10-15 percent to lower costs for students, per a Forbes Magazine article, “Are Rich Colleges Better?”

The university declined in U.S. News and World Report’s 2016 edition of Best Colleges from No. 58 in 2015 to No. 66 in 2016. The magazine ranked Fordham No. 52 in 2013 and No. 57 in 2014.

Forbes called its “Best Value Colleges” 2016 list “newly re-imagined.” Science, mathematics, engineering and technology oriented universities comprise most of the top rankings. Only two east coast private schools make the top ten — MIT and Harvard — while the rest are mostly public, west coast schools.

The magazine ranks colleges and universities using a series of methods. Partnered with the Center for College Affordability and Productivity, the magazine took into consideration quality of the institution, determined by their “2015 Forbes Top Colleges” rankings, drop-out risk, graduation success, post-graduate earnings, “value added”— the effects a university itself has on students’ future salaries— and gross tuition and fees.

thinking is why Smith firmly recommends against taking law classes in college.

“I would avoid just about any class that had to do with law in college,” he told the class. “Law school… really prides itself on teaching you how to think, [and] law classes in college end up teaching you what they think you should know about the law.”

For those interested in a career in sports, Smith suggested choosing a business specialty rather than pursing general sports business, stating that how experienced one is in a given trade is more important than if their trade is niche. “If we’re looking for a lawyer, I don’t hire a sports lawyer, I find a really good lawyer,” he said. “It seems to

me that the people we look for, the people I look for to hire, are people who are creative in thought.”

The Allegory of the Cave connects to his work in the NFL, Smith said, as it addresses the importance of professionalism.

“I talk to our players about organized labor outside of the context of football,” he said. “It’s important for our guys to view the football field and the locker room as a workplace.” Again, the parallels to college careers are evident.

“Typically it takes about two years, two and a half years for you to figure out in the National Football League that this all an illusion,” he said. “The downside, you only play for about three and a half years before you’re out.”

Sanders Draws a Crowd in the Bronx FROM SANDERS, PAGE 1

we relate to him,” says Camela Pinkney-Price, an African-American woman from Soundview in the east Bronx and an activist in local politics for almost 20 years.

“They’ve been suppressing Bernie in Congress for decades, and we’re suppressed down here, too.”

Assemblyman Luis Sepulveda of Mott Haven, the only elected official in the Bronx supporting Sanders, spoke to the diversity of Sanders supporters in the Bronx.

“They say only white men support Bernie Sanders,” Sepulveda said. “But I look at this crowd and I see a wonderful mosaic of beautiful people and colors.”

Some Fordham students voiced support for Sanders in the context of our borough.

“It seems impossible for inner city people to succeed,” said Chris Cannon, FCRH ‘16. “When upward mobility slows down or stops altogether, we have an obligation to support candidates who advocate serious change.”

Emily D’Adamo, FCRH ‘16, who works for a Medicaid redesign center in the Bronx, said Sanders cares about the Bronx’s “dirty secret.”

“Diabetes, cardiovascular disease and asthma affect an astound-

ing number of Bronx residents,” she said. “Bronx and healthcare reform is a value I share with Sanders.”

D’Adamo and Cannon are not alone in their support for Sanders on campus. A majority of Fordham students support Sanders, according to a poll conducted by Fordham’s College Democrats and College Republicans, published

by The Fordham Ram in early March.

Movie actor Rosario Dawson preached the need for partisan unity. “They’re trying to divide us,” she said. “They’re trying to say only Trump supporters are racist…but they’re not all racists, that all followers of Bernie are white males, but that’s not true either.”

Brooklyn film director and African-American icon, Spike Lee, also spoke on Sanders’ behalf. He compared the tricks of “establishment politics” to three-card monty, the street hustle often performed on Fordham Road in which participants are consistently pulled into the unwindable game.

Senator Sanders is expected to hold more rallies in New York City ahead of the state’s primary on April 19, including one in Washington Square Park on April 13.

NEWS

Page 4

April 6, 2016

Fordham In The Bronx

The Bronx Zoo Gets Pranked, Too

Holocaust Survivor Gives Fordham Talk FROM SPEAKER, PAGE 1

MICHAEL DOBUSKI/ THE FORDHAM RAM

MARY ALTAFFER/ THE FORDHAM RAM

Pranksters inundate the Bronx Zoo with prank calls every April Fools’ Day, asking to talk to people such as Grizz Lee Bear.

By MICHAEL DOBUSKI BRONX CORRESPONDENT

Last Friday marked the beginning of April as well as the holiday of April Fool’s day. Although many pranksters love the silly holiday, others dislike this day of tomfoolery. One Bronx establishment that perhaps dreads the holiday more than most is the Bronx Zoo. The zoo, in addition to many other zoos across the country, is inundated every April with a host of calls asking to speak to colorful characters such as Mr. Lyon, L.E. Phant and Al Egator. The prank traces its origins back to at least 1946. According to The New York Times, The Bronx Zoo had stopped taking phone calls for the day. The Times called it, “the silliest and most troublesome day of the Bronx Zoo’s whole year.”

“I can see how that would be really annoying. But at the same

time it is refreshingly harmless considering of all the potential April Fools jokes that could be played,” said Emily Brooks, FCRH ‘17.

Brooks, like many Fordham students, likes to take advantage of the zoo whenever possible, especially considering admission is free. Like a number of other New York City landmarks, however, the Bronx Zoo does recommend a small donation before admission.

The Bronx Zoo is not the oldest zoo in the country. That honor is held by the Philadelphia Zoo, which was established in 1874.

Nearly 25 years later, in 1898, the New York Zoological Society was given 250 acres of Bronx Park.

The next year the Bronx Zoo opened, featuring over 650 different species of animals. Today, the Bronx Zoo is home to over 4,000 individual animals and welcomes

over two million visitors annually.

A number of buildings on the zoo’s grounds are, in fact, New York City landmarks. The one that is probably most recognizable to Fordham students is the Fordham Road entrance, Rainey Gate, which was established as a landmark in 1967.

Other points of interest within the Bronx Zoo include Astor Court and Rockefeller Fountain, the latter of which was actually designed in 1872, before the park’s opening,

by Italian sculptor Biagio Catella. A 30-ton, seven-foot-tall slab of pink granite called the Rocking Stone is also on display in the zoo and is thought to date back to the Ice Age. When its not getting pranked, the Bronx Zoo hosts a variety of festivities throughout the year.

Currently, John Cavelli, the Wildlife Conservation Society vice president and a Fordham Law graduate, is gearing up for the eigth

annual WCS Run for the Wild 5K and Family Fun Run on Saturday, April 30. “Each year, this event raises awareness of the threats facing wildlife while raising money to help WCS conservation work at the Bronx Zoo and around the world,” he said. “After the run, everyone is encouraged to stay at the Bronx Zoo to enjoy the park for the rest of the day,” said Calvelli. This year’s festivities feature an entirely new line-up of activities including a beer garden, silent disco and rock climbing wall.

Robert Wagner, the former executive director of the American Association of Zoological Parks and Aquariums, once estimated that zoos across the country receive an excess of 60,000 prank calls on the first of April. Although the hijinks have reportedly subsided since their April Fools peak, that does not mean that there is no more fun to be had at the Bronx Zoo.

-rived. After her father’s death, Bauer fell ill with double pneumonia.

At the camp, her friend was given a notice that he would be sent to Dresden to build a new ghetto.

Bauer married him to follow him to Dresden at the cost of leaving her mother behind.

Instead of being sent to Dresden, Bauer was sent to Auschwitz concentration camp. “It was the worst of all camps,” Bauer said.

Bauer described watching people killed in front of her and being forced to endure freezing weather.

She never saw her husband again and was forced to build planes for the war. She spoke of how Nazis would beat her and others, and how little there was to eat.

One morning, however, she and others prisoners woke up and found that the Nazis were gone.

The prisoners were then liberated by the Americans. “That was, of course, the happiest day of my life,” she said.

Bauer, who has since renounced her Jewish faith, began a new life and married an American soldier.

She now has several children and grandchildren.

President of Fordham’s Jewish Student Organization, Marcella Leonard, FCRH ‘18, believes there is good to be found in remembering atrocities in the world’s history. “Remembering gives meaning to the millions of lives that ended entirely too soon,” she said. “Remembering reminds us that we must make a concerned effort to fight injustice, that we do have the choice and obligation to do so.”

For Leonard, Bauer’s story holds particular relevance in light of recent bias incidents at Fordham. “For one, it reminds us that the swastika is a symbol of hatred, one that harms the entire community. It, along with Hitler jokes, anti-Semitism and any form of intolerance have no place on our campus,” Leonard said. “I hope that we can work to continue to mitigate the effect that a few outsiders are able to have when they seek to harm the entire community with their actions.”

Campus Briefs & Bites Fordham Hosts Papal Discussion

Panel Discusses Chinese Social Problems

Fordham Faculty Recieves Award

Senior Fellow Featured in Documentary

Carlos Maria Galli, S.T.D., a priest from Buenos Aires and a member of Pope Francis’ inner circle of advisers, came to Fordham to lead talks on the future of the Catholic Church and the Pope’s vision going forward.

The four conversations were held at Rose Hill and Lincoln Center on March 30 and March 31 and were hosted by the Graduate School of Religion and Religious Education (GRE). Father Galli works as the director of doctoral studies and the dean of theology at the Catholic University of Argentina where he also focuses on liberation theology. Pope Francis recently appointed Galli to the International Theological Commission, which is a small group of theologians who work as close counselors to the Pope.

“Father Galli’s own thought makes a contribution to pastoral urban theology — ministry of the city and to the city. ” said Claudio Burgaleta, S.J., associate professor at GRE, in an interview with Fordham Notes.

Chinese communities in New York City — including Chinatown in Lower Manhattan, Sunset Park in Brooklyn, and Elmhurst and Flushing in Queens — are growing rapidly.

Fordham hosted a panel on April 1 to discuss social problems specific to Chinese immigrant communities in NYC. The panel consisted of work practitioners who examined the economic situation that many Chinese immigrant families face. Qin Gao, Ph.D., professor in the Graduate School of Social Service, said that New York’s Chinese immigrant is outpacing all other over the world. Gao said that over 730,000 Chinese immigrants and their families are in the metropolitan region, and that an ignorance of child welfare laws means that many children are put to work.

Gao said that economic life in China makes it nearly impossible for Chinese families to care for each family members in need, with some hardly able to take care of their ownchildren, never mind caring for an elder parent.

City & State New York magazine honored Lesley A. Massiah-Arthur, associate vice president of government relations and urban affairs at Fordham University with the Above & Beyond Chairperson’s Award on March 31. The magazine has honored women at the “Above and Beyond” gala for the past five years, choosing 25 New York women who are accomplished in goverment, nonprofit, business, labor and media. The magazine donated $2,500 to the charity of her choice, the Lincoln Square Neighborhood Center. The Center works in the greater Lincoln Center neighborhood and hosts programs such as The Mabel Barrett Fitzgerald Day Care Program, a full-day program for children and The West 65th Street Senior Program, an initiative that supports and educates seniors. Massiah-Arthur volunteers for the LSNC and has been a member of the advisory board since April 2009.

Alexander van Tulleken, M.D., the Helen Hamlyn Senior Fellow at Fordham’s Institute of International Affairs was featured in a BBC1 documentary called Frontline Doctors: Winter Migrant Crisis. Van Tulleken traveled through Greece, Macedonia, Serbia, Germany and France visiting camps, border crossings and medical clinics. Van Tulleken and his twin brother Chris saw places such as “The Jungle” of Calais, France, a migrant camp that lacked basic hygiene, sanitation and access to clean water. Fordham University at Lincoln Center screened the film, while the United Kingdom screened it last month. Van Tulleken has been featured on other shows such as CNN, MSNBC, Jon Stewart and Al Jazeera for his work on the Ebola crisis. The film depicted the lack of government intervention and presence of volunteer and humanitarian groups in the countries dealing with the influx of migrants from Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan and other countries dealing with conflict.

NEWS

April 6, 2016

Page 5

Under the Tent 2016: Caught in the Cosmos UTT Theme Fashioned in ‘Super Sleek’ Style FROM RHA, PAGE 1

corporate the vision of other Fordham students and I think this theme blends our own vision with that of our peers,” said Timothy Bouffard, FCRH ‘16. “We’ve come a long way from a simple suggestion on the survey four months ago by taking Under the Tent in a completely different direction, focusing more on the color schemes and lighting and the effect that they can have.”

RHA released a promotional video. The video depicts Fordham students preparing for a night out in polished, fun outfits. The video is set to Daft Punk’s song “One More Time.”

The poster for the event portrays Keating Hall in a blue outline sketch among the stars. Created by RHA Publicity Director, Aya Nukina, GSB ‘18, this graphic showcases a sketch of Keating, originally illustrated by Regina Kendrick, FCRH ‘17. “We are grateful Regina allowed us to use her illustration as it fit Aya’s vision perfectly,” said Hauge.

According to Hauge, Nukina drew much of her inspiration from TRON and other futuristic designs. “I am so happy RHA was able to carry out the tradition of having Keating in the poster which was definitely a challenge with an ultramodern theme like this,” said Hauge.

Students are encouraged to wear semi-formal to formal dress.

According to Hauge, fun silhouettes and cutouts are encouraged as well as white, blue, purple, black, metallic and grey to match the scheme.

“I would say what people wear to this is going to contribute to the decor in a sense as well this year,” said Hauge.

Hauge described her dress for the evening as as a midi length, asymmetrical, white dress with a unique neckline and white mesh at the bottom.

“Overall, I think it is most important people understand the goal is to look ‘sleek’,” Hauge said, “I think that is how we have explained every aspect of the dance in our own discussions.”

This year’s tent will focus on lighting as well as the ceiling of the tent.

“While the walls and table centerpieces are important, the ceiling is what you really see in the tent most of the night,” said Hauge. According to Hauge, the other decor goes mostly unnoticed when the tent gets crowded.

Tickets for Under the Tent will go on sale Wednesday, April 20 at noon in McGinley Lobby and will be sold until 5 p.m. or until the amount of tickets sells out.

The ticket cost $25. Students must bring a valid Fordham ID to purchase a ticket.

“We know a lot of people were interested in online ticket sales, but unfortunately that wasn’t fea-

COURTESY OF RESIDENCE HALL ASSOCIATION

RHA’s Executive Board is working to produce this year’s Under the Tent. The plan is to focus on ‘up-lighting” in the tent.

sible for this year,” Hauge said.

According to Hauge, many Fordham students voiced in the survey sent out at the beginning of the semester that they were unable to attend ticket sales due to internships or work on Wednesdays.

“We really want to stress that you do not have to be present to buy a

USG Responds to Violations, Revises Club Suite Guidelines

By DIANA NELSON STAFF WRITER

After three serious violations of club suite guidelines in the fall term, USG has revised its rules for student organizations campuswide in the the Club Suite Guidelines. These guidelines were approved at the Student Life Council (SLC) Meeting last week.

USG’s Vice President of the House Committee, Peter Vergara, FCRH ‘18, headed the revisions.

“Our experience with the violations yielded fruitful conversation and solid feedback in updating the guidelines,” he said.

A recent addition to the guidelines states that in the event of a sanction against a club for a violation, club leaders have the op-

portunity to appeal. The appeal process requires the leadership to submit a written appeal via email to the vice president of Student Life and the Assistant Dean for Student Involvement, outlining the specific concerns and objections of the sanction.

Clubs can then set up a meeting with the Assistant Dean for Student Involvement to have a

ANDREA GARCIA/FORDHAM RAM

The club suites in the basement of McGinley are often allocated to student organizations by USG.

ticket,” Hauge said.

On the day of ticket sales, every student is allowed to buy up to four tickets. This includes one for the buyer as well as three additional tickets upon presenting a photo of the students’ Fordham IDs. According to Hauge, RHA is still working to make ticket sales

run more smoothly.

“This year’s theme is all about trying new things and breaking out of your comfort zone,” Hauge said. “I think it is very unique and different from anything RHA or Fordham has done in the past and I really hope that people are going to appreciate that.”

conversation about the sanction and reasons the Office for Student Involvement chose to support it.

If clubs wish to continue with the appeal, the VP of Student Life will distribute the written appeal to House Committee members, who then vote as to whether or not it should be approved.

The violations shaped the guideline amendments and updates, as well as interactions with clubs that did not involve violations Vergara worked with the House committee to accommodate the growing number of clubs and to avoid miscommunications about unclear rules of sharing club spaces, while also attempting to prevent future violations.

“The previous guidelines were unclear and occasionally led to miscommunication, so we have amended the guidelines to create a more transparent set of rules for clubs who have office or club suite space allocated to them,” said Vergara. “Furthermore, we saw a need for an appeal process in the case of serious violations and an agreement form between clubs that are sharing space.”

The guidelines are divided into three categories. They begin with “General Use,” which addresses matters such as office furniture and alcohol policy “Health and Safety” addresses fire hazards and key policy. Lastly, “Damage and Maintenance,” references the consequences of wall decorations and vandalism.

The rules have not changed from the previous guidelines, but new language has been added to make the expectations of both

clubs and United Student Government more clear.

Aside from a new appeals process, the regulations for drugs use, alcohol and weapons in club spaces as well as other regulations, remained the same. The House Committee also made sure to regulate the shared spaces between clubs to accommodate the growing number of them being formed at Fordham. Alex Farah, FCRH ‘16, President of the Commuting Students Association and a member of SLC provided input on the guidelines.

“I like the changes they made, they made it very straight forward — so if there needs to be appeal, we know what the process is,” Farah said.

The House Committee worked with USG and many other members of the community to revise the guidelines.

“They were drafted and reviewed by the House Committee with input from United Student Government and from club leaders who currently have spaces allocated to them,” said Vergara.

“We also worked with the dean and assistant dean of students at Rose Hill, as well as with other members of the Office for Student Involvement.”

The approval process consisted of two votes — the United Student Government general board and then the Student Life Council. Faculty and students from a wide range of university departments voted, and the revised Club Suite Guidelines were finally approved by SLC at their meeting on March 30.

NEWS

Page 6

April 6, 2016

CUSP Releases Draft of Strategic Framework FROM CUSP, PAGE 1

tured Links.

“If this works, what it will lead to is a stronger Fordham,” Dr. Peter Stace, co-chair of the CUSP committee said at a town hall meeting to review the draft.

To co-chair the intiative created

by McShane, the university president appointed several longtime faculty members and administrators.

Stace, along with Dr. Patrick Hornbeck, chair of the theology department, and Dr. Debra McPhee, dean of the Graduate School of Social Service, comprise CUSP’s leaders. The committee began meeting in October to develop the framework.

CUSP is intended to follow Towards 2016, a strategic plan for the university created by McShane in 2006.

Towards 2016 achieved some of its set benchmarks, such as raising Fordham’s population of minority and international students to 30 percent of the student body. However, several others, such as substantially reducing the university’s acceptance rate and maintaining average SAT scores for the accepted student body in the 1350-1400 range, were not reached.

Notably, Towards 2016 set a target to raise the university’s endowment to $2 billion by 2016. The university fell short of that goal as the current endowment is $665 million, approximately 35 percent of the original goal for 2016.

The draft released by CUSP in mid-March lacks the benchmarks that characterized Towards 2016 and is intended to be assessed every five years, not 10. Jonathon Crystal, the associate vice president of academic affairs, said that this allows the university more flexibility in responding to unexpected circumstances.

“The world changes so much in 10 years,” he said. “When Towards 2016 was created, who knew that law school enrollments would fall off the way they have, and that business would become such an attraction for college students?”

At the town hall meeting, which took place on March 30 in the Flom auditorium, the CUSP co-chairs explained the draft in detail to those in attendance. Only two students were at the meeting, which was publicized via university-wide email.

The draft’s broader aspirations are to “establish Fordham as a highly competitive research institution in strategically defined areas” and “establish Fordham as a thoughtleader about the world’s most critical challenges.”

More tangible goals are to add a chief diversity and inclusion officer reporting to the president and to plan and design a new campus center and an interdisciplinary science building on the Rose Hill campus.

Fordham faculty and CUSP cochairs agreed that the priorities would likely require the university to find sources of revenue other

FORDHAM RAM ARCHIVES

CUSP recently released a draft of a new strategic framework for the university.

than tuition. Student tuition currently accounts for between 92 and 94 percent of all Fordham’s revenue, according to the Board of Trustees.

“To the extent that our aspirations have to be funded... if all [the plans] come out of tuition, it’s really concerning,” Hornbeck said at the town hall meeting.

Creating a sustainable business model falls under the sixth priority of the draft, an item which some at the town hall meeting argued should be first.

“Item six is something without

which the other things are not possible,” Hornbeck said.

Other faculty in attendance voiced concern that the language of the draft was centered on innovation as opposed to cultivating wisdom and knowledge. Still more debated the order of each of the priorities as they were listed in the document, including the separation of teaching and research.

The most highly debated points, however, were how to accomplish a less tuition-based business model and how to increase and better support faculty research and inter-

twine it with student learning.

The committee members plan to share framework and planning design with Fordham senior leadersBoard of Trustee members, Faculty Senate and selected external stakeholders. After they revise the framework and the continuous planning process draft they will discuss the revised draft with the Board of Trustees at their April Board meeting. The group will submit a final Strategic Framework and planning process in September, when it will be voted on by the trustees.

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April 6, 2016

OPINION

Page 7

The Fordham Ram

MTA Allocates Funds d for f Luxuries i Instead of Necessities

By LINETTE MUNOZ CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Governor Cuomo recently announced a plan to the overhaul of about 40 percent of the current MTA buses. By 2020, there will be 2,042 new MTA buses, all equipped with free Wifi, USB charging ports and digital information screens that will project advertisements, travel information and the weather (for those days when looking out the window gets too difficult).

The first few buses will roll out in Queens, then Brooklyn, the Bronx and finally Manhattan over the next two years. The remaining buses will be on the road by 2020 in all five boroughs. But even with the new technology, “...[the new buses] will be similar to what we have already,” said MTA Chairman Tom Prendergast, according to the Gothamist. In other words, there will still be delays and overcrowded buses.

While the idea of adding more electronic connection in our already social media loving world sounds great, the allocation of this money comes at a cost to other necessary forms of progress.

This $1.3 billion investment towards the “not-your-father’s” buses, as described by Cuomo, has come with some skepticism.

Rider’s Alliance, an organization that advocates for better mass transit, says that Governor Cuomo has fallen back on his promise to provide $7.3 billion

COURTESY OF FLICKR

The MTA plans to upgrade over 2,000 city buses by equipping them with WiFi and charging ports.

to the MTA and has instead only allocated zero dollars in the 2016 Executive Budget. They question whether he will have the funds to purchase these new buses, asking if Cuomo is just lying about his new plans. Others are happier about it, like Time Out New York’s Jillian Anthony who thanked the MTA for another way to connect to the Internet and have another place to charge her phone.

Spending nearly 20 percent of a supposed budget on buses takes away money from other neces-

sary projects. Think about the underground subway system where there is little to no chance of getting signal and WiFi is spotty where available.

Think about waiting for the bus by a pole in the middle of winter or while it is raining rather than having a covered bench to wait on.

Instead of creating a whole new fleet of buses to connect us more than we already are, Cuomo should do more to improve what we already have.

He should not be building on

the crumbling infrastructure that is the MTA system. He should be improving the system that is already in place instead of fixing a non-problem.

With that money the MTA could build covered bus stops or find a system to make sure they are on time. The money, for example, could be used to build MetroCard vending machines at certain bus stops (because I know I am not the only person that forgets to fill up before getting home).

Instead of focusing on internet

connection above ground, the focus should be put below the pavement, where most of us do not even get signal. It would be more cost effective to add WiFi to the subway system as a whole rather than only 40 percent of the bus system.

According to T.D. Sims on Quora, it would take nearly $51 million, plus or minus $8 million, to install WiFi for the complete NYC subway line. That is less than half of what it costs to create these new buses.

While Cuomo means well by connecting with smart phone savvy riders, this new fleet seems unnecessary and pointless. The technology will be cool, and I will definitely be using it if I happen to catch the bus, but it is not necessary. On the bus I never wish that there was a digital TV so I can check out the weather.

Instead, I wish there were more buses so mine would not always be crammed with people. Cuomo is ignoring what is needed and trying to blind us with flashy, new technology to forget it. There is a better way to allocate funds (if there are even funds to allocate — but that is an argument for the Rider’s Alliance) and Cuomo is instead picking the unnecessary way.

Linette Munoz, FCRH ’16, is a psychology and humanitarian affairs double major from Toms River, New Jersey.

Casting a New Light on the Power of Podcasts

COURTESY OF FLICKR

The Podcasts app is more than just a use of phone storage and provides a versatile medium to learn something new.

By EMILY SULLIVAN CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Let’s talk about the purple application you cannot delete from your smartphone, no matter how badly you want extra photos and offline Spotify songs. That purple button is magic.

For no cost, that app can host a wonderfully dense collection of podcasts to be consumed to your heart’s desire.

Podcasts are not new, but became more popular after Serial’s first season release in 2013. How-

ever, the first known podcast was developed in 2004 and Apple introduced a podcast section to iTunes in 2005.

Since then, over 18,000 different shows have been uploaded to iTunes, and thousands more to various hosting sites throughout the internet. On iTunes, the iPhone and Android podcast apps, and other hosting mediums, listeners can subscribe to shows to have episodes downloaded automatically on their smartphones and other devices.

Podcasts have become won-

derfully disruptive, horizontal technology. Virtually anyone can upload a show of their own to iTunes.

There is an overwhelming amount of topics the medium can cover: shows dedicated to teaching algebra, geology, sex education, stand up comedy, discussing the host’s favorite television show and tracing mysteries all exist.

Really into tracing your family history? There is a podcast for that. Love restoring old cars? You do not need video — there is a podcast for that.

Podcasting is an incredibly social medium that allows consumers and producers to engage with one another in ways that have not been witnessed before in the history of media, and this ability is drastically changing the way that we consume media.

This method of conversation cannot be duplicated by any other content medium and the reasons for this are pretty straightforward.

Podcasts literally have a voice — not a certain tone or a certain character that some blogs might possess, but a real, breathing voice, with human nuances of inflection and emotion behind them.

This unique singularity breathes life into the medium that is not present in Buzzfeed listicles or your Twitter dashboard.

Most importantly, podcasts go wherever you go, entirely on your own terms. They do not require you to plan your life around them — you plan them accordingly around your own life.

Their convenience and user friendliness allows podcasts to connect with their audience in ways that other mediums simply cannot accomplish.

Maybe one day we will be able to watch Netflix on the subway, but as of now, podcasts stand triumphantly at the top as the best way to pass an offline morning commute.

For students who juggle class

and work and spend hours each week on the downtown D, podcasts are the perfect solution to in-transit boredom. Stand-up, science, sex, synthesia — there are shows about everything you could possibly want to learn more about.

They provide moments of clarity and insight both on-the-go and during periods of relaxation that wine-fueled Netflix hazes on the couch simply do not allow.

My own love affair with podcasts began during a semester spent abroad with rare and spotty wifi, and continued day after day as I logged in transit.

They provide the perfect entertainment with a conversational aspect that music often lacks and allowed a sense of involvement and connection that logging onto a certain online television streaming service does not provide.

I have used them to explore topics of interest more in depth, to communicate with real audiences in interactive ways, to expand some academic concepts and even to do research for papers and projects.

They represent a seriously unutilized medium among students in their range of uses. It is about time that you open that purple button and broaden your horizon.

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

OPINION

Page 8

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

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

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

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

April 6, 2016

From the Desk | Bailey Hosfelt

The Girl Scouts Need to Earn Their Equality Badge Following a successful Sunday brunch, I was walking uptown when an exuberant group of elementary schoolers wearing sashes and shouting “Girl Scout cookies” caught my attention. As I approached them, the girls immediately rattled off fan favorite flavors and informed me that they were $4 a box. Regardless of the fact that eggs florentine had recently filled my stomach and emptied my wallet, I shelled out the necessary amount of cash to snag a box of Samoas.

Over the next few weeks, I stressate the cookies like it was my major.

During my coconut, caramel and chocolate covered binge, I made two realizations: the size of today’s cookies are exponentially smaller than they were a decade ago, and, more importantly, almost every badge I earned during my time as a Girl Scout upheld outdated and dichotomous gender roles.

When I think back to my fiveyear affiliation with the organization, I recall meetings focused on simple activities such as answering a phone politely, dining etiquette, sewing or cooking. While I was learning to say “Hosfelt residence, this is Bailey speaking” on command my male classmates were becoming skillful Boy Scouts, studying outdoor survival and scientific findings.

The Girl Scout mission statement states that “Girl Scouting

builds girls of courage, confidence and character who make the world a better place.” This testimony presents the idea that the organization instills progressive ideals of womanhood in a gender-equal society. However, the skills needed to achieve many of the girls’ badges, clearly are traditionally femine.

Girl Scout badges — both in title and content — tend to refer to stereotypically feminine activities. In an analysis of Girl and Boy Scout manuals, sociologist Kathleen Denny cited Girl Scout badges named “Baby Sitter,” “Looking Your Best” and “Sew Simple” as primary examples of their lack of substance. Although the Looking Your Best badge discusses personal hygiene, it also involves girls deciding which colors look best with their skin tones and finding accessories to complement their outfits.

The Boy Scouts’ “Fitness” badge is most equivalent to this feminine counterpart. Earning the male merit badge involves more substantial activities like completing a food diary and informing a family member about the dangers of drugs and alcohol.

In an attempt to match the science education that the Boy Scouts receive, the Girl Scouts have introduced STEM activities into their program. This is certainly a step in the right direction towards encouraging young girls to become interested and aspire to STEM careers,

but their integration as badges falls short of this ideal.

The Boy Scout badge for learning about astronomy is called “Astronomer” while the Girl Scouts’ is “Sky Search.” Similarly, the male badge for geology is called “Geologist” while the females’ badge for the same scientific study is “Rocks Rock.” By assigning playful names to the Girl Scout badges, girls are encouraged to become attracted to the title, but not the specific occupation.

This is not the case in the male organization. All merit badges earned by Boy Scouts have straightforward, descriptive names.

In contrast, Girl Scout badges tend to be titled more ambiguously. Names like “Nuclear Science,” “Reptile and Amphibian Study,” “Wilderness Survival” and “Personal Management” demonstrate a clear focus of the male group’s activities. Conversely, “Science of Style,” “Animal Helpers,” “Outdoor Adventurer” and “Think Big” contain imprecise buzz words that do not reveal the specific intent of Girl Scout pursuits.

On the whole, the process to receive a merit badge for Boy Scouts is more meticulous than for Girl Scouts. Badges such as “Archery” or “Bird Study” require outdoor, hands-on activity for boys. The scouts must perform the activity and complete a report of questions before receiving the accolade. “In-

dependence” and “My Best Self,” popular Girl Scout badges, rarely require female members to get their hands dirty. They involve more hypothetical discussion, as opposed to concrete action.

Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts are both value-based youth development organizations that build the character of young Americans.

Therefore, the two programs should complement each other instead of promoting divided gender stereotypes. Girl Scouts are taught to be creative and domestic while Boy Scouts are rugged and masculine.

This reinforced gender-based divide is counterproductive and cumbersome in a society that strives to push past patriarchal norms.

Gender should not limit what an organization will and will not expose to its members. By integrating the skills taught in each group, the Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts of America alike would become more robust, all-inclusive institutions that deserve to stay in our society.

Editorial | CUSP

Fordham Sets Goals But Safeguards from Failure In the spring of 2015, Rev. Joseph M. McShane, S.J., president of the university, announced the launch of the Continuous University Strategic Planning committee, or CUSP. The goal of CUSP, established to build on the strengths of the university, is to create a fresh future for Fordham and design a process of continued planning.

Nearly a year later, the committee has released a draft of the strategic framework, called Transformative Education: a Strategic Framework for Fordham University, sparking conversation regarding improvements Fordham should strive to make as it comes to its 175-year anniversary.

The strengths that Fordham prides itself on, including its student-centeredness, Jesuit heritage and New York City location are prioritized expanded upon in the eight page draft. CUSP is correct to set goals for improvement of innovative teaching, involvement with New York City, increased research opportunities, diversity and inclusion and, most importantly, a strategic business model.

The editorial board of The Fordham Ram found certain areas of the draft would make a significant impact on student life at Fordham.

We are particularly interested in the design of a student union. As it stands, the McGinley Center, while home to the campus fitness center, student lounge, marketplace and multiple student affairs offices, lacks in its ability to unite students to a common, central location. A true student union for students to congregate would better foster a sense of community on our campus. Such a revamp should also lead the way in fulfilling other points of change in CUSP, including the promotion of diversity, inclusion and accessibility.

Tbe Fordham Ram is also encouraged that CUSP addressed the need for a science building at Fordham and that the university pledges to “significantly invest in engaged science education at the Rose Hill campus.”

US News & World Report ranks Fordham No. 209 for its biological science program, an abysmally low number considering the vast num-

ber of students that are enrolled in pre-med programs, as well as the number of general science, mathematics, technology and engineering majors. Many students also lament the underfunded lab equipment and lack of specialized career services programs.

CUSP denotes a partnership with the Bronx Science Consortium and the design of an interdisciplinary science building on Rose Hill. Regardless of how overdue these changes may be, these ideas are a step in the right direction.

Although these are all commendable clauses, CUSP often repeats ideas that the administration has referred to time and time again.

The repetition helps to instill these core values into Fordham’s curriculum, but having the words “broaden Fordham’s global perspective” can only be reworded so many times. We expect to see more specific goals outlined in CUSP’s next draft. Fordham administrators claim that the language of CUSP has been left intentionally vague to allow the framework to adapt to changes in the coming

years. This should not be at the expense of holding the university accountable for making a true attempt at meeting the goals it sets for itself. Speaking on resources, it is clear that the main priority for the university at this time should be to derive a sustainable business model to fund the university efforts — a priority currently listed at the bottom of the draft. It does not take away from Fordham’s desire to prioritize Jesuit values to acknowledge that the current revenue stream coming almost entirely from student tuition is unsustainable. Most other priorities in the draft require additional funding, and no clear path towards attaining that funding has been released thus far.

While CUSP’s malleable draft seems to have the best interest of Fordham’s future at its core, its vague language prevents a clear way to assess its progress.

The Fordham Ram also has the best interest of Fordham’s future at core, and looks forward to reading the revised draft when it is released.

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Let us know your opinion at fordhamramopinions@gmail.com!

OPINION

April 6, 2016

Marcelle Meyer Work, Work, Work (Without Pay) On March 15, 27 NGOs gathered in Geneva, Switzerland and committed to paying their interns, adding significant weight to an ongoing dialogue about unpaid internships in the professional world.

Most Fordham students are familiar with the concept of working without pay — as you search internship listings on CareerLink, desperately hoping to find a good internship for next semester, maybe one out of every 20 listings offers any form of compensation.

Many companies look for interns, especially for liberal arts majors, are non-profit or simply have limited funding.

However, private sector businesses, a less popular sector

FORDHAM RAM ARCHIVES

Students want internships, but are often not compensated for their work.

among Fordham students, regularly offer paid internships.

It is on students to consider their financial future when picking a major, but their area of study should not doom them to debt and unpaid labor for four years.

The issue surrounding unpaid internships is not just that students are not paid for legitimate work that has monetary value.

Unpaid internships also create an economic divide between those who can afford to boost their re-

sumes with impressive, albeit unpaid internships, and those who cannot.

An internship on Capitol Hill, for example, requires students to work unpaid for 40 hours per week and does not compensate for housing or transportation.

Political science majors of a higher socioeconomic class have a clear advantage with the option to spend a summer paying for housing in Washington, D.C. without earning a salary.

Page 9 Financially disadvantaged students often have to work parttime jobs that have less relevance to their area of study and, consequently, less importance on their resume. A college education is supposed to give students an equal opportunity in the job market that is based on how hard they work, not how much money they started out with.

Although it is true that many companies simply cannot afford to pay interns, it is also true that many can.

Interns are part-time workers who contribute to the company’s success and eventual profit. Why should they not receive a piece of the profit they generate?

Many argue that internships are a learning opportunity, and that these experiences are a privilege that will eventually open the doors for greater opportunities in the future.

But with students paying upwards of $60,000 per year on learning opportunities, should we really have to pay any more than we already are?

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Perhaps Hillary Clinton or Ted Cruz?

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What needs to be done in Washington?

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Kathryn Wolper Casting Call Preserves Spirit of “Hamilton” Late last week, a casting call for the hit Broadway musical “Hamilton” drew attention and criticism. The casting call sought “nonwhite men and women” to audition for parts in the historical hip-hop smash hit, the New York Times reported. The current and original cast features mostly nonwhite actors and actresses, with the exception of Jonathan Groff, who plays King George. After people reacted to the specific listing, “Hamilton” revised the listing to say that all are welcome to audition.

Besides featuring catchy and historically witty songs, “Hamilton” is notable for its subversion of expectations of race in history. The play explores privilege, family life and heritage. The employment of nonwhite actors and actresses to explore these themes transforms them from historical ideas to concepts relevant to modern social and political life. In today’s social context, heterosexual, able-bodied white males are considered more privileged than people of other sexual orientations, abilities, races and genders. For this reason, portraying each of the characters in “Hamilton” as white males would, for a modern audience, decrease the nuance that makes the story so rich.

The declaration that Alexander Hamilton is “young, scrappy and hungry”

by Lin-Manuel Miranda, who is both the playwright and acts in the titular role, seems more convincing from a man of color than from a white man in a powdered wig who appears to have just stepped out of a textbook.

Furthermore, the differences in the races among cast members help highlight the diversity of backgrounds of the real historical people who make up the narrative. Variations in class, experience and background marked the interactions between these historical figures and informed many of their political viewpoints, which now stand as the foundations of American politics.

The Actors’ Equity Association, which originally reacted to the change in the “Hamilton” casting call with a tweet praising it for preserving diversity of the characters and still allowing people of all ethnicities to audition, released a letter to replace this tweet. The AEA makes the distinction between casting calls that describe a character as being a certain race and ones that request actors of a certain race. The authors of the letter claim that specifying certain characteristics of a character is an expression of “authorial intent,” while specifying the characteristics of actors who choose to audition may qualify as employer discrimination.

Despite the ethnicities and backgrounds of the people who audition for “Hamilton,” the casting choices will surely reflect the intentions of Lin-Manuel Miranda. The wording of the listing does not change the outcome, but rather sparks an interesting debate about the intersection of race, art and opportunity. A discussion that includes cultural background and opportunity does not discredit “Hamilton” or its acclaim. Rather, it emphasizes similar themes in the play itself and reminds audiences that even today, people must battle their origins to achieve their dreams.

Page 10

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THE FORDHAM RAM

April 6, 2016

April 6, 2016

CULTURE

Page 11

The Fordham Ram

Spring TV Guide: Shows You Want to See

By ANNIE DAVID STAFF WRITER

Spring is here with many new shows as well as some returning favorites. Here are a few to check out: “The Catch” Shonda Rhimes expands her empire with this crime drama starring Mireille Enos and Peter Krause.

The show follows private investigator Alice Vaughan in her search for her fraudulent ex-fiance who stole all her money. With its fast paced dialogue and constant plot twists, this show is a perfect fit for Shondaland fans.

Airs Thursdays at 10 p.m. on ABC “Veep” Coming off multiple Emmy wins, “Veep” hits the ground running with its fifth season. The show stars Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Vice President-turned-President Selina Meyers and her incompetent staff as they navigate the bizarre and sometimes brutal waters of Washington D.C..

This season picks up where season four left off. The show’s writing is as exceptional as its performances, and there is still time to catch up on previous seasons before the season five premiere.

Premieres Sunday, April 24 at 10:30 p.m. on HBO “Game of Thrones” Everyone’s favorite show about kings, dragons and incest returns for season six. With its showrunners’ promising that this season will be “the best one yet,” “Game of

CHRIS PIZZELLO / AP

“Game of Thrones,” a popular HBO series, returns to the network on April 24 for its sixth season on television.

Thrones” looks to continue its critical and popular acclaim. The show is based on the books by George R.R. Martin, and this will be the first season where the show’s narrative will be ahead of the books. Catch up on the previous seasons now before the show returns or someone accidentally tells you who died.

Premieres Sunday, April 24 at 9 p.m. on HBO “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt” Looking for something to fill the Tina Fey-sized hole in your heart?

Look no further! “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt,” created by Tina Fey and Robert Carlock, is back for its second season on Netflix. Starring Ellie Kemper, Tituss Burgess,

Jane Krakowski and Carol Kane, the show follows Kimmy Schmidt, a former underground captive of a cult leader (played by Jon Hamm).

Despite the dark premise, the show successfully portrays the ins and outs of Kimmy’s life as she tries to reinvent herself in New York City.

Available Friday, April 15 on Netflix “The Detour” Created by former “Daily Show” correspondents and husband-wife team Jason Jones and Samantha Bee, “The Detour” follows a family on their road trip from upstate New York to Florida. The show is inspired by the couple’s own experiences during vacation with their three children. Jones describes the

show as a “comedic ‘Breaking Bad’” and says that “it’s one journey that becomes something very different as it goes along.”

Premieres Monday, April 11 at 9 p.m. on TBS “Catastrophe” This British series premiered on Amazon Prime last year, and now it is back for a second season. The show stars Rob Delaney and Sharon Horgan as a Boston ad executive and a London schoolteacher, respectively. After one brief fling resulting in an accidental pregnancy, they up as engaged parents-to-be.

The second season picks up with the couple trying to figure out everyday life as a couple and new parents.

Available Friday, April 8 on Amazon Prime “Bloodline” This Netflix original series returns for its second season this spring. It revolves around the Rayburn family, who own and run a hotel in the Florida Keys. When the oldest son returns home after being gone for so many years, the family is thrown into turmoil. The show is beautifully filmed and the storyline and pacing will keep you wanting more.

Available May 27 on Netflix “Inside Amy Schumer” Amy Schumer is back with the fourth season of her sketch comedy show. After her success with last summer’s film Trainwreck, Schumer hopes to “lean in” to her higher popularity and use it to create even funnier content for the new season.

As usual, there are many guest stars set to appear such as Selena Gomez, Steve Buscemi and Lin-Manuel Miranda.

Premieres Tuesday, April 21 at 10 p.m. on Comedy Central “The Americans” You would be hard-pressed to find a better drama on television today. This show follows husband and wife, Philip and Elizabeth Jennings, as Soviet KGB spies living as an American family in the suburbs of Washington D.C. The show was created by former CIA intelligence officer Joe Weisburg, and it stars Keri Russell and Matthew Rhys. It picks up with its fourth season as the Jennings’ daughter comes to terms with her parents true identities.

Airs Wednesdays at 10 p.m. on FX

Instagram Update Stirs Uprising Among Users

By ELIZABETH SMISLOVA CULTURE EDITOR

Instagram is undergoing big changes, and for a generation that experiences mini heart attacks when a smartphone is not within arms reach, the response has not been positive. For many businesses, social media is not just a place to make sure people see that great outfit or cute puppy — it is also an important advertising platform. The new format does not have a release date yet, but certain groups are currently testing it.

The main change is the implementation of a new algorithm, which will operate similarly to that of Facebook (Instagram’s owner) and Twitter. Instagram will organize its users’ feeds based on importance, not on a post’s chronology. According to The New York Times, newsgroups and nonprofit organizations are irritated by their lack of appearance on social media feeds. Followers can turn on notifications for certain users, but some are worried that new alerts about posts will be overwhelming.

According to Kevin Systrom, co-founder and chief executive of Instagram, 70 percent of posts on Instagram go unseen. The redesign is meant to highlight the 30

JACK BRENNAN / THE FORDHAM RAM

Many famous Instagram users have urged their followers to turn on post notifications in preparation for the new update.

percent of posts people most want to view.

Many celebrities are out against the new algorithm, including the Jenner sisters, who are in the top-

10 group of celebrities with the most followers. Kendall Jenner posted on Instagram: “I don’t really understand it and there has to be another motive because you follow

people for a reason. I’m trying to see everyone’s pics.” Kylie Jenner tweeted: “This whole Instagram update is just so down the line you’ll have to pay Instagram to be

at the top of the feed.”

Another new feature is increased video length, allowing for 60 seconds instead of 15. Forbes magazine noted that the new duration optimizes the amount of users who will actually watch entire videos — after the “golden time” of a minute, viewers tend to fade.

Similar to Vine and Snapchat, Instagram is also allowing users to create videos using multiple clips.

These video adjustments are efforts to help businesses spread their messages and keep people on their feeds longer.

Brenna Gordon, FCRH ‘18, stopped using Twitter because she did not like the algorithm and is unhappy with the change. “Instagram is supposed to show pictures at the instant they’re posted — that’s the whole point,” she said.

However, Gordon approves of the longer video version. “I follow a lot of celebrities and it would be interesting to see more into their lives on Instagram.”

Anthony Piccinich, GSB ‘17, said, “I didn’t think that Instagram needed to change. Sometimes I think that these Silicon Valley companies try to meddle with things that don’t need to be modified. That being said, I’m sure it won’t take long for me to get used to the new Instagram.”

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April 6, 2016

Woman of the Hour | Erin Cabrey

“Gilmore Girls” Creater Amy Sherman-Palladino You may not know Amy ShermanPalladino’s name, but you definietly know her work. Sherman-Palladino is the creator, executive producer and writer for “Gilmore Girls.” She is the woman who is responsible for bringing life to television’s most beloved mother-daughter duo, Lorelai and Rory Gilmore, and penning classic quotes such as, “Oy with the poodles already.” With the show’s Netflix revival in full swing and rumors of plotlines flooding the internet, it’s only right to hone in on the woman in charge of it all.

The Woman Behind the Girls: “Gilmore Girls,” a millennial dramedy about the relationship between Lorelai Gilmore and her daughter Rory, whom she had at 16 years old.

The show first aired in 2000, but its relevance has yet to wane. Fans have been begging for more since the series ended in 2007, and their pleas were finally answered in January 2016 with Netflix’s announcement of the tentatively-titled “Gilmore Girls: Seasons.”

When the “Gilmore Girls” cast reunited at last summer’s ATX Television Festival, Sherman-Palladino was asked about a possible reboot or movie, but she downplayed it. Little did fans know that she was in the process of pitching an idea to Netflix.

Now, filming for the four 90-minute installments is in full swing on the Warner Bros. lot.

Photos of the revamped Stars Hol-

COURTESY OF FLICKR

Amy Sherman-Palladino is the creator of the beloved “Gilmore Girls. “

low set and its former residents have made headlines, and rumors of potential plotlines have teased fans with possible answers to the questions they’ve been holding onto for nine years.

The woman at the very center of the chaos is Sherman-Palladino, a woman armed with a plethora of obscure pop culture references and a penchant for wearing eccentric hats.

While most are quick to look to Lauren Graham and Alexis Bledel as the backbone of “Gilmore Girls,” Sherman-Palladino is surely the most crucial Gilmore girl, and more than deserves praise for her hand in the female-driven, small-screen phenomenon.

The Road to Stars Hollow: Sherman-Palladino began her work as a writer for the third season of the

comedy “Roseanne” in 1991, where she received an Emmy nomination for her work on an episode about birth control titled “A Bitter Pill to Swallow.” Following her departure from the show after its sixth season in 1994, Sherman-Palladino worked on several short-lived sitcoms.

Her big break came while pitching ideas to the Warner Bros. When they were less-than-enthused with her pitches, she made a last ditch attempt. “At the very end, I threw in this one idea about a mother and daughter who are more like friends than mother and daughter, and they’re like, ‘That’s what we want!’” she told A.V. Club in 2005.

With no ideas for the show beyond that point, she was inspired to set the show in small-town Connect-

icut after a visit to see Mark Twain’s house, and this led to the creation of one of television’s most revered fictional towns, Stars Hollow.

“Gilmore Girls” premiered in October 2000 to critical praise and steadily gained a substantial and loyal audience throughout its seven season run. Sherman-Palladino served as writer (composing scripts about 15 pages longer than average one hour shows, giving the show its tagline “Life’s short. Talk fast.”) and executive producer for the first six seasons. She departed after the penultimate season due to contract disputes.

Critics and fans agreed that the final season was a ghost of its former self, which is one of the reasons viewers had been imploring Sherman-Palladino to pen a reboot for the past nine years. After ShermanPalladino gained support from Netflix and Warner Bros. and got most of the original cast on board, the “Gilmore Girls” reboot was officially confirmed in January and fans were elated.

Girl Power: For most fans, “Gilmore Girls” will never be something you can watch casually. The quirky characters seem nearly as real and close to us as anyone in our everyday lives, and entering the town of Stars Hollow always feels like a warm, familiar embrace.

I watched the entirety of “Gilmore Girls” in syndication on ABC

Family when I was 12 and instantly wanted to be just like Lorelai and Rory.

I tried to emulate their quick-witted, pop-culture-dense phraseology. I read “Franny & Zooey” and “Howl” because Rory did. I was desperate to drink coffee because Lorelai was a borderline caffeine addict. I cried during Rory’s graduation speech and cheered for Lorelai when she finally opened her own inn. I was (let’s be honest, still am) obsessed with the entire Gilmore world, so much so that I once named 141 of the 147 episodes off the top of my head on a Sporcle quiz. That strong connection I felt was all Amy Sherman-Palladino’s work.

She created wonderful female characters with charming conviction and sharp senses of humor who were also flawed and vulnerable, and these women remain my role models. Even now as I’ve entered my twenties, Lorelai’s fierce bravery and independence and Rory’s curiosity and thirst for knowledge continue to inspire me.

Sherman-Palladino recently confirmed the revival’s final installment would include the famous final four words she always imagined to use to end the series. Without a doubt, fans old and new who tuned into the Warner Bros., watched reruns on ABC Family, binge watched on Netflix and signed petitions for a revival, will be hanging on every word as they bid farewell to the wondrous world of “Gilmore Girls” the way Amy Sherman-Palladino always intended.

Sweet ‘N’ Sour | Caitlyn Letterii and Patrick Hood

Rancho Estrella: A Better, Brighter Future In The Bronx Located on the corner of Hughes and 187th, this secluded Mexican joint is often-overlooked by Fordham students in favor of flashier, more well-known establishments like Estrellita Poblana III on Arthur Ave. PH: I must admit from the beginning that I have frequented this restaurant on more than one occasion, so please excuse me of any bias.

CL: On the other hand, I can offer a fresh perspective. It soon became apparent that I would have to play the skeptic. When we first walked I remarked to myself, “Gosh, this is a small restaurant!”

PH: I can’t argue with you there Caitlyn. Groups larger than four or five people should pass on dining in Rancho Estrella in favor of their delivery due to the cramped, but in my opinion authentic, atmosphere.

According to the menu, delivery is free and can be done over phone, the internet or apparently by faxing in an order.

CL: I’m pleased to see such innovation in the delivery industry.

PH: As far as ambience goes, I enjoyed the refreshing religious wall art, which really fell in line with Fordham’s Jesuit values and principles.

CL: Cura Personalis has always been my personal favorite.

PH: Same here girlfriend!

CL: The service was very fast, probably due to us being the only patrons in the restaurant at the time, and I was pleased to receive complimentary chips and salsa.

PH: The chips, I will admit, were not the best I’ve had, but the salsa, which was coquettishly sweet, daz-

COURTESY OF CAITLYN LETTERII

Caitlyn enjoys her vegetarian and less-adventurous choices at Rancho Estrella.

zled my tastebuds.

CL: We decided to start off with the true litmus test of any Mexican establishment: the guacamole. We’re bold and beautiful, so we said to heck with it and ordered the spicy version.

PH: The presentation was stunning. Would you say that’s fair, Caitlyn?

CL: I’d say that is more than fair.

Though I was disappointed as a native New Yorker that there were not any peas in the guacamole.

PH: I was more than fine with the omission of peas.

CL: For the main course I went with a classic veggie burrito, which I was surprised to find was so stuffed to the brim that I had to eat it with a fork and knife. Talk about bang for your buck! The filling was very tasty, but from time to time the flour tortilla was a bit overpowering. Also I was over-

joyed to find peas in the burrito. Apparently they had been saving them for the big show.

PH: Since I was at Rancho Estrella on official review business, I thought it was only fair to order something I’ve never had before. I went with soft-shell tacos and for filling I decided on barbacoa (spiced beef), lengua (cow tongue) and oreja (pig’s ear). As a native Texan I know my tacos, and am a bit of an aficionado when it comes to barbacoa and lengua. I am glad to say that Rancho Estrella knocked them both out of the park. I never had ear before, and I never will again.

CL: I still cannot believe you ate any of that. As a vegetarian, and a woman, I was offended. The ear just looked like chunks of cartilage in a tortilla.

PH: It basically was! While it did

COURTESY OF PATRICK HOOD

Patrick remains smiling despite his consumption of the oreja (pig ear) taco.

technically taste good, I just could not get over the texture of chewing cartilage and gave up after a few bites. So Caitlyn?

CL: Yes Patrick?

PH: I think you know what time it is: let’s give them our Sweet ‘n’ Sour Ratings! Although the oreja was a misstep, I don’t think the restaurant should take the blame. I ordered pig’s ear, and I got pig’s ear.

It was a lesson in humility and pig anatomy. Beyond that, for the price the food was filling, the guac’ tasty and I left a satisfied customer. That’s why I’m giving Rancho Estrella a Sweet Rating of four out of five stars.

CL: You just read my mind! Because I too am giving them a Sweet Rating of four out of five stars. And we never agree! The guacamole was presented beautifully and had an equally great taste (despite the lack

of peas). The burrito was not the greatest but it was still pretty good. I came starving and left decadently full and with a new perspective on life itself.

Overall Recommendations: You should try the guacamole, the rice and beans, the barbacoa taco, and the lengua taco if you’re feeling adventurous.

You should pass on the oreja taco, unless you like chewing cartilage.

We’re not ones to judge.

Info: Rancho Estrella Address: 621 E 187 Street, Bronx, NY (On the corner of Hughes and 187) Phone number: 347-271-6978 Fax number: 347-269-8879 Also available for order on Grubhub and Seamless Hours: Everyday 10 a.m.-11 p.m.

Price: Cheap

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April 6, 2016

Page 13

Playlistism | Meredith Nardino

Review| Food

Covered in the Colors: Songs for Spring

You’re the Bun That I Want: Burger Lodge is Here to Stay at Fordham

By EMMA NANAMAKER CONTRIBUTING WRITER

COURTESY OF FLICKR

Halsey’s rise as an artist last year is due to her powerful lyrics and cool sound.

Creating brief playlists like this one is sometimes challenging because of diverse music in the world.

Rather than choosing songs that sound identical to one another, I wanted to see how a playlist could flow seamlessly because of one similar concept.

This is an exploration of songs that all bring a little color to our lives, and also happen to bend traditional rules of genre.

1.“Colors” — Halsey Halsey was arguably one of the most exciting new artists of the last year. Her meteoric rise to the top of the charts following the release of her debut album, Badlands, proved the power of female vocalists in the world of pop music.

“Colors” is one of the album’s highlights, showcasing an ingenuity that is often lacking in average Top 40 tunes. Halsey’s poetic lyrics and airy vocals perfectly complement the song’s powerful melody, making this song a guaranteed earworm.

2.“Black Mambo” — Glass Animals Glass Animals produce music just psychedelic enough to make you feel like you’re walking through a jungle in outer space. “Black Mambo” is one of the group’s better-known tracks, and it artfully combines aspects of electronica and indie rock.

The hypnotic vocals and precise percussion allow listeners to slip into a dreamlike state. This song is unique in many ways – it is synthetic and mainstream, organic and underground.

3.“Cool Blue” — The Japanese House Amber Bain gradually gained popularity last year with the help of George Daniel and Matty Healy of The 1975. Bain’s sound is so original and personal that it completely engulfs audiences in waves of melancholic melodies. “Cool Blue” demonstrates Bain’s artistic prowess in ways that highlight her human vulnerabilities and her affinity for mystery.

Bain’s ambiguous vocal tone inspired her to create a sound that

could defy the boundaries of gender. With every strained chord and mesmerizing chorus, it is evident her heart and soul drain shamelessly into her work.

4.“Red Lips I Know” — Swim Deep Swim Deep took college radio by surprise in 2012 with their single “King City.” Before their recent dramatic change in sound, these Brits brought together modern elements of indie-pop with hints of 90’s grunge to create their own “grunge-pop” category.

The somewhat distant vocals and spacey chord progressions match the description of their self-proclaimed genre almost too perfectly. “Red Lips I Know” is an upbeat and light easy listen for a summer day.

5.“Close to Gold” — Hippo Campus One word to describe Minnesota-group, Hippo Campus, is young.

They formed shortly after graduating from a performing arts high school just a few years ago, and quickly built a loyal local following. What is so special about their sound is the joy that radiates from every note.

Lead singer, Jake Luppen, demonstrates a vast range, easily alternating between a rough, raspy tone and a more delicate one. “Close to Gold” brings the band’s exciting, natural ability to the forefront, proving their talent is beyond their years.

6.“Sound and Color” — Alabama Shakes Since their 2012 debut, Alabama Shakes have fascinated audiences with their artistry. There is no denying the fact that Brittany Howard is one of the most talented vocalists in music today. Everything about her is authentic and compelling, two traits that are extremely evident in “Sound and Color.”

True to its title, this song sounds like how the inside of a kaleidoscope looks – individual bursts of brilliant color all blend in perfect unity, something that could only be achieved by a group as groundbreaking as Alabama Shakes.

If there is anyone who knows how to feed hungry Fordham students, it is a fellow Fordham student. For the past year, sophomore and Bronx native, Ferso Ismail, has worked tirelessly to create Burger Lodge alongside his father, Freddy — head cook and manager of the new addition to the Fordham neighborhood. From concept to completion, Burger Lodge is the ultimate comfort-food-on-a-college-budget restaurant.

As the creator of the Fordham Foodie blog, I am always on the lookout for a delicious meal I know other students will enjoy, which is also convenient for my packed schedule and my not-so-packed wallet.

Sitting down with Ismail before the grand opening to discuss his inspiration for the restaurant and, most importantly, the menu, I could already tell that Burger Lodge was going to be a staple in the Fordham community.

At E. 189th between Belmont and Cambreleng Ave., only a four minute walk from campus, its latenight hours and affordable prices means there is very little reason not to dine at Burger Lodge all of the time. But wait — there is delivery too. Well, so much for my meal plan.

Location and affordability is great and all, but how is the food?

Let us just say I’ll be returning quite often. For the ultimate first-time Burger Lodge experience, Ismail

COURTESY OF EMMA NANAMAKER

The Burger Lodge is a Fordham-family-run business that is sure to impress.

recommended the Am-Mex burger with perfectly seasoned beef, thick slabs of crispy bacon, fresh avocado, gooey pepper jack cheese, lettuce, tomatoes and onions. No ketchup is needed! The burgers also come with an a-bun-dance of fluff y fries that are seriously salty and addicting. You can truly taste the freshness of all the ingredients, too — nothing is frozen at Burger Lodge, except the milkshakes.

I came to Burger Lodge for a burger of course, but I was pleasantly surprised to see a very eclectic, diverse menu, featuring breakfast foods, vegetarian and vegan options and my guilty pleasure, TexMex. Are you craving something

new to excite your tastebuds? Or do you prefer to savor on simple food?

Burger Lodge has great options for adventurous foodies and picky eaters alike!

The atmosphere is cozy and distinctly Fordham. You can even glance up at a TV showing a picture of Suits indulging in a burger.

The workers are friendly and eager to accommodate you, and there is something truly comforting about eating at a place established by a Fordham peer. Student accomplishments like Burger Lodge are what make me proud to be a Ram. And let us not forget the 10 percent student discount. Now that is what I call a “Ramily.”

Editor’s Pick| Film

Streaming Services Give Indie Movies a Second Life

By KRISTEN SANTER OPINION EDITOR

The early months of the year are an important time for independent films. Some of the biggest film festivals occur from January to May, including the Sundance Film Festival, the Tribeca Film Festival and the Cannes Film Festival.

Once independent movies get chosen to screen at these festivals, filmmakers look for distribution companies to get their films out to the public.

Some films find themselves in the middle of a bidding war, in which multiple distribution companies vie for the rights to one movie. One of the most famous examples would be The Birth of a Nation from the 2016 Sundance Film Festival.

The film sold for $17.5 million by Fox Searchlight Pictures, one of the highest recorded deals in film festival history. However, other indie films get very limited distribution and are only shown in a couple hundred theaters.

At this year’s film festivals like the South by Southwest Film Festival and the True/False Film

Festival, streaming services like Amazon and Netflix have taken their subscribers’ money and put it to good use. These companies have been buying the distribution rights to movies left and right.

If you haven’t noticed yet, several new indie films and documentaries are already available to stream. This gives well-deserving movies a chance to be viewed by a larger audience, not only by providing wider distribution but also because many people do not want to pay rising ticket prices.

Now they can see them through subscription.

According to the Hollywood Reporter, Amazon and Netflix bought six movies each at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year. The streaming services’ slowly growing revenues allowed to compete with other studios.

While a couple of these films will receive a theatrical release, almost all of the rights were bought for streaming services only. Not only does this change in film distribution give indie movies another life and viewing channel, but it also hints at the beginning of a change in how we

watch movies.

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice is doing very well in theaters, and seeing no downward trend in ticket sales. However, the popularity of streaming services may help to further stimulate the film market and support indie or low-budget movies.

Although ticket sales may not change, the amount and rate of movies watched may increase due to the simplicity of streaming online.

Either way, this is a brand new era for independent film that may lead to a new golden era of film, one which we can watch our big blockbusters in theaters but settle down at home and watch an avant garde indie.

Tallulah, Under the Shadow, Brahman Naman, Norman Lear: Just Another Version of You and Audrie & Daisy will all be available to stream on Netflix later this year. Love & Friendship, Complete Unknown, Wiener-Dog , Gleason and Author: The JT LeRoy Story will be released on Amazon.

Watch these films to take advantage of the money spent on them, and to get the most out of your streaming capabilities.

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April 6, 2016

Who’s That Kid? | It’s Emma DeGrace, FCRH ‘17

Rose Hill Junior Juggles Science and the Arts

By CATE CARREJO FEAUTURES EDITOR

Growing up, Emma DeGrace, FRCH ‘17, always saw a place for herself in the science world. Her mother, Nancy, is an analytical chemist who has worked at major corporations including Astra Zeneca and Polaroid, developing and manufacturing pharmaceutical chemicals. “I think a lot of times, when girls say they want to do science, people say, ‘Oh, be a nurse,’” said Emma. “Growing up with someone who was a scientist kind of opened the door for me to think that I had a place there.”

Emma’s decision to pursue science was not always easy. She struggled with her career path, as she has many artisitc passions in addition to her love of science.

Yet, she ultimately decided that a liberal arts education was more suited to her personality. “Can you imagine me at an art school?”

Emma joked.

Emma has continued her artistic work at Rose Hill as a visual arts minor, but she devotes the majority of her time to her biology major and scientific research.

Currently, she works as a lab assistant in Dr. Patricio Meneses’ lab here at Fordham, studying the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV).

She hopes to find a broad-spectrum vaccine for the virus’ numerous strains.

COURTESY OF EMMA DEGRACE

Emma DeGrace has a passion for science, but still finds time to pursue various artistic endeavors on campus.

“Some of the forms of [HPV] can cause genital warts and then the more serious ones are cancerous,” Emma said, highlighting the need for an umbrella vaccine that can protect people from the virus’ potentially devastating effects.

Meneses said Emma has a meaningful perspective on the impact of her work. “Emma understands the details of the experiments, but most importantly understand why she is working on understanding the infectious process of HPV,” he

said Emma hopes to parlay her research here at Fordham into a career studying human diseases.

“Even in my art, I’ve always been interested in people and I would paint them,” Emma said. “That followed into my biological interests, which is more like studying humans and human disease.”

Andrew Mazzie, FCRH ’17, also minors in visual arts. He finds that Emma’s artistic work is no less impassioned than her scien-

tific endeavors. “It is very interesting to see the meticulous detail she tends to enjoy putting into her work. For me that would be sadistic, but she tends to find it cathartic most times, and it contributes to her overall aesthetic of detail and perfectionism looking easy in her work,” he said.

Emma could probably get a bachelor’s degree and make it look easy. On top of all her other responsibilities, she also holds leadership positions on campus as the

social media coordinator for the Fordham Undergraduate Research Journal and the events coordinator for Fordham Ballroom Dance.

Emma thinks the bureaucracy of maintaining a Fordham club can be cumbersome, such as keeping meticulous paperwork records. “If you make one mistake, [the Budget Committee] will dock your budget, and then you have $79.91 for something that costs $80.”

Despite the frustrations, Emma says her experiences as a club leader have helped her learn. “The more experience I gain having to deal with this stuff, it gets easier because now I know what to expect,” she said.

There are some serious perks to her position too — through her capacity as events coordinator, Emma organizes trips to Manhattan dance studios like Club 412 and recently took a group of students to appear on Good Morning America’s pre-Oscars show.

When she is not studying, drawing or dancing, Emma spends her time with her friends and roommates trying new restaurants in Manhattan or supporting her Rams at almost every Fordham football and basketball game. Once hesitant and uncertain about her decision to attend Fordham, Emma is now one of the most involved and spirited kids on campus, and this school is lucky to have her.

Review| Food

Putting Ansel’s Latest Cronut to the Taste Test

By NOELLE KHAN CONTRIBUTING WRITER

The cronut, a $5.50 flaky twist on your favorite pastries, has the layers of a warm croissant and the doughiness of a classic, sweet doughnut.

My taste buds were buzzing when I learned I was finally going to taste this popular hybrid dessert. Lines have stretched out the door of the Dominique Ansel Bakery since May 2013 as New York City dessert lovers fight to get their hands on the shop’s most prized creation. Luckily, my friend and I had placed an order for two cronut pastries a month in advance so we could avoid the long line and get right to taming our cronut craving.

Arriving at the bakery on a Thursday allowed us to avoid the line of hungry customers who wake up in the peak hours of early weekend mornings to grab all of Ansel’s delicious pastries before they run out. I recommend placing an order (on a weekday) or stopping by the shop so you can avoid the long lines and get straight to the best part — the dessert.

The pre-order online system allows customers to snatch a cronut (or six) before they sell out. The flavor of the month is listed on the pre-order form so you know the exact flavor you will be sinking your teeth into when it is time to pick up your delectable dessert. My friend and I were set to try the March fla-

COURTESY OF NOELLE KHAN

Dominique Ansel Bakery has perfected the art of the cronut, a decadent combination of a croissant and doughnut.

vor of the month — raspberry coconut with lime sugar. There have been a series of enticing past flavors like rich salted dulce de leche, spicy pumpkin chai and classic coconut.

As a lover of all things chocolate, caramel or peanut butter, I was not too psyched about the March flavor of the month. I wished Dominique Ansel, the French pastry chef behind the popular dessert, crafted more than one flavor per month.

Yet, Ansel takes the cronut seriously, producing only a limited amount of cronuts per day.

Although the flavor varies each month, the technique and the quality of the ingredients that go into crafting the cronut do not budge.

The making of the cronut begins with buttery laminated dough that gives the pastry its multiple, flaky, croissant type layers. Like a yeast based doughnut, the cronut poofs,

doubling in size and is then fried in bubbling hot grapeseed oil. After it is fried, the cronut receives the last finishing touches that transform it into the unique flavor of the month.

The pastry is literally doused in sugar, injected with copious amounts of cream and, lastly, the top is glazed with a rich and creamy icing.

The cronut is definitely not a dietfriendly dessert, so be sure to leave the calorie counting behind.

I had no idea what to expect when I sunk my teeth into my chewy raspberry and lime infused cronut. Going against Ansel’s recommendation, I used a plastic knife instead of a serrated knife to slice the thick pastry in half. Luckily, the layers of the aesthetically striking dessert stayed intact as I struggled to split it in two.

Each layer of the flaky dough alternated between a tangy raspberry jam and custard-like filling. To my surprise, the lime sugar did not add a citrus tang to the cronut, but a burnt brown sugar flavor instead.

My favorite addition to the cronut was the icing, but I have always been a sucker for icing on any dessert. Yet, despite the delicious icing, I was not too pleased with the cronut. It failed my expectations. While it was fairly delicious, it was messy to eat, slightly cold and way too sweet.

I am sucker for all things sweet and gooey, but the cronut just did not meet my expectations in the way I initially hoped it would. I would not consider the March cronut flavor worth the wait or hype.

I would have been satisfied with a doughnut doused in the same icing instead. The cronut may not have sat too well with my taste buds, but it did make for a very good Instagram shot. Although I will not be craving a cronut anytime in the near future, I will be heading back to Ansel’s shop in the future to snack on some of the other hidden gems his bakery has to offer.

SPORTS

April 6, 2016

Track Has Strong Weekend

By ALEXANDRIA SEDLAK STAFF WRITER

This past weekend, the Fordham track and field teams competed in the Colonial Relays at the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia. The two day event featured both individual races and relays. Fordham had some great performances and finishes over the two days, consisting of several outstanding runs and an IC4A qualifying time.

The Rams started with the 3000m race, with sophomore Nik O’Brien placing fourth in a time of 8:38.46, and junior Jake Duckworth placing sixth in a time of 8:40.15.

The women also competed in the 3000m race, with senior Rachel Picard placing 32nd with a 10:45.31 time and freshman Laurel Fisher placing 33rd with a time of 10:46.28. Freshman Kate McCormack was another top finisher, coming in fourth in the 1500m race with a time of 4:43.14. Sophomore Brynna Harum also competed in this race, coming in 23rd with a time of 4:50.98. Sophomore Fritz Heinrich came in 16th in the 1500m with a finishing time of 4:01.24.

Another important race for the Rams was the 800m. For the women, sophomore Merissa Wright placed fourth in the university run with a time of 2:15.47, while junior Shanna Heaney came in 26th with a time of 2:15.78 in the seeded run.

On the men’s side, sophomore Louis Santelli finished in first with an IC4A qualifying time of 1:53.77, while sophomore Michael Campbell placed 16th in a time of 1:56.63.

There were many other great races throughout the day from both the men and women. For the

men, junior Nicholas Regan placed 12th in the javelin with a throw of 175-03. Graduate student Jonathan Annelli finished 13th in the 3000m steeplechase with a time of 9:22.31, while sophomore Brian Cook finished in 16th place with a time of 9:28.92. The last Ram to come in the top 20 in an event was sophomore Thomas Slattery, who competed in the 5000m race, coming in 15th with a time of 14:40.09.

On the women’s side there were a few top 30 finishes besides those mentioned. Graduate student Brianna Tevnan placed 10th in the 3000m steeplechase with a time of 11:01.88. Freshman Morgan Menzzasalma competed in the 400m hurdles, in which she placed 20th with a time of 1:04.61. She also raced in the 100m hurdles, finishing in 69th with a time of 16.79 seconds.

Day two of the event consisted mostly of relays and field events.

Sophomore Ryan Riviere placed sixth in the pole vault, with his best vault being 13’07.25.”

There were also eleven Fordham relays that competed on this day.

The top relay for the women was the 4x800m, which finished 10th in a time of 9:15.98, qualifying them for the ECAC Championships. The best relay for the men was the distance medley relay placing eighth with a 10:13.57 finishing time.

The Rams showed their hard work and skills in their performances in Virginia this past weekend. They continue to practice with great effort and determination, and this effort is displayed through their constant success during meets.

Their next meet will take place on Friday and Saturday, April 8 and 9, at Rutgers University. They will be competing in the Metropolitan Championships.

Page 15

Men’s Tennis Sweeps the Week

By TOM TERZULLI STAFF WRITER

Change has been in the air on the men’s tennis court. “I try not to focus too much on last year’s performance,” said head coach Michael Sowter. “I was a new coach, with a new team and we really had to start from scratch to change the culture of the program.”

He has succeeded in that objective — the horrors of last year’s 3-13 season are now distant memories. His team sits at 9-5, winners of five in a row and playing their best tennis of the season, something that could not have been imagined just a short time ago.

Following a gutsy 4-3 victory over Hofstra and a 7-0 thrashing of Drew, the Rams looked for their third win in a row with a rare weekday game on Wednesday against Holy Cross. Fordham secured the crucial doubles point, a thorn in their side all year, with junior Tomas Cosmai and sophomore Joseph Kavaloski getting past Peter Campito and Elmar Lutz 6-3. Freshman Victor Li and sophomore Cameron Posillico rolled past Henry Harris and Michael Varda 6-1. In singles, the Rams took the first three points, clinching the match with three positions still left to be played.

Cosmai got past Varda in straight sets, 6-0, 7-6. Victory came even easier for Li and Kavaloski, who allowed their opponents a total of five points in the second and third position. Harris and Charlie Volwein were on the losing end. Holy Cross made it close by taking the last three positions over Posillico, sophomore Harris Durkovic and freshman Chris Caroli, but the result was already decided.

Fordham’s next two matches would not be nearly as close.

First, the Rams faced Yeshiva on Friday night. Once again, the doubles point was not an issue.

Seniors Nick Borak and Pedro Alonso, both of whom had sat out the previous match, topped Dmitri Lebedyev and Eitan Rudansky 6-3. Posillico and Durkovic bested Daron Greenblatt and Charlie Friedman 6-2. There were no issues in singles either, as the Rams easily secured five out of the six points. Cosmai and Kavaloski both got their second straight singles triumphs over David Papis Elon (7-5, 6-3) and Charlie Fried-

COURTESY OF FORDHAM ATHLETICS

The Rams have drastically improved this season.

man (6-2, 6-3). Posillico and Durkovic recovered from losses against Holy Cross, taking matches against Eitan Rudansky (6-1, 6-0) and Daron Greenblatt (6-0, 6-0). Finally, Borak made it twofor-two when he bested Mikey Ozery (7-5, 3-6, 10-3), for a 6-1 Fordham victory and the fourth win in a row.

Next, Fordham faced Hunter College. The Rams once again posted a 6-1 triumph. Fordham had no trouble obtaining the doubles point once again. Posillico and Durkovic swept Filip Koritysskiy and Ard Pula (6-0), and the Cosmai-Kavaloksi duo notched their third straight victory as a pair, over Carlos Sala and Florimund Le Goupil-Maier (6-2).

Coach Sowter believes that it was only a matter of time before his team found success in the doubles game.

“We were always having close results and with the new format adopted by the NCAA this year, a doubles match can often hinge on one or two points,” he said. “Right now, we are playing smarter and more consistent on those crucial points.”

Durkovic swept Pula in singles action (6-0, 6-0) for his second victory in a row in the sixth position. While Kavaloski allowed only one point against David Joseph and Posillico clinched his third match in four games in the fifth spot, getting past Koritysskiy (6-3, 6-1).

Coach Sowter cited the pair’s importance over the five-game stretch. “Joe Kavaloski and Cameron Posillico have really matured throughout the course of the year and they are both playing great tennis at the moment,” he said. “They were vital in our win against Hofstra and have done a great job of bolstering the bottom of the line-up.”

In the other spots, Li and Borak secured the other two points, while an Alonso loss handed the Hawks their only point.

The Rams have five games left before the Atlantic 10 Championship later this month. Next up is Rider on April 6.

“We are competing better in every position and we are playing with a lot more purpose as we approach the conference tournament,” said Sowter.

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FORDHAM RAM ARCHIVES

The track team posted great times at the Colonial Relays.

Email fordhamramsports@gmail.com

SPORTS

Page 16

April 6, 2016

Pat Costello

Stephen Fragano

Vince Carter’s Amazing Career

Comcast Says No to YES

The farewell tour for Kobe Bryant has given basketball fans a chance to reflect on the greatness that number 24 has displayed over his 20-year career. Watching the aging superstar walk into the sunset is fun, but it has caused us to overlook the ongoing career of a player whose prime coincided with Bryant’s: Vince Carter.

Carter entered the league in 1998 with the Toronto Raptors and immediately made an impact by winning the Rookie of the Year award.

He burned himself into everyone’s memory with his performance at the 2000 dunk contest, during which he pulled off a mind-boggling 360 Windmill, as well as his infamous elbow-in-the-rim dunk. He went on to make eight All-Star games and two All-NBA teams. His career was defined by his high-flying aerial acrobatics and frequent visits to the number one spot on SportsCenter’s Top Ten. But is that good enough to make him a Hall of Famer?

The initial reaction from most people would be no. He has never won an NBA Championship, an MVP or a scoring title. Hall of Fame players have to dominate their position, and on the surface, it does not appear that Carter fits the bill. However, the recent election of Yao Ming to the Naismith Hall of Fame throws in an interesting wrinkle.

Some believe that Ming’s election should not have happened, including Fab Five member and current cohost of ESPN’s Jalen & Jacoby, Jalen Rose. Rose’s anger stemmed from Ming’s election by an international committee that votes solely to elect foreign players. This is important to the case for Carter, not because he is foreign, but because his numbers are so much better than Ming’s. He was a better player with better numbers in the best league in the world.

When you compare Carter to current Hall of Fame member Louie Dampier, the results are not quite what you’d expect. Dampier, who was one of the few players to play all nine ABA seasons, was a seven time All-Star who won a championship and made 4 All-NBA teams. This would lead you to believe that his numbers are similar to Carter’s, but Dampier only scored 15,279 points with 4,687 assists.

To date, Carter has scored just under 24,000 points and dished over 4,300 assists. The 39-year-old, who gained the nicknames “Vinsanity” and “Air Canada”, has been grounded in recent years due to injury, but has not slowed down. He completely retooled his game during his tenure in Dallas, becoming a reliable defender as well as an above average spot-up shooter, a trait that has helped him succeed in his current home of Memphis. This characteristic is one that all great players have. Michael Jordan was famous for his unbelievable dunks, but at age 40 he was still able to score at will thanks to the unstoppable fadeaway he developed over the course of his career. Carter followed suit, extending his career much longer than anyone thought.

Carter may retire at the end of this season, but his entrance into the Hall of Fame will be just like his entrance into the league: a slam dunk.

Since November 18 of last year, the Yankees Entertainment and Sports Network (YES Network) has been unavailable to customers of the cable TV provider Comcast.

According to David Lieberman of deadline.com, the YES network requested a 30 percent increase in its fee to be carried by cable providers, and Comcast has refused to give into the increase, which it claims is unjustified for a regional sports network that has a relatively lower viewership among customers. YES fired back, claiming that it is the most-watched regional sports network in the country, and that it has the Nielsen ratings to prove it. Comcast’s reluctance to pay remains, however, since YES is already the most expensive regional sports network to carry in America. Increasing the fee seems unfounded to Comcast.

This year, opening day of the MLB season snuck up on me. It could just be the fact that I woke up to snow on the morning of opening day. By opening day, it’s usually a bit warmer outside. But I don’t think that’s the reason. I happen to be a Yankee fan who has Comcast, and I never really knew how much I relied on the YES network to remind me that the boys of summer are returning. That is, until the network was unavailable.

Usually, I start watching spring training games and preseason reports once they begin. Other news media cover the Yankees, but during the preseason, the channel with the word “Yankees” in its title is usually the source with the most detailed and frequent coverage of the Bronx Bombers.

Other television stations like FOX, ESPN, WPIX 11, Fox Sports 1 and the MLB Network televise Yankees games, but YES broadcasts so many games that any die-hard fan without YES would see only a fraction of the games.

Of the 162 games in the regular season, only 40 games will appear on a channel other than YES. This means that Comcast subscribers will not be able to watch just over three-quarters of the regular season. Fans can also listen to every game on the radio on either WFAN 660 or 101.9 FM. Yankees radio personalities John Sterling and Susan Waldman are great, but listening on the radio just isn’t the same as watching the games on TV. Perhaps this network debacle isn’t as big of a deal to others as it is to me. I grew up watching YES and may have taken for granted the fact that if I wanted to watch my favorite baseball team on any given night, I could. This situation demonstrates how dealings among media executives have power over the way fans follow their favorite teams.

I guess you don’t know what you have until it’s gone. Hopefully YES returns, and in a hurry. Comcast and YES may be playing hardball, but in the long run, the Yankee fans of the area who subscribe to Comcast are the ones who are striking out.

COURTESY OF FORDHAM ATHLETICS

Next week, the women will host Saint Joseph’s at Fordham’s Hawthorn-Rooney tennis courts.

Women’s Tennis Goes 1-1

By ANDREA GARCIA PHOTO EDITOR

Last Wednesday, the women’s tennis team travelled across the Hudson River to defeat Fairleigh Dickinson in Teaneck, New Jersey.

They flipped last week’s 5-2 loss against the University of Albany into a 5-2 win over the Knights.

Junior Mayu Sato and sophomore Estelle Wong appeared again in first doubles, but lost to the team of Gisela Castany and Shreya Pasricha in a 6-4 match. Junior Hannah Drayton and freshman Gianna Insogna took the second doubles point for Fordham in a 7-6 (7-1) box score.

Both teams had a doubles point as they moved forward into singles play. By default, junior Destiny Gruinin and Insogna took the respective fifth and sixth singles points due to Fairleigh Dickinson’s short roster.

Freshman Alexis Zobeideh took the first finish in fourth singles. She easily defeated Sabrina Helm in two

6-0, 6-0 sets. Likewise, Sato quickly downed Castany by a score of 6-4, 6-2. This was her sixth straight singles win, a streak that started with her win over Binghamton’s Annie DiMuro on March 13.

Drayton added a loss to her personal record after a two-set match against Pasricha. She finished the third match of the day, 6-4, 6-2. In first singles, Wong, the team’s captain, endured a three-set match against Nicole Chis. She won the first set 4-6, but then fell 6-3, 10-6.

Over the weekend, the team faced off against a fellow Atlantic 10 member, Duquesne University, in Pittsburgh. They lost the event by a close score of 4-3.

The doubles teams of Wong and Sato and Drayton and Insogna lost in first and third doubles. Wong and Sato lasted through a 7-6 game against Kylie Isaacs and Julianne Herman. Drayton and Insogna fell behind to their opponents, Alexa Miller and Megan Wasson, by a score of 6-3. Zobeideh and Grunin won the only doubles point for the

Rams against Ally Miller and Zuzanna Stelmaszak, 6-4.

In singles action, Wong was swept in a 6-0, 6-0 first singles loss to Kylie Isaacs. In second singles, Julianne Hermann of Duquesne defeated Sato in three rounds, 4-6, 6-2, 6-1. Drayton marked the third and final singles loss with Alexa Miller. She fought through a 6-4, 4-6, 6-2 match.

Zobeideh, Grunin and Insogna won their respective singles points.

In fourth singles, Zobeideh stood her ground in a three-set win over Megan Wasson. She won the first set 6-2 and lost the second 1-6, but she came back to take the match point in her third set, 6-3. Grunin also won her fifth singles rally against Ally Miller, 7-6 (7-4), 6-1.

Finally, Insogna completed the box score with a quick win over Zuzanna Stelmaszak, 6-1, 6-2.

The women will host A-10 rival Saint Joseph’s University on Sunday, April 10. The match will begin at 12 p.m. at Fordham’s HawthornRooney tennis courts.

Rowing Shines in San Diego

By TOM TERZULLI STAFF WRITER

After picking up its first gold finish of the spring season at the Murphy Cup, the rowing team headed to Southern California to participate in the 43rd edition of the San Diego Crew Classic this past weekend. Fordham had not competed there since 2011 when the Fordham A squad took its heat in the Varsity 8 over the University of British Columbia, UC-Davis, Loyola and Santa Clara. This year, the Varsity 8 saw success once again when they won the Cal Cup Petite Final on April 3.

Unlike in 2011, the Varsity 8 did not win their heat. Fordham A consisted of coxswain junior Jacquelyn Ramos and sophomore stroke Maura O’Donnell, as well as rowers senior Ashley Hawkesworth, senior Fiona Murtagh, sophomore Caroline Hamann, junior Kara Ramsey, senior Jessica LaJoie, junior Kelly Leonard and freshman Erin Parker. They opened the Regatta with a third place finish at a time of 7:01.579. That time was good enough to finish past the Portland Pilots and the Purdue Boilermakers, but two seconds slower than Loyola Marymount, and four slower than the Tennessee Volunteers.

Although they did not win the heat, the third place finish was good enough for the team to qualify for the Petite Final on Sunday after-

COURTESY OF FORDHAM ROWING

The Varsity 8 picked up a win over the weekend in San Diego.

noon. The Rams were challenged by the same University of Portland boat that they surpassed by a second in the heat. The Final finish would be even closer than that, as the Rams separated themselves from the Pilots by just three tenths of a second (7:31,051) compared with (7:31,361) to bring victory home to the Bronx.

The final featured three Atlantic 10 teams, including Fordham. The George Washington Colonials finished fourth with a time of 7:34.606 and St Joseph’s finished dead last and posted a time of 7:47.909. Sacramento State and St. Mary’s were the second and third place finishers respectively.

The Rams also entered a second Varsity 8 boat in Heat C, which finished with a time of 7:24.914 — good for fifth out of six contestants.

Loyola Marymount, a team that beat

Fordham earlier in the day, lost by a whole three seconds in this heat.

Unfortunately, the Rams and the Lions were not close to the other four boats in the race. The next best team was the British Columbia Thunderbirds, who finished an astonishing 15 seconds ahead of Fordham. The eventual victor, the hometown heroes of USC, finished the course 26 seconds faster to win the heat.

Despite the disappointing finish in their heat, the Rams were able to right their wrongs in the third final, crossing the finish line in 7:23.971 and finishing in second place behind the University of Miami Hurricanes.

Fordham was able to finish ahead of San Diego State, Loyola Marymount once again, Saint Mary’s for the second time and UC San Diego, another hometown school.

The team returns to action on Saturday, April 9 at the Knecht Cup.

SPORTS

April 6, 2016

Page 17

Golf Snaps FourYear Win Drought

By SAM BELDEN SPORTS EDITOR

After a long absence, Fordham Golf made its return to the winner’s circle on Monday, April 4.

The Rams got off to a hot start and picked up a wire-to-wire victory as the rain poured down at the CocaCola Bottling Company of the Lehigh Valley Collegiate Invitational, their first win since 2012.

“There really is no better feeling than winning,” said sophomore Joseph Trim. “We have always known that we have the potential to play really well and win, and to finally get it done is very rewarding.”

The Rams took the first round lead by posting a team score of 303 on Sunday, three strokes clear of Lafayette, the tournament host.

They brought it home on Monday with a closing 298, good for a ninestroke victory.

“We tried our best to not change our behavior or mindset on Sunday night,” said Trim. “We made sure we treated the final round just as any other round and to go out and play the course instead of playing against our opponents.”

Fordham’s stay in Pennsylvania was highlighted by the performance of sophomore Matt Schiller, who took second place on the individual leaderboard. He slept on the lead after an opening 71 but managed only a 76 in the final round, falling into the first runner-up spot.

While his failure to close is a mild disappointment, the result still stands as the best of his college career.

While Schiller enjoyed one of the most impressive tournaments from a Fordham player in recent memory, the victory was a team effort; all five Rams with counting scores played solid golf.

Trim and fellow sophomore James Mongey tied for ninth, five strokes behind the winner. Freshman Tommy Hayes opened with an 82 but closed with a strong 74, moving into a tie for 31st, while freshman Josh Madarang tied for 38th, one stroke behind. Freshman Kyle Morris, playing as an individ-

ual, posted scores of 84 and 85 to finish in 94th place.

The host venue, Silver Creek Country Club, is a well-regarded Donald Ross design located in Hellertown, Pennsylvania. The course saw steady precipitation over the two days and gusts of wind that reached up to 40 miles per hour.

That kind of weather is tough on any golfer, but according to Trim, the Rams were able to get through it relatively unscathed.

“I think [the weather] affected us less than other teams,” said Trim.

“The key to playing in bad weather is to have a good mindset and know that it is going to be difficult. Instead of being disappointed about the weather, we did our best to remain unaffected. Fortunately, we withstood the elements.”

P.J. Acierno of La Salle was the medalist, firing twin 73s for the event. He was in a tie for fourth place after the opening round but rose three spots on Monday, mostly due to final round fades from Schiller, Connor O’Brien of Bucknell and Eamon Marone of Lehigh.

The event was the Rams’ second of the season. A week before, the team competed in the Wildcat Invitational, hosted by Villanova. It tied for ninth out of 21 teams. Hayes led the way by tying for 14th, while Schiller and Trim tied for 37th. It was a solid finish, but not one that indicated an imminent victory.

This win was Fordham Golf ’s first since the 2012 Rhody Invitational, where the Rams topped six other teams for their second win of the spring. The members of that winning squad have all left the program, meaning that every one of the team’s current members celebrated his first collegiate victory this week.

“We knew that four solid rounds would go a long way for us and fortunately, we were able to close it out for the win,” said Trim. “I think this will help us in the future as we can fall back on this win and have confidence in our upcoming events.”

The Rams will return to action on Sunday, April 16 at the Yale Spring Invitational in New Haven, Connecticut.

By SAM BELDEN SPORTS EDITOR

The Masters starts this week, and world No. 1 Jason Day is the indisputable favorite to take home the green jacket. The Aussie has won six tournaments in his last 13 starts and has had a number of close calls at Augusta National in past years, making him the natural pick to win.

Over the last six months, he’s been far better than anyone else on the PGA Tour.

For those reasons, it doesn’t make much sense to choose someone other than Day when you make your Masters prediction — he’s that good. However, every fan is entitled to back a favorite dark horse, especially in a year with such a dominant frontrunner. I’m going to spend the next several paragraphs making the case for my dark horse pick to win the Masters: Louis Oosthuizen.

At No. 11 in the world rankings, Oosthuizen might not fit the profile of a traditional underdog, but nevertheless, he is a less recognizable face than many others in this week’s small but star-studded field. With just one PGA Tour win in his career, the South African is still a relative unknown among casual fans in the United States.

Of course, dedicated followers of golf are more familiar with Oosthuizen. Six years ago, when he was 27, he turned in one of the most impressive performances in the history of the Open Championship.

He led after the final three rounds, ending up at 16-under for the week.

He finished seven strokes ahead of runner-up Lee Westwood, the largest margin of victory since some guy named Tiger Woods won by eight a decade before.

While his big win at St Andrews stands as the defining moment in his career, Oosthuizen has been in the mix at a number of other big events over the years. During the final round of the 2012 Masters, he holed out for an albatross on the second hole to take the lead and managed to hold his position for the rest of the way. By the end of regulation, however, Bubba Watson had caught up to him, and the two engaged in one of the most memorable playoffs in recent memory.

On the second hole of sudden death, Watson, whose ball was nestled in a bed of pine straw deep in the woods, hit a brilliant hook to within 10 feet of the hole. He converted his par and won the event, while Oosthuizen was forced to cope with having fallen to one of the greatest shots in the history of the Masters.

He’s had other close calls at the majors: Oosthuizen tied for second at both the U.S. Open and the Open Championship last summer, falling just short in another playoff at the latter event. He also had a memorable duel with then-world No. 1 Rory McIlroy at the 2012 Deutsche Bank Championship, finishing one stroke behind. He has increased his European Tour win count to eight.

Add it all up and Oosthuizen appears to be a prototypical big stage performer, a player who plays his best when the spotlight is at its brightest. However, he lacks the killer instinct and outsized personality that many would expect from that kind of player. Somewhat softspoken and reserved, he prefers working on his farm in South Africa to making public appearances and taking advantage of his minor celebrity status during off-weeks.

Throw in a long and unpleasant history with leg, back and shoulder injuries, and Oosthuizen is one of

the golf world’s most unlikely superstars.

All of these facts bring us to this week. Oosthuizen will be making his eighth start at the Masters, and while he’s missed the cut in four of his previous appearances, the other three resulted in top 25 finishes, including the runner-up from four years ago.

He’s also been on an exceedingly consistent run over the past several weeks. In his last eight starts around the world, he’s notched six top 15 finishes, including a win in Perth and a solo second at the WGC-Dell Match Play. He was in a great position to win the latter event before running into — who else? — Jason Day in the final round. Throw in the fact that he’s got one of the most technically sound swings in the game, and Oosthuizen’s chances of donning his first green jacket look better than most.

In sum, Oosthuizen has the game, the experience and the momentum to bag his second major this week. Given all the chances he’s had in the past few years, he’s overdue, and he’s in the right form to get it done. Day bested Oosthuizen the last time they were playing the same tournament, but maybe, just maybe, this week’s result will be different. We need only wait a few more days.

COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA

Louis Oosthuizen has the experience and the momentum to win the Masters.

Varsity Calendar HOME AWAY

Thursday April 7

Baseball

Friday April 8

Saturday April 9

Sunday April 10

La Salle 3 p.m.

La Salle 1 p.m.

La Salle 1 p.m.

GW 12 p.m.

GW 12 p.m.

Seton Hall 4 p.m.

St. Francis 2 p.m.

Rockland 10 a.m.

La Salle 10 a.m.

Saint Joseph’s 12 p.m.

St. John’s 1 p.m.

Softball Men’s Tennis

Hartford 11 a.m.

Women’s Tennis Rowing Men’s Soccer Women’s Soccer FORDHAM RAM ARCHIVES

The Rams’ next event is the Yale Spring Invitational in New Haven.

Track and Field

Knecht Cup Regatta Adelphi 7:30 p.m.

Army 4 p.m.

Metropolitan Championship

Monday April 11

Tuesday April 12

Wednesday April 13

Iona 6 p.m.

Siena 6 p.m.

SPORTS

Page18

Varsity Scores & Stats

Anthony Pucik

No, Canada Allow me to take you back to the year 1970, a simpler time in the NHL. The 1969-70 season was coming to a close, with seven of the eight playoff spots already decided and only one game left to play in the regular season. The one remaining spot left was in the East Division, between the New York Rangers and the Montreal Canadiens. The Rangers had a 37-22-16 record, while Montreal held a 38-21-16 record.

If the Rangers defeated the Detroit Red Wings and the Canadiens lost to the Chicago Blackhawks, the teams would have identical records, and the fourth playoff spot in the East would be decided by a goals scored tiebreaker. The Canadiens led that category 242-237, so in order for the Rangers to make the playoffs they needed to win, as well as outscore the Canadiens by five goals — certainly not an easy feat.

On that final day of the regular season, the Rangers defeated the Red Wings 9-5 in the afternoon.

Now with four more goals scored than Montreal, the Rangers had to hope that the Blackhawks defeated Montreal and held them to less than four goals that evening in Chicago.

The Canadiens ended up surrendering five empty net goals and lost the game 10-2, which meant they missed the playoffs and the Rangers took the four seed, edging Montreal by two goals in the tiebreaker.

Why is this improbable feat so significant? Well, with Montreal coming in fifth and the Toronto Maple Leafs coming in sixth in the East, it marked the first time in NHL history that no Canadian team made the playoffs. That improbable event hasn’t taken place since, until this year.

Now with 30 teams in the league, seven of them in Canada, and 16 playoff spots up for grabs, there will be no playoff hockey north of the border for the first time since Montreal’s collapse in 1970. The difference is that it took an almost impossible scenario for no Canadian team to make the playoffs back in 1970.

This year, no Canadian team came anywhere close to making the playoffs.

The Maple Leafs and Edmonton Oilers are in rebuild mode and are at the bottom of their respective conferences, which was to be expected.

The Winnipeg Jets, Vancouver Canucks and Calgary Flames all found themselves in the playoffs last season in the Western Conference, but this season was a much different story.

The Jets were plagued with injuries, the Canucks core was aging quickly and the Flames took a step back from an unexpectedly solid season. The Ottawa Senators also regressed from their wild card position in the Eastern Conference last season, but the biggest surprise was the Canadiens.

This year, the Canadiens would love to be in the position of possibly making the playoffs on the last day of the regular season. An injury to star goaltender Carey Price crippled the Habs, and saw them go from one of the best teams in the league to the Eastern Conference cellar.

So if it seems weird to imagine a season of Stanley Cup playoff hockey without a Canadian team involved, it’s probably because most people on this campus weren’t born the last time it occurred.

April 6, 2016

Softball Fordham Iona

1 0

Fordham St. Joseph’s

10 2

Fordham St. Joseph’s

6 0

Fordham St. Joseph’s

12 4

Fordham Lehigh

1 0

Men’s Golf Lehigh Valley Invite Fordham Women’s Soccer Fordham Monroe

Women’s Tennis Fordham Fairleigh Dickinson

5 2

Baseball Fordham Albany

5 4

Duquesne Fordham

4 3

Fordham Richmond

1 0

Men’s Tennis Fordham Holy Cross

4 3

Fordham Richmond

7 3

Fordham Yeshiva

6 1

Richmond Fordham

7 6

Fordham Hunter

6 1

Women’s Rowing San Diego Crew Classic Varsity 8 A 1st- 7:31.051

1st

Varsity 8 B 2nd- 7:23.971

3 1

Alvin Halimwidjaya

Men’s Track Colonial Relay 800m (FOR) Santelli 1st- 1:53.77 Women’s Track Colonial Relay 800m (FOR) Wright 4th- 2:15.47

Athletes of the Week Kirk Haynes Jr.

Madison Shaw

Junior

Sophomore

Baseball

Softball

Haynes was masterful in his recent outing against Richmond. He held the Spiders scoreless over eight innings, only allowing four hits while striking out two. His eight shutout innings put him in a tie for most consecutive shutout innings in school history at 30.

Shaw was named the A-10 Player of the Week due to her outstanding performance this past week.

The Rams went 4-0, and Shaw hit a colossal .538. Shaw crushed two homeruns, had seven RBI’s and scored four runs during the four game stretch.

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 • ZipCar Names Athletes of

the Month of March

Kirk Haynes had an unbeliveable March, maintaining an astonishing 1.03 ERA while striking out 24 batters over 26.1 innings. He was 2-0 in the month and managed to keep the opposing batting average under the Mendoza Line at .154. Rachel Gillen had a stellar month at the plate and in the circle. She hit .310, hit three homeruns and knocked in 17 RBI’s. In the circle Gillen continued to impress, winning seven games while striking out 57 opposing batters over 65.1 innings, including a 14 strikeout game against Providence.

• Softball’s Shaw and Hughes Earn A-10 Weekly Awards Sophomore infielder Madison Shaw hit a phenomenal .538 on the week, slugging two homeruns, scoring four runs and knocking in seven RBI’s. Her performance garnered A-10 Player of the Week honors. Freshman infielder Jessica Hughes batted .462, scoring six runs while also being six for six in stolen bases. Their performances helped the team go a perfect 4-0 on the week against some very talented teams.

• Football Spring Practice Starts Under New Head Coach Andrew Breiner After a four month offseason the football team has taken the field under the helm of new head coach Andrew Breiner. The Rams have 18 returning starters this season, including senior Quarterback Kevin Anderson and junior Running Back Chase Edmonds. Anderson, who led the Patriot League in passing touchdowns, and Edmonds, who was a consensus All-American, led the Rams to a 9-3 record and an FCS playoff appearance. The Rams open their season on Sept. 3 against Navy.

•

Football to Host “Be the Match” on April 12 The mission of “Be the Match” is to increase the number of potential bone marrow donors. The is the fourth straight year that the football team has held the event, which will see over 700 new donors. “Be the Match” has directly led the lives of three individuals being saved. One of the donors was the football team’s own Roddy Roche, who helped save a life in Dec. of 2014. The event starts at 10 a.m. in the McGinley Center lobby.

– Compiled by Pat Costello

The NBA’s Best College Team The craziness of March Madness has overshadowed the NBA and the push for the playoffs, but for a good reason. The NCAA tournament is one of the most exciting sports events of the year, with upsets and heroics galore. Around this time of the year comparisons between the college game and the NBA game are made.

Some people say the NBA is better due to its level of talent, while others laud the NCAA for its unpredictability and creativity. If you want the best of both worlds, look no further than the 2015-2016 Boston Celtics.

Currently, the Boston Celtics are fourth in the Eastern Conference standings at 45-32, and last Friday they pulled out a huge win over the Golden State Warriors, ending the Dubs’ historic win streak in Oracle Arena at 54 games. While the Boston Celtics have not etched themselves into the East’s top echelon, they have shown flashes of greatness.

They managed to snag the second seed for a couple of weeks earlier in the season. Just like all NCAA teams in March, the Celtics are looking to make some magic happen in their postseason, as they can contend with any team in the East.

One of the reasons behind the Celtics’ success is coach Brad Stevens, who knows a little something about being doubted. Before being signed by the Celtics in 2013, Stevens led his fifth-seeded Butler Bulldogs to the 2010 NCAA Championship. Stevens has been recognized for his creative coaching style, with his inbounds plays being a particular trademark. His coaching style allows the Celtics to remain even-keeled, similar to the atmosphere top college teams maintain.

Boston’s level of competency across the board is a huge factor in how well they’ve played. Though there isn’t necessarily a bona fide, polarizing superstar as leader, each player fills a role on the team. This gives the Celtics’ a level versatility that is one of their key strengths, eerily similar to your favorite Final Four candidate. The closest the Celtics have to a star is 5’9 dynamo Isaiah Thomas, an incredible scorer and playmaker. Thomas is averaging 22.3 points per game and 6.3 assists per game, which helped him become an All-Star for the first appearance in his career. However, he’s only one cog in the machine the Celtics are trying to build. Contributions come from all over the roster in Boston, from 3-and-D aces Avery Bradley and Jae Crowder to big men Jared Sullinger and Tyler Zeller, as well as role players like Marcus Smart.

The Celtics have quite a ways to go if they want to seriously challenge the Cavs and the Raptors in the East, but they could be a force to be reckoned with. When Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett were traded in 2013, it was supposed to mark a rebuilding era in Beantown. With General Manager Danny Ainge working the trade market and hauling in draft picks like the maniac he is, Boston is still in a great position to get a lot better over the next couple of years. Despite contending for home court advantage in the playoffs, they have the luxury of a most likely top five pick in the upcoming draft, courtesy of the Brooklyn Nets. A college stud like Buddy Hield possibly heading to Boston next season? Talk about madness.

April 6, 2016

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April 6, 2016

The Fordham Ram

Rams Open A-10 Play Against Richmond

By MATTHEW MICHAELS STAFF WRITER

Fordham baseball had a busy week as it looked to continue its winning streak, get to a .500 record and start conference play.

The Rams played well and finished the week with a 14-14 record on the season and a 2-1 mark against Atlantic 10 opponents.

“We pitched great and swung the bats well which led to a successful week,” said head coach Kevin Leighton.

On Wednesday, Fordham was on the road to face the University of Albany. The Rams fell behind after Albany scored a first inning run, but Fordham responded with a pair of scores in the second and did not stop there. Fordham was up 3-1 until it padded its lead with two runs in the sixth and three in the seventh inning. Albany attempted a comeback but fell short as Fordham took the game 9-3.

The Rams showed promising signs on offense as they totaled 16 hits. Junior Pat Gardner led the lineup with a career-high four hit game while senior Ian Edmiston had three hits and scored two runs.

Seniors Joseph DeVito and Joseph Runco knocked in three runs each as they tallied multi-hit games. Junior Luke Stampfl earned his first victory of the season.

On Friday night, Fordham started its slate of games against A-10 opponents versus the University of Richmond. The big

ANDREA GARCIA/THE FORDHAM RAM

Baseball went 2-1 against a formidable Richmond Spiders team to kick off Atlantic 10 play.

story of the game was the pitching performance of junior Kirk Haynes Jr., who allowed four hits and no runs over eight innings of work. In the process, Haynes tied the school record for consecutive scoreless innings at 30, a mark set in 1927 and matched in 1938.

Fordham only collected two hits in the game, but they were enough. Junior Mark Donadio led off the fifth inning with a single followed up by a stolen base. An error in the Richmond outfield allowed Donadio to score the only run of the game. Senior Jimmy Murphy pitched the ninth and closed out the 1-0 game.

Haynes credits the streak to his mindset. “My recent success has come from preparing every day to win.” he said.

He noted that his teammates are also responsible for his success, saying, “They are playing great defense behind me and scoring the runs we need to win.”

“It feels great knowing that I am helping the team,” he added.

Coach Leighton does not see a major difference in Haynes’ approach but said, “He’s been locating all of his pitches and staying ahead of hitters.” Leighton added that Haynes has a deceptively fast fastball and has done a good job

staying down in the zone.

On Saturday, Fordham and Richmond played a doubleheader.

The Spiders held a 3-2 lead into the seventh, but the Fordham bats could not be contained. Freshman Justin Bardwell tied the game with a single, one of his five hits in the game. Several batters later, junior Matthew Kozuch scorched a double to the left-center gap that cleared the bases and gave him three RBIs. Fordham scored an insurance run in the seventh inning to put the Richmond deficit at four.

Junior Greg Weissert earned his first victory of the season by strik-

ing out ten Spiders over seven frames. Senior Joseph Serrapica pitched two innings of shutdown ball in relief as the Rams took the middle game of the series.

Bardwell said that going five for five is “a great feeling” and added that the offense “did a great job contributing and producing runs.”

The team had 15 hits in the first game Saturday.

Fordham could not complete the sweep or extend its five game winning streak as the Rams lost a close one Saturday afternoon.

Richmond put two on the scoreboard in the first and the two teams traded runs in the second and third. Down 3-1, Fordham pushed three across the plate but gave up the lead in the sixth.

Tied in the bottom of the sixth, Donadio put the Rams back ahead with a two-run single. However, the Rams’ bullpen could not hold the lead as Richmond scored three in the eighth inning. After all the back and forth action, the Spiders defeated the Rams 7-6.

“The league is an absolute grind and every team is tough,” Leighton said in discussing the A-10.

“We want to do everything possible to put ourselves in a strong position leading up to the final weekends.”

Fordham will put its 14-14 record to the test on Wednesday against Rutgers. Over the weekend, the Rams play another series against A-10 opponent La Salle in Philadelphia.

Softball Extends Winning Streak to Six

By PAT COSTELLO ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR

After beginning the season with some tough loses, the Rams have reminded everyone why they are the favorite to win the Atlantic 10 Championship. Following three victories over St. Joseph’s this past weekend and a win over Lehigh on Tuesday, the Rams pushed their win streak to six in a row and 13 of the last 15.

They have been successful thanks to playing complete games, meaning that they are hitting at a high level, as well as dominating in the circle. Coach Bridget Orchard cited this as a key to their recent success.

“Early in the season, when we hit we weren’t pitching well or the opposite, we would pitch well and not score,” she said. “Over the weekend, both hitters and pitchers did well. We have been able to execute in key situations getting the big hit when needed.”

One of those big hits came during the Rams’ game against Iona last Thursday. Graduate pitcher Rachel Gillen and junior Lauren Quense combined for a three-hit shutout over nine innings. The only run came in the ninth, when junior catcher Stephanie Ferri broke the extra inning tie with an RBI ground rule double.

Games like these show Orchard just what her team is made of. “This team really relies on ev-

ANDREA GARCIA/THE FORDHAM RAM

A strong week for the Rams vaulted them into first place in the Atlantic 10 with a 5-1 conference record.

eryone and they have done a great job of picking each other up,” she said. “We have a different player stepping up each game so that has been key. Not one player has to do it herself. When someone is slumping another player steps up and this has been key.”

This past weekend, the Rams played their second set of A-10 games, outscoring the Hawks 28-6 in Philadelphia. The Rams proved their coach’s point about picking each other up in the third game of the weekend. After Quense took a ball off the shin and Gillen sprained her thumb running into the first baseman, ju-

nior infielder Lindsay Mayer was called upon in relief. She threw three perfect innings, striking out four and picking up the first win of her career, a 12-4 victory.

The Rams are a team with a lot of grit and heart. They faced adversity early in the season, but have battled all the way back and have set themselves up for a solid run at the A-10 Championship.

The Rams still have a long way to go, and face a plethora of very good teams, including George Washington this weekend. Mayer went 3-4 with two RBI’s and a run scored in the 12-4 victory over St. Joseph’s and will look to

keep her pace going forward. Junior infielder Amy Van Hoven has also hit her stride as the season reaches its middle. Her performance at the plate has been pivotal to the Rams success, and she will look to continue her performance. Sophomore infielder Madison Shaw was named A-10 Player of the Week last week, batting .538 with two homeruns and seven RBI’s. Her performance was the spark the Rams needed to continue winning games, a spark that she will look to keep supplying going forward. Freshman infielder Jessica Hughes was also given a weekly award, winning

Co-Rookie of the Week. Hughes hit .462 on the week and was 6-6 on steal attempts. She has become a key member to the lineup due to her incredible ability to get on base and score.

The biggest key for the Rams is getting healthy. “We will need Rachel and Lauren to heal up and stay healthy,” Orchard said of her star pitchers. “Our offense needs to continue to score runs, we face some good A-10 offensive teams and we need to continue to score.”

In Tuesday’s game against Lehigh the Rams were literally dealt a bad hand. Gillen’s sprained thumb kept her out of the game, meaning that it was up to the arms of Quense and Mayer once again.

The duo held the Mountainhawks to just one hit on the day, with Quense going five strong innings and Mayer coming in for the save in the last two. The Rams pushed a run across early and managed to hold the lead for the rest of the game, eventually winning 1-0. They were able to win even though their best pitcher was out with an injury, proving Orchard’s point that this team can pick up right where they left off even if someone is hurt.

The Rams will continue their A-10 season on Wednesday afternoon with a double header against St. Bonaventure starting at 1 p.m. before playing a three game series against George Washington this weekend.