The Fordham Ram Serving The Fordham dh University Community Since 1918 Volume 98, Issue 9
FordhamRam.com
April 20, 2016
Aramark Expected to Keep Current Staff At Fordham By THERESA SCHLIEP and CATE CARREJO Following the recent change in food service providers at Fordham, Sandy Pope, a Teamsters 818 Union representative of Fordham’s food service workers, told The Fordham Ram that new food service provider Aramark will maintain Fordham University’s current food service employees as long as they pass background checks. However, Pope clarified that the contracts are not yet finalized. “It is not over yet. We are told signatures are on the line,” said Pope. “We have a very democratic procedure, people need to vote.” After a nearly five month bidding process, Fordham announced on Monday that the Aramark Corporation, commonly known as Aramark, will become the university’s new food service provider. The 10 year multi-million dollar contract will begin on July 1, 2016 and will replace the current agreement in place with Sodexo. A community-wide email from Jeffrey Grey, senior vice president for student affairs, announced the change on Monday afternoon, stating: “Aramark received high marks for its proposed program elements, site visits by committee members to Aramark dining locations, fair treatment of employees and commitment to work with unions, sustainability practices, financial stability and a solid transition plan. Aramark also received very good recommendations from universities the firm currently serves.” Karen Culter, vice president of corporate communications at Aramark, provided the following comment to The Fordham Ram: “We are very appreciative of the opportunity to participate in the process and honored to be selected to partner with such a prestigious university like Fordham. We are excited and
in this issue
Opinion Page 9
Regualting Pan Handlers in Time Square
Culture Page 15 15 Years of Expressions Dance Alliance
Sports Page 24 Third Straight A 10 Series Win
look forward to serving the entire campus community.” Concern over the fate of Fordham food service workers began when the university issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) on Dec. 4, 2015. While the university strongly recommended that a possible new food service provider maintain current employership and contracts that Sodexo had made with the food service employees, they did not require it. The food service provider is responsible for the hiring of employees. Groups like Fordham Students United (FSU), Fordham Faculty United and Fordham Alumni for Change expressed solidarity with the employees through social media, online petitions and teach-ins. FSU held a teach in on March 2 in which Sodexo employees expressed their passions for and commitments to their work in the various dining establishments at SEE FOOD, PAGE 5
ANDREA GARCIA/THE FORDHAM RAM
Senator Bernie Sanders met Fordham students outside Simon’s Deli on Arthur Avenue.
Sanders Dines on Arthur Ave By MARK MCNULTY and CATE CARREJO Presidential candidate and Senator Bernie Sanders made an unannounced visit to Michelangelo’s in Little Italy on Arthur Avenue and 189th Street on Monday, the eve of the New York State Presidential Primary. According to city councilman Ritchie Torres’ Twitter page, he and Sanders were discussing affordable housing in the Bronx ahead of the
New York presidential primary on Tuesday. The brief lunch was one of the many stops Sanders made throughout the Bronx on Monday with the non-profit “Mothers on the Move,” according to two members of the organization who dined with Sanders. The social justice community organization seeks to provide af-
fordable housing for new mothers. The group is based in the neighborhoods of Hunt’s Point, Longwood, Morrisania, Crotona Park East and Port Morris. Rosie Coppola, FCRH ‘16, was on her way home from class when she saw Sanders and his Security escort pull up. “I just said ‘thank you for everything you’ve done’, and I SEE SANDERS, PAGE 3
Stroie and Simon Elected By ERIN SHANAHAN NEWS EDITOR
majority of democrats. “Is capitalism a perfect system? No, because humans aren’t perfect,” Forbes said. However, according to Forbes, a free market does breed ingenuity and turn scarcity into abundance. He cited the abundance of and sharp price reductions of commodities such as iPhones, cars and flat screen TVs. Economics major Bryan Dufour, FCRH ‘18,, agreed with Forbes’ characterization of capitalism. “Historically, a free market
In a contested elections with the highest voter turnout since 2012, Daniel Stroie and Elisha Simon, both GSB ‘17, were announced as executive president and vice president, respectively, of United Student Government (USG). A total 1348 Fordham students voted. Stroie and Simon received 694 votes, winning the election by about 16 percent. The student body last year cast 579 votes. In 2014, 958 votes were cast, while 701 were cast in 2013 and, 923 in 2012. The current USG Executive Board was pleased with this year’s results. “We were working toward contested elections and encouraging people to run for most of the semester,” said current USG Executive President Ashley Domagola, FCRH ‘16. “The increase in contested positions as well as voter turnout think that’s a testament to improved outreach and marketing as well as an increase in interest.” Simon provided a statement to The Fordham Ram regarding the election results: “Daniel and I deeply appreciate the
SEE FORBES, PAGE 3
SEE USG, PAGE 3
ANDREA GARCIA/THE FORDHAM RAM
Steve Forbes was invited to Fordham by the College Republicans and discussed taxes in Keating Hall.
CEO Steve Forbes Talks Taxes By GREGORY WAGNER STAFF WRITER
Steve Forbes assured Fordham students that once we reform our healthcare system, the tax code and attach a fixed price to the dollar, our economy and our country will thrive once again last Wednesday in Keating Hall. As the Editor in Chief of Forbes Magazine, a two time presidential candidate and an author of numerous books, Forbes offered his treatment for the revival of the American economy in the
21st century. Forbes’ talk with Fordham students focused on capitalism and the free market’s ability to breed ingenuity. He addressed the social stigma attached to our free-market economy. “There is a weird stigma surrounding capitalism,” he said. “Businessmen are often characterized in Hollywood as evil, conniving and bizarrely fat.” According to POLITICO, six in 10 Democrats view socialism as favorable. POLITICO reports that this anti-capitalist sentiment is felt by the overwhelming
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PUBLIC SAFETY BRIEFS
April 20, 2016
Journal From Abroad
European Drinking Culture
April 12 6 p.m. Public Safety Office A student rented an apartment through Craigslist for $2,000 a month. He signed the contract and had a family member wire the money, but was then contacted by the person supposedly renting the apartment who wanted more money. The NYPD was notified and it was discovered the money was wired to Cleveland, Ohio. The student went to the apartment he believed he was renting on Central Park South and spoke to the building manager, who confirmed it was a scam. The police declared the situation grand larceny and handed the investigation to the police in Cleveland where the money was sent.
By THERESA SCHLIEP and CATE CARREJO
April 13 12:30 a.m. East Fordham Road Public Safety received a phone call from a woman who found a wallet on the street belonging to a student. The woman agreed to meet at the DMV, but wanted a $100 finder’s fee. Public Safety and the student met the woman to apprehend her for grand larceny, but she fled. The woman fled. April 15 12:30 a.m. McGinley Hall An altercation arose between a student and a bartender at Senior Night. The two exchanged words and the bartender slapped the student. The bartender was removed from the event. April 15 1:45 a.m. Hughes Hall Two students had a dispute outside Hughes after Senior Night when one student punched the other and fled. The victim went to the assailant’s off-campus apartment to retaliate, but was attacked again by the assailant’s friends. The victim was taken to the hospital, but had no serious injuries. — Compiled by Michael Byrne
Are You Studying Abroad This Semester? Email: fordhamramnews @gmail.com
LIAM MCKEONE FOR THE FORDHAM RAM
Fordham students studying abroad experience European drinking practices, such as having a casual beer for dinner.
By LIAM McKEONE CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Drinking culture in Europe is vastly different from the drinking culture in the United States. I find that the drinking culture in American colleges serves the purpose getting drunk. Most American college students do not want to drink casually. We tend to drink as much as we can in order to have the best time possible. Generally, we do not touch alcohol otherwise. The most casual drinking we are exposed to tends to be our parents having a rum and tonic after dinner, or a few glasses of wine during dinner. Things are much, much different across the pond. The art of casual drinking is one that is greatly appreciated, no matter where you go. It is normal to have a pint or two every night at the pub. Back home, if I told people I went to Mugz’s every night for a few drinks, my friends would send me to the Office of Substance Abuse Prevention. Mugz’s and a British pub have vastly different atmospheres, the basic principle of drinking remains the same: you do not have to get hammered when you drink. This can lead to some problems with American exchange students.
A culture of regular drinking combined with a lower drinking age means it is easy to get carried away, and I have been guilty of this myself. There have been a few weeknights where I have decided to have a glass of wine with my dinner and suddenly the bottle is gone by 8:30 p.m. It is not the end of the world to have a few nights like this, of course, but being abroad makes it easier for drinking to become a habit. This problem tends to reveal itself on the weekends. During our pre-study abroad seminars, we all rolled our eyes when we heard how American students have been been belligerent and caused problems abroad. “That won’t be us, so whatever,” we thought. But it is true. American students do drink more when abroad. A study from the University of Washington for Psychology of Addictive Behaviors reported that students tend to double their alcohol consumption while abroad, from an average of four drinks a week to eight. Eric Pederson, one of the authors of the study, said while they were unable to determine in what capacity the students drank, the fact remains that the students in the survey drank more while abroad. This does not come as a surprise,
especially considering American college students have a reputation of drinking heavily in the first place. However, this does not mean that Europeans do not enjoy night life. Some of my favorite memories from my time abroad include singing Katy Perry’s “Firework” at 2 a.m. in a bar in Rome arm-in-arm with a random Italian and taking shots with a group of Irish engineering students at a house party in Dublin. There is definitely still a culture of going out and having a great time that is similar to the U.S. But this, in hand with the casual drinking culture, usually leads to an overall higher alcohol consumption overall from college students studying abroad. The drinking culture abroad differs from American drinking culture, in my experience, because of how acceptable it is to drink regularly. This can be both a good or bad thing, depending on your selfcontrol. This culture of drinking has given me a greater appreciation for a cold beer after a long day’s work, but it has also taught me how to handle my drinking and how to do so in moderation—skills that will prove to be increasingly useful following my college years.
This Week at Fordham Thursday April 21
Thursday April 21
Thursday April 21
Friday April 22
Relay for Life of Fordham University
Wedding Dances Crash Course
Edwards’ Parade 5 p.m. —12:30 a.m.
Active Minds Hosts Danee Seargent
McGinley Ballroom 7 p.m.—11 p.m.
Earth Day Festival in St. Rose’s Garden
Keating First 7 p.m.—9:30 p.m.
St. Rose’s Garden 12 p.m.—4 p.m.
Active Minds will host Danee Seargent at the closing event for mental health awareness week. Seargent, an alum, received support for her serious mental health disorder at the university. She is on the Active Minds Speaker’s Bureau.
Students for Environmental Awareness and Justice will celebrate Earth Day 2016 with an Earth Day Festival. There will be gardening and composting workshops, a homegrown picnic, giveaways, performances and an open mic.
Colleges Against Cancer will host its Relay For Life event in order to celebrate survivors, remember loved ones and raise money for the American Cancer Society. Participants will form teams of eight to ten. Relay for Life asks that each team has at least one person walking at all times.
Bloomberg Ranks Gabelli No. 27
Ballroom Dance will host a mock wedding in order to teach students how to dance at a wedding. It will teach classic wedding dances such as the foxtrot and waltz. Food and wedding cake will be served. No experience is necessary.
Fordham University’s Gabelli School of Business (GSB) broke the top 30 in Bloomberg Businessweek’s “Best Undergraduate Business Schools 2016” list. This ranking is an 11 spot improvement from the 2015 list, in which GSB was ranked No. 38. Villanova University’s Villanova School of Business received a ranking of No. 1, followed by Boston College’s Carroll School of Business at No. 3, Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business at No. 17 and Fairfield University’s Dolan School of Business at No. 43. Donna Rapaccioli, dean of the Gabelli School of Business, was pleased with Fordham’s improvement. “It represents a growing national recognition of our faculty and administration’s dedication and our students’ success,” she said in a statement. “It was affirming to see that we were strong in all four areas that constitute the ranking: the student and employer surveys, internship score, and starting salary.” Students were receptive to the positive change, citing its potential to bring more competitive students into the university. “I think it’s kind of tough to rank [business schools], but I guess it’s good that we improved a lot,” said Alex Zamora, GSB ‘18. “The more competitive the school is, the better.” Bloomberg based their ranking on four criteria. First, they surveyed employers who hired recent graduates on how the schools prepared their employees. The employer survey accounted for 40 percent of the total ranking score. They also surveyed students on their own ratings of the campus, career services and faculty and administrators, accounting for 35 percent. Finally, Bloomberg Businessweek used the starting salary of recently employed students and the percentage of students who held at least one internship during college. That accounted for 15 percent and 10 percent of the total ranking score, respectively. GSB’s employer survey rank was No. 30, student survey rank No. 31, salary rank No. 20 and internship rank No. 32. GSB’s Bloomberg Businessweek ranking has steadily improved in the last four years, from its 2012 ranking of No. 49, 2013 ranking of No. 40 and 2014 ranking of No. 38. GSB is not the only school to ascend in its ranking. “The fact that Villanova moved up 23 spots to number one angers me,” said Robert Hamilton, GSB ’18. “I would like to see what contributes more to the ranking, why they moved up 23 spots, why we only moved up 11 spots.” These shifts in ranking correlate with changes in the methodology used to rank the schools. The 2014 rankings included academic quality in determining a school’s ranking. Academic quality accounted for 30 percent of the total ranking score in 2014. However, the 2016 list does not include academic quality in its methodology. - Amanda Maile contributed reporting.
NEWS
April 20, 2016
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Stroie and Simon Win Top USG Seats FROM USG, PAGE 1
opportunity to serve our Fordham community again this year. We will do our best to keep our campaign promises. We will continue to work with Sebastian and Matt to promote unity in our student government as we are one Fordham family. We look forward to working with all of you in the coming school year.” The executive ticket was contested by Sebastian Albrecht and Matthew Santucci, both FCRH ‘17. Albrecht and Santucci’s ticket received 503 votes. Santucci provided the following statement on Facebook the evening of Friday, April 15: “What we achieved was a victory in itself. We started this campaign a week ago and in that time we’ve built up a movement. The fact that voter turnout more than doubled from the previous year is a testament to student frustration with the administration and with the status quo. Incidentally, I would like to wish the best to the other ticket in their victory. My one admonition is that I urge you to listen to the students – give them a voice rather than solely relying upon the administration, and provide opportunities for their beliefs to be challenged.” Stroie and Simon were endorsed by The Fordham Ram staff prior to the election. According to The Fordham Ram’s
ANDREA GARCIA/FORDHAM RAM
Stroie and Simon proposed different solutions to combat the lack of awareness of USG among the student body.
executive board, Stroie’s work managing Budget Day and following up with clubs that had not received money is highly impressive, as it marked a clear difference in leadership from previous years. His work on USG thus far has shown a true commitment to students and clubs. By the same token, Simon’s dynamic improvement in communication throughout Gabelli are also very impressive. The two winners were endorsed by Fordham’s Residence Halls Association as well as by the outgoing USG Executive President Ashley
Domagola, FCRH ‘16. and Executive Vice President Nicholas Sawicki, FCRH ‘16. Albrecht and Santucci were endorsed by several other organizations. These groups included the Fordham College Republicans, the Fordham College Democrats, the German Students Club (Deutscher Studentenklub), The French Club at Rose Hill and Jogo Bonito Soccer Club. The other contested executive positions included Vice President of Student Life, Vice President of Operations and Vice President of Health and Safety.
Allison Kilbride, FCRH ‘19, was voted in as vice president of student life while Doug Spring, FCRH ‘17 and Catherine Maccaro, FCRH ’17, won vice president of operations and vice president of health and safety, respectively. These races were clearly highly contested. Kilbride won 477 votes, beating out John Kuyat, FCRH ‘19 with just about eight percent of the votes. Kuyat received 404 votes. Maccaro beat out Kathryn Susko, FCRH ‘17, by just six percent of the votes. 405 votes were cast for Susko, whereas Maccaro received
442 votes. Spring received 610 votes while his competitor, Brendan Batcheller, GSB ‘19, received 357 votes. Spring won by about 27 percent. Throughout this election period, many, if not most, of the candidates proposed different solutions to combat the lack of awareness of USG among the student body. “Currently there’s a culture of complacency and indifference and I think that arises from the fact that we are a more reactive force than a proactive force,” Santucci said at the debate on April 13. “We have to be at the forefront of passing initiatives rather than reacting to issues when they arise. Stroie and Simon plan to reach students through persistent advertising campaigns on campus bulletin boards, social media and more unconventional forums. In contrast, Albrecht and Santucci asserted the creation of stronger USG initiatives is key to gaining more recognition on campus. Stroie and Simon have also proposed utilizing different advertising mediums, as well as revamping the lacking USG website as a part of their campaign promises. The two will hold their first USG senate meeting as executive president and vice president, respectively, of USG this coming Thursday at 5:30 p.m. in McGinley 237.
Sanders Spotted on Arthur Avenue FROM SANDERS, PAGE 1
actually started crying,” Coppola said. Tipped off by posts on Twitter and Snapchat, at least 100 Fordham students swamped the 189th and Arthur intersection, waiting for the Senator to emerge from the restaurant. Sanders won the Fordham campus with 29 percent of the overall vote in a presidential straw poll conducted by United Student Government earlier this semester, a win he likely hopes to emulate in the statewide election. Linnea Wiley, FCRH ’17, was impressed with his candor. “He could have just walked to his car when he left, but he walked straight into the crowd. It didn’t seem like his team planned for the crowd, but he just ran with it.” Julius Bowditch, FCRH ’17, commented on Sanders’ populist appeal. “I think there’s a change right now in the American youth, and they’re realizing what they want and what
they need, and how our government isn’t really providing that for us.” Sanders’ impromptu meet and greet swayed at least one voter ahead of Tuesday’s primary. “He’s really nice, he’s a very sociable guy. I was just walking down the street, not even a democrat, but I guess I have to vote for him now,” said Louis Florio, GSB ‘17. Simon Kajtazi, owner of Michelangelo’s and a friendly face to Fordham students, said the Sanders campaign notified them two hours before their arrival. “It’s a good thing, too, or else there would have been a thousand people here,” Kajtazi said. Sanders is the second candidate to visit Arthur Avenue after Ohio Governor John Kasich ate at Mike’s Deli on April 7. Ultimately, Sanders lost the New York primary and therefore 247 delegates to opponent, Hillary Clinton. - Amanda Maile contributed reporting
CASEY CHUNG/THE FORDHAM RAM
Sanders was welcomed to Arthur Ave by residents and Fordham students
ANDREA GARCIA/THE FORDHAM RAM
Students listened as Forbes discussed what he feels needs to happen in the near future to help the economy.
The College Republicans Host Steve Forbes FROM FORBES, PAGE 1
society has the record to prove its effectiveness. Capitalism forces competition, inhibits government interference and most importantly gives consumers freedom.” Forbes additionally offered a three-tiered solution to fix our economic woes, which he says will bring back a “roaring economy.” He highlighted the skyrocketing costs of healthcare, the 10 million words featured in our unwelcoming tax code and the fluctuating value of the dollar. Forbes told the audience that we must revive America by pressuring our legislators to reform the healthcare system, to simplify the tax code by imposing a flat tax and to attach a fixed value to the dollar. Healthcare is the biggest part of our economy and it is the most personal, Forbes said. “We need
a national healthcare market that breeds innovation. Let the American people choose.” The tax that worries Forbes the most, however, is the federal income tax. Forbes sees the 10 million words and rising in our tax code as morally corrupt. “Imagine everything that America could create if it was not for the wasted time that we spend on paying our taxes,” Forbes said. “It is time to bury it for a simple flat tax.” Jimmy Colazzo, GSB ‘18, was not convinced that Forbes’ proposed flat tax would accrue enough revenue for the government. “I do like the simplicity of a flat tax, but I am still not convinced that enough revenue is going to be raised for the government to carry out its necessary functions,” Colazzo said.
As for the final tier of his plan to revive America, Forbes focuses on the necessity of a fixed value being attached to the dollar. “A pound of cheese is always a pound of cheese, one hour of the day is always one hour of the day. Why isn’t one dollar always worth one dollar?” Forbes asked. According to Forbes, if one hour meant 30 minutes one day, but then meant 45 minutes another day, our world would be in flux. For that same reason, Forbes blames the instability of the dollar as to why the American economy is in flux. All in all, Forbes is confident that we can bring the American economy back to its former self. “A free human mind is what drives the economy, he said, “and a free-market enables the mind and the market to reach its full potential.”
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April 20, 2016
Fordham In The Bronx
A Tree Grows in the Bronx By MICHAEL DOBUSKI BRONX CORRESPONDENT
With spring weather slowly beginning to show itself again, it is time to take advantage of New York City’s many renowned “green spaces.” Staples, such as Washington Square Park and Central Park, immediately jump to mind for many looking for a warm afternoon picnic spot. However, those not interested in traveling to Manhattan are still have a variety of choice here in the Bronx. One of these places is Pelham Bay Park, parts of which played an instrumental role in the origins of the borough, and New York City as a whole. Many first think of the Dutch when considering the early populations of the various settlements that eventually became New York City. However, the English also held a major sway over early city planning, even before the Dutch land was surrendered to them in 1664. Such was the story of Thomas Pell, the founder of one of the first English settlements
in what we today call Westchester County. In 1654, Pell travelled from his home in Fairfield, Connecticut to the then-wilderness of the East Bronx to sign a treaty with the Siwanoy tribe of Native Americans. The treaty gave over 9,000 acres of land to the English. The land was known as the “Lordshipp & Mannour of Pelham,” and would become the northeast part of Bronx County and parts of New Rochelle. Predictably, this made the Dutch settlers of the time quite angry, as they had laid claim to certain patches of land brokered in the deal. Additionally, Pell’s purchase of the land from the Siwanoy effectively blocked the northward expansion of the Dutch settlers living there, which was a major factor in the Dutch eventually abandoning their future plans for New Amsterdam and New Netherland. There is one character in the story of Pell’s influential treaty who has not yet been mentioned: an oak tree.
COURTESY OF FLICKR
The “Treaty Oak” tree lived for 250 years in Pelham Bay Park until it was destroyed in 1902 by a storm.
While the treaty itself no longer exists, historical records from that day indicate that Pell signed the document alongside a Siwanoy named
ANDREA GARCIA/ THE FORDHAM RAM
The Fountain of Life in the New York Botanical Gardens The fountain decpited above is situated in front of The Museum Building in the gardens. Charles E. Tefft won a design competition with this fountain, depicting both an aquatic scene with a sea nymph, seahorses, mermaids and more.
Wampage underneath a giant oak tree. Pell’s “Treaty Oak” lived the next 250 years in relative comfort. Between 1836 and 1842, the oak tree overlooked the construction of the nearby Bartow-Pell Mansion. It saw the creation of towns such as Morrisania and Kingsbridge, which would eventually grow into Bronx neighborhoods of the same name. It even saw the Bronx become one of the official five boroughs of a consolidated New York City on New Year’s Day, 1898. The Treaty Oak even lived to see the turn of the 20th century, but by that point it was not long for this world. In 1902, according to a report owned by the Bartow-Pell Mansion, the tree snapped in half during a strong storm. “Yet, despite a hollow trunk,” the report said, “it continued to thrive.” On April 9, 1906, following the tree’s destruction, the New York Times ran an obituary for the tree on its front page, following the tree’s destruction the previous day. Reports indicate that the remains of the tree were burnt to a stump in a blaze caused by a discarded cigarette. The tree’s memory lives on, though. In 1915, a red oak was planted on the site of the original tree. The ceremony was overseen by Charles S. Whitman,
the governor of New York at the time. This year marks the 110th anniversary of the destruction of Thomas Pell’s Treaty Oak. Pieces of the original Treaty Oak have been distributed to various museums and historical societies including one, fittingly, at the Bartow-Pell Mansion, which became a museum in 1946. Tours of the former country house give a fitting insight into what life was like for the wealthy classes during the 19th century, and the site serves as an integral and informative link to the Bronx’s complicated past. Plus, tucked between the mansion and the nearby road, nestled amid the underbrush, lies the stone wall that encircled the original Treaty Oak. In it, a new tree grows.
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Campus Briefs & Bites Theology Conference Visits Tuff City
Fordham Holds Lecture on Disability
This year’s Association of Practical Theology conference took a visit to Tuff City Styles, a tattoo parlor located on East Fordham Road across the street from Fordham’s Rose Hill campus. The theme of the conference was the meeting of theology and migration. About two dozen attendees of the conference visited the local parlor. The conference took place from April 8th to 10th and included a talk from Tamara Henry, Ph.D., religious education ‘14, an assistant professor of religious education at New York Theological Seminary. Henry spoke about how urban culture — graffiti, hip-hop, breakdancing—relate to practical theology. Henry, who is also the youth minister at Lenox Road Baptist Church in Brooklyn, discussed with her fellow theologians how urban art forms such as hip-hop provide a view into how young adults see their own situation and how they fight back against social injustice.
The Faculty Working Group on Disability held the Fordham Distinguished Lecture on Disability on April 13. Robert McRuer, Ph.D., professor of English at George Washington University spoke at the event on how better understanding those with disabilities will help us to comprehend other aspects of our culture. McRuer is the author of the 2006 book, “Crip Theory,” and of the upcoming book, “Crip Times: Disability, Globalization and Resistance.” McRuer uses the word “crip” as it derives from the word “cripple,” saying that by embracing the word those with disabilities can take ownership of it away from those who use it to disparage them. McRuer discussed his new book and how he analyzes austere neoliberal politics in the United Kingdom through the lens of disability. He focuses on the artwork of Liz Crow, who uses a wheelchair and made 650 sculptures representing people living in the reality of austere politics.
Professor Writes Book on New Towns Fordham Professor of history and Director of the urban studies program Rosemary Wakeman, Ph.D., wrote a book “Practicing Utopia: an Intellectual History of the New Town Movement” about urban planning. She specifically details the phenomenon of “new towns”, which became popular in the 20th century. These towns are not developed around natural resources, but rather exist as thriving utopias that depict contemporary modernization. “New towns” are an attempt to decongest large cities. Wakeman details cities all over the world, from Islamabad, Pakistan to Irvine, California. Wakeman’s other book include “The Heroic City: Paris 1945-1958 and Modernizing the Provincial City: Toulouse 1945-1975.” The professor is also completing an urban studies project in the Melrose neighborhood of the Bronx on public space and planning. She specializes in European cities, maritime cities, world’s fairs and the social history of architecture.
Fordham Becomes Fair Trade Certified Fordham University has earned “Fair Trade Status” from Fair Trade Campaigns. Students for Fair Trade is the official club at Fordham University that promotes fair trade practices through working with the Gabelli School of Business. Their program sells fair trade projects to the greater Fordham and New York communities. Fair Trade Campaigns recognizes towns, colleges, universities and other organizations for practicing fair trade and implementing fair trade principles into policy. They also investigate the impact a particular organization has on its community in regards to promoting intellectual growth and social work. Fair Trade is a movement in which businesses and consumers seek to promote ethical business through improving working conditions for producers and promoting environmental sustainability. The club screens movies, such as The True Cost, and fundraises through various events, including selling fair trade coffee.
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April 20, 2016
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Sodexo Out, Aramark In Students React to Announcement FROM FOOD, PAGE 1
the university. The group also sent a petition with 451 signatures to Gray. The contract sought to “ensure that the jobs, wages, health, pension and other benefits of our fellow community members continue to be as good as what they currently enjoy.” Approximately 225 Sodexo union employees on Fordham’s Rose Hill and Lincoln Center campuses were covered by a collective bargaining agreement with Sodexo until 2020, according to Teamsters 810. According to previous information provided by Vice President of Student Affairs Jeffrey Gray, vendors are encouraged to interview and retain employees of good standing. Both RFPs acknowledge that the vendor is responsible for all employment matters. Students said they hope that the workers, like some at the cafeteria front desk and others at specific stations in the Marketplace, will be able to stay in the Fordham community. “It’s not their fault that the food is bad,” said Sophie Haas, FCRH ‘18. “They’re being given a bad product.” Others see Sodexo workers as a staple to campus life. “They’re part of our community,” Kate Wolper, FCRH ‘18, said. FSU representative Mohan Seshadri, FCRH stressed the importance of a finalized contract to ensure the future of the food service workers’ employment. “FSU is pleased to hear that the union is being respected and the contract will stay virtually the same, especially for the plan to keep all the workers and preserve their hours and seniority,” said Seshadri. “However, it’s still crucial to get all of this in writing before we can truly trust that our
food service workers are being properly supported and treated fairly.” Alex Farah, FCRH ‘16, president of the Commuter Students Association, feels confident that the vast majority of the current food service workers’ jobs will not be affected. “I sat in the presentations, [and] all three companies said that their retention rate in the end is 98 percent, so I’m not worried about it. You have to think about it like this: if they were to get rid of all the employees, they wouldn’t know where anything was when Aramark takes over on July 1.” According to Pope, Aramark intends to honor most of the contract stipulations made between Sodexo and Fordham for food service workers, such as summer pay, family health care benefits and seniority. The only issue between Aramark and contract negotiators is employee pensions. Pope said that Aramark is going to propose an “equivalent retirement plan in terms of monetary value,” but declined further comment. Pope attributed the continuation of the stipulations from the previous contract to student support for the employees. “We are very happy and extremely grateful to the students and faculty and whoever else was involved,” said Pope. “I think they made a huge difference” Fordham issued an RFP for the food service contract shortly after announcing Sodexo’s contract termination. Bidders that submitted proposals included Sodexo, Compass Group, Aramark Corporation and CulinArt Group. Some students felt the communication between the university and the student body was insufficient during the RFP
process. “I didn’t hear anything about [the RFP],” said Lizzie Purnell, GSB ‘19. “I feel like we should have been able to have some kind of say in the matter.” “We were the ones complaining about it in the first place,” said Amanda Belanger, FCRH ‘19. “We’re the ones who have to eat it.” According to Aramark’s 2016 Fact Sheet, the company provides food services to over 1,500 colleges, universities and K-12 school districts. The company operates in 21 countries, but is headquartered in Philadelphia. Selected students were brought on site visits to establishments where Aramark and Chartwells provide services. Ashley Domagola, FCRH ’16 and outgoing United Student Government executive president, said that she and three other Rose Hill students visited New York University (NYU) where Aramark was the food service provider, and The New School for Chartwells. At NYU, she said they visited five dining venues and talked to students and faculty. Domagola spoke about an encounter she had with an employee. “He spoke with us about the employee experiences with both companies and said that he loves working for Aramark and he feels valued as an employee,” said Domagola. “The quality of the food was good at both establishments, but the variety of the NYU locations was superior, and I think the lack of variety is one of the biggest complaints about Sodexo.” She said that at the end of the visits, all four Rose Hill students voted for Aramark. In a 2014 food management top 50 list, Aramark was ranked second, while Sodexo was ranked third.
THE FORDHAM RAM ARCHIVES
Fordham replaced Sodexo with global food provider Aramark following request for proposals lasting several months.
COURTESY OF ROSLYN KUTSCH
The Model UN team’s short history includes four wins at a local conference.
Model U.N. Team Wins Four Awards By CATE CARREJO FEATURES EDITOR
Fordham’s newly formed Model United Nations Club won four outstanding performance awards last weekend at the 7th annual New York University Model United Nations Conference. Eight delegates from both Fordham campuses participated, a strong showing for the relatively new team. Rosalyn Kutsch, FCRH ‘19, was excited about Fordham’s representation and success at the conference. “I think that speaks volumes to the dedication and passion of our team,” said Kutsch. “We all realize the value of Model UN and see how it develops skills in diplomacy, quick-thinking, developing creative solutions and public speaking. It also helps foster an interest in international relations that can be applied to a real-world context.” Teams from colleges from around the country were joined by international teams from Indonesia, Kyrgyzstan, the Dominican Republic and India at the four-day conference, where delegates were divided into committees based on country and given historical and contemporary issues to solve. Kacie Candela, FCRH ‘19, the chief leader of the Insurrection in the historical German Southwest Colony Committee and one of only two female delegates in a committee of 13, was the recipient of an Honorable Mention award. Her main objective in the committee was to lead her block of indigenous people to drive out the German colonizers and industrialists. They successfully accomplished their mission and more, declaring independence, liberating a concentration camp and empowering women through
an entirely female military force. Candela was one of only two female delegates in a committee that consisted of 13 delegates. For Candela, Model UN is a way for students to understand historical context behind particularly tumultuous periods in history. “Although we can’t actually rewrite history, acting as if we could enlightened me as to how difficult coming to a peaceful resolution actually was,” she said. “I oftentimes find that in studying history, it seems so clear to us what a more favorable outcome would have been. But it is never that simple in the moment.” NYUMUNC is currently the largest joint crisis conference in the world, and as such, the delegates debated about various issues and crises, such as refugee health, education reform, liberation and colonization. Once these crises, both domestic and international, occurred, the delegates had to discuss and communicate with each other, as well as with other countries, to come to an agreeable solution to the problem. There could be many solutions within one committee, and therefore, the solution deemed to be the best by the majority would become the decreed resolution, though some members might not favor it. The future of the burgeoning team includes attending more conferences like NYUMUNC and hosting its own conference for high schoolers next spring. Planning for the event has been underway for nearly a year, but the team members are eager to expose not only high schoolers, but also the Fordham community, to Model UN. “I hope this will show the Fordham community how serious we are about growing our club and team,” said Candela.
NEWS
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April 20, 2016
Diversity Requirement and Virtual Courses Approved By LAURA SANICOLA EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
No time to sit in class this summer? No problem. The Rose Hill Council, a council of associate professors, recently voted to approve virtual summer classes for Fordham students to take outside the classroom, at the discretion of Dr. Maura Mast, dean of Rose Hill. The decision took place at the April 7 Rose Hill council meeting. The offerings are not new to all Fordham students, as Gabelli students already have access to virtual course offerings. In an interview with The Fordham Ram, Mast said she that virtual course offerings could incentivize more students to continue their education at Fordham over the summer even if they cannot be physically present on campus. “If students have the option of taking a course outside or doing it online at Fordham, we prefer if they can take it through us,” Mast said. Virtual courses would be administered through Blackboard and would require student and faculty communication through an online
medium. The courses would still be priced at $860 a credit, as the traditional courses are. Offerings include statistical decision making, texts and contexts, principles of management, philosophical ethics, introduction to sociology and faith and critical reasoning, among others. A recent poll of Fordham students revealed that many would take a virtual course if offered to them. The council also approved a new minor in Judaic Studies, which will be offered in the coming academic year. “With a minor in Jewish Studies students will have an opportunity to forge coherence in the large part of the curriculum that falls outside their majors, and acquire crosscultural literacy, and an awareness of the interaction between Jews and their Christian, Muslim and other neighbors, and their mutual influence on each other—all this while fulfilling their core requirements,” said Dr. Magda Teter, shvidler chair in Judaic Studies and professor of history at Fordham. The council additionally approved the psychology depart-
ment’s request to add a diversity requirement for all psychology majors. The requirement will ensure that psychology majors take at least one course that focuses solely on diversity. “Diversity is a critical element of psychology,” said Dr. Barry Rosenfeld, associate professor of
psychology at Fordham. “We can’t talk about thoughts, behaviors or personalities without understanding culture, age, gender[or] sexual orientation.” Preexisting diversity course offerings in the psychology department include multicultural psychology, men and masculinities
and aging in society. The Arts and Sciences Council, which is responsible for formulating recommendations on Academic policies and coordinating their implementation within the Arts and Sciences schools at Rose Hill and Lincoln Center, will next meet today in Dealy 115 at 3:30 p.m.
CASEY CHUN/THE FORDHAM RAM
Dean Mast feels that virtual course offerings will create incentive for students to take courses over the summer.
Fordham Adjuncts Host Labor Justice Event By MIKE BYRNE ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR
Adjunct faculty members at Fordham are organizing for better treatment from administration. On Thursday, April 14, Fordham Faculty United (FFU), a group formed this year by various adjunct faculty members, held its first event, “Labor Justice at Jesuit Institutions.” Michelle Rufrano, an adjunct professor in the sociology and anthropology department and founding member of FFU, opened the event by describing the mission of the group. “It is an organization that has come together in order to challenge and change the unacceptable poor working conditions of adjunct and contingent faculty at Fordham University,” Rufrano said. This meeting coincides with the timing of last year’s activism by the adjunct faculty. In April 2015, Fordham faculty congregated under the advocacy campaign “Fordham Faculty Forward.” They rallied outside of the McGinley Center to raise support of adjunct pay and some participated in a hunger strike to raise awareness for their cause. Nearly half of the faculty at Fordham is contingent, according to Kathryn Krasinski, Ph.D., an adjunct instructor of anthropology at Fordham. Data obtained by The Fordham Ram in 2015 stated that approximately 650 adjunct professors work at Fordham. “It totally undermines the mission statement and the key defining features of the university,” Krasinksi said. “The university says that it’s student-centered and we’re supposed to work closely with students, but it’s impossible.” The FFU event featured a talk from David Andrews, Ph.D., an adjunct instructor of English and film at Loyola University Chicago, who has experience with organizing with contingent faculty. He described how administrations view adjunct
faculty members to the audience of students and faculty. “We adjuncts are not individual teacher-scholars. We are interchangeable cogs in a vast academic machine,” Andrews said. After a long fight with the administration, the National Labor Relations Board granted Loyola’s adjunct faculty the right to unionize, with which the administration had to comply. Andrews concluded with advice for Fordham adjunct instructors. “In this labor context, you have no choice but to organize,” Andrews said. “Remember, your university is not the administration. The university is all of you. So, it’s your right to stand shoulder to shoulder with your colleagues whenever the administration tries to bully you through hypocritical arguments into accepting an identity as some faceless, voiceless worker drones.” Adjuncts are allowed to teach a limit of two courses per semester at Fordham and receive no benefits. They are paid approximately $4 thousand a course, or $16 thousand for the academic year, just a few thousand dollars above the
NYC poverty line for a single person if taking the maximum workload possible. Krasinski said most of her adjunct colleagues are working multiple jobs, some teaching up to six courses, which is double the full-time load for a tenured faculty member. Krasinski has been working at Fordham for six years. She also teaches at Adelphi University and has a job in a government office. She argued that adjunct faculty members deserve better treatment as they are equally as busy as tenured ones. “The contingent system has so many detrimental effects to the students. We often have sub-par office spaces to have private conversations,” Krasinski said. “We don’t have the time to develop really good research programs and we don’t have lab facilities to incorporate you into our projects. It is not a studentcentered learning place when half of us are teaching under these conditions…with a tuition ticket of about $50,000—is that really what you’re paying for?,” she said. Tom Beaudoin, a tenured associate professor in the Graduate School
of Religion, said that adjunct faculty members are often subjected to exploitation. He also spoke about the relationship between adjunct and tenured faculty. “Many tenure-track faculty members don’t understand in depth the situation of adjunct professors because structurally there’s significant separation,” Beaudoin said. He also said that administrations will often pit tenured and adjunct faculty against each other and it can often seem like there is a competition for resources. According to the American Association of University Professors, in 1975, 30 percent of faculty was part-time, but now non-tenure track jobs make up 70 percent in universities nationally. FFU has created a petition with three specific demands from the administration. The organization would like the university to live up to the recent pronouncement at the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, follow Georgetown University’s lead in adopting the Jesuit Just Employment Policy and hold a meeting between the president, the provost and a group
ANDREA GARCIA/THE FORDHAM RAM
David Andrews, Ph.D., from Loyola University Chicago, spoke to the audience about the power of adjuncts organizing.
of contingent faculty. Bob Howe, senior director for communications at Fordham, commented that pay can increase to $5 thousand a semester depending on credentials. Adjunct Instructor of anthropology Alan Trevithick, a 12 year veteran with a doctorate, countered that he still makes $4,000 a course. According to a 2015 fact sheet on adjunct professors provided to The Fordham Ram states that Fordham pays adjuncts for nine hours of weekly work: three for teaching, four for preparation and grading, and two for office hours. Trevithick and Krasinski both thought this did not accurately reflect the amount of time they spend each week working for the university. Trevithick said the formula the administration uses to calculate adjuncts’ hours has a tenuous relationship with what instructors actually do. “Many of Fordham’s adjuncts are professionals in the New York area who teach on the side; others may have courses that they teach at other schools,” Howe said. Trevithick is married to someone with a full income, but did not know what he would do without her financial support. He said many adjuncts are trying to support a household, but cannot with such a low income. Some simply cannot afford to retire. Some students are standing in solidarity with adjunct faculty members. Lili Huang, FCRH ‘19, and a member of the club Fordham Students United, commented on the conditions of adjunct instructors. “I think Fordham has an obligation to improve the way it treats our adjunct professors. The university cannot give professors only $16 thousand a year and expect them to perform to their highest potential when they are forced to get another job or two just to make ends meet,” Huang said. -Laura Sanicola contributed reporting
April 20, 2016
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OPINION
Page 9
The Fordham Ram
Regulating The Dark k Knights i h of Times Square By BENEDICT CARRIZZO CONTRIBUTING WRITER
I remember seeing the bright lights, B-list celebrities, overpriced restaurants and obnoxious tourists walking around Times Square when I was very young. Before the Naked Cowboy and other eccentric characters arrived, there were the classic superheroes we knew and loved—Batman, Superman, Spiderman, Wonder Woman—and I would enthusiastically tug at my mother’s arm to get a picture with them. They were a staple of my childhood. I was a huge Batman fan. I loved to see him in Times Square (in a costume that could more appropriately be called Batman’s pajamas, but it was cool nevertheless). He would wander around the public square, take pictures with the kids and, sometimes, earn a generous tip from enthusiastic parents. He is, to me, one of the reasons why Times Square was special. It was not just a “tourist trap,” despite the overpriced food and drinks and “I love NY” shirts sold on the street. The costumed characters were good people, happy to make others happy. To my dismay, however, the cuddly characters of yesterday have become the aggressive agitators of today, pressuring tourists to hand over their money to them. What is happening, to the consternation of many characters and tourists, is that some superheroes are harassing and groping tour-
ists. They are also intimidating tourists into giving large tips. The latter issue is not surprising, considering how difficult it is to earn a living as a costumed character. In economically challenging times, it seems natural for panhandlers to get more aggressive since they need more money to survive. Thankfully, this is only the case with a few bad apples. The Naked Cowboy, for example, understands the problem and has expressed solidarity with efforts by the city council to fix the issue. The city council recently passed a bill for the Transportation Department to designate the costumed characters to specific areas in Times Square, lessening the likelihood of assault. Some costumed characters are disappointed with the solution, viewing it as an infringement on their rights to free speech and a threat to their livelihoods. Others see these consequences as a mere nuisance rather than a true threat. The Transportation Department is also commissioned to divide Times Square into “special commercial zones” to use for approved concessions and events. These zones may specifically be created for cultural and educational activity. This is not limited to Times Square, since more than 60 public spaces will become “pedestrian plazas.” Each of them will be unique and house their own set of rules. The bill will better solidify the plazas in the city, making them official public spaces, simi-
COURTESY OF FLICKR
Times Square is a hub for tourism, but harassment from the once-cuddly characters can ruin the experience.
lar to parks and beaches. Local businesses will also be encouraged to work with smaller plazas to provide programming and activities, strengthening the relationship between businesses and the community. This will make Times Square safer for the tourists who yearn for an overpriced dinner and a family photo with Elmo. Tourists will be less miserly and more willing to give tips to someone in a designated space. And the costumed characters can be better managed, which will prevent crimes. If the characters’ behavior is fixed, repu-
tations will improve and they will receive more tips (out of goodwill, not intimidation). If the superheroes gain a reputation as nonchalant and friendly, rather than aggressive and mean, more tourists will be willing to approach and tip them, ultimately improving the condition of Times Square and making it a safer and friendlier place for visitors to pass through. Times Square is known as a quirky place filled with eccentric characters, wacky-themed restaurants and over-the-top street performers. Watching it deviate from this reputation because of a few bad
actors would be depressing, and it would hurt the costumed characters more than anyone else. This decision will improve Times Square and the city as a whole. Making “public plazas” will foster community development, business interaction and, of course, alleviate the contentious issue of costumed-character harassment.
Benedict Carrizzo, FCRH ‘18, is a communication and media studies and English double major from Long Island, New York.
Feminism and Sorority Life Not Mutually Exclusive
BRYNN ANDERSON/AP
Many people have been voicing concerns that sororities promote sexism, but others believe that they are empowering.
By TARYN LOFTUS CONTRIBUTING WRITER
To say that one cannot simultaneously be a member of a sorority and a feminist would be a blatant lie. Feminist theories have thoroughly evolved, and the word evokes variety of definitions. These working definitions range from the stigmatic “manhater” to the belief that men and women are equal and should be treated as such. Feminism is all about empowering women (and other histori-
cally oppressed groups), and if one feels more confident and powerful within a sorority setting, then there is no reason to claim that the individual is not a true feminist. Joining a sorority is not a death sentence to feminism and feminist ideals—there are plenty of young women who participate in sorority events that genuinely serve the community through philanthropic efforts. In some cases, they help members of the sorority to receive a leg-up in employment opportunities.
Even if these young women in sororities did not necessarily become involved in activities intended to promote the well-being of a community or join the sorority to use it as a networking tool, the idea that a young woman cannot be a proud feminist while living in a sorority house is absurd. People in tight-knit communities, such as that of a sorority, should not let the criticism of Greek life discourage them from pledging. Granted, there are distinct rules that apply to sororities nationwide that do have the potential to
seem oppressive, including fining young women who cannot attend all meetings and prohibiting them from serving alcohol at parties, which in some cases gives fraternities more power in determining the social life of any given night. These rules, however, are open to interpretation. In practice, they may not necessarily be as oppressive as some critics of sororities portray them. For example, having penalties for missing a mandatory meeting is not a practice unique to sororities. Missing practices in sports can lead to less playing time, and on a professional level, missing meetings can lead to repercussions within one’s career. There are some self-proclaimed feminists involved in college Greek life who do see an oppressive side to sororities, but they point out that they are members of the sorority nonetheless and use their membership as a basis for eradicating any potential detriments to the feminist movement. For example, Jing Qu, a student at Columbia, and Jamie Fass, a Barnard student, were both quoted in the New York Times this month defending their sorority members. Fass described being competitive within the Greek life system as a better use of competitiveness. As of late critics have been pervasively vocal over female representation in sororities. A 2015
Alabama sorority’s recruitment video drew criticism over the lack of diversity and perceived objectification of women that contributed in their disempowerment. Writer A.L. Bailey said in a statement that this video exaggerated femininity to a level that was “worse for women than Donald Trump.” If the young women of that particular sorority felt confident in how they portrayed themselves within the recruitment video and were satisfied with the results that in itself should advocate for the possibility of women to be both sorority members and feminists. Regardless of personal definitions of the term, feminism is about empowerment, and with empowerment comes confidence. The claim that sororities reject the possibility of feminism is an outdated belief that oppresses women. It may influence women to believe that they cannot possibly join a sorority if they want to be successful and empower others, thus deterring some individuals from pursuing a place in one of these communities. Feminism does not need to be rejected when a woman joins a sorority, and the opportunity to empower women is not lost within Greek life.
Taryn Loftus, FCRH ‘19, is a communication and media studies major from Windsor, Connecticut.
OPINION
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R Serving the Fordham University campus and community since 1918 The Fordham Ram is the university journal of record. The mission of The Fordham Ram is to provide a forum for the free and open exchange of ideas in service to the community and to act as a student advocate. The Fordham Ram is published and distributed free of charge every Wednesday during the academic year to the Rose Hill, Lincoln Center and Westchester campuses with a readership of over 12,000 and a web readershipi of over 300,000. The Fordham Ram office is located in the basement of the McGinley Center, room B-52.
Website FordhamRam.com Email Address theram@fordham.edu Mailing Address Fordham University - Station 37 Box B Bronx, NY 10458 Editor-in-Chief Laura Sanicola Managing Editor 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. Opinions Policy The Fordham Ram appreciates submissions to fordhamramopinions@ gmail.com. Commentaries are printed on a space available basis. The Fordham Ram reserves the right to reject any submission for any reason, without notice. Submissions become the exclusive property of The Fordham Ram. The Fordham Ram reserves the right to edit any submissions. The opinions in The Fordham Ram’s editorials are those of the editorial board; those expressed in articles, letters, commentaries, cartoons or graphics are those of the individual author. No part of The Fordham Ram may be reproduced without written consent.
April 20, 2016
From the Desk | Jack Brennan
Commercial Space Exploration: The Next Step for Man About two weeks ago, Space X landed its drone rocket, the Falcon 9, on a tiny remote platform in the Atlantic Ocean for the first time. This may not seem like huge news, but it is the first step towards the future of space travel: we are on the verge of commercialized space travel. Before we can break down the importance of this landing, it is important to understand how NASA launched its rockets out of the atmosphere. When rockets leave Earth’s atmosphere, they break into smaller pieces and burn up in the atmosphere. This is similar to building the most advanced $200 million house, sleeping in it once and then burning it to the ground. The Falcon 9 rocket, on the other hand, can be used multiple times in a row, which will drastically decrease the amount of money spent on resources and remaking rockets. So why land it on a floating football field in the middle of the ocean instead of solid ground? To land it on flat ground would cost even more money because it would require more fuel to get the
rocket back over land. The rocket launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida and its angle of trajectory is projected to touch back down over the Atlantic Ocean. Sending it back to Florida would waste even more fuel because the rocket would have to make a Uturn to get back. Therefore, the rocket will land where its trajectory takes it, as this is easier and cheaper. This is not the only space news to come out in the past couple of months. Dr. Scott Kelly recently returned from his year onboard the International Space Station for the longest amount of time a human has ever spent in space. Kelly has an identical twin who stayed on Earth while he was in space, giving NASA the ability to compare the medical and biological ways that space affected Kelly’s body. NASA scientists are mainly aiming to use this knowledge to assess how long-term trips to Mars will affect the body. NASA’s space program is underfunded, and this is the reason we must begin to rely on the commercialization of space travel. What is the end game? Why
pour hundreds of millions of dollars into rockets and space exploration? It is because space is the place we must explore next. Humans have an inherent need to explore. Neanderthals were distinctly different from Homo sapiens, not because of their intelligence, but because their species was hindered by a lack of the need to explore. Evidence suggests that they made boats and explored most of Northern Europe all the way to the coast of modern day England. They found no reason to keep going and explore past that, but Homo sapiens had an innate need to go further than before. Our ancestors took larger and larger risks, eventually taking boats hundreds of miles across the ocean for a new life and eternal glory. Our need to explore is in our blood, and it is the reason we are still alive on this planet and Neanderthals are not. As a species, we cannot stop exploring now. These two pieces of space news may seem rather small in comparison to a headline that reads “Life Discovered on Mars,” but both of
these experiments are major steps towards the future of space exploration. Many years from now, we may read about the first man landing on Mars. The only way this can happen is if we keep testing and pushing the limits of space travel. One day we will have these experiments to thank for our trip to Mars. Elon Musk once said, “I would like to die on Mars, just not on impact.” We must perfect all of these aspects of space travel if the human race wants to become a multi-planet species.
Editorial | Campus Dining
Aramark: The Lesser of Two Evils? In an ever changing student body, complaints about Sodexo, Fordham’s current food service provider, have been consistent. Students have taken to national reviews, social media and student publications to lament their campus food options, ranked worst on college campuses by the Princeton Review in 2014. After giving Sodexo an ultimatum to improve the quality of their food or face a three million dollar penalty, the university rescinded the contract, instead opting to restart a request for proposals (RFP) process that would allow food providers to explain why they should provide campus food at Fordham. The results are in: the university has decided to opt for food provider Aramark starting in July. Responses on campus ranged from delight at Sodexo’s deposing to dismay that a provider with a less than stellar track record will be serving them omelettes in the Marketplace this fall. Fear that Fordham’s food service workers would lose their jobs was alleviated when Aramark revealed that they would extend their employ-
ment. The editorial board of The Fordham Ram also applauds Aramark for choosing to retain Fordham’s workers in alignment with the university’s stated desires to do so. In doing so, the Rambound food service provider has not alienated the community that it is about to join, one that actively stood beside the workers since questions about their employment status during the RFP process first arose. But what changes will Aramark actually make to the food scene at Fordham? This becomes the real question now that Fordham’s workers will be retained. While we could not expect specifics in the initial email announcement from the Senior Vice President for Student Affairs about such a drastic change, we remain curious as to what “high standards in quality assurance and management” mean or how “performance monitoring of student satisfaction” will be carried out. Some members of the Fordham community have pointed out troubling information about Aramark that does not bode posi-
tively for the company. Last year, ThinkProgress reported that Aramark fed the prisoners at the Michigan Saginaw Correctional Facility food that was previously thrown in the trash. In an email between Aramark’s General Manager, Sigfried Linder, and Michigan’s Department of Corrections, Linder said, “Mr. Chisolm discarded the leftovers from the line before the last half unit was in the chow hall.” He then realized that there were more inmates to serve, so he rinsed them off, reheated them in the oven and instructed the inmates to serve them,” read one email. There have been several more instances of poor food quality in other state prisons served by Aramark. Prisoners are not the only people who have revolted against Aramark. According to the Watertown Daily Times, nearly 700 students at Clarkson University signed an online petition asking the administration to sever the contract with Aramark. The petition stated, “Aramark does not care about the students they are feeding; Aramark is solely driven
by their bottom line. Students received wilted, slimy, curtailed food and enough is enough.” It is unclear if the university is simply exchanging one poor food service for another, but if our experiences are like those at Clarkson or Michigan Saginaw, it seems possible that food service providers are incapable of getting it right—or that student satisfaction will never be guaranteed. East Tennessee State University recently switched from Aramark to Sodexo due to the longer dining hall hours and varied food options that Sodexo’s proposal included, although the university’s statement did not say anything about dissatisfaction with Aramark’s services. Sodexo was an obvious public relations nightmare for the university, and by disassociating itself with Sodexo, the university can start fresh—at least for now. The editorial board feels that quick results are needed to satisfy the community and high dining standards must be obtained. If not, opinions throughout the community might not be so kind come mid-fall semester.
Disagree with our editorial? Let us know your opinion at fordhamrameditorial@gmail.com!
OPINION
April 20, 2016
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Fordham Allocates Money for More Administration Instead of Representation This op-ed was submitted by John J. Davenport, professor of philosophy at Fordham On Wednesday, I learned the university is strongly considering adding a Vice President of Diversity in response to the concerns that emerged last year and were much-discussed on campus (as well as in the president’s helpful letters to our community). I recall something about such a VP position in December 2015 in the report of the Task Force on Gender and Race put together by the Faculty Senate, but had not thought much of it at the time. While I understand the push in this direction, as a member of the Budget Planning Committee, please let me register a couple pleas to consider alternatives that may be more productive in the long run. As the temporary leader of the Peace & Justice program, I also have a special concern with this issue—though what I say below represents only my opinion, given my limited information and fallibility, and not any kind of statement by the P&J program. While I know many universities have been adding such a VP position, and while I am as concerned as my colleagues about racial bias incidents and expressions of student discontent, I cannot see how this is going to help us get to the root of our problems. A new VP, along with attendant staff, could cost over $500 thousand a year. This would be sufficient for 15 to 20 scholarships for minority students, including perhaps five with full rides (for example, full tuition and dorm fees). While there are other minority-student scholarships available from foundations, we could focus on recruiting talented students from our own five boroughs of New York City and nearby in New Jersey and Connecticut. We could also fund 10 new scholarships and two new faculty positions, which are already sorely needed in some departments. We have been told that diversity-hires are possible but have not been assured that there is any funding for this. Well, $500 thousand could fund at least four such hires of varying ranks. Why should these kinds of priori-
Kathryn Wolper Online Content: Quality Over Quantity Facebook often promotes content without engaging users in meaningful interactions. The empty promotion of this content does not produce the types of interactions that are appealing to advertisers and the metrics that measure views do not measure the quality of the interactions. Facebook incentivizes clickbait while meaningful content from well-known creators is edged out of users’ News Feeds. The New York Times reports that media websites are experiencing signs of distress, including layoffs and budget cuts. Furthermore, Facebook is changing the way users interact with content, which decreases advertisers’ security in their ability to reach readers. Facebook is unveiling Instant Articles, which boast a tenfold increase in speed compared to standard mobile web articles, a 20 percent increase in the overall number of arti-
ties be sacrificed to add a new administrative office that can, at best, be a cheerleader for the cause of more racial tolerance and awareness in our programs, which in itself does nothing to change any biased attitudes or address any deeper resentments? While I am sure the person hired would have the best of intentions, faculty members are capable of improving our programs without an expensive cheerleader. We could, for example, move the American Pluralism requirement to freshman year, broaden its coverage and even connect it with an expanded set of service-learning options such as peer institutions, similar to what Tulane has in its freshman program. With
those with heavy work-study or loan burdens to get involved in ventures that are aimed directly at improving the lives of people struggling under the burdens of poverty, under-education, poor health care and financial illiteracy. We could help John Hope Bryant set up a Bronx office for his Hope organization, which helps poor citizens improve their credit scores (just one example). While we are working to raise money for these initiatives—which have the potential to raise the university’s profile, attract lots of alumni interest and really impress high school students considering applying to Fordham, it is painful to think that the university would instead add half a million dollars in new
THE FORDHAM RAM ARCHIVES
Fordham should allocate more money to scholarships for students of color.
NYC as our living set of exhibits, this should do a lot more to educate our students about the different experiences and challenges faced by various groups. But maybe the fear is that this would be a very expensive program to run, if (say) half the American Pluralism courses had service-learning connected with them. It would not be cheap, but I bet that $500 thousand could cover most of its costs. A lot can be done with half a million dollars. I serve on the university’s task force for Social Innovation and we dream of having just $100 thousand to work with. With $200 thousand we could do incredible things, like setting up fellowships for students that would encourage even
cles read and a 70 percent decrease in the likelihood that readers abandon articles, according to Facebook. Since advertising structures are based on viewership, Facebook’s statistics on Instant Articles make it seem appealing to content creators searching for more views. However, Facebook has used a very low standard for what qualifies as a “view” of a Facebook video, according to vlogger Hank Green and research by Sonja Foust. Unlike on YouTube, where viewers must stay with the video for at least 30 seconds for their views to be counted, Facebook counts a view after just three seconds, regardless of whether sound is enabled. This metric makes it seem like Facebook videos get many more views than YouTube videos, which is a cheap attempt by Facebook to undermine the years of community development by content creators on YouTube. Viewers who watch a video for more than 30 seconds are engaging more meaningfully with the content and the advertised product than those who watch for only three seconds. Also, viewers on YouTube subscribe to specific content creators.
annual operating expenses. These would amount to merely a symbolic gesture, a bureaucratic band-aid on a wound that does nothing to heal it. There are at least 10 ways that money could be better spent. We have existing offices, such as Campus Ministry, that could handle most of what a VP for diversity might be able to do. We already have an Office of Multicultural Affairs with four good staff members, as well as other staff members in Student Life focused on diversity issues and related student organizations. The university needs to be cutting administrative personnel in some areas, which have expanded massively in the last 20 years, according
to faculty studies. I know that our leadership is aware of this, and thus there have been hiring freezes and budget squeezes in every area. As a result, some offices, such as Student Life, might even need more positions and better salaries at this point. My sense from looking at budgets is that we need to find between five to seven million dollars in annual operating cuts and replacements with new endowment proceeds to both ensure that we are on a balanced trajectory and provide at least one to two million dollars for new initiatives prioritized by the faculty. If we came up with a list of options and polled all faculty members, I doubt that many would put a VP of diversity at the top of the list. Funding for conference travel commensurate with a research university would rank much higher, along with more faculty positions in crucial areas, and perhaps for the Social Innovation initiative (once faculty members understand all that it promises). We also need temporary housing for new faculty and visiting faculty, as well as seed money for well-conceived centers that would raise our scholarly profile. These proposed centers are sitting in limbo because of financial constraints. These are just a few examples, and my colleagues can add many more to the list. In this situation, while other more important priorities are on hold or are scrimping for every dime, adding $500 thousand for a new administrative office that would be a mere fifth wheel is offensive. Faculty members need to have a stronger role in helping to decide such budget priorities. In over 18 years here, I have not been one to object publicly to central administration directives or plans. I try instead to speak privately with individuals rather than write editorials. It is not my desire to stir up more upset in this sensitive case. But I feel a strong duty to speak out in this case, and I will try to circulate this plea to colleagues at both FCRH and FCLC.
COURTESY OF FLICKR
Facebook’s algorithms do not take personal interactions into account.
Furthermore, YouTube content is notable for its tendency to foster communities around content, whereas Facebook videos are geared towards shares and sensationalism. The videos that tend to go viral on the social media platform are not personal. Rather, they are cooking videos, interesting animated infographics and videos of cute animals. Nevertheless, both Facebook videos and YouTube videos are measured in views, even though this term has a different meaning on each platform. Thus, Facebook promotes videos uploaded through its platforms, putting YouTube videos at a serious disadvantage on Facebook. The way in which Facebook has integrated video into its News Feeds
may be an indicator of how Instant Articles will work. If Instant Articles compromise the view metric in the same way that videos have, media websites and content creators may still be in trouble. Their exposure to Facebook users’ feeds will increase, but this increase does not ensure quality interactions with the content. If the trajectory of Instant Articles matches that of Facebook videos, the quality of the articles may suffer for clicks and views. To thrive, media websites must place their trust in Facebook’s algorithms, which leverage users’ interests and tailor content specifically to what users will like. Alternatively, media websites must tailor their structures to the needs and preferences of users.
Marcelle Meyer Charter Schools: An Unfortunate Necessity I consider myself fairly liberal on most issues. I do not want education or other governmentfunded services to be privatized. Instead, I want them to be expanded. I have generally been opposed to charter schools because I saw them as harmful to the future of public education. They only help a limited number of students and take funding away from developing public schools. However, after a significant amount of exposure to charter schools in the South Bronx, I have a different idea. The South Bronx is the poorest district in the nation. With more than one-third of people living below the poverty line, it should be at the top of New York State’s list of priorities in terms of education, infrastructure and crime reduction. As of 2012, 90 percent of high school students graduated unprepared for college-level work. I will always defend fixing public education. However, when the government decides that my own neighbors are not worth an education overhaul, I will defend these students first. Charter schools in the South Bronx have, at the very least, given some students the opportunity to succeed. This is an important achievement because it appears that the only other option is simply failure. I am tired of hearing that we cannot have programs that only help a select group of students, all while these same voices refuse to promote programs that help all students. I am tired of knowing that the only people who appear to care about education in the South Bronx are charter school founders, rather than officials the community elected. I am tired of going home to New Orleans, Louisiana and seeing the same thing: a broken public education system that is only somewhat revived by the efforts of charter schools. When liberal activists say that private school vouchers and charter schools are taking the focus away from fixing public education, they have a point, and I am usually one of those voices. However, when the government decides that certain neighborhoods are beyond repair, people should be able to help charter schools to help even just a few children. Saying that we should fix public education is easy, but our application is half-hearted at best and catastrophic at worst. Maybe these schools will actually teach children to be the leaders who change how we educate our youth. In the meantime, I cannot possibly be opposed to a legitimate alternative to a failing public education system.
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The Fordham Ram
Expressions Dance Alliance Honors 15 Years By JULIANNE FERREIRA CONTRIBUTING WRITER
This past weekend Expressions Dance Alliance held their Spring Showcase, marking the group’s 15th anniversary at Fordham. “This very special milestone has made us reflect on how both Expressions and dance have evolved over the years,” said Katherine Kelly, FCRH ’17, president of Expressions. “For 15 years, Expressions has brought the art and athleticism of dance to Fordham.” The 16-member company paid homage to Expressions’ history with 13 student-choreographed dances of varying styles, including a tap dance to “Bills” by Lunchmoney Lewis, a contemporary piece to Adele’s “I Miss You” and even a hip-hip routine to “Missy” by Missy Elliot. Hannah Lyons, FCRH ’16, created her own Snapchat geotag for the showcase, a filter overlay that shows a location or celebration of an event. According to Snapchat’s geofilter submission guidelines, if a submitted geofilter is approved and selected by the social network application, it becomes available to those in the local area to share. An event must be deemed worthy enough for a filter. During the girls’ quick changes between dances, campus a cappella groups, such as The Ramblers and The Satin Dolls entertained the crowd, and several Expressions alumni also graced the stage to reminisce about their time with
COURTESY OF HANNAH LYONS
The Fordham Expressions Dance Alliance has been a creative space for dancers to bond and showcase their talents.
the group. “We usually have a number of recent alums come back, but this show had even more,” said dancer Hannah Lyons, FCRH ’16. What is noticeable about the dance group is the closeness of its memebrs, who spend several hours a week rehearsing with one another. “We’re such a tight-knit group of girls and we love hanging out outside of rehearsal, which is saying something since we already spend so much time together in [the dance studio],” Lyons said. Father Dzieglewicz S.J., the group’s advisor for the last 15 years, reiterated this sentiment. “I have seen a camaraderie develop
not only among current members, but across the years with previous members,” Dzieglewicz said. “Seeing so many of the original members attend the 15th anniversary show demonstrated this so well.” Expressions began in 2001 when founder, Angela Paparone, GSB ’04, saw a need to create a space for talented students to bring together their unique dance backgrounds in order to express themselves. Prior to its inception, there was no other dance performance group at Fordham. According to the club’s mission on its Facebook page, Expressions prides itself on welcoming dancers from all dance backgrounds including jazz, contemporary, ballet, tap, hip hop and
more. In an e-mail Paparone sent to the current group’s members right before their spring show, she detailed the struggles to get the club off the ground. She, and a small group of fellow dancers at the time, petitioned the university for a rehearsal space and filled out a proposal for “four or five different spaces around campus” while being kicked out of many rooms, according to Paparone’s account. Thanks to the efforts of those founding members, a dance studio was created especially for Expressions in 2007 as part of the restoration of Keating Basement. Keating B23 became their new home, complete with oak floors.
Though the rehearsal space did not come to fruition in time for the original members to enjoy, this marked a key evolution for Expressions to create even better performances. Current members said they have a special place in their heart for Paparone’s efforts. During one quick break between routines, Vice President of Expressions, Gianna Rosamilia, FCRH ’16, read aloud an email from Paparone what the girls received right before their performances. “There was a girl who wanted to join Expressions when we first started, but she thought it was a better idea to suspend all possible dance rehearsals, shows and classes until we got the university to build us a space,” Paparone said. “We parted ways, differing opinions. We danced because we loved to dance. It didn’t matter if we danced in a hallway, an ancient theater with the oldest lighting panel ever or a classroom. We just wanted to dance. And 15 years later, look at all the memories, happiness and creativity that has come of it.” As for the future of the group, Expressions will be losing four seniors. Lyons hopes the group’s legacy will continue. “I would love it to continue to be as much fun as it is now,” Lyons said. “When I finished high school, I thought that I was done dancing forever, but I found Expressions and got to keep it going. I hope that the company gives more girls that same opportunity.”
La Dolce Vita | Lisbon, Portugal
Lessons From Lisbon on Progressive Drug Policy By PASQUALE GIANNI STAFF WRITER
LISBON, PORTUGAL—This city is the kind of place that makes you realize the value of travel. Unfortunately, it’s not one of the most frequently visited European cities. For starters, it’s a tourist’s dream, with cheap, excellent food and picturesque beauty. The city is defined by many hills, colorful houses, serene waterfronts and rustic looks. You’ll also find beautiful old trollies that help move the city through its rugged hills. I took one to the Castel of Sao Jorge, a beautiful medieval Moorish castle perched up with some of the best views in the city. Like any great city, it has to have equally great food. Lisbon certainly meets the mark on this one. The city is famous for having food halls, and chief among them is the Time Out Food Hall along the coast of the city-center. Here, you can sample the country’s best dishes and beverages. About 30 different vendors of seafood, meats, sweets, beers, wines, cocktails and inventive dishes are packed with long lines and surround huge communal tables, where patrons fight over open seats to eat and laugh all day
long. Despite the many family friendly tourist attractions in Lisbon, it is tough to walk more than a couple blocks in Lisbon without being asked by a local in a casual manner if you’d like to buy marijuana or cocaine. I was unaware of the details of Portugal’s drug laws, so this was quite shocking to me. The incredibly relaxed attitude led me to do some research, and what I concluded was that maybe (just maybe) the Portuguese are on to something here. The country decriminalized the usage of common drugs (such as marijuana, heroin, cocaine and ecstasy) in 2001, making it among the few countries in the world to take a progressive approach to drug policy. The significant decriminalization of all drugs applies to drugs in the amount of a 10 day supply or less. Although the 2001 legislation upheld the illegal status for drug possession, this offense was changed from a criminal malfeasance to an administrative one. This means the drugs are still technically illegal, but those caught with them are typically mandated to attend some treatment programs through public health services that aim to socially reintegrate drug users, opposed
to jail time and fines. In addition, health has become one of the main focuses of the new policy, which is highlighted by a clean-needle program. Yes, heroin addicts can walk into a pharmacy and trade in their used needles for new clean ones, along with a pamphlet indicating where they might be able to receive help for their addiction, at no cost. In the first 15 years since the law’s inauguration, it has, all in all, proven effective. This is measured by a 17 percent decrease in new HIV infections, as well as a sharp drop in the number of annual drug-related deaths. Moreover, drug usage has roughly stayed the same, not sharply increased as the law’s initial critics had predicted. The basic reasoning for this is that if someone was not going to use heroin previously, its decriminalization would not stop them from continuing to use. This line of thinking does not acknowledge that drug addiction is personal, and when it comes to the ongoing conversation in the U.S. over marijuana legalization and decriminalization, the 15 year experiment in Portugal may be of use in our debate. The rough transition from Lisbon being a wonderful and vibrant city to visit to an analysis
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Lisbon is the unexpected tourist paradise, with cheap prices and great sites.
of its drug laws is not without at least some purpose. Travel is not just enjoyable, but can open your eyes to the world in more than just a geographical sense. It piques your curiosity. Undoubtedly you will learn new things along the way and leave with a mind more open towards new ideas and cultures.
On one hand I got to see a remarkable city, eat good food, interact with beautiful people and relax on the beach. And on the other, I walked away a more learned person with a new perspective on drug policy. As Henry Miller put it, “One’s destination is never a place, but a new way of seeing things.”
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April 20, 2016
Sweet ‘N’ Sour | Caitlyn Letterii and Patrick Hood
Review | Film
A Bronx Restaurant Pho You and Me
Everybody Wants Some!!
Located under the Kingsbridge 4 Train station on Jerome Avenue, this authentic Vietnamese restaurant is largely unknown to the Fordham populace. It may be a little out of the way compared to other local eateries, but for ‘pho phans,’ it is well worth the trip. It’s an especially nice place to go if you want to make an afternoon of it. Check out some of the other hotspots in the area like St. James Park (which is bustling and beautiful) and the very cool Kingsbridge Armory, if you want to get a little local history. CL: Entering Com Tam Ninh Kieu was like entering one of the hip lofts in any happening and gentrified neighborhood in Brooklyn because of its slight, and most likely accidental, industrial atmosphere and very dim lighting. It was rather spacious and would be fine for groups of up to eight or so. But don’t worry if you’re dining alone because the giant mirror covering one wall will trick you into thinking you have a friend. PH: The mirror is also great if you want to recreate the hit song “Mirror in the Bathroom” by the English Beat and watch yourself while you are eating. Being directly under the 4 train definitely contributed to that industrial feeling, but ultimately, I was not bothered by the periodic sky rumblings as I am quite comfortable with the idea that we are all sinners in the hands of an angry God. There was also a darling little citrus tree in the front that added some pleasant greenery to the joint, but according to a very emphatic sign taped to it, we were not allowed to touch the tree in any way. CL: Service was quick (although it took a while to get the bill later), and I was pleased to receive complimentary tea, even if it left something to be desired. There were a lot of vegetarian options which was nice, since pho dishes are usually beef broth based. I decided to go with the do xao chay, a vegetable stir fry, as a pho entree. PH: Being a pho restaurant, I also found it prudent to order the pho. I
had pho xe lua, which, according to the menu, was a special combo with thin slices of steak, well done brisket, tripe and whatever Hank tendon is. After a brief Google search, I am pretty sure it was just a typo, not an actual thing that I could eat. I am also not positive that there was brisket in my pho, but I’ll just have to take their word for it. They seemed trustworthy enough. CL: The portions, as is typical of pho restaurants, were huge. They really solidified the place as an economical choice for all of you out there ballin’ on a budget. The meal itself was quite delicious and filled with all of my top veggies, from carrots to bok choy. The various tastes really complimented each other and the noodles provided a nice base. We also were given a plate of garnishes to top off our meals, and I recommend tossing in the bean sprouts to give your pho a refreshing and healthy crunch. PH: I really could not stop munching away on those bean sprouts! Talk about tasty. Call me a glutton, but even after I finished my meal I still found myself grabbing handfuls of those little suckers. As for my main course, I was satisfied with my pho, but not thrilled. Admittedly I am not a huge fan of pho, and this did nothing to change my mind. The broth was tasty, as were the noodles and steak. But, the bumpy and much too chewy tentacle-tangles that would occasionally surface and looked like something out of a Syfy Channel original movie and were less tasty. But one place where the meal did succeed was in sating my ravenous hunger, because I left Com Tam Ninh Kieustuffed to the gills. CL: But remember, Patrick, always save room for dessert! PH: Ask my cardiologist, Caitlyn, because I always do. CL: We decided to split an order of Che 3 Mau, also known as rainbow 3 color, which was a funky, chunky, sweet and solid beverage. PH: I would liken it to horchata, as it was a sweet milk-based dessert drink. It also contained little treasures like red
beans, cake crumbs, ice, green gelatin of some sort and hints of coconut. CL: If you have commitment issues like I do, check those anxieties at the door my friend, because the plethora of flavors meant you never had to be tied down by one taste for too long. This is a must try for any horchata fans out there. PH: So Caitlyn, I think you know what time it is. CL: Oh, you bet. It’s time for us to give our official Sweet ‘n’ Sour ratings. I have almost no complaints about this restaurant. The ambience was not exactly welcoming, and yet I felt at home. The vegetarian options were plentiful and delicious. The only negative part of my meal was when I accidentally ate a hot pepper and almost (figuratively) died of fright. Thankfully the rainbow 3 color quenched the conflagration on my tongue. So for saving my life (figuratively) and leaving me full, I give Com Tam Ninh Kieu a Sweet Rating of 4.5 out of 5 stars. PH: I was also satisfied with our meal, but I’m a little less generous with my rating. While the food was filling, especially for the price, the meal did not wow me. I’m still waiting to have pho that really impresses me. Maybe my standards are too high and I need to take a good long look at myself and what I value in life. But probably not. For the price, the restaurant’s great location, the quality of food and the service, I’m doling out a Sweet Rating of 3 out of 5 stars. Overall Recommendations: You should try the bean sprouts, the do xao chay and the che 3 mau. You should pass on the tiny tentacles and touching the tree. You’ll get in trouble! Restuarant Info: Com Tam Ninh Kieu Address: 2641 Jerome Ave (Near the Kingsbridge 4 Train station) Phone number: 718-365-2680 Hours: Everyday 9 a.m. - 8.30 p.m. Price: Cheap (and cash only)
COURTESY OF FLICKR
Linklater was nominated for Best Director at the 2015 Oscars for Boyhood.
By DELANEY BENISON STAFF WRITER
Director and writer, Richard Linklater who brought you Dazed and Confused brings you Everybody Wants Some!!. This testosterone-filled sequel strikes at the simplicity and heart of the unsupervised college experience in the 80s. Called “deceptively deep,” the movie hits it off with surprising and subtle thought provoking scenes with a lot of heart. The story line revolves around Jake, a college freshman, who becomes one of the guys, meets girls and spends the first three days of college getting his official baseball team membership. The movie is not action-packed, but it is centered around strong, energetic characters that drive the plot and create a connection between the audience and the boys on the baseball team. In order to generate authenticity in his films, Linklater often pulls from his own life experiences when writing and directing. He said in an interview with NPR that “Dazed and Confused was my high school; this is my college.” Linklater had the cast live together for three weeks before shooting, which created fraternity-like bonds to prepare
them for filming the baseball brotherhood. Blake Jenner, Tyler Hoechlin, Glen Powell and Wyatt Russell star in the film as smooth talking young adults who use their quick wit and charm to make sure that they are always having a good time. In Linklater’s films, there is always an emphasis on comingof-age. Everybody Wants Some!! shows the worry from both freshman who are frequent victims of hazing and upperclassmen who realize their life beyond college is soon coming, despite that it is only the start of the year. The struggle with the reality of college frames the film, creating a balance in the film; it demonstrates that everyone is afraid of the unknown and wants to know that past experiences will have been worth it. The name of the movie (based off of Van Halen’s song “Everybody Wants Some!!” with, not one, but two exclamation points) highlights the idea that the guys are chasing girls between constant betting, competition and partying. Still, these characters want to retain their individuality while hopefully being a part of something greater. Funny and captivating, Everybody Wants Some!! is a great tribute to the 80s and the college life everyone thinks they know.
Noted: An Inside Look at Acappella from Fordham’s Hot Notes By ANNEMARIE MARCONI STAFF WRITER
It was a warm Sunday night in April, and while many students were enjoying a late night chat on Eddie’s or finishing up assignments in the library, the Hot Notes were hard at work, practicing new songs and perfecting harmonies in the Keating Basement. “We’re in the middle of sectionals,” Brendan Caulfield, FCRH ’17, said. The tenors and basses were practicing separate from the altos and sopranos so the different voices could learn their parts before coming together to rehearse as a big group. “It speeds up the process,” he said. On this night, they were rehearsing a jazz mash-up of two Sara Bareilles songs, “Bluebird” and “Kaleidoscope Heart.” The tenors and basses first heard their parts played on the piano and then repeated what they had heard in harmony with each other. Every sound has a purpose and they truly try to recreate the noises of the instruments with their voices. Even their breathing was calculated, with members inhaling at the
COURTESY OF THE HOT NOTES
The Hot Notes will perform their new show, Star Wars: A New Note, at Collins Auditorium on April 24, at 7:30 p.m.
same rests. While the breakdown between upper and lower voices is usually female/male, there was one female member who sang tenor last semester. This time, however, she is back with the ladies who carry the melody. Amy Caffrey, FCRH ’16, took a break from leading the upper voices to announce: “This is one of the hardest songs we’ve ever done.” While this particular arrangement was outsourced, the Hot Notes do
perform songs of their own arrangements quite frequently. Caulfield knows a thing or two about arrangements, considering he arranged the most recent set the Hot Notes performed all by himself. Not only did that set advance them to the semifinals of the International Championship of Collegiate Acappella, Caulfield won an award for Outstanding Arrangement in the quarterfinal. This special award, according to the
ICCA website, is not required to have a winner and may be given at the judges’ discretion. The set included jazz renditions of Drake’s recent hit “Hotline Bling” and Fetty Wap’s club anthem “679.” “I wanted to do something fun, but still fitting into our jazz sound,” said Caulfield of his winning arrangement. “It was really entertaining, but clearly a great competitive set as well.” While
Caulfield took on this successful arrangement himself, any member is welcome to submit an arrangement. The International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella (ICCA) is hosted by Varsity Vocals, a global a cappella organization that hosts college and high school competitions. The Hot Notes’ most recent appearance at ICCA was very successful. “The top two groups from each quarterfinal advance to the semifinal,” said Caulfield. Since the Hot Notes placed second overall in the quarterfinal, they were able to advance to the semifinal round, an impressive feat given that the competition covered the whole Mid-Atlantic region. For semifinals, they got to compete among the collegiate a cappella’s best in Philadelphia. Now that the Hot Notes are back at Fordham and have finished competing for the season, they will continue performing around campus. Their upcoming concert, Star Wars: A New Note, is this Sunday, April 24, at 7:30 p.m. in Collins Auditorium.
CULTURE
April 20, 2016
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Editor’s Pick | “BoJack Horseman”
Finding Humor in an Unconventional Comedic Character By LAURA SANICOLA EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
There are three things I need more of in my life right now: time, sleep and animated horses. I’m talking (of course) about the return of what may be my all-time favorite TV show: “BoJack Horseman.” This summer Netflix original is due for a third season, and I am awaiting its release the way restless students in the Class of 2016 are awaiting theirs. The main character, a cynical former sitcom star and animated horse, battles alcoholism, depression and an unyielding case of “I messed my life up,” relatable, at least in part, for college students. BoJack struggles to make himself desirable to friends or romantic partners, but frequently reverts to a meaningless affair with his ambitious, equally depressed agent and animated cat, Princess Carolyn. It’s strange, but oddly encouraging, to see Netflix putting time and money into a show like “BoJack Horseman.” As the animated surrealist show is jam-packed with narcissistic characters, BoJack is unlikely to grow beyond the die-hard audience that started watching in 2014. However, by investing in talented actors and animators, Netflix has deftly produced one of the best programs on the computer screen this year. That’s because “BoJack Horse-
COURTESY OF FLICKR
Many fans are eagerly waiting for Netflix to release the third season of “BoJack Horseman,” an oddball comedy.
man” is full of oddities: it is animated and funny but filled with heavy emotion. It is a harsh satire that is executed as a lighthearted sitcom. The show might introduce us to a “Dada” type world in which human beings and anthropomorphic animals coexist, but the world of “BoJack Horseman” is built on uncomfortable truths with characters that ring with authenticity. Season two picks up where we left BoJack (voiced by Will Arnett): pursuing the opportunity to revive his career as a result of the new release of his tell-all biography. He used that opportunity to finally star in his dream project, the movie biopic Secretariat. At the same time, his former biographer Diane Nguy-
en (Alison Brie) finds married life with a hyper labrador retriever Mr. Peanutbutter (Paul F. Tompkins) to be a greater struggle than she realizes. BoJack’s agent Princess Carolyn (Amy Sedaris) finds herself still cleaning up after BoJack while balancing her dysfunctional love life, while BoJack’s long time roommate Todd (Aaron Paul) falls into another series of crazy misadventures. This might ring familiar to the show’s original fans, but creator and show-runner Raphael BobWaksberg subtly gives each person in the supporting cast a chance to work individually and thrive separately from BoJack himself. BoJack’s off-and-on relationship with both Diane and Princess Carolyn
has been abandoned, and he shares surprisingly little screen time with Todd, previously his chief sidekick. Instead, BoJack is given more of an opportunity to showcase the many stages of middle-aged depression. Last season recreated much of the atmosphere that made the first season ground-breakingly funny and enthralling. The sharp jokes were delivered quickly and the dialogue was even more biting as the writers become more comfortable with their actors’ rhythm. The dialogue between characters is so quick and layered that it has taken me months to unpack the humor. There were fewer cheap jokes about the nature of the anthropomorphic world being made (though Mr. Peanutbut-
ter’s struggle with a pet cone is a masterpiece), and a better exploration of the internal logic of this anthropoid animal farm. For example, there’s a smart look at ethical chicken farming when Todd falls for a fugitive hen, bred-to-be-eaten by a better-educated chicken. “Of all the places that will eventually kill her, Gentle Farms seemed like the best,” he’s told. “BoJack” does not fail to deliver some mindless pleasures, including Mr. Peanutbutter’s new J.D. Salinger themed game show, but the horse himself carries the season’s emotional weight. Though he appears to be committed to a new positive life approach, the moments when he inevitably spirals into deep flaws and crippling self-consciousness lead to commitment issues with his owl girlfriend (Lisa Kudrow)—which are weirdly moving while never feeling contrived or emotionally manipulative. Still, I am drawn to the show’s emphasis on human failure. BoJack’s existential struggle makes life harder for himself by pushing people away. It is hardly a reason to laugh, except that he is a cartoon horse, but it is not a foreign experience. So no, “BoJack Horseman” is not a traditional comedy, but an important one. If Netflix’s commitment to the show remains unwavering, I’m deeply impressed. Now bring me season three.
Woman of the Hour| Erin Cabrey
Kerry Washington is Back on Capital Hill in HBO’s Confirmation Everyone knows Kerry Washington as White House crisis manager Olivia Pope in “Scandal,” but HBO’s new film Confirmation sees Washington take on a very different situation in the nation’s capital. Washington stars in the film as Anita Hill, a woman who inspired a generation of women to take action against injustice. Revisiting History In 1991, law school professor Anita Hill was called to testify during Clarence Thomas’ Supreme Court hearings after accusing him of sexual harassment when the two worked together at the Department of Education, and later, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Speaking on his character, Hill detailed alleged encounters that occurred over their nearly three years of working together. Thomas denied all allegations, and public opinion favored Thomas over Hill. He was confirmed into the Senate with a 52 to 48 vote in October of 1991. Kerry Washington has brought Hill’s story to the forefront again in Confirmation, which chronicles the events that unfolded when Hill came forward with her accusations against Thomas. As star and executive producer of the film, Washington retells the story for those who remember the hearings that dominated the news and introduces a new generation to a story that remains just as relevant as ever. A USA Today review praised Washington’s nuanced performance, which she prepared for by meeting with Hill and closely studying the proceedings. “She expertly captures Hill’s emotionally drained speaking
style. Yet what’s equally impressive is her use of silence, in the way she watches Thomas on TV, breathing slowly and weighing whether she should put herself forward, or the way she closes her eyes and gathers herself before she speaks,” the review by Robert Bianco said. Kerrying the Torch Kerry Washington, a Bronx native, attended the Spence School in Manhattan and graduated from George Washington University in 1998. She went on to hold supporting roles in films such as teen drama Save the Last Dance and as Chris Rock’s wife in Bad Company. She also gained recognition for her role in The Last King of Scotland and as Ray Charles’ wife in Ray. In 2009 she debuted on Broadway in the David Mamet show “Race.” In 2012, Washington became the first African-American actress since 1974 to be the lead in a network
television drama as Olivia Pope on the Shonda Rhimes ABC political drama “Scandal.” Washington’s performance, which has earned her an NAACP award along with Golden Globe, Emmy and SAG Award nominations, has made Olivia Pope a modern television icon and caused every working girl to wish her wardrobe was half as amazing as hers. She is not only promoting female empowerment through her television and movie roles, but in her own life too. Washington has recently spoken out about her refusal to conform to Hollywood’s beauty norms, a decision which cost her many roles early on in her career. She is also a brand ambassador for Neutrogena and creative consultant on their new line of foundations unveiled earlier this month, which have redefined “nude” as a concept that stresses inclusivity and encompasses the diverse shades of all women’s skin.
Confirmation Conversation Kerry Washington has been very vocal about the challenges of gender and race in today’s society, and her role as Anita Hill in Confirmation shines light on both of these issues. As an incredibly controversial case that Washington said divided her parents’ otherwise concordant political opinions when she was a young teen, the case ignited discourse regarding gender and race in politics and sexual harassment in the workplace at time when these issues were largely underreported. The hearings are credited with the rise of women’s involvement in politics after the mostly-male Congress’ treatment of Hill. Labeled “The Year of the Woman,” 1992 saw the election of four women to the Senate for the first time in a single election year. The hearings also raised public awareness of sexual harassment, as the number of these cases filed
RICHARD SHOTWELL / AP IMAGES
Kerry Washington, who stars as Anita Hill in Confirmation, has become a household name for her role in “Scandal.”
doubled following the hearings and prevention videos were introduced in the workplace. Despite these incredible improvements following the Clarence Thomas hearings, Washington believes there is still much progress to make. “I do think we still have a lot of work to do, in terms of creating a society where it is completely safe to speak out on injustice,” she said in an interview with Refinery29. “I think sometimes we vilify people who speak out, still. It’s much better than it was. But we still have work to do.” The progress made by Anita Hill’s testimony was astronomical for the time, but, as Washington reminds us, it is important not to be complacent. Speaking out against and combatting injustice of any kind continues to be a daunting task, especially for women, whether it be in the gender wage gap or Kesha’s highly-publicized allegations against Dr. Luke. The difference between 1991 and today is that more women are telling their stories, though positive results continue to be difficult to achieve. That is precisely why we need women like Kerry Washington leading us forward by pushing back against injustice and keeping stories like Hill’s alive in national discourse today. “It would have been more comfortable to remain silent,” said Hill in her 1991 testimony and repeated Washington in Confirmation. As Hill demonstrated and Washington reminds us, there can only be change when one breaks through the silence and starts a conversation, ensuring that we never forget to keep moving forward.
CULTURE
Page 18
April 20, 2016
Who’s That Kid? | It’s Will Farrell GSB ’18
Gabelli Sophomore Ventures into the Art World By LAURA SANICOLA EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
As many Gabelli finance students prepare for careers on Wall Street or start-up companies, one has eyes on something a little more—Rothko. Dallas Native William Farrell, GSB ’18, sits in Hughes Hall for class but envisions a future entrenched in the art world. “It’s definitely not something I consider a hobby,” Will told me at Cosi on a cold day in early April. “It’s something that’s always been part of who I am.” Finance isn’t a hobby for him, either; it’s a strategic tool to help him navigate the tumultuous and everchanging art world. “I think a lot of people get lost in in the art business is the foundational skills of how to run a gallery,” Will admitted with the self-awareness of a true art professional. But he was quick to remark that he himself doesn’t create thiw own art. “I mean, I do,” he conceded, “… but I’d never show anything of my
own.” Instead, he collaborates with visionaries such as 18 year old “Father Steve,” a young artist who has created clothes worn by rappers such as Wiz Khalifa. This union inspired Will to put down $9000 to rent a storefront on the Lower East Side for his first ever art exhibit featuring Father Steve’s work. Opening night saw 300 people attend, and four of the twelve Father Steve original paintings on exhibition sold. The show lasted for two more weeks, drawing consistent crowds. And while they didn’t break even, he came close—good enough for Will. “Obviously it would have been great if we sold every single painting but we were more concerned about putting on our first show together, getting our names out there and doing something we thought was important,” he insisted, and I was convinced. Father Steve paints what Will calls “bold and kind of wild portraitures,” depicting detachment with society.
Lenny Books Push the Envelope from the Bookshelf
Will’s own artistic tastes range from modernism to abstract expressionism. His exposure to art came early, he revealed. Both sides of his family collect arts, and his grandmother owns her own gallery. Since then he has worked on the art team at MTV and interned at The Journal Gallery, a Brooklyn venue. “Being in New York just offers you so many opportunities to get involved in the art scene, I started to want to make my own mark in it,” he said. “That’s what the plan is.” Will is largely self-taught, having learned his trade through books on how to hang up paintings, to the way you should curate and establish a theme. Though passionate about his work, he finds that most students are unaware of the art world that lies past the MoMA and the Met. “They completely ignore the contemporary art scene where younger artists are opening galleries with fantastic exhibitions,” he said in a sort of lamentation.
COURTESY OF WILL FARRELL
This finance student has already held his own art exhibition over spring break.
He recommends work by David Zwirner, Josh Greene and Michele Maccarone in particular. Many of his contemporary idols have different goals than their predecessors, which is reflected in their artwork. “Many try to tackle the impact that the internet has had on society,” Will said. For his next venture, Will plans to go international. He and Father Steve, in collaboration with another artist, are to take classically Greek
themed sculptures and install them in mountain ranges in Greece to photograph this summer. Now that he’s gotten his hands dirty in the business, he can’t go back to just admiring art. “It’s one thing to go to galleries and just look at the work,” he said. “But when you realize the kind of work that it takes to hang and select the work, the whole process, it changes your perspective on the art world.”
Review | Food
Prince Brews a New Cafe Experience in the Bronx By EMMA NANAMAKER
By EMMA CAREY CONTRIBUTING WRITER
There were Brangelina, TomKat and Kimye; and then, there was Lenny. While the uni-named duo of Lena Dunham and Jenni Konner is not Hollywood’s next power couple, sparks have certainly flown this past year since the creators of HBO’s “Girls” took their creative chemistry to the web. Aimed at entertaining and educating young women everywhere, Dunham and Konner’s “Lenny Letter” uses its bi-weekly email newsletter format to discuss “Feminism, Style, Politics, Friendship & More.” In March 2016, just six months after its launch, Vogue reported that the “Lenny Letter” had already gained a whopping 40 thousand subscribers with a 65 percent open rate. Next, it hits the bookshelves. While Dunham and Konner’s innovative web approach likely aided their mass popularity among millennial females, Dunham admitted that their entrance into the world of publishing was inevitable. “While we love our home on the Internet,” Dunham said to BuzzFeed, “Jenni and I are both voracious readers who are constantly trading titles and allowing them to stir us creatively.
Our friendship often doubles as a book club.” Lenny Books will be a new publishing imprint at Random House, who released a statement regarding plans to work with Dunham, Konner and the editors of Lenny to ensure that the books are “a home for the kinds of exciting, emerging voices—in fiction and nonfiction—that Dunham and Konner are already attracting and publishing so successfully.” Of course, as many “Lenny” lovers know, this will not be Dunham’s first go at publishing in print. Dunham’s memoir, also published by Random House, titled “Not That Kind of Girl,” became a number one New York Times bestseller and gained her massive kudos as an author. Not too shabby for her first published piece, especially after already gaining recognition as a writer, actor and producer. It makes sense for Dunham to add one more notch to her resume as publisher, a move she seems to be extremely passionate about. These precious pieces of purse cargo are slated to drop in late 2017. Judging by “Lenny’s” revolutionary track record thus far, these books will be a must-have for feminists, females and booklovers alike.
AP/JORDAN STRAUSS
Lena Dunham makes feminism accessible and entertaining in her new book series.
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
It was four in the afternoon and the new spring sun peered through a cherry blossom tree just outside Prince Coffee House. With windows for walls, Arthur Ave’s latest addition opened to greet the warm weather and an eclectic group of customers. This lively, sun-filled cafe brings a contemporary flare to the traditional character of Arthur Ave. It may only be four weeks old, but the cafe is bustling with local families, students and tourists. Mimi, a bubbly server and Bronx resident, welcomed me at the door with a smile. The smooth wooden tables and neatly-crafted espresso drinks, alongside a pleasant variety of pastries and desserts, all contributed to a feeling of hospitality that carried through the rest of my dining experience. “I love all of the different people that stop in,” Mimi said. “There is such a great blend of cultures in this neighborhood.” For Fordham students, Prince Coffee House is not as much of a grab-and-go coffee shop as it is a destination. If you are craving a cafe with a Manhattan aesthetic minus the fast pace and Metro North ticket, all you have to do is stroll down to 2306 Arthur Avenue. Prince’s trendy decor transports you into a modern wonderland with the perfect backdrop for your latte art Instagram post or midday study session. Tin mugs and vintage light bulbs hang haphazardly from the ceiling, and a bright Eastern European mural adorns the main counter built out of reclaimed wood. The coffee shop features different seating sections: the front area with
COURTESY OF EMMA NANAMAKER
Prince Coffee House offers a trendy and airy environment to enjoy great coffee.
various small tables for a lunch date with a friend, a back room with an eclectic wooden table for large groups and a stylish, dimly lit basement that can function as a remote working station for students. From start to finish, the experience is centered around the customer. Drinks and desserts are brought to your table, and dishes are bussed for you. The staff is friendly and passionate—the elaborate designs in your cappuccino froth are not just for show, but rather proof that the barista properly steamed the milk to hold its form. For an interactive caffeinated experience, try the Turkish coffee—very strong, very unique and very fun to pour from one fancy mug to another. If you want something sweeter but still exotic, order the Thai mocha, which coats your
throat with a warm blend of coffee, chocolate and caramel. Food-wise, there are plenty of options to satisfy a sweet tooth, including creamy, fresh tiramisu and a berry cheesecake with delectable layers of crumbled graham cracker, cream cheese and mixed berry jam. High New York City prices are warranted at an establishment where coffee making is treated like an art and the customers are made to feel at home. A fantastic cup of coffee is enough to make any place a neighborhood fixture. If that place also serves delicious food, with a few standout items, it is destined to become a local institution. Prince Coffee House offers a memorable experience for coffee and cake lovers or anyone who wants to find off-campus serenity without traveling too far.
SPORTS
April 20, 2016
Tennis Falls in A-10s By TOM TERZULLI STAFF WRITER
Men’s tennis was in a groove as they headed to the A-10 Championship. The Rams were winners in 10 out of their last 11 matches and appeared to be poised for a long run in the tourney. Once they reached the big event, however, Fordham had their hopes of glory dashed by a first round sweep courtesy of the Saint Joseph’s Hawks. The Hawks were a familiar foe of the Rams, but not a welcome one — Fordham fell to St. Joseph’s 6-1 back on February 2. Along with that, the Rams drew the 11th seed in the tournament, while Saint Joe’s held the sixth. With those two elements combined, head coach Michael Sowter knew this matchup would be a difficult one. “We were the No. 11 seed, so we knew we would face a high seed,” he said. “Saint Joseph’s had beaten us pretty easily in the regular season so we were expecting a tough match.” The match opened with the Hawks securing the doubles point with victories in the second and third positions. Junior Tomas Cosmai and sophomore Joseph Kavaloski fell to the pairing of Andres Urrea and Peter Dewitt (6-2), while the duo of freshman Victor Li and sophomore Cameron Posillico bowed out to Kyle Chalmers and Tristan Boustany (6-0). With that, the match between seniors Pedro Alonso and Nick Borak and Hawks Renier Moolman and Dan Tan went unfinished with the two pairings tied at three. In singles, the Rams will forever be haunted with what might have been. The first victories of the session came in the fifth and sixth positions, both going the
Hawks’ way. In the fifth, Andre Fick topped Kavaloski in straight sets (6-1, 7-5). It was more of the same for Posillico, who fell to Kevin Gates (6-0, 6-2). As a result, Saint Joe’s was just one win away from moving on with four positions still left to be played. That victory came in the very next match, the third position, where Alonso lost to Kyle Chalmers (7-5, 6-1) in his final match as a Ram. Instead of playing out the final three meaningless positions, they ended right there. It was an agonizing move for Coach Sowter, as his players were winning or even in all three positions. “When the match was decided, Tomas Cosmai was leading against a player he lost to in the regular season, Victor [Li] was up in the third set, and Nick [Borak] had set point to even up his match.” Despite the early exit, this season represented an unbelievable turnaround for the men’s tennis program at Fordham. Coach Sowter took a team from 3-13 in his first year to 17-14 in his second: “The main goal for me this year was to change the culture of the team, and I think we are on the right track,” he said. “We wanted to be more professional, continue to work hard every day, and get better as a team, and I think we achieved all those goals.” Some standouts along the way according to Sowter have been Li, who had a tremendous season despite being a freshman, and Cosmai who “brought an intensity to the team that was lacking,” said Sowter. This team is on the rise and with Sowter at the helm, they could climb very high in the seasons to come.
Page 19
Track Races in Maryland By ALEXANDRIA SEDLAK STAFF WRITER
This past weekend, Fordham Track and Field competed in the Hopkins Loyola Invitational in Baltimore, Maryland. Fordham turned in a series of strong performances, including an event win and several top finishes. The men’s team had several finishers in the top 20. Sophomore Ryan Riviere came in fifth in the pole vault event with a vault of 14’ 4.75”, a season best for him. Junior Ryan McGann finished 17th in the 1500m with a time of 4:02.07, and also finished 44th in the 400m with a time of 56.06. Sophomore Michael Campbell placed 17th in the 400m with a time of 52.35 and then placed 22nd in the 1500m with a time of 4:03.70. Freshman Jared Benn came in 13th in the 200m dash with a final time of 22.68, while also placing 18th in the 100m dash in 11.43 seconds. Fellow freshman Andre Guthrie, Jr. placed 16th in the 200m dash with a time of 22.95 seconds, while finishing 24th in the 100m dash in 11.49 seconds. Finally, sophomore Fritz Heinrich came in 20th in the 800m run with a time of 1:57.46. The women’s side saw just as much, if not more, success. Senior Danielle Rowe finished fourth in the 400m run with a time of 57.37, while also finishing 15th in the 200m dash with a time of 26.36 seconds. Freshman Kate McCormack placed fourth in the 800m run with a season best time of 2:15.11, while junior Shanna Heaney finished fifth in 2:16.23. Sophomore Brynna Harum finished ninth in 2:19.27 and freshman Aidan Moroz finished 15th in 2:20.63. Graduate student Brianna Tevnan came in eighth in the 1500m with a time of 4:43.46. Freshman Morgan Menzzasalma placed eighth in the 200m dash with a time of 25.86 seconds and 11th in the 100m hurdles in 16.46 seconds. Finally, classmate Maiya Larsen came in 20th in the 1500m run with a time of 4:51.07. Besides these results, there were a few finishers who came in at the very top of their races. For the women, sophomore Merissa Wright came in third in the 400m run with a finishing time of 57.34 seconds, a season best. Freshman Mary Kate Kenny
COURTESY OF FORDHAM ATHLETICS
Louis Santelli won the 400m with a season best time of 49.30.
placed fourth in the 100m dash with a time of 12.55 seconds, while also placing fifth in the 200m dash with a time of 25.46 seconds, both of which were season best times for her. The one relay that raced in the meet was the women’s 4x100m relay, which consisted of freshman Mary Kate Kenny, freshman Morgan Menzzasalma, sophomore Kylie Farrell and sophomore Christina Perrier. The relay team placed third in a time of 50.07 seconds, another season best time. For the men, sophomore Louis Santelli won first place in the 400m run with a time of 49.30, a season personal best time for him. Santelli’s race was a close one, as he won gold by just 0.27 seconds. The past few weeks have been especially tedious for the team,
given the rainy, muggy weather it has encountered during its practices and meets. With warm and sunny weather on the way, the future looks bright for the track and field teams. “This weekend’s meet at Johns Hopkins was great because we got in a good mid-season race in nice weather,” said junior Shanna Heaney. “The weather was great, especially after the last few weeks which have been pretty rainy and chilly for the bulk of our races. We’re looking forward to our whole team getting a chance to race this week at Stony Brook.” The Rams are back in action this weekend on Saturday, April 23. They will be competing in the Wolfie Invitational at Stony Brook University.
Follow us on Twitter at @theram_sports Think you know sports? Become a writer! FORDHAM RAM ARCHIVES
Joseph Pavoloski and Thomas Cosmai dropped their match to Saint Joseph’s.
Email fordhamramsports@gmail.com
SPORTS
Page 20
Sam Belden Grace Under Pressure The golf world just keeps getting smaller. Once upon a time, the PGA Tour and European Tour were distant cousins; a few players held dual membership, but most were happy to remain on their home tour. However, in the last two weeks, American fans have watched two European Tour stars notch their first wins on this side of the pond, emphasizing the high level of globalization that exists in today’s game. The bigger story was Englishman Danny Willett capturing his first major at the Masters, but the RBC Heritage, played this past weekend, may have produced an even better champion. South Africa’s Branden Grace has been one of golf’s most prolific winners over the past few years, and his ability to close the deal has finally carried over to the states. Grace, 27, burst onto the scene in 2012, winning a trio of low-wattage European Tour events before the month of May. He qualified for that year’s final three majors before picking up two more victories in the fall. At the prestigious Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, he parlayed his opening 60 into a wire-to-wire victory, proving himself as one of the world’s top international players. After losing a playoff to Phil Mickelson at the 2013 Scottish Open, Grace moved to a career-best No. 26 in the world rankings, but he fell upon hard times soon after. His winning ways left him; he was shut out of the winner’s circle for more than a hundred weeks and sunk as low as 139th in the world. There’s a saying in golf, however: form is temporary, class is permanent. Grace’s form finally took a turn for the better last winter, and it’s lifted him to new heights. After building his confidence with a win in South Africa, he notched one of the biggest victories of his career at the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters, and he’s remained at the forefront of the golf world ever since. He found the top five at two majors last year and successfully defended his title in Qatar three months ago, bringing him to within striking distance of the world’s top 10. Grace hasn’t won as many premier events as some of his peers, but you can’t underestimate what it means to win a golf tournament, especially in this era of parity. Fields feature more international players than ever, and college golf continues to develop finished products at an incredible rate. The result is that hoisting a trophy is harder than ever. The fact that Grace has won as much as he has is remarkable, but it’s even more remarkable that he’s gotten so little publicity for it. Grace’s winning performance at the RBC Heritage was a fairly typical one for him. He was strong at the beginning and strong at the end, bookending his week with rounds of 66. Entering the final round, he was three strokes behind former world No. 1 Luke Donald, but his complete game—Grace led the field in total strokes gained—allowed him to claim the tartan jacket. Now with premium status on the PGA Tour, Grace is a player to keep an eye on—his lack of name recognition in the USA notwithstanding.
April 20, 2016
Senior Profile | Fiona Murtagh By TOM TERZULLI STAFF WRITER
Fiona Murtagh is a senior on the Rowing team. She has really done it all in her Fordham career and beyond. Murtagh came to the Bronx from her home town of Galway, Ireland, where she was a part of the Irish national team. Since coming to Fordham, she has broken school records in the Women’s 2k and 6k. More recently, she has been pivotal in the Varsity 8’s success thus far in the spring season. The Fordham Ram: What were your goals coming into the spring season? Fiona Murtagh: We were very excited going into this season, especially with such success in the fall. As a team, we have spent a lot of time coming together assessing what we need to do both on and off the water in order to maintain a high level of training. Having been given the opportunity to race in San Diego due to our fall success, we knew we had to be fully prepared earlier into our season than expected. With such a large team, it’s important to create both team goals that we strive towards as well as personal goals for continuous motivation. Collectively, we wanted to make a statement early in our season, show others that Fordham was not a team to be overlooked. The potential to do damage this year, especially at A-10s and Dad Vails, is higher than ever and we don’t want to miss out on those opportunities. We knew we had to keep up our standards during the pre-season and always keep our goals in sight. TFR: The Varsity 8 has found plenty of success early on. What has been the key to success? FM: The Murphy Cup win for the V8 was a fantastic way to start the season off. It gave us the confidence we needed to go into the San Diego Crew Classics the following week which is a very competitive regatta. We were the fastest A-10 team V8 at the Classics. Our early success has been down to a great dynamic within the boat. Each and every one of us has worked hard to earn our seat in the top boat and the re-
sults are showing. Our spring break training camp in Virginia gave us the opportunity to put a lot of mileage in and develop our speed early. Training alongside a highly competitive Second Varsity 8 every day keeps us on our toes, and they have been an important contribution to our success. TFR: What regatta down the line this year looks the toughest? FM: We will have to have consistently strong racing in both A-10s and Dad Vails for medal contention. With just two and three weeks until A-10s and Dad Vails respectively, we are working hard on the water every day for peak performance come May. The focus and motivation within the team is right where it needs to be and we look forward to proving what we are capable of. TFR: Switching gears to talk a little bit about you and your background, how has the adjustment been coming from Ireland? FM: I thank Fordham Rowing for my adjustment. To be part of such a supportive group made the transition less stressful and more enjoyable than anything else. I haven’t been as homesick as I thought I would during my time here because there has always been something to do. The team culture of Fordham Rowing is one I have greatly appreciated and will always admire. These girls over the last three years took me in, a literal foreigner to both Fordham and America, and showed me what being a Ram is all about. The upperclassmen on our team have been amazing at making freshmen and transfers feel like they belong here, from helping them adjust to the team dynamic, to showing them the perks of having New York City at our fingertips. TFR: How have your experiences with the national team shaped your Fordham career? FM: Experience on the Irish national team from a relatively young age has taught me that every day is an opportunity to gain boat speed. It has made me a more determined athlete, providing me with valuable international racing experience. I’ve used my experience to help my
Crossing the Blue Line
COURTESY OF FORDHAM ATHLETICS
Rowing senior Fiona Murtagh.
team at Fordham hold themselves to a high level of rowing. Having learned the sport from a different rowing culture I was able to bring in new concepts and ideas to the team that were new to most. TFR: You’ve broken many records here at Fordham. What do they mean to you? FM: I am fortunate to be able to say that I currently hold both the Open Women’s 2k and 6k [ergometer] records at Fordham, an achievement that has taken endless hours of hard work. These records are my reminder that anything is possible if you’re determined enough. Records are made to be broken, I’d like to think that mine will be used as motivation for this team next year or in years to come to reach a higher standard. Being still in season and with more testing coming up, I’m currently focused on breaking the 2k score again and creating a higher platform for myself and my team. TFR: Do you have any regrets about your Fordham career coming to a close? FM: It’s most definitely bittersweet being a senior. I’ve learned more about myself, both as an individual and as an athlete, since being at Fordham, and I consider myself lucky to have been given such an opportunity. I’m going to miss seeing these girls every day, but I’m excited to graduate and begin a new chapter of my life in Boston.
Crew Thrives at Kerr Cup By TOM TERZULLI STAFF WRITER
As good as the Varsity 8 has been for the rowing team this season, they were in the midst of a bit of a drought going into the Kerr Cup in Philadelphia this past weekend. They had not reached a Grand Final since the last time they were in Pennsylvania, at the Murphy Cup back on March 26, where they took gold. The Rams must have been happy to be back in the City of Brotherly Love, this time qualifying for not one, but two Varsity 8 boats for Grand Finals, as well as finals appearances from the Varisty and Novice 4’s. In the main Varsity 8, the Rams rolled over the competition in Heat two, finishing five seconds ahead of second place, Lehigh, and registering a time of 6:42.09. Washington College, Fairfield and Stetson rounded out the racers. With that, Fordham moved on to the Grand Final, the cream of the crop. They rowed very well, but were just edged out by Temple
and finished second with a time of 6:37.63, a second slower than the Owls. The boat was faster, however, than Drexel, A-10 rival St. Joseph’s, Army West Point and Lehigh for a silver finish—the second top three finish in a Grand Final for a Varsity 8 boat this year. Flirting with a gold finish did not stop there. Fordham’s representative in the second Varsity 8 got themselves a date with the Grand Final as well with a time of 6:53.34. Following that, it was another Grand Final and another top three finish. Completing the course in 6:41.67, the Rams took third place behind Temple and St. Joseph’s and in front of Drexel, Marist and Lehigh. The always consistent Varsity 8 capped off a very successful weekend. Their women’s Varsity 4 also reached their final with a first place finish in their heat, ahead of Temple, West Point, Loyola, Fairfield and Maryland in 7:38.89. The Rams finished fifth in the Final at 7:43.52, able to get past St. Joseph’s B,
Stephen Fragano
but fell behind Drexel, Lafayette, Temple and St. Joseph’s B. The women got one last finals appearance from their Novice 4, who won their heat, registering a time of 8:21.61, soaring past Rutgers Camden, NY Maritime, St. Mary’s and American. Going on to garner a solid third place finish in 8:13.44 ahead of West Point, NYU and Rutgers Camden, but behind Temple and top finisher Villanova. Rounding out the participating boats were the second Varsity 4 and the Novice 8, the first of which placed third in their heat, getting past Drexel, but falling to Temple and St. Joseph’s. The Novice 8 finished third behind Temple and Fairfield. Crew returns to action on Sunday April 24, when they take on Bucknell in the first head-to-head matchup of the spring season. Two weeks later, the team will head to Woodbridge, Virginia for the Atlantic 10 Championships. There, the Rams will compete against their in-conference rivals on the Occoquan River.
The Stanley Cup Playoffs are here in all their glory. Sixteen teams are battling for Lord Stanley’s Cup, and every team wants a fair and equal shot to etch its name into the history books. I bring up fairness because the rulebook, as well as the methods of upholding those rules, have come under fire in recent days. For those unfamiliar with the rule, offside prevents a player from “getting ahead of the play.” This prohibits teams from keeping a player in the attacking zone who can receive the puck and have an easy, one-on-one opportunity to score a goal. A player is offside if both of his skates have completely crossed the opponent’s blue line with control of the puck before the puck has completely crossed the blue line. This rule’s importance has become an integral part of this year’s postseason. To start, this past Friday’s game between the Chicago Blackhawks and the St. Louis Blues just might have been determined by an offside call. The Blues’ Vladimir Tarasenko scored a goal that was reviewed and disallowed since he was offside by the slightest of margins. It is believed that this is one of the smallest-ever margins by which a play was determined offside. The Blackhawks went on to win 3-2 and tied the series 1-1 with that game, so that one disallowed goal becomes a game changer. Then on Saturday, a similar situation occurred. In the New York Rangers’ 4-2 win, a Derick Brassard goal was reviewed with respects to offside, but it was determined to be a legal play. Once again, the difference between a legal and illegal play was separated by the slightest of margins. It proved to aid the Rangers, but their opponents, the Penguins, wanted that offside call. Once again, the review came at a crucial point, helping the Rangers tie the series at a game apiece. Lots of fans and analysts have criticized this extreme close-up look when analyzing plays. Many argue that the offside rule was created to prevent blatant violations of staying behind the play. The same people suggest that if a slow-motion camera is needed to determine if the play is offside, it is not shifting any favor to the attacker. This is where I would have to disagree. The rule for offside is very specifically written and there is a linesman whose sole job is to spot offside. If the NHL puts that much importance in the rule, it has to be upheld to the fullest extent. There have been arguments that this upclose and slow-motion view of plays is favoring the “letter of the law” rather than the “spirit of the law.” I say, if you have a rule, uphold it. Don’t estimate and don’t try to sweep technicalities under the proverbial rug. Fair is fair, and those who blame the offside rule for ruining a game do not appreciate the how hard of a game hockey is to play. So many sports are games of inches, and the smallest distances can produce a large impact. The rule is the rule, and for better or worse, it must be followed.
SPORTS
April 20, 2016
Page 21
Golf Takes Tenth at Yale, Fifth in RI By SAM BELDEN
By JACK McLOONE
SPORTS EDITOR
ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR
This season has already been a banner one for Fordham Golf. Two weeks ago, the program captured its first victory in nearly four years at the Coca-Cola Bottling Company of the Lehigh Valley Collegiate Invitational. While the Rams have not been able to sustain their winning form since then, they have continued to hold their own against tough competition. In the past week, the team finished 10th at the Yale Spring Invitational and fifth at the Rhode Island Invitational. At Yale, the team posted rounds of 307 and 317 to finish near the back of the 13-team pack. Only one Fordham player, sophomore Matt Schiller, found the top 25. While Ivy League schools are almost always stiff competition for the Rams, the result was slightly disappointing — at last fall’s Macdonald Cup, also held at the Course at Yale, the team notched an eighth place finish. Schiller led the way for the Rams, shooting twin 75s en route to a tie for 12th. Freshman Tommy Hayes tied for 39th, while sophomore Joseph Trim was one stroke behind in a tie for 42nd. Sophomore James Mongey and freshman Josh Madarang rounded out the counting scores for the Rams, both finishing outside of the top 50. The Fordham contingent also included two individuals: juniors Fernando Morett and Oscar Cabanas, who tied for 51st and 61st, respectively. Yale’s B-lineup won the event, shooting a final round 291 to surge from sixth place to first. Bucknell, Dartmouth and Yale’s A-lineup finished one, two and three strokes behind, respectively, making it one of the most hotly contested events on Fordham’s schedule in recent memory.
John Lazor of Dartmouth was the medalist, signing for rounds of 73 and 70 to win by three strokes over Bucknell’s John Edler and Yale’s Joe Willis. First round leader Luke Waggoner of Villanova could not maintain his pace after an opening 72, shooting a 77 in the final round to fall into a tie for ninth. In Rhode Island, Fordham turned in a better performance, shooting scores of 293, 299 and 304 en route to a fifth place finish. This time, it was Trim who led the way for the Rams, signing for two rounds of 74 and one of 73 to tie for eighth. Three other Rams finished in the top 25: Schiller, Hayes and Mongey, who tied for 19th, 21st and 25th, respectively. Madarang also played and tied for 38th. Cabanas and Morett, playing as individuals once again, tied for 31st and 48th, respectively. Bryant University cruised to the victory, winning by a margin of 20 strokes over Rhode Island and Wagner. Rhode Island’s Billy Walthouse shot a 67 in the opening round and went wire-to-wire, claiming medalist honors by two strokes over McKinley Slade of Bryant. This weekend, the Rams will play their penultimate event of the season at the Til Duty is Done Collegiate Invitational, hosted by the University of Connecticut. After that, the only remaining event is the Atlantic 10 Championship, held this year at the Villas of Grand Cyprus in Orlando. “We need to tighten up our game and we’ll be ready for [the next event],” said Cabanas. “I think we’re going to peak just in time for A-10s in two weeks.” The Til Duty is Done Collegiate Invitational commences on Saturday morning at Mohegan Sun Golf Club.
The final day of the 2016 NBA season will go down in history as one of the more stunning conclusions to a regular season in recent memory. Kobe Bryant’s final game and Stephen Curry’s Warriors winning their 73rd game, breaking the previous record held by Michael Jordan’s ’95-’96 Bulls, made for incredible television. No one really thought Kobe could steal the limelight from the Warriors breaking what was thought to be an unbreakable record, not to mention Curry going for his 400th three of the season— no other player has even had 300. After Kobe started the game 0-5 from the field, it seemed like the chorus of people proclaiming that they didn’t want their memory of Kobe tarnished by watching him struggle in his final game were right. Curry even hit six deep balls in the first quarter of his game against the Grizzlies, meaning he was just two away from that preposterous 400. But Kobe kept putting up shots, as Kobe does. Going into the game, the record board for “most field goal attempts in a game” was covered in “Kobe Bryant.” Nothing describes his career more than “shooters gotta shoot,” and that’s all he did Wednesday night. All I wanted Kobe to do was to put up 50 field goal attempts, which would break the record for most in a game (field goals attempts were only tracked starting 33 years ago). Who holds that record, you might ask? Michael. Freaking. Jordan. So naturally, two of the most polarizing players in the NBA today were chasing records set by His Airness himself, albeit those of wildly different calibers. As Kobe is wont to do, he managed to steal the limelight by scoring 60 points in his final game on 50 shots, including a barrage of threes in the closing minutes, as well as the eventual game winning shot. It was a vintage Kobe game, where he took a high volume of shots but made them count. The Warriors game was put on the back burner before it even ended.
It’s fitting that Kobe had one more moment in the sun in his final game in the NBA. Before these last two seasons, a late-game Kobe shot was one of the more automatic plays in sports. It may be cliche to mention it, but there’s a reason why you yell “Kobe!” when shooting paper into a garbage can and not “Ray!”, “Reggie!” or “Steph!” Everyone loves to hate Kobe, which made Wednesday night all the more unbelievable, especially considering how much everyone seems to love Curry. In fact, I would hazard a guess and say more people were rooting for the Lakers that night than in recent memory. With that in mind, could Curry become the next Kobe? Is being the “next Kobe” even a thing? Despite being so pervasive of a figure, he was overshadowed professionally for practically his entire career, whether on his own team (the Shaq years especially) or in the league as a whole, winning just one MVP. But at the same time, Kobe was everywhere and everything NBA. Despite the lack of expected recognition, he was and is still the most well-known player. Kobe existed as his own entity, outside of the general definition of superstar. Everyone knows who he is and what he’s done, as well as his status as one of the greatest to ever play the game, but somehow it
never felt entirely tangible. There’s a high probability of Curry going down as an all-time great following yet another bonkers year. As I mentioned above, he eclipsed 400 threes this season, the first to ever get over 300. He’s a shoe-in to win his second straight MVP award, which would be one more than Kobe. And the question for the NBA playoffs is not if the Warriors will win, but if they will lose any games on the way to their second straight championship. Curry is certainly on his way to the visibility and name recognition of peak Kobe, as evidenced by every little kid in a Curry jersey and chucking threes from five feet from behind the line. (All of this is under the assumption that somehow LeBron is no longer the most popular athlete in sports, which is in it of itself a whole other argument.) Kobe retires third all-time in career scoring with five championships to his name (and two Finals MVPs), an MVP award, 18 All-Star appearances and millions of people around the world shouting his name in offices and schools around the world. On the final night of his career, he reminded us all why, and showed up the young guys one final time. If he keeps up what he’s been doing, Curry might reach the level of Kobe one day, but for at least that one game, the Mamba retired as he played: on top.
COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA
In the final game of his NBA career, Kobe Bryant went out on top, scoring 60.
Varsity Calendar HOME AWAY Baseball
Thursday April 21
Friday April 22
Saturday April 23
Sunday April 24
Davidson 6 p.m.
Davidson 2 p.m.
Davidson 1 p.m.
Rhode Island Rhode Island 12 p.m. 12 p.m.
Softball Women’s Tennis
Atlantic 10 Championship
Track and Field
Wolfie Invite 11 a.m. Bucknell
Rowing
Til Duty is Done Invite
Golf Men’s Soccer THE FORDHAM RAM ARCHIVES
The Rams have one tournament remaining prior to the A-10 Championship.
Women’s Soccer
Marist 7:30 p.m. Columbia 7 p.m.
Monday April 25
Tuesday April 26
Manhattan 6:30 p.m.
Wednesday April 27
SPORTS
Page 22
Varsity Scores & Stats
Anthony Pucik
NHL Award Predictions The NHL Awards in Las Vegas are not taking place until June 22, but the playoffs are not a factor in the regular season awards (supposedly). With that in mind, here are my predictions for the four biggest awards. Patrick Kane of the Chicago Blackhawks is the obvious choice for the Hart Memorial Trophy, awarded to the player considered most valuable to his team. Early season legal allegations could have taken Kane’s mind off of the game, but it did not even seem to faze the 27-year-old. Kane went about his business, setting career highs in goals (46) and assists (60). He also added a 26-game point streak from Oct. 17 to Dec. 13, a Blackhawks’ franchise record. He will officially receive the Art Ross Trophy for scoring the most points of any player in the NHL this season, the first American-born payer to receive the honor. Kane’s knack for clutch goals and consistent reliability over the years makes him the obvious choice for the Hart. The Calder Memorial Trophy recipient is a very tough call. Jack Eichel of the Buffalo Sabres finished second in points among rookies, Max Domi of the Arizona Coyotes led rookies in assists with 34, Dylan Larkin led the Red Wings in points and Connor McDavid averaged over a point a game and was the favorite to win the Calder coming into the season if not for his injury. Despite all these fantastic candidates, Kane’s line mate Artemi Panarin deserves it most. Panarin’s body of work speaks for itself, aside from being on a line with the Art Ross winner this year. “The Bread Man” led rookies in goals with 30 and points with 77. Although Panarin spent a few years in the KHL and is older than the rest of his Calder competitors, that shouldn’t be a knock on him—he deserves the award. As for the Norris, which is awarded to the defensive player who demonstrates the greatest all-around ability, I’ll give it to Ottawa Senators point man Erik Karlsson. Drew Doughty of the Los Angeles Kings has been touted as a better selection than Karlsson, but in terms of all-around ability I think Karlsson edges Doughty out. Karlsson had 66 assists on the season and was the first defenseman to finish top five in league scoring since Paul Coffey did it for the Edmonton Oilers back in 1985-86. Karlsson averaged a point per game this season, good for sixth in the last 20 years among defenseman, and also had the most time on ice of any defenseman. Last but not least, for the Vezina Award I think the clear choice is Braden Holtby. It was a great year for the Washington Capitals, and Holtby was a big reason for that. Holtby finished top ten in save percentage and goals against average on the President’s Trophywinning Capitals, not to mention tying New Jersey Devils great Martin Brodeur for most wins in a season with 48. Ben Bishop, Jonathan Quick, Martin Jones and Corey Crawford all had good seasons, but none were as complete as Holtby’s.
April 20, 2016
Softball Fordham Saint Louis (FOR) Mayer 2-3, RBI Fordham Saint Louis (FOR) Shaw 1-3, 3 RBI
3 0
12 1
Women’s Tennis St. John’s Fordham
7 0
Baseball Sienna Fordham
4 2
Fordham Hofstra
5 2
Rhode Island Fordham
3 1
Fordham NYIT
4 0
Fordham Rhode Island
8 0
UMass Fordham
6 1
Fordham Rhode Island
4 2
7 0
Fairfield Fordham
8 5
Men’s Track Hopkins/Loyola Invite 400m (FOR) Santelli 1st- 49.30
Saint Louis Fordham
6 0
Women’s Soccer Stony Brook Fordham
2 1
Fordham Queens College
Men’s Soccer Fordham Farleigh Dickinson
5 0
Men’s Tennis St. Joseph’s Fordham
4 0
Fordham Adelphi
4 3
Golf Yale Invitational Fordham URI Invitational Fordham
10th
5th
Giulio Ricciardi
Women’s Rowing Kerr Cup Varsity 8 2nd- 6:37.63
Women’s Track Hopkins/Loyola Invite 400m (FOR) Wright 3rd- 57.34 (FOR) Rowe 4th- 57.37
Athletes of the Week Greg Weissert
Lindsay Mayer
Junior
Sophomore
Baseball
Softball
Weissert pitched a phenomenal game on Saturday against Rhode Island. Weissert threw a strong eight innings, allowing only two hits while striking out eight. The shutout helped the Rams win an important bounce-back game and also improved his record to 2-3 for the year.
Mayer continued her dominance over Atlantic 10 opponents during the second game of a doubleheader against Saint Louis on Saturday. In her second start of the season she threw a gem, going five innings while striking out four. Her performance helped the Rams win 12-1.
Each week, The Fordham Ram’s Sports editors honor one male athlete and one female athlete for their on-field performances as their “Athletes of the Week.”
News & Notes • Basketball Signs Three
Recruits to Letters of Intent
• Baseball Falls to Fairfield on Tuesday The Rams faced off
Men’s Basketball coach Jeff Neubauer announced the signing of three recruits for the upcoming season. Perris Hicks, Chuba Ohams and Papi Ndiaye will join the team next year. Ohams, a 6’7” guard from the Bronx, averaged 21.7 points during his senior year at Wadleigh High School in Harlem. He received offers from schools such as VCU, DePaul, Rutgers and Providence. The three will look to help improve upon the Rams’ 17-14 record last season.
against Fairfield on Tuesday at Houlihan Park. Freshman Reiss Knehr started his first game of the year, pitching five shutout innings. The Rams scored three runs in the first five innings to take the lead, but collapsed after Knehr was pulled, allowing eight runs over the next three innings. The Ram offense tried to battle back, scoring two runs in the eighth, but it was not enough. The final score was 8-5. The Rams return to action Wednesday at Columbia.
• Nine Student-Athletes Honored by the Fordham Leadership Academy The Leadership Academy ended its 20152016 season by recognizing student athletes as Leaders of Distinction or Leaders of Merit. Danielle Padavano, Kalena Laurent, Shannon Lulley, Davis Defontes and Bobby Wurtz were recognized as Leaders of Distinction. The Leaders of Merit included Joe Runco, Garrick Mayweather Jr., Andrew Ernberg and Ryan Cupolo. The banquet took place last Sunday.
•
Football to Participate in Relay for Life on Friday The football team will continue its support of Relay for Life on Friday, April 22. The event will take place on Edwards’ Parade. This year’s team is looking to raise over $2000 for the mother of defensive back Caleb Ham, who was diagnosed with cancer in January. They will be helping Ham’s mother, as well as other cancer patients, thanks to their participation. – Compiled by Pat Costello
Champions League RoundUp Champions League action has started to heat up as of late. Two of the most recent games had very interesting storylines. Real Madrid 3-0 Wolfsburg: A hat trick by superstar Cristiano Ronaldo was enough to send Madrid through with flying colors into the semi-finals of the Champions League. Ronaldo’s heroics in the second leg cancelled out a two goal first leg aggregate, avoiding a colossal upset for Los Blancos. Coming into this match, Wolfsburg managed to pull out an upset 2-0 home win against the Spanish giants in Germany. On paper, Real Madrid is clearly the stronger team, and they expected to win both legs without much resistance. While Wolfsburg doesn’t have the same star power and recognition that Real has, they still managed to shut the Spaniards out while adding a two goal aggregate advantage. Even with this deficit, Real Madrid knew they would have the advantage playing at home at the Santiago Bernabeu in front of their own fans. Real began their comeback early on in the first half when Ronaldo put a point-blank shot past the helpless Wolfsburg goalkeeper. Madrid winger Jese whipped in a dangerous cross that bounced past Wolfsburg centerbacks Dante and Naldo to the unmarked Ronaldo, who made no mistake from there. In the 17th minute, Ronaldo added to his tally by scoring off a corner kick. The Portuguese international headed home to cancel out the two-goal first leg deficit. Finally, Ronaldo secured the victory and his hat trick when he converted off of a free-kick in the 77th minute, sending the Bernabeu into pandemonium. Atletico Madrid 2-0 Barcelona: A brace from French starlet Antoine Griezmann led Atletico Madrid to a monumental upset at home against Barcelona. Despite losing 2-1 to Barcelona in the first leg through due to controversial circumstances, Atletico managed to pull through and reach the semi-finals. During the first leg, Barcelona defeated Atletico at the Camp Nou but gave away one goal, leaving their lead on shaky ground. Atleticp was poised to win after an early goal from former Liverpool and Chelsea forward Fernando Torres, but he received a red card in the first half to leave his team at a disadvantage. Controversial Uruguayan striker Luis Suarez would add two goals to secure the win for the Catalonian-based side. Starting the match off in the Vicente Calderon, Atletico got on the scoresheet midway through the first half. Griezmann converted a powerful header off a cross to leave Barcelona goalkeeper Ter Stegen with no chance, tying the aggregate and giving Atletico the advantage combined with the away goal from the first leg. The game went all the way to the last minute, with both sides having multiple chances throughout. Atletico secured their progression to the next round when Griezmann converted a penalty in the 87th minute, shocking the reigning Champions League winners.
SPORTS
April 20, 2016
Page 23
Women’s Tennis Finishes Regular Season By ANDREA GARCIA PHOTO EDITOR
This was a busy week for the women’s tennis team. After four matches, its record currently stands at 11-6. On April 13, the team hosted the women of St. John’s University and fell in each match. Junior Mayu Sato and sophomore captain Estelle Wong made another appearance in first doubles, but fell to Natallia Vavulina and Anna Morozova, 6-2. In second doubles, the duo of freshmen Gianna Insogna and Whitney Weisberg posed more of a threat to Elgregen and Arranz, finishing their match at 6-3. After the first two doubles teams had completed their games, freshman Alexis Zobeideh and junior Destiny Grunin kept fighting in third doubles against Collins and Stanisz of Saint John’s. They were the last doubles loss of the day, 6-4. In singles action against the Red Storms, Wong kept her spot in first singles, but fell in repeat 6-1, 6-1 sets against Vavulina. Sato held her ground in her second singles match versus Morozova, but ultimately lost, 7-5, 6-2. Zobeideh had a standout third singles face-off with Irina Preotescu. She lost 7-6 (7-0), 6-2. In fourth singles action, Grunin lost to Olaya Inclan in repeat 6-3 games. Delia Arranz defeated Weisberg, 6-3, 6-1. Lastly, Insogna lost to Jaide Collins in two 6-4 sets. After their first wipe-out of the
season, the women travelled to Hofstra on Thursday and came back from their previous defeat. In first doubles, Sato and Wong teamed up again and downed Sarah Bowen and Carmen Pestano, 6-1. Insogna and Weisberg kept up in second doubles, but flipped the first doubles score, losing 6-1. Zobeideh and Grunin took the third doubles point against Disha Yellayi and Giulia Leone, 6-4. The top four Fordham players dominated in singles action. Sato returned to her place in first singles and defeated Sarah Bowen of Hofstra, 6-3, 6-4. Wong was moved down to the second singles play with Michal Kaplan and took the first set, 6-3, and just pulled through to secure her win in the second set, 7-5. Zobeideh tired out Sarah Herndon and took the third singles point for Fordham. Grunin finished the win for Fordham by downing Carmen Pestano, 6-3, 6-2, with the fourth singles match. Insogna and Weisberg lost their fifth and sixth singles matches, 6-4, 6-0 and 6-4, 7-5, respectively. On Saturday afternoon, Fordham hosted the New York Institute of Technology and celebrated Alumni Day. Sato and Wong defeated Melanie Bonyadi and Paulina Velasquez in first doubles play, 6-4. Gruinin and Zobeideh, however, endured through their second singles match against Gabriela Siembab and Justyna Krol, but ultimately lost 7-5. Weisberg and Insogna took the point by de-
fault with NYIT’s lack of players. Fordham swept the singles points. Weisberg took her point by default at sixth singles as the NYIT Bears did not have a roster member to fill the spot. While Sato, Zobeideh and Insogna were unable to finish their respective matches against Benyadi, Siembab and Krol, Wong and Grunin secured the win for Fordham. For second singles, Wong defeated Alexandra Borgenhoff, 6-1, 7-6 (10-8). Grunin took on first doubles Velasquez and won a breezy 6-3, 6-1. Closing out the weekend with Sunday’s match, the women were downed 6-1 in their last home match of the season against the University of Massachusetts Minutemen. Wong and Sato made a strong appearance together in first doubles to wipe out Ana Yrazusta and Carol Benito, 6-0. The teams of Weisberg and Insogna and Grunin and Zobeideh lost their second and third doubles matches, 6-0 and 6-4. Fordham only produced one singles win for the day by Grunin in fourth singles against Anna Woosley, 4-6, 6-1 and a final 7-5. The rest of the team lost to their match opponents. Sato had a memorable performance against Ruth Crawford in first singles and lasted through her match, 7-6 (9-7), 6-7 (119), 10-2. Wong, Zobeideh and Insogna fell in their matches after tough three-set pieces. The women are looking to
ANDREA GARCIA/THE FORDHAM RAM
Next up for Women’s Tennis is the A-10 Championship in Cincinnati.
rebound in their regular season match at Queens College on Tuesday, April 19 at 1 p.m. This will be their last regularly scheduled spring appearance
before this weekend’s Atlantic 10 Conference Championships in Cincinnati, Ohio. The tournament will be their final event before the fall season.
SPORTS
Page 24
April 20, 2016
The Fordham Ram
Rams Get Third Straight A-10 Series Win By SAM BELDEN SPORTS EDITOR
Fordham Baseball has remained busy over the past week. After losing a non-conference game to Siena on Wednesday, the team hosted Rhode Island over the weekend and took two out of three, for a third consecutive series win against an Atlantic 10 opponent. Perhaps the most positive development of the week was the Rams’ continued strength from the mound. Sophomore pitcher Ben Greenberg, who leads all Fordham starters with an ERA of 2.49, was injured during last week’s series against La Salle, but his teammates picked up the slack, allowing just nine runs over the four games. “Our pitching this week was huge,” said Head Coach Kevin Leighton. “They really stepped up with the loss of Ben Greenberg. We have some talented guys on the mound, and it’s fun watching them compete.” Fordham’s first game of the week against Siena was close throughout, but the Saints ended up coming away with the victory. In the third inning, the Rams put the first run of the game on the board thanks to a single from graduate student leftfielder Ryan McNally, but they could not hold on to the lead. Over the next four innings, Siena second baseman Jordan Bishop hit a two-run homer and an RBI single. Third baseman Jordan Folgers added a home run of his own, giving his team a three-run lead. Fordham junior pitcher Parker Barnell surrendered all four runs. Trailing by three in the bottom of the ninth, Fordham attempted a comeback. With one out, junior centerfielder Jason Lundy singled through the right side to score classmate and catcher Pat Gardner. The next two Fordham batters quickly
ANDREA GARCIA/THE FORDHAM RAM
Through three Atlantic 10 series, Fordham Baseball is off to a 6-3 start, good for a tie for third in the conference.
made outs, however, leaving the score at 4-2. On Friday, Fordham played the opening game of its three-game home series against Rhode Island. The contest saw strong pitching performances from both sides, but the visitors ultimately won 3-1. Fordham starter junior Kirk Haynes, Jr. struck out six and allowed just one run in seven innings of work, a big bounceback from his dud of a start against La Salle, in which he allowed seven runs in less than two innings. However, Rhode Island starter Tyler Wilson was even better, pitching a complete game and striking out 10 to earn the win. While the game was an exciting one in terms of pitching, it was more muted from an offensive standpoint. Rhode Island third baseman Martin Figueroa hit a home run in the sixth inning to give his team a lead that it would not relinquish, and his team tacked on two more runs in the eighth. In the bottom of the eighth, Fordham senior third baseman Ian Edmiston, who had advanced from first to third on an error, scored on a
passed ball to cut the deficit to two, but that was the final run of the game. Regardless of the result, the game allowed Haynes to rebound, making it a positive one for the Rams. He attributed his bounceback to the support from those around him. “My coaches and team still had confidence in me on the mound,” Haynes said. In Saturday’s game, Fordham’s pitching was once again strong, shutting out Rhode Island. This time, however, the offense was also on its game, and the result was an 8-0 victory. Fordham got one runner across the plate thanks to a wild pitch in the second inning, but the offensive onslaught really began in the sixth, when the team scored four runs. Notably, McNally hit his seventh home run of the season, a total that leads the team, while junior rightfielder Mark Donadio doubled to knock in another run and keep the rally going. In the eighth inning, hits from senior second baseman Joseph Runco and freshman catcher Justin Bardwell scored three more runs, the last ones of the game. On the mound, junior starting
pitcher Greg Weissert delivered an outstanding performance, striking out eight and walking one in eight innings of scoreless work. Freshman Anthony DiMeglio entered the game to pitch the ninth and completed the shutout. Fordham was not as dominant during Sunday’s rubber game, but the result was the same. Rhode Island took an early lead in the top of the first, but the home team got it right back in the bottom of the inning. McNally hit an RBI single to score Bardwell and wound up advancing to third base on an error. Junior Luke Stampfl hit a sacrifice fly to knock him in, putting Fordham on top. One inning later, senior shortstop Joseph DeVito hit an RBI single, and soon after, McNally walked with the bases loaded to give his team a three-run lead. Fordham did not score for the rest of the game, holding on to win 4-2. Fordham’s pair of senior pitchers, Joseph Serrapica and Jimmy Murphy, had quality outings. The former allowed two runs in seven strong innings, while the latter pitched two innings of scoreless relief to pick up
the save. Fordham’s conference record is now 6-3, tied for third in the A-10. According to McNally, these have been big wins for the Rams. “Guys always give it their all in A-10 play, with their best pitchers on the mound, so the games tend to be hard-fought and low scoring,” he said. “This weekend was an example of that.” Speaking of McNally, the New Jersey native is a big reason for the Rams’ success this season. In his final season, he has hit seven homers and 27 RBIs and is slugging .576, all career highs. While he acknowledges that he has made some mechanical changes to his swing, McNally says that the reasons for his power surge goes deeper than that. “Baseball is a very mental game,” he said. “It all starts in your head, then manifests on the field. Like many other players, I have been a barrier to my own success in the past. I still have a lot to learn, even as I finish my career, but I’m thrilled that I’m coming around in time to help my team win.” Next, Fordham will host Fairfield before traveling to North Carolina to face the Davidson Wildcats who are 7-5 in the A-10 this season. After that, the Rams will have just four conference series to go before the A-10 Championship, which will be held at Fordham this year. “I don’t want to make any bold predictions, but I do believe if we continue to play one game at a time, we will be a strong contender in the A-10,” said Haynes. “This is the best start to a season we have had since I have been here. Now as a team, our goal for the season is to keep the momentum going and have a strong finish.” Action against Davidson will kick off at Wilson Field on April 22 at 6 p.m.
Softball Goes 2-1, Win Streak Snapped By PAT COSTELLO ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR
Softball continued its reign of terror over the Atlantic 10 on Saturday in a doubleheader sweep against the Saint Louis Billikens. The first game of the pair saw junior pitcher Lauren Quense continue to step up in the absence of Rachel Gillen. She tossed a one-hit shutout, her second one of the season, and went the full seven innings to pick up the win. The Rams’ hitters faced off against Billikens lefty Brianna Lore, who entered the season as the career leader in starts and wins for Saint Louis, as well as third overall in ERA at 2.83. The Rams had her number on this day, knocking her out after only 3.2 innings of work, in which she gave three runs on nine hits. This game saw the return of grad pitcher Rachel Gillen, who made a plate appearance for the first time in two weeks. Gillen sprained her thumb in a collision at first base last week and was held out of action. Her plate appearance made it seem as though she had never been gone, as she singled home junior infielder Amy Van Hoven to push the score
ANDREA GARCIA/THE FORDHAM RAM
The Rams had won 13 straight games before dropping one to the Saint Louis Billikens on Sunday.
to 2-0. Freshman infielder Chelsea Skrepenak capped the Ram scoring in the fourth with her second homerun of the season. Quense needed no more help, as she was able to shut the Billikens down for the rest of the game. Van Hoven, freshman infielder Jessica Hughes and junior infielder Lindsay Mayer all had two hits in the game. Mayer continued her successful run after being named A-10 Player of the Week last
week. If some is good, more is better. The second game of the doubleheader was a five-inning affair in which the Rams scored 12 runs to Saint Louis’ one. Mayer got the nod for the second time this season, and she responded in a big way. After walking three in the first innings, Mayer settled down, giving up one unearned run on two hits. The Ram offense had its pitchers’ backs early in the game, scoring
two in the first, six in the second and four in the third. They managed to string together hit after hit, while also taking advantage of five Saint Louis errors. The game saw Van Hoven and Skrepenak both have two hits, as well as four separate Rams cross the plate twice apiece. The win gave Mayer her fifth victory on the season. The Rams 13-game in-conference win streak was finally snapped on Sunday. Brianna Lore made her
second start of the series and the lefty got her revenge on the Rams. Lore helped herself early in the game with an RBI single in the first, one of two runs in the inning. The Billikens put two more runs on the board in the fifth. Junior centerfielder Sydney Canessa attempted to make a sliding catch in deep right center field but bobbled it, allowing two more runs to score. Mayer replaced Quense in the sixth innings and gave up two runs of her own, including a moonshot home run that landed in the tennis courts. The Rams were unable to string together many hits, but did not fail to make contact. Everything that they managed to hit hard was usually hit right at the Billikens defense, whereas the opposite was true when the Rams were in the field. They only managed four hits on the game, two of which came in the final inning with two outs. The loss pushed Quense’s record to 12-7 for the season. The Rams maintain their pole position in the A-10 with a 12-2 record in conference play. They will be headed on their final road trip of the year next week, starting with a doubleheader against Rhode Island on Saturday, April 23.