Vol 99 issue 7

The Fordham Ram Serving The Fordham University Community Since 1918 Volume 99, Issue 7

McShane Signs Letter to Trump

FordhamRam.com

March 29, 2017

Empire Lit Up Maroon for Dodransbicentennial

U.S. News Ranks Grad Schools

By AISLINN KEELY

By ERIN SHANAHAN EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR

Joseph M. McShane, S.J., president of the university, signed a letter to President Donald Trump in support of “Dreamers”, immigrants who fall under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA). McShane and over 560 other universities asked Trump to allow Dreamers to continue to work and study in the United States, while the government works to find a permanent solution.

“These young people consider themselves Americans, just like their classmates and friends, and in most ways they are,” said the letter.

DACA grants immigrants whose parent’s brought them into the United States before the age of

U.S. News released its 2018 graduate school rankings on March 14, placing three of Fordham’s schools within the top 75.

The publication ranked Fordham Law No. 36, Gabelli’s Graduate School of Business Administration No. 73 and the Graduate School of Education No. 48. U.S. News surveyed graduate programs in 2016 and 2017 to formulate the 2018 list.

Fordham Law tied with University of Colorado - Boulder, Wake Forest University and University of California - Davis for 36 of the 197 bar-accredited law schools that the publication evaluated. Matthew Diller, dean of Fordham Law, said he was pleased with the ranking.

“We’re delighted with the recent favorable rankings that Fordham Law received in U.S. News—including having five of our specialty programs ranked among the top in the nation—as well as in the National Law Journal, Vault and SoFi,” said Diller.

One of these programs was Fordham Law’s part-time law program, which U.S. News ranked third for part-time schools.

U.S. News determined the law school rankings through a weighted assessment, which included quality, selectivity, placement assessment and faculty resources. Fordham ranked well among its Catholic competitors, with St. John’s receiving the 72 slot, Boston College at 26, Notre Dame at 20 and Georgetown at 15. Diller kept the ranking in perspective. “Of course, the spirit of the Fordham Law community and the achievements of our students and alumni eclipse any ranking or methodology,” he said.

U.S. News ranked Fordham’s Graduate School of Education No. 48 out of schools that provide doctoral degrees in education. They tied with Georgia State University, Temple Univer-

SEE DREAMERS, PAGE 6

OWEN CORRIGAN/THE FORDHAM RAM

The Empire State Building was lit maroon Monday, March 27, to coincide with Fordham’s sixteenth annual Fordham Founder’s Award Dinner and to commemorate Fordham’s Dodransbicentennial.

SJP Hosts BDS at Universities

By VICTOR ORDONEZ

ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR

Court will be completed in the summer of 2018.

The fight for basketball recruits in the New York area is tough, and there is hope that the new renovations could help entice recruits as well as provide a better product for fans.

“We hope that it will provide a better atmosphere for the game day experience, which will also help when we bring recruits in to watch games,” said Roach.

Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) presented “Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions Movement (BDS) at Universities” on March 22 at the Lincoln Center campus.

The event hosted student activists involved in SJP at other institutions and proceeded regardless of the club’s unofficial status at Fordham University.

Sapphira Lurie, FCLC ’17, and fellow SJP members organized the Lincoln Center event with aid from various university departments.

As an unofficial Fordham sponsored club, SJP is not allowed to host or book events through Student Life Council. However, Lurie said“the administration allowed the event because it was sponsored academically.”

SJP was able to occupy the atrium by the request of Fordham’s Comparative Literature program, English, modern languages, African and African American studies, women, gender, and sexuality studies, Latin American and Latino studies institute and anthropology departments, according to Lurie.

Christopher Rodgers, dean of students, said that it was not unusual for academic departments to sponsor such events. “This seems like a fairly common and unremarkable practice in higher edu-

SEE GYM, PAGE 5

SEE SJP, PAGE 5

OWEN CORRIGAN/THE FORDHAM RAM

Fordham Rose Hill Gym to be renovated by the summer of 2018.

Gym Gets New Name and Look with Renovations

By JACK MCLOONE SPORTS EDITOR

The historic Rose Hill Gymnasium will be getting a new name, and a new look to match.

The gym will be renamed the “Frank McLaughlin Family Basketball Court,” in honor of Frank McLaughlin, FCRH ’69.

According to Fordham News, the renaming is part of a fundraiser to improve the gymnasium, with a proposed goal of $2.5 million. The most recent update on

the amount raised was over $1.3 million.

The planned renovations will be completed over the next two summers, according to David Roach, director of Intercollegiate Athletics and Recreation. This summer, the lower-area seating will be redone. During the summer of 2018, a new wood floor will be installed and a “hospitality suite” will be installed in the upper area of the arena.

The fully-renovated Frank McLaughlin Family Basketball

SEE RANKINGS, PAGE 3

in this issue

Opinion Page 7

All Clubs Deserve the Right to Assemble

Culture

Page 11 Spring Playwright Festival Sees Success

Sports Page 15

Softball Shuts Out URI Over Weekend Series

NEWS

Page 2

PUBLIC SAFETY BRIEFS

March 29, 2017

Fordham in the Bronx

Bronx Ranked Unhealthiest NY County

Mar. 22 Tierney Hall 7 a.m A student was found sleeping in the dorm lounge. An RA reported the individual to Public Safety. It was later learned that the individual was indeed a student that got locked out of his room upon going to the bathroom in the middle of the night. Public Safety helped the student get back into his room.

Mar. 22 Hughes Ave. 3 a.m An unknown person entered a student’s off-campus apartment and stole property. The burglar entered through the front door of the apartment, which was left unlocked. Public Safety and N.Y.P.D. are currently still investigating.

Mar. 23 Off-campus 2 p.m.

A scammer claimed to be an N.Y.P.D. officer who had apparently detained a Fordham student. The grandmother of the student was forced to pay $3,800 in what she thought were legal fees. It was later discovered that the student was not arrested and that the entire scenario was a scam. N.Y.P.D. and Public Safety are currently investigating.

Mar. 25 Campbell Hall 3 a.m.

An individual banned from the university was located within Campbell Hall. The individual had attended a Fordham event earlier in the day and was later reported to Public Safety. Public Safety removed him from the premises.

-Compiled by Victor Ordonez

Are You Studying Abroad This Semester?

Email: fordhamramnews @gmail.com

COURTESY OF FLICKR

Bronx County has been ranked dead last in a University health study for the seventh year in a row.

By VICTOR ORDONEZ

ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR

Within a one mile radius from Fordham’s gate, there is a White Castle, Burger King, McDonald’s, Popeye’s, Checkers and several other fast food chains. These chains are contributing factors to the Bronx’s position as the least healthy county in all of New York State.

Bronx County was ranked dead last in the annual health report by the University of Wisconsin and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, which ranked the 62 New York counties, along with the other U.S. states.

This is the seventh consecutive year Bronx County came in last place when it comes to health statistics.

However, the consecutive ranking has brought awareness to those partaking in county government.

“We have hosted a series of health screenings and events, to not only engage the community but to promote wellness,” said Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. in an official statement.

The study noted that Bronx County’s health statistics were nowhere near the bottom of the nation because of its premature death rate, which is the statistic used when people die before they turn 75. Bronx county’s pre-mature death rate was 6,900 per 100,000 resident, whereas the national average is 7,700.

Premature death rankings account for 50 percent of the health rating, according to a spokeswoman for The

Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute.

However, Bronx County still finds itself last in the University of Wisconsin rankings for New York state, and some county officials are not so optimistic.

“It’s going to take a long time to come back,” said Diaz’ spokesman John DeSio. The Bronx is the worst county in

the state in both “health factors” and “health outcomes,” according to the study. Both correlate with health factors like tobacco use, access to care, education and air quality influencing length of life and quality of life.

The study states that the Bronx has among the worst health behaviors, including diet, exercise and drug abuse. Bronx County also struggles in “clinical care,” according to the study, which refers to the accessibility of

health care. The study also states that Bronx County possesses the worst social and economic factors such as employment. Bronx county also possessed the worst income standards, community safety standards and physical environment.

The county’s physical environment flaws are attributed to transit and water pollution. Last year, experts reported that there were flaws in New York City’s method of testing water for lead, according to a New York Times article. The methods that were previously being used hid dangerously high levels of metal, which may have impacted lead levels in Bronx schools.

New York City as a whole displayed vast disparities in length of life, according to the study. People in the Bronx are much more likely to die early than in any other county in New York City or Long Island. Bronx county ranked 54 of the 62 in life expectancy.

The Bronx also has the lowest quality of life in the state, but its numbers are not drastically different when compared to neighboring counties.

Out of 62 New York State counties that were ranked in quality of life, the Bronx is 62, Brooklyn is 61, Queens is 59 and Manhattan is 56.

However, many unhealthy counties in New York feature upstate counties like St. Lawrence, Franklin and Hamilton, according to the study.

Saratoga, Nassau, Rockland, Putnam and Westchester took the top five spots as New York’s healthiest counties.

OWEN CORRIGAN/THE FORDHAM RAM

Photo of the Week

Students lounge on Edward’s Parade during a bout of nice weather in this photo taken by Owen Corrigan of The Fordham Ram.

This Week at Fordham

Thursday March 30

Friday March 31

Saturday April 1

Sunday April 2

Cat on a Hot Tin Roof

Fordham Stand-Up/Free Pizza Sketch Comedy

Last Comic Standing

Keating 317 7 p.m. - 9p.m.

Collins Hall Auditorium 8 p.m. - 11 p.m.

The Blackbox Theater 8 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.

Grass is Green/Bad History Month/Two Inch Astronaut Rodrigue’s Coffee House 8 p.m. - 11 p.m.

Keating 1st 4:30 p.m. - 9 p.m.

The United Nations Association will screen Girl Rising in Keating 317. This empowering film follows nine different girls in developing areas of the world as they work to achieve their goals.

Mimes and Mummers will perform their Spring 2017 show, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, on Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 8p.m. to 11p.m.

Free Pizza Sketch Comedy and Fordham Stand-Up will host a joint show in the Blackbox Theater, located in the back of Collins, on Friday, March 31 and Saturday, April 1.

Join these three bands in Rodrigue’s Coffee House to hear 90s inspired music this Saturday night, sponsored by the Campus Activities Board.

Watch fellow Fordham students compete to be the Spring Weekend opener in Campus Activity Board’s Last Comic Standing.

Thursday March 30 Film Screening: Girl Rising

NEWS

March 29, 2017

Page 3

SLC Approves New Club Budget Guideline Referendum Clubs Changed to “Block Funded Clubs”

USG released new club budget guidlines that will be enforced in the spring of 2018.

By VICTOR ORDONEZ

ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR

A new club budget guideline has been submitted and approved by the Student Life Council (SLC). United Student Government (USG) voted on the latest Student Activities Budget Com-

mittee Guidelines on March 22 and will be put into effect in the spring of 2018.

USG Vice President of Finance Elizabeth Crennan, FCRH ’19, led the construction of the new guidelines in tandem with other USG budget committee members.

COURTESY OF FLICKR

Father McShane joined other university presidents in supporting Dreamers.

University Pledges Support to Dreamers FROM DREAMERS, PAGE 1

16 temporary permission to stay and also allows them to apply for temporary work permits.

There are approximately 750,000 “Dreamers” in the United States. Though the act does not allow for students to receive federal student aid, “Dreamers” are allowed to attend college.

Trump has wavered on his

stance on DACA. On the campaign trail, Trump said he would immediately suspend DACA, one of President Barack Obama’s executive orders on immigration. Yet in February, he said “DACA is a very, very difficult subject for me.”

In November, McShane signed a letter with other Catholic university presidents in support of undocumented immigrants.

JULIA COMERFORD/THE FORDHAM RAM

The new guidelines clarify explicit details regarding different aspects of club funding, according to Crennan. The new budget guidelines specifically change the names for the two existing club categories. Referendum clubs will be known as “Block Funded Clubs” as of 2018 and McShane emailed the university community in November, explaining his support for undocumented students.

“We pledge to support these students — through our campus counseling and ministry support, through legal resources from those campuses with law schools and legal clinics, and through whatever other services we may have at our disposal,” he said.

Under DACA, immigrants receive a work permit, driver’s license and a social security number.

They must renew their application every two years, though, which costs almost $500, according to the LA Times. There is no path to permanent citizenship through DACA. Today’s letter said many immigrants fear that the program will end and their lives will change dramatically. It cited Trump’s positive comments on “Dreamers”, and said that the higher education community will work with the administration to come to a solution.

“Thank you for the positive comments you have made on several occasions about ‘Dreamers,’ a group of outstanding young people you recently referred to as ‘incredible kids.’ We agree with you,” read the letter. “Brought as children to our country and since granted temporary permission to stay and obtain work permits, they contribute to our great nation every day. We are ready to work with you to ensure that they can continue to do so.”

Bob Howe, director of communications at Fordham, said the university does not have a comment.

general clubs will be referred to as “Standard Funded Clubs.”

Like referendum status, block funded status is intended for clubs who spend a consistent amount of money each semester and have proven to be fiscally responsible with their allocated funds, according to the guidelines.

To become a block funded club, club representatives must present at least three consecutive budgets from the most recent semesters, a detailed letter explaining why block funding would be beneficial and a projected budget for the upcoming semester.

Although not currently in the new guidelines, Crennan looks to improve future block funding requirements, including a detailed report as to how these clubs use their allocated funds.

“Referendum, soon to be known as ‘block funded’ clubs do not have a lot of accountability to the budget committee or the students,” said Crennan. “Most referendum clubs receive their block chunk without providing any information as to how they are going to spend it or back-up documentation.”

However, standard funded clubs are strictly allocated funds through the budget committee, according to Crennan.

The term “Standard Funding” refers to funding classification of many clubs and organizations

in the Fordham community that are either not eligible or have not applied for block funding. The standard funded clubs will apply for funding with specifications of costs and backup documentation for all purchases and whose annual budget day packets vary in amount, according to the guidelines.

“Standard have to submit general dates, and work event by event,” said Crennan. “The standard clubs need to supply valid information regarding their event and appeal for funding.”

Crennan said that she aims to mimic standard funded clubs’ accountability when it comes to clubs that are block funded.

“Our committee is looking to make big changes,” said Crennan.

USG will be looking for a general outline from block funded clubs affirming how the budget will be spent.

Crennan said that the lack of referendum club spending is currently due to varying club governing bodies. “Some clubs have treasurers, others do not,” said Crennan. “USG simply looks to be more informed.”

Crennan is up for reelection as USG VP of finance, but she trusts that whoever fills her position next will assist clubs in reviewing the new guidelines.

“Whoever is next in line for the position will be available to speak

Fordham Law, Gabelli, GSE Ranked FROM NEWS, PAGE 1

sity and the University of Illinois - Chicago. Virginia Roach, dean of the Graduate School of Education, said the ranking reflects the school’s dedication to providing a comprehensive education.

“The Fordham Graduate School of Education’s ranking reflects our commitment to quality instruction, support of the schools in our community, and dedication to rigorous research leading to innovations in teaching, leading and school counseling and psychology,” said Roach.

Education programs were evaluated based on weighted assessments including quality – determined through peer and superintendent assessments -- student selectivity, faculty resources and research activity.

Gabelli’s Graduate School of Business Administration was ranked at No. 73, the lowest of Fordham’s graduate schools ranked by U.S. News. Gabelli tied with Tulane University’s Freeman School of Business, University at Buffalo and University of Arkansas - Fayetville’s Walton School of Business.

Donna Rapaccioli, dean of Gabelli Business School said the ranking is not reflective of pro-

gram offerings at the school, but is regardless happy to see some improvements.

“While the ranking doesn’t fully measure the quality of our program, I am pleased to see the key metrics moving in the right direction,” said Rapaccioli.

She also said she is pleased with the innovations of some of the masters programs at the school.

“I am proud of the many innovations our faculty have introduced into our MBA and MS programs which are positively impacting the student experience and job placement,” said Rapaccioli.

These metrics include a quality assessment evaluated by recruiters and peers, job placement success and student selectivity.

Georgetown University – McDonough School of Busines, University of Notre Dame - Mendoza School of Business and Boston College - Carroll School of Business, earned the No. 21, No. 29 and No. 44 spots respectively.

Gabelli’s non-profit MBA degree made U.S. News’ top 10 nonprofit programs. Its tenth place ranking made it a top business school for a non-profit MBA, according to U.S. News.

NEWS

Page 4

March, 29, 2017

CIO Nick Wood Sits Down With The Fordham Ram To Discuss the Endowment

By NICHOLAS WETZEL DIGITAL EDITOR

Eric Wood, Chief Investment Officer (CIO) of Fordham University, manages the university’s endowment. In recent years, universities’s endowments has become one of the most important metrics used to rank schools.

What is an endowment? Why is it important?

EW: An endowment is basically a collection of money that friends and family of Fordham have donated throughout the last 100 or so years that have contributed to the university’s cause. Endowments support the efforts of nonfor-profits such as universities, hospitals and institutions. Fordham’s endowment plays a critical role in meeting its core mission and augmenting its operations.

If endowments are large enough, like the case with Harvard’s endowment, you can let every student attend a university for free, forever from the earnings of the endowment.

So who manages Fordham’s endowment? Is it outsourcing to a third party to run?

EW: I’m the chief investment officer at Fordham’s Endowment, I’ve been here for five years. The endowment is managed by me, and I report to the CFO of Fordham and a group of Fordham trustees who serve on the investment committee for the Board of Directors. We don’t buy and sell stocks, rather we use investment managers.

However, assets are managed externally by investment managers who invest in strategies and asset classes.

What is the average gift size to Fordham’s endowment, and what was the largest gift ever?

EW: I’m not exactly sure. We have a lot of recent graduates donating hundreds of dollars, and then donations range all the way up to millions. If there’s a name on the building, that’s a good indicator an alumni contributed a significant amount.

How does Fordham’s endowment compare in size to other university endowments?

EW: We consider it small to medium sized. The oldest endowments, say for Harvard and Yale, are in the range of 25 to 35 billion, so compared to that our endowment of $680 million looks small, but that’s not an entirely accurate comparison. If you look at a basket of Jesuit universities, on the large end you have a school like Boston College who has an endowment of $2.5 to 3 billion and then you go all the way down to a school like Detroit Mercy, who has an endowment size of 30 million. It’s very lopsided at the largest endowments, but the tail is very long.

A lot of universities are referred to as tuition-driven institutions. What does Fordham’s endowment support, and how much of Fordham’s operating costs are subsidized by the endowment in comparison to tuition? If so, what percentage is returned each year to the university?

EW: The spend rate is only about five percent of total operating budget, which means Fordham’s endowment allocates five percent of its total assets to university expenses. At larger endowments such as Yale’s, 40 percent of the operating budget would be covered by the endowment, but five percent is fairly typical for universities our size, so the endowment’s contribution is meaningful, but not dominant.

The problem is you have this pile of money from donations that you need to invest and earn a return on in order to meet Fordham’s mission, but you also need to contribute to the operating budget. If you include inflation and growth, that means our endowment needs to earn a 7.5 percent return hurdle in order to meet the spend rate and grow the endowment.

How have our endowment’s returns performed historically?

EW: As of now, it’s south of 7.5 percent, for sure. Over the last 12 months the funds have returned

13 percent, but look you run into problems sometimes depending on your mix of investments. If you look at 2008-2009, a lot of endowments got crushed, Harvard’s total endowment size decreased upwards of 14 percent or more, so during that period our endowment also declined. It’s always challenging to compare university’s returns on investments. We are more concerned about comparing ourselves to our internal hurdle rate than comparing ourselves to the performance of other endowments.

David Swensen pioneered the famous Yale Endowment Model, which focuses on investing in less liquid asset classes like private equity in order to boost returns. The idea is that as an investor, you are given a premium for not being able to pull out of an investment, like you would when you sell a stock. Many universities have tried to emulate Swensen’s model, with limited success. What is your investment philosophy, and where are most of Fordham’s endowment funds allocated?

EW: I buy his philosophy. If you talk to him about Yale’s excellent returns, he’ll say it comes from finding smart people, it’s less about asset allocation. His strategies are not your typical strategy of buying a few hundred stocks and hoping to beat the S&P 500 index by 0.50 percent. Swensen has gone off the beaten path. Our main investment philosophy is understanding the future return prospects for an investment, the risk associated with the investment, and if we already own any of it. If I can understand returns, get comfortable with the risks, and don’t already own any, I should probably buy some. Endowment management is all about managing liquidity, which means that we always need to have cash on hand to meet market calls and contribute to the operating budget for Fordham. Then we hunt for atypical investment ideas that are off the beaten path from stocks.

For example, one of the atypical

COURTESY OF ERIC WOOD

Fordham’s administration building and fountain are named in honor of distinguished alumni and trustee Maurice J. Cunniffe, FCRH ’54.

investments we are currently doing is farmland, which is a 10 to 15year investment where we rent out land to farmers. Farmland allows us to get free options on things like soy and wheat, while also giving us a consistent, higher return. The great part about farmland is it’s not going to be affected by what President Trump does, or by the current happenings in the EU. Fordham’s ranking on the U.S. News & World Report have fluctuated a lot in the past few years, and one of the primary factors that are weighted are endowment size and performance.

What’s your opinion on the importance of rankings, and why

ours has fluctuated so much?

EW: So these endowment investments are proverbial supertankers. It’s very difficult to move them around quickly. We’ve got a strategic mission and we are trying to navigate that. Any change should be driven by a lot of factors, but it takes time to implement them. Because of compounding interest, it’s going to be hard to get to the top of rankings because some elite schools have larger, older endowments. However, our investment program is on a great trajectory, just not as seasoned as older endowments.

Campus Briefs & Bites Marine Ecologist Promotes Oceanic Sustainability

Fordham Christian Studies Center Meets Fundraiser Goals

Fordham and NYPL Announce Joint Program

Fordham Community Attends St. Patrick’s Day Parade

Renowned marine ecologist and former undersecretary of commerce for oceans and atmosphere for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Jane Lubchenco spoke at the Sapientia et Doctrina lecture on March 22. The lecture, “Making Waves and Bringing Hope: Our Role in Charting the Future of the Oceans,” was held in Fordham Rose Hill’s Flom Auditorium on the United Nation’s World Water Day. The lecture was sponsored by Fordham College at Rose Hill to commemorate Fordham’s Dodransbicentennial. President of Fordham Rev. Joseph M. McShane S.J. awarded Lubchenco the Sapientia et Doctrina medal in recognition of her commitment to issues impacting the world’s oceans.

During the lecture Lubchenco summarized the important functions of the ocean and the activities that threaten its well being.

Her lecture also discussed global innovative solutions that promote sustainability.

Fordham’s Orthodox Christian Studies Center has met the fundraising goal set by a challenge grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities, which required the center to reach $1.5 million in donations by August of 2017 in order to receive an additional $500,000.

This is the first time the NEH has provided Fordham with a 3 to 1 matching grant. Donors contributed 844 gifts to reach the $1.5 million, with 61 percent of donations coming from those with connections to the university and the other 39 percent of donors had no prior connection. Donations reached upwards of $150,000 and ranged as little as $2.50. A Distinguished Scholar-in-Residence program as well as an invitation to the center’s first Dissertation Completion Fellow, Aram G. Sarkisian, are made possible by the two million dollar endowment. Sarkisian plans to use the fellowship to finish his dissertation, “The Cross Between Hammer and Sickle: Russian Orthodox Christians in Red Scare America, 1908-1924.”

Fordham University and the New York Public Library have announced a joint pilot program in Jewish Studies for the up coming 2017-2018 academic year. Scholars from outside New York city are invited to conduct research at NYPL’s Dorot Jewish Division. Gifts, including the Eugene Shvidler Gift Fund, allowed for the creation of such a program. The Dorot Division contains over 300,000 books and serials, making it one of the most significant collections of Judaica in North America. Formed in 1895, it was the NYPL’s first special collection. The Dorot Division’s collections offer a unique opportunity for scholars to consult materials that have yet to be digitized. As Fordham’s collections do not currently have the resources in its Judaica collection to support the program, the partnership with the Dorot Division makes the program possible according to Magda Teter, Ph.D. and Shvidler Chair of Judaic Studies.

Four hundred members of the Fordham University community attended the 256th Annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade on Mar. 17.

Harrison High School Marching Band led the Fordham community up Fifth Avenue, Manhattan. Harrison High School neighbors Fordham’s Westchester campus. The school was joined by Rose Hill’s Fordham Prep. President and chief executive officer of Northwell Health Michael Dowling, GSS ’17, served as Fordham’s parade grand marshal.

The parade routed the participating Fordham community passed St. Patrick’s Cathedral, where they paid their respects to Cardinal Timothy Dolan. Nearly 200 Fordham Alumni had gathered for breakfast at the Yale Club’s Grand Ballroom prior to the parade. Author Peter Quinn, GSAS ’75, spoke to the crowd in remembrance of how far the Irish have come.

Quinn reminded the crowd of the nearly one million Irish immigrants that passed through New York City’s seaport.

NEWS

March 29, 2017

Rose Hill Gym to be Renovated and Renamed FROM GYM, PAGE 1

McLaughlin was part of the basketball team as a student, and was athletic director from 1985 to 2012. He was also an assistant coach under legendary head coach Richard “Digger” Phelps during the 1970-71 season. That season, the Rams won their only tournament game, beating Furman 10574 before losing to Villanova in the Sweet 16.

“I think the university decided to honor Frank McLaughlin after his many years of service to the university and the fact that he was a basketball student-athlete here,” said David Roach, McLaughlin’s successor as the current director of intercollegiate athletics and recreation.

Fordham men’s and women’s basketball teams, along with the women’s volleyball team, typically enjoy a decent home court

advantage. Twenty-two of men’s basketball’s 30 wins over the past three seasons have been at home, including going 14-5 in 2015.

This season, they upset eventual March Madness tournament participant Virginia Commonwealth at home.

Women’s basketball has not had a losing record at home since 2011. It went 16-3 at home this season, including a 66-52 victory over tournament team Dayton and a 62-54 win over Davidson in the first round of the Atlantic 10 Championship.

Twenty-four of women’s volleyball’s 46 wins since 2012 have come at home.

The Rose Hill Gym has also hosted other events, including the semifinals and championship of The Basketball Tournament in 2016, which was televised on ESPN.

Page 5

SJP Hosts Event “BDS At Universities” Through Academic Departments FROM SJP, PAGE 1

cation,” said Rodgers. “It assures that a wide variety of viewpoints are present and explored on our campuses- a tremendous positive.”

The event hosted students and alumni who were involved in SJP clubs at their respective schools.

Katherine Azcona, a John Jay alumnus, Sarah Aly, a Brooklyn College alumnus and Aya Slimani, a Columbia University student, all served as event panelists.

The event requested the panelists speak out for “SJPs around the country [that] are subject to censorship and administrative repression,” according to the event’s Facebook page.

The panelists gave advice regarding SJP’s future endeavors.

Aly recommended that SJP’s protests advertise a broader argument that concerns freedom of speech and to later narrow their argument to discuss the core issues SJP stands for.

“People may not necessarily be

left wing or otherwise, but many will still vogue for your right to say what you have to say,” said Aly. “You can appeal to people through freedom of speech. Make sure the wording of your petitions and your rallies is focused on your right to be a club and to be able to share your ideas at club events.”

Aly said the club should continue to seek help from within the university. “I also think a huge resource to use is the faculty on campus,” said Aly. “Especially with the narrative of free speech.”

The academic sponsorship of “BDS at Universities” is the most recent instance in which Fordham faculty came to Lurie’s aid.

Lurie recently underwent a disciplinary hearing with Fordham administration and was charged with holding a protest without proper authorization. She said that thus far faculty support has been instrumental in SJP’s ongoing fight for free speech.

“When I had my hearing, there were 120 faculty [petition] sign-

ers and supporters asking for the administrations to drop the charges against me,” said Lurie Lurie said that she and other SJP members would be taking the event of the hearing into consideration as they go about future club business in an attempt to prevent further conflict with Fordham administration. However, SJP will continue to organize on campus until its demands are reached, according to Lurie.

“The events of the hearing is a consideration going forward,” said Lurie. “But all I can really say is that we are going to continue to organize on campus and make our voices heard.”

SJP demands to be granted full club status, an apology from the administration addressed to students involved in SJP, a written statement guaranteeing free speech on campus and that the University ensure equal treatment for all students regardless of their national origins, according to its Facebook page.

FFU Delivers Petition to Fr. McShane: Fordham Adjuncts Move to Unionize

VICTOR ORODNEZ/THE FORDHAM RAM

Students and faculty gathered outside Cunniffe House in preparation to deliver petition.

By VICTOR ORDONEZ

ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR

Students and members of Fordham Faculty United (FFU) gathered outside Dealy Hall on March 9 in preparation to hand deliver a student petition to president of the University Rev. Joseph M. McShane, S.J. The petition called for students, faculty and adminis-

tration alike to help in “efforts to form a union and win a voice for all non-tenure track faculty at our school.”

The student petition was fashioned by members of Fordham Students United (FSU) and Service Employees International Union (SEIU).

FFU was made aware that they would not be able to meet with

McShane prior to its gathering.

Alan Trevithick, fellow adjunct and member of FFU, corresponded with McShane via email on March 6. Trevithick formally asked to meet and discuss ongoing plans to form a union for nontenure track faculty.

McShane declined to intervene in current adjunct deliberations due to possible legal implications,

according to Trevithick. In response McShane’s neutrality, FFU issued the following statement: “We are disappointed that we will not be able to meet with father McShane about our union movement on campus. The reason McShane said that he is unable to meet with us is because he does not want to interfere with our deliberations. By that account, we believe that means that our administration will remain neutral. They have remained neutral thus far and we believe they will follow in the path of schools like Georgetown and Saint Louis University as we move toward winning a voice for our contingent faculty.”

Regardless of McShane’s declination to meet, a coalition of FFU members and students proceeded to deliver a student petition to McShane’s office Thursday, March 9. However, Trevithick clarified in an email to The Ram that members of FFU were pleased with the phrasing of McShane’s email and that the gathering was a means of keeping the president informed on the organization’s plan of action.

“The fact that he does not want to ‘intervene’ in our deliberations could be a very good sign,” said Trevithick. “We are organizing very well and we are the threshold of filing with the National Labor Relations Board. This stance of neutrality is in a sense all we are really looking for.”

Trevithick said that McShane’s neutrality was similar to tactics used by the administration at Georgetown University, a case in which adjuncts eventually won their right to unionize.

Kathryn Krasinski, a Fordham anthropology professor and member of FFU, helped to deliver the

student petition alongside fellow adjuncts. She described her growing concerns for her living conditions due to her insufficient Fordham salary.

“I am working a lot of other jobs to earn ends meet because I am not making enough money here to that,” said Krasinski. “In the fall semester, I received my last paycheck around thanksgiving and I didn’t receive my first [spring semester] check until February.”

As of 2016, for a standard undergraduate course meeting for three hours per week, Fordham University is said to have a minimum pay of $3,900. Depending on the professor’s experience and credentials, that number can reach $5,000 per course.

Krasinski said that time is also a factor not recognized in her Fordham salary, which she said inevitably equates to volunteer work.

“Part of the reason that I want work at a university is to have that one-on-one interaction with students, but we are not compensated for any of that time,” said Krasinski. “I use these checks to pay for rent, food, electricity and other bills. In the end, I am concerned about having a place to live and having enough food while I’m working at Fordham.”

Hannah Jopling, adjunct anthropology professor said that as a result of unionization, FFU would deal with the “principle issues, such as salary improvement, longer term contracts and healthcare benefits.”

A faculty petition is also currently in circulation, according to Jopling.

The university did not respond for comment in time for publication of this article.

NEWS

Page 6

March 29, 2017

FFU Moves Closer to Forming Adjunct Union

By THERESA SCHLIEP NEWS EDITOR

Fordham Faculty United (FFU) is one step closer to forming a union for adjunct faculty at the university. FFU filed for a union election with the National Labor Relations Board to form a union with the serivce Employees International Union Local200United, a union representing workers from New York and Vermont.

Now that FFU filed for a vote, it will legally have the right to vote whether or not to unionize, according to Kathryn Krasinski, an adjunct professor of anthropology. The union and the university will have to determine the conditions of the vote before it can proceed.

The union will include nontenured track faculty at the university beside theology contingent faculty or from Catholic studies due to an NLRB decision that excludes religiously-affiliated part-time faculty from union representation because “their work is directly involved with the school’s religious affiliation,” according to Law360. Tenured-track faculty cannot unionize due to a 1980 Supreme Court decision in Yeshiva v. NLRB.

In an interview with The Fordham Ram, Krasinski said union representation will help improve working conditions for adjunct faculty, such as providing a living wage. Adjunct faculty, for a standard undergraduate course meeting for three hours per week, earn a minimum of $3,900 In doing so, Krasinski said the Fordham experience will improve for professors and students alike.

“The whole goal is to improve working conditions to improve students learning conditions,” said Krasinski.

Adjunct faculty are also concerned over health care, benefits and job opportunities amongst other professional contingencies according to Nate Sloan, an adjunct professor of music.

In an interview with The Fordham Ram, Sloan said unionizing will vocalize adjunct faculty concerns as well as provide a method of communication between adjunct faculty.

“Right now we have no sort of official body for lobbying the administration, no official body for communicating with each other, we don’t really know who each other is,” said Sloan. “[It’ll help in] presenting and unifying a front rather than passively accept any changes the administration has to

OWEN CORRIGAN/THE FORDHAM RAM

Students and faculty made their way to Cunniffe house with a petition to support adjunct faculty in hand.

make.”

Krasinski said if working conditions for adjunct faculty remain the same at the university, she cannot stay.

“I literally buy gallons and gallons of oatmeal because that’s what I eat for months because we don’t get paychecks,” said Krasin-

ski. “I can’t work here anymore if there’s not going to be a change.”

Sloan said it seems the entire Fordham community is behind adjunct faculty.

“I am really encouraged by regardless what happens, the mounting awareness over what can only be called an adjunct

faculty crisis, and I hope moving forward we have the whole Fordham community in solidarity with adjunct faculty because I think we are really embodying the values of that university,” said Sloan.

The university did not respond to a request for comment in time for publication.

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March 29, 2017

OPINION

Page 7

The Fordham Ram

All Clubs Deserve The Right To Assemble

By AHMED YOUSSEF CONTRIBUTING WRITER

A few days before Christmas, Fordham denied a group of students’ request to host a chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine, a nation-wide organization aimed at promoting Palestinian freedom and equality. Alhough the United Student Government approved the endeavor, Fordham’s administration denied the request on political grounds. This decision fueled much debate about the role of political activism on campus and called into question the level of freedom of speech afforded to Fordham students.

The club’s support for the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement, (BDS), was cited by Fordham as a decisive factor behind the refusal. Launched just over a decade ago, BDS is a global campaign that seeks to increase pressure on Israel in light of its frequent violations of international law and general disregard of Palestinian rights.

It is a stance that firmly establishes the club’s position in the contentious Israeli-Palestinian conflict, considered by Fordham to be “a topic that often leads to polarization rather than dialogue”, according to Keith Eldredge, dean of students at Lincoln Center, in a December email to students.

The intimidation felt by Fordham regarding this topic is well justified—the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has been raging for decades now with no clear end in sight. It has been the source of

countless debates among prominent intellectuals and political leaders and it is only natural that groups advocating for different viewpoints on the issue arise in society.

College campuses are no exception. Therefore, this particular proposal posed a serious test of freedom of speech for Fordham—one the ultimately failed.

Fordham is no stranger to political activism—the College Democrats and College Republicans represent two of the more prominent student clubs on campus.

Cultural clubs associated with different countries are also present. In the case of Palestine however, culture and politics are inextricably linked. The country’s political status means that the struggle with Israel is an unavoidable element of being Palestinian, this has rendered the expression of the Palestinian national identity and promoting the Palestinian cause as inseparable in the divisive conflict.

Indeed, the Students for Justice in Palestine organization is currently present in more than 100 American universities, where it interacts on a regular basis with other clubs that share opposing views on the conflict.

Yet, Fordham insists on dissuading its community from engaging in a dialogue on one of the most prominent issues of the international political scene, isolating its Palestinian students in the process.

The whole matter has managed

VICTOR ORDONEZ/THE FORDHAM RAM

Even at private academic institutions, no group should be refused funding or silenced by the administration.

to attract the attention of several outlets outside the campus gates, prompting the university to defend its decision by likening the proposed club to a lobbying group due to a perceived narrow political focus. This contrasts a statement within the regulations section of Fordham’s student handbook: “It should be noted, however, that the University values freedom of expression and the open exchange of ideas. The expression of controversial ideas and differing views is a vital part of University discourse.” This idea in the university policy makes it all the more disappointing to witness Fordham’s handling of this situation.

The issue at hand is more significant than the specific goals of one student group, as it needs to be

viewed within the larger context of freedom of speech. Freedom of speech is considered an irreplaceable component of a true democracy; it dictates tolerance for all opinions regardless of their nature or origin and has consequently laid the groundwork for society as a whole to take progressive steps forward throughout the modern era, and any compromise of it is a move in the face of progress.

It is the role of the university to create an environment that allows for the productive discussion of different ideas in order to benefit society.

Stifling a specific opinion on a political basis can only act as a hindrance to the kind of discourse required in any academic setting.

By refusing the request to es-

tablish a Students for Justice in Palestine chapter, Fordham has simultaneously damaged its free speech record as well as turned down an opportunity to establish a meaningful dialogue on campus about a critical political issue.

This is an opportunity Fordham should have been well advised to take, especially considering that the university can now count the president among its alumni.

Instilling a sense of openness towards receiving and debating others’ opinions must remain one of the indelible aspirations of any academic institution, and Fordham is no exception.

Ahmed Youssef, FCRH ’17, is a computer science major from Alexandria, Egypt.

GOP Goes Back to Drawing Board

By JOE MORESKY COLUMNIST

Last week, as the drama surrounding the attempted passing of the American Healthcare Act unfolded, Americans saw that even when you add control of the White House to your political recipe, a legislative flop can still be the result.

Despite having a significant majority in the House of Representatives, the Republican conference could not build a practical coalition to achieve their most well-known campaign promise: a repeal of the Affordable Care Act. Despite having a president who repeatedly touted his negotiating skills during the past election, compromise could not be forged

between the disparate factions of the GOP. Despite having seven years to formulate a politically palatable healthcare alternative, the brainchild of Paul Ryan failed to truly win the hearts of his colleagues.

While the defeat is unquestionably a tactical setback, the larger problem must now be faced. The Republican Party must return

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The revision/deletion of the Affordable Care Act was a failure and shows a great division between both political parties.

to the legislative drawing board, but can scarcely agree on what that drawing board looks like, let alone the solution meant to be drafted upon it.

Any attempt at healthcare reform that the party attempts must contain measures of decentralization, tax relief for those lacking comfortable employer-based coverage, some form of continuous coverage for the average American and significantly more flexibility at the state level.

Increased consumer choice, empowerment of patient-doctor decision making, and lowering the overall cost of care should be paramount.

These goals necessitate more discretion in price structuring for providers, along with restructuring of current provider tax subsidies that encourage expensive plans.

The shift from strict federal control towards a restoration of state-level discretionary spending and the injection of market mechanisms should be enough to generate a united conservative front.

But it no longer is.

The unfortunate fate of the Trump Administration is to preside over a fractured party struggling to find its identity in the 21st Century.

The dynamic of stubbornness that defined John Boehner’s tenure as Speaker of the House is still in place, despite the populist shakeup Trump has given to GOP orthodoxy.

The Freedom Caucus seems to be as determined as ever to be a thorn in Paul Ryan’s side, and establishment members continue to feud with the party’s obstructionist element.

Across the aisle, Democratic lawmakers have little incentive to work with the President.

The only thing that seems to unite the Democratic Party is opposition to Trump, and its voting base has shown no appetite for compromise.

Perhaps this will be a learning experience for President Trump and Speaker Ryan, with better outcomes just over the horizon.

However, stalled legislative momentum this early in a new administration can just as easily be too much for a President lacking experience in governing to overcome.

The alpha-dealmaker has been stumped on his first legislative foray, and with a speaker struggling to effectively whip his conference, there’s little reason to think the next attempt will be any better.

OPINION

Page 8

R

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

Website FordhamRam.com Email Address theram@fordham.edu Mailing Address Fordham University - Station 37 Box B Bronx, NY 10458 Editor-in-Chief Erin Shanahan Managing Editor Margarita Artoglou Business Director Matthew Schiller Operations Director Andrea Garcia Copy Chief Elizabeth Doty Editorial Director Cat Swindal Assistant Business Directors James Haranzo Connor Smith Assistant Copy Chief Taylor Shaw News Editor Theresa Schliep Assistant News Editors Aislinn Keely Victor Ordonez Opinion Editors Christopher Canadeo Briana Scalia Culture Editors Bailey Hosfelt Libby Smislova Erin Cabrey Sports Editor Jack McLoone Assistant Sports Editors Alvin Halimwidjaya Tom Terzulli Photo Editors Julia Comerford Owen Corrigan Layout Editor Delaney Leiter Digital Team Mario Nicastro Nick Wetzel 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.

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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.

March 29, 2017

From the Desk | Briana Scalia

Lack of Bipartisanship Hurting America The American Health Care Act of 2017, commonly referred to as the AHCA or “Trumpcare,” was withdrawn from the House floor, without vote, on March 24, 2017. The main goal of the bill was to repeal and replace the current Affordable Care Act, also known as the ACA or “Obamacare.”

Major differences between the AHCA and the ACA would include coverage of the aforementioned insurance, both in scope of citizens and medical issues. Some of these differences include a partial defunding of Planned Parenthood, rolling back the expansion of Medicaid and an end to federal essential health benefits, or in other words, placing no requirements for citizens and employers on how much insurance coverage they are forced to pay. While the majority of American citizens were unsure of the changes, one would think the Freedom Caucus would back the ideas of the Republican President and the Speaker of the House.

The reasons for the opposition of Democratic representatives being opposed to the proposed bill seem fairly obvious. Most Democrats either feel a strong loyalty to the previous president, or they truly feel that Obamacare is the better alternative to this new health coverage plan.

An overwhelming majority of liberals have at least a slight resentment towards President Trump, and hold a bias towards ideas and concepts that have originated from him. Addition-

ally, some members of the GOP did not stand behind the AHCA because the purists believe the new proposal did not eradicate Obamacare from its root, as was promised during President Trump’s campaign.

The ideological schism within the Republican Party has never been as obvious as it is now; the pragmatic Republicans are more willing to make compromises with the Democratic Party, while the extremely conservative Republicans are not interested in budging in their political opinions.

As a country, we have reached a point where there is not just a major divide between the two central political parties, but there are divides within the parties themselves, particularly the Republican Party. The fractures in the Republican Party have been made clear these last few days. Most American citizens are already painfully aware of how the lack of cooperation between parties leads to little work being achieved in Washington D.C. Both parties have evolved from a gathering of like-minded people where bipartisan consensus could be achieved, to a band of exclusive, close-minded representatives who are more interested in helping the future of their party than the future of the country. In doing so, the extremists in both political parties neglect the needs of the American citizens, subsequently neglecting the job they were specifically chosen to do. The United States needs to scale back

both political parties’ levels of power, and pressure them into meeting each other halfway so as to make actual progress. As former President John F. Kennedy stated, “Let us not seek the Republican answer or the Democratic answer, but the right answer.”

If the Republican Party does not come together and work through its internal problems many political scientists theorize that it will split, some believe even within the next decade. While the Democratic Party itself has issues, the Republican Party has allowed its problems to become so apparent that it helped kill a conservative-leaning bill, introduced by a Republican President, to repeal and replace Obamacare. Even one of these characteristics should have been enough to convince the GOP to band together to attempt to back the bill, but instead it let it split be the healthcare plan’s undoing.

The American government is plagued by problems regarding the two major political parties, but this Republican split is even more debilitating to government progress. The pragmatic Republicans will eventually split from the purist Republicans, and this recent display of division only further proves the probability of this split occurring.

The worst aspect of this political party in-fighting is the negative way it affects the American citizens, especially the middle and lower class citizens. While those with large incomes and inordinate amounts of wealth

do not express such concern at the lack of work being done in the White House, those who are struggling to get by are counting on their representatives to fight for their rights and try to solve their problems.

Unfortunately, this grows increasingly harder to achieve as government in-fighting continues to cripple the law making process. Those who are struggling do not have the privilege to be completely obstinate in their beliefs that these well-off political figures do. We as American citizens are depending on our political representatives to be our voice and argue in our stead.

If the two major political parties do not start to compromise in favor of development, American citizens’ lives will be disrupted, and they will only continue to suffer. This congressional chess game must come to an end. I cannot help but agree with sociologist Dr. DaShanne Stokes, who states, “We owe our loyalty to each other and to our children’s children, not to party politics.”

Editorial | Budget Cuts

The Arts Deserve To Be Preserved On March 16, President Trump’s announced a budget plan which calls for increasing funds for military spending and homeland security.

To set off the increased spending, Trump has proposed sweeping cuts to several different governmental organizations that he and his administration may not think are necessary for American life. These include arts and humanities programs. The budgets of the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), whose budgets both equal $148 million, would both cease to exist under this budget.

We at The Fordham Ram are concerned by the implications of these budget cuts and would like to defend American arts programs.

Across the world, the arts are a cultural backbone. The arts can influence another culture and even bring cultures together. American culture is so strong on the global stage because of our unique art. Our music, artwork and theater are all global phenomen. The arts are a powerful

tool, one that Trump’s administration wants to take away through this budget cut. Art has been a global commodity, and the power that Trump desperately wants will only be siphoned with the depletion of the arts.

The arts are also important for the American individual. The arts have always been a source of comfort and confidence building for Americans of all ages. Artistic activities encourage the individual to be in touch with his or her thoughts in a beautiful way and provide a healthy way for one to be in touch with his or her emotions.

When someone is sad, he or she can channel sadness into a poem. If someone is happy, he or she can perform an upbeat song. Any emotion in between can be channeled into art in some way. The arts provide a way to express oneself in a world that can often silence emotions.

It also is a source of togetherness among Americans. The arts allow people of all ages to create a community. It is touching that human beings can form such strong bonds

over something so intrinsic to all cultures. Whether it’s through performing or listening, the arts provide a common thread for all of us.

The arts have always been the centerpiece of American culture. Any popular American song or famous American artwork in a museum is a product of our love for the arts. In recent years, arts programs at schools have been cut all around the country.

For the federal government to follow suit increases that tragedy. The federal government, by cutting the budget of arts programs, says that the arts do not matter. By saying the arts do not matter, the Trump administration makes clear that the fostering of American culture is not a high priority. How can the administration that purports to make America great again justify the elimination of the soul of our country?

Fordham already has a strong appreciation for the arts. Poetry slams, acappella performances and art shows are quite popular on both Rose Hill and Lincoln Center campuses. We are blessed to live in one

of the most well-known hubs for art in the world, whether it be on Broadway or Museum Mile. The only way to combat this attack on the arts by our President and his administration is to continue our love and support for the arts. Supporting the arts here at Fordham and in our immediate community is easy and socially worthwhile.

Fordham students can support the arts on a deeper level by supporting local arts. Like arts programs in schools, local museums and galleries all over the country need funding more than ever. Although on a smaller stage, smaller museums and galleries ensure that the arts continue to thrive. Donations and even time spent volunteering could make a difference. Take matters into your own hands to preserve our American artistic culture, even if the federal government will not.

We at The Fordham Ram also encourage students to take their appreciation for the arts and pursue it after graduation. Keep performing and listening, keep painting and analyzing.

Disagree with our editorial?

Send your emails to fordhamramopinions@gmail.com!

OPINION

March 29, 2017

Page 9

Student Athletics is Unpaid Labor

By JACK McLOONE SPORTS EDITOR

College sports are allegedly built upon a foundation of amateurism. Corrine from “The Bachelor” probably loves this idealized vision of college sports, where players are there “for the right reason:” the love of the game, not the money.

But while the players may not be there for the money, everyone else is. Take, for example, the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament.

CBS and Turner Sports paid an estimated $10 billion in 2016 for the rights to broadcast March Madness. The head coaches for the Final Four teams – Dana Altmann at Oregon, Mark Few at Gonzaga, Frank Martin at South Carolina and Roy Williams at North Carolina – make over $5.7 million combined.

This has been an oft-repeated point, but the salaries of the athletes – you know, both the labor and the product – come out to

zero dollars and zero cents.

“They get a free education and housing and food and perks!” you cry, as you do every time you hear this argument.

“What is that even worth in today’s economy?” I yell back, sick of it.

While CNBC is reporting that the job market for recent college graduates is much better than it has been in recent years in terms of employment, it also reports, according to the National Association of Colleges and Employers, that 39 percent of 2014 and 2015 graduates are making no more than $25,000.

And that “free education” student-athletes receive is severely limited by practice and travel schedules.

While not statistically related, the money going into college sports and the value of a college degree are seemingly inversely proportional.

Not to mention, the number of scholarships given to student-

athletes is less than the amount given out for academics. If you have an athletic scholarship, it is very difficult to decide your collegiate destination and it is incredibly risky to leave. This rule is in place not because of transgressions by players, but to prevent coaches from convincing players to leave schools like free agency.

While this issue is often discussed solely in regards to national powerhouses, even smaller schools still make money on the backs of their athletes.

College football is the secondmost lucrative sport in the country, trailing only the NFL. While the big money is obviously in Division I, the SECs and Big 10s of the world, there is still plenty of money floating around in the Division I-AA ranks as well.

Every season, top-flight DI programs pay smaller schools for the right to have a home game and pad their records, often around half a million dollars,

COURTESY OF FLICKR

Athletes in sports that contribute to the financial success of their respective university deserve to earn some revenue.

Kathryn Wolper The Power of Twitter On Sunday, a series of tweets from Shannon Watts (@shannonrwatts on Twitter) detailed what appeared to be an employee of United Airlines denying girls from getting on a flight due to their spandex leggings.

According to CNBC, Watts is the founder of Moms Demand Action and has a considerable Twitter following. Watts is even verified by the platform.

Due to Watts’s considerable following, her tweets sparked a firestorm. Many tweeted their outrage to United, and journalists wrote articles about the exchange in which Watts was not directly involved.

Without knowing the details of the interaction she witnessed, Watts boldly made the claim, “Apparently @united is policing the clothing of women and girls.”

According to The Star Tribune, whose reporter spoke with a new

representative at United, the girls were traveling as guests of a United employee and did not meet the more strict dress code standards for such travel.

Whether or not United was out of line in this controversy is beside the point. The situation illustrates the power of both individuals to rally anger against companies and companies to make or break their relationships with customers.

Although the issue that Watts encountered only affected a select few United passengers, she quickly and loudly broadcasted her conclusions to her many followers.

In a culture where a mere headline can fuel outrage and social media platforms make companies extremely accessible, customer service nightmares are extremely visible.

This makes companies’ social media skills relevant to their success in a social era. Gone are the days when an angry phone call was the preferred outlet for customer dissatisfaction.

Today, an unpleasant experience with a brand, especially an airline, takes place on Twitter, where millions of users can watch

the exchange and make judgments on the brand.

The representative defending United on Twitter throughout this fiasco was robotic and tactless. He or she cited sections of the airline’s terms and conditions instead of engaging with users who were legitimately upset.

Of course, no single person is responsible for all of the customer service exchanges with customers via Twitter.

Most of the United Airlines tweets that addressed Watts and the many people, including celebrities like Chrissy Tiegen, Levar Burton and Patricia Arquette, who had concerns about the exchange were signed “^FS”.

While the mystery customer service representative has surely been trained in how to respond in situations like this one, large companies must worry about the ways in which one representative’s words can represent an entire company in a viral story like this one.

Frequently, people tell their own stories about dissatisfaction with an airline, brand or service via Twitter.

This controversy differs slightly, but importantly, in that the

with less for less prestigious schools and more for the weaker DI programs as opposed to DIAA ones.

So, every season, the labor and bodies of players are sold for the right to get beat up by a superior program. Yes, sometimes there are upsets, like when Fordham beat Army in 2015, but they are rare. And “beat up” is the exact right phrasing.

SB Nation’s Spencer Hall describes football as the sport “that asks you to believe that there is an acceptable and controllable amount of being on fire.” The number and severity of injuries stemming from football is welldocumented, yet student-athletes’ bodies are used to make their schools money, despite being prohibited from seeing any of the benefit themselves.

Take this hypothetical: a player could suffer a “routine” concussion in one of these money games. Brain injuries have been linked time and time again to degenerative brain diseases like CTE and Alzheimer’s.

When we hear of former NFL players dealing with these diseases, we’re devastated but can at least find a little solace in the idea that they made millions of dollars to support their families.

Meanwhile, college players can just as easily sustain brain injuries that can make it difficult for them to make use of that college degree, and they won’t even have a part of the money they helped earn to fall back on.

In smaller schools, this “paid to play” prospect is seen as a necessary evil to fund athletic programs that struggle to make money. If one game against a school like Navy or Florida can fund your program for the year, doesn’t that make sense? And, if you’re lucky, you may even get

a high-profile win out of it, like Fordham’s victory over Army in 2015. But where is the ethics of the situation, of essentially exploiting your labor for money that at best goes to fund their program, but almost never goes back to the labor itself ?

This is not to argue that every athlete should be paid. But if you have people paying to watch those athletes, whether it be football or basketball or anything else, then the “preservation of amateurism” defense is weak. Back in the day when college sports were just a thing to do to pass the time and people would come watch in the name of school pride? Sure, I guess claiming amateurism was the draw of the sport was a fair argument.

But as the big sports start to make tens of millions for big schools, and are still a source of income for the smaller ones?

Then it is purely unethical to deprive these athletes of any sort of cut of the money they earn for the school.

Around the time of both March Madness and college football bowl season, the NCAA starts running ads focused on the fact that a very small percentage of their student-athletes go on to become professional athletes.

The intention of these ads is not to convince the masses that the NCAA is doing wrong by these students, but rather that they are providing them with an education that they can use to further their lives down the road.

Sure, having a college education is a great tool. But despite the NCAA’s protestations, it certainly isn’t equitable.

person who publicized the exchange was merely an onlooker.

Watts simply did not know the whole story.

Perhaps United’s standards of appropriate dress for passengers traveling as guests of employees are a bit strict, or perhaps the employee at whose discretion the decision was made misapplied the guidelines.

However, for an uninvolved stranger to wield her Twitter following in order to spark outrage over a situation she distantly observed is irresponsible.

Furthermore, United’s tactless, monotonous defenses of its employee’s actions via Twitter show the need for a bit more bedside manner when customers or even

potential customers are upset.

Using social media to speak out about injustice is incredibly powerful, and when done in an informed, clear way, can start important conversations with large and influential companies. Social media is truly a tool for bystander intervention.

Using this tool without accurate or full information is simply irresponsible. On the company’s end, the situation proved the importance of tact. Tweets are forever, and the stiff responses that concerned consumers received from customer service representatives give the impression that the airline is unwilling to engage with customer issues on a personal level.

Jack McLoone, FCRH ’19, is a journalism major from Little Silver, New Jersey.

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Courses offered at Lincoln Center and Rose Hill in the evening to accommodate fieldwork.

Early admission available for Fordham juniors with a GPA of 3.2 or higher.

Visit fordham.edu/urbanstudiesma to learn more.

March 29, 2017

March 29, 2017

CULTURE

Page 11

The Fordham Ram

FET Spring Playwrights’ Festival Sees Success

“Home Sweet Home Depot” written and directed by Tim Mountain, FCRH ’19

Cast: Manager: Sarah Hill, FCRH ’17 Dave: Liam Paris, FCRH ’17 Deb: Brenna Joyce, FCRH ’19 Peter: Jack Whyte, FCRH ’19 Nora/Betty: Alex Mandalakis, FCRH ’20

“Heisting” written and directed

by Jennifer Gisi, FCRH ’20

COURTESY OF TIM MOUNTAIN

The Fordham Ram: For those who were not able to make it out to the performances, what was your play about?

Tim Mountain: My play is a musical about a man who wakes up one morning and realizes he loves Home Depot and hates his wife. But when he gets to his local Home Depot, he learns they’re shutting down the branch. In the midst of his crumbling marriage, he rallies the Home Depot employees to lock themselves inside the store in protest.

TFR: What did the preparation process look like?

TM: I was initially writing the play as a five-minute sketch. The premise was just a man who has a deep, almost sexual, fervor for home improvement. I had it sitting in a folder somewhere for at least a month before I rediscovered it and decided it could become an absurd, satirical one-act if I just added a little more conflict. It wasn’t until I was almost done with it that I realized I could interpolate music into the script.

The rehearsal process was short, especially for a show that required learning songs and (minimal) choreography, but my cast was incredible. They were unendingly willing, enthusiastic and helpful.

Somehow we got it all done in time.

TFR: How did you get the idea for your play?

TM: My best friend Jack (the same one in the show!) and I came up with a bit about two guys drunk in a Home Depot one time, and it was that idea that I’d originally thought might work as a sketch. When I wrote the sketch, I just decided to make the man love-drunk for Home Depot.

TFR: How was your play received by audience members?

TM: I don’t want to bask in self-aggrandizement here, but I will say that each audience appeared to be very receptive and supportive of “Home Sweet Home Depot.” The quality of the show is mostly dependent on the audience, and I’d say we had fantastic audiences each night.

TFR: What was the most memorable part about your play’s involvement in this year’s festival?

TM: Getting to be involved in this semester’s Playwright’s Festival was special for many reasons, not in the least because I proved to myself that this whole thing – writing, composing and directing a show – is something I can actually do. The help I got from the FET e-board, the other playwrights and of course, my cast, probably accounts for about 70 percent of the success of this production.

“The Twirly Whind” written and directed by Erin Kiernan and Andrew Wilson, FCRH ’19 Cast: Judd: Gavin Barba, FCRH ’17 Beth Anne: Hillary Bosch, FCRH, ’19 Willoughby J. Duquesne: Patrick Hood, FCRH, ’17 The Wife: Caitlyn Letterii, FCRH, ’17 The Mayor: Matthew Schumacher, FCRH ’17 Rena Brand, FCRH, ’18, Lighting Andrew Wilson, FCRH, ’19, Sound

COURTESY OF JENNIFER GISI

The Fordham Ram: For those who were not able to make it out to the performances, what was your play about?

Jennifer Gisi: “Heisting” was about a group of 20-somethings who decide that they should rob the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The only problem is, all they know about pulling a heist comes from movies and books – most notably, Ocean’s Eleven.

TFR: What did the preparation process look like?

JG: The play took about a week to write, and another week to edit and polish. Because spring break took place over our rehearsal time, we rehearsed almost every night for the week before break and the week after, up until opening night. Our group was lucky enough to get access to the performance space with regularity, so everyone was comfortable in the Blackbox.

TFR: How did you get the idea for your play?

JG: I got the idea for the play much like the characters did for their heist: from watching Ocean’s Eleven. I grew up watching the movie and it continues to blow my mind that they could successfully rob three casinos at once.

TFR: How was your play received by audience members?

JG: With each performance, the play was received better by the audience, partly because the actors were more comfortable and the tech aspects were smoother, and partly because the audience was bigger. Friday and Saturday both went really well.

TFR: What was the most memorable part about your play’s involvement in this year’s festival?

JG: The most memorable part for me was our cast bonding session, where we got together and watched Ocean’s Eleven. In case it isn’t clear, Ocean’s Eleven is one of my favorite movies, but it wasn’t until we all watched the movie together that I fully understood how they pulled off the heist. (For the record, this was about the 16th time I’ve watched the movie.) Anyway, getting to hang out with some of the funniest and coolest people I’ve ever met and watching a movie that I love is the most memorable part from our preparation of the play.

“STEXIT” written and directed by Emma Carey and Kevin O’Malley, FCRH ’19

COURTESY OF ANDREW WILSON

The Fordham Ram: For those who were not able to make it out to the performances, what was your play about?

Erin Kiernan and Andrew Wilson: It is the year 1847. Four pioneers embark on a journey from Independence, Missouri to Oregon’s Willamette Valley. We encounter a series of obstacles, and none of the four pioneers make it to their destination. Only at the end of the play does the audience learn that the pioneers are inside of the Oregon Trail computer game.

TFR: What did the preparation process look like?

EK & AW: We brainstormed for a few months and finally settled on “The Twirly Whind” over winter break. The actual writing process did not take too long. We often wrote over a meal or in the library together. After we cast our actors and the rehearsal process began, the actors were given the liberty to ad-lib some lines. As a result, the script was edited in some places and augmented in others. It was a very collaborative effort.

The rehearsal process began with a read-through of the play. After that, rehearsals consisted of run-throughs, and we gradually added props and blocking. There were about three rehearsals a week. The actors were expected to be off-book before they left for spring break.

The week we returned from spring break was tech week, during which sounds and lighting were added.

TFR: How did you get the idea for your play?

EK & AW: It just came to us!

TFR: How was your play received by audience members?

EK & AW: We got lots of laughs! We especially loved the “Ohhhhh’s” the audience released when it was revealed the entire play was a computer game (we had provided subtle clues along the way). The audience was enormous and had very high energy on Friday and Saturday. The Thursday audience was smaller, but it was still a great show.

TFR: What was the most memorable part about your play’s involvement in this year’s festival?

EK & AW: We loved every moment of the process! The goofy concept and the amazing cast was a recipe for fun. We were so proud of them all that we filmed the show every single night.

- Interviewed and compiled by Bailey Hosfelt, Culture Editor

Cast: Kate: Cat Gallagher, FCRH ’17 Linda: Alejandra Rodriguez, FCRH ’19 Eddie: Charles Buscarino, FCRH ’20 Rebecca: Samantha Heigel, FCRH ’20 Corey: Annie Young, FCRH ’19 Xander: Simon Rodriguez, GSB ’20 Cop: Matt Schumacher, FCRH ’20 Lights and Sound: Rachel Blackburn, FCRH ’20

Cast: Ted: Liam Paris, FCRH ’17 Emily: Niara Walden, FCRH ’17 Samantha Borgens: Jamie Connors, FCRH ’18 James Oddo: Joseph Rufini, FCRH ’20 Donna Cavatelli: Alex Brennan, FCRH ’19 Toni Malnati: Sereene Kurzum, FCRH ’20 Nikki Montucci: Annina Black, FCRH ’19 Teresa Gould: Eleanor Vaughan, FCRH ’20 Terry Palermo: Daniel Joy, FCRH ‘20

COURTESY OF KEVIN O’MALLEY

The Fordham Ram: For those who were not able to make it out to the performances, what was your play about?

Emma Carey and Kevin O’Malley: Our play was an offbeat comedy about a fictional board meeting between NYC Board of Boroughs Human Resources Officer, Samantha Borgens, and the Staten Island People’s Association regarding New York City’s shift from a five-borough to a fourborough system with Staten Island becoming part of NJ instead of NYC. TFR: What did the preparation process look like?

EC & KO: We would just meet up in a study lounge or one of our dorms with our Google Doc open and throw ideas around. We’d end up feeding off of each other so much as we wrote, which definitely resulted in this continued “upping the stakes” of the show’s plot and pacing. Our rehearsal process initially focused on understanding the play’s humor and our actors’ character and group identity.

TFR: How did you get the idea for your play?

EC & KO: We entered our brainstorming process without any clear direction besides our shared affinity for deadpan, offbeat and irreverent comedy. Ultimately, our inspiration for the play drew from the declassification of Pluto as a planet in 2006. We’d sort of just joked, “Okay, if New York City were to declassify one of the boroughs for lacking in ‘NYC qualifications,’ which would it be?”

TFR: How was your play received by audience members?

EC & KO: Luckily, our concern regarding some possible offense to any Staten Island natives in the crowd was met with zero backlash (or walk-outs). We were the first play in the history of Fordham Experimental Theatre that had to have a disclaimer put in the program because the Office of Student Involvement deemed it too offensive, which is hilarious. Our play had its moments of offense, but the overwhelming response was that kids saw the humor in it, realized its satirical nature and comedy prevailed once again.

TFR: What was the most memorable part about your play’s involvement in this year’s festival?

EC & KO: Ironically enough, for a festival centered around playwriting, our favorite aspect was watching a play arise throughout the production process that wasn’t even there in the original script.

So many of our favorite lines were actually ad-libbed or thrown out as jokes during rehearsals. We began the production process telling our cast that we wanted the end-product of our show to be completely collaborative, and it was in every way. Watching those specific parts of the show and remembering how they came to fruition was just such a cool pay-off.

CULTURE

Page 12

March 29, 2017

Sweet ‘n’ Sour | Patrick Hood and Caitlyn Letterii

Wolfing Down the Cuisine at Howl at the Moon Join Caitlyn Letterii, not a puppet, and Patrick Hood, a puppet hoping to become a real boy, as they explore and critique the cheap eats available around the Bronx and Rose Hill campus.

It’s Saturday night and you’re looking for a hot spot to hit up with the gals. Where do you go? Mugz’s?

Blue Goose? Or perhaps that 5-star bar Howl at the Moon. Us here at Sweet ‘n’ Sour go to none of these places, but this week we decided to get a taste of Fordham nightlife. Literally! So many people know Howl for its raucous bar after hours, but we were curious about its alter ego as a legitimate restaurant by day. So we strapped on our bootstraps, grabbed our investigative journalist trenchcoats and hit the pavement to give YOU the news you need to know.

CL: I’ve never been to Howl and was immediately struck by the eclectic decor and vibe. It left me slightly unsettled to be honest.

PH: Hot damn, what exactly is Howl’s ambience supposed to be? I really cannot tell what the owners were going for with their atmosphere, since the place is equal parts dive bar, surf shack and monument to Fordham sports (including a fascinating mural where a football player’s foot appears to be melded to the chest of a basketballer).

CL: Yeah, it was weird. The menu,

however, was pretty expansive for such a little spot and we got there just in time for happy hour (Every weekday starting at 4 p.m.)! I just ordered a water, but it was nice to know that there was a deal in the air. Money-saving opportunities bring me great joy.

PH: I, meanwhile, decided to try my very first Howl at the Moon beer and got a Guinness. While it was happy hour, the Guinness didn’t seem too happy, probably due to the trials and tribulations of the Irish people.

CL: We get it Pat, you saw Brooklyn!

PH: My sources told me that Howl was known for their wings, so I decided to put them to the test and try out their signature medium sauce hot wings. I get my wings bone-in be-

COURTESY OF PATRICK HOOD AND CAITLYN LETTERII

Caitlyn and Patrick try the cuisine at nighttime hot spot Howl at the Moon.

Review| Film

Beauty and the Beast

By RYAN DI CORPO

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

In this cinematic era of remakes, sequels, pastiches and parodies, Disney’s new live-action version of Beauty and the Beast stands up relatively well against other attempts by major studios to produce more or less the same film for a second, third or fifteenth time. Disney was faced with the daunting task of breathing new life into an animated classic like 1991’s Beauty and the Beast, a film which holds the distinction of being the first full-length animated film to be nominated by the Academy for Best Picture. But the new Beauty and the Beast is aided by a top-notch cast of relatively new faces (read: Josh Gad and Dan Stevens) and legends of the stage and screen (read: Audra McDonald and Kevin Kline). While it may be difficult for viewers of a certain age to see Emma Watson as anyone but Hermione Granger, she brings her considerable talents to her role as the intelligent and protofeminist character of Belle.

There is no need to provide a full recapitulation of the well-known story of Beauty, taken from a French fairy tale originally written by Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve.

A bookish girl who feels like a pariah stumbles upon an enchanted castle and falls in love with a great beast because beauty is on the inside. This new version of Beauty and the Beast offers nothing truly new in regard to narrative, and perhaps rightly so.

Visually, the film is spectacular, especially when viewed in the IMAX format. Furthermore, the costuming and makeup are stunningly elaborate and truly something to behold. However, I will admit that I am a sucker for visual grandiosity, of which this Beauty and the Beast

cause I like to have a carcass once I’m done eating something. It reminds me of humanity’s baser instincts, our true bestial nature that lurks right below the surface. We are all just animals wearing clothes.

CL: What a strange thing to say.

I apologize deeply to our readers.

Please keep reading. Please? As a vegetarian and apparently the only half of Sweet ‘n’ Sour with empathy, I ordered a veggie burger. We also split some onion rings, but I only had one so it wasn’t actually a split, so I made Pat pay for them.

PH: The bourgeoisie exploiting the working class as per usual.

CL: We get it Pat, the history of the human race is the history of class struggle!

PH: After waiting a long time

is a bountiful harvest. The musical numbers are well-choreographed and perhaps more sumptuous than in the 1991 film. For example, “Be Our Guest” begins traditionally enough before suddenly evolving into a Fantasia-esque phantasmagoria. The fireworks, neon lights and unparalleled theatricality of Lumière help put this musical number on par with anything you may find at the Bellagio.

Furthermore, the release of this film was mired in an absurd controversy regarding the inclusion of some homosexual content in the Gaston– LeFou storyline.

The controversy began when director Bill Condon announced that this Beauty would feature a “nice, exclusively gay moment,” which sounds more like something that would take place behind the dance hall during the final minutes of a junior prom.

However, this moment (spoiler), in which LeFou (Gad) dances with a man at the end of the film, comprises a portion of a single shot and lasts two seconds. The moment was just about as controversial as casting gay actor Ian McKellen in the role of an anthropomorphized clock.

Inclusion of, and increased representation for, gay characters in cinema is needed, but the aforementioned moment in Beauty should not be considered enough to make international headlines. Perhaps Disney should not have fashioned its first confirmed gay character as a foppish caricature named, in French, “the Fool.”

Nevertheless, while this new Beauty and the Beast may be exciting for nostalgic reasons, it is not vital. We have seen this film before, but with greater effect the first (animated) time around.

(which became the service at Howl’s signature), our food finally came.

The onion rings were delicious, so delicious in fact that I didn’t mind that I had to eat them all by myself.

CL: Just so our readers are aware, I’m rolling my eyes.

PH: The wings, on the other hand, were nothing special. They had the spice, which was nice, but their flavor was just mediocre. I feel like I should say more about them to reach our 800 word quota, but they were so unextraordinary that my mind is drawing more of a blank than Jeff Sessions when asked about his ties to Russia.

CL: That was some scathing political humor there, Pat. How topical that would have been two weeks ago!

PH: It’s been a while since we’ve written a column and this is my only outlet, so sue me.

CL: My veggie burger, on the other hand was pretty good! It came topped with cooked onions and had tomatoes, lettuce and two tiny pickles on the side. It was truly luxurious.

I’m no expert, but I think the sign of a great veggie burger is that it is difficult to eat because it falls apart so easily. While the Howl burger easily checked this box, it didn’t come with utensils, and our waitress was really busy so I couldn’t flag her down, so much of the burger was left on the plate. It was a total tragedy.

PH: Well we’ve wasted enough time, so that means we’ve gotta give those patented and lusted after Sweet ‘n’ Sour Ratings! Since the service was so poor, the wings so lame, and the onion rings so only-paid-for-byme, I’m going to give Howl at the Moon a Sour Rating of 2 out of 5 stars. Just stick to ordering food at places that don’t double as underage watering holes.

CL: While I definitely enjoyed my Howl meal more than Pat, I agree that the service really slowed things down. In our waitress’ defense, the place really was quite crowded. All in all, the place was just fine so I’ll give it a sweet-ish rating of 2.9 out of 5 stars.

Side note: I really love wolves and this rating in no way reflects my feelings towards real wolves. However, I do hate the moon. It’s an overrated hunk of rock that is riding Earth’s coattails.

Overall Recommendations: You should try the veggie burgers but remember to BYOU (utensils).

Stay away from the hot wings if you’re not a spice champion or if you like good wings.

General Info: Address: 585 E 189th St, Bronx, NY 10458 Phone number: (718) 561-7694 Hours: Mon-Fri 11 a.m.- 11 p.m., Sunday and Saturday 11 a.m.-12 p.m.

Price: Moderate

Artistic Activism: Art in Politics

By KWAMESHA JOSEPH STAFF WRITER

At the 89th annual Oscar lunch, Cheryl Boone Isaacs, Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences president said, “Art has no borders.

Art has no language and doesn’t belong to a single faith. No, the power of art is that it transcends all of these things, and strong societies don’t censor art — they celebrate it.”

For many Americans, the United States’ current political climate has become a source of heartache and frequent face-palms, as it has veered over the past year to one that primarily exudes anger, fear and uncertainty. This shift has often been attributed to the results of the November election, the marginalization of women’s issues, the immigration crisis, police brutality and much more recently, the ongoing social media dialogue about women of color in Washington D.C. who have gone missing without media coverage.

These events and more have caused a surge of distress in many civilians, both domestic and abroad, and have highlighted that the nation has an incalculable amount of work to do before it can ever be considered “great.”

According to a January study called Stress in America™: Coping with Change conducted by the

American Psychological Association (APA), 66 percent of Americans (Democrat and Republican) say that they are stressed about the future of the nation. As stated by the APA’s poll results, “More than half of Americans (57 percent) say the current political climate is a very or somewhat significant source of stress, and nearly half (49 percent) say the same about the outcome of the election.”

Such sentiments have gone so far as to reach a number of popular authors and artists who have made decisions about the form and content of their works based on the country’s current socio-political landscape.

While the nation has seen this more plainly during some of its favorite awards shows, where celebrities like Jesse Williams have vocalized their discontent in front of millions of viewers, some artists have chosen to alter the status quo by empowering marginalized groups in their works.

When asked about the political climate’s influence on his new Black Panther series, Ta-Nehisi Coates told The New York Times, “It has to influence [the series] . . . it was not an apolitical decision to have this black character in Africa, in this advanced nation, and have him be highly intelligent.”

Coates is one of many artists using

COURTESTY OF FLICKR

Nehisi Coates is among many artists using his voice for political activism.

their pens, papers and brushes alike to bring awareness to social and political issues.

However, while shifting the narrative and bringing awareness to certain issues are favorable to some, others have approached such actions with discontent. There are people who do not believe that popular sources of entertainment should be imbued with any kind political discourse. A Rose Hill sophomore who would prefer to remain anonymous believes, “The purpose of art is to provide an escape from the issues of the world, not to reinforce them.

Some people look to art for relief, and expressing political opinions in art takes away from that experience.”

Many artists, on the other hand, do not believe that there can be art without shedding light on the issues that this nation and others face.

Author Toni Morrison in an article called, “No Place for Self-Pity, No Room for Fear” said, when referencing a friend to whom she was voicing her grievances, “This is precisely the time when artists go to work—not when everything is fine, but in times of dread. That’s our job!”

Art, in its various forms, facilitates an understanding of a time period in a way that no paragraph in a history book can. During times of political and social unrest, artists become special kinds of activists: their words and artwork act as a kind of archive of social and political epochs that necessarily connects the past with the present. Artists have the dexterity to awaken masses from a complacent slumber, and encourage them to work towards social change.

The popular hope within the realm of artists is that society is able to appreciate their political aesthetic before it is too late, and that the generations that follow will learn from the achievements and mistakes of the current one.

CULTURE

March 29, 2017

Page 13

Tara’s Travels | Tara Martinelli

Czech-ing Prague Off the List of Travels Where in the world is Tara? As my fellow students know, the only thing keeping us going through the struggles of midterms is the promise of spring break at the end. Because of how my class schedule works out, my spring break lasted for 12 days.

In those 12 days, I hit four different cities. I ate some amazing pizza in Naples, hiked up a mountain on the Amalfi Coast and soaked up some sun in Mallorca. However, the strangest stop on my spring break was Prague, Czech Republic.

One of the best parts about traveling is the people you get to meet along the way. My trip to Prague started on my flight next to a man from the Czech Republic. I was, of course, doing what everyone does the moments before taking off: sending last minute Snapchats.

Strangely enough, this last minute snapping actually made me a friend.

The man sitting next to me asked me what on earth I was doing. I guess I look more ridiculous snapchatting than I originally thought. We ended up talking for the duration of the flight about everything from Donald Trump to olive oil to how we tie our shoes differently. Who would have thought that snapchatting would lead to me having a two hour conversation with a 42-year -old Czech man? What does that say about Snapchat? What does that say about me?

Upon landing in Prague, my roommate (shout out to Hannah Feeney GSB ’18 for honeymooning with

COURTESY OF TARA MARTINELLI

Tara discusses ghost tours and trdelniks on her latest adventure to the Czech Republic city of Prague.

me and putting up with me for far too long) and I headed to the Old Prague Hostel. We trudged inside at 1 a.m. to find that the hostel was cash only.

And of course, they don’t use Euros in Prague so we were left to hit the streets at 1 a.m. in search of an ATM. Although not the smoothest of starts, we did manage to find a place that was called “Bronx Pizza.” It felt like we were back at home.

The next morning we woke up bright and early to plan out our day.

People gave us recommendations of what to do and we were determined to do it all. So we head out on an uphill journey to Prague Castle. We made a few stops along the way to the astronomical clock and to get a trdelnik (a kind of split cake). The astronomical clock was situated with a tower that provided amazing views of the whole

city while the trdelnik provided the first steps to my spring break weight gain. A trdelnik is a hollow, cylindrical pastry that is covered with sugar. Mine was hollow until I put some soft serve ice cream up in there.

The walk to the castle was anything but boring. The streets were filled with people of all ages enjoying their Friday in a number of ways. People were eating, drinking and playing games in the street.

The bustle reminded me of the streets of New York except instead of the streets being filled with tourists, they were filled with the people of Prague. Part of me wondered what these people did for a living that they could be drinking outside at 11 a.m. on a Friday but who am I to judge? It looks like a great life!

We made it to Prague Castle which was just as amazing as everyone said it would be. Prague is one of the only cities in Europe that seems as though it has been perfectly preserved throughout history. Why would anyone try to destroy a city where beer is cheaper than water?

The city has a very old-fashioned feel to it that made us feel like we were stepping back in time. It was definitely a nice change from London and some of the other cities I have visited.

However, there are some weird things that come out of Prague being perfectly preserved. I don’t know how much I believe in ghosts, but Prague is said to be one of the most haunted cities in Europe. When their resting place remain intact, apparently ghosts linger around their old

haunting grounds. Pun 100 percent intended. Hannah and I decided to look into this a little further and take the scariest tour Prague has to offer.

Usually, these kinds of things don’t turn out to be that scary, however, THIS WAS DIFFERENT. We went down into the dungeons of one of the old castles and learned about a group of 27 men who were executed on the steps of the castle to pay for the crimes they had committed. In the dungeons, we learned about some of the prisoners and visited the torture chambers they were held in for years before being executed. Just seeing these places was chilling enough for me. Once the tour guide tried to summon the ghosts, I wanted to run out of there as fast as I could. I thought it was all nonsense until we entered one of the chambers. I walked in and was immediately overwhelmed with a headache and a stomach ache. I thought it maybe had something to do with being hungry or something of that sort. However, a few minutes later, our tour guide told us that many people complain of a headache upon entering this room because of all of the spirits that have been trapped in there for eternity.

Whoa. Spooky, am I right? What a way to kick off spring break.

And so, for the rest of my travels, there were two things I couldn’t stop thinking about. Did I really encounter a ghost down there? And do they make trdelniks anywhere else?

What’s New on TV For Spring HGTV’s “Fixer Upper” Editor’s Pick | Television

By PATRICK INFURNA STAFF WRITER

As the weather gets warmer and the days become longer, there may still be a few reasons to spend time indoors binge watching. With each spring comes a brand new slew of TV shows. Whether you block out an hour every week or hours every day, these fresh shows are sure to keep you glued to your screen.

“The Son”- Pierce Brosnan brings Phillipp Meyer’s best-selling novel to life as Eli McCullough, “The First Son of Texas” in AMC’s newest western drama. Captured and raised by the Camanche tribe amidst a war to protect their tribal land, Eli McCullough builds an oil dynasty like no other.

The series follows Eli’s brutal and unforgiving methods of protecting his family fortune amidst the changing times of the Industrial Revolution in Texas.

“Making History”- Produced by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, producers and writers of The Lego Movie and 21 Jump Street, this new Fox comedy follows Dan, a facilities manager at a small Massachusetts college who spends his weekends traveling to the 18th century to date Paul Revere’s daughter. His unknown poetic pop song lyrics and movie quotes make him the most popular man in colonial Massachusetts. He becomes concerned, though, when he realizes that he is distracting the founding fathers from their destiny to revolt against the British. Dan ropes his history-buff friend into his adventure, hoping to undo the mess that he has created.

“Downward Dog”- “Downward

Dog” is a must-see comedy for all dog lovers. In this love story between a pet and its owner, the personal and professional life of Nan, played by Allison Tolman, is seen through the eyes of her dog Martin. Somewhere in his packed schedule of sleeping fourteen hours a day, fetching the mail and protecting his house from the treacherous cats that prowl his neighborhood, Martin finds the time to offer commentary and his philosophies on life.

“Shots Fired”- Reggie Bythewood and Gina Prince-Bythewood teamed up to produce a Fox drama series that takes an in depth look at the American justice system. The story begins with an African American police officer Deputy Beck shooting an unarmed white teenager, which opens an investigation in a small North Carolina town. When investigators are sent by the Department of Justice to question witnesses, they discover that the murder case of an unarmed black teenager several years prior had never been solved.

“Planet Earth II” - The exploration of Earth’s most awe-inspiring natural wonders returned to Americans’ television screens in February.

This seven-part BBC series, now available on Amazon, immerses its viewers into worlds rarely seen by even the most ambitious of adventurers. Advanced technology has captured the incredible details of the animal kingdom’s most thrilling stories of survival in all of its breathtaking habitats. From the smallest crustaceans that crawl the sea floor to the largest beasts that roam Africa’s savannahs, “Planet Earth II” opens up the natural world before us like never before.

“Thirteen Reasons Why” Selena Gomez has produced this Netflix thirteen part emotional mystery series based on Jay Asher’s best-selling novel. The series opens with teenager Clay Jensen discovering a box filled with thirteen cassette tapes, which he discovers were recorded by his last crush, Hannah Baker, who committed suicide. Each tape reveals situations and people that pushed Hannah to have her suicidal thoughts.

This project has become a passion of Selena Gomez, as it discusses the themes of bullying, depression and social exclusion.

COURTESY OF FLICKR

“Thirteen Reasons Why” is a highly anticipated show of the spring.

By ANDREA GARCIA PHOTO EDITOR

In a world of Kim and Kanye Wests, Chip and Joanna Gaines stand out. The power couple has turned a loving marriage into a balanced business partnership. Four seasons into their HGTV show, “Fixer Upper,” the couple still invites viewers to share behind-the-scenes laughs.

From its first frame, any viewer would fall in love with the harmony of Joanna’s poise and Chip’s goofball personality. Every episode opens with a commentary of the dynamic duo. Odds are, Chip is wearing a baseball hat, repping their alma mater, Baylor University; to match the hat, Chip drops dad jokes leaving Jo rolling her eyes. Nonetheless, their affection shows through the screen.

When they cannot seem to get more in sync, enter shots of them with their picture-perfect family of four kids. The family reaches peak cuteness when the kids get involved with renovations.

To explain the premise: Chip and Jo show clients homes to choose from and renovate. Imagine a hybrid of “Say Yes to the Dress” and “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition.”

Guaranteed, Jo will suggest an open floor plan with crown molding, and Chip will imagine shiplap in the dwelling. Despite this pattern, each home is still unique with quirky moments highlighting each step of the renovation process.

Each renovation begins with Chip’s adrenaline rushing from demolition days. Like clockwork, he tries some potentially dangerous trick and jokes

about old age and glory days, cue shots of shirtless Chip referring to his old six pack abs. Chip and his team lay the framework for the home.

Once construction is complete, Joanna channels her prime eye for design. Like a Tooth Fairy of home decor, she turns a house into a home overnight. She never fails to hit the finishing nail on the head.

Then, it is time for the big reveal.

Chip and Jo pull apart split screens in front of the new facade and bask in the surprised reactions of their clients. This leaves another episode in the books for the Gaines and sparks each viewer’s desire to decorate something.

Those who love the show fall in love even more with the roots of their business. This past fall, Chip and Jo have released The Magnolia Story, a tell-all memoir leading to the pick up of the TV show. My favorite sections of the book detail how their happy marriage came to be, from the moment they met in Jo’s father’s auto shop to when Chip asked Jo to design her engagement ring. Readers will envy their relationship as they recount the budding of their business endeavors with a little shop on a country road called Bosque.

Now with a thriving marketplace called the Silos, a bed and breakfast, quarterly magazine and a bakery, Chip and Jo have expanded their business beyond their wildest dreams. Four seasons deep into Fixer Upper, Chip and Jo have announced a spin-off series, “Fixer Upper: Behind the Design.” The Magnolia empire continues to blossom.

CULTURE

Page 14

March 29, 2017

Who’s That Kid? | It’s Eric McLoughney, FCRH ’19

Sophomore is Truly a Man For Others

By CHRISTOPHER CANADEO OPINION EDITOR

Sophomore Eric McLoughney, FCRH ’19, championed the Jesuit values of Fordham University well before he ever set foot on campus.

As a son of two Irish immigrants, McLoughney was always taught to find his purpose in America, and to seek a fulfilling life not only for himself, but also for others as well.

His parents sacrificed a lot for the betterment of others and it is this ideology which McLoughney has not forgotten.

Growing up, one of McLoughney’s favorite spots to hang out in his hometown of Quincy, Massachusetts was the Irish Cultural Center. McLoughney would spend most of his Sundays there, learning about valuable Irish traditions such as Gaelic football and Irish music. It was there where McLoughney learned the value of being part of a community that cares for one another. “We were all really close in that cultural center. We all got along really well and had a lot of fun,” said McLoughney.

This sense of community has stuck with Eric ever since. It led him to become a retreat leader at Boston College High School years later. It was through leading these retreats that McLoughney further nurtured his passion for help-

ing others and making his community a better place. At Boston College High School, McLoughney also learned about magis, a cornerstone of Jesuit teachings.

To McLoughney, magis not only means “more” in Latin but also means doing more with passion and pushing yourself to give more back to the community. “For me, magis means doing the right things for the right people for the right reasons,” McLoughney said Now in his sophomore year at Fordham University, McLoughney has given more to the community than ever before. Not only is he a retreat leader for campus ministry, but he also actively participates in the Irish Traditions Club, the B+ Foundation, New Student Orientation and he has a job with the Athletic Department Event Staff.

“I like to keep myself busy and involved. I love joining new clubs and meeting new people, and Fordham University is great at allowing me to do that,” McLoughney said. McLoughney also has a passion for photography and enjoys taking photos of the city skyline, as well as candid photos of his friends.

As a retreat leader, McLoughney is responsible for coordinating events with his fellow staff members and selecting various places such as alumni houses for

students to visit, reflect and form a more solid understanding of not only their relationship with God, but also with themselves. Eric believes that understanding oneself is extremely important for one’s own development. “I always set time out during my day to pause and reflect on what I am doing and if I am doing it with purpose,” he said.

McLoughney does not impose Jesuit values upon retreat participants. However, if they feel that they would like to form a stronger relationship with God, McLoughney is always there to help through prayer. McLoughney takes pride in being a beacon of light and hope for others on campus.

He always looks forward to leading retreats because it gives him the opportunity to meet and help unfamiliar faces. “One reason I love retreats so much is because it allows me to meet and share stories with people of different backgrounds and upbringings,” McLoughney said. Helping people of all backgrounds through prayer and other methods is simply what McLoughney does.

Aside from being a retreat leader, McLoughney also has deep love for soccer and is a member of the intramural soccer team, The Thundercats, which has been off to a successful spring campaign thus far. Next semester, McLoughney

COURTESY OF ERIC MCLOUGHNEY

Eric McLoughney gives back to the Fordham community by being a retreat leader.

is studying abroad in Ireland just a few miles away from where his parents grew up. He hopes to not only further pursue his Jesuit education, but also learn more about his Irish culture and his own family’s roots.

McLoughney plans to pursue a career in environmental studies once he is finished at Fordham University. This field has always

interested him, as he wants to become an integral part of the battle to mitigate our use of fossil fuels and other harmful natural elements. He hopes to learn more about how we can conserve energy waste and become more environmentally friendly. McLoughney hopes to make the world a better place not only for himself, but for others who inhabit it as well.

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SPORTS

March 29, 2017

Women’s Tennis Sweeps

By ALVIN HALIMWIDJAYA ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR

Over spring break, the Fordham women’s tennis team extended their streak to nine consecutive wins with 7-0 sweeps of both Bryant and Northern Iowa.

With a chance to push their win streak into double digits, the Rams notched their third consecutive shutout with a 7-0 win over Binghamton on Friday, March. 24 at Life Time Athletic in Harrison, N.Y. “Honestly, I think we are unstoppable, and we are getting better every day,” said sophomore Carina Ma. “Everyone on the team is doing excellent this season, and we gained both confidence and experience from every school that we played against. I’m just proud to be on this team.”

The Rams continued their recent dominance by taking the doubles point once again.

The duo of Ma and junior Estelle Wong notched a 6-3 win over Annie DiMurio and Samara Eisenberg. The pair of senior Mayu Sato and sophomore Alexis Zobeideh defeated Olga Ostrovetsky and Paulina Tafler 6-1, while freshman Maia Balce and junior Caroline Sa completed the doubles sweep with a 6-3 victory over Rebecca Dellaway and Allison Roma.

Meanwhile, the Rams went undefeated in singles play, as

Ma started it off by beating Annie DiMurio 6-4, 6-2. Wong mounted a comeback to defeat Samara Eisenberg 0-6, 6-2, 6-3, while Sato notched an easy win over Rebecca Dellaway 6-2, 6-1.

Balce defeated Olga Ostrovetsky 7-5, 6-2, while senior Destiny Grunin beat Paulina Tafler 6-2, 6-2 and Alexis Zobeideh took a quick victory over Allison Roma 6-0, 6-1.

One of the team’s strengths is its experience, as there is only one freshman on the team.

However, Ma points to freshman Balce’s strong performances as a key to their success. “Maia [Balce] is a really good player, I can see her passion about tennis,” said Ma. “She always tries her best in practice and I think this is the reason that she is doing so well in the matches, and she deserves it… I can’t wait to see her achievements in the future.”

“Every match from the A-10 is going to be important for me, and I know it is not going to be easy but I just want to focus on one [match] at a time and just to be positive and compete hard,” said Ma. “The only thing that matters is myself. I need to beat myself before I beat anyone else.”

The Rams’ next match comes Wednesday, March 29 against Fairleigh Dickinson at Hawthorn Rooney Courts in the Bronx, N.Y.

Page 15

Track and Field Gets Out of the Blocks at Fred Hardy Invitational

By TOM TERZULLI ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR

Fordham Track and Field kicked off their spring season at the Fred Hardy Invitational, hosted by the University of Richmond.

The two-day affair began with the Rams participating in four events on Friday. Junior Louis Santelli was the top finisher on the track, placing third in the 1500m run with a time of 3:56.16.

Right behind him was fellow junior Thomas Slattery who finished 4th in 3:57.90. Three more Rams finished in the top 10: freshman Ryan Kutch (6th – 4:00.69), junior Fritz Heinrich (7th – 4:01.89) and sophomore Sean Phillips (9th – 4:02.42).

Five more Fordham representatives clocked in among the top 20: junior Nik O’Brien (12th – 4:04.12), junior Brian Cook (13th – 4:04.45), senior Devin Brooks (16th – 4:06.85), senior Ryan McGann (18th – 4:08.34) and sophomore Patrick Dineen (20th – 4:08.67). Freshman Matthew Roma (33rd – 4:15.78), freshman Sean Sullivan (36th – 4:17.98) and senior Jake Duckworth (37th – 4:18.78) rounded out the finishers.

For the women, sophomore Kate McCormack finished 13th with a time of 4:44.06 in the 1500m. She was trailed by two others in the top 20: junior Merissa Wright (18th – 4:50.14) and senior Shanna Heaney (19th – 4:50.17). Sophomore Laurel Fisher just missed out on the top 20, finishing 21st in 4:50.95. Finally, there were 26th, 27th and 28th place finishes for freshman Kaia Corthell (5:01.51), senior Josephine Jacob-Dolan (5:02.07) and sophomore Blake Elwood (5:04.15).

In field events, junior Ryan Riviere placed second in the pole vault, clearing 4.41m. He also placed 14th in the javelin, throwing for 44.02m. Senior Nicholas Regan grabbed sixth in that same event with a 57.22cm throw.

The women’s team had two entrants in the triple jump.

Freshman Gabriella Galvas (4th11.56cm) and freshman Alina

COURTESY OF FORDHAM ATHLETICS

Merissa Wright finished fourth in the 400m.

Kw iatkow sk i(13th-10.45cm) were the competitors.

The women’s team had a great day two. They put together 10 top 20 finishes in four different events.

Sophomore Mary Kate Kenny finished sixth in the finals of the 100m dash in a time of 13.07.

Heaney led the pack of solid Ram performances in the 800m.

The Hampton Bays, N.Y. native placed sixth with a time of 2:16.00. She was followed

by McCormack(8th–2:20.14), sophomore Aidan Moroz (9th –2:20.43), sophomore Leah Hickey (14th–2:21.53, senior Georgeanne Siller (18th – 2:23.60), Fisher (19th – 2:24.54) and Elwood (20th – 2:24.75).

The other top performers were Wright in the 400m (4th-56.87) and Galvas in the long jump (7th5.26m).

Jared Benn secured the only top 10 finish in men’s singles competition on day two. The sophomore came in sixth in the 400m after running a 48.51.

The others in the top 20 were Heinrich (12th-1:58.83) and Sullivan (17th-1:58.89) in the 800m.

In relays, the women kept up the good work as Moroz, Siller, Corthell and Jacob-Dolan cruised to third place in the 4x800m in 9:42.82. The team of sophomore Morgan Menzzasalma, Wright, Heaney and junior Jennifer Boerke raced to fourth in the 4x400m, crossing the line in 3:58.85. Finally, Fisher, Hickey, McCormack and junior Laura Jaeger got themselves a fifth place finish in 50.67 for the 4x100m.

On the men’s side, O’Brien, Phillips, Rocks and Heinrich (7:54.69) cruised to second place in the 4x800m. The quartet of sophomore Eddie Dehais, Rocks, Phillips and sophomore Andre Guthrie placed 11th in the 4x400 at 3:32.88.

The Rams also entered athletes in the 3000m, 200m and high jump. Top finishers in each of those events were Isabel Huelskamp (18th-11:01.70) in the women’s 3000m, Kenny (28th26.55) in the women’s 200m and Dehais (23rd-23.29) in the men’s 200m.

Next stop for the Rams is Williamsburg, Va. for the Colonials Relays on March 31-April 1.

Crew Opens Season at Murphy Cup

By PETER VALENTINO STAFF WRITER

COURTESY OF FORDHAM ATHLETICS

Fordham Women’s Tennis’ weekend sweep extended their win streak to nine.

Women’s Crew came back from winter training and began its 2017 spring season in Philadelphia, PA. this weekend with the Murphy Cup Regatta. Of the many notable individual races that occurred on the Schuylkill River on Saturday, the Junior Varsity eight A placed fourth and the varsity eight took home a sixth place finish in the Petitie final.

In the Junior Varsity eight A’s first heat, the team won by five seconds at 7:07.96, ahead of Temple, Villanova’s B, Loyola and St. Mary’s.

“Our [junior] varsity eight had the best result of all our crews and was pleased to win their heat over Temple who had bested them at this regatta last year,” said

head coach Ted Bonanno. “They also had a strong final and were thrilled to drive past UMass who is consistently one of the top second varsities in the A-10.”

In the fourth heat, the Junior Varsity eight B’s finished fourth, behind UMass, Delaware’s A and Lehigh, at 7:58:97 and in the Grand Final, Fordham’s JV A finished fourth at 6:45:61 behind Penn, Navy A and Northeastern.

As for the varsity, the eight came in second in its heat at 6:45:12, behind Navy. In the petite final, the Rams placed sixth at 6:44:82, behind Drexel, George Washington, Wesleyan, Delaware and Bates. The Rams also ran a varsity four shell at the regatta, placing second in their heat at 7:55:01. A novice eight also ran in Philly, finishing third in their heat at 8:22:72 and sixth at the final at

7:47:08.

“Overall, we had a good season opener,” said Bonnano. “Most of our shells advanced from heats to finals and the two that did not had strong performances in their heats.”

While being positive, Coach Bonanno also had encouraging words for those who didn’t run that well.

“Our varsity eight posted a competitive time in their heat finishing second to Navy. Their final race was not their best but we are confident they will make great strides before our next regatta.”

The crew team has the next weekend off before competing for the Knecht Cup in West Windsor Township in New Jersey. The event will run on Saturday, April 8th and Sunday the 9th, and will take place at Mercer Lake.

SPORTS

Page 16

Sam Belden Not Matching Up to the Hype They say that match play is the most volatile format in golf, but is it really? The action at last week’s WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play might lead you to think otherwise.

It’s not like the chalk won every match — if Hideto Tanihara and Soren Kjeldsen can advance to the knockout rounds over guys like Jordan Spieth and Rory McIlroy, then there’s still some unpredictability at play. But we can’t ignore the fact that out of a field of 64 players, the two who advanced to the finals are arguably the top names in the game right now.

Those names are Dustin Johnson and Jon Rahm, both unbelievable talents who are just starting the latest chapters of their respective careers. Johnson, the world No. 1 and reigning U.S. Open champion, entered the week on the heels of backto-back wins. Always a prodigious driver of the ball, the South Carolina native has made huge strides with his shorter clubs over the past year, and the results have been plain to see.

Rahm’s resume isn’t as good, but that’s more because of inexperience than anything else. Despite having made just 15 starts as a professional, the 22-year-old Spaniard rolled into town with the momentum from a recent win at the Farmers Insurance Open, as well as two other top five finishes over the last six weeks. For such a new professional, that’s a Spieth-like level of production.

Johnson and Rahm went headto-head on Sunday at the Match Play, and it didn’t take long for fans to notice the similarities between the two. Both hit the ball a mile, both can dial it in with their irons and both are capable of piecing together stretches of ridiculously good golf. Case in point: Johnson managed to open up a five-hole lead through eight, but Rahm battled back to bring the match all the way to 18, where he made a par to lose by one.

Again, in a format that’s supposed to be unpredictable, we got a predictable result: Johnson’s game was more polished than his opponent’s, and with a decade of PGA Tour experience, he was much better at handling the pressure in the early part of the round. Rahm was my pick prior to the match — he was actually slightly better over the first few days of the event — but Johnson brought his A-game, and there’s no one in this world who can compete with that.

Ultimately, this showdown between superstars was more the result of the WGC-Match Play’s new structure than anything else. Since switching over to a World Cupstyle, pool-based format in 2015, the No. 1 player has won it every time. That’s not just predictable — improbably, it’s the best identifier of talent on the PGA Tour.

I can’t say that I don’t miss the pandemonium that came with the win-or-go-home format that used to define the event — it was golf ’s own version of March Madness. But if pool play continues to give us exhilarating matches like Johnson versus Rahm, then the change won’t be for nothing.

March 29, 2017

Men’s Tennis Swats Hunter

Hat On, No Wait, Hat Off

By ALEXANDRIA SEDLAK STAFF WRITER

Fordham Men’s Tennis was scheduled to have two tournaments over the weekend on its home courts, the Hawthorn Rooney Courts. One was against Hunter College on Saturday, and the other against Rider University on Sunday. The match against Rider was cancelled, but it was still a successful weekend for Fordham as it won 6-1 against Hunter.

In doubles play, senior Nick Borak and junior Joseph Kavaloski defeated their opponents with a score of 6-1 in the first doubles position. In second doubles, freshmen Steven Duka and Fabian Mauritzson won 6-1, as well.

Juniors Harris Durkovic and Cameron Posillico also came out with a win of 6-1 for Fordham’s third doubles position. This allowed the Rams to take the doubles point, leading Hunter 1-0.

The singles matches were equally as rewarding for Fordham, with five of the six singles points going to the Rams. In first

JULIA COMERFORD/THE FORDHAM RAM

Nick Borak won his doubles match 6-1 alongside Joseph Kavaloski.

singles, freshman Jeremy Chung defeated his opponent 6-4, 6-1, while in second singles, classmate Steven Duka won his match 6-4, 6-2. Junior Joseph Kavaloski was in the third singles position, finishing his match with a score of 1-6, 5-7. In fourth singles, junior Cameron Posillico won 6-4, 6-2, while in fifth singles classmate Harris Durkovic triumphed with a score of 6-0, 6-2. Finally, in the

sixth singles position, freshman Gabriel Mashaal swept his match with a score of 6-0, 6-1. With all of these matches finishing in two sets, Fordham came out on top with a final score of 6-1 against Hunter.

The men’s tennis team competes again on Friday, March 31, on its home courts. The team will be facing Yeshiva University starting at noon.

Fordham Golf Tees Off Season with Seventh Place Finish

By SAM BELDEN STAFF WRITER

The Fordham golf team returned to action this week, sending six players to Malvern, Pennsylvania to compete in the Wildcat Invitational hosted by Villanova. While the Rams were in second place at one point during the final round, they struggled down the stretch and wound up in seventh place, 12 strokes behind the winning Lehigh squad.

The team spent its spring break in Florida, where the golfers logged some serious practice time on a group of courses that included PGA National, host of the PGA Tour’s Honda Classic.

As a result, they had high hopes for their first event of the spring, and while they came away with a program-best finish at White Manor Country Club, the performance will still register as a disappointment.

Even with the final round fade, however, the team will take away some positives from the event.

Junior Matt Schiller shot rounds of 70 and 72 to tie for sixth on the individual leaderboard. After making five birdies during Monday’s first round, the Cincinnati native had a chance to win the first event of his career, but he stalled on Tuesday, breaking par just once on the day.

The Rams also got solid performances from senior Oscar Ca-

Pat Costello

banas, who was tied with Schiller after his opening 70 but faded to a tie for 17th on Tuesday, and junior James Mongey, who signed for twin 73s to tie for 25th.

Junior Joseph Trim, the only Fordham player with an individual win in the last five years, had an off week, shooting rounds of 76 and 74 to tie for 48th. Meanwhile, freshman Tomas Nieves struggled in his first event as a Ram and tied for 73rd, rounding out the scoring for Fordham.

Sophomore Tommy Hayes, playing as an individual, finished with the same score as Trim. His second round 72 included an ace on the 165-yard eighth hole, and he ultimately vaulted 29 spots up the leaderboard on Tuesday.

Lehigh made a final round charge to win the event, mostly thanks to sterling scores of 67 and 68 from Johnny Hsu and Billy Johns, respectively. The Mountain Hawks managed to pass Delaware and Villanova for their first tournament win in nearly four years.

Hsu shared medalist honors with Patrick Luth of Cleveland State and Connor Daly of Villanova. Villanova’s Lucas Trim, brother of Fordham’s Joseph Trim, also had a good week, shooting rounds of 70 and 72 to tie for sixth.

With the first event of their spring season in the books, the Rams will now turn their attention towards their next event, the

THE RAM ARCHIVES

Golf was at the Wildcat Invitational.

Coca-Cola Bottling Company of the Lehigh Valley Collegiate Invitational. Last year, the team got three strong individual performances and finished first out of 19 teams at Silver Creek Country Club, and the upcoming title defense will probably be its best chance for a victory this season.

The opening tee time is set for Sunday morning.

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One of the weird traditions that has arisen in the last few decades is for athletes to receive a hat and a t-shirt after winning a big game.

For example, immediately following each NCAA team’s Elite Eight win, the players received black hats with the words “2017 NCAA Men’s Basketball Final Four” arched around their team’s logo. While I understand the idea – companies can sell the hats to fans of the teams – there is one fatal flaw: the hats are always hideous.

The aforementioned Final Four hats have a strange white stripe around the front of the brim, look like something that your uncle would wear to go play golf at a local public course. Even if you were a fan of one of the four teams, why would you want to purchase such an ugly memento, especially when your uncle could play that round of golf for a cheaper price than buying that hat?

The thing that bothered me most was that last year’s Final Four hats were phenomenal. The words “Final Four” were appropriately stitched in huge gold letters set on a black hat, with the teams’ logo on the side. It was a clean look that perfectly fit the situation. How can you go from a fantastic hat, to one that Rodney Dangerfield would want a free bowl of soup with?

It’s not just the NCAA that has this problem either. It’s pretty much universal in the sports world. In 2008, when the Phillies won the World Series, I was stoked to see what their hat would look like. When I saw World Series MVP Cole Hamels wearing it on television, however, my opinion immediately shifted. This was the third greatest moment of my life, after being born and learning all of the words to Avril Lavigne’s “Sk8er Boi,” and yet I was disappointed in the look of Hamel’s headwear – a black hat with a white outline, the World Series logo on the front panel and the trophy gracing the back. Again, this was due to the fact that the year prior the Phils received a gorgeous hat after winning the 2007 NL East, and even though I still own both to this day, the 2007 hat is my go-to.

I understand that teams don’t have a say in these situations, and that the leagues want to save money since they have to print two versions of every hat, but the NCAA is a billion dollar organization. I don’t think getting 150 hats printed that are custom to each team would be breaking the bank, and fans will happily wait an extra two days for the retail versions to come on the market.

You may wonder why I care so deeply about hats, and the answer is simple. I’m a fan of the aesthetics of sports, and giving players a hat that looks like something a tee ball team would wear is bizarre to me. Also, I’m a balding 22 yearold so hats are pretty much my future. So, to the league distributing these hats, listen to your demographic: make better looking hats.

SPORTS

March 29, 2017

Page 17

Rams’ Season Ends in Second Round of WNIT

By SAM BELDEN STAFF WRITER

The Fordham women’s basketball team may have lost to St. Louis in the Atlantic 10 quarterfinals, but thanks to a favorable appraisal from the Women’s National Invitational Tournament Selection Committee, the Rams’ season did not end there. Instead, they hit the road, knocking off Georgetown by a score of 60-49 before falling to Penn State in the second round.

Exactly two weeks after losing to the Billikens, Fordham traveled to the nation’s capital for a showdown with Georgetown, who entered the game with a 17-12 overall record. While the teams matched up well on paper, the Rams were without their A-10 AllRookie selection, Kate Kreslina, allowing senior guard Danielle Burns to start her first game in weeks. It took a while for the Rams to find their offensive groove, necessitating a second half rally in order to win.

Sophomore forward Mary Goulding made a shot down low to open the scoring, but Georgetown then went on a 7-0 run, setting the tone for the first half. The Rams attempted seven threepointers in the first quarter, but none of them fell; meanwhile, the Hoyas made the most of their opportunities. By the end of the period Georgetown led 156, and the margin would have been ever greater if not for a couple of squandered possessions in the last minute.

The second quarter was similar to the first — the Rams started out well, but they ultimately failed to gain ground on Georgetown. Jump shots from Goulding and freshman guard Anna Kelly cut the deficit to five, but Fordham scored just four more points

ERIN MCGREEVEY/THE FORDHAM RAM

Women’s Basketball won their first game of the WNIT against Georgetown, but then fell to Penn State.

in the next nine minutes. Although the Rams trailed by just three with four minutes remaining, Georgetown scored eight unanswered points to finish the period and held a 25-14 lead at the halftime buzzer.

All told, the Rams made just 24.1 percent of their shots from the field in the first half, an abysmal rate. At 32.3 percent, the Hoyas were not much better, but they also grabbed more rebounds and committed fewer turnovers.

The third quarter saw the Rams rebound from their listless performance in the first half. They scored 27 points, nearly doubling their first half total and claiming the lead. Sophomore guard Lauren Holden got things started with a three-pointer, which became a major theme of the quarter — Fordham connected on five attempts in a row at one point, all of them coming from either Goulding or senior guard Hannah Missry. Junior forward G’mrice Davis also stayed productive, and by the end of the quarter, the Rams were leading 41-36.

“I got on them at the half,” head coach Stephanie Gaitley said of her

team. “Typically at this time of year, I very rarely get fired up, [but] I was fired up because I felt we weren’t playing our level of basketball and our brand of basketball. I thought we were playing intimidated and we were letting Georgetown take to everything, and I think the kids took it to heart.”

The Hoyas tried to fight back in the final period, but Fordham was on cruise control, ably holding off the opposition as the seconds ticked away.

Georgetown got a bit of offense near the end of the quarter, but the Rams were solid with their free throws and held on for the 11-point win.

Goulding and Davis led the way for Fordham — both women posted a double-double, with Goulding’s totals of 19 points and 10 rebounds and Davis’ marks of 16 point and 17 rebounds.

The Rams made half their shots from the field in the second half.

With a bit of momentum in tow, the team headed to Pennsylvania for a showdown with the Penn State Lady Lions. The Rams once again struggled offensively to start, but this time, a second half improvement was not enough to compensate.

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Davis got things started with the first bucket of the game, but the Rams stalled from there. They could only watch as Penn State scored bucket after bucket, and by the end of the quarter Fordham was trailing 17-4. The second quarter proceeded in similar fashion, with the Lady Lions kicking it off with a 10-0 run. Thanks to some timely scoring from Kelly, the Rams managed to battle back a bit, but they still finished the first half at a massive disadvantage, trailing 33-12.

The Rams made just 18.8 percent of their shots in the first half, compared to 48.1 percent for the Lady Lions.

Thanks to Penn State’s stifling defense, Goulding was the only Fordham player with more than five points.

After scoring just 12 points in the first half, the Rams managed to put up 20 in the third quarter alone. Missry made a couple of three-pointers within a minute of each other, and another one from Goulding made it a 9-5 run.

However, the Lady Lions managed to hold steady and maintain their lead, forcing Fordham to pray for a fourth quarter miracle.

The final period saw the Rams out-

score the opposition, but it was not nearly enough to move within striking distance. While Missry demonstrated more hot shooting and Davis was as solid as ever, the defense was not up to snuff, allowing the Lady Lions to hold on for a 70-51 victory.

“The slow start kind of put us on our heels,” Gaitley said after the game.

“If you look at the second half, we won the second half by two. I wasn’t really disappointed in our halfcourt defense, it was really not taking care of the ball.

I think we had a better second half because we limited our turnovers.”

The Rams finished the season with a 22-12 overall record, as well as a 16-3 mark at home. Davis paced the team with 14.6 points and 12.8 rebounds per game, while Burns, Holden and Kreslina all averaged over eight points per contest. Davis finished her campaign as the nation’s second-leading rebounder.

Missry and Burns finished their time as Rams with the third and fourthmost games in program history, respectively. In addition, Missry is second on the A-10’s all-time three-pointers list.

“They really do typify the total student-athlete package,” Gaitley said of the senior class, which also includes forward Danielle Padovano. “All three having graduated, all three leaving here with their undergrad and their masters speaks volumes as both students and athletes.”

Davis, Kreslina, Goulding, Holden and Kelly are all eligible for at least one more year of collegiate hoops, so the Rams should be well-equipped to have another solid campaign next year.

If Davis continues to develop, expect Fordham to be at the forefront of the race to the A-10 title.

SPORTS

Page 18

March 29, 2017

’Bocker Bulletin: Noah’s Replacement Rises

By GRANT HILL STAFF WRITER

The basketball gods have shown little mercy towards the New York Knicks this season.

A year that has seen an abundance of mistakes began its rocky tumble before the season even started. The Joakim Noah acquisition has backfired since the news of the signing hit the wires. His latest mishap with a failed drug test has arrived in what can only be described as Knicks-esque timing.

This is when the realization started to set in: they have had a center all along, and his name is Willy Hernangomez.

Fans have been trying to shake off the debris from the Noah bomb, but instead of a bomb it has turned out to be a mine field, with explosions hiding under every step.

What started it all, let’s call this the “Big Bang”, was when the Knicks handed the worn-down center a four-year, $72 million contract over the summer. Everyone and their mother knew that he wasn’t worth anything close to that number, but that is how the Knicks roll. It made me experience severe flashbacks of Amar’e Stoudemire, but at least Amar’e still had some game left in him. Noah’s career seems all but done.

What the Knicks have received in return is a player whom when on the court, which has been very little, can barely compete at the level an NBA player needs to compete. Physically it looks as though Noah has reached the last gallon left in his tank. Not only has he lost a step, or two, but he has also been plagued by the injury bug.

This should come as no surprise to the Knicks or anyone else, as signs of Noah’s regression were clearly coming to fruition during the latter part of his Chicago Bulls’ days.

The Knicks did not sign a player who suddenly became diminished, they signed an already diminished player… for $72 million.

The franchise tried to deodorize his physical decline with a stick of leadership deodorant. They spewed propaganda that Noah’s veteran leadership was of high value in and of itself. Well, recent

events would suggest he’s not even really good for that either. Last week news broke that Noah would be receiving a 20-game suspension for violating the NBA’s anti-drug policy, taking a supplement with anabolic-steroid qualities. As Stefan Bondy of The Daily News put it, “only a handful have been suspended by the NBA for taking performance-enhancing drugs. Noah is the first in three years. Not the type of veteran leadership Noah was paid $72 million to bring to the Knicks.”

As the dark cloud of Noah’s contract hangs over the heads of both fans and the franchise, let us not forget this is the first year of his four-year contract, rookie Willy Hernangomez has quietly made a name for himself.

A rather overlooked move by the Knicks in the 2015 draft, the trade for Willy Hernangomez has begun to show its promise. The Spanish center has been impressing people throughout the season.

His talent was recognized earlier in the year, and he has done nothing but improve with every opportunity. Hernangomez stood among the NBA’s best rookies in statistical categories such as Player Efficiency Rating and Rebounds per 48 minutes. The lack of productivity from Noah, and his absence due from injury has given Hernangomez more playing time. On Saturday, Hernangomez scored 24 points with 13 rebounds vs. the Spurs. An impressive performance behind an impressive rookie campaign would suggest that Hernangomez deserves serious consideration for the starting center job next season.

The Knicks have found themselves in a very weird dilemma. On the one hand they have a rookie who is proving that he could be the starting center for at least the foreseeable future. On the other hand they have a broken down veteran center who still has three years remaining on his contract and is likely heading towards the path of being a $72 million bench player.

Noah will also likely be a piece unable to move, and Hernangomez has showed that we didn’t even need to sign him in the first place.

These kinds of things only happen to the Knicks.

By TOM TERZULLI

ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR

Gennady Golovkin may have retained his Middleweight Championship at Madison Square Garden, but the night belonged to Daniel Jacobs.

The Kazak’s (115-112,115112,114-113) unanimous decision victory over Jacobs last Saturday was by far the closest contest of his pro career. It was the first time he had ever been 12 rounds as a pro.

He hadn’t even gone the distance since 2008, when little-known Amar Amari took him to the scorecards in an eight rounder. Since that fight, he went on a 23 stoppage win streak, en route to solidifying himself as the top name in the sport. These are all amazing streaks of excellence, all of which came to an end against Jacobs.

Jacobs has been dealing with adversity his whole life. The Brooklyn native overcame bone cancer in 2011 and returned to the ring just a year later. In Golovkin, he faced the greatest competition of his career. No one in the boxing media gave him a chance.

Much of the speculation was dominated by when, not if GGG would finish the fight. Yet, with a quiet confidence, he gave the mighty Glolovkin one of his toughest fights ever. Some, including myself, even had Jacobs up on the scorecards at the final bell.

But, victorious or not, there is no doubt his performance at least warrants a re-match with the champ.

Instead, the boxing brass has already moved on to who GGG’s next opponent will be. There’s the much vaunted showdown with fellow superstar Canelo Alverez. Or perhaps a matchup with Britain’s Billy Joe Saunders, who holds the only Middleweight belt that eludes GGG. Even former titlist Andy Lee’s name has been considered. His UD victory over noname KeAndrae Leatherwood on the same GGG-Jacobs card was less than impressive.

The question remains: where does Jacobs fall in all this? Obviously hardcore and casual fans alike want to see the GGG-Canelo showdown.

It would also be entertaining to see Golovkin finally unite all the middleweight belts against Saunders. However, we can’t just avoid Jacobs. He earned a rematch and an immediate one.

The GGG-Jacobs fight was not a spectacular affair. It was a tactical battle with Jacobs fighting a smart fight and landing some good combinations on Golovkin. Of course the showdown lacked the sheer brutality of the Sor Rungvisai-Gonzalez bloodbath that preceded it. Yet, the 19,939 fans at the Mecca of boxing were very much into the battle.

What it lacked in brutality it made up for in historical significance. Boxing fans had never seen Golovkin in the position that he was in. He was legitimately out-boxed by Jacobs, at least for parts of the fight. That alone should warrant a rematch.

The built-in storyline is there too. The desperate Jacobs looking to prove that the first fight was not a fluke. While the wily veteran Golovkin looks to prove that he’s still the man.

The fight drew around 170,000 buys on HBO pay per view. That’s a pretty solid number, up from the 153,000 buys in GGG’s PPV debut against David Lemiux in October 2015. I can guarantee that a rematch between Jacobs and Golovkin would exceed 170,000. One of the best pound for pound fighters in the world almost legitimately got beat, if that’s not a draw to watch the pair again, I don’t know what is.

Now while money definitely would not be an issue for the rematch, the matchup with Canelo would obviously draw more. It’s been the most

sought after boxing matchup since Mayweather-Pacquiao in May 2015.

However, Golden Boy Promotions, which Canelo fights under, and their leader Oscar De La Hoya have maintained that Alverez is the “A” side in negotiations. In their mind, Golovkin solidified that view with his performance against Jacobs.

That’s not going to help make the fight any easier. The money being offered by Goldenboy was already an issue for GGG. It’s sure to be even less after the Jacobs fight.

So while the potential super-showdown waits in limbo, that leaves Billy Joe Saunders, the WBO Middleweight champion.

There is no way a Saunders-GGG matchup is more of a draw than a GGG-Jacobs rematch. Saunders has never fought outside of the U.K. and hasn’t exactly faced the best competition. His December 2015 victory against Andy Lee to win the title was no doubt his biggest win. Sure, he’s undefeated and still relatively early in his pro career at 24 fights. But, at this stage of the game his drawing power simply isn’t there. The only possible intrigue of the fight would be Golovkin unifying the belts.

Danny Jacobs made a name for himself against GGG. His performance earned him a rematch. When put up against the other possible names, Jacobs is no doubt the best option.

COURTESY OF BING

Daniel Jacobs earned another shot at GGG in their last bout.

Varsity Calendar HOME AWAY

Follow us on Twitter at @theram_sports

Baseball

Thursday March 30

Friday March 31

Saturday April 1

Sunday April 2

La Salle 3 p.m.

La Salle 1 p.m.

La Salle 12 p.m.

St. Joseph’s St. Joseph’s (DH) 1 p.m.

12/2:30 p.m.

Softball

Men’s Tennis

Yeshiva 12 p.m.

Women’s Tennis

Duquesne 12 p.m.

Quinnipiac 1 p.m.

Golf

Lehigh

Track

Colonial Relays 9 a.m.

Sacred Heart 1 p.m.

Monday April 3

Tuesday April 4

Wednesday April 5

St. Peter’s 3:30 p.m.

SPORTS

March 29, 2017

Varsity Scores & Stats

Evan Biancardi

NFL Offseason in Full Swing It’s been a busy offseason thus far, but things are just getting started. With NFL free agency well underway and only about a month until the draft, it’s time to take a look at some of the most notable offseason transactions.

The Giants were busy from the start of free agency, as they signed Jets wide receiver Brandon Marshall. Marshall has been regarded as one of the league’s top receivers in years past, but he’s currently 33 years old and coming off one of the worst seasons of his career. While much of that is due in large part to the Jets’ quarterback issues, it’s questionable as to whether Marshall could return to elite status.

However, with Odell Beckham Jr. serving as the Giants’ top weapon, Marshall is able to slide into a more complementary role that better suits both him and the team. Expect to see a more potent offense from Manning and the Giants, who scored an average of under 20 points per game last season.

NFC East teams were certainly busy this month, as each team signed a top wide receiver on the market. The Cowboys only resigned Terrence Williams, but both the Redskins and the Eagles joined the Giants in acquiring some of the league’s best weapons.

The Eagles signed Alshon Jeffery to a one-year deal. Jeffery is coming off an injury-plagued season with the Bears, but he should be able to regain his form beside the receiving core of Jordan Matthews and newly-acquired Torrey Smith. The Redskins, meanwhile, addressed the departures of DeSean Jackson and Pierre Garcon by signing Terrelle Pryor. Pryor is coming off a breakout season as the Browns’ top weapon, and with Kurt Cousins now throwing to him, expect a boost in both yardage and touchdowns for the young receiver.

It wasn’t just NFC East teams that made big moves, though. The New Orleans Saints are currently attempting to build a foundation for the future, and the Patriots were able to take advantage of this, trading for wide receiver Brandin Cooks. Cooks has been one the league’s top speedsters since his breakout campaign two years ago, but the emergence of Michael Thomas offered the Saints some flexibility. While early reports suggested that Malcolm Butler was involved in a potential deal, the Saints were unable to acquire the cornerback. This is important to note because not only did the Pats acquire Cooks, but they also signed Bills cornerback Stephon Gilmore. While they may have overpaid for him, the signing gives New England flexibility in dealing with Malcolm Butler, while still possibly having one of the best backfields in the league.

Some other notable moves this offseason include Andrew Whitworth to the Rams, who had one the league’s weakest offensive lines in the league a year ago, Calais Campbell and A.J. Bouye to the Jaguars, who will look to rebound from the third-worst record in the league and Brock Osweiler to the Browns. While this doesn’t appear to be significant, it could very well clear the way for Tony Romo to remain in Texas.

Page 19

Softball Fordham Rhode Island

11 0

Fordham 14 Rhode Island 0 (FOR) Van Hoven: 3 AB, 2 H, 2 R, 2 RBI 9 0

Fordham Rhode Island Fordham Seton Hall (Postponed) Baseball George Mason Fordham

8 4

Women’s Tennis Fordham 7 Binghamton 0 (FOR) Zobeideh def. Roma 6-0, 6-1

Men’s Track Fred Hardy Invitational

Men’s Tennis Fordham

6 Hunter 1 (FOR) Mashaal def. Hwang 6-0, 6-1

Women’s Track Fred Hardy Invitational

Golf Wildcat Invitational T-7th/19 teams

400m Dash (FOR) Wright 4th- 56.87

(FOR) Schiller 6th- E (FOR) Cabanas T-17th- +2

George Mason 6 Fordham 5 (FOR) Melendez: 5 IP, 1 H, 5 SO

Rowing Murphy Cup: Junior Varsity A- 4th Varsity eight- 6th

400m Dash (FOR) Benn 6th- 48.51

100m Dash (FOR) Kenny 6th- 13.07

800m Run (FOR) Heaney 6th- 2:16.00 Rowing Murphy Cup Junior Varsity A- 4th Varsity eight- 6th

Athletes of the Week Matt Schiller

Maia Balce

Junior

Freshman

Golf

Tennis

Schiller turned in an impressive performance in Fordham Golf’s first outing of the season at the Wildcat Invitational. He finished sixth with an even par of 142 after scoring 70 in the first round and 72 in the second, leading Fordham to a seventh-place finish in the team standings.

Balce was named the A-10 Rookie of the Week after winning two matches against Binghamton this weekend in Fordham’s 10th consecutive win.

Balce won her doubles match 6-3 along with Caroline Sa, and she won her singles match 7-5, 6-2.

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

News & Notes • Softball, Baseball Win A-10 Weekly Awards The Fordham softball and baseball teams

won three combined A-10 weekly awards, with freshman Alvin Melendez winning A-10 Co-Rookie of the Week, as well as senior Amy van Hoven winning Player of the Week and freshman Taylor Stocks winning Pitcher of the Week. Melendez notched his first win of the season by throwing five innings as relief and only allowing one hit in a 6-5 win over George Mason. Van Hoven led Fordham over the weekend with eight hits, seven runs scored and six stolen bases in 11 at bats without a single strikeout. Stocks threw a shutout against Rhode Island in her lone win over the weekend, striking out a season-high five batters.

• Football Adds Four New Coaches to Staff Fordham Football head coach Andrew

Breiner announced that four new coaches have been added to the Rams coaching staff for next season. Tommy Galt has been named offensive line coach, while Jon Guynes has been named assistant defensive line coach, as well as a recruiting coordinator. Stephen Pribble has been named offensive quality control coach, and Liam Smith has been named defensive quality control coach.

• Anderson Joins Sengfelder as Graduate Transfer From Fordham

• Women's Soccer Forward Turner Block Receives Fulbright Scholarship Block announced that she will be going

to Australia to study at the University of Queensland. She will be focusing on researching the athletic identity formation of paralympic youth swimmers diagnosed with cerebral palsy. The Fulbright U.S. Student Program is an exchange program that offers approximately 1,900 grants in international graduate studies.

Reporter Jeff Goodman announced that redshirt junior guard Antwoine Anderson told ESPN he would be leaving Fordham’s basketball team and transferring. Anderson joins senior forward Christian Sengfelder, who announced that he would be transferring on March 21. Anderson averaged 11.1 points per game this season, knocking down two game-winning baskets for Fordham this year. Sengfelder averaged 12 points and 5 rebounds per game this season.

-Compiled by Alvin Halimwidjaya

Liam McKeone

Denver Belongs to the Joker Nikola Jokic is a name not many knew outside of die-hard NBA fan circles when he was drafted in the second round of the 2014 NBA draft by the Denver Nuggets. More guys picked in the second round end up out of the league in two years, but the Nuggets thought they had something in Jokic, and two years later, it seems they were right.

Jokic was a virtual unknown, only 20 years old and playing in the Adriatic League in Europe for the team Mega Vizura out of Serbia. He put up a few solid statlines in his time overseas, but what intrigued the Nuggets revolved entirely around his potential. He has an unnatural combination of agility and size, and could score from just about anywhere on the court. Most impressive, and why Jokic’s game stands out in the NBA, is his basketball IQ. He’s almost LeBron-like with his natural ability to know where his teammates are on the floor and where they are going to be. Nobody is as good as LeBron in that department, but for a center, he’s one of the best.

It took some time for Jokic to get adjusted to the NBA; he had to drop thirty pounds and get used to the speed of the game at the pro level. But once he did adjust, he looked every bit the part of a superstar. Last year was just a taste of Jokic’s potential, as he finished third in Rookie of the Year voting en route to averaging 10 points, 7 rebounds, and 3 assists.

Just as importantly, he shot nearly 35 percent from three, which is huge for a big man. Having a 6’10 center who has to be guarded all the way out on the perimeter creates a massive amount of space for an offense to work.

While Jokic has had a better season this year, he didn’t truly break out until the Nuggets traded their other European draft pick from 2014, Jusuf Nurkic. Head coach Mike Malone tried a two-headed monster experiment by playing Jokic and Nurkic at the same time, but it never worked. Neither are particularly good defenders, and the paint was clogged on the other end of the court. Now, Jokic has lots of room to work with, and he’s been unleashed.

The Serbian is averaging 16 points, 10 rebounds and 5 assists as the maestro of the Nuggets offense. He has a polished offensive game in every aspect, and seems to have a highlight reel play every game. He’s astounded fans everywhere with his court vision, tossing up alley-oops and no-look passes like he’s Chris Paul. He’s the best passing big man since Peja Stokavic, and will take the mantle passed by Dirk Nowitzki as the leader of the next generation of great European big men along with Kristaps Porzingis.

The Nuggets are surging as the season is ending, and are in serious contention to steal the 8-seed on the back of Jokic’s offensive wizardry. If they sneak in the playoffs, Golden State should be nervous. Jokic is good enough to drag any team to success.

SPORTS

Page 20

March 29, 2017

The Fordham Ram

Softball Shuts Out URI Over Weekend Series

By JONAH HASKELL STAFF WRITER

The weather may be frigid, but the Fordham Rams have been scorching hot in March, as they opened their conference season over the weekend by dominating Rhode Island from the first pitch to the last of a threegame sweep. All aspects of the Rams’ game were on display as Fordham batters combined to score 34 runs in 15 innings, while Fordham pitchers locked down their opponents with three consecutive shutouts. With the victories, Fordham’s record in March improves to an outstanding 13-3, and they are now 23-7 on the season.

“Our bats really came alive, and we did it one through nine, which was great for us,” said head coach Bridget Orchard. “As a whole team we did really well. From defense, pitching, hitting, it was a great weekend.”

The Rams of Fordham opened their weekend series against the Rams of Rhode Island with a doubleheader on Saturday in the Bronx.

Fordham jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the first when senior CF Sydney Canessa hit a two-run homer and when senior 3B Lindsay Mayer knocked an RBI single to left before scoring when Rhode Island shortstop Jenna Cubello booted a grounder.

Senior Lauren Quense started in the pitching circle for Fordham, and she was in her regular form, allowing just one hit over five scoreless innings. Quense got in on the fun at the plate as well, hitting a solo shot in the third to give herself a 5-0 margin

to work with.

The Rams put the final nails in the coffin in the fifth, when both senior Amy Van Hoven and junior Madison Shaw walked with the bases loaded to give Fordham a 7-0 lead. Mayer then came to the plate, sending a grand slam to left center for an 11-0 lead.

Quense would come on in the top of the fifth to shut down Rhode Island and give Fordham the runs-rule win.

The second game of the day started in very similar fashion, as Fordham gave their pitcher an early lead with a five-run first inning. Van Hoven singled home sophomore Jessica Hughes following a lead-off double and scored to make it 3-0 when Shaw homered to right. Mayer was up next, and achieved a rare feat when she hit a home run that was not only backto-back with Shaw’s homer, but was also her second homer in as many at-bats after her grand slam in game one. That made it 4-0, and the Rams would get one more before the end of the inning when freshman Madison Auginbaugh scored on sophomore Chelsea Skrepenak’s double.

Auginbaugh, who started in the circle, sent down Rhode Island batter after Rhode Island batter. In the end she allowed just five hits in five innings, with no walks, while striking out five to earn the win.

The Rams’ bats were alive again in the second when they got four runs, courtesy of a wild pitch, an RBI groundout and Quense’s second homer of the day, a two-run shot to center. They would add another in the third to make it 10-0, and in

RODERICK PEREZ/THE FORDHAM RAM

The Rams have jumped out to 3-0 on confrence play after sweeping URI.

the fourth junior Morgan Figueroa walked with the bases loaded Jessica Hughes drove in a run with a sacrifice fly and Canessa hit a two-run double for a 14-0 lead. That would be the final score as Auginbaugh worked a scoreless fifth to end it.

Fordham was back at it on Sunday, winning the third and final game of the series 9-0 in five innings. But this time Fordham was unable to get out to a big lead early, as they only scored one run in the first two innings, courtesy of a Shaw sacrifice fly. But Coach Orchard was not worried, as freshman Taylor Stocks, who started as pitcher, was dealing. Stocks tossed five scoreless innings for the win, facing just two more than the minimum possible of 15 batters, while striking out five in her first conference game.

“That’s huge for her, obviously being a freshman,” said Orchard. “She

had a lot of confidence, a lot of poise and I really think she got ahead of batters. She came right at them and really challenged them so it was great.”

Fordham would eventually break the game open with a five run fifth that started with an Van Hoven RBI double. Skrepenak then singled home another run to make it 3-0, and Orchard put freshman Skylar Johnston in to pinch hit for Stocks with the bases loaded. Johnston did not miss the opportunity, cracking a double into the gap in right center to clear the bases and giving the Rams a 6-0 advantage. “[Johnston] has been struggling lately, so I knew that spot was a big spot to put her in,” said Orchard.

“But I knew she was so ready to break through. I was glad she was able to come out when it counted.”

The Rams would take a 9-0 lead in

the fourth when Shaw drove in two with a single and Skrepenak hit an RBI double, and that would prove to be enough for the Rams. Stocks came out to send the Rhode Island Rams down in the top of the fifth to give Fordham the win.

The Rams are now off to a 3-0 start in conference play and while Fordham’s stars have definitely been performing, Orchard made sure to spread credit for the hot start around.

“It wasn’t just relying on our top three or four batters. Our eights and nines are getting big hits and big RBIs. They’re getting on base,” said Orchard.

The Rams are in action at home this week, first against Stony Brook on Wednesday, March 29. They then have a double header against St Joseph’s on Saturday, April 1, and finish up that series the following day.

Baseball Starts A-10 Play 1-2 At George Mason

JULIA COMERFORD/THE FORDHAMR RAM

Luke Stampfl went 1 for 3 with a run scored in Fordham’s lone victory on the trip.

By JACK McLOONE SPORTS EDITOR

Fordham Baseball once again escaped to the warmer climes of the South, but this time did so to play inconference competition, the George Mason Patriots. The Rams lost the first two matchups but won the final game of the series on Sunday, putting their record at 8-11.

The Rams entered the weekend on a four-game winning streak, having swept Sacred Heart the weekend of March 17 and beating Iona in a oneoff game on March 21.

That streak was snapped in the first game of the series, which the Rams dropped 2-0. For the second time in his last three starts, graduate student pitcher Jimmy Murphy was the tough-luck loser. It was the third time

in a row he reached at least eight innings of work, though this time it was his first complete game of his career.

Both of the runs he allowed were unearned.

George Mason plated their only runs of the game in the sixth inning.

After getting the first two batters out, Murphy gave up back-to-back singles.

He then induced a groundball, but senior third baseman Matthew Kozuch was unable to come up with it and was charged with a fielding error instead of ending the inning. A single from the next batter plated both of the runs.

Murphy’s game was mirrored by the George Mason starter Tyler Zombro. Both gave up just six hits and no earned runs. Murphy also added seven strikeouts and one walk.

“Jimmy has been huge for us over his last three starts and having a guy

like that who you know if you get three or four runs, you should win, is big,” said head coach Kevin Leighton.

Game two on Saturday was more of a slugfest, and the Patriots came out swinging against Rams’ sophomore starter Mike Cowell.

After a 1-2-3 inning to start the game, Cowell got into trouble in the second. With the bases loaded and one out, he gave up a double to right center that plated two.

In the next inning, he was once again rung up with one out, this time by a three-run home run. That ended his day at just 2.1 innings pitched with five earned runs.

The Rams scored their first runs of the series in the top of the fifth inning on a solo home run from senior centerfielder Jason Lundy and an RBI single from sophomore second base-

man Reiss Knehr.

However, the Patriots got both runs back in the bottom of the frame off of freshman Marc Bisogno, putting them up 7-2.

The Rams put up two more runs in the top of the seventh on a two-out, two-run double from sophomore catcher Justin Bardwell, but the Rams’ bats went quiet from there, eventually losing 8-4.

Kozuch looked like he may have started to break out of his season-long slump, going 2-5 in the leadoff spot instead of his usual spot in the six hole.

In the getaway game on Sunday, the Fordham bats finally came alive to the tune of a 6-5 victory.

In the second inning, with runners on second and third and one out, freshman right fielder Jake Baker snuck a single past the shortstop that plated senior designated hitter Mark Donadio and Lundy. After moving up on a balk by pitcher Bryce Nightengale, Kozuch continued his upward trend by singling him home to put the Rams up 3-0.

The Patriots got to the starter Knehr in the bottom half of the third for one run, but the Rams answered right back with one of their own in the top of the fourth. Once again, it was Kozuch driving in Baker with a single to right, making it 4-1 Rams headed to the bottom of the fourth.

“I think Matt was a little more aggressive this week and that helped him stay out of pitchers counts,” said Leighton. “He is a patient hitter and that is also what makes him a good hitter but sometimes as a hitter you

can’t always wait for the perfect pitch, you have to hit a good pitch.”

Things unspooled for Knehr in the home half of the frame. After hitting the leadoff batter and getting a strikeout, a double and a walk loaded the bases. With a 1-2 count, he gave up a two-run single, pulling the Patriots within one. Despite striking out the next batter, a hit batsman once again loaded the bases, and then he walked in the tying run.

The Rams took back the lead in the top of the seventh off of an RBI single from Donadio. Donadio then had a sacrifice fly to plate junior first baseman Brian Goulard for an insurance run, which it turned out they needed.

Freshman pitcher Alvin Melendez came in to relieve Knehr . In the 9th, he gave up a leadoff double, and the runner moved to third after a groundout. While he gave up sacrifice fly to bring George Mason within one, he was able to strike out the next batter to give Fordham its lone win of the weekend. Melendez has been impressive on the mound, with the sacrifice fly the only run he has given up in 9.2 innings of work.

“It wasn’t the start to conference that we wanted but we did a lot of things well in all three games that we can hopefully build on,” said Leighton. “Baseball can be frustrating because you can square a ball up perfectly and still make an out.”

The Rams will next be in action at home against La Salle for a threegame series starting on Friday, March 31 at 3 p.m.