Vol 99 issue 8

The Fordham Ram Serving The Fordham University Community Since 1918 Volume 99, Issue 8

FordhamRam.com

RHA Announces:

Faculty Health Care In Jeopardy

Cerulean Nights

By AISLINN KEELY

By THERESA SCHLIEP

ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR

NEWS EDITOR

Residence Halls Association (RHA) released this year’s Under The Tent theme as “Cerulean Seas: A Night on the Mediterranean” for the Saturday evening of Spring Weekend. Initially voted on by RHA’s general board, a team of programmers furthered the ideas surrounding the theme according to Sara Chesnos, FCRH ’19.

The theme evokes “fresh air, beautiful lighting and the bliss of the Mediterranean” according to Chesnos. “This theme highlights the best of all Mediterranean cities and generates a special twinkle on Martyr’s Lawn,” she said. The theme may be inspired by several mediteranian cities such as Santorini, Greece, the French Riviera and Majorca, Spain.

In past years, students were encouraged to dress “sleek” for 2016’s “Caught in the Cosmos” theme, or as though they were attending the iconic horse race for 2014’s “Kentucky Derby” evening.

Though there is no dress code for “Cerulean Seas: A Night on the Mediterranean,” Chesnos recommended “flowy, ‘beachy’ dresses or a crisp blue lightweight blazer,” for those wishing to dress in this year’s Mediterranean theme.

Mediterranean countries are those surrounding the Mediterranean Sea, such as Monaco and Croatia. The area is known for warm, dry summers.

Tickets will be sold for $25 in the McGinley Lobby on Friday, April 7 from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. for the April 28 event. Students may buy up to four tickets total with cash only. A Fordham student ID is required to purchase a ticket. To purchase additional tickets, a photo of Fordham ID will suffice. “I would recommend getting in line early, as the first person in line last year arrived at 7 a.m.,” said Chesnos. For further incentive to arrive early, the first 200 ticket purchases will receive vouchers for a mac and cheese food truck.

As a response to health care negotiations and other tensions with the administration, the Faculty Senate has launched a new letterwriting campaign to various members of the administration.

The administration proposed a new health care plan that would shift all faculty, administrators and staff from United Healthcare’s Enhanced Health Care Plan to its Standard Plan on July 1, 2018.

The proposed plan will save the university $4 million annually, according to the Senate leadership, but will increase health care costs on individual faculty members in return.

The “Standard Plan” would require a 10 percent coinsurance innetwork, rather than zero percent for the more generous “Enhanced Plan.” It would also see a 30 percent coinsurance out-of-network rather than 20 percent. It would increase out-of-pocket expenses for the faculty members, administrators and non-unionzed staff who use it, both in-network and out-of-network.

The “Standard Plan” would also

in this issue

Opinion Page 7

Faculty Unions: Hope for New Academic Generation

Culture

Page 12 Drake Picks Apple Music as Future of Music

Sports Page 20 Rams Sweep, Orchard Gets Win 700

April 5, 2017

VICTOR ORDONEZ/THE FORDHAM RAM

Students and faculty delivered a petition to President McShane to support adjunct unionization.

Adjuncts Face Unionization Roadblocks

By VICTOR ORDONEZ

ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR

Fordham administration released plans to legally deter Fordham’s adjunct faculty attempt to unionize on Friday, March 31.

Fordham’s administration responded by hiring “union bust-

ing” lawyers and opposing the adjunct faculty unionization effort, according to an email from Fordham Faculty United (FFU) members Chris Brandt, Hannah Jopling, Alessandro King, Kathryn Krasinski and Alan Trevithick.

In reaction to the administration’s attempt to prevent unionization,

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said: “I believe deeply in workers’ right to self-determination – to choose freely whether or not to unionize.

I value the contributions Fordham University makes to our city as an institution of higher learning and an economic engine. The non-tenure SEE UNION, PAGE 5

SEE HEALTH CARE, PAGE 6

VP Oppose Cuomo’s Budget

By VICTOR ORDONEZ

ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR

OWEN CORRIGAN/THE FORDHAM RAM

Bronx Day of Celebration recognized the Bronx Community’s integral roll in Fordham student’s lives.

Fordham Celebrates Bronx Community

By IAN RODEN STAFF WRITER

This past Saturday, Fordham students and Bronx community members gathered on the second floor of the McGinley Center for Bronx Celebration Day. The event featured local Bronx businesses that represented

the spirit of the Bronx. Among these businesses were non-profit organizations centered in the Bronx, Bronx apparel companies, local artists and two guest speakers. Also in attendance were Fordham’s own a capella groups, the b-Sides and the Satin Dolls.

The Fordham Club, an honors

society for Rose Hill seniors, and Commuting Student Association (CSA) teamed up to create the event.

Ariana Cipriani, FCRH ’17, has been planning the event since October and was one of the students running the show. She said the goal of the event was togetherness.

SEE BRONX, PAGE 3

Fordham University’s associate vice president of government relations has urged the university community to protest the recent budget proposed by New York State Governor and Fordham alumni Andrew Cuomo.

The administration specifically requested that members of the Fordham community help to defeat “a current state budget proposal that could dramatically impact Fordham and other private colleges in New York State,” according to a mass email sent to Fordham Faculty from Lesley A. Massiah-Arhur, associate vice president of government relations and urban affairs. The email requested that those who agree on the proposal’s shortcomings submit electronic letters to elected officials.

Cuomo’s “Excelsior Scholarship” proposal would provide free tuition to students in families making up to $125,000 who attend SUNY or SEE BUDGET, PAGE 3

NEWS

Page 2

PUBLIC SAFETY BRIEFS Mar. 29 Lombardi Center 5 p.m.

A student had $45 stolen from a bag in the women’s locker room.

The student did not lock the locker due to a lock malfunction. Public Safety is actively investigating.

Mar. 29 O’Hare Hall 12 p.m.

A student left his/her wallet in a bathroom of O’Hare hall. When the student went to retrieve the wallet, the student found it to have been thrown in the toilet with $20 dollars missing. Public Safety is actively investigating.

Mar. 30 McGinley Center 9 p.m.

A student attempted to withdraw money from the ATM in the basement of the McGinley Center. The transaction was declined and the student discovered that $700 was withdrawn from his/her account. The transaction had not been authorized by the student. A report was filed with Public Safety and N.Y.P.D. April 1 Arthur Ave. 3 a.m.

A large crowd had formed in front of housing facilities on Arthur Ave. The crowd was reported to Public Safety as disorderly. The crowd, which consisted of multiple Fordham students, was dispersed without further incident, according to Public Safety.

April 5, 2017

USG Expands Beacon Exemplar Award

By MARIANYS MARTE STAFF WRITER

The United Student Government (USG) released an amendment to the existing Beacon Exemplar Award. The amendment marks a difference in the way members of the Fordham community are recognized by this annual award.

The award, which has been a part of the USG constitution for years, recognizes the work and effort put in by the members of the Fordham community and the support that they give students.

While Senator Aaron Banasiewicz, FCRH '18, spearheaded the process, the entire USG body worked together to pass this amendment in hopes of further connecting the student body with the faculty and staff.

“USG as a whole spearheaded the process to reintroduce this to the community,” said Assistant Dean for Student Involvement Cody Arcuri.

Prior to this amendment, only a member of the USG body could nominate a recipient. Now, all undergraduate students are encouraged to nominate any faculty or staff members who have had a positive impact on their lives at Fordham.

All nominees will be recognized for their impact on Fordham’s cam-

FORDHAM RAM ARCHIVES

Daniel Stroie and Eli Simon, current USG president and VP, assisted in the changes to the Beacon award. pus, but the award itself will be given to six individual faculty and staff members from the following departments: Academic Affairs, Faculty, Facilities, Dining Services, Public Safety and Student Life. “It is designed to be a very inclusive initiative,” Banasiewicz said.

An award is given to one member of each department mentioned

above, resulting in a total of six recipients. “We defined categories to ensure a variety of staff on campus could be nominated,” said USG Vice President of Operations Douglas Spring, FCRH '17. This was not the case prior to the amendment.

Banasiewicz reports that USG received a total of 76 nominations this year. The list of nominees will be nar-

- Compiled by Victor Ordonez and Aislinn Keely

Are You Studying Abroad This Semester?

Email: fordhamramnews @gmail.com Photo of the Week

OWEN CORRIGAN/THE FORDHAM RAM

Cardinal Sean Patrick O'Malley, the 10th and current Archbishop of New York, celebrated Eucharisty in the University Church this past Sunday.

rowed down by a USG commission made up of one senator from each class senate. The entire USG body will then vote on the recipients.

In order to nominate someone, students must provide their contact information, the nominee’s name and department and a 250-word essay on why they think the nominee deserves to be acknowledged as a beacon.

“To me, the Beacon Exemplar Award represents an opportunity to recognize members of the community who have a lasting impact on students,” said Spring.

Banasiewicz says USG is proud to shine a light on the many beacons who make students’ experience at Fordham a positive one.

“We are men and women for others and I’ve never seen such incredible work ethic as I’ve seen on Fordham’s campus,” said Banasiewicz.

Former Beacon Exemplar Award winner Beth Knobel, associate chair of the department of communication and media studies, welcomed the more democratic process.

“I like the idea that students will have a larger voice in choosing the award winners,” said Knobel, who won the award in 2010. “And it’s particularly nice to recognize the staff, who work so very hard to keep the university running smoothly and don’t always get the credit they deserve.”

The nominees and recipients will be celebrated at the Beacon Exemplar Award Reception on Tuesday April 11th at 4:30 p.m. in Bepler Commons.

This Week at Fordham

Friday April 7

Friday April 7

Saturday April 8

Saturday April 8

Asian Cultural Exchange Presents: Epic

PIH Presents: Songs in Solidarity

Expressions Presents: Ignite

Rodrigue's Battle of the Bands

Blackbox Theater 8 p.m. - 10 p.m.

McGinley Ballroom 5 p.m. - 10 p.m.

Bepler Commons 7 p.m. - 11:30 p.m.

Collins Auditorium 8 p.m. - 10 p.m.

Rodrigue’s Coffee House 5 p.m. - 10 p.m.

Fordham Experimental Theater will hold their second full length spring show on April 6, 7 and 8 at 8 p.m. in the Blackbox, with a 2 p.m. showing on April 9.

Asian Cultural Exchange will showcase performances that students have worked on year long.

All students from all campuses are welcome, and food will be provided.

A $10 donation gains entry to the annual benefit concert of Fordham’s chapter of Partner’s in Health.

Proceeds help community health workers in Malawi expand their Chronic Care Clinic and promote the right to health.

Thursday April 6 FET Presents: Bob: A Life in Five Acts

Expressions will perform their spring showcase, Ignite, in Collins Auditorium from 8p.m. to 10p.m. on the nights of Friday, April 7, and Saturday, April 8.

Ten bands will battle it out in Campus Activities Board’s Battle of the Bands. Contestants will play outside behind Rodrigue’s Coffee House. The winner will open for the Spring Weekend concert.

NEWS

April 5, 2017

Catholic Academics Condemn SJP Decision

Page 3

Bronx Day Brings Students Together with Neighbors

By JAKE SHORE STAFF WRITER

Catholic academics and clergy from colleges across the United States wrote a public letter to Rev. Joseph M. McShane, S.J., president of the university, last week in an attempt to reverse the decision against Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) at Fordham Lincoln Center.

Co-authored by 27 different academics and clergy from Catholic colleges, the letters come from schools such as Georgetown University, Santa Clara University, University of San Francisco, Xavier University, Marquette University, Loyola University and Mount St. Mary’s University.

Lincoln Center Dean of Students Keith Eldredge’s decision to deny SJP club status in January has drawn some criticism from Fordham students and faculty. Eli McCarthy, a justice and peace studies professor from Georgetown, organized the letter to Fordham. In an email interview with The Fordham Ram, he said clubs like SJP are important to the fabric of Catholic colleges and universities.

“The club [would provide] a structured way for all students, faculty, staff and the broader community to learn about issues of basic human dignity and rights, as well as to be inspired toward ways to transform injustice, even if there is disagreement along the way,” said McCarthy.

“Catholic colleges should be a place where these issues are front and center, not marginalized and definitely not excluded.”

The letter argues the decision against the SJP is incongruent with the U.S. Catholic Conference of Bishops, which came out in favor of relief for Palestinians, and with general Catholic social teaching.

Sapphira Lurie, FCLC ’17, faced disciplinary action for organizing a protest in response to Eldredge’s decision against the club. She has been a leading figure in the advocation for the creation of an SJP chapter at Fordham. She said she hopes Fordham administrators will reconsider their decision, based on their Catholic faith.

“My deep thanks to the Catholic priests and academics who wrote to Father McShane last week. I’m happy to hear that other Catholics are calling upon the Fordham administration to grant club status to SJP and to end the unjust censorship of students,” said Lurie in an email interview. “Perhaps Father McShane and other Fordham administrators like Dean Eldredge will recommit to their faith and do what is right.”

Christopher Rodgers, dean of student life at Rose Hill, said “A wide variety of feedback has been received on this decision, from those applauding it on principle to those taking the opposite view. It has been reassuring to receive inquiries from those seeking to better understand our careful discernment process.”

“We are glad to see our students and our community engaged in spirited and civil discussion,” said Rodgers.”

Eldredge reversed USG at Lincoln Cetner’s original vote that approved SJP as a club.

IAN RODEN/THE FORDHAM RAM

Many local Bronx vendors were invited to sell their goods in McGinley for Bronx Celebration Day. FROM BRONX, PAGE 1

“Our goal for the event was to show the Fordham community and the greater Bronx community that Fordham University wants to celebrate the amazing Bronx history, culture and the artists and artisans that live and work to make the Bronx an amazing and dynamic borough,” she said.

She said she hoped to eliminate any divide between the Bronx community and Fordham University.

“We wanted to further fuse our relationship with the Bronx community and sort of take down the gates for the day,” she said.

Bronx Native and fromthebronx.

com were two of the Bronx apparel companies present at Bronx Celebration Day. Both brands dedicated themselves to representing the heart of the Bronx.

“We have a mission to improve the image of the borough,” said Anthony Ramirez, part owner of fromthebronx.com. “We sell everything from Bronx branded t-shirts, postcards, bumper stickers, hot sauce, all images that positively reflect the borough itself.”

Amaury Grullon, co-founder of Bronx Native, said their products are made to embrace the culture of the Bronx.

“We try to highlight and embrace

all the great things the Bronx has to offer and we do that through art, media and apparel.” said Grullon.

One of the artisans, Mother Coyote displayed an original handmade product. Mother Coyote showed off their all-natural health care products.

“We are an indigenous inspired healing apothecary,” said Melissa Mendez of Mother Coyote. “We like to create items that can help you heal internally and externally based on all-natural earth products and indigenous afro-Caribbean and American traditions of healing.”

Other groups at the event were promoting hands-on community action to help effect change in the

Bronx borough. One such group was Community Action for Safe Apartments (CASA) a group dedicated to preserving tenant rights in the Bronx. CASA promoted its goal of preserving tenant rights in the Bronx.

“Our mission is to maintain and preserve affordable housing in the Southwest Bronx” said Yeraldi Perez, CASA community organizer. “We do so by establishing tenant associations in local buildings and also through campaigns that address housing issues locally and city-wide.”

Mark Naison, professor of African American studies, performed a beat-boxing rhyme, accompanied by Angel Hernandez of the Bronx Historical Society.

Naison also spoke about the current state of the Bronx for attendees at the event. For example, he talked about gentrification. He said because immigrants of the Bronx borough are in danger under the current White House administration, immigrants make the Bronx so great.

“Immigrants from all over the world coming here in ways that have strengthened communities have made the Bronx a great American success story,” he said.

CSA and the Fordham Club hope to make Bronx Celebration Day an annual event in the future.

VP of Gov. Relations: Cuomo’s Budget Hurts Public Colleges FROM BUDGET, PAGE 1

CUNY school. The scholarship will not aid those who attend private institutions like Fordham Universities.

Cuomo’s plan would deny tuition assistance to students who attend private colleges that increase tuition beyond an inflation index. However, Cuomo’s team said that this is due to the high tuition average for private institutions.

“Private school tuition in New York averages $34,000 a year compared to $6,400 at SUNY and CUNY, and independent colleges – who refuse to cap their out of control tuition hikes to even $500 a year – use state assistance as an excuse to jack up their costs so there’s no value to the student,” said Cuomo budget spokesman Morris Peters at a press conference.

Although Cuomo’s proposal will relieve SUNY and CUNY students of tuition, Massiah-Arthur argued that the new proposal’s cuts would greatly decrease current tuition aid available for students enrolled in private institutions.

“What is most troubling about the governor’s proposal is that it is based on the premise that the price that people see or the ‘sticker price’ is what many actually pay. The proposal does not consider the amount of institutional aid that private colleges, like Fordham, provide to their students. In actuality, most students do not pay the ‘sticker price’,” said Massiah-Arthur in an interview with The Fordham Ram. “So, in light of this, the real issue is not that of ‘free SUNY/CUNY college tuition’ per se; rather it is about limiting the ability of students and their families

to make very personal choices about which college(s) best suit them and their needs.”

More than 93 percent of incoming freshmen received some form of financial aid to help defray the cost of attending Fordham, according to Fordham’s Financial Aid webpage.

Only seven percent of the Fordham student community pay full tuition.

The new proposal would cut 15 percent of opportunity and access pipeline programs such as the Higher Education Program (HOP) and Collegiate Science and Technology Entry Program (CSTEP), the according to Massiah-Arthur.

Massiah-Arthur said that any proposal to make college more affordable should benefit all students, regardless of where they go to school.The Fordham administration recommended increasing the maximum TAP award to $6,500 for students with family incomes up to $125,000 who attend any accredited college, according to the mass email.

“The most efficient way of providing tuition relief is through TAP award,” said Massiah-Arthur in the email to faculty.

Massiah-Arthur said increasing the TAP award would benefit stu-

COURTESY OF LINKEDIN

VP of Government at Fordham spoke out againstCuomo’s proposed budget.

dents at both private and public institutions.

“New York’s elected representatives would enable more students to attend SUNY or CUNY tuition free, while also maintaining New York’s historic commitment to the hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers for whom private colleges offer the best opportunity for success and economic mobility.”

The New York State Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) helps eligible New York residents pay tuition at approved schools in New York State.

Depending on the academic year in which you begin study, an annual TAP award can be up to $5,165, according to the HOP homepage. Because TAP is a grant, it does not have to be paid back.

“The governor has invested more than $2.4 billion in private schools since 2011 – nearly the highest in the nation – and currently gives 100,000 grants to private school students to lower their college costs,” said Peters at an open press conference in response to Massiah-Arthur. “Fordham forgot to put all of that in their letter.”

However, Massiah-Arthur said that there are addition factors that go into private school budget allocation and that, in comparison, the current budget also supplies six billion dollars to public universities, according to the New York State fiscal budget.

The original budget was proposed

by Cuomo’s team in January. The new budget would have been put into effect on April 1, which marks the start of the 2017-2018 fiscal year.

The proposed budget’s approval has since been postponed.

NEWS

Page 4

April 5, 2017

Research Spotlight

Fordham Research Reaches Bronx Community Shows Intersection Between City and Nature

By AISLINN KEELY

ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR

When Ariana Cipriani, FCRH ’17, attended a class site visit to a local Bronx school in October, she witnessed the work of the Green Bronx Machine: an organization that assists students in growing food from school gardens while learning core curriculum. The impact of the experience led Cipriani to develop a research project mentored by Mark Naison, Ph.D., professor of African American studies, that investigates the impact of environmental education on various aspects of individual and community development.

Her project is entitled “Planting Seeds for the Future: Urban Environmental Education in the Bronx.”

For her work, Cipriani partners with environmental education organizations and programs that work in both schools and nonprofits, including the Green Bronx Machine, the Bronx River Alliance, the Edible Academy at the New York Botanical Garden and Sprout by Design. Cipriani hopes to produce a thesis that explores how environmental education, specifically urban environmental education, operates in the Bronx, how it impacts the borough, and how it prepares students for college and career readiness through data gathered from these partners.

In her research, Cipriani has done on-site observations at various environmental community partners, interviewed key informants of the programs and collected demographic data and the specifics of the programming itself.

“I’m using this research as more of a comprehensive look at what urban environmental education looks like and is characterized by in the Bronx,” said Cipriani.

The thesis is divided into three

sections: in-school programming, Bronx river-focused programming and public programming. She hopes that educators in the Bronx or different areas will be able to use her research to see what is and is not working and have a model to apply environmental education practices into their own communities.

Environmental programs like the Green Bronx Machine are not common in urban communities, according to Cipriani.

“I’m looking at urban environmental education in the Bronx as an intervention for health as well as for school performance and career and college readiness because for so many schools in the city these programs either don’t exist or they only exist at schools with the biggest PTAs, essentially,” said Cipriani.

The Bronx has been consistently rated the 62nd unhealthiest county of the 62 New York counties. Cipriani said environmental education can be used to provide better health outcomes.

“It really can’t get much worse than that, despite the fact that the Bronx has the most park acreage of any Bronx borough and we have eight miles of river,” said Cipriani.

Those resources can be used in education as hands on opportunities to learn through interaction with the local environment, which Cipriani said better prepares students for testing and leading a healthy lifestyle.

“The Bronx gets written off as being this polluted, concrete place with no green space when in fact we have plenty of green space,” she said.

One of the main aspects of environmental education is the importance of students interacting with and learning from their local environment, or, in other words, the outdoors in the area they are from. It also advocates the importance and positive effects of hands

COURTESY OF GREEN BRONX MACHINE

A Fordham student believes exposure to the local environment helps individual development.

on learning to prepare children for higher education with a better and more holistic worldview.

Cipriani said exposure to the local environment impresses its value. “I’m a product of it. I grew up across from a wildlife sanctuary and worked there for six years, and it has completely shaped my worldview,” she said.

Naison credits the trip to see the Bronx Green Machine at work

in Public School 55 with sparking inspiration. “When you see a program like the Green Bronx Machine, you think ‘this should be in every school,’” said Naison. “This should be everywhere, so why isn’t it? I think that’s one of the issues that Ariana is confronting.”

Cipriani said that the field was not being talked about enough.

The last person to study in the field at Fordham was in 1971.

“I’m addressing it too because so much data on environmental education is just quantitative data about pretest and post-test, but pretest and post-test don’t talk.”

Cipriani is also in her first year of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences five-year Master’s program in Urban Studies. She plans to continue to develop her thesis into a Master’s thesis when she is a full time graduate student.

Campus Briefs & Bites Fordham Law Dedicates Kirpalani Commons

Fordham Recognized for Cyber Security

Fordham and NYPL Announce Joint Program

Fordham Community Attends St. Patrick’s Day Parade

Fordham Law honored Susheel Kirpalani, LAW ’94, through the dedication of the “Kirpalani Commons.” Due to Kirpalani’s generosity in funding programs related to public interest law, the space was dedicated to them on March 29.

The renamed space is the gateway into the Fordham Law School. It features digital displays of Fordham’s events, alumni and history, while also functioning as a student lounge. Kirpalani, founder and chair of Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan LLP’s bankruptcy and restructuring group, also received the 2017 Louis J. Lefkowitz Public Service Award for his efforts. His generosity makes possible four full annual scholarships through the Kirpalani Scholars Program, in addition to his underwriting summer fellowships for students through the School’s Public Interest Resource Center. Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan named partners Kathleen Sullivan and Bill Urquhart, LAW ’78, and partners Peter Calamari, LAW ’73, Benjamin Finestone, James Tecce and Richard Werder attended the dedication.

Fordham University has been recognized as a training ground for cyber security with the National Security Agency and the Department of Homeland Security. Fordham has been designated as a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Education (CAE-CDE). The Graduate School of Arts and Sciences offers a master’s in cybersecurity, although the designation includes the proficiency in cybersecurity found in various places throughout the university. Areas of Fordham particularly concerned with cybersecurity span across schools to include Gabelli School of Business’ Center for Digital Transformation, Fordham Law’s Center on Law and Information Policy and the Fordham Center for Cybersecurity. This designation makes the university and its research community eligible for federal grants regarding cybersecurity, according to Eva Badowska, Ph.D., dean of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences.

Fordham University and the New York Public Library have announced a joint pilot program in Jewish Studies for the upcoming 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

April 5, 2017

Page 5

OMA To Launch Racial Solidarity Network

By AISLINN KEELY

ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR

The Office of Multicultural Affairs has developed and fine-tuned a program to foster discussion on issues surrounding race and ethnicity in order to create a more open and welcoming university community for diversity fo rthe past three years.

The Racial Solidarity Network will launch in the Fall 2017 semester, according to Juan Carlos Matos, assistant dean and director of the Office of Multicultural Affairs. No formal date has been set.

The goals of the network include promoting an environment in which members of the community are welcomed and valued, increasing empathy, awareness and understanding of the complexities of race and ethnicity and promoting a culture of inclusion where members of the community can reflect on racial and ethnic identity, question privilege and bias and think about race and ethnicity in more complex ways. More information will be available on fordham.edu most likely in late August according to Matos.

Objectives of the program include promoting an environment where all members of the community feel welcomed and valued, applying Cura Personalis to understand the experience of underrepresented racial and ethnic students at Fordham and familiarizing participants with a historical overview related to race, eth-

nicity and racism within the United States. It is open to all members of the Fordham community. The discussions are meant to be ongoing and bolster other diversity-related programming throughout the university.

“We hope this is not the first time or the last time someone engages in these topics,” said Matos.

The Office of Multicultural Affairs developed the Racial Solidarity Network through looking at similar programs in place at other universities, working off the framework of the sustained success of the LGBT and Ally Network of Support, engaging with the Fordham community to hear the issues the community felt were most important to cover and piloting the program to receive feedback before launching next semester, according to Matos.

Though the program has not yet been put in place, the Office of Multicultural Affairs conducted a pilot program to test run the programming as well as receive feedback.

The goals of the program aligned with the goals of its participants.

“I hoped to gain more knowledge about the history of racism and becoming a racial ally,” said Jennifer Acevedo, FCLC ’17, a student participant in the pilot program. “My goals were met in that I was able to further expand on the knowledge of oppression and aspects of racism that I gained from the Dorothy Day Center for Service and Justice as

FORDHAM RAM ARCHIVES

Dean Matos launched a pilot program that would encourage a more welcoming and diverse community.

well as The Office of Multicultural Affairs.”

The pilot training program included a racial caucusing segment in which participants broke off into two groups based on racial and ethnic identities to speak about personal experiences in safe spaces.

“I think racial caucusing was a powerful aspect of the program because it was a space for us to separate based on racial identity and discuss challenges, concerns and questions

related to our identity and the identity of others,” said Acevedo.

In the future, the caucusing segment will include a third group for those who identify as biracial or multiracial.

The program seeks to address difficult and nuanced issues in an inclusive and open-minded forum.

Though the program aims to be welcoming, it does not aim to be easy. “The questions did cause a certain level of discomfort because they

were not easy to answer. I appreciated this discomfort, because to me it meant that we were making progress by acknowledging that race is not an easy or comfortable topic,” said Giustina Charbonneau, FCRH ’17.

Letitia Tajuba, resident director of Alumni Court South, said she thinks the program will challenge its participants.

“I think the program is going to challenge a lot of students,” said Tajuba.

Administration Prevent Adjunct Faculty Unionization Vote FROM UNION, PAGE 5

track faculty makes up more than half of the teaching staff at Fordham and help ensure that the university continues to be a dynamic and innovative institution. I encourage Fordham’s administration to agree to a fair process in a timely manner that allows for the non-tenure track faculty to vote on whether or not to join a union, and be given the same opportunity for unionization as many other employees and faculty at Fordham.”

After a previously established stance of neutrality from president of the University Rev. Joseph M. McShane, Fordham adjuncts filed for a union election in conjunction with the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) and the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB).

Soon after McShane’s neutral response to FFU, Fordham administration released legal plans that work to delay any vote to unionize.

FFU has called on Father McShane and Fordham to “adhere to Catholic social teachings and allow faculty to move forward with their election either through the National Labor Relations Board or alternative means” in an email response to Fordham’s legal plans.

Specifically, Fordham administration claimed that the faculty cannot unionize under the National Labor Relations Act because Fordham is a religiously-affiliated university.

Bob Howe, assistant vice president for communications and spe-

COURTESY OF FLICKR

Mayor de Blasio condemned Fordham’s actions in a statement, and encouraged the university to proceed with a vote.

cial adviser to the president, said that the attempt to unionize additionally infringes on the university’s freedom of speech.

“As a Catholic, Jesuit University, Fordham absolutely supports the right of employees to organize and join unions,” said Howe. “The administration and the Board of Trustees are deeply concerned, however, that religious institutions’ First Amendment freedoms not be abridged by the decisions of the National Labor Relations Board. Both the courts and other

Catholic universities--including Manhattan College, Loyola Chicago, Saint Xavier, Seattle, DePaul, and Duquesne--have challenged the NLRB’s jurisdiction over their teachers or faculty.”

Howe also said that the 1979 ruling of NLRB v. Catholic Bishop of Chicago by the Supreme Court is the underlying precedent behind the university’s position. In NLRB v. Catholic Bishop, the Supreme Court determined that the NLRB did not have the authority to as-

sert jurisdiction over labor–management relations and practices in Church-operated institutions.

The adjunct faculty have responded by constructing two petition. The first petition is for anyone affected by faculty working conditions, including students, parents and any addition faculty eager to participate. The second petition for any Fordham University alumni.

Several Fordham faculty members have found the recent legal actions to directly challenges the

university’s jesuit values.

“The administration’s response contravenes the social justice values embodied in the Jesuit tradition,” the FFU email said. “We are appalled that Father McShane and the Fordham administration would so flagrantly disregard Jesuit values of economic justice and equality and block contingent faculty in their efforts to attain a basic standard of living.”

Kathryn Krasinski, a Fordham anthropology professor and member of FFU, said that did not expect Fordham to use religion as a suitable deterrent.

“Just because Fordham is a Jesuit school, it should not preclude any group of workers on campus from forming a union,” said Krasinski.

“Our school advertises a strong mission of social justice. It makes no sense that the administration would hide behind religion to stonewall us contingent faculty.”

FFU member and adjunct professor Chris Brandt said that he was surprised Fordham had decided not to follow the lead of such other Jesuit institutions as Georgetown and Saint Louis Universities, who have allowed for adjunct unionization.

Brandt said that FFU is asking for the administration to “simply follow the Jesuit Just Employment Policy.”

The Fordham administration had hired the same lawyers involved in a similar adjunct case at LIU Post, which resulted in a lockout did when that university carried out its ill-advised lockout of its faculty last fall, according to FFU.

NEWS

Page 6

April 5, 2017

Fordham Admin Propose New Health Care: Board of Trustees to Decide Budget on April 20 FROM HEALTH CARE, PAGE 1

introduce in-network deductibles and co-insurances that do not exist in the current enhanced plan.

“The proposed plan will be extremely detrimental to the sick and financially vulnerable at the university, both faculty and staff,” said Andrew Clark, chair of the Faculty Salary and Benefits Committee, in an email interview with The Fordham Ram. Bob Howe, director of communications for the university, said the administration hopes they will arrive to an agreement that benefits all parties involved.

“The negotiating team is engaged in active and productive conversations with the Salary and Benefits Committee of the Faculty Senate, and the University leadership is hopeful we will come to an agreement that is good for the faculty and for the University,” Howe said in a statement to The Fordham Ram. The Faculty Senate sponsored the creation of Fordham Faculty Rights, a website that includes information on writing letters to administrators, testimonials from anonymous faculty detailing how the proposed changes would affect their health care and other resources. Anne Fernald, president of the Faculty Senate, said the website is an effort to show the Fordham community the costs of this new health care plan proposal.

“The administration has con-

sistently underestimated the costshifting onto faculty,” said Fernald in an email interview with The Fordham Ram. “We want everyone in the Fordham community to see the price that faculty and staff are being asked to pay.”

Clark said the campaign is to inform the Fordham community “about the situation and coordinate and prepare actions in the coming weeks.”

In Fall 2016, the Faculty Senate filed grievances with Joseph M. McShane, SJ., president of the university, Chief Financial Officer Martha Hirst, Treasurer Dr. Stephen Freedman, university provost and members of the Fordham University Board of Trustees over what it said were violations of the University Statutes that require agreement between the administration and Senate on salary and benefits.

The Board of Trustees will convene on April 20 and 21, 2017 to decide the 2017-18 budget, which will dictate faculty health care for the coming year.

Clark said that while he will not feel the healthcare changes as much as those with chronic illnesses or disabilities, “the increased co-pays in emergency care and in doctors’ appointments will certainly be felt by me as I have two young daughters, who like most children find themselves in the emergency room a couple times of year and have to see their doctor frequently during cold and flu season.”

FORDHAM RAM ARCHIVES

Faculty and the administration are currently negotiation health care for the 2017-18 budget.

Summer Session 2017 Can’t be on campus four nights a week?

How about one or two?

Take hybrid electives in • The World of Queen Elizabeth (HIST 3430) • Popular Culture (SOCI 2960) • Science Fiction Film and Television (FITV 3571) • Business Communication (CMBU 2665)

Or choose from more than 200 available courses!

Session I: May 30–June 29 Session II: July 5–August 8

Learn more at fordham.edu/summer eeo

April 5, 2017

OPINION

Page 7

The Fordham Ram

Faculty Unions: Hope For A New Generation of Academics

By REGINA FOLEY

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

I have been preparing for a career in academia from the moment I applied to Fordham.

Through institutions of higher learning, like Fordham, some of the greatest contributions to human knowledge take place. But increasingly, colleges and universities throughout the country are offering more contingent positions and fewer tenure-track positions.

Unfortunately, colleges are starting to treat their faculty less like academics and more like blunt tools. Adjuncts are only seen as useful for teaching the classes that bring in revenue, and not much else. This trend does not bode well for anyone looking to enter academia.

Many millennials, including myself, are fearful of the current job market. Seeing the working conditions of my professors at Fordham feels like an ominous sign for my own future in academia. I plan to complete my BA in anthropology here at Fordham, and then pursue a Master’s degree and PhD. However, the Fordham professors with the very same degrees that I intend to pursue are not secure in their jobs and do not make a livable wage.

OWEN CORRIGAN/THE FORDHAM RAM

Forming unions to protect the rights of professors is important not only for teachers today, but for educators tomorrow.

If you go to Fordham, you have had a professor who is part of the contingent faculty. Contingent faculty, including adjunct professors, are those who hold non-tenured teaching positions at colleges. They make up approximately half of Fordham faculty, teach three quarters of the classes, have little to no job security and are paid close to the poverty line. Most work multiple jobs at different universities.

They have no benefits. And they are unionizing.

Fordham Faculty United, made

up of contingent faculty, has just filed for a union election with the National Labor Relations Board to form a union with the Service Employees International Union Local 200 United. While this step marks the official beginning of this union drive, it has been years in the making. This past Friday, the administration responded by stating that faculty cannot unionize under the National Labor Relations Act because Fordham is a religiously-affiliated university.

They have also hired union-busting lawyers to oppose any sort of

faculty union.

As a Catholic student at Fordham with a secondary theology major, it baffles me that Fordham would use its religious status to oppose unionization. Fordham opposing a union because it is Catholic is a contradiction. It makes no sense, and one would expect the opposite to be true.

Catholic social teaching has always supported labor rights, and the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops teaches that the right to the organization and joining of unions must be pro-

tected.

Furthermore, many other Fordham employees operate under a union contract. Just last year, Teamsters Local 810 successfully defended the contracts of our Sodexo workers, as Fordham made the switch to Aramark.

To say that some of Fordham’s employees can unionize but others cannot is hypocritical and wrong. Fordham should uphold the dignity of all of its workers, especially those who define its existence as an academic institution.

Seeing adjunct and contingent faculty unionize gives me hope for my future, as well as the future of higher education.

By granting contingent faculty the ability to collectively bargain, Fordham will join a growing number of schools across the country that have recognized adjuncts and their labor rights.

Protecting their working conditions embodies the Jesuit motto of cura personalis and expresses care for not just our faculty, but for the students whose classroom experiences are affected by those conditions and for the students that Fordham will send into careers in higher education.

Regina Foley, FCRH ’18, is an anthropology and theology major from Niskayuna, NY.

YouTube Restriction Gone Haywire

By BRIANA SCALIA OPINION EDITOR

Over a week ago, YouTube implemented a new feature to its website: a new Restriction Mode for parents who want a safer content experience for their children.

Normally, this addition would be innocuous, and even welcomed.

Being able to restrict videos due to levels of violence, nudity and strong language is an incredibly useful tool for the modern parent.

However, YouTube went a step further, creating an algorithm that automatically bans videos with certain keywords in the description, so long as the Restricted Mode option is activated. At first glance, the algorithm is fully functional, blocking most questionable content once the mode is activated. But some YouTubers noticed that the algorithm was blocking more content than most of the public was aware of.

Thousands of videos containing LGBTQ+ content were now inaccessible to those who were using a restricted YouTube account.

The optimistic reader might assume that YouTube’s algorithm was only restricting overtly sexual LGBTQ+ content, which would be par for the course for any kind of restrictions set for children.

A few famous YouTubers, particularly those who are part of the LGBTQ+ community, tested this theory, searching for previous videos they or their friends made that only contained themes of homosexuality. Their search con-

cluded that any video with “gay,” “LGBTQ” or any queer indicator deemed it restricted.

Unfortunately, it appears that the sexual nature of the video is irrelevant. Tyler Oakley, famous YouTuber and icon for the gay community, points out that a video he made about inspirational black LGBTQ+ trendsetters was restricted under this mode.

Other videos include marriage proposals between two people of the same gender, music videos featuring lesbian duo Tegan and Sara, transgender makeup tutorials and famous “coming out” videos.

What message is this sending to our children? Understandably, there are YouTube videos that discuss mature topics within the LGBTQ+ community, but a video should not be categorized as inappropriate because it is labelled “gay,” “LGBTQ” or any of the aforementioned terms. The idea that the LGBTQ+ community is associated with strictly sexual and mature topics is a negative stigma that has continued for too long, preventing kids from understanding that it is acceptable to identify as LGBTQ. Though YouTube has apologized via Twitter for the video restrictions, it has done nothing to rectify the problem to date. The previously mentioned videos are still blocked under Restricted Mode, even though they do not contain any harmful material.

Whether inadvertently or not,

COURTESY OF TWITTER

Due to their new Restricted Mode, YouTube is currently under fire for restricting videos containing LGBTQ+ themes.

YouTube is saying that it finds LGBTQ+ content inappropriate for children, which is already a toxic opinion that too many people agree with. In the past, YouTube was a safe space for the LGBTQ+ community to gather.

This outlet is essential and provides children in this community a place to express themselves.

This is where the concept of blocking LGBTQ+ content becomes damaging to the children of today and tomorrow. Young people, especially teenagers, can often feel isolated, believing there is an unseen line separating them from others. Adding this to the stress of being an LGBTQ+ youth creates a potentially dangerous situation. By removing all LGBTQ+ content, we create a stigma that being LGBTQ+ is not acceptable. Hiding these themes from children will not diminish

their sexuality. I believe YouTube’s implementation of this option does a disservice to the LGBTQ+ community. YouTubers represent a diverse spectrum of sexualities and gender identities, and watching the right video may be inspirational, encouraging or even life-saving.

Of course, there are those that will argue that some children are too young to watch LGBTQ+ videos because they cannot yet be properly taught concepts like sexuality. I say this argument is invalid for two reasons. Firstly, if your child is of school age, they are not too young to learn about homosexual and transgender themes; in fact, they most likely have already been exposed to them in some way or another.

If your child is under the age of reasoning, I agree that it can be challenging to explain such top-

ics. But a new issue is now present: why would a parent allow their toddler unsupervised access to the internet, specifically YouTube?

If you feel your child is too young to understand the concept of sexuality, then they are most definitely too young to be allowed internet access with no adult supervision. Parents that actively choose to keep their children ignorant of LGBTQ+ concepts have to accept the fact that they are potentially damaging their child irreparably. The internet is a vast well. Hopefully, YouTube will continue to provide the LGBTQ+ community with the platform it needs to support all its members.

Briana Scalia, FCRH ’20, is a journalism major from Long Island, New York.

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.

Opinions Policy The Fordham Ram appreciates submissions to fordhamramopinions@ gmail.com. Commentaries are printed on a space available basis. The Fordham Ram reserves the right to reject any submission for any reason, without notice. Submissions become the exclusive property of The Fordham Ram .

The Fordham Ram reserves the right to edit any submissions. The opinions in The Fordham Ram ’s editorials are those of the editorial board; those expressed in articles, letters, commentaries, cartoons or graphics are those of the individual author. No part of The Fordham Ram may be reproduced without written consent.

April 5, 2017

From the Desk | Cat Swindal

The Spectrum of Good and Evil Over the course of our lives, we will all do something wrong, either accidentally or deliberately. You will hurt another person and be hurt by another person, it is just a fact of life. After someone hurts you to a point of no return, how do we define that person? Are people good for all of the great things they did, or are they bad for the hurt they caused you?

I am going to be arguing as to why these questions should not be asked.

Often when we discuss history or even our personal relationships, we talk of people in terms of moral absolutism. If someone follows the universal expectation of reaching a higher good, then he is a good person. If not, he or she is a bad person. These labels of good and bad are often unmovable or unchangeable. One action could define your place on the right or wrong for all time.

This line of thinking was incredibly common during the aftermath of the 2016 election. When various emotions were running high, many

people on either side of the political spectrum commonly labeled those on their side as good, and the others as bad; in a heartbeat, without thinking.

This belief set also affects both the heroes and villains of our history. For example, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. he is often regarded as one of the best men in history, and for good reason. But, it is also pretty common knowledge that Dr. King had extramarital affairs. I’m sure someone out there has told you that at some point in your life, demonstrating it as earth-shattering evidence that Dr. King was actually not what people thought he was, that he was possibly a bad person.

This is said as if this act completely diminishes all the hard work he had done for the civil rights movements.

Another example: some people may be quick to bring up the quote, “Words build bridges to unexplored regions.” But then, drumroll please, it is revealed that this quote was from Hitler! How shocking that such an evil man could have

such a good thought. Those words he uttered no longer hold any value, correct?

I acknowledge that these questions can be really hard to answer about certain people. There is always the question of separating the art from the artist. For instance, John Lennon, one of my personal favorite artists and inspirations, is known for beating his wife. I completely condemn domestic violence, but I am also a John Lennon fan. It is something I internally protest a lot, for the separation can be very hard sometimes. It also does not help that I did not know John Lennon personally, and therefore it’s hard to judge.

However, we all have the opportunity to get to know someone, someone we may think is a bad person. I ask the students of the Fordham community to think of someone in their lives who you may label as a bad person. He or she may repeat bad actions all the time, it may be something intrinsic to his or her personality. Does this erase all the good done, all the debts paid and

all of the good qualities one may possess?

I am not saying that you have to like everybody, and I acknowledge that there are some people in history who are frankly unforgivable.

But, I still encourage you to try to see fellow humans less as monsters down below or angels on pedestals and more like actual human beings.

Once we try to see each other as humans and accept the cura personalis, it may be easier to rid ourselves of the simple labels and focus on the little details that make each human unique, complex and whole.

Editorial | Environmentalism

Fordham Must Go Green

Early last week, a petition entitled “Expand Solar Capacity and Green Investment at Fordham” went live. The petition calls for an expansion of the solar panels on the roof of Walsh Library and provide funding for composting, LED lighting and the use of electric vehicles on campus. A group of alumni created this page over a week ago with the goal of 1,000 signatures.

As of date of print, the petition only has 27 signatures.

This lackluster response is not surprising. On campus, overflowing trash cans are the norm as students continue to pile. The clothing donation bills never seem to empty as well.

An excess of food in each of our dining places is thrown away, along with the plastic container the food came in. The sprinklers water a small radius and, in some cases, the sidewalk. There seems

to be a culture of excess here at Fordham, one that is harmful to the environment.

Is the administration or Fordham students more to blame?

The student acts while the administration sets the atmosphere.

We at The Fordham Ram argue that each part of the Fordham community can and should step up to make our campus more environmentally friendly.

In this political climate, the environment needs our protection and help more than ever.

President Donald J. Trump plans to cut the Environmental Protection Agency’s budget. The bumblebee is officially on the endangered species list. The North Dakota Access Pipeline is in use after months of protest. Our February here in New York was warmer than Februarys should be (as enjoyable as it was).

We at The Fordham Ram praise

the actions United Student Government (USG) has taken to combat the environmental inaction here at Fordham. The Sustainability Committee hosted Sustainability Week this past October, which included an acoustic concert, a celebration of Himalayas Days and a screening of the documentary “This Changes Everything.”

Facilities have purchased five recycling bins and stationed them around Eddy’s for the current semester. The dining services have two new environmentally friendly initiatives. Meatless Mondays began in the cafeteria this semester, and, according to the Midyear Report from USG, dining services may begin composting. We applaud these efforts

by USG and the cooperation with our different organizations on campus.

However, there are always

more actions we can take to improve our living spaces. We still have a long way to go in order to combat these issues, and both the students and the administration should take action. Fordham administration and students should work together to affect change.

Education on how to recycle properly and even implementation of environmentally conscious food would significantly improve the environmental culture on campus.

We also encourage students to empower your Sustainability Vice President of USG to continue USG’s efforts and increase the committee’s popularity.

These methods could contribute to less of a culture of excess and more to one of environmental conscience, so future generations of Rams can enjoy green spaces and more stable climates.

Disagree with our editorial?

Let us know!

Have your voice be heard!

Send your letters to fordhamramopinions@gmail.com!

OPINION

April 5, 2017

Page 9

No More Government Bailouts

By CHRISTOPHER CANADEO OPINION EDITOR

The U.S government should not be able to bail out companies, especially banks, when they get into financial trouble. The beauty of capitalism and the United States economy is that it works on a supply and demand system, which ultimately aims to fulfill the wants and desires of the consumer. Consumers ultimately dictate the success of a company and more importantly, the fall of insufficient companies.

However, what happens to the economy when the government is the figure that decides what companies fail rather than the people?

Disaster.

Having large private businesses that are “too big to fail” is extremely problematic in the U.S. economy.

But what is more damaging is having banks that fall into the same mold. Banks are businesses, and the ability for a bank to be smart and calculated when sending out loans and receiving interest and reimbursement is what makes one bank stand out from another. Because some Americans with poor credit ratings do not pay their loans back, it is up to the judgement of the banks to determine which customers receive loans and which do not.

However, if a large bank continuously hands out risky loans, not fearing bankruptcy because they will be bailed out by the government, it will have a serious advan-

agement and veto power over all important decisions, including asset sales and payment of dividends.

This type of power is very dangerous for the U.S. government to have because it puts it in a position of power that they may not have much expertise in.

Having the U.S. Treasury buy a leadership role into one of the largest insurance companies in the world is extremely unhealthy for the business, the industry and the economy as a whole. Making the government act as the puppeteer of a company that employs thousands of people is a far cry from capitalism. Furthermore, large corporation bailouts ultimately hurt the individual consumer because it is their tax dollars that ultimately pay for the huge fix.

I understand that the reason behind the government bailout was because if AIG went bankrupt, thousands of people would be out of insurance and out of a job. However, in the long run, bailing out AIG somewhat rewarded a company who made poor financial decisions and badly hurt other insurance companies from growing their businesses. Even when the largest companies of an industry, one that employs thousands of Americans, are in financial trouble, the government has to believe that the economy and its consumers will bounce back and other companies in the industry will fill the void of what was lost.

lion the Treasury Department estimated when it sold its remaining GM shares in December [2009].

The $11.2 billion loss includes a write-off in March [2009] of the government’s remaining $826 million investment in “old” GM. The U.S. government spent almost $50 billion to bail out General Motors. As a result of the company’s 2009 bankruptcy, the government’s investment was converted to a 61 percent equity stake in the Detroit-based automaker, plus preferred shares and a loan.

Although this equity stake is not as large as the 80% equity stake given up by AIG, having over 50% equity in a large company gives that owner certain privileges. Again, the government should not be able to freely buy its way to the top of a major organization. This ruins capitalism and ultimately makes large corporations financially immortal.

The motive behind the GM bailout for the government was simple: keep U.S. jobs. The federal government believed that if GM collapsed, not only would millions of jobs be lost in the U.S. but other players such as Japanese or German car companies would fill the space and greatly shrink the U.S. economy.

Although the FED was successful in preserving the jobs of millions of Americans, they badly hurt the potential growth of other automotive companies that could have benefitted from the mistakes of GM. In a true capitalist economy, in terms of

COURTESY OF FLICKR

The federal government should not bail out any organization from bankruptcy, regardless of size or social impact.

tage over the average bank who will not be bailed out by the government and thus, can not make those risky loans. The system in place of allowing larger banks to take larger risks with loan allocation is unethical and badly hurts the banks that have less gross profits, but better judgement. With this system in place, the big banks get bigger, while the smaller banks grow smaller and ultimately disappear.

AIG, an American multinational insurance corporation with more than 88 million customers in 130 countries, was a major benefactor of the government bailouts that were given in wake of the 2008 financial crisis. AIG made too many poor lending decisions and was on the verge of bankruptcy until the Federal Reserve decided to buy out 80% of the company for $85 billion, saving it from extinction and allowing all of its customers to remain insured. Although this solution may have saved thousands of jobs, this was only a temporary fix that leads to a much larger issue.

Because the Fed owned so much of the company post-2008, it earned the right to replace man-

The bailout of AIG occurred exactly one day after U.S. Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson said no to further Wall Street bailouts, allowing Lehman Brothers to go bankrupt. It came one week after the government took over Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and six months after the Fed bailed out Bear Stearns, and later that week, Paulson and Bernanke headed to the Capitol to ask for a $700 billion bank bailout to rescue all other banks.

This what makes government bailouts so tricky. Who decides what companies fall and what companies stay afloat and on what principal standing? What factors does the government take into consideration when considering a multibillion dollar bailout? As complicated as this predicament may seem, there is a simple solution to this problem: Bail out nobody, so nobody gets left out.

Another highly controversial government bailout occurred when General Motors was on the verge of bankruptcy in 2009. The U.S. government lost $11.2 billion on its bailout of General Motors Co (GM), more than the $10.3 bil-

growing a business, it is survival of the fittest, not the largest.

The U.S. bailouts of GM and Chrysler, which received about $12.5 billion, saved 1.5 million jobs in the United States, according to the Center for Automotive Research. Because of this, many economists and government officials view the bailout as a success.

However, although GM remains as a powerhouse in the auto industry, the real losers of the bailout were smaller companies who did not receive a financial boost in times of financial crisis. It is almost as if GM was rewarded for not correctly adapting to the struggles of the 2008 financial period when no one wanted to buy a car.

When companies decide to ask for a government bailout rather than file for bankruptcy, they are ultimately forfeiting the right to run their business the way that they intended without the consent of the government. This loss of freedom for major companies not only alters the scope of that industry, but if the company is large enough, having the government oversee and control the businesses can impact the

economy as a whole. Although the reason why some companies have gone bankrupt is due to poor decision making from the C-Suite and other leaders of the organization, having government oversight of a company in an industry that they may lack experience in can be dangerous to the entire industry.

Although GM was one of the “winners” of the struggle companies faced during the financial crisis (winners in the sense that the company did not lose everything) Lehman Brothers was not as lucky and filed for bankruptcy, disappearing soon after in 2008.

Lehman Brothers, much like AIG and GM, was unable to adapt to the recession and sharp decline of consumers paying back their loans— specifically in the housing market.

Lehman Brothers was another industry giant who employed thousands of people, but why were they not saved by the U.S. Treasury?

Although the collapse of Lehman Brothers proved to be the largest bankruptcy in history, they were not saved because the U.S. Treasury believed that other major lending firms would pick up the pieces left and the overall industry would survive.

However, in any instance, it should not be up to the U.S. government to decide which companies should live and which should die. The government should not be able to draw the line as to who gets help during a financial crisis and who does not, regardless of the industry and scenario. Giving the U.S. Treasury that much power hurts consumers as well as the businesses because they may not have proper judgement in what companies deserve to survive and get bailed out. The government should not play an integral part in any industry other than when it needs to enforce taxation and other regulations.

In return, banks and large private companies can not and must not be dependent on the U.S. government for financial security in the midst of a major financial crisis. This dependence on the U.S government may ultimately lead to business decisions that are not indicative of the best interests of actual business, but of the government, which demonstrates its unethical control over an industry.

Furthermore, because the U.S. government can not (and should not) spare every company that is on the brink of bankruptcy, it must choose what companies are worth saving which can ultimately lead to a bias. Because of this, companies could possibly be given the opportunity to escape bankruptcy due to possible internal motives of government officials. We can not have this type of bias in the US because it may possibly lead to bribery and an uneven playing field for businesses approved and enforced by the U.S. government. The only way to ensure that the government has no bias towards a specific company or industry is to remove the idea of a bailout in the first place. No bailouts means no bias, and a truly fair and capitalist economy for all.

Christopher Canadeo, GSB ’19, is a marketing major from Long Island, New York.

Marcelle Meyer Divide On The Right Over the past year, the world has buzzed with discussion of the rise of right-wing populism, stretching from the United States and across much of Europe. Brexit, followed by Donald Trump’s election and the rising popularity of figures like Marine Le Pen, signal a strong international movement toward a form of populism that champions nationalism and rests heavily on giving a voice to the “common man.” Anti-immigration, national sovereignty, and protectionist economic policy have become progressively more appealing to populations that feel that they are losing jobs and safety in the name of global cooperation.

The rise of right-wing populism was a well-orchestrated political phenomenon. It is also its own demise.

The recent failure of the American Health Care Act has undoubtedly crippled Republican efforts to overhaul the Affordable Care Act as well as future reforms, like tax restructuring and approval of the President’s Supreme Court nominee.

Paul Ryan, President Trump and Republicans who supported the bill are all facing the backlash of its very public defeat. However, this is not the only thing ruining the Republican reputation this year, and America is not the only country feeling the negative effects of right-wing populist movements.

It is no secret in America that the Republican Party is divided on many fronts, with many Republican congressmen declaring opposition to actions taken by leadership. Additionally, other places that have embraced a form of right-wing populism are experiencing their own political downturn, as the global community looks skeptically on a British removal from the European Union that is expected to severely harm Britain economically and further divide the ironically named United Kingdom, where Scotland voted to stay in the Union. What happens now?

The rise of right-wing populism is the rise of voices that feel they have not been heard; it has given a voice to those who have long thought that the establishment had pushed them out of the process. It was an opportunity for many usually less-politically active people to come forward. The election of Donald Trump alone suggests this.

But the same thing that brought this movement together is destined to tear it down, as the policies they once advocated for turn into everything that the party advocated against—money and jobs taken from blue-collar workers, politicians with conflicts of interest and corrupt political ties, and a lagging economy because of inevitable retaliatory tariffs.

Regardless of political affiliation or beliefs, there is undoubtedly a strong political voice that brought modern American politics to the place they are today. That same strong political voice can only become more disillusioned and disappointed as the champions of their values fall on opposing side of the issue. It will not be long before the same ideas that created Donald Trump and Marine Le Pen bring them back into the political shadows.

OPINION

Page 10

April 5, 2017

The Cost of Ownership For Subscription Services

By JOSEPH D’AMATO CONTRIBUTING WRITER

There is no denying that we live in an on-demand economy.

Consumers demand immediate satisfaction, and when a product or service is no longer able to provide this, we are quick to find a replacement. We are able to effortlessly negate the externalities that come with ownership because we mistake ownership with access.

Remember the days of buying music? The estranged relative who knew nothing about your interests figured you like music and bought you a $25 iTunes gift card. We have all been there.

I for one loved buying music on a cost-per-song basis because it provided me with a sense of ownership. I was free to listen to a song regardless of my device’s reception, and there were neither added data costs nor was I paying a monthly fee to access my music library.

Today, very few people buy songs individually. Instead, most lease music through a streaming platform such as Spotify, Apple Music, Pandora or SoundCloud.

Faustino Galante

Boosting Late Night Ratings Late night talk shows are a staple of American television. For years, people have tuned in to watch their favorite T.V. personalities discuss current events and interview stars.

The genre has evolved heavily since the days of Johnny Carson. Icons such as Jimmy Fallon, Stephen Colbert and Jimmy Kimmel have come to rule the industry and have managed to revolutionize it.

Last week, it was revealed that Stephen Colbert’s “The Late Show” topped “The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon” in 2017 Q1 ratings.

According to an article published

by Variety, “Colbert’s CBS latenight series averaged 3.29 million viewers per episode during the first three months of this year, while Fallon’s NBC show averaged 3.02 million.”

These services are subscriptionbased, and so for a monthly fee, consumers gain access to said service’s catalog of music.

Sure, convenience is great and plenty of these services are costefficient relative to traditional purchasing, but in adapting subscription-based commerce, ownership is lost. When ownership is lost, people become negligent to consequences and anything beyond the interim.

To depend largely on multiple subscription-services without physically owning anything is shortsighted thinking. One’s reception of service is only as strong as his or her compliance with subscription rates.

In the event of a subscription cost increase to where the offer is no longer deemed attractive, the consumer is left without service or any semblance of a redeemable good.

Because these are streaming platforms, the consumer is not permanently acquiring the music. Rather, the consumer is granted access to the catalog for as long as he or she is subscribed.

While some may argue that such These statistics say a lot in regards to what Americans expect out of their late night T.V. talk shows. For years, Fallon has been on top however, as demonstrated by 2017’s first quarter ratings, this is no longer the case. Today, viewers expect certain features out of late night talk shows. Though entertaining segments and guest stars are still a priority, political commentary and benevolence have proved vital to the success of late night show hosts.

As demonstrated by Stephen Colbert’s new found achievements in the ratings department, political monologues sell. Audiences have increasingly come to appreciate the inclusion of political satire and commentary in late night television.

In comparison to the other late night talk show hosts working for the “Big Three” television networks, ABC CBS and NBC, Colbert is known for including politics on his show.

Many late night talk shows have utilized politically charged mono-

purchases constitute ownership, what cannot be argued is that this access is both temporary and contingent of continued payment. In a society that is fixated on the short-term, it is easy to see how access may be mistaken for ownership. This non-committal, “I want it now” mentality, is shaping far more than the landscape through which we buy and listen to music. In fact, we are seeing social media platforms take initiative in allowing user content to exist transiently because permanence is so clearly frowned upon in today’s world.

The love for all things now and temporary is perhaps best illustrated by the success of Snapchat. What was once proprietary to Snapchat is that user content and messaging are ephemeral.

Messages can be opened once and viewed for a few seconds, whereas “stories” posted by users last only 24 hours. Parents always tell their children to be cognizant of what they post on social media because of the “digital footprint” that is left behind, but Snapchat has seemingly erased that fear, in addition to everything else that logues to garner attention in the past few years. John Oliver’s “Last Week Tonight” has done wonders for HBO by producing comedic sequences based on contemporary political issues.

The same could be said for Comedy Central’s “Daily Show with Trevor Noah” Political discourse has become a “must” for late night talk show hosts.

In an age in which Americans have become progressively obsessed with critiquing the country’s political system, late night hosts should learn from the successes of Colbert and implement the subject within their material.

When it comes to comparing the ratings of the “Big Three” late night talk shows, Jimmy Kimmel has found himself in last place, having fallen significantly behind Fallon and Colbert. Ironically, Kimmel’s segments are some of the most well-known in the industry. “Mean Tweets” along with “Lie Witness News” are considered works of comedic genius by many critics.

His comedic relationship with

COURTESY OF FLICKR

Subscription based services put you at the mercy of the subscription service.

is posted through the application. The reason I say this technology was once proprietary is because the other social media giants have since caught wind of the trend and introduced similar concepts such as Instagram Live and Facebook Story, to promote provisional content.

The rise of subscription commerce and ephemeral social media allude to a larger, societal shift which favors access as opposed to ownership.

What consumers are gaining in flexibility, they are losing in virtue. Collectively, there is no Matt Damon furthermore proves popular with audiences.

If Kimmel has such great sequences, then why do his ratings fail to represent this fact?

The answer lies in Kimmel’s demeanor. He is, compared to other late night talk show hosts, very cynical and unlikable. In an interview with “Us Weekly,” former Tonight Show host Jay Leno criticized Kimmel stating, “[Kimmel’s humor] is mean-based. I think

COURTESY OF FLICKR

longer any sense of patience, no pride in ownership and no concern for the long-term. Though it is no crime to live in the moment, those who do often negate responsibilities that exist beyond the interim.

Add this non-committal attitude with the fact that we are enabled to trade ownership for access, and the perfect storm is created for a mis-mortgaged future.

Joseph D’Amato, GSB ’19, is a finance major from Wyckoff, New Jersey. that’s why he’s not higher in the ratings.” To win over audiences, late night talk show hosts must be kind. Contemporary audiences truly develop a relationship with their talk show hosts. Arrogance does not sit well with them. Late night hosts must place greater emphasis on likability. Viewers of late night television have a variety of talk shows to choose from nowadays. As a result, Americans have come to expect more out of their beloved T.V. personalities.

To improve their ratings, talk show hosts can no longer rely on guest stars and segments to uphold their careers.

Inclusion of political analysis is now a required part of the successful late night talk show. Furthermore, hosts have had to place a greater emphasis on likeability.

“I cannot sing, dance or act; what else would I be but a talk show host?” questioned former “Late Night” host David Letterman prior to retirement. The profession of the late night star is truly one of a kind.

Disagree with our articles?

Let us know!

Have your voice be heard!

Send your emails to fordhamramopinions@gmail.com!

ADVERTISEMENTS

April 5, 2017

Newly Constructed One and Two Bedroom Apartments equipped with:

 New Appliances Including Dishwashers and Microwave Ovens  Air Conditioning  Video Intercom System  Laundry Facilities  Backyards & Parking  Available Furnished and Unfurnished  NO BROKER FEE!!!

Near Campus and Arthur Avenue with locations on Belmont Avenue, Hughes Avenue, and Hoffman Street.

For more information contact Maritza – mrodriguez@lalproperties.com LAL Property Management Corp.

2490 Belmont Avenue Suite 2 (718) 364-5700 www.FordhamHousing.com

Master of Arts in

Urban Studies Learn to tackle the challenges facing modern cities in Fordham’s 16-month master’s program.

• Using New York City as your classroom, study urban life in a program shaped by your own interests • Engage in fieldwork and build a strong foundation of applied research in contemporary urban issues • Explore research, work, and study abroad opportunities with our international partner universities • Gain practical experience with public agencies, community nonprofits, museums, architectural firms, economic development firms, and more

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.

Page 11

CULTURE

Page 12

April 5, 2017

The Fordham Ram

Drake Picks Apple Music As the Future of Streaming

By PATRICK INFURNA STAFF WRITER

89.9 million eager listeners tuned in to Apple Music to listen to the world debut of Drake’s highly anticipated album More Life. The crowd shattered the shortly-held record of 56 million that Ed Sheeran’s Divide attracted in its first 24 hours on Spotify. Artists like Drake are leading the musical world into a new age, where streaming services have become the new record shops and debut live streams have resembled concerts. As Drake dominates the charts, will he take Apple Music with him for the ride? 89.9 million people answer a resounding ‘yes.’

On March 17, Drake announced to his 35 million Instagram followers that his album More Life would make its debut on his Beats 1 radio show OVO Sound Radio the following day. At 6 p.m. EST, listeners from around the world tuned in to Apple Music to listen to the broadcast. Gone are the days of listening to newly released records by oneself, this debut became a shared experience. With the playing of each new song, there was a global and instantaneous reaction on social media.

The head of Beats 1, Zane Lowe, recognized the novelty of the event as he told The Verge, “When I hear

COURTESY OF INSTAGRAM

Rapper Drake broke streaming records with his latest release More Life.

a record go out like [More Life], I’m transported into the same place that I hope millions of other people are, which is I’m listening to it at the same time and I’m following the reaction on social media, and I’m getting texts from my friends in different parts of the world.”

Drake is not the only artist to recognize the potential of Apple Music.

Pharrell Williams released his single “Freedom” on Beats 1, along with Lorde’s most recent “Green Light.”

Why are artists gravitating towards Apple Music instead of competing streaming services like Spotify? It comes down, in large part, to the man at the helm, Zane Lowe, and

the vision he has for the future of music. A well-known DJ in the United Kingdom, Lowe has firmly established himself in the world of music with a decade-long run as the host of BBC Radio 1. With his fingers on the pulse of the music industry, he has promoted the early careers of Adele, Ed Sheeran and the Arctic Monkeys.

Apple has had good reason to give him the keys to its Beats 1 radio show and assign him the tremendous task of making radio more relevant.

In order to lure users away from established streaming services such as SoundCloud, Spotify and Pandora, Zane Lowe plans on rebuilding the framework of music distribu-

tion. As he sees it right now, a vast amount of potential content is being lost due to the current nature of streaming music. Chart topping singles are released, streamed and added to individuals’ playlists with little context accompanying the songs. Lowe expressed his goal of reinventing playlists in a CNET interview, “I use playlists and I make them, but there should be a room for creativity, and for culture, and for romance as well. Otherwise it is just like, [in a robotic tone] that is out, go and play it.” Beats 1 Radio gives artists a platform to present their work in the contextualized and stylized manner as they see fit.

Lowe went on to say, “Distribution is a choice, and artists should be entitled to decide how they want their record to go…What can I do with the record when I get it? How can I make noise for that artist and make as much noise as possible? That’s all I care about.”

One major promotional opportunity that Beats 1 offers artists is the chance to host their own one hour radio show to discuss their newest work. This gives artists a unique opportunity to not only build excitement for their music, but to also guide listeners through their album. With a direct connection to their fans, they can share

how their work was influenced by the culture surrounding them. Small square pamphlets that accompany physical albums are replaced by the words and further sentiments of the artists themselves.

Providing additional content may not be enough for Apple Music to reinvent streaming, as Lowe believes that it must keep up with the ever increasingly fast-paced nature of social media. In a way, Beats 1 hopes to streamline the flood of the hottest music being produced, while still presenting users with lesser known music that they may have otherwise missed out on. He explained this key element to the New York Times’ Ben Sisario, “Everyone keeps going to their devices because of fear of missing out…what am I missing? I want that for radio. What’s on right now…that I didn’t know I wanted to listen to?”

After streaming gave the music industry a complete overhaul, Apple began playing second fiddle to ever expanding streaming platforms, such as Spotify. The fast paced, high volume method of music distribution caused much of artists’ content to be lost in the shuffle. However, when paired up with Drake and Zane Lowe, Apple Music may be ready to reinvent the industry once again.

Remembering the Life and Legacy of Fr. Dan Berrigan

By RYAN DI CORPO

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

The Rev. Daniel J. Berrigan, S.J., 94, passed away on April 30, 2016 at Murray-Weigel Hall. Much has been written of the cultural and religious significance of Fr. Berrigan’s tireless efforts for peace and justice. And since his death, much has been written in regards to his legacy as a social activist, a man of conscience, a servant of God and as a constant embodiment of the Gospel of Christ. Personally, I possess no great insights into Father’s activism — the napalm-blaze of draft files and the blood stains on nuclear missile documents. I am not amongst the truly notable persons — such as Thomas Merton, Dorothy Day and Thích Nhất Hạnh — who befriended Fr. Berrigan. What I do possess, however, is a unique perspective on what I now know to have been the final months of Father’s life. Therefore, I present the following reflections on my interactions with “Fr. Dan” (as he was known to Dorothy Day) in memory of he who lived life not for himself, but for others. In memory of a saint who lived for you and for me.

One autumn day 2015 in MurrayWeigel Hall, Fr. Dan sat in the solarium, silently observing the beauty of the day. The day, to most, was not beautiful: the wind cold and collecting dew against the solarium glass, the clouds dark and sputtering droplets of rain; the sky a muted grey, obscuring all traces of sunlight. But the day, to Dan, was as beautiful and as vibrant as the crimson flamingo flowers against the dampened windowpanes. Fr. Dan came to echo a similar sentiment while sitting in the University Church during Fordham’s annual Christmas-

time Festival of Lessons and Carols.

At some point during the evening of the Festival, around the singing of “The First Noel,” Fr. Dan began to weep.

“Beautiful, beautiful,” he repeated throughout the concert.

Perhaps he was informed by the words of his friend Dorothy Day, who quotes Dostoevsky thusly: “Beauty will save the world.”

My first meeting with Fr. Dan was the only occasion where we spoke of his activism, his relationships with other significant Catholic social justice leaders and his past works for peace. In our other times together, Fr. Dan rarely referred to the “radical” actions which fashioned him both a polarizing and an iconic figure in the public eye. However, the key word here is “rarely.” In one of our earliest times spent together, Dan pointed to a picture high above his desk, a desk located in an adequately-sized room cluttered with books, letters, gifts from devoted followers, miscellaneous religious objects and remembrances of family members since passed. The picture which Dan pointed to depicts him tossing a match into a flaming pile of draft files in a Catonsville, Maryland parking lot in May 1968. Dan referenced the picture: “Illegal activity,” he laughed.

“Yeah, and how’d that go for you, Dan?” I asked knowingly.

Father laughed only the more.

Despite being confined to a wheelchair when I first met him, Fr. Dan maintained that sacral desire aflame to go out and cause some good trouble in the name of God. When I first shook Father’s hand, I was struck by its heat. The day was cold and raw, and Dan was not running a fever. But

his hand was hot, almost burningly so — as if the man was ablaze inside with some fervent passion for his faith, ablaze inside with a passion to continually labor for those who suffer due to the manifold sins of unsympathetic societies. Dan, at 80, declared when he would end his work: “The day after I’m embalmed.”

“How are you?” I asked Fr. Dan, in beginning our first meeting.

“I’m well,” said Father. “Just getting back up on my feet again.”

Fr. Dan would continue that rhetoric until the very end. A considerable portion of the last time I ever saw Father comprised of me trying to help him stand on his own two feet again.

He was not going anywhere, and the nurses of Murray-Weigel surely did not let him get too far if he tried. But as long as there is conflict, as long as there is war, as long as there is injustice, Fr. Dan was going to stand again.

During our first substantial period of time spent together, Fr. Dan asked me a puzzling question coming from a man who lived his life according to the following charge: “[T]hey shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks” (Is 2:4).

“Will you give me back my sword?”

Dan asked.

“For what?” I responded.

“I wish I knew,” he said.

But Dan knew. He read The New York Times every morning with his breakfast. He is well-aware of the struggles of a modern people. And with this knowledge, Fr. Dan was ever-ready, until the very end, with his sword of peace for the battle against violence: his sword of righteousness for the battle against corruption, his sword of love for the battle against hate.

April 2016. Another meeting with

COURTESY OF FLICKR

COURTESY OF FLICKR

Fr. Dan Berrigan is remembered for living out his vocation in a radical manner.

Fr. Dan. On this occasion, our encounter was mainly marked by the nearly prayerful silence I’ve come to expect from him.

“I don’t think one has to […] concoct a religious vocabulary in order to share one’s faith,” said Dan in a 2011 interview. “And when I sit with a dying person […] he knows that I’m there for him.”

Fr. Dan and I simply kept each other company during those times, and that was enough.

At one point, I watched Fr. Dan open his top-left desk drawer and hand me a book of his — a gift. It was his 1978 book of poems and prayers, entitled Uncommon Prayer: A Book of Psalms. I was hesitant to take it, but eventually, I accepted. Fr. Dan remained silent for a while longer.

“So long,” he then said.

The next time I would see Fr. Dan would be at his wake. On the first Sunday following his death, the Mass saw the following proclaimed, from the Gospel of John: “Jesus answered him, ‘Those who love me will keep my word, and my Father will love them,

and we will come to them and make our home with them” (14:23). Fr. Dan kept the word of God. Further, he made himself a servant to the least of God’s people. He lived his entire life in unremitting imitation of the Word Incarnate, who is Christ.

While I am greatly saddened by the death of Fr. Dan, I do not mourn the death of a friendship. I will always have friendship with Dan. As I now look upon another gift which Father once gave me — the gift of a dark blue hat bearing on its front the number “9” (yes, for the Catonsville Nine) — and realize that Dan has left not only a possession of his with me, but he has also left an enduring reminder of his message of acceptance and peace.

Like friendship, the message of Fr. Dan will certainly not cease to be in my spirit or in the spirits of those who were touched by him. Now, I take solace in the words of Cicero, the great Roman orator. Writing in 44 B.C. in his dialogue Lælius de Amicitia, Cicero states that “veræ amicitiæ sempiternæ sunt.” Translation: “real friendships are eternal.”

CULTURE

Page 13

April 5, 2017

Review | Concert

The Naked Brothers Band, Stripped Down

By KIRSTEN GOEBEN CONTRIBUTING WRITER

The last place I thought I would find myself last Sunday night was at a Naked Brothers Band concert, yet there I was. Nat and Alex Wolff performed at the Gramercy Theatre to promote their most recent EP, Public Places. Though it was not explicitly branded as this, I hoped it would be somewhat of a Naked Brothers Band reunion tour, and I was not disappointed.

The crowd at the concert was a mix of nostalgic millennials and an unsettling number of parents, so it was difficult to get a gauge of their current fan base. Though I was not remotely familiar with their new music, I just had to go pay tribute to the mid-2000s Nickelodeon icons. Despite some unforeseen changes, such as the fact that Alex has finally parted with his signature du-rag and the rest of the band has been replaced by middle-aged men, Nat and Alex are back and better than ever.

Public Places has an alternative rock sound with a few songs I would rate as “certified bangers”— “Rollin’ Around” and “Passing Through.” The flavor of the EP can be described as Generation Z heartbreak meets the 70s meets Andrew Bird. Nat and Alex have gone in a more mature direction and proven to be talented songwriters, as they wrote every song on the EP. Some of the songs were uncom-

fortably mellow for a concert setting; nevertheless, the vocals were angelic, and I would recommend giving Public Places a listen. The EP is a lyrical journey through foibles with love and lighthearted narrated interludes. Nat and Alex also play multiple instruments, including the guitar and piano. A highlight was an elaborate drum solo from Alex. They are a talent to look out for, to say the least.

The performance was fun and well-received; as America’s favorite audience expert Sean Spicer would say, the “raucous overflow crowd” exhibited audible enthusiasm with “a five-minute standing ovation.”

In what I would describe as the uncontested pinnacle of 2017, the distinct melody of the Naked Brothers Band theme song “If It’s Not Love” filled the Gramercy Theatre. The much-anticipated return to Nat and Alex’s roots breathed life into the concert.

This continued as they followed with the 2007 Naked Brothers Band hit “Crazy Car.” This song is an extended metaphor that explores the complexity and unpredictable nature of love, written by the one and only six-year-old Nat Wolff. Just as I thought bubblegum pop had reached the point of no return, there it was.

Nat and Alex also played “Look Outside” from Nat’s 2015 film Paper Towns, the nostalgic “Thump Thump Thump” from their 2011 album “Black Sheep” and their 2014 single “Rules.” “Rules” is

COURTESY OF TWITTER

Nat and Alex Wolff are all grown up and recently played a show at Gramercy Theatre to promote their EP, Public Places.

a soft jam that features whistling, which everyone knows is the main criteria for a fire track.

These mixed in with songs from their EP and NBB days resulted in a truly eclectic set list.

Suddenly it was 8:30 p.m. (a reasonable hour…almost too reasonable) and Nat and Alex had taken their final bows. Overall, the national treasures put on a stellar show and listened to the calls of their persistent Naked Brothers Band fans. I give this concert my unqualified seal of approval.

COURTESY OF TWITTER

Nat and his brother Alex, sans du-rag, donned smiles during the duo’s NBB era.

Playlistism | Meredith Nardino

New and Noteworthy Music to Mix It Up There will never be enough hours in one day (or even in one lifetime) to give undivided attention to the all of the latest music.

Art takes on a new meaning in the social climate we have been thrown into, and musicians are taking on this new responsibility wholeheartedly by producing the most impressive work pop culture

has seen in years.

This list barely even begins to describe the best of the best of new music.

1. “You” – Vaarwell If you like the dreamy, ambient work of Wet or the Japanese House, you’ll love this Lisbonbased trio. Vaarwell dropped its debut album, Homebound 456,

COURTESTY OF FLICKR

Jack Antonoff of Bleachers released an upbeat bop entitled “Don’t Take the Money.”

earlier this year and received an immensely positive response from the industry’s harshest critics. The band excels in constructing cohesive layers of sounds and using quiet moments to its advantage. “You” is a minimalist’s fantasy, complete with frantic background samples and mystical lead vocals. Easily the most emotional track on the album, “You” is brutally honest in the most beautiful way.

2. “Come to Me Now” – Kevin Morby The lead single of Kevin Morby’s upcoming album, City Music, is nothing if not consistent with the dreary folk singer’s established style. With his effortless and almost sluggish vocals, Morby evokes the hazy dreamscape of a mid-seventies Manhattan.

His stripped-back performance is mesmerizing, somehow managing to be both modern and classic at the same time. “Come to Me Now” is the introduction to a new vision inspired by listless love for metropolitan life.

3. “I Saw You Close Your Eyes” – Local Natives California quartet Local Natives has managed to stay somewhat under the radar since releasing its impressive third album, Sunlit Youth, last year. Its latest triumph, “I Saw You Close Your Eyes,” was first only available on a specially designed website.

Listeners were only able to hear the song if sitting with their eyes closed in front of their computer’s webcam. The curation of a particularly unique experience demonstrates the band’s creativity and passion, two qualities that also take the lead on this addictive single.

4. “Don’t Take the Money” – Bleachers Since the premiere of Strange Desire in 2014, Jack Antonoff has divided his time between touring and churning out all your favorite pop stars’ greatest hits. Finally, the mastermind behind Bleachers has returned with an unapologetically eighties-style single. “Don’t Take the Money” features all the best parts of a Bleachers song, from huge percussive refrains to

heartfelt declarations of devotion. Antonoff holds nothing back when writing, willing to explore his most personal experiences and turn them into energetic works of art.

5. “Clouds” – Milky Chance Best known for the hit single “Stolen Dance,” German duo Milky Chance shows a distinct progression on their sophomore album. The fundamentals of its folk-inspired dance melodies remain the same, but the band is much more ambitious in its execution. “Clouds” is a fiery, energetic track that showcases the band’s eclectic deconstruction of genre. With infectious, jangly tunes like this one, Milky Chance is going to be the perfect addition to any summer festival lineup.

COURTESTY OF FLICKR

“I Saw You Close Your Eyes” is Local Natives’ latest sure-to-impress single.

CULTURE

Page 14

April 5, 2017

Ewe Sorosis | Katie Quinlisk

Royal Fordham Graduate Serves Others Follow columnist Katie Quinlisk as she sheds light on Fordham’s female history, one woman’s experience at a time.

We’re living in the age of the empowering princess. Moana followed her gut and saved her island sans romantic plot line, Elsa and Anna literally climbed mountains for sisterhood and the live remake of Beauty and The Beast’s Belle—though admittedly un peu problematique from a feminist standpoint—stars UN Women’s Goodwill Ambassador and Brown University grad, Emma Watson.

The story of Fordham’s own Archduchess Charlotte of Austria fits right in with these modern royal heroines. The Archduchess was born to Charles I, the last monarch of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and Queen Zita in March of 1921—in the wake of the Treaty of Versailles and the 1919 Habsburg Law, which barred all nobility from Austria.

The 1919 Habsburg Law stripped Charles I of his crown, and in just the year of Charlotte’s birth alone, Charles I staged two consequential attempts to reclaim the Austro-Hungarian throne.

Both attempts failed, and Charles I and Queen Zita were separated from their children in exile in Madeira, a Portuguese island in the North Atlantic.

Charlotte and her six siblings were relocated to Switzerland’s

Wartegg Castle where they were cared for by a nurse until the family was reunited a year later. After a short reunion in 1922, Charles I died of pneumonia, and the family was relocated once again in 1923 via Spanish warship to the Basque region of Spain.

It was in Spain where Charlotte began her education—an education she would chase for years to come. She was taught by Austrian tutors until the family relocated to Belgium in 1930 to pursue Charlotte’s siblings college education at the University of Leuven. In Belgium, Charlotte continued her own studies at the local Dames of Marie School, and in 1939 she began studying economics at the University of Leuven.

At age 18, Charlotte’s education was interrupted by the Nazi occupation of Belgium. In May of 1940, the family became refugees. They initially fled to Northern France, but the Nazi forces pushed further. The family moved south until they were finally granted visas to join Charlotte’s brother, Archduke Felix, in the United States in July 1940.

The family landed in New York City before moving to Quebec that September to chase their education at Quebec’s l’Universite Laval. Charlotte continued her studies in politics and economics at l’Universite Laval, and after graduating in 1942, Charlotte moved to

New York to study social work at Fordham’s School of Social Service. Charlotte graduated from her social work program in less than the expected two years, and she dove into her work upon graduation.

At just 21 years old, Charlotte was already a target for American public attention. Her royal title followed like a shadow throughout her schooling, and her association with the British Royal Family—born from her family’s accompanying Princess Alice of Athlone and Alexander Cambridge Earl of Athlone to the Canadian National Gallery and Ottawan ice hockey games—cast an elitist shadow on her philanthropic efforts.

In 1943, Archduchess Charlotte began working under the alias Charlotte de Bar. De Bar focused her efforts in working with children in East Harlem with the Caritas charity of the Catholic Church. She worked in East Harlem until she married Duke George of Mecklenburg in July of 1956. Upon her marriage, Charlotte relocated to Sigmaringen, a small town in southern Germany where she lived until she was suddenly widowed in 1963.

After her husband’s death, Charlotte resumed her social work in Munich, Germany with the Caritas charity. She focused

COURTESY OF FLICKR

Archduchess Charlotte of Austria was a Fordham woman for others.

her work on reforming the German prison welfare system and tending to the needs of Munich’s women and girls. Charlotte, known again as Charlotte de Bar, continued her social work in Munich until her death in 1989.

Archduchess Charlotte of Austria was a princess with a modern Fordham spirit. She was an advocate for others and a refugee hungry for an education and a future—and her story seems more relevant now than ever.

Editor’s Pick | College Life

A Plethora of Places to Study on Campus

By JULIA COMERFORD PHOTO EDITOR

We all study in these five basic places: college dorm room desk, bed (not the best idea because all you will want to do is sleep), dorm study lounges, Walsh Library and outside in one of Fordham’s many grassy areas (if the weather reaches 57 degrees or higher). If you do not want to be basic, then check out these five unique places to study on campus.

Walsh Library is the main hub for studying on campus. This massive library contains the writing center, an auditorium and four stories of study rooms and quiet space to study among Fordham’s massive collection of books.

But the most underrated part of Walsh Library is the basement.

I have found the basement study area to be the quietest part of the library, and it is a different atmosphere down there. There is no constant sound of people getting on and off of the elevators because no one takes the elevator from the ground floor to the basement.

There are no windows to gaze out of and distract you from your work. It is never too crowded because people usually forget about the basement and all of its wonders. Next time you go to Walsh Library, do not be basic and go to the second, third or fourth floors.

JULIA COMERFORD/THE FORDHAM RAM

Fordham’s beautiful campus offers many unique places to crack open textbooks, so there is no excuse to lose focus.

Go to the basement.

The second study spot on campus is the Blue Chapel. Located on the third floor of Keating Hall, this small chapel is lined with beautiful blue stained glass windows, which light up the entire room in a bright blue when the sun shines through.

This spot is a hidden gem on campus that not many know about, which makes it a perfect and quiet

study spot. Bella Wood, FCRH ’20, said, “It is a stunning little oasis.” You can also pray for yourself and your grades while you are in there. Hopefully, you and your homework will be blessed as you study in the chapel.

Another study spot in Keating Hall is the stairs to the main entrance. This sheltered area is

always a quiet spot to study, especially on a nice day, and the front door of Keating is always locked, so no one goes on those steps. It is a perfect place to study if you want to be outside but not sitting in the strong, blinding rays of the sun or in the wind with the occasional breeze blowing the pages of your books into a frantic frenzy.

The fourth study spot on campus is one of the many dorm chapels. Chapels are always a good place to study because they are always quiet. A dorm chapel is not the most popular place on campus, which is why it is an ideal place to study. You can have an entire quiet space to yourself.

You have the same quiet and calm atmosphere as the Blue Chapel, right at your fingertips.

The last unique study spot is the caf. The caf may seem neither unique nor a good place to study, but if used wisely, it makes a great study spot. What you have to do is sit in a booth so that you are less distracted by the people coming in and out. The constant buzz of students is calming while studying and is helpful for focus.

The caf is also a great place for study groups because you can be as loud as you want. Also, you can do your project and have a meal at the same time, killing two birds with one stone.

The main perk of studying in the caf, though, is the fact that you are in the caf. You can study there all day, have three meals and a constant flow of study snacks and drinks.

These areas are just five of the many places to study on campus.

Anyone can find a unique study spot if they look hard enough.

All you have to do is think of the places where no one goes because those are the most quiet and unique.

CULTURE

April 5, 2017

Who’s That Kid? | It’s Caroline O’Kane FCRH ‘20

FCRH Freshman Faces Her Fears

New York Is My Campus Enjoy your weekend despite the ever-changing weather with these city picks.

Saw Her Stand Up There Q.E.D., 27-16 23rd Ave, Astoria, Queens An all-female stand up night, Saw Her Stand Up’s alumni include Sasheer Zamata of “Saturday Night Live” and Jessi Klein, head writer for “Inside Amy Schumer.” Prior to the scheduled acts, there is an open-mic, an opportunity for anyone to test their comedy chops. Head to Q.E.D., a venue in Astoria, Thursday March 6 at 7:30. Tickets are $6.

By DELANEY LEITER LAYOUT EDITOR

It was almost spring break, and Caroline O’Kane, FCRH ‘20, couldn’t wait to escape the cold weather in the Bronx. O’Kane and her family decided to embark on a getaway to London, England, where they would spend the week exploring and relaxing. But, as O’Kane began packing in her Alumni Court South dorm room, there was one special article of clothing that had seemingly disappeared: her flying pants.

Though O’Kane resides in Westport, Connecticut, her family has always enjoyed the luxury of travel.

Developing a fear of flying at a young age, O’Kane decided to buy a special pair of pants in the third grade. The black, high-waisted, ruffled stretch pants became her staple item for flying.

After spending hours upon hours tearing apart her dorm room, along with making countless phone calls to her family in Westport, O’Kane couldn’t seem to find her special pants. Her trip to London was only days away, and she could not seem to fathom the idea of being in the air without them. Rushing to her floormates and friends for help in her search, O’Kane explained how she had worn the pants every time she had flown since making the purchase in the third grade. Good thing the

Page 15

Whitney Museum of American Art Biennial 99 Gansevoort St This biennial exhibition showcases contemporary art from up and coming artists. The artwork at the 78th biennial considers such topics as racial tensions and polarizing politics. Previous artists to be featured at this exhibition include Georgia O’Keeffe and Jackson Pollack. The biennial runs through June 11.

COURTESY OF CAROLINE O’KANE

Freshman Caroline O’Kane did not let her fears stop her from heading to London.

pants were stretch pants.

Her trip to London was suddenly only hours away, and O’Kane’s stress over taking flight wearing a different pair of pants was unbearable. “Without my flying pants, I truly believed that the flight would crash and that I would be led to an inevitable death,” said O’Kane. Before long, almost half of the girls on the second floor of Alumni Court South were aiding O’Kane in her search.

Actually, O’Kane’s flying pants were not her only airborne ritual.

“I have to listen to ‘I Gotta Feeling’ by the Black Eyed Peas, read the airplane’s safety manual, wear at least one pink article of clothing, and clap when the plane lands,” said O’Kane.

When the morning of her flight

arrived, and she was still without her beloved pants, O’Kane had no choice but to board the airplane in her everyday pair of jeans; she found herself forced to rely solely on her other flying rituals. O’Kane made sure to send a text message to each of her closest friends before taking off, informing them of what she believed to be a doomed fate.

Seven and a half hours later, a miracle had occurred for O’Kane; she had safely landed in London.

With her family by her side, O’Kane sat back in her leather seat in disbelief, astounded at what she had just accomplished. She put her hands together, clapping for the flight’s landing, and looked down at her jean-covered legs.

Follow Us! fordhamram.com @thefordhamram facebook.com/thefordhamram

Smorgasburg 90 Kent Ave, Willamsburg, Brooklyn This outdoor food market sees up to 30,000 people head to Brooklyn to eat from 100 local food vendors. On Saturdays, Smorgasburg is situated at the waterfront of Williamsburg and Sundays in Prospect Park. From chicken wings to oysters to delicious doughnuts, there’s something for everyone at Smorgasburg, which just opened for the season last weekend.

“Saving Washington” at the New York Historical Society 170 Central Park West This exhibition, the first in the new Joyce B. Cowin Women’s History Gallery shifts the focus of the Founding Fathers narrative to the crucial contribution of women in practicing the Constitution. Despite laws restricting their participation, this exhibition highlights the work of these women in leadership and activism. “Saving Washington” features artwork, housewares, clothing and jewelry.

Havana Film Festival Various Locations The 18th Annual Festival celebrates Latin American cinema. The festival showcases award-winning films, documentaries, short films and animated films as well as films rarely screened in the United States. Last year’s edition featured 40 films from 12 different countries. Students can purchase $10 individual tickets for the festival through April 7.

SPORTS

Page 16

Women’s Tennis’ Winning Streak Reaches Lucky 13

By ALVIN HALIMWIDJAYA ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR

The Rams played three games over the past week, all resulting in wins.

They beat Fairleigh Dickinson 6-1 on Wednesday, March 29, eked out a win over Duquesne 4-3 on Friday, March 31 and defeated Sacred Heart 6-1 on Sunday, April 2.

In its 11th consecutive win, Fordham started its day at the Hawthorn Rooney Tennis Courts by taking the doubles point. Sophomore Carina Ma and junior Estelle Wong beat Marta Ruszczynska and Shreya Pasricha 6-3, and the duo of freshman Maia Balce and junior Carolina Sa defeated Tatiana Eftenoiu and Liza Rachenko 6-1.

Fordham continued by dominating singles play, allowing only one loss to Fairleigh Dickinson. Though the Rams started off with a loss as Ma fell to Shreya Pasricha (FDU) 6-1, 7-5, Wong countered with a 6-4, 6-0 win against Tatiana Eftenoiu. Senior Mayu Sato notched an easy victory over Marta Ruszczynska 6-1, 6-1, while Balce came back to defeat Liza Rachenko 1-6, 6-1, 10-5. Sophomore Gianna Insogna capped off the victory by beating Patricia Eftenoiu 6-2, 7-5.

The Rams moved to the Springton Tennis Club in Pennsylvania to take on Duquesne in an A-10 conference matchup, narrowly winning 4-3.

Fordham started off by winning the double point once again. Though Ma and Wong dropped the Rams’ first doubles set against Kylie Isaacs and Julianne Herman 6-2, Balce and

Sa notched a win against Zuzanna Stelmaszak and Ally Miller 7-6, and Sato and sophomore Alexis Zobeideh completed the comeback by defeating Megan Wasson and Laurel Shymansky 6-4.

Fordham and Duquesne went on to win three singles points each. Ma defeated Kylie Isaacs 3-6, 6-2, 6-1, and Julianne Herman countered with a 6-2, 6-1 win against Wong. Balce beat Megan Wasson 6-3, 6-4, while Mayu Sato came from behind to earn a victory over Ally Miller 1-6, 6-2, 6-3.

Duquesne ended the day with two wins, as Aishwarya Kona defeated Insogna 6-4, 2-6, 6-1, and Laurel Shymansky bested senior Destiny Grunin 6-0, 6-4.

Fordham returned to the Hawthorn Rooney Tennis Courts for a Senior Day matchup against Sacred Heart. The Rams earned the doubles point; a 6-2 win from the duo of Wong and Ma and a 6-3 victory from the combo of Sato and Zobeideh overcame a 6-3 loss by Balce and Sa. Fordham handled Sacred Heart easily, as Ma started off by defeating Brianne Lauria 6-0, 6-2. Wong notched a back and forth win over Taylor Gurda 6-1, 4-6, 6-3, while Sato beat Claudia Ruiz 6-3, 6-3. Insogna took an easy victory over Tori Oates 6-0, 6-1, and though Grunin fell to Maggie Glynn in a tough match 4-6, 6-4, 11-8, Zobeideh capped off the win by earning her second singles win of the year, beating Nicole Vassalle 6-0, 6-3.

The Rams’ next match is on April 7 as they face A-10 opponent St. Joseph’s to Philadelphia, PA.

EMILY SAYEGH/THE FORDHAM RAM

The Rams picked up wins number 11,12 and 13 in a row over the weekend.

April 5, 2017

Golf Earns Best Finish Since Last Season at Lehigh Valley

By SAM BELDEN STAFF WRITER

It may have ended with some late heartbreak, but it was still a productive weekend for the Fordham golf team at the Coca-Cola Bottling Company of the Lehigh Valley Collegiate Invitational. Entering the event as the defending champions, the Rams posted a score of 613 to finish in fifth place out of 19 teams, their best finish anywhere since last year’s victory.

Still, the tournament’s second round was a disappointing one for the Rams. Every Fordham player had his best round of the week on Saturday, and while the Rams trailed wire-to-wire winner Connecticut by just one shot after the first round, their Sunday performances left them 31 shots behind by the end of the event.

“Definitely a learning experience for us,” said senior Oscar Cabanas. “It actually could be better for us heading into [the Atlantic 10 Championship] knowing that we can play badly. We’ve had a couple good rounds the last few rounds that we’ve played, and I think this last round humbled us.”

Junior Joseph Trim led the way for the Rams, shooting rounds of 72 and 78 at Silver Creek Country Club to tie for 16th. The Florida native was tied for third after the opening round, but he struggled on Sunday, making seven bogeys or worse along with a lone eagle to fall down the leaderboard.

Cabanas also had a solid week, posting rounds of 75 and 77 to tie for 22nd. While he played relatively steady golf on Sunday, a pair of final round double bogeys spoiled his chances of finishing any higher.

Cabanas has found the top 25 in back-to-back events to open the spring season, a stat that he attributes to his resilience. “Tee to green, the course was playing pretty fair, but the greens were actually pretty tough,” he said.

“I think I grinded out my round pretty well. Just kind of stayed focused the whole way through,

COURTESY OF FORDHAM ATHLETICS

Joseph Trimm was the top finisher for the Rams, tying for 16th.

that’s what’s made the difference for me so far.”

The remaining Rams did not fare so well. After opening with a 73, junior Matt Schiller had a round to forget on Sunday, posting seven bogeys in addition to a triple on the 11th hole to tumble out of the top 10. He ended up in a tie for 42nd place. Junior James Mongey was one stroke behind in a tie for 49th; he shot rounds of 76 and 80. Sophomore Tommy Hayes signed for an opening 76 and a closing 88 to tie for 87th place, rounding out the scoring for Fordham.

Freshman Tomas Nieves, playing as an individual, turned in a solid performance with rounds of 76 and 77, an encouraging sign after the Miami native tied for 73rd in his Fordham debut at the Wildcat Invitational last month.

On the team leaderboard, Connecticut was not seriously challenged. The Huskies were the lowest scorers in both rounds, leading to their 14-stroke victory over Drexel and Bryant in second place.

Anton Frondelius of Wagner College took medalist honors, opening with a 70 and closing with a 73 to finish with a score of one-under-par. He was tied with Connecticut’s Eric Dietrich and Villanova’s Lucas Trim (brother of Fordham’s Joseph Trim) after regulation, but it only took two playoff holes for the Swede to come out on top.

The Rams’ next event is the Yale Spring Invitational, where they hope to gain some more momentum. “[Yale holds] a great tournament, so hopefully we’ll play well when we get there,” said Cabanas. “We’ll definitely do our best knowing that it’s pretty much our final tune-up before we head down to Florida for A-10s.”

The team has this weekend off and will play the one-day Yale event on Saturday, April 15. Two days later, the Rams will head to Quidnesset Country Club for the Rhode Island Invitational, their last event before A-10s.

Track Finds Success at Second Meet of Spring Season

By TOM TERZULLI ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR

After kicking off the outdoor season in Richmond, VA last weekend, Fordham Track and Field took the short ride to Williamsburg for the Colonial Relays.

In their first team-scored meet of the season, the men finished 10th with 28 points and the women tied for 38th, putting 5 points on the board.

On the men’s side, Fordham scored in three events on day one. Junior Thomas Slattery led the way with a second place finish in the 5000m run, posting a time of 14:20.96. Fellow junior Fritz Heinrich took seventh in the 3000m in 8:34.11. In the 400m dash, freshman Michael Petersen placed eighth in 48.80.

Sophomore Jared Benn was another top finisher in the 400m.

The Airmont, Ny native crossed the line in 49.58, placing 17th.

Other solid performances includ-

ed: freshman Richard Webber (28th – 22.91) in the 200m and the duo of junior Louis Santelli (20th – 3:56.13) and sophomore Sean Phillips (28th – 3:57.94) in the 1500m run.

Day one brought five top-20 finishes for the women; two of which came from Nkeka Pinheiro. The sophomore placed 10th in the 200m at 25.49 and 16th in the 100m, sprinting to a time of 12.56. Sophomore Mary Kate Kenny was 15th best at 25.78 in the 200m.

Junior Merrisa Wright (17th – 58.64) in the 400m and sophomore Laurel Fisher (20th – 11:03.60) in the 3,000m steeplechase rounded out the Rams in the 20 best.

The women’s success continued on day two with a quartet grabbing third in the 4x800m relay. Senior Shanna Heaney, sophomore Kate McCormack, freshman Sydney Snow and Wright finished the race in 9:21.11. The

COURTESY OF FORDHAM ATHLETICS

Louis Santelli was the anchor of the top finishing 4x800m team.

team of Wright, Kenny, Pinheiro and sophomore Morgan Menzzasalma were also top 20 finishers in the 4x400m. The foursome finished 12th in 3:55.26. Finally, Heaney, McCormack, sophomore Aidan Moroz and senior Georgeanne Siller were 18th in the distance medley relay.

Speaking of relays, the men’s team of Heinrich, Petersen, Phillips and Santelli won the 4x800m

in 7:43.02.

Peterson, Benn, Webber and Santelli also placed in a relay top five. The team was third in the 1600m sprint medley relay at 3:26.99. Finally, placing 11th in the distance medley was Benn, Heinrich, Slattery and junior Nik O’Brien in 10:15.20.

In the field, freshman Andrew Byrne tied for seventh in the high jump at at 6’ ½”, while sophomore

Neve Devine was 16th best at 4’ 9”. In the triple jump, freshman Gabriella Gavalas finished tenth, topping 36’. Junior Ryan Riviere cleared 13’ 9 ¼” in the pole vault, good for a 12th place finish.

The Rams continue their tour of Virginia next week, where they will participate in the Mason Spring Invitational in Fairfax on April 8th.

April 5, 2017

ADVERTISEMENTS

Page 17

THINK STONY BROOK THIS SUMMER SUMMERSESSIONS 2017 On Campus and Online

Visiting students welcome! » More than 500 courses in 60 subjects » Special courses for students interested in business administration, management and more

» Flexible courses on campus and online

» Affordable tuition stonybrook.edu/summer

Photos: FJ Gaylor Photography and Sam Levitan Stony Brook University/SUNY is an affirmative action, equal opportunity educator and employer. 16120887

Aspire to Inspire THE QUINNIPIAC MASTER OF ARTS IN TEACHING prepares students from almost any

undergraduate major to become effective teachers, leaders and the inspiration for future generations.

Our all-inclusive 5-semester program provides: • Preparation to become a certified teacher — elementary or secondary • Coursework that connects theory with actual classroom practice • Student teaching and internship included within the program • Significant tuition reduction for your internship participation • Small class sizes and personal attention Learn more: www.quinnipiac.edu/gradeducation graduate@quinnipiac.edu

1-800-462-1944 | Hamden & North Haven, Connecticut

Fully accredited by the CT State Department of Education and the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education.

SPORTS

Page 18

April 5, 2017

’Bocker Bulletin: Drafting the Next Point Guard

By GRANT HILL STAFF WRITER

It is without question: point guard has been the Knicks’ Achilles heel. The search to fill the position has been a nightmare for more than 20 years.

Since they possess a high firstround pick in the upcoming NBA Draft, they will be looking to change that. Touted as a “point guard draft,” the chance of finding a franchise floor general is highly probable. It all lies in the hands of Phil Jackson to make the right decision, which is a concerning thought.

The 2017 NBA Draft is absolutely loaded with point guards.

Highlighted as the top two picks, Washington’s Markelle Fultz and Lonzo Ball from UCLA are both point guards. Then, there are a handful of other point guards who will likely find themselves taken in the top 10, like North Caroline State’s Dennis Smith Jr, Kentucky’s De’A aron Fox and French player Frank Ntilikina. Though there are talented players at other positions, like forwards Josh Jackson from Kansas and Jayson Tatum from Duke, the Knicks’ top priority should be a point guard.

As the season is winding down, the Knicks look as though they will probably be receiving the sixth or seventh pick in the draft. The more scoring-oriented Markelle Fultz is the consensus number one pick, so there’s no point in even wasting breath.

Lonzo Ball, who is the traditional pass-first player, could slip out of the number two spot. The Knicks would likely need to find themselves in the top four to make that happen. Though Lonzo is a great player whose skill set would seem ideal, it’s a scary thought when you consider his father, Lavar Ball, comes with him. For any other franchise, this wouldn’t be a huge problem, but for the Knicks, having Lavar in the mix smells like a recipe for disaster.

Realistically, the Knicks will land right outside the top five picks. Focus should be centered on De’A aron Fox and Frank Ntilikina, as most mock drafts have

the Knicks picking one of these two players.

The Kentucky Wildcats’ De’A aron Fox has been impressive all season long. In the NCAA Tournament, he had an electrifying performance against Lonzo Ball and UCLA in the Sweet 16, scoring 39 points along with four assists. Fox is lauded for his speed and defense, which scouts have praised over and over. “That dude can flat-out defend, and loves to defend. Undoubtedly one of the fastest guys in the draft. I just love the way he defends the ball.

He’s capable of defending with his eyes,” one scout told David Aldridge of NBA.com. If he can improve on his shooting, Fox’s upside is huge.

Another eye-grabber for teams looking at Fox is his passion. After a tough at-the-buzzer loss to North Carolina in the Elite 8, Fox had a very emotional postgame interview. His tears were genuine, and you could see how much this game and winning meant to him.

That’s the kind of guy franchises should covet.

Though Fox is seen as the third-ranked point guard in the draft, many see the Knicks possibly skipping over him for French guard Frank Ntilikina. A premier defender who shoots well and has a solid feel for the game, Ntilikina is seen as a quality fit for Jackson’s triangle offense. Jackson has taken a liking to foreign players who fit his system, so the odds of Ntilikina ending up in New York seems high as he fits the description.

However, the question remains: should Jackson really be choosing a player based on his fit in the triangle? The answer should be a resounding no.

The boos will again be loud for the Knicks on draft day if they opt for Ntilikina over Fox, just like when they drafted Kristaps Porzingis. Jackson should be picking talent over system-fit, which would make Fox the clear choice.

But if the Knicks are truly going to evaluate these players by how they fit in the triangle, why draft Fox if you likely won’t be getting the best out of him playing the triangle? With such an important pick, the margin for error is very small.

By JACK McLOONE SPORTS EDITOR

An appropriate way to lead off the 2017 season would be to talk about the guys at the top of the order, right?

If asked to describe the quintessential leadoff man, how would you describe him? Probably as a thin, relatively short and quick shortstop or centerfielder; a slap hitter who beats out a lot of infield singles and doesn’t hit a ton of home runs. He’s Ichiro, Tony Gwynn or, if you’re feeling statistically inclined, Tim Raines.

On the other side of the batter body spectrum is the new leadoff for the defending champion Cubs this season: Kyle Schwarber. You know, the 6’0”, 235-pound catcher-turned-left fielder. Right about now you’re probably thinking that Joe Maddon has finally crossed the genius line from Albert Einstein to Doc Brown. Well, that’s exactly how Maddon will be replacing the departed Dexter Fowler.

Fowler, a centerfielder, is the equivalent of Michelangelo’s David for leadoff men, standing in at 6’5” (wow he’s tall) and 195 pounds. He batted leadoff in all 118 games he started and slashed .277/.393/.449 in those games. That was good for a bWAR (baseball-reference.com’s WAR calculation) of 4.2. He only stole 13 bases, but he led the Cubs in the category and they only stole 66 as a team anyway.

So why shouldn’t fans consider this a signal that Maddon has lost it and is plunging the Cubs into another 108 years of darkness?

Just look at the Cubs’ World Series opponent, the Indians. Standing in at 5’11”, 210 pounds, Carlos Santana is Cleveland’s designated hitter and first baseman. And in 86 games, he was their leadoff man, the most of any player on the team.

Including Santana, there were five (or six, if you count Jose Bautista’s time leading off in Toronto) non-traditional leadoff men in the majors last season. They include: • OF George Springer (HOU) – 6’3”, 215 pounds • 3B Yunel Escobar (LAA) – 6’2”, 215 pounds • 1B/3B Matt Carpenter (STL) – 6’2”, 205 pounds • 1B John Jaso (PIT) – 6’2”, 205 pounds

So, what in the world do these guys have in common with someone like Fowler or the Vitruvian leadoff man, the 5’11”, 170-pound Dee Gordon?

It’s an incredibly simple comparison, yet one that looks like the signaling of a major shift in lineup construction: regardless of their body types, those were players that got on base at elite rates.

The genesis of Billy Beane’s “Moneyball” rosters was the exploitation of that undervalued (at the time) skill.

Well, the rest of the league has caught on, and now its taken the next step.

Mike Matheny became manager of the Cardinals in 2012, which was also Matt Carpenter’s first season as a mostly big-league player (he appeared in 114 games). The next year, Matheny may have accidentally kickstarted a revolution by placing Carpenter into the leadoff spot.

In 2013, Carpenter was the only atypical leadoff man in baseball, and yet he was second among leadoff men in on-base percentage (.398 in the leadoff spot), bookended by Shin Shoo-Choo and Fowler.

In 2014, Carpenter was still the only atypical leadoff man, and led all of them in OBP from that spot in the order with a .375.

In 2015, the Pirates got in on the experiment, slotting the 6’5”, 230-pound Gregory Polanco into the leadoff spot – though he is fairly quick, as he stole 17 bases that year. He had an OBP of .328, on the lower side of leadoff men.

Carpenter once again led the leadoff men in OBP with a .389.

In 2016, Carpenter started 114 games as the leadoff man. He also

led off 80 times in 2015, 156 times in 2014 and 136 times in 2013.

The accepted logic for a long time has been “get speedy guys on base so your best power hitters in the three, four and five spots can drive them in.” However, some simple analysis has pointed out that, for every spot in the lineup a player moves down from first, the batter loses 16 plate appearances. For example, the lead off position sees around 750 at-bats a season, the fourth just about 700 and the ninth just a tick over 600. In a sport built upon the little differences, that is a lot.

And that’s why it makes sense for Kyle freaking Schwarber – who plays left field with the speed and precision of a wrecking ball free of its chain on a slight decline – to lead off. His one year in the majors he had a .355 OBP, but in both his seasons in the minors it was over .400. The Cubs aren’t moving Kris Bryant or Anthony Rizzo to leadoff, because there is still something to be said for having guys on base for your best power hitters. And moving Schwarber to fifth or sixth is out of the question due to the aforementioned loss of at-bats.

With the influx of bigger-bodied on-base machines rising to the role of leadoff man to replace the speed-only kind of players like Alcides Escobar (the only leadoff man with a sub-.300 OBP last season) and Billy Hamilton (the same, but in 2015), we may be witnessing one of the more significant reshufflings of the batting order since the introduction of the DH.

COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA

Kyle Schwarber looks more like a clean-up hitter than a leadoff man.

Varsity Calendar HOME AWAY

Follow us on Twitter at @theram_sports

Baseball Softball

Men’s Tennis

Women’s Tennis Track Rowing

Thursday April 6

Friday April 7

Saturday April 8

Saint Louis Saint Louis 7 p.m.

1 p.m.

Sunday April 9

Saint Louis 12 p.m.

George Mason George Mason (DH) 12 p.m.

12/2:30 p.m.

Coppin St./ SFBK St. Joesph’s Siena 11 a.m./ 2 p.m.

12 p.m.

3:30 p.m.

St. Joseph’s 2 p.m.

La Salle TBD GMU Invite 9 a.m.

Kencht Cup TBA

Rhode Island 12 p.m.

Monday April 10

Tuesday April 11

Wednesday April 12

Siena 4 p.m.

Lehigh (DH) 2:30/5 p.m.

SPORTS

April 5, 2017

Brendan O'Connell

Changing the Game It has been years since baseball was overshadowed by football and even basketball in many regions as America’s most popular sport.

Now more than ever, it seems there is a lack of excitement and interest in the national pastime. Many people love baseball, but the passion is not what it used to be, on an individual and societal basis.

Revenue numbers are inflated, as baseball is the only major sport that is played through the heart of summer, which allows the sport to gain from a lack of competition.

Commissioner Rob Manfred realizes his league must implement significant change.

He has previously stated, “I believe it’s a mistake to stick our heads in the sand and ignore the fact that our game has changed and continues to change… I’m certain that our job as stewards of the game is to be responsive to fans, and I reject the notion that we can ‘educate’ fans to embrace the game as it’s currently being played.”

In an interview with Bleacher Report, Manfred commented on the state of the game and the challenges the league is facing.

“The biggest challenge is time commitment,” he claimed. “Convincing a generation with generally shorter attention spans that they should make this investment (three-hour games, 162 games a season) is a challenge, and I think it's a challenge that we're up to.”

The game has become too much of a grind. At-bats are becoming longer as hitters have started taking more pitches in order to draw a walk or wear down the opposing pitcher, replay reviews are parsed over meticulously in an effort to get the call perfectly accurate, games are averaging about three hours, and this process repeats 162 times each season. Games are not only too long, but the content of the games is not as interesting as it could be.

Because of this, Manfred wants to see the MLB more active in its management of how the game is played, asserting more control over the pace of play and altering the rules and mechanics of the game, like the strike zone and pitch clock, to produce a more appealing game.

Away from the field of play, the MLB is focusing on such realms of consumerism as technology and apparel. At Bat, the league’s phone app, reaches a reported nine million hits per day, and television broadcasts and stadium packages have consistently featured more digitally-based analytics and graphics to entertain and attract younger viewers. Similarly, the league has partnered with Under Armour, a more new-age athleticwear company, starting in 2020 to provide its uniforms and other gear in an effort to appeal to younger athletes and patrons.

It will be up to Manfred and his colleagues to reinvigorate the great sport of baseball and reach more young fans to grow the game. With a multitude of solutions in mind, the MLB has a chance to bring people of all ages and backgrounds to its sport, and, with the cooperation of the players’ and umpires’ unions, can help the league return to national prominence.

Page 19

Liam McKeone

Varsity Scores & Stats Softball Fordham 13 Stony Brook 0 (FOR) Mayer: 3 AB, 3 R, 2 H, 2 RBI

Baseball Fordham Albany

Fordham Seton Hall

5 0

Fordham St. Joseph's

0 2

Fordham St. Joseph's

7 0

Fordham St. Joseph's

4 3

Golf Lehigh Invitational 5th/19 teams (FOR) Trim T-16th- 150 (+6)

7 3

Fordham La Salle

6 7

Fordham La Salle

5 2

Fordham La Salle

5 2

Fordham 4 La Salle 3 (FOR) Kozuch: 1 R, GW RBI Women's Tennis Fordham Fairleigh Dickinson

6 1

Duquesne Fordham

3 4

Fordham Sacred Heart Men’s Track Colonial Relays 10th/45 teams

4x800m Run (FOR) Heinrich, Petersen, Phillips, Santelli 1st- 7:43.02 1600m Sprint Medley Relay (FOR) Petersen, Benn, Webber, Santelli 3rd3:26.99.

Women's Track Colonial Relays 38th/44 teams 4x800m Run (FOR) Heaney, McCormack, Wright, Snow 3rd- 9:21.11

Athletes of the Week Matthew Kozuch Senior

Madison Aughinbaugh Freshman

Baseball

Softball

Kozuch recorded a walkoff single against La Salle University in the bottom of the tenth inning, allowing pinch runner Justin Machado to score from second base. Kozuch’s game-winner capped off a doubleheader sweep of the Explorers on Sunday.

Aughinbaugh won her first A-10 "Pitcher of the Week" award after winning two "Rookie of the Week" awards.

Over the weekend, she pitched 15 innings, allowing only eight hits, one run and one walk, earning nine strikeouts.

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's Aughinbaugh Wins A-10 Pitcher of the Week Freshman pitcher Madison Aughinbaugh

was named A-10 Pitcher of the Week as she picked up three wins over the weekend, bringing her record to 9-3 for the season. Her best game came in a start against Saint Joseph’s, throwing six innings and only allowing six hits and one walk along with six strikeouts. This is Fordham's 15th weekly award of season, and the Rams have earned at least one award for each of the eight weeks of the season. Aughinbaugh allowed only eight hits, one run and one walk over 15 innings, tallying nine strikeouts. She also averaged a 0.47 ERA over the weekend.

• Golf 's Schiller Earns Golfer of the Week Award Junior Matt Schiller received his first A-10

"Golfer of the Week" this season. Schiller led the Rams at the Wildcat Invitational from March 27-28, notching a tie for sixth place with an even par total of 142 over two days. He scored 70 in the first round and 72 in the second. Schiller’s effort pushed the Rams to a seventh place finish out of 19 teams.

• Basketball’s Chartouny to Declare for NBA Draft Sophomore guard Joseph Chartouny an-

nounced on Wednesday, March 29 that he would declare for the 2017 NBA Draft. He also announced he would not sign with an agent, allowing him to withdraw from the draft and return to Fordham before the deadline on May 24. This season, Chartouny averaged 12.1 points per game and 4.1 rebounds per game over 29 games. He was third in the NCAA with 3.24 steals per game, fifth in the nation with 94 total steals, a Fordham record and third in the A-10 Divison with 144 assists for an average of five per game.

• Fordham Hosts Pro Day on Murphy Field

6 1

Fordham held its annual Pro Day last week, allowing four seniors to exhibit their talent in front of NFL scouts: Linebacker George Dawson, tight end Phazahn Odom, running back Kendall Pearcey and defensive back Jihaad Pretlow. They worked out for NFL scouts from 10 teams, including the Arizona Cardinals, New York Giants and the Seattle Seahawks.

-Compiled by Alvin Halimwidjaya

Fear the Deer The Milwaukee Bucks have been a league-wide joke for a while now. They haven’t been relevant since they traded Ray Allen for the elderly Gary Payton. While swapping one Hall of Famer for another is usually a win-win, Payton should’ve been retired at that point while Allen was just entering his prime. The Bucks have been a laughingstock since that trade, occasionally rising to mediocrity but always falling—quickly—back into the basement.

Those days are no more. Milwaukee is filled with young, hungry players who want nothing more than a chance to prove themselves. They’ve had a tumultuous season, but as the playoffs approach, the Bucks are locked in and are making everyone else in the Eastern Conference very nervous. The front office has assembled a team of athletic freaks, players with long arms and the size to defend multiple positions.

They’ve gone 14-4 in March, a huge turnaround for a team that looked lost after leading scorer Jabari Parker went down with a torn ACL in early February.

The season looked bleak following Parker’s injury, but shooting guard Khris Middleton’s return has been a game-changer for the Bucks. Middleton is a knockdown shooter who, at 6’8”, can defend nearly every position at a high level. Losing Parker hurt, but getting Middleton back from a torn hamstring made this team into what it is. Malcolm Brogdon, a second-round rookie out of Virginia, has been playing like a 10-year vet, doing whatever his team needs to in order to get the win. Thon Maker, the Bucks’ first-round pick this year, was considered a project, but has been contributing down the stretch, providing spacing on the offensive end as a 7’1” center who can shoot the three ball. Giannis Antetokounmpo has been doing his usual thing, rampaging around the court in a whirl of long arms and legs.

The team has come together beautifully at the end of the season. The formula the Bucks are trying to create is simple: gather as much length on defense as you can and figure out the offense part later. When the Bucks put out a lineup of guys who all have 7-foot-plus wingspans, they can close passing lanes in an instant and contest nearly every shot.

The Bucks are looking to crowd every attempt and make the shooter uncomfortable. This isn’t a revolutionary idea, but they can execute it better than anyone in the league as a result of the length they’ve gathered.

The Celtics saw firsthand on Wednesday why no one wants to play Milwaukee. They’re incredibly difficult to play against defensively, and are playing with a massive chip on their shoulder.

They’ll struggle to score when the intensity gets ramped up in the playoffs, but they have a good balance of shooting and inside scorers that they can make it work. If the Bucks hit their stride in the postseason, LeBron and Boston better watch out. The Bucks are announcing their presence in this

SPORTS

Page 20

April 5, 2017

The Fordham Ram

Baseball Wins First A-10 Series vs La Salle

By JACK McLOONE SPORTS EDITOR

The La Salle Explorers ventured to the Bronx, but by the end of the weekend they probably wished they had not. The team returned home with two more losses courtesy of the Fordham Rams.

Fordham put on a strong performance in the first game of the series on Saturday, April 1, but fell in extra innings 7-6.

The weather was playing tricks on the fielders right away. La Salle leadoff man Austin Constantini hit a deep, but catchable fly ball to right field off of sophomore starter Mike Cowell.

Freshman Jake Baker seemed to settle underneath it, but the strong wind carried it over his head and dropped it behind him, turning an out into a runner on third. Constantini would score, putting the Rams in a 1-0 hole early.

The Rams took a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the second, but back-to-back doubles in the top of the fourth for La Salle tied the game back up. But with one out and a runner on third, Cowell showed he was clear of any elbow worries, striking out two batters with vicious breaking balls.

After La Salle took the lead in the top of the fifth on an error by freshman shortstop Matt Tarabek, the bats picked him up to the tune of four runs.

Three singles loaded the bases with no outs. A sacrifice fly from sophomore Reiss Knehr plated one, and after another fly out, Donadio cleared the bases with a two-RBI double. Tarabek then atoned for his mistakes by driving home Donadio.

Head coach Kevin Leighton de-

cided to go back to Cowell in the top of the seventh, despite already being at 95 pitches.

“I thought Mike was doing well and deserved to be out there,” said Leighton. “Pitch count is something we look at when deciding to take a guy out, but it’s not the only thing.”

Three batters later, he was removed with runners on second and third with one out. Freshman Brandon Martin came to relieve, but he was unable to keep both runs from scoring, making it 6-5 Fordham. Martin then gave up his first earned run of the season in the top of the seventh, tying the game at six.

Freshman Kyle Martin came in to relieve Brandon in the ninth, but gave up an RBI triple in the 10th to give the Explorers the 7-6 lead. The Rams had a shot in the bottom of the frame, with a runner on second with one out and a runner on third with two outs, but they could not plate him, starting the series with a loss.

Due to the weather of the weekend, Sunday’s contest became a doubleheader, and the Rams swept both. In game one, graduate student starter Jimmy Murphy continued his incredible season. He threw eight innings of two-run ball. He did walk five batters, but he was able to limit the damage with six strikeouts and just five hits.

On the offensive side, the Rams got going right away. Senior Matt Kozuch led off with a single and scored immediately on a RBI double from junior Brian Goulard. He eventually came around to score on a groundout by Tarabek, and then Knehr drove more two home on a single through the right side, making it 4-0.

OWEN CORRIGAN/THE FORDHAM RAM

Fordham took games 2 and 3 against La Salle to capture their first A-10 series victory of the season.

That was all the Rams needed, as freshman Alvin Melendez came in during the ninth and slammed the door shut on a 5-2 victory. But, his day was not over yet.

In game two, the Rams once again jumped out in front of the Explorers early, taking advantage of a throwing error to score two runs. They got one more in the next inning to take an early 3-0 lead.

La Salle got all three of those runs back in the top of the fifth, thanks in large part to an error by Tarabek, who moved over to second base in this game. Of the three runs that scored, only one was charged to the starting pitcher, Knehr.

Knehr, just like Murphy, continued his stellar season on the mound. That one earned run was his only blip on the day. He threw eight strong innings, twirling a career-high 12 strikeouts, besting his 11 from his start against Sacred Heart two starts prior. He walked just one batter and allowed eight hits.

He also had three RBI this weekend.

“Reiss can change the game in nearly every capacity,” said Leighton.

“On the mound he has the ability to dominate a team. Offensively he has a combination of power and speed. And defensively he is extremely athletic and can make some great plays with the glove.”

At 118 pitches through eight, Knehr was pulled. For the second time in the same day, Leighton made the unconventional move to call on Melendez to pitch in relief. Melendez got into a spot of trouble in the ninth, but was able to strand runners at second and third.

The Rams were set down in order in the bottom of the ninth, however, so the final game of a long weekend once again went to extras.

Melendez escaped another runners-in-scoring-position situation in the top of the tenth. Kozuch ended things in the bottom of the frame with an RBI single, giving Fordham a 4-3 lead and the 2-1 series win.

“I was impressed with our fight and composure this weekend,” said Leigh-

ton. “We had a young guy in Alvin Melendez in a huge spot and he was impressive. This team needs to continue to battle like we did this past weekend.”

The Rams bats came alive over the weekend, hitting .359 over the series.

Kozuch continued his hot streak, extending his hitting streak to 11. Over those 11 games, he has hit .636 with 7 RBI. “I think we have cut down on our strikeouts and have put the ball in play more,” said Leighton. “Some guys you knew weren’t going to struggle the entire year like they did in the beginning, but at the end of the day, the key is to swing at good pitches and to put the ball in play.”

Fordham Baseball will next be in action with a non-conference double header against St. Peter’s on Wednesday, April 5 and then a road A-10 series at Saint Louis starting on April 7.

Rams go 2-1 Over the Weekend, Orchard gets 700th Win

RODERICK PEREZ/THEFORDHAM RAM

Sydney Canessa went 2-3 with two doubles and two RBI in a 7-0 victory over Saint Joseph’s on April 2nd.

By JONAH HASKELL STAFF WRITER

The Fordham Rams had a week of ups and downs. They went 4-1, including a doubleheader sweep of St Joseph’s on Sunday. Unfortunately for Fordham, senior shortstop and sparkplug Amy Van Hoven was lost to a broken leg on Friday. Van Hoven is likely sidelined until at least the A-10 Championship in May. “Amy going down is a big loss to the team,” said Rams head coach, Bridget Orchard, “but the team is rallying behind her and hoping for a speedy recovery.”

But it was good week for the Rams besides the injury, as they improved to 27-8 on the season and took two of three during a weekend series against conference rival George Mason.

Fordham also played two non-conference games during the week, taking on Stony Brook and Seton Hall in

a double header on Wednesday.

In the first of those games, Fordham continued their run of dominant play at home, defeating Stony Brook 13-0 via the runs rule in the fifth.

Madison Auginbaugh, Taylor Stocks and Stephanie Rundledt combined for the shutout, with Stocks allowing the only Seawolves’ hit while getting the win. The offense came from all over the line up, as Amy Van Hoven, Sydney Canessa, Madison Shaw, Lindsay Mayer and Lauren Quense all drove in two runs.

The Rams’ pitching continued to dominate in the second game against Seton Hall, as Auginbaugh, Quense and Stocks combined to throw another shutout in a 5-0 win. Madison Shaw led the offense with two RBIs, and Rams hurlers extended their streak of scoreless innings to 26.

Fordham began their series with St Joseph’s with a loss in a classic pitching duel on Saturday. Rams starter

Lauren Quense and her Hawks counterpart, Ashley Ventura, traded zeroes for seven full innings, and Quense came back for extras. But in that eighth inning, Molly Kapala tagged Quense for a 2-run homer, ending Fordham’s scoreless innings streak at 33.1, and when the Rams came back out in the bottom of the inning, they were stifled by Ventura once more, who finished the shutout for the 2-0 St Joseph’s win.

The Rams’ line-up was out of sorts during that game, as Lindsay Mayer was forced to play in the unfamiliar position of shortstop for the injured Van Hoven.

But offense wouldn’t be a problem for Fordham in the first game of a doubleheader on Sunday, as Madison Auginbaugh, who was named A-10 Pitcher of the Week this week, tossed six scoreless innings in a 7-0 win.

The Rams offense jumped on top in the second when it capitalized on a

couple of errors to score four runs on an RBI double by Jessica Hughes, a two-run single by Canessa, and a run scoring single by Shaw.

Auginbaugh would tack on another for Fordham in the third with an RBI single, and it appeared that the Rams had won in the sixth when they got two runs on a single by Shaw and an RBI groundout by Mayer. Later in the inning, Hughes was walked with the bases loaded, and it appeared that the game would end, 8-0, via the runs rule as Maria Trivelpiece trotted home to score. But the runner on first, Ally Vergona, didn’t run all the way over to touch second and was called out, extending the game.

Despite the controversy, Taylor Stocks came out to shut down St Joesph’s in the top of the seventh and the Rams captured not just a win, but the 700th career victory for coach Orchard.

“I feel blessed to be able to get 700 wins as a head coach,” she said. “I feel so lucky to be able to coach these girls every day! I learn as much from them as they do from me. I have a lot of people I owe to getting these 700 wins!”

Not long after reaching the milestone, coach Orchard and the Rams were right back at it for the second game of their doubleheader against St Joseph’s.

The Hawks jumped on top early with a run off of Lauren Quense in the first, and managed to double their lead to 2-0 in the fourth. Fordham fought back in the sixth, getting two

runs to tie the score courtesy of RBI singles from Morgan Figueroa and Jessica Hughes. Like the first of the series, this game would go to extras, as Madison Auginbaugh came on throw four huge innings in relief.

“Maddie Aughinbaugh is a fierce competitor, and really wants to be challenged.” said coach Orchard.

“She is getting better every day because she really wants it and is determined to help us win games.”

But the freshman stumbled in the tenth, allowing a solo homer to Caela Abadie and giving St Joseph’s a 3-2 lead. The Rams came up in the bottom of the inning desperate to keep the game going, but Ally Vergona struck out leading off. With two outs left, Morgan Figueroa singled and Jess Hughes blasted a walk-off, tworun homer to right to give the Rams a 4-3 win.

“Jess has played such a big role on this team since they day she stepped on campus her freshman year.” Orchard said after the game. “It was great to see her once again come through and get the big clutch hit when we needed it.”

With win number 701 in hand, Orchard and her squad now look forward to a week off before they head down to Fairfax, Virginia for a three game series against George Mason next weekend.