Volume 93 Issue 7

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SERVING THE FORDHAM UNIVERSITY COMMUNITY FOR OVER 90 YEARS

1918-2011

MARCH 23, 2011

VOLUME 93, ISSUE 7

Japan Tsunami Affects Fordham Community Earthquake Interrupts Fordham Study Abroad

Natural Disaster Upsets Japanese Students’ Break

By BRIAN KRAKER

By CONNIE KIM

NEWS EDITOR

NEWS EDITOR

In the wake of a crippling earthquake and tsunami that devastated the Japanese coast, college students studying internationally have seen their programs halted.

Luke Kessler, FCRH ’12, was studying abroad at Temple University’s Japan Campus, located in Tokyo, when a 9.0 magnitude earthquake hit the Pacific Ocean on Friday, March 11.

“What I felt was the entire world shaking,” Kessler said.

Kessler was studying anthropology through Temple’s study abroad program, located at a school consisting mostly of foreign students, with classes taught in English.

Rather than living with a host family, Kessler resided in University housing.

“I don’t speak enough Japanese to live with a host family,” he said.

The day of the earthquake, Kessler had ventured into the city with a group of friends for lunch.

“Suddenly a friend says ‘Who’s shaking the table?’” Kessler recalls.

“Then he stops, and the table con-

The fifth largest earthquake in history struck off the coast of Japan on March 11, causing a devastating tsunami to sweep over cities and farmland in the northern part of the country.

Recorded as 9.0 on the Richter scale, this recent earthquake was the most powerful quake ever to hit the country. As the nation struggles with rescue efforts, it also faces a terrible nuclear crisis.

As of March 21, the official death toll rose to more than 8,600, but the final toll is expected to reach nearly 20,000, as more than 13,000 people are listed as missing.

Although only a small population of Japanese students attend Fordham, the recent disasters — earthquake, tsunami and the nuclear crisis that came along soon after the other two — shook up the entire Fordham community.

Marina Kobayashi, a freshman international student from Tokyo, went back to her home country over Spring Break to spend some time with her family, only a day after the earthquake struck Japan.

She shared her stories with The Ram. According to Kobayashi, although she was not in Japan when the quake hit the country, she witnessed it on her computer while having a conversation with her mom via Skype.

“I thought it would not be that big of a deal because Japan frequently gets struck by the earthquakes,” Kobayashi said. “My mom thought so too in the beginning, but then she started to panic as the glass objects fell down from the shelves.”

The powerful earthquake caused many flights to Japan to be cancelled. Many people also voluntarily canceled their trips to Japan, especially right after the quake hit on March 11.

“The plane back to Japan was almost empty,” Kobayashi recalled.

When she returned to Tokyo, she first had to deal directly with the mess caused by the quake at home.

“When I got home, my room was messy,” Kobayashi said. “All the books were on the floor fallen from the shelves, and there were still shattered glasses on the floor.”

Also, she had to suffer from hearing and witnessing many horrible stories directly and through TV.

BRIAN VAN DER BRUG/MCT

A devastating earthquake and disastrous tsunami struck Japan, killing thousands and causing millions in damages.

tinues to shake, then the whole restaurant shakes, wires outside the restaurant start to shake, plates fall in the kitchen.”

Kessler remembers his waiter standing under the doorway of the restaurant. When one of his friends asked the server what to do, the waiter simply shrugged. After the quake, Kessler had to make a sixmile trek back to his campus be-

cause the train lines had been shut down.

Later that night, Kessler was informed about the tsunami that devastated the Japanese coast.

“The school was keeping us moderately informed,” he said.

Kessler learned of the reactors failing on Saturday morning but was not informed by the school until later that night. He learned the

majority of his information from watching CNN. Kessler did not receive any warning about the radiation until the Monday after the earthquake.

“I got an email in the morning basically telling me to limit going outside, and if I had to go outside, try to cover everything and try to wear a mask,” Kessler recalls.

SEE STUDY ABROAD ON PAGE 2

The White Panda to DJ Spring Weekend

COURTESY OF JIM SHIELDS

Students gathered in A-lot to dance on Fri. night of last year’s Spring Weekend.

By STEPHEN MOCCIA DESIGN EDITOR

On Tues., March 22, the Campus Activities Board Special Events Committee officially announced that the DJ pair The White Panda will be this year’s Friday night Spring Weekend act, appearing at the Rose Hill campus on Fri., April 29. The performance follows last year’s introduction of a DJ to the Spring Weekend activities and will be the first of the 2011 weekend events.

The members of CAB’s Special Events Committee, Greg Meltzer, GSB ’11; Leah Newman, FCRH ’12; and Bobby Skoda, GSB ’11, began searching for this year’s Friday night artist in January and finalized contract negotiations shortly before Spring Break. According to Meltzer, The White Panda management is excited be involved with Fordham’s Spring Weekend.

The group’s Web site, thewhitepanda.com, explains that Procrast (Tom Evans) and DJ Griffi (Dan Griffith) were childhood friends who independently began mash-up careers while in college.

They formed The White Panda in 2009 and quickly topped internet radio charts with their first single. They released their first mash-up album, Versus, in December 2009 and have since released two more albums, Rematch and Pandamonium. The group also issues a new track on their Web site almost every week, with this signature method labeled “Mash-up Mondays.” All of their music is available for free download online.

Like last year’s DJ Earworm performance on Friday night, which drew over 3,000 people, the event will be held in A-lot. However, the committee noted that they have made several key improvements since last year, including an en-

hanced sound system and a new lighting display.

“Last year’s event with DJ Earworm was amazing and I think a lot of people had a lot of fun. But I think The White Panda is going to be even bigger and better,” Meltzer said.

“CAB is really excited for The White Panda performance on Friday night, and it looks like it is going to be the perfect start to the 2011 Spring Weekend,” Skoda added.

The White Panda is currently touring colleges and universities across the country, performing in the coming weeks at Wake Forest University, Lafayette College and with Chiddy Bang at Virginia Tech.

The group also plans to perform internationally this summer and has scheduled appearances with other notable figures in the industry, including Flo Rida.

“Fordham has done pretty good in the past with mash-up artists, but White Panda is going to be the best yet,” Nick Garcia, FCRH ’11, said.

According to The White Panda’s Web site, “[by] harnessing the sounds of the moment before they become everyday tunes, The White Panda changed—and changes—the way listeners grasp the musical landscape.”

“Working with the Special Events Committee of CAB to make this event happen has been a wonderful experience for me and all of OSL&CD,” Marisa Totino, assistant director for campus center operations and formerly CAB’s interim advisor, said on behalf of the Office of Student Leadership and Development. “We’re very pleased with the artist selection and expect to exceed the expectations students have for this year’s event.”

Meltzer added that, as an up-andcoming and very popular group, The White Panda was “clearly the committee’s first choice” and that they wanted to find another great mash-up DJ following “the immense success” CAB has had with past DJ shows like Girl Talk and DJ Earworm.

The committee also said that the Spring Weekend events will be publicized on Facebook in the coming days and that students can check there for more specific details about the weekend. Additionally, students can follow CAB on Twitter at @ FordhamCAB for up to the minute notifications about all CAB events, or visit theramonline.com for campus-wide announcements, including Spring Weekend-related news.

SEE TSUNAMI ON PAGE 3

INSIDE Sports PAGE 20

Opinions PAGE 8

Culture PAGE 11

Fordham Baseball edges NJIT in extra innings, 7-6.

Public education is no place to balance budget.

Five-time Grammy winner Victor Wooten talks to The Ram.

NEWS

PAGE 2 • THE RAM • MARCH 23, 2011

SECURITY

BRIEFS

Natural Disaster Disrupts Study Abroad STUDY ABROAD, FROM PAGE 1

March 9, Jogues Hall, 3:15 p.m.

Security responded to a Fire alarm on the fourth floor. Security determined that smoke from burned food in the kitchen was the cause. There was no fire and the alarm was reset.

March 9, Southern Boulevard, 3:30 p.m.

Two males in flight from the police on Sothern Boulevard fled into off-campus housing behind 2539 and 2541 Cambreleng. The police apprehended the men and charged them with criminal trespassing.

March 9, Loschert Hall, 5 p.m.

A student placed his bag in a student lounge and returned a half hour later to discover the bag was missing. Security responded but has been unable to retrieve the bag.

March 11, Faber Hall, 12 p.m.

A dean reported four books missing from his office between March 8 and 11. The missing books include three paperbacks and a fourth book valued at $280.

March 12, 188th and Arthur Ave., 8 p.m.

FDNY responded to an activated smoke detector. It was determined that food cooking on the stove caused the alarm. There was no fire or injuries and the panel was reset.

March 17, Walsh Hall, 10:15 p.m.

The building was evacuated after a smoke alarm was activated on the third floor due to stream from a shower. FDNY responded and reported no fire or injuries. The alarm was reset without further incident.

—Compiled by Brian Kraker, News Editor

Have a nose for News?

Interested in a career in Journalism?

Write for The Ram’s news section.

E-mail us at: fordhamramnews@gmail.com

Tokyo is located over 100 miles from the failing power plants in Fukushima, but reports from the Tokyo Metropolitan Government reported radiation levels reached 20 times the normal.

“It varies because of the wind,” Kessler said. “At times they were saying radiation [was] up to an X-ray [wavelength], at times they were saying there wasn’t radiation.”

After the earthquake, Kessler was mostly confined to his campus.

He said lack of operating trains throughout the country inhibited his ability to travel.

“If I were still in Japan I would be doing nothing,” Kessler said.

Following the earthquake, Temple alerted students that classes would be suspended on March 14; two days later the entire week was cancelled. On March 15, Kessler was notified through email that two weeks of classes had been postponed. Although never given official reason for the cancellations, he believes rolling blackouts were to blame.

After the earthquake, Kessler described Tokyo as a city without visible reactions to the disaster.

“You walk around and everyone acts like it’s normal,” Kessler recalls. “There’s radiation threats, and no one’s wearing masks.”

When asked why he left, Kessler said the natural disaster played a minimal role in his decision to leave.

“Actually it wasn’t the earthquake and it wasn’t the radiation,” he said.

The indefinite suspension of classes lead him to return home.

Kessler said he was concerned Japan would restrict flights out of the country and purchased a ticket while they were available.

“I don’t know an exact number, but basically my entire dorm left,” Kessler said.

Both Temple and Fordham reached out to Kessler while he contemplated returning home.

“No one had an earthquake policy for this basically,” he said, referring to Temple’s response. “You can do A or B, but we can’t tell you

BRIAN VAN DER BRUG/MCT

The downtown district of Ishinomaki remains deserted after the tsunami flooded the Japanese town on March 11.

COURTESY OF LUKE KESSLER

Luke Kessler, FCRH ’12, poses with the Torii Gate while studying abroad in Japan before the earthquake forced him to return to America.

what to do.”

Kessler received an email from the Fordham Study Abroad Office, which encouraged him to return to America. Throughout the ordeal, Kessler believed Fordham was supportive of his decision to leave Japan and valued his safety over completing his courses.

In a statement on Temple’s Japan Campus Web site, Dean Bruce Stronach states the University hopes to resume classes on April 4. Temple is seeking advice from the foreign embassy and Japanese government, as well as keeping in mind “the best interest of all students.” However, the school urges

USG Endorses DREAM Act

By VIKRAM BHATIA STAFF WRITER

Two representatives from Lincoln Center’s United Student Government, including the vice president of Student Affairs, attended the Rose Hill USG meeting on March 10 to discuss financial aid and housing policies.

The Lincoln Center USG has been working to connect the University’s financial aid office more closely with students, by arguing that each individual student should have his or her own financial aid counselor.

“We have a lot of complaints about the communication between the University and students,” Ryan O’Toole, the vice president of Student Affairs, FCRH ’12, said.

“Our Financial Office is like the teller window at a bank,” he said.

The representatives were optimistic that progress could be made on improving the situation,

saying that the school’s administration has signaled a willingness to make changes if they view them as reasonable.

Lincoln Center’s USG is also attempting to change the guest pass policy on its campus. Up until the beginning of this academic year, a student could get a same-sex guest pass on the day of the guest’s arrival. However, that rule has now been switched back to a required period of 24 hours.

Meanwhile, the Rose Hill USG presented a statement formalizing its support for the DREAM Act, a proposed federal bill that would provide a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants.

The statement’s conclusion reads: “United Student Government of Fordham University hereby strongly encourages federal representatives in both houses of U.S. Congress to enact all measures outlined in the DREAM Act.”

“USG has not only responsibility but also a moral obligation to take a stand on issues pertaining to higher education,” Sara Kugel, FCRH ’11, executive president of USG, said regarding USG’s decision to support the law.

Schools in other cities have stated their support for the bill, though Fordham would be the first in New York City.

“All the Boston universities have sent out a letter to Senators [ John] Kerry and [Scott] Brown,” Karan Gupta, president of GSB ’14, said.

USG also continued to close in on a deal that would make Fordham the first undergraduate school to offer a value investing course.

Since first proposing the idea during the previous meeting, SiHien Goh, vice president of GSB ’13, had a meeting with Donna Rapaccioli, dean of the Gabelli School of Business. She was “enthusiastic” about the proposal, according to USG’s press release.

students not to purchase return tickets until a final decision is made. Still, Kessler has no plans of returning to Japan.

The current status of Kessler’s grades is still undetermined. He began classes on January 11 and was scheduled to conclude on April 11.

“So we only had about three and a half weeks left,” Kessler, who originally planned to return to America on April 23, said. “We were a little more than three-quarters through the semester.”

Kessler is awaiting word from Temple and Fordham about how he will complete the semester. Still, he is ready to offer his own solution to the problem.

“What I really feel the school should do is take a snapshot of what my grades were at the time,” Kessler said. “I would prefer to be done with the semester.”

However, he believes will most likely need to write additional papers or take tests while back in America.

THIS

week at FORDHAM Wed., Mar. 23 “Don’t Forget the Lyrics” CSA McGinley Ballroom, 7-9 p.m.

Thurs., Mar. 24 “Sentimentality” Philosophy Dept.

Flom Auditorium, 4:30 p.m.

Thurs., Mar. 24 Cinevents: The Tourist CAB Keating 3rd, 9 p.m.

Fri., Mar. 25 Poke Wars McGinley Lawn, 1-3 p.m.

Fri., Mar. 25 “YouTube Live” McGinley Ballroom, 7-9 p.m.

Tue., Mar. 29 Cinevents: The Fighter Keating 1st, 9 p.m.

NEWS

MARCH 23, 2011 • THE RAM • PAGE 3

Earthquake, Tsunami Shake up Japanese Community

CAROLYN COLE/MCT

The magnitude 9.0-scale earthquake struck Japan on March 11. As of March 21, the death toll is above 8,600. Rescue workers are laboring tirelessly, but the final toll is expected to reach nearly 20,000.

TSUNAMI, FROM PAGE 1

“My friends were hanging out far from their homes right before the earthquake hit Japan,” Kobayashi said. “They had to walk for over 10 hours to get back to their homes because the trains stopped running. Also, my sister had to stay over at her friend’s house on the day the quake hit. [Moreover,] some of my friends were trapped in an elevator for awhile when the earthquake hit, because [elevators] automatically stop working. All of these events were horrifying to listen to.”

According to Kobayashi, the nearest place that was affected by

the quake and tsunami is only a two-hour train ride from Tokyo.

Even in Tokyo, roads were split, and some buildings fell apart as a result of the combination of earthquake and tsunami.

The panic sweeping Japan encouraged everyone to run to stores to buy food and supplies, but since many stores were closed, many people suffered from a sudden shortage of the food and supplies.

“Luckily, my mom ran to the supermarket to stock up foods at home just in case, but a lot of people suffered from and [are] still struggling to buy foods from the supermarket,” Kobayashi said. “All

the shelves were empty in supermarkets only after a few days.”

Three reactors at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station suffered partial meltdowns, while spent fuel rods at another reactor overheated and caught fire, also causing a gasoline shortage.

“There was no gasoline at the gas stations,” Kobayashi said.

Japan lost a large chunk of its electricity-generating capacity after the back-to-back earthquake and tsunami; one of the world’s most technologically advanced cities now suffers from lack of electricity.

“We are banned to use electricity for three hours per day due to

lack of electricity,” Kobayashi said.

“The government expects it to continue until the end of this year. Every store I go to do not use lights inside, so the whole city is dark. It is really depressing.”

Kobayashi expressed concerns over many people who do not even have homes anymore.

“People who lived near the nuclear reactor or near where the tsunami hit were evacuated to the evacuation centers,” Kobayashi said. “A lot of places, the roads are broken down, so the government cannot reach them for help. They have no water, no electricity and no oil,” Kobayashi said.

To help the people of Japan, Asian Cultural Exchange and Commuting Student Association at Fordham will be holding fundraising events this week. ACE will be holding a bake sale on March 23 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. in the McGinley Center lobby. CSA will be holding an event called “Broadcast Yourself Competition” at 7 p.m. on March 25 in McGinley Center Ballroom. The money raised will be sent via International Federation of the Red Cross, which deals mainly with natural disasters that affect nations around the world. The IFRC will give the money to the Japan Red Cross for their tsunami relief.

Seidell Humors Crowd With Comedy Career

COURTESY OF FLIKR.COM

Streeter Seidell talks to a Fordham crowd about his time at the University and breaking into the online comedy scene.

By HARRY MACCORMACK CONTRIBUTING WRITER

If you had asked Streeter Seidell in his junior year if his tutelage at Fordham would be remembered, he would have confidently told you no. But now, seven years later, he has returned to his alma mater to speak as a part of Campus Activities Board’s American Age lecture series.

For the uninitiated, Seidell graduated from Fordham with a degree in communications and media studies in 2005. He wasted no time getting paid to be funny, giving himself just one day after

graduation to rest before working at CollegeHumor.com, the popular comedy Web site which has spawned video series such as “Jake and Amir” and “Prank Wars.” The latter series stars Seidell and his colleague Amir Blumenfeld as they engage in an ever-escalating prank war, which received serious attention as the pranks grew to extreme levels of complexity.

“Prank Wars,” in all of its absurdity, went viral and got attention far beyond the Internet. Among those who noticed were the people at MTV, who had previously worked with CollegeHumor for the short-lived CollegeHumor

Show. Between their previous work and the success of the Prank Wars series, MTV decided to give Seidell and Blumenfeld their own show called Pranked. The show is still in its early stages; however, Seidell did not have much to say on the topic.

While Seidell did not have much to say about his new show, he had plenty to say about the process of breaking into comedy. Seidell spoke of his earlier ventures into the comedy world with short stand acts, known as “bringers,” starting in sophomore year. A bringer is an act in which the comedian must bring a certain number of people

to see the show. Bringers are safe bets for comedy clubs because the audience is committed before the show has even started, regardless of the quality of the acts. This makes it easy for young comedians to break into the comedy world; that is, providing you have friends. It was in doing stand-up that Seidell decided that comedy was what he wanted to do. Although it was often hard to maintain a regular audience for bringers, it was “a pain in the ass” according to Seidell’s friend and fellow alum.

It was in his junior year that Seidell got the chance to transition from stand-up comic to an Internet act. After being shown CollegeHumor by a friend, Seidell noticed they were hiring and applied. They ended up giving him a column.

“At the time, I thought this was a big deal,” Seidell said. “But then I found out they had like six people on the staff, so it really wasn’t.”

Over the course of the year, Seidell continued to write for CollegeHumor, eventually being brought on to write for a CollegeHumor book in his senior year, which led to his most cherished moment in college. He recalls having a professor in his senior year who was “the typical failed writer.”

Seidell spoke about his teacher with a kind of disgust, “I don’t remember his name, maybe he was an adjunct or something.” He remembered him as having no sense

of humor, which did not work for Seidell who “tried to make everything I write funny.”

Needless to say, he did not get along with this certain professor.

It was with great relish that Seidell told this mystery professor that “I’m going to have to miss class, I have meetings with publishers.”

Seidell regaled his audience with several other tales like this one, all with the same humorous, genuine tone. He did have more to say beyond simply summarizing his most entertaining moments at Fordham, however. He also commented on what it takes to write on the Internet.

“You have to get used to being called gay all the time,” he said, adding that it takes a thick skin and the ability to laugh at yourself to write on the Internet. Where it is easy to comment with impunity, the Internet can be a harsh audience. Finally, he also implored Fordham students to get involved with writing, plugging his own employer, mentioning their internship program.

“I never see anyone from Fordham interning at the office,” Seidell said. “I am so tired of NYU students going ‘will you be in my senior thesis film?’ I want to see more fat Irish kids.”

So if you can stand “being called gay a thousand times a day” and “have a thing for dick jokes,” you can give comedy writing a try and follow in Seidell’s footsteps.

NEWS

PAGE 4 • THE RAM • MARCH 23, 2011

Fordham in Brief Professor Shows How Religion Can Help Trauma Victims Recover Mental health practitioners should consider the person’s faith as a tool for healing their suffering trauma patients, Mary Beth Werdel, Ph.D, said.

Werdel is a visiting professor of pastoral counseling in the Graduate School of Religion and Religious Education. She explored the topic in a lecture on March 1 at Fordham’s Westchester campus.

“Bessel van der Kolk, who is one of the leading trauma researchers, described a traumatic experience as leaving a person with the feeling that they’ve lost their way in the world, she said. “So trauma takes away our map. It takes away the cognitive framework through which we can navigate our world.”

She described the difference between global and situation meaning, with specific details for trauma victims. A global meaning is one that enables people to make sense of the world.

A traumatic event changes that perception, however. That is because in the case of a trauma victim, his or her situational meaning will be completely different. Situational meaning refers to the meaning that helps one makes sense of his or her specific place in the world.

She said that people can experience growth and recovery in reconciling these two meanings. This kind of growth is usually reserved for those who have a creative mind and who exhibit several variables.

These include higher levels of optimism, hopefulness and openness.

A variable that does not factor in to this situation is positive social support.

“The research has found it’s not so important to have positive social support, even though that’s good,”

she said. “What’s really important is that there’s not negative social support — there aren’t people surrounding us who are discounting our traumatic experience. That actually has a profound negative impact on our ability to heal.”

Werdel noted that religious texts like St. Paul’s Letter to the Romans have long signified the connections between personal growth and suffering.

Religious orientation is only a healing factor when it is intrinsic.

That means that the victim must be attracted to religion for its beliefs; he or she must not go to church just to make friends, because that would be an example of having an extrinsic religious orientation.

“Intrinsic religiosity tends to be correlated with growth, and specifically, this sub-scale of readiness to face existential questions,” she said.

Religious coping is another variable on which research has been conducted. It can also be split into two categories: positive religious coping, which involves a secure relationship with God, and negative religious coping, which embraces an ominous view of the world.

The more religious practices that a person embraces, the more likely the victim will be able to grow.

Werdel concludes that spiritual and religious variables say something unique that other variables do not seem to capture.

“Theory and research provide evidence for the importance of doing spiritual assessments with our clients, for getting an understanding of what their faith beliefs are,” she said. “We don’t need to get into theological conversations, necessarily, but how their lived experience of God relates to what they bring to the mental health sessions.”

Her lecture, “Rising in Wreck-

age: Theory, Research and Clinical Implications of the Relationship Between Spirituality and PostTraumatic Growth,” was sponsored

by GRE.

Fordham Receives Community Service Award Fordham University was honored with a Community Service Award at the Fourth Annual Community Partnership Luncheon of the Girl Scouts Heart of the Hudson, Inc., on March 15.

Held at the Abigail Kirsch/Tappan Hill Mansion in Tarrytown, N.Y., the event honored dedicated individuals and business friends who, through community service and support, have made an impact on the lives of girls. A silent auction at the event, which had the theme of “The Power of the Promise,” raised funds for Girl Scout camps and other activities.

Michael Gillan, Ph.D., associate vice president for the Westchester campus, accepted the award on behalf of the University.

“When we opened our new campus at 400 Westchester Ave. [in West Harrison], we were committed not just to providing firstrate degree programs, but also to deepening and extending our roots and connections with important organizations in the community,” Gillan said. “What more important and fitting group than Girl Scouts Heart of the Hudson? Fordham’s core commitment is not just educational excellence for its own sake, but as our Jesuits say, education for the formation of ‘men and women for others,’ something that is consistent with the Girl Scouts’ promise.”

Gillan thanked the Girl Scouts Heart of the Hudson board and staff and praised those “most responsible for bringing this award

about,” such as Lynne O’Connell, assistant dean of admissions for Fordham College of Liberal Studies, who initiated the relationship between the University and the Girl Scouts Heart of the Hudson.

It also includes Mary Kate Donato, program associate for Fordham’s Executive MBA (EMBA) programs, and Francis Petit, Ed.D., associate dean for the EMBA programs, who led a Girl Scouts “Cookie Institute,” an entrepreneurial training workshop for Girl Scouts from the Heart of the Hudson Council, in November.

The Cookie Institute was the first event under a new partnership between Fordham and the Heart of the Hudson Council. Future events, such as a career day, are in the works.

“We are looking forward to many more collaborations in years to come and to being, at the very least, a semi-finalist for this award each and every year,” Gillan said.

Girl Scouts Heart of the Hudson also honored TD Bank with a Leadership Award. The Humanitarian Award was presented to the Girl Scouts Heart of the Hudson Archives Committee.

Girl Scouts Heart of the Hudson, Inc. serves southeastern New York state: Dutchess, Orange, Putnam, Rockland, Sullivan, Ulster and Westchester counties. Its central administrative office is in Pleasantville, with regional offices in Kingston, Middletown, New City, Pleasantville and Poughkeepsie.

Fordham Launches Online Master’s Degree in Social Work The Graduate School of Social Service launched an online master’s in social work program. Its first group of students will begin the program in September. The

Online MSW will be a 66-credit program (a total of 20 courses).

It will provide the same foundation and advanced coursework as Fordham’s on-site MSW. It will be open to students who live outside a 50-mile radius of Fordham’s campuses and who live in the tri-state area.

GSS will be the first school of social work in the state to offer an online MSW. “This program presents an MSW degree opportunity for people dedicated to the field of social service who, due to geographic location or personal circumstances, do not otherwise have access to an on-campus social work education,” Dale Lindquist, LCSW, D.Min., said. “The coursework will encompass the unique qualities of a Jesuit-based social service education.”

Lindquist is referring to Fordham’s collaboration with the Jesuit Distance Education Network ( Jesuit Net), a clearinghouse for online courses at the nation’s Jesuit colleges. Jesuit Net worked with Fordham to develop the MSW and aid the University with marketing.

The online courses will encompass an evidence-based design that utilizes Ignatian pedagogical concepts. In addition, they will be designed to promote higher-level thinking skills.

“Our distance-education curriculum embodies the progressiveness of a Jesuit institution,” Peter Vaughan, Ph.D., dean of GSS, said. “It also reflects a Jesuit way of thinking and caring for people.”

MSW students will have to complete a social-work theory and a fieldwork curriculum before graduating, just like their on-site counterparts.

—Compiled by Connie Kim, News Editor

Faculty Discusses Vagina Monologues with Students

By EMILY ARATA STAFF WRITER

Students and other members of the Fordham community packed the multipurpose room of Campbell Hall in order participate in a dialogue between Dr. Elizabeth Johnson, C.S.J., and Fr. Joseph Koterski, S.J., regarding the merits of The Vagina Monologues on Tuesday evening, March 22. The episodic play, sponsored by Fordham’s Women’s Studies Department, will be performed Friday, March 25, and Saturday, March 26, in Collins Auditorium.

First shown on stage in 1996, Eve Ensler’s play is based on a series of more than two hundred interviews which she conducted with women in her community. The play, an ever-expanding series of monologues, deals with sensitive issues such as rape and abuse. The Vagina Monologues and the Catholic Church have a discordant history because some argue that the core dogma of Catholicism is contrary to many of the issues shown in the play, such as masturbation.

Johnson, a member of Fordham’s theology department, opened the discussion with a feminist reflection on the merits of Monologues. Em-

PHOTO BY SIMON SULIT/THE RAM

Fr. Koterski and Dr. Johnson discuss The Vagina Monologues with students.

phasizing the prevalence of violence against women in our contemporary culture, Johnson read sections of a letter written by Pope John Paul II. The Pope wrote, “How can we not mention the long and degrading history … of violence against women in the area of sexuality?”

According to Johnson, in recent years the climate has finally begun to change. Taking control of their own sexuality, women are no longer staying silent but “speaking out about what it means to inhabit this world in a female body.”

As for the Monologues, Johnson spoke about the play as a purely artistic expression.

“It takes a slice of [the] human experience and holds it up for those

who want to go for our reflection,” she said.

If the Church frowned upon all artistic expression against scriptural teaching, she joked that plays that condone romantic suicide like Romeo and Juliet should also be banned. In the end, the show is an artistic vessel to express the isolation that many women feel, using the vagina as a metaphor.

Furthermore, the Monologues represent a movement to help end violence against women.

“This is a play with a social conscience,” Johnson said, going on to explain that a portion of every ticket sold goes towards protecting women. Battered women’s shelters around the world owe funding to

the Monologues.

Koterski, a member of Fordham’s philosophy department, began his segment of the evening by stating the importance of his views about protecting women from violence.

Neither violence nor censorship is the reason for the Church’s objection to the Monologues.

“I don’t think the issue is one of prudery,” he said, smiling.

He also discussed his appreciation of mannerist art, which deliberately showcases distortion to lead viewers to the truth behind it.

However, Koterski questioned the moral value of the Monologues.

“It seems to me to celebrate the distortion,” he said. Koterski argued that the play champions “liberation of talk” about female sexuality, but doubted that talk is liberating to women. Koterski discussed the show’s distortion of basic Catholic moral codes regarding sexuality.

“Anywhere in this play, where is the real happiness?” he asked the assembled students.

Declaring his fear that the show leads viewers to embracing a faulty vision of empowerment, Koterski went on to discuss the Church’s views on the subject.

A relationship with scriptural basis is permanent and experiences

sexual communion only within the bounds of marriage. Within these guidelines, “sexuality is a kind of language,” enabling both members to participate in a liberating relationship.

In response to accusations that Christians are ashamed of expressions of female sexuality, Koterski declared that view to be inaccurate.

The issue is not that the Church places itself in opposition to the Monologues because it fears female empowerment, but in Koterski’s words, because “[the play] seems to celebrate the wrong thing.”

The floor was then opened for discussion amongst the audience.

Several LGBTQ students spoke about the pain they felt living on a campus that does not allow them to express themselves. To these students, censorship “becomes a personal, painful issue.”

Although everyone from the clergy to feminists was represented, there was one marked absence. Students spoke of the noted absence of a representative of Student Affairs at the dialogue.

“Who is in charge of this policy and why aren’t they here?” the president of the Lincoln Center feminist group, asked to unanimous applause from the audience.

ADVERTISING

MARCH 23, 2011 • THE RAM • PAGE 5

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PAGE 7

Despite Flaws, Career Services Pays Off

MARK LENIHANN/AP

Around the country, unemployed workers struggle to find jobs; Fordham students are lucky to have the Office of Career Services to stage job fairs, review resumes and send out job and internship listings.

By CHRISTINA BARREIRO CONTRIBUTING WRITER

As Congress struggles to agree on spending cuts and a final budget, we are continuously reminded of the fragile state of our economy and of the lagging job growth that makes this situation so frightening for many citizens. Here at Fordham, we wonder whether the job market will welcome our graduates and what the future holds for our underclassmen.

These thoughts beg the question, are Fordham students adequately prepared to secure jobs given the current state of the economy? To answer this question, we can examine the Office of Career Services, whose responsibility is to prepare students for employment after college.

Career Services is housed on the second floor of the McGinley Center, providing individual

counseling, career workshops, mock interviews and career and internship fairs to students looking for internships during the academic year or for jobs after graduation. Lately, this office has been criticized for sending weekly internship emails that advertise seemingly irrelevant jobs, like babysitting, and for failing to diversify its job offerings. Those of us who receive these emails have probably heard enough about marketing and management internships to last a lifetime. Yet, is all of this criticism warranted?

While it is true that Career Services advertises jobs that can be considered fit for summer jobs when students would rather learn about professional internship opportunities, it is also true that students stand to benefit from earning money that could be used to pay for the expenses that accrue during college. When it comes

to diversity in the weekly email, Career Services has also become better at alerting students to publishing internships, jobs with non-profit organizations, Web design opportunities and media internships. The office has also found a new way to communicate these offerings, using email attachments that first outline the jobs presented and then detail job descriptions and requirements which allow students to locate and read only the positions that interest them. Since Career Services has shown that it is willing to alter its practices for the benefit of students, I would argue that if anything is to be criticized about Career Services, it should be that students do not utilize this resource enough.

I recently had the opportunity to speak with Sean Collins, GSB ’11, a peer advisor in the Office of Career Services, regarding the un-

derutilization of the office.

“I wish students would use the office more often,” Collins said.

“With some students I talk to, it is their first time there. I feel like students are afraid to come in.

Resumes are personal documents, and people are scared to be criticized. So I feel like we need to have students who have utilized our services advocate for us.”

Career Services is currently working on projects that will allow students to share their experiences and review the office through the use of social media.

It is hoping that these forums will encourage students to promote the office and advertise its resources. Collins also addressed some criticisms’, claiming that its job postings are not only relevant to future ambitions, but also that Career Services must also offer practical solutions for students who need to generate income

while in college.

“We are reacting to the opportunities that arise,” Collins said, emphasizing that job postings also reflect current market demand.

Given the dedication to improvement that Career Services has demonstrated in recent months, it is evident that the office listens and responds to students’ criticisms. Their main problem does not lie in emails that promote babysitting opportunities; it lies in the office’s lackluster advertising and the student body’s failure to employ its resources.

Since the Office of Career Services is on a path to reinvention and improvement, it is now the job of the students to take advantage of this office and take control of their futures.

Christina Barreiro, FCRH ’12, is an international political economy major and business administration minor from Westchester, N.Y.

Not Just for Partying: In Defense of Greek Life

By DAVID McSKIMMING CONTRIBUTING WRITER

There is no doubt the media blur our perceptions of reality. For entertainment industries such as movies and television, our enjoyment of the experience relies heavily on disillusion. There is one stereotype, however, consistently shoved down our throats that could not be farther from the truth: that of Greek life on college campuses.

Greek life certainly lends itself to easy criticism. Students involved in fraternities and sororities are associated with lesser intelligence, an obsession with drinking and sexual promiscuity and dangerous, superfluous hazing rituals. In my experience, though, while these aspects of Greek life can exist on some levels, they are not the defining characteristics of the establishments.

As a proud brother of Sigma Pi Fraternity, these stereotypes become even more glaringly obvious. My brothers and I are so adamant about these false accusations that we even take offense at the word “frat” because of its negative connotations. We

consider ourselves far beyond the persona of the drunken “frat bro,” with hats turned backwards and a vocabulary limited to “yo” and “brah.” Sigma Pi prides itself on chivalry and dedication, not kegstands and funnels. The true goal is truly to examine and experience the intricacies of the question, “What is brotherhood?” The simple question has no easy answer, although if one cannot provide a response, he most likely does not belong. The relationships among fraternity men start with a general understanding of what to expect from one another and end with something strangely akin to familial bonds. Not everyone has to like each other, but they do have to respect one another, something not necessarily found in a regular group of friends.

It is difficult to convey exactly what transpires between fraternity brothers and sorority sisters, partially because a lot of it is classified, but mostly because they are experiences beyond friendship. The events shared together are special memories forged as a result of this unique connection and transcend parties in dirty basements. Rather,

through various charity fundraisers, scholarship seminars and campus awareness programs, fraternities and sororities play an integral role in the development of a diverse, open-minded community.

But feelings at Fordham are less than welcoming.

“If you can truly find lifelong friends from your sorority or fraternity, that’s awesome and totally worth it,” Katie Corrado, FCRH ’12, said. “But to me, if you have to pay dues and dress and act a certain way to remain in the group, that’s just not worth it.”

Most resentment toward Greek life follows this train of thought, and by no means would I say that fraternities and sororities are for everyone. What people have to understand, however, is that those who do partake in Greek life do so completely willingly and with much enjoyment. It is not an issue of “having” to attend events; whichever events are obligations serve as road blocks to the partying. No, believe it or not, fraternity men actually enjoy each others’ company when there is not a red Solo cup firmly in their grasps. It is a distinct

choice to partake in everything your fraternity or sorority does.

You do it because you want to be involved. Like everything else, Greek life is dependent on how much effort each member puts in, and the more time spent with brothers or sisters, the more enjoyable the experience will be.

I am not suggesting here that Fordham should start implementing Greek life. Instead, I beg of you to think twice before you go straight to the Animal House or Legally Blonde projections when perceiving us Greeks. You may not understand our traditions or

rituals, you might even think we are not as intelligent or have to buy our friends, but I assure you that the best people I have met in college and the best experiences I have ever had all were in relation to Greek life. We are some of the most dedicated, determined and, yes, fun-loving individuals you will ever encounter. Just give us a chance.

David McSkimming , FCRH ’12, is an English major from Rockaway, N.J. He is a transfer from St. Joseph’s University and a member of Sigma Pi Fraternity, Theta Chi chapter.

COURTSEY OF WIKIMEDIA

Sorority and fraternity events, like rushing, take center stage at other schools.

OPINIONS

PAGE 8 • THE RAM • MARCH 23, 2011

The Ram Serving campus and community since 1918.

The Ram is the University journal of record. The mission of The 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 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 12,000. The Ram office is located in the basement of the McGinley Center, room B-52.

www.theramonline.com Editorial: (718) 817-0873 Production: (718) 817-4381 Newsroom: (718) 817-4394 Advertising: (718) 817-4379 Fax: (718) 817-4319 theram@fordham.edu Fordham University - Station 37 Box B Bronx, NY 10458 Editor-in-Chief Nick Carroll Senior Executive Editor Patrick Derocher Managing Editor Victoria Rau Design Editor Stephen Moccia Business Editor Caroline Dahlgren News Editors Connie Kim Brian Kraker Opinions Editor Christine Barcellona Opinions Layout Contributer Sarah Ramirez Culture Editor Sandy McKenzie Assistant Culture Editors Sarah Ramirez Scharon Harding Sports Editor Alexander Vilardo Assistant Sports Editors Jonathon Smith Chester Baker Copy Chief Celeste Kmiotek Copy Team Taylor Engdahl Abigail Forget Tom Haskin Lisa Lo Paro Sean McGonigle Olivia Monaco Hussein Safa Erik Pedersen Photo Editor Nora Mallozzi Web Editor Kelly Caggiano Faculty Advisor Jonathan Sanders

Opinions Policy The Ram appreciates submissions that are typed and saved on a disk in a *.rtf, *.txt or *.doc formats, or sent to the staff via e-mail at RamLetters@fordham.edu. Commentaries are printed on a space available basis.

The Ram reserves the right to reject any submission for any reason, without notice. Submissions become the exclusive property of The Ram and will not be returned. The Ram reserves the right to edit any submissions. The opinions in The 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 Ram may be reproduced without written consent.

From the Desk of Alexander Vilardo, Sports Editor My brain is leaking...

• If you haven’t heard Rebecca Black’s hit song “Friday,” you may have spent spring break under a rock. Is it a horrible song? Absolutely. Are just about all of the lyrics so bad they’re hilarious? No question. Is the video a total joke?

You’d better believe it.

That doesn’t mean the poor girl should be cyberbullied, though.

In fact, I give Black a lot of credit: she’s a 13-year-old kid having fun and following her dream, and she didn’t write the song. Let’s not make her cry. Just because she’s on YouTube doesn’t mean she doesn’t have any feelings.

In a news interview, she said that she has come to not care about the cyberbullies out there because it’s her song that is stuck in their heads.

Good for her.

• Charlie Sheen is a huge jerk, but he’s also a genius. The guy has the world at his fingertips just because he went crazy and is spitting out ridiculous and hilarious quotes.

I feel horrible for those people who are currently unemployed because of his antics, but if he comes out with a talk or reality show, I would watch at least a few episodes. I can promise you that it would have one of the highest ratings on TV. Anyone who says, “I’ve spent, I think, close to the last decade effortlessly and magically

converting your tin cans into pure gold” has America’s attention. My best friend says Sheen is his thirdcoolest man on the planet, behind only San Francisco Giants closer Brian Wilson and Cap’n Crunch.

• “Modern Family” is quickly becoming one of the best shows on TV. It’s certainly the most clever right now. Every character on the show is strong; there’s not one who isn’t absolutely hilarious or gets left in the dust. As “The Office” is currently ending its run as the best show on TV, I’m glad I have “Modern Family” to keep me laughing.

• I love March Madness. I love the upsets, the brackets, kids playing hurt and sinking a go-ahead three with a minute left. I don’t care that Butler ruined my bracket because I love watching the little guy win; I spent Saturday morning and early afternoon waiting for the Morehead State/Richmond game.

I know that the Final Four and the Elite Eight are the special rounds, but I don’t think anything compares to the opening round.

There’s nothing like watching college hoops from noon until 11 p.m. on that first day.

• The NFL lockout isn’t bothering me too much. Sure, I’ll miss watching my Bills, but this definitely won’t be as bad as the 2004-2005 NHL lockout. Which brings me to my next point...

• ...I can’t believe more people around here don’t follow hockey.

There are three teams within a stone throw of each other, and yet there seems to be a rather exclusive fan base for each team.

It’s not just New York City, either.

Maybe it’s because Canada is my neighbor back home, but I’m surprised that more people in the U.S. don’t follow the NHL. The NHL doesn’t have the drama of the NFL or the NBA, and it has as much or more tradition than the MLB. • LeBron James is not a classy man.

• I hate when the caf serves “Buffalo wings.” They aren’t. They’re supposed to be served with bleu cheese, not ranch dressing. They’re not supposed to be fatty. They’re served hot or medium or barbecue — but only on a special occasion — and not plain. They’re called “wings,” and not “Buffalo wings.” I will never eat a wing outside of my hometown of Buffalo, N.Y. Wings don’t even look right elsewhere.

• It’s halfway through the second semester, and I still am shocked that most — or what seems to be most — students would rather get drunk at a bar in the Bronx than spend a night doing something worthwhile in Manhattan. The city has so much to offer, and it’s more than internships or jobs. Take advantage of it.

Maybe it’s just me and the fact that I proudly hail from a small city (shout out to the 716), but I love exploring such a big city. I’ve got nothing wrong with students going to bars. But instead of hanging out in a dorm before you go there at 11:30 or midnight, do something in the city. The Empire State Building has a great view. The Metropolitan Museum of Art is pretty cool.

There’s a million more things to do in the city.

Sure, it costs some money, but no one said you have to buy the most expensive stuff or do the most expensive thing, and money is being spent on beverages in the Bronx, anyway.

• I thought it was really cool to see how many students went to Mass on Ash Wednesday. Most people would probably expect a ton of college kids to skip since their parents aren’t around to bug them to go. Everywhere I looked on campus, I saw students with ashes on their foreheads. Way to go, Fordham.

Budget Cuts Bleed Education Dry

By RACHEL RATTENNI CONTRIBUTING WRITER

American state governments are in serious debt. In order to make up for budget deficits, the U.S. is trying to cut discretionary spending, such as funding for new infrastructure, scientific research and the Department of Education. In New York alone, Governor Andrew M. Cuomo’s proposed budget cut could layoff six percent of the city’s current public school teachers.

While the proposed cut does not seem drastic, as most schools would lose between one and five teachers because layoffs would be based on teacher seniority, nine New York City public schools would be forced to fire half of their teachers. Having fewer teachers means having larger class sizes, a factor that has been correlated with poorer scholastic achievement. With the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development ranking U.S. children 17th in the world in science, 25th in math and 79th in elementary school enrollment, is education really the best place for the government to be cutting spending?

Should educational funding even be considered discretionary?

Over the past several years, education has ceased to be a priority in the U.S. Seeing as just decades ago the U.S. had a public education system ranked first globally, the statistics released by the OECD are pathetic. In

an article for TIME magazine titled “Are America’s Best Days Behind Us?” Fareed Zakaria highlights how in its first years, the U.S. forged ahead of the rest of the world because our founding fathers set up a government that drew on the strengths they had observed in foreign countries and had safeguards against perceived problems. In addition, the 1950s and 60s saw vast funding for education, scientific research and infrastructure.

Today, our infrastructure ranks only 23rd globally. Looking at the most successful countries economically and educationally today, namely Germany, China and South Korea, they are all increasing spending in the very areas that the U.S. wants to decrease. Even if we cut every single dollar spent on discretionary spending, we would not solve the deficit crisis. Perhaps we should look to the defense budget and other areas of socalled “mandatory” government spending, which account for a far greater percentage of national expenses.

Currently, the U.S. spends $4 on senior citizens for every dollar spent on those under 18 years of age. Cutting spending on education, infrastructure and the sciences will not help America move forward or create new jobs in the future. Our government needs to come together and realize that in order to better prepare our youth for the demands and competition of an increasingly

Are your friends tired of hearing you complain?

Write for The Ram opinions section.

E-mail us at: fordhamramopinions@gmail.com

globalized society, it cannot be so hypersensitive to criticisms such as those from conservatives who refuse to allow the Bush tax cuts to expire or liberals who are appalled by the proposal to push back the retirement age by one year in 2050.

Rather, it actually needs to increase spending in the areas that will help our country prosper. If America wishes to remain No. 1, we need to understand that the Constitution was so novel and dynamic in the 18th century because it encompassed the best aspects of known successful governments at the time; today, it fails to do so.

If U.S. states execute their proposals to reduce discretionary spending, for education in particular, current students at Fordham and beyond will be negatively affected. Students who

wish to become teachers will be faced with an increasingly-competitive job market, as they will be vying for fewer spots.

In addition, it is likely that current U.S. education statistics will continue to plummet, meaning that students from countries with superior education, such as China, Sweden and Japan, will be better prepared and be more successful candidates for jobs in the future than U.S. graduates. If America wants to remain the world’s largest economy and produce a generation of intelligent youth capable of carrying it successfully into the future, state governments need to seriously reconsider the ways they decide to go about balancing their budgets.

Rachel Rattenni, FCRH ’14, is a biology major from East Hampton, N.Y.

RICHARD DREW/AP

Budget cuts will affect students and teachers in New York City and elsewhere.

If you have an opinion about something you saw in this week’s issue of The Ram, send us a Letter to the Editor at: fordhamramletters@gmail.com

OPINIONS

MARCH 23, 2011 • THE RAM • PAGE 9

Fordham Shines on Google Street View Recently Uploaded 360 Degree Panoramas of Fordham Make Rose Hill More Accessible and Visible to Prospective Students

Unfair Trade Eric Horvath Springfield, Japan

COURTESY OF GOOGLE

Street View scenes of Fordham will be valuable to prospective students who have not yet visited Rose Hill; Fordham.edu has few high-resolution campus images.

By PATRICK DEROCHER SENIOR EXECUTIVE EDITOR

Google has thrived on pushing the envelope in the 12 years or so since it was founded in a garage in Silicon Valley. From its unusual (perhaps even odd) corporate culture and unique PageRank system of categorizing the relevance of search results to unexpected acquisitions and strong support of Net Neutrality, Google has made its reputation by being at the forefront of internet-related technological development.

It should come as no surprise, then, that Google continues to make advances in its products and services, most recently with its often-controversial Street View feature on Google Maps.

Street View allows users to see Google-obtained pictures of streets from around the world, giving them the opportunity to navigate neighborhoods as if they were actually on the ground.

In true Google spirit, attention-seeking individuals and groups looking to break new ground in digital media alike have exploited Street View for their purposes. (Search “Google Street View Ninja” for the former and visit “thewildernessdowntown.com” for an Arcade Fire video exemplifying the latter.)

Street View has, of course, elicited a certain amount of con-

troversy from individuals and organizations concerned with potential violations of privacy.

One need only to do a quick search to find some “not safe for work” photos whose subjects are regretting them; a French

universities catalogued? Fordham University.

Along with the College of Staten Island, Cornell University and a few other schools, anyone with an Internet connection can take a walk around a photo-based representation of Fordham’s Rose Hill campus.

It is a good thing, too. Sure, there are people caught in the crosshairs (students walking around campus who were probably not consulted before their pictures were taken), but truthfully, this is no different from Google’s previous Street View operations, or Facebook for that matter. (It may have a distinct advantage over the latter; a sur-

vey of Google’s Fordham-related material yields no embarrassing material. Then again, neither ResLife nor the basketball team shows up.)

Indeed, it should be a great boon to Fordham’s admissions outreach. As of right now, the University’s Web site has a “Virtual Tour,” which leaves quite a bit to be desired; it consists of an aerial photo of the campus circa 2007, when the parking garage by O’Hare Hall was brandnew and construction on Campbell and Salice-Conley Halls had yet to begin. To be fair, there are a handful of panoramic images and live webcams, but the webcams are difficult to load and the panoramas offer a somewhat limited view of the campus.

Fordham’s presence on Google Street View will benefit the University first and foremost by offering prospective students the ability to view the Rose Hill campus as though they were taking a tour, and on a beautiful summer day, no less. In addition, Fordham’s alignment with Google offers the rather more intangible benefit of bringing the University in line with one of the most innovative, respected and socially conscious American corporations in existence right now, something that can certainly do no harm as Fordham works toward its 2016 goals.

Patrick Derocher, FCRH ’12, is an international political economy major from Loudonville, N.Y.

Laura Heaton, Think Process

Bruce McQuain, Hot Air

“The urgency with which the international community reacted and began drawing up plans for how it might get involved in Libya sets an important new precedent for preventing atrocities and protecting civilians – one that should guide future responses.”

“What we see here is precisely what the left has decried for years – the US along with others who can afford it and are willing to do it – agreeing to police the world. We are agreeing that the UN can determine when and where we commit our military forces.”

“Fordham’s presence on Google Street View will benefit the University first and foremost by offering prospective students the ability to view the Rose Hill campus as though they were taking a tour . . . on a beautiful summer day.” consumer protection agency recently fined the Mountain View, Calif.- based company €100,000 or about $142,000, for collecting (accidentally, Google claims), some 600 GB of passwords and other private information while taking Street View photos. Until recently, Google was able to brush off most of these concerns by pointing out that Street View only took photos of streets and other public places.

As of Feb. 28, however, this is no longer the case.

Using a tricycle with a 360degree camera rig mounted on its back end, Google has now canvassed several willing private institutions, including the Dub-

Issue of the Week:

International Policing A Look at the World Outside of Fordham from the Perspective of Professional News Bloggers

lin Botanical Gardens and Sea World Orlando, and uploaded the images onto its servers for all to see, offering a virtual trip to locations, including universities, across the world.

Among the first handful of

See what commentators from the Left and the Right have to say about America’s involvement in the struggle in Libya.

When it comes to the safety of nuclear power, I would say that I’m as knowledgeable as Homer Simpson.

In the 20-plus years that the slothful and short-tempered cartoon father has worked as a nuclear safety inspector, he has caused countless meltdowns; in fact, the only one he prevented was one that he created.

The role of the nuclear power plant in “The Simpsons” is, like most of the show’s aspects, used for comedic effect; however, the (once) culturally savvy show seems to have inadvertently caricatured the nuclear power procedures in Japan.

Over 125 million people live in Japan, which is about the size of California (pop. 37 million). In the mid-late 20th century, its burgeoning economy began to call for increasing amounts of energy, requiring resources that the Japanese do not have. Self-reliance and energy security became a partnership in Japan that birthed the age of Japan’s nuclear energy sector. Growth and industrialization have made Japan the third-largest economy in the world while also creating energy sector that is only behind the United States and France in terms of power output. Meltdowns in Harrisburg, Pa., and Chernobyl have caused other countries to shy away (at least temporarily) from the expansion of nuclear power as an energy source in the past; however, Japan wasn’t one of them.

In the wake of the March 11 earthquake, Japan is facing its own Chernobyl. For the first time, Japan has declared a nuclear state of emergency and, inevitably, its nuclear sector will be subject to greater inspection and scrutiny. In the past, the Japanese government has repeatedly covered up nuclear malfunctions and has created an industry in which the breech of safety regulations leads to a slap on the wrist rather than a complete shutdown.

It is easy to get caught up in the earthquake’s subplot of nuclear apocalypse; the word “nuclear” triggers fearful images of lethal terrorist explosions and nuclear disasters have unique global implications, whereas humanitarian relief and earthquakes seem to be everyday occurrences. That being said, the death and displacement toll from the earthquake’s tsunami far outnumbers the amount of Japanese potentially affected by the Fukushima debacle. It isn’t that Fukushima is irrelevant; it’s that if the concern is human lives affected by the earthquake, humanitarian aid to tsunami victims is much more pressing.

Allowing the connotations of “nuclear” to dictate foreign assistance would not be the best way to aid an ailing Japan.

Until this fall, I had never heard of the Second Congo War, the deadliest conflict worldwide since World War II (5.4 million casualties). Thanks to Don Cheadle’s Hotel Rwanda, the world knows the story of the 1994 Rwandan genocide (approximately one million casualties). Boiling fatal calamites down to death tolls is insufficient, but so is taking a label like genocide or nuclear and missing the rest.

OPINIONS

PAGE 10 â&#x20AC;˘ THE RAM â&#x20AC;˘ MARCH 23, 2011

SAT-Optional College Applications Are Impractical While Some Universities Accept Short Answer Questions about Extra-curricular Activities in Lieu of SAT Scores, Fordham Should Not Adopt this Practice

By RORY MASTERSON STAFF WRITER

In February, DePaul University in Chicago adopted a somewhat controversial policy regarding the submission of SAT and ACT scores for undergraduate applicants. Beginning next fall, freshmen applicants can choose to not send their standardized test scores and instead answer a series of open-ended essay questions designed to measure non-cognitive traits such as leadership and commitment.

The plan is supposed to encourage students with high grade-point averages and subpar standardized test scores to apply to the University. Wake Forest University, in North Carolina, enacted a similar proposal in 2008, but DePaul is the largest private university in the United States to do so thus far.

Such a proposition seems to take some wind out of the sails of standardized testing. The presumed objective of the SAT, in addition to the ACT, is to put all students on a level playing field.

At test-optional universities, the applicants may still choose to submit their standardized test scores, but it seems as though these universities are encouraging new generations of students to blaze a new trail.

The College Board has done its absolute best to make every high school student as equally miserable as possible with the execu-

tion of the SAT. With the advent of test-optional applications, it is starting to lose a bit of its totalitarian grip on the undergraduate application process.

Students are undoubtedly reveling in the idea of not having to spend Saturday mornings in a cross-county high school with large collections of pre-sharpened Ticonderoga #2 pencils rolling down their desks and borrowed TI-83s hanging out of their cargo shorts, but this policy raises a question about student equality.

Is this option going to allow undeserving students to win acceptance to prestigious universities over those more qualified? â&#x20AC;&#x153;Unless youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re Genghis Khan, leadership doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t help you pass history,â&#x20AC;? Vince Quinn, FCRH â&#x20AC;&#x2122;12, said.

The lack of practical applications in academe for leadership and other non-cognitive traits is a primary concern for those opposed to the new scoring policy.

Gauging academic potential on a level playing field has always been one of the main goals of the College Board in creating the SAT, and disregarding standardized scores entirely could cause scholastic lines to blur.

Some students, however, simply are not â&#x20AC;&#x153;wiredâ&#x20AC;? for standardized testing. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m not a test guy, per se,â&#x20AC;? John Silverberg, GSB â&#x20AC;&#x2122;14, said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;So any alternatives to submitting a worthless standardized score would be

JULIA MALAKIE/AP

Students spend large amounts of time and money preparing to take the SAT, since many colleges look closely at scores.

ideal.â&#x20AC;?

These students, who traditionally do not fare well on tests like the ACT, will find solace in the new essay submission policy, as they feel it takes away any unfair advantage other students may have.

For now, however, Fordham should not stray too far from the submission of standardized test scores for undergraduate appli-

cants. If this University wants to increase its prestige to truly become a preeminent Catholic institution, it should continue with the current policy until other larger schools begin accepting alternative solutions to SAT scores.

Hopping on the optional scores bandwagon too early could be costly in terms of attracting the kinds of students to whom Fordham primarily markets itself, but

opening applications beyond SAT and ACT scores could also attract new markets of students who would not have applied otherwise.

This idea appeals to the Jesuit side of the Fordham education, that calculated statistics in measurable areas do not necessarily constitute a good, well-rounded student.

Rory Masterson, GSB â&#x20AC;&#x2122;14, is a business administration major from Fort Mill, S.C.

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Office of Continuing Education Summer Job Opportunities Free Hospitality/Camp Job Preparation Course Starts March 25th, 2011 *

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Camp Reps On CUNY Campuses Fri., Mar 25 12:30-2:00 PM Fresh Air Fund Lehman College Carman Hall, B81 Mon. March 28 11:30â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 1:00 Project Morry New York City Technical College, Brooklyn Free classes will be offered at Lehman College on Fridays 2:00-4:30 PM and Saturdays, 10:30 AM-1:00PM March 25th - April 30th

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MARCH 23, 2011

PAGE 11

Five Time Grammy Winner Wooten Talks to The Ram

COURTESY OF MICHELLE ROCHE MEDIA RELATIONS

By SANDY MCKENZIE CULTURE EDITOR

Five-time Grammy Award winner and bassist Victor Wooten released a remastered version of his debut album, A Show of Hands, on March 8.

Wooten originally released A Show of Hands in 1996. The remastered album contains three additional bonus tracks.

Besides winning five Grammys, Wooten has received numerous accolades, including being named Bassist of the Year for Bass Player Magazine three times. He also has his own record label, VIX RECORDS, and has written a book

called The Music Lesson.

“We [at VIX RECORDS] aim to provide, by example, a different standard and model for record labels and artists, as well as for how they relate to each other,” Wooten said in a press release. “Following my successful approach of creating music that focuses on filling my soul rather than my pockets, I’ve found that this is the best recipe for doing both.”

According to the press release, Wooten began playing the bass before he was two years old. It was while he was living in Hawaii that his oldest brother, Regi, first taught him how to play, as the family band needed a bassist.

In the 1980s, Wooten teamed up with Béla Fleck, Roy “Future Man” and Howard Levy to form the Grammy Award-winning Bela Fleck and the Flecktones. Wooten has also succeeded as a solo artist.

Throughout his music career, Wooten has performed with artists such as Dave Matthews and Prince.

Additionally, his music has been featured in the movie The Moses Code, as well as in the soundtrack for Country Bears.

Although Wooten was influenced by Stanley Clarke, Larry Graham and Bootsy Collins, his brothers and his parents had the

COURTESY OF MICHELLE ROCHE MEDIA RELATIONS

greatest impact on him.

“In music and in life, my parents and brothers were the foundation,” Wooten said in the press release. “They prepared me for life by giving and teaching me love and honesty. They also taught me to keep my mind open and learn to adapt to life’s ever-changing circumstances. Their guidance has helped me stay grounded today.”

Even with all of his success, Wooten finds time to help others.

He currently operates a music and nature camp called Wooten Woods in Nashville, Tenn.

Here, he teaches students music theory, as well as an apprecia-

tion for the beauty of music and nature.

Wooten also teamed up with Stanley Clarke and Marcus Miller to form the group SMV in 2008.

SMV’s tour, the Thunder Tour, featured their single “Thunder.”

Wooten’s band, The Victor Wooten Band, and The Stanley Clarke Band will be performing at B.B. King Blues Club in New York City on March 25.

The Victor Wooten Band features Victor’s brothers, Joseph Wooten (keyboard) and Regi Wooten (guitar and vocals), along with Derico Watson (drums and vocals).

SEE WOOTEN ON PAGE 12

COURTESY OF MICHELLE ROCHE MEDIA RELATIONS

Victor Wooten began playing the bass before he was two years old. Since then, he has had great success, including winning five Grammy awards, founding a music camp and writing The Music Lesson.

PAGE 12• THE RAM MARCH 23,2011

CULTURE

COURTESY OF MICHELLE ROCHE MEDIA RELATIONS

Victor Wooten and his band, The Victor Wooten Band, will be playing at the B.B. King Blues Club in New York City on March 25. The Stanley Clarke Band will also be performing at the B.B. King Blues Club.

WOOTEN, FROM PAGE 11

While on tour, driving from Aspen, Colo. to Minneapolis, Victor Wooten took time to speak with The Ram’s Sandy McKenzie about his music and his life.

The Ram: You started playing the bass when you were two years old. Do you remember the first time you picked up the bass?

Victor Wooten: No, I don’t. I can remember playing at that time, but I don’t quite remember the first time I actually picked up the bass.

My brothers didn’t really worry about me playing an instrument at first. They just had me play music.

My first instrument was a toy, a plastic Mickey Mouse wind up guitar. We were living in Hawaii at the time. I was between one and two years old. My brothers would set up in the front yard and all of the neighbors would come out.

When my brothers played, there would be a little toy instrument on a stool and I knew that it was for me. So I would just pick it up and strum along. And it wasn’t about the instrument, it was about music.

It was like I was playing an air guitar. When a kid or an adult plays an air guitar, it is not about the right or wrong notes and it’s not about the instrument, it’s about the music from the inside.

I played this plastic toy instrument however I chose; there was no right or wrong way. It was a whole lot like a child learning to speak English. Because your whole family is speaking English, you’re allowed to speak it too and when you first begin it, it’s not about saying the wording right or wrong.

A baby just learns everything else about the language except the words and we don’t even think about it. Like what does it mean when your mother raises the pitch of her voice.

You don’t have to know what the words are to understand what that means, or when your father lowers

the pitch of his voice and all the different inflections and nuances help you tell the difference between a question and statement. All those sort of things happen even before you learn a word. Music is the same way.

It was probably when I was between two and three that [my older brother] Regi took two strings off of his guitar, which was my first real instrument. He started telling me where to place my fingers to produce a certain sound.

But, by that time I had already understood music theory, so I was learning the notes to songs I already knew. So, it was actually easy at that point.

TR: So playing the bass came naturally to you?

VW: Of course, the same way English came natural to you, very natural. I never took any professional lessons the same way you never took English-speaking lessons.

TR: What music did you listen to growing up that inspired you?

VW: Back in the mid to late 60s, you could hear everything on one radio station. On one station you might hear James Brown, Led Zepplin, The Beatles and then Sly and the Family Stone. My brothers were listening to all of that and my mom would be playing Gospel records at home, so we were hearing lots of things. But we gravitated towards R & B and soul music like Motown, Curtis Mayfield, James Brown and The Temptations. I ended up playing mostly that. We play a lot of rock music also–just a lot of different styles. We would play songs by the Stones, but we mostly played soul music.

TR: Which award have you been most excited to win?

VW: Winning a Grammy is really exciting. You have heard about it forever as a musician. You watch the videos on the television and

everyone is dressed up for such a huge event. The physical aspect of just being there and hearing your name called and getting to go up to receive the award is probably the most exciting. But I wouldn’t say that that’s the one that means the most. But it is exciting.

TR: So which award means the most?

VW: I probably would have to say it’s waking up on Father’s Day and finding out that my kids have made these little notes for all around my bed and my pillow, and they let me sleep in in the morning.

I think things like that are the best surprises: being appreciated by your kids.

But I will also say I am up for an award right now that’s totally surprising and exciting. It’s called an Audie award, and it’s the Grammy equivalent for audiobooks. So my audiobook for The Music Lesson is up for an award in the category of Personal Development. This is a book that I wrote about music, life and spirituality, and somebody believes that it’s helping people. To be up for an award like that is totally unexpected.

TR: Was your last Grammy as thrilling to win as the first?

VW: I will say it is a surprise, yes. But as exciting, maybe not because I was there the first time and my wife was with me. So the first one is probably the most exciting, but every one of them is just as surprising because most of the music I play is not really mainstream. When people appreciate it, it is surprising and exciting. But the first one was probably the most exciting.

TR: How is it playing with your brothers all of these years?

VW: It’s like living with your family. You have a big adjustment that you have to make when you move in with someone else like your roommate in college or if you

are an exchange student and suddenly you are surrounded by totally different people. First you are going to be all polite and quiet and you are going to listen.

It’s a whole lot like that playing with other people, especially the first time I did it. But because of it, I became a better musician. But playing with my brothers is always like being at home. I can relax. It is just totally, totally comfortable.

TR: Do you ever fight with your brothers?

VW: No. We do have disagreements. As kids, my mother would never let us argue. She would let us discuss and would let us have heated discussions, but if it turned into an argument, she would end it.

At that point, you are just trying to prove that you are right. It’s detrimental to everything.

Having discussions is fine and even having disagreements is fine because that’s where you learn a whole lot. So she would allow that, but she wouldn’t allow arguments, so even today we don’t do it.

TR: What is your favorite thing to do when you are not playing the bass?

VW: I love the outdoors. For many, many years, since the early 90s, I have been taking classes and studying the skills of our ancestors. For example, how they used to live off of the land before we had electricity and before we had refrigeration, cars, and things like that. How did we survive? Well, we flourished, the same way that the animals do.

That kind of information and knowledge is interesting to me. I love that, so I spend a lot of time outdoors studying animal tracks, trees and plants.

I also spend most of the time when I am on the road, or even at home, dealing with the music business side of the career. I end up doing that a lot.

And I spend as much time as

possible with my wife and my four kids.

TR: What advice would you give to aspiring musicians?

VW: I would say to read music like a language because it really does have the same purpose. It is a form of expression. Think about your first language and how you learned English. Take that process and apply it to music as best as possible to speed up that process. You will learn the music language naturally.

Trying to learn a language in a four-wall room is more difficult and when you come out of that room, you will probably be speaking that language with an accent. You hear that with a lot of musicians. With English, we speak the language more than we practice it. We use it more than we practice it.

So even with music, I say practice a little, play a lot. Play with people that are much better than you. That’s what you really need, to jam with people as much as possible, especially if you can find people that are much better than you.

Treat it like a language.

The last thing that I would say is learn to play music. Like when you were a baby learning to talk, you spend a little bit of time figuring out your instrument. But now we don’t speak mouth, we speak English. So there’s a big difference.

TR: What can your fans expect for the future?

VW: I just started my own record label. My first record came out this month. It is a lot of work being in control of all of my music.

I also have a lot of projects in the works. I am writing another book, a sequel to my first book, The Music Lesson.

In addition, I just finished a record with Béla Fleck and the Flecktones. We will be touring starting the end of May this year, and we will be touring all the way until the end of April 2012.

MARCH 23 2011 • THE RAM • PAGE 13

Cooking With Clara

Dining Out: Penang Restaurant

Clara Ennist Oatmeal Raisin Cookies For the past few weeks, I’ve been focusing on main dishes, but now, I want to shift gears and start a series of desserts.

Making dessert is extremely different from putting together an entrée, because desserts require more precise measurement and careful assembly. Rather than just jumping into the thick of it, though, I wanted to begin with a dessert that is universally loved and terribly simple.

Yield: 3 Dozen Ingredients: -1 1/4 c flour -1 tsp. soda -1 c butter, softened -1/4 c sugar -3 1/2 c oatmeal -3/4 c brown sugar -1 package instant pudding (vanilla or butterscotch) -2 eggs -1 c raisins Directions: To begin making the oatmeal raisin cookies, preheat the oven to 375 degrees. In a medium bowl, mix the flour and baking soda together.

In another bowl, combine the butter, sugars and pudding; beat until smooth. Beat the eggs into the butter mixture one at a time, making sure to beat well after each addition.

Gradually beat in the flour mix and then stir in the oats. Fold in the raisins. Drop the dough by rounded teaspoons onto an ungreased cookie sheet and bake for 10 to 12 minutes. Drop cookies are among the easiest desserts to make; almost everyone has been party to making chocolate chip cookies from scratch.

While these cookies are relatively easy to make, sometimes people find that theirs come out flat and crunchy — a far cry from the soft, ready-made cookies you can easily purchase at the store.

That’s where the instant pudding comes in. One of my favorite baking secrets is to add instant pudding to any drop cookie — oatmeal raisin or chocolate chip — which will help your batter stay thick and it will help your cookies stay soft and moist for days after baking.

In addition, if you make too many cookies, you can always put the extras in the freezer. This will keep the cookies from going bad. Simply defrost when you are ready to serve them.

Another tip for better batter is to avoid overbeating. When you mix the batter too much, it becomes tougher. In addition, leave your eggs out for at least half an hour prior to beginning with the recipe.

Oatmeal raisin cookies are one of my favorite types of cookies to make. Not only are they easy to make, but they can be better for you than some other cookies, such as chocolate chip. Thus, for those on a diet, oatmeal raisin cookies are a great way to satisfy one’s sweet tooth.

They are also one of the more simple desserts to make; however, oatmeal raisin cookies are always crowd-pleasers.

PHOTO BY KATHERINE MCGEE/THE RAM

Penang Restaurant, which serves Malaysian food, is located on West 72 St.

By KATHERINE McGEE STAFF WRITER

To a regular passerby, Penang Restaurant, which is located on West 72nd street between Columbus and Amsterdam avenues, may seem like nothing special.

Even when you step inside, it just seems like a typical chic Manhattan restaurant, but by the time you leave, you will know you have just found one of the Upper West Side’s best-kept secrets.

Penang serves Malaysian food, a refreshing alternative to the multi-

tude of Chinese and Japanese restaurants that are located in the five boroughs.

The restaurant is long and narrow, with dim lighting and dark wooden tables, it also has a full bar.

When you walk toward the back, a skylight reveals some refreshing natural light, and the room becomes spacious. At 4 p.m. on a Tuesday afternoon, the place is empty, but it also means the extremely affordable lunch menu is available for another hour.

After a week of gorging myself on chips and dip over spring break,

I knew I wanted some healthy opas well, as the chicken and vegetations. For an appetizer, I ordered bles came in an open guava with some baby bok choy ($4 on the shredded carrot and white fried lunch menu). rice noodles underneath.

I couldn’t, however, pass up the My date ordered enak gulung roti cana, an Indian style pancake ($18) with duck; although it could that came with a chicken curry dipalso be ordered with chicken or ping sauce ($5). The menu boasted tofu. The duck was shaved in short, an award-winning family recipe, so thin pieces and cooked with pepmy expectations were high. I was pers, onions and fried rice noodles. not disappointed.

It was served with lettuce leaves I was expecting it would be simito wrap the duck and vegetables, lar to Indian naan bread, but it was similar to mini tacos. The duck was much lighter and paper-thin. The fresh and crispy, and the lettuce ends were crispy, which made it difwraps gave each bite an extra crispficult to dip at times, but the midness. There was a light sauce on the dle was moist and soft, which was duck, but nothing overpowering. easier to dip in the delicious curry Although Penang offered Malaysauce. The sauce was extremely sian teas and coffees, my date and I spicy, and had small pieces of diced stuck with water, being college stuchicken in it. dents on a budget.

Overall My mouth was Not only was Location burning from the the food delicious Food Quality sauce, so the baby and filling, but the Atmosphere bok choy was a nice servers were also Hospitality Price $ $ way to cool down my extremely friendly taste buds. In addiand helpful.

(Out of 4 ’s) tion, the vegetables We were the were extremely fresh only two in the resand juicy, and were dribbled with a taurant, since it was not the normal teriyaki, soy-like, sauce. dinner time. The staff was very atThe portion size was a good tentive and patient, even as we took amount for an appetizer, as well. our time reading what each dish As an entrée, I ordered the buah entailed. mango ($16) with chicken. It is Overall, Penang was a great place also offered with shrimp or tofu. to try new and interesting food that The chicken was sautéed with is rarely found outside a large metshredded mango and green and ropolitan city. red peppers in a mango sauce. The The total bill was $45, which was sauce was advertised as spicy. not expensive for the amount of I thought it was more sweet than food we ordered and for the qualspicy, however, but still very flavority. It is a chain restaurant, with ful. While the chicken was not the locations in other cities across the best I’ve tasted, the sauce made up country, but the Upper West Side for it. I wish I had some bread to location is a great place to sample soak up the leftover sauce. unique, quality food for a moderThe presentation was beautiful ate price.

Editor’s Pick: Grab On to Me Tightly as if I Knew the Way

By CHRISTINE BARCELLONA OPINIONS EDITOR

In Grab On to Me Tightly as if I Knew the Way, Bryan Charles distills the feeling of suburban boredom and longing for future freedom into a quirky, funny novel about a teenager wasting away the days of his last summer before college.

Laced with inside jokes for pop culture buffs who can recognize lines from the TV version of The Breakfast Club and Leonard Cohen lyrics, the novel recreates the texture of slow, lazy summer days and hometown restlessness, the channel and burger flipping calm before the storm of college life.

During the summer of 1992, Kalamazoo, Mich., resident Vincent “Vim” Sweeney has just graduated from high school. His soul-sucking summer job as a dishwasher was bad enough, but when he falls in love with his bandmate’s new girlfriend, Helene, his semi-crappy existence reaches a whole new level of chaos.

What follows, of course, is a stream of hazy parties, weird hours spent at diners and all-night road trips, with only occasional, fleeting moments of clarity.

The best line of the book represents Vim’s desperate desire to keep the beautiful, lucid moments with him forever: “I wish I could make my hands a snow globe and hold this moment under glass forever.”

He says this during a quiet evening at home as he watches his mother

browse the pages of an old newspaper and his stepfather make himself peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for lunch the next day.

Of course, Vim realizes time and again that no matter what he does, he cannot often attain a sense of perfect peace, much less hold it forever.

In true Holden Caulfield style, Vim struggles to come to terms with his doubts and insecurities with the future, relationships with girls and his friends, his dissatisfaction with his absentee father, his shiftless coworkers, his anxious feelings about Desert Storm and his own unknown future.

A stream-of-consciousness style is perfect for a novel that reflects the sometimes profound, sometimes irrational thoughts of a puzzled teenager.

Some chapters are fleeting, a single paragraph or sentence, while others ramble on for pages as Vim tells his story and considers others’ tales. Told in present tense, the novel makes the reader imagine that he or she is telepathically receiving Vim’s thoughts as they occur.

Just as readers often cringe while reading The Catcher in the Rye, Grab On to Me Tightly as if I Knew the Way invokes the same feeling of dismay and frustration when Vim sullenly picks fights in bars or insults the audience at a show; however, these flaws add to Vim’s believability and reliability.

The novel has its hysterical moments, as when jealous Vim repeat-

COURTESY OF FLICKR.COM

Bryan Charles, the author of Grab On to Me Tightly as if I Knew the Way, explores coming-of-age themes, such as finding one’s path through life’s labyrinth.

edly predicts that his ball-playing classmate Derek Jeter is bound for obscurity.

He binges on Olive Garden breadsticks, acts like an idiot at house parties and drives alone for hours along empty roads, searching for an answer to a question he cannot quite articulate.

He turns to his mother, his stepfather, his once-drug-addled uncle, girls he meets at parties and waitresses in diners, looking for anyone who

can help him sort out his disordered life.

Anyone who has lived in the suburbs and dreamed of leaving their present lives behind, anyone who has ever felt stifled, trapped in a smallerthan-life existence, can identify with Vim’s ennui.

He feels stuck in the waiting room of life, wondering “Where are the prophecies of my greatness?” feeling horrified when he is met by a big silent world.

CULTURE

PAGE 14• THE RAM MARCH 23,2011

WHO’S THAT KID? Jonathan Roque A MEMBER OF GSB ’11, CONCENTRATING IN MARKETING AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY FROM BRONX, NY. In what campus organizations are you involved in?

I serve as the executive president of the Commuting Students Association (CSA) and have been involved with that since my freshman year, in various capacities, all for the goal of enhancing commuter life.

I also am a Former Orientation Coordinator for New Student Orientation (NSO) for the 2009 & 2010 Orientation program.

In addition, I am a formerUnited Christian Fellowship (UCF) board member.

Can you describe yourself in a couple of sentences?

I am a very fun-loving person who likes to make people laugh and help others. I like to smile and encourage others to do so.

I am usually seen roaming the McGinley Campus Center, running to a meeting or talking with my friends.

Can you describe something

about yourself that not many people know?

I play guitar, violin and sing. I also like to record and produce/ song-write for different artists.

What is your favorite aspect about Fordham? Why? My favorite aspect about Fordham is the staff that works literally for us, and that they enjoy what they do.

You truly can see the staff, from the top to the bottom, cares about the students and really tap into the Jesuit tenant of the cura personalis and really advocate the sense of community men and woman for and with others.

What is your favorite class at Fordham and favorite professor?

Why? My favorite class at Fordham has to be International Marketing with Professor Chattalas. This upperlevel marketing class really gets you interested in how to market in this

PHOTO COURTESY OF JONATHAN ROQUE

Jonathan Roque is the President of the Commuting Students Association.

Global economy. In addition, Professor Chattalas is a great lecturer and really gets you interested in the subject.

What is your favorite memory while attending Fordham?

My favorite memory is split between my first Commuter Week and this past Orientation 2010 opening ceremony. For me, both of these are bookends in my mind.

I think back to all that I learned my freshman year and to my senior year really “Going forth and aetting the world on fire.” Seeing the New Students light their candles is one of those Fordham memories I will never forget.

What is your favorite thing to do in NYC? How often do you go into the city?

My favorite thing to do in NYC is try different places to eat and find different shows. I like to rush different Broadway shows or catch some of my friends in their performances at different venues in the city.

What are your plans (career or otherwise) for after college?

My plan is to actually take some time to work on some musical endeavors and projects that I haven’t been able to work on.

I also am looking at different short-term jobs in event-planning in the short run. I am looking to enroll to graduate school in the spring 2012 to pursue a degree in non-profit management.

What do you want to do or accomplish before you leave Fordham?

I would like to continue to meet new people and strengthen my current friendships. I also will, until I graduate, continue to advocate and make the quality of life for commuters better.

Anything else you want people to know about you?

I have many different nicknames at Fordham; my primary one is JRoc. Like I said earlier, McGinley is my home base. Next time you see me around say “hey.”

what’s Know “what’s going on” on campus or in NYC?

Going

24

?

On

Send tips, event listings, or comments to theram@fordham.edu.

THURSDAY “Poets Out Loud : Local Talent” Lowenstein Building 12th Floor Lounge 7 p.m.

Come listen to poetry readings from Fordham faculty and guests.

25

FRIDAY Victor Wooten Band and Stanley Clarke Band B.B. King Blues Club 8 p.m.

Enjoy the musical stylings of the Grammy-award winners.

26

SATURDAY

“Dark Disco” Santo’s Party House 100 Lafayette St. 10 p.m.

U.K. bass music DJs and Belgian indie-electro acts will provide unique beats for an endless night of dancing.

27

SUNDAY

The Flying Karmakov Brothers Minetta Lane Theatre 18 Minetta Lane 8 p.m

The juggling troupe will be juggling anything thrown at them. Be sure to bring an item of your own to watch the Brothers juggle.

28

MONDAY “Life as a Superhero: An Investigation Into an Urban Subculture” Pete’s Candy Store at 709 Lorimer St at 7:30 p.m.

Listen to Chaim Lazaros discuss his superhero alter ego named Life.

29

TUESDAY “Chaos and Classicism: Art in France, Italy, and Germany, 1918–1936”

Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum 1071 Fifth Ave Enjoy surrealist art.

30

WEDNESDAY Fashion and Etiquette Dining Diner O’Keefe Commons 6 p.m. - 9 p.m.

Learn how to properly dine and dress in the business world with help from Career Services.

— COMPILED BY SCHARON HARDING AND SANDY MCKENZIE

Ram Reviews PLAY THE CRUCIBLE

By CHRISTINE BARCELLONA OPINIONS EDITOR

The Theater Outreach Program delivered a dark, dramatic and stirring performance of Arthur Miller’s The Crucible on March 10.

Directed by Kevin Guhin, FCRH ’12, and Elizabeth Jackman, FCRH ’11, and abridged by Elizabeth Certa, FCRH ’12, the play was shockingly intense, full of dramatic pauses and even more dramatic outbursts.

Remarkable acting defined the performance, which emphasized the townspeople’s broken, tattered relationships and the profound pain that permeated the self-destructing community that Miller’s play depicts.

Reverend Hale, played by Thomas Rivera, FCLS ’13, spoke

and acted with profound gravity; he stood as a firm but too-littletoo-late voice of reason in midst of the frenzied screeching of the disintegrating community.

John Proctor’s (Tom Aglio, FCRH ’12) rational speeches joined Hale’s steady attitude.

Hallie Bowen, FCRH ’13, played a terrifying and intense Abigail Williams, whose bloodcurdling screams filled the air throughout the play.

Her posse of pretend-possessed girls exhibited equal levels of horrifyingly realistic agony as they testified to attacking spirits.

The stark sets and dark corners of the Blackbox Theater heightened the deep gloom and menacing atmosphere of the witch-hunts and feigned demonic possessions; as the supposedly possessed girls screamed in pain at imaginary demons, the view from the audience probably had much in common with the view that the other characters must have had when they witnessed the girls’ behavior.

In the chill of the performance, it almost seemed too real, even from the removed vantage point of the audience.

While several previous TOP performances were comedies and played up the humor of the plays the group abridged, The Crucible rarely let up on the sense of oppressive doom, as is appropriate for a play dealing with such serious issues.

Moments of refreshing comic relief did occur, but, for the most part, the focus was on the characters’ chilling, heartless actions.

Guhin indicated that TOP toned down the drama after receiving feedback during the dress rehearsals; in the March 10 performance, they seemed to strike a proper balance between the fierce turmoil of the witch hunts and moments of levity.

Though perhaps they could have even toned it down a little bit more, the level of drama was shocking but bearable, and it fit the nature of the play.

They managed to successfully walk the fine line between uncomfortable, unnecessary intensity and uncomfortable but essential intensity; however, if the performance had been any more intense it would have made for an uncomfortable audience and would have seemed inappropriate and overacted.

While TOP usually has two free performances of its abridged plays for one night on campus, the group is focused on community service, and performs shows for local, usually middle-schoolaged, students. Because of the darker, more mature content of the play, TOP will perform the production for local high school students starting this week.

TOP’s next performance will be The Tempest, which will be directed by Steve DiMaria, FCRH ’12, and Madeline Metzler, FCRH ’11. It will be performed later this spring. If the quality of The Crucible is any indication, it will be a show well worth attending.

BOOK SHE’S COME UNDONE

By Wally Lamb

By CODIE LANDSMAN CONTRIBUTING WRITER

She’s Come Undone is one of Wally Lamb’s greatest pieces of literature, illustrating the darkly humorous life of Dolores Price as she progresses from childhood to adulthood. Her life is plagued with an abundance of obstacles, beginning with rape and a negligent, unfaithful father, that plunge Dolores deep into depression.

As the darkness of her life begins to overshadow her every waking moment, Dolores can only turn to massive amounts of junk food, soda and cigarettes for comfort; her unstable mother and uptight grandmother offer her little guidance.

Luckily, Dolores find guidance from her counselor, who helps her to overcome her past.

TO READ THESE REVIEWS IN THEIR ENTIRETY, VISIT THERAMONLINE.COM AND CLICK ON “CULTURE” ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE HOMEPAGE.

PAGE 15

MARCH 23 , 2011

Softball Opens A-10 Play with Tournament Sweep, Goes on to Lose Two Fordham Goes 5-0 at Cavalier Classic, Loses Two Against Maryland and Splits Against Saint Louis in A-10 Games

By CHESTER BAKER ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR

Fordham packed its bags for another tournament last week as the Lady Rams traveled to the University of Virginia for the Cavalier Classic in Charlottesville, Va. The tournament was another chance for the Lady Rams to make a case for a spot in the top 25, as they took on Princeton and Virginia and matched up against No. 25 Syracuse once.

Fordham was able to sweep the field and came away with a 5-0 record for the tournament.

“We’ve preached all year long that we want to play the best teams we can,” Head Coach Bridgette Orchard said. “These kinds of games will really help us later in the year if we are looking for an at-large bid for the tournament.”

In two games against Princeton, Fordham came away with two wins by a combined score of 20-1. In the first match against the Tigers, Fordham defeated Princeton 15-0 in five innings, as Chelsea Plimpton tossed a no-hitter. Plimpton struck out seven and walked none throughout the five innings, allowing only one baserunner on a Fordham error. The Rams were able to capitalize with runners in scoring position en route to the 15-run win.

Jocelyn Dearborn, freshman designated hitter Gabby Luety and junior outfielder Lindsay Kay Bright led the charge for Fordham, each each driving in three runs. Fordham broke the door open in the third inning when it plated seven and then increased its lead again in the fourth as the Lady Rams scored another six times.

In the second game against the Tigers, Princeton was able to keep it a little more respectable as Fordham came away with a 5-1 win. The Lady Rams’ offense was led by senior shortstop Samantha Pellechio, who had three RBI on the after-

PHOTO BY AARON MAYS/THE RAM

Junior infielder Jocelyn Dearborn hit a walk-off homerun against No. 25 Syracuse. Dearborn is currently hitting .337.

noon, while junior infielder Nicole Callahan drove in two. In the circle, Fordham turned to sophomore Jamie LaBovick, who pitched a complete game. LaBovick allowed just three Princeton hits and struck out four to get her first win of the season.

In its first game against UVA, Fordham came away an 8-4 win.

Dearborn continued her hot streak and led the Lady Rams’ offense by driving two out of the park, including one on the first at-bat of the game. Plimpton got the call again, and was able to even her record on the year to 7-7 by striking out six over seven innings in a complete game.

Junior Jen Mineau pitched her only complete game of the tournament in the second game against the host Cavaliers. Mineau struck out five while allowing only one run, as Fordham won 9-1 in five in-

nings.

“Jen has been great for us,” Orchard said. “She is proving why people thought so highly of her last season and in the preseason.”

Fordham got on the board early once again by scoring six runs in the first inning. Luety hit a two-run bomb to give the Lady Rams a 2-0 lead, and three other players combined to plate another four in the opening frame.

In the upset win against Syracuse, the Orange carried a 3-2 lead into the bottom of the sixth, when Dearborn hit her first homer of the game to tie it up. In the bottom of the eighth inning, Fordham hit its second walk-off home-run against a ranked team this season when Dearborn hit another one over the wall to give the Lady Rams a 4-3 win. Luety hit a walk-off home run against Texas earlier in the year.

Mineau got the start for Ford-

ham but struggled early, giving up three earned runs in just 3.2 innings. Plimpton came on in relief of Mineau and held the Orange scoreless over the next 4.1 innings.

Plimpton allowed just three hits while whiffing two.

The Lady Rams took their sixgame winning streak to College Park, Md. to take on Maryland in a doubleheader.

The Lady Terps downed Fordham in the two matches in the teams’ first matchup since the 2010 NCAA Championship Regional. In the first game of the day, Maryland crushed Fordham 7-1, as Plimpton got rocked to the tune of twelve hits. The Lady Rams went up against Maryland senior Kerry Hickey, who held Fordham to just one hit over six innings. Senior catcher Meghan Shager was the only Fordham player with a hit.

In the second game, Fordham

lost again, this time 5-4. The Lady Rams held a 3-0 lead after sophomore infielder Beckah Wiggins drove a first-inning pitch out for a three-run homer. In the third inning, however, Mineau gave up two runs on a triple, and then gave up another two-run triple in the fourth. Maryland would go on to score one more time against Mineau, who finished with seven strikeouts on the day.

Following the sweep by Maryland, Fordham stood at 14-12 when it opened up conference play and its home schedule against Saint Louis on March 20.

In the first game, Pellechio brought home a runner from second with a single in the first, giving the Lady Rams a 1-0 lead. LaBovick and sophomore infielder Chelsea Palombo added one RBI a piece, and Fordham was led by Plimpton as the Lady Rams got a 3-1 win.

Plimpton carried the Lady Rams for 5.2 innings, as she dismantled the Saint Louis lineup by giving up just four hits. Mineau came on to close things out for Fordham, getting the four out save.

Fordham saw no luck in the rematch, as Saint Louis avenged the loss from the first game with a 2-0 win. Mineau pitched a complete game and gave up just one earned run while striking out six.

Junior pitcher Hannah Huebbe pitched a gem for the visitors, striking out five while allowing just one hit in the complete-game win.

With the loss, Fordham’s A-10 record evens out at 1-1. Fordham defeated St. Johns 5-4 in a game originally scheduled for Mar. 23, but moved up to Mar. 22 due to weather concerns. The win gave Fordham a 16-14 record on the year.

Fordham will continue its conference schedule in a doubleheader against St. Bonaventure on Mar. 25 and 26. The Lady Rams will then battle Lehigh in another double-header on Mar. 30.

Men’s Tennis Falls to 1-4 Following Loss to St. Peter’s Women’s Rowing Starts Strong

By DAN GARTLAND STAFF WRITER

In its most recent match, the Fordham men’s tennis team fell to St. Peter’s by a score of 5-0. Follwing the loss, the team prepares for a crucial weekend trip to Philadelphia where they will play three Atlantic 10 conference matches in two days.

In a match against St. Peter’s, the Rams dropped all four singles matches as well as the lone doubles match. Sophomore Alex DeRienzo and senior co-captains Austin Shoup and Kevin Maloney all lost their singles matches in straight sets. Maloney lost a hard-fought first set at third singles, 5-7 and also lost the second set, 0-6, while Shoup lost 2-6, 3-6 at first singles.

DeRienzo fell in his second singles match.

At fourth singles, sophomore Dan Kane-West lost the first set 2-6 and bounced back to win the second set 6-3, but lost the super

tiebreaker 1-10. In the doubles match, the team of seniors Nick Kelly and Ken Fukumoto lost 2-6, 4-6. With the loss, the Rams fall to 1-4 on their spring season.

Despite the slow start, the team remains confident.

“I think that once we start playing more conference matches, we will get more wins,” DeRienzo said.

The Rams will get the opportunity to play some conference matches this coming weekend. According to Maloney, the matches against LaSalle and St. Joe’s on the 26th and against Temple on the 27th rank just behind the A-10 conference tournament as the most important matches of the year.

“Apart from A-10s, this upcoming weekend is the biggest in our season,” he said. “There is some bad blood with LaSalle, and we have been focused on that match for months. The St. Joe’s and LaSalle matches are huge for our season as they will have a direct impact on

our seeding at A-10s.”

Maloney also echoed DeRienzo’s optimism.

“I think we’ll get multiple wins this week,” he said. “We should hopefully add three or four more wins to the record. We have a challenging schedule this semester, especially with so many matches being on the road, but we’ve been playing well as a team.”

“It’s a bit difficult having so many away matches, not having friends and family from Fordham at the matches, but at the same time, it is very satisfying walking into someone’s house and getting a win,” he added.

That’s exactly what they hope to do this weekend, according to Maloney.

“I think we can get wins at both St. Joes and LaSalle this weekend,” Maloney said. “Coming back from Spring Break, the intensity has been really high at practice, and everyone on the team is ready to take down some A-10 matches.”

By BRODY NIEPORTE STAFF WRITER

The Fordham women’s crew team started out its spring season with a strong performance.

The Lady Rams had some high expectations following a stellar performance in the fall season, especially from the Varsity 8 squad.

In the fall, the V8 squad placed second at the Head of Charles race, one of the most competitive meets of the season. Fordham also won its eighth straight Fall Metropolitan Champiosnhip.

The Lady Rams kicked off their season in Williamsburg, Va. against the Tribe of the College of William and Mary. Fordham went undefeated in all of their races against William and Mary. The team won the Varsity 8s, Women’s JV 8s and the Varsity 4 races.

“Our scrimmage Against William and Mary proved encouraging for the rest of the season with the Women’s Varsity 8s and women’s

JV 8’s and Varsity 4s finishing first in all of their races,” sophomore Jackie Hinke, a varsity coxswain said.

Although this race was just a scrimmage it may prove to be a springboard for the rest of the year and the competitive regattas the team will face this spring.

William and Mary does not have a varsity women’s crew team and the Lady Rams completely outmatched their opponents in winning every race.

“Our V8 and JV8 beat them pretty easily,” Sophomore Elizabeth Anderson said. “It was a very good test run for this weekend’s race.”

The team is looking very strong, and it should go on to win many more races this spring. The Lady Rams will look to keep their momentum going this Saturday at the Murphy Cup which will take place in Philadelphia, on the Schuylkill River.

Next, Fordham will travel west for the San Diego Crew Classic.

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SPORTS

2011 NFL Mock Draft

By BRENDAN MALONE STAFF WRITER

1. Carolina Panthers: Nick Fairley, DT, Auburn. The Panthers play in a division with Drew Brees, Matt Ryan and Josh Freeman.

Do they go after a young quarterback of their own, or get a player who will give those quarterbacks nightmares? Fairley is an excellent prospect and should be the choice.

2. Denver Broncos: Marcell Dareus, DT, Alabama. The Broncos need help all over the place on defense. Dareus is a versatile lineman who can play end in a 3-4 or tackle in a 4-3.

3. Buffalo Bills: Blaine Gabbert, QB, Missouri. The Bills have a franchise quarterback fall into their laps. Ryan Fitzpatrick played well for Buffalo last year and his presence would allow for Gabbert to sit and learn during his rookie year.

Gabbert is not as highly thought of as Sam Bradford was last year, but many think he will have a very nice career.

4. Cincinnati Bengals: A.J. Green, WR, Georgia. Terrell Owens and Chad Ochocinco will, in all likelihood, be gone.

Green would be a heckuva replacement. Green is a 6-4, 215pound receiver with great hands.

He is a precise route runner and a very polished player.

Carson Palmer would be crazy to want out of Cincinnati if he would be throwing to this guy next season.

5. Arizona Cardinals: Von Miller, OLB, Texas A&M. Miller is an excellent pass rusher, and he greatly improved his pass coverage skills last season. He is an ideal fit for a pass-rushing outside linebacker in the 3-4.

6. Cleveland Browns: Julio Jones, WR, Alabama. The Browns would be very disappointed not to have a chance at A.J. Green, but they still get a player who should quickly develop into a number-one wide receiver.

The Browns need dynamic playmakers on offense, and Jones is exactly that. He is just as big as Green and might actually be faster: On a broken foot, Jones ran his 40-yard dash in 4.39 at the combine.

He is also an excellent downfield blocker – just ask Mark Ingram.

7. San Francisco 49ers: Patrick Peterson, CB, LSU. Many consider Peterson to be the best player in the draft, so the 49ers would love for him to fall to the seven spot.

At 220 pounds he might be too heavy to stay at corner, although he did run a 4.34 40 at the combine. Peterson also can help as a return man on special teams.

8.Tennessee Titans: Da’Quan Bowers, DE, Clemson. Bowers is a tremendous pass-rusher who probably would go a couple of

spots higher if not for some questions about a knee injury that prevented him from participating in drills at the combine.

9. Dallas Cowboys: Prince Amukamara, CB, Nebraska.

The Cowboys have needed help in the secondary for years now, and they finally get it in Amukamara. Amukamara did not have an interception last year, but that was a result of nobody throwing at him than anything else.

The Cowboys also need help along the offensive line, but they cannot pass up a player like Amukamara here.

10. Washington Redskins: Cam Newton, QB, Auburn. The Donovan McNabb trade did not work out for the Redskins, so now they will try to develop a quarterback for the future.

Many people have started to come around on Newton’s prospects as a pro quarterback. I have not.

These “run first” quarterbacks have rarely worked out in the past. In fact, only Michael Vick became a star in the league, and many considered him overrated until this past season.

Quarterbacks that play this style take too many hits and are always banged up. If the Redskins take Newton, they better be patient, because he will not be ready to play right away.

I don’t know if he will ever be much more than an average NFL quarterback.

NEW YORK TEAMS New York Giants: Mike Pouncey, G/C, Florida. Pouncey’s brother was drafted by the Steelers in the first round last year and he became a Pro Bowler in his rookie year.

Mike has many of the same skills. He can play both guard and center, and he moves well for an offensive lineman.

The Giants were successful when they were a power running team. Pouncey would help them get back to reclaiming that identity.

New York Jets: Phil Taylor, DT, Baylor. The Jets need help along the defensive line, which is starting to get old, and they get it with this pick.

Taylor is extremely athletic for his size (330 pounds) and would be a perfect replacement for Kris Jenkins.

The Jets also could go a different route and take safety Rahim Moore out of UCLA. Jets safety Jim Leonhard is coming off of a broken leg and it is a weak draft for the safety position and a very deep draft for defensive linemen, so the Jets could address their defensive line needs in later rounds.

Safety is a very important position in Rex Ryan’s defense, and Moore is great at forcing turnovers, as evidenced by his 10 INTs last season.

Neither player will fill the Jets’ need for a dominant pass-rusher, but either choice would be a nice piece to add to an already good defense.

MARCH 23, 2011 • THE RAM • PAGE 17

Men’s Baseball Fordham 7 NJIT 6 Fordham Lee Kownacki Walker DeSilva David McCunney Russo McSherry Maghini Swatek Phelan Kenny Munday Pike Totals

AB 6 4 3 0 0 0 3 5 6 4 5 5 0 0 41

NJIT Tomczyk Peterson Bleakley Del Vecchio Weckerle Roche Kapp Bouck Bickert Leiter Burdi Totals

AB 5 5 5 4 4 5 3 5 4 0 0 40

R H RBI 2 2 0 1 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 0 0 1 2 1 1 0 1 2 1 0 0 0 1 2 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 7 12 6

R H RBI 1 2 0 1 0 0 2 1 1 2 1 0 0 1 1 0 3 2 0 1 2 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 6 11 6

Score 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Fordham 0 3 1 0 0 0 1 0 2 NJI 0 0 3 0 0 0 2 0 1 Fordham Munday Pike Swatek NJIT Leiter Burdi

ip h 3.1 6.2 1.0

r 5 6 0

er bb 3 3 1 3 2 2 0 0 0

so 3 7 0

ip h r er bb so 7.1 9 5 5 5 3 3.2 3 2 2 3 3

Stony Brook 13 Fordham 2 Fordham Lee Kenny David Flanagan Phelan Walker Russo McSherry Kimmeth Kownack Mauri Maghini Swatek McCunney DeSilva Krakowiak Thompson Porter Charest Adel Totals

AB 3 1 2 0 2 4 4 3 1 3 1 4 2 1 3 0 0 0 0 0 34

R 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2

H RBI 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 2 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 7 1

Stony Brook Cantwell Murakami Marshall Carmona Pena Tissenbaum Marino Nivins Jankowski Hubbard Mason Intagliata Courtney Tropeano Rakkar Totals

AB R H RBI 2 1 1 1 2 0 0 0 5 0 0 1 3 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 5 2 3 0 5 2 3 1 5 1 2 4 3 1 2 0 2 0 0 0 3 2 2 1 1 0 0 0 5 2 3 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 42 13 18 10

Score by Inning 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Fordham 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 Stony Brook 0 1 1 7 0 2 1 1 0

Fordham Krakowiak Thompson Porter Charest Adel Stony Brook Tropeano Rakkar

ip h 5 12 1 1 1 2 1 3 1 0

r er bb so 9 8 0 3 2 2 1 0 1 1 1 2 1 1 0 1 0 0 0 1

ip h r er bb 7 5 2 2 2 10 2 2 0 0 0 3

Outdoor Track & Field

Women’s Softball

Battleground Relays Fredericksburg, VA

Fordham 3 Saint Louis 1 - Game 1

Men’s 100m Dash 1. Wallace, Unattached, 11.02 14. Houston, Fordham, 11.67 Men’s 10,000m Run 1. Belgiovine, Fordham, 33:47.12 2. Saad, Fordham, 33:47.15 3. Synan, Fordham, 33:47.16 Men’s 4x100m relay 1. Fordham (Massaro, Houston, Atkinson, Bongiorno), 43.20 2. Alfred State (Crawford, Johnson, Harrington, Boyer), 43.41 Men’s 1600m Medley 1. Fordham 2. Howard CC Men’s Long Jump 1. Dennis, Unattached, 6.81m 2. Houston, Fordham, 6.53m 3. Mays, Fordham, 6.18m Men’s 100m Hurdles 1. Harrington, Alfred State, 14.74 4. Clemens, Fordham, 14.74 Men’s 3000m Run 1. Stuart, Fordham, 9:01.43 2. Barrett, Fordham, 9:05.10 3. Kelly, Fordham, 9:12.26 Men’s 400m Hurdles 1. Atkinson, Fordham, 57.72 4. Chediak, Fordham, 1:00.38 Men’s 4000 Medley 1. Virginia Wesleyan (Driscoll, Njomo, Shelton, Whitson), 10:37.09 3. Fordham (Stuart, Clemens, Kelly, Harnett), 10:52.11 Men’s Pole Vault 1. Litz, Goucher, 4.26m 5. Baron, Fordham, 3.81m 11. Talty, Fordham, NH

Women’s 100m Dash 1. Groeninger, Fordham, 12.57 2. Dorsey, Alfred State, 12.80 Women’s 1500m Run 1. Smith, Shenandoah, 4:57.49 4. Davis, Fordham, 5:07.59 Women’s 100m Hurdles 1. Sydnor, Howard CC, 15.16 3. Sheppard, Fordham, 15.74 Women’s 4x100m 1. Fordham (Groeninger, Sheppard, Fagade, Warren), 49.29 2. Mary Washington (Lee, Ditto, Jordan, McClellan), 51.92 Women’s Long Jump 1. Warren, Fordham, 5.0m 2. Macaluso, Goucher, 4.84m

Fordham Dearborn Callahan Crowley Pellechio Luety Longo B. Wiggins LaBovick Palumbo Krasnisky Richards VanBenschote Bright Plimpton Mineau

AB 3 2 0 3 2 0 2 4 3 1 3 1 4 0 0

Totals

28 3 7 3

Saint Louis Nicoletti Dockins Brand Faletto Holland Cejka Burger Biggs Van Nostrand Buschjost Matesa

AB 2 1 2 2 3 3 2 1 3 2 0

Totals

R 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

R 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

H 2 1 0 1 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 1 0 0

H 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

RBI 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0

RBI 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

21 1 2 1

Score Fordham Saint Louis

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 1 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0

Fordham ip h r er bb so Plimpton 5.2 2 1 1 2 4 Mineau 1.1 0 0 0 0 1 Saint Louis ip h r er bb so Matesa 7 7 3 3 4 6

Saint Louis 2 Fordham 0 - Game 2 Fordham Dearborn Callahan Crowley Pellechio Luety B. Wiggins LaBovick Palumbo Krasnisky Richards Siesta Bright Mineau

AB 3 3 0 3 3 3 3 1 1 1 1 2 0

R 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Totals

24 0 3 0

Saint Louis Nicoletti Dockins Brand Faletto Biggs Holland Cejka Van Nostrand Buschjost Huebbe

AB 3 2 3 3 2 2 1 2 2 0

Totals

20 2 3 2

R 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0

H 0 1 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0

H 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0

RBI 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

RBI 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0

Score 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Fordham 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Saint Louis 0 1 0 0 0 1 x

Women’s High Jump 1. Newman, Fordham, 1.57m 2. Sobanko, Shenandoah, 1.42m

Fordham Mineau

Women’s Javelin 1. Hassell, Fordham, 38.8m

Saint Louis ip h r er bb so Huebbe 7 3 0 0 0 5

ip h r er bb so 6 3 2 1 1 6

Visit theramonline.com for same-day game stories after home men’s basketball games.

Also visit for blogs covering NBA, NHL, MLB, NCAA Basketball, NCAA Football and EPL.

PAGE 18 THE RAM • MARCH 23, 2011

JONATHON SMITH Right now, we are embarking on the greatest time of the year for sports. The NHL and NBA, which have seemingly been going on forever, are finally nearing the playoffs.

Baseball is about to begin, and if you girls around campus could not tell by my mustache, March Madness is upon us. For any sports junkie, this is what we wait for all year — a time when all sports games have meaning. Whether it is an NHL or NBA team fighting for the playoffs, MLB opening day or the NCAA tournament, all of these games mean something.

While I sit in Vermont where the dirt roads are nothing but mud and melting snow, and turn to the television to entertain myself, it could not be better timing. While I was tempted to watch Mrs. Doubtfire the other night, I had to resist, for this is the time of year when watching sports is at its best.

I’ll start with the NHL. Despite my Maple Leafs looking like they will be missing another postseason, I have still kept up on the game. This is the time of year when “every game counts” and it is time for teams to have a “gut check,” one of my least favorite sports phrases.

Anytime a team is fighting to get into the playoffs, I don’t care what sport it is, you can bet I will be following.

I do not follow hockey as religiously as other sports, but thanks to my boss, Nick, I have been filled in on the season. Because of him, I could list reasons why the Flyers are poised for a Stanley Cup run, but that is not the point; the point is that teams are making playoff runs and battling every game, and therefore it is something that I am going to watch.

The NBA regular season is coming to a close and the playoff picture is clearing up. After months of playing, months of coverage on the Miami Heat and months of storylines regarding Lebron James, I could not be happier that the regular season is coming to an end. While this means very little, since the NBA playoffs also last for months and will not end until June, it is still an exciting time for professional basketball.

Now is the time of year when teams really start to play and show that they care more about winning than their contracts, something that has always kept me distant from the NBA. Teams are finally playing the entire game (playing defense, passing the ball and working as a team). They are playing like college kids.

Speaking of college kids, it’s March Madness, baby! A time of year when gambling is suddenly legal everywhere, some of the country’s best basketball is played and the term “Cinderella Story” is hackneyed and used daily. By now

there have probably been many upsets, brackets busted and schools labeled “This years’ George Mason.”

Isn’t this what it is all about anyway, the excitement? The excitement of watching a 13-seed upset a 4-seed powerhouse? I’ve seen Morehead State beat fellow Kentucky school Louisville and shatter my bracket. I’m sure by the time this article reaches print there will have been even more upsets and excitement. The excitement of watching a 13-seed upset a 4-seed powerhouse? The strength, determination and passion displayed by these young men, many of whom are younger than me, is unmatched.

I watch these guys and feel like I am a boy among these men. It is as if I am a little boy watching these men play a game and leave it all on the court. I almost feel bad because it seems as though they are accomplishing so much and all I am doing is sitting on my couch spilling crumbs on myself while watching.

While I love March Madness, it is inevitable that UConn will break my heart, Duke will continue to frustrate me and a new underdog will be born and labeled “America’s Sweetheart.” Despite this seemingly routine occurence, each year there seems to be more and more excitement.

On top of all of this action, baseball season is also beginning – the time when sports writers everywhere are making “bold” predictions and the players are enjoying the sun and not worrying about going hitless in spring games.

The month of March is great for sports. For northeast residents, it is the middle of mud season; the snow is melting, the grass is ugly and wet. The outdoors are in flux between pants and shorts season.

This makes for prime television watching and, with so many important sports games going on, I am glued to the TV. The only other month that even somewhat compares to March is October. The baseball playoffs are in full swing, the NBA and NHL are beginning, the NFL season is taking place and college football is going on. On top of all this, the weather is great for playing sports outdoors and wearing sweaters. Sweater weather always puts people in great moods. March is prime time for the passion period.

Despite more sports being played, baseball is the only one that is going through what I am labeling “the passion period,” the time of season during which players turn their games up a notch and leave it all on the field. March is prime time for the passion period.

This is why March still takes the cake for best sports month. Opening day of baseball may be my favorite day of the year. The smell of fresh-cut grass, hot dogs and the crack of a baseball off a bat are signals that spring has arrived, and it doesn’t get much more American than baseball, mowing the lawn and hot dogs.

The NBA and NHL are in the passion period, and March madness just kicks so much tail. So, while some may complain about how there is nothing to do in March or in this weather, I will respectfully disagree, allow my mustache to grow and tune in for the country’s best time for sports.

SPORTS

Senior Profile: Austin Shoup

By CHESTER BAKER

ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR

The tennis team will play in their first spring season without longtime coach Bob Hawthorn, who retired last season and passed away last week.

Senior Austin Shoup played on the last team Hawthorn coached, and hopes to improve on last year’s season, during which the Rams were knocked out of the Atlantic 10 Championship Tournament in the first round.

The Ram: What are the goals for the team this season?

Austin Shoup: Well our main goal is obviously just winning, but I think more than [that], this year has been about becoming a team.

We all wanted to become more of a team and be more unified as a squad. We have a lot of energy, and I think we’re coming together really well.

TR: The team was recently selected by the A-10 coaches to finish last in the conference. How did that affect the team?

AS: Obviously it motivated us. We have some big dreams for this season, and we’re out there to make a name for ourselves. We know we’re not the worst team in the conference.

TR: Do you have any personal goals for the season?

AS: I wanted to get back to the number one spot, but eventually my personal goals became what was best for the team. I just want to do whatever I can as a captain to make sure we become the best team we can be.

TR: Your former coach, Bob Hawthorn, recently passed away.

What are your thoughts on him?

AS: He was a really great man, and it really is an honor to say that I was on the last team he coached.

He was a great tennis coach, but he

PHOTO BY SIMON SULIT/THE RAM

Austin Shoup, a team captain, regained the No. 1 singles position this season.

was also just a really good person and was kind of like a life coach for the time. He was always ready to give us advice on so many more things than just tennis, and [he] really helped me off the court. He would always give us advice on everything, and he could always make you laugh.

TR: What are your thoughts on your new coach, Cory Hubbard?

AS: The first thing was you could see how much he loved tennis and how excited he was to be here right when we met him. He is a great guy, and he has us working really hard to get into the best shape of our lives. He has been unifying the team really well, and he is doing a great job.

TR: What has been your favorite moment on the team?

AS: Wow, that’s a tough one. If I had to pick [just one], I would say earlier this year in a match against Siena: senior Nick Kelly and sophomore John Thornhill were playing in a doubles match, and they were down 6-2, while everyone on the team was watching. They had

a really great comeback, and we were all cheering the entire time.

Eventually they came back and won, and we all stormed the court.

That’s the first time I’d ever seen a team storm the court. It was a turning point for the team and really brought us together.

TR: What made you choose Fordham?

AS: I wanted a school close to a city that had a good business school [and] where I could continue my tennis career. Fordham fit all of those criteria, so I chose to play here.

TR: What do you plan on doing after Fordham?

AS: I plan on getting a job and working for a few years, then eventually going back to school to get my MBA. TR: How is your bracket looking?

AS: Terrible. Texas losing and Purdue losing really killed me.

Absolutely terrible. I really don’t want to talk about it.

Women’s Tennis Loses Three Over Spring Break

By NANCY BUCKLEY STAFF WRITER

The Fordham women’s tennis team headed out for a road trip of the Mid-Atlantic states over Spring Break. The first stop of the week was in Baltimore, Md. on March 16, where the Lady Rams fell to the Loyola Greyhounds by a score of 4-3.

The Lady Rams held their own against the Lady Greyhounds until the third set of first singles. Before falling to Loyola’s sophomore Rachel Janasek by a score of 6-4, freshman Angelika Dabu split two sets by scores of 4-6 and 6-3.

The match was a tight three setter, but after a controversial line call, the match took a turn, allowing Janasek to beat out Dabu.

“I tried to stay mentally tough,” Dabu said, “but it wasn’t enough in the end.”

Sophomore Mia Fiocca, freshman Hanna Fritzinger and junior Bethany Boyle all won their singles matches.

Fiocca and Dabu also won first doubles against Janasek and junior Joy Johnson from Loyola.

The Lady Rams stayed in Maryland for their next match against Towson University. This stop similarly proved to be unsuccessful: another 4-3 loss for the Lady Rams.

In first singles, Fiocca won her sets by scores of 6-2 and 6-2. After a tough loss the day before, Dabu defeated freshman Encarni Lizana by scores of 6-3 and 6-1.

Fritzinger had the Lady Rams’ final singles win in third singles with a 6-3, 6-3 win over freshman Ioana Aprodu.

Townson freshman Nisha Shah won her 12th straight singles match, defeating Lady Rams sophomore Jennifer Mullen 6-0, 6-0.

Fritzinger and junior Sarah Tremaine were the only victorious doubles pair for the Lady Rams, winning second doubles 8-4.

At the final destination of the trip, the Lady Rams suffered their worst defeat, as they were swept

by James Madison University by a

score of 7-0 on Mar. 19.

This was the second sweep in two days by the Dukes, who also defeated Norfolk State 7-0 on March 18.

Dabu put up the strongest fight, falling to James Madison sophomore Michelle Nguyen, 6-4, 6-4, in second singles.

“The Spring Break road trip allowed our team to bond and have fun together off the court,” Dabu said. “We made the most of it.”

The team has been suffering from a dwindling number of players, as sophomore Taylor Holt suffers from a hip injury, limiting the team to only six active players.

The team hopes that Holt will be back on the court by the end of the season.

Following a tough spring break for Fordham, the Lady Rams will look to bounce back in their home opener against Farleigh Dickinson on Wednesday, Mar. 23. Fordham will then take on Marist in the second home match of the season on March 26.

Track Begins Outdoor Season, Wins 17 Events in First Meet

By CELESTE KMIOTEK COPY CHIEF

The men’s and women’s outdoor track and field teams kicked off their season in Fredericksburg, Va. on Saturday, March 19 at the Battleground Relays at the University of Mary Washington. Though the event was not scored by team, Fordham earned 17 event wins.

Despite the short preparation time for the start of the new season, the team was pleased with how the first meet went.

“The meet was a great opportunity for us as far as the outdoor-only events like the 400 hurdles, 4x100 relay and the field events, such as hammer and the javelin,” senior Tom Kelly said. “It’s important to do well in these events because that can help us score more points at important meets in the season like [Metropolitan Championship] and Atlantic 10 [Championship].”

On the men’s side, senior Brian Schmidt took first in the 1,500-meter run, coming in at 4:03.89, with freshman Michael Belgiovine in fifth at 4:08.46. In the 3,000-meter run, Fordham took the top three spots with junior Sam Stuart in first (9:01.43), senior Casey Barrett in second (9:05.10) and Kelly in third (9:12.28).

The team also swept the top three in the 10,000-meter run, with Belgiovine in first (33:47.12), sophomore Julian Saad in second (33:47.15) and sophomore Nick Synan in third (33:47.16).

Sophomore Sean Atkinson won the 400 intermediate hurdles, despite it being his first attempt at the event, finishing in 57.72, followed by sophomores Michael Rossi (second with 58.06), Daniel Chediak (fourth with 1:00.38) and Daniel Clemens (fifth with 1:00.53).

Clemens also came in fourth in the 110-meter hurdles with 16.20 seconds, while junior Rich Grandelli came in first in the 3,000-meter steeplechase with 9:56.10 and junior Matt Collins came in second with 10:01.00.

In the field events, senior Pat Brown placed second in the hammer throw with 152’ 3”, while Chediak and junior Ken Baron tied for second in the pole vault with 12’ 11.75”, freshman Sam Houston finished second in the long jump with 21’ 5.25”, followed by senior Aaron Mays with 20’ 3.5”. In the high jump, Houston took second, coming in at 6’ 0”.

Three of the four men’s relay A-teams placed first, as the 4x100 meter team (Mays, Atkinson, junior Nick Delligatti and junior Frank Massaro) finished in 43.20 seconds, the 4x800 meter A-team (freshman Brian Walter, senior Jarrett Anistranski, junior Stephen Donnelly and sophomore John Cosgrove) finished in 7:56.61 and the sprint medley team (Houston, Cosgrove, sophomore Michael Bongiorno and Anistranski) finished in 3:39.92.

In the 4,000 meter distance medley relay, Fordham’s B-team of Stuart, Clemens, Kelly and freshman Joe Hartnett took third with 10:52.11; the A-team placed sixth with 11:03.15. The B-team in the 4x800 meter relay, consisting of Cosgrove, senior Tim Hutchinson, Schmidt and junior Stephen Don-

nelly, finished second with a time of 7:56.76.

For the Lady Rams, senior Sherilyn Groeninger took first in the 100-meter dash, coming in at 12.57 seconds, while sophomore Ashley Davis came in fourth in the 1,500-meter run with 5:07.59.

Freshman Anisa Arsenault took first in the 3,000-meter run with 10:24.26, with junior Mairin O’Connor in fourth with 11:05.69.

In the 100-meter hurdles, freshman Averie Sheppard placed third with 15.74 seconds, followed by sophomore Courtnay Newman in fourth with 15.96 seconds, while in the 400-meter hurdles, freshman Darleen Eiermann took fifth with 1:13.43.

In the field events, junior Blair Hassell placed first in the javelin throw with 127’ 3” with Newman in second with 105’ 5”, while junior Elisabeth Warren placed first in the long jump with 16’ 5”. Newman rounded out the women’s field wins with 5’ 1.75” in the high jump.

Like the men, the women’s relay A-teams finished first in all but one of the races in which they participated, earning four wins.

Groeninger, Sheppard, junior Kelly Connolly and Warren finished the 4x100 in 49.29 seconds, while in the 4x800 meter relay, Davis, junior Siobhan Cooney, Connolly and senior Kerri Gallagher finished in 9:54.70; the 4x800 meter relay B-team of sophomore Christina Machado, sophomore Kellen Fitzgerald, Connolly and freshman Christina Vivinetto finished third with 10:17.54.

In the spring medley relay, Groeninger, Warren, Connolly and Gallagher came in first with 1:50.29 while Arsenault, freshman Diane Bain, Fitzgerald and O’Connor won the distance medley relay in 13:07.22. The 4x200 meter relay team of Groeninger, Sheppard, freshman Titi Fagade and Warren took third with a time of 2:00.32.

Though the heavy training leading up to this meet proved to be a challenge, the teams have high hopes for how that training will affect future meets.

The team used this meet as more of a workout, building up experience and strength for later benefit.

“Most of the middle distance and distance runners have been doing a lot of training in the past week so the meet was a chance to get some more work in on the track,” Kelly said.

“This past week was tiring, but it accomplished the goal of building mileage and strength.”

In other news, 19 members of the men’s track and cross-country teams and 14 members of the women’s track and cross-country teams were recognized by the A-10 10 for the Commissioner’s Honor Roll. In order to earn inclusion on this list, an athlete must earn at least a 3.5 grade point average during a particular semester.

While Fordham produced the third highest number of athletes on the list, with 108 students, the men’s track and cross-country teams were top among Fordham’s teams, with the women’s track and cross-country teams in second.

Both teams will next compete at the Raleigh Relays in Raleigh, N.C. on Sat., March 26.

MARCH 23, 2011 • THE RAM • PAGE 19

SPORTS

MARCH 2009/WILLIAM ARCHIE/DETROIT FREE PRESS/MCT

The Fennville High basketball team will stick by each other in order to not forget their fallen teammate, Wes Leonard.

By ALEXANDER VILARDO SPORTS EDITOR

Each of us has dreamed of being a legend, a hero. In our daydreams, we’ve envisioned ourselves scoring the series-clinching goal of the Stanley Cup Finals; in video games, we’ve caught the game-tying touchdown in the Super Bowl; in our driveways, we’ve nailed a buzzer-beater to win the NCAA tournament.

On Thursday, March 3 in Fennville, Michigan, Wes Leonard was there: the 16-year-old sunk the game-winning layup with 30 seconds left in overtime to seal Fennville High’s perfect 20-0 season. He was a hero, a legend.

He was hoisted in the air by his teammates. Tell me you haven’t dreamed of that happening to you.

Shortly after, Wes wasn’t there: he collapsed on the gym floor after going into cardiac arrest. He was taken to a hospital in the nearby town of Holland, where he was pronounced dead. It was discovered that Wes had an enlarged and weakened heart. That’s the farthest thing from anyone’s dreams.

There were about 1,400 people at the game that night and most of them saw the tragic sight. Moments — seconds — earlier, the feeling was joy and jubilation.

Just like that, it turned to shock and confusion.

The story was all over the news, from ESPN to the Los Angeles Times. The nation wondered how an athletic, healthy, 16-year-old boy could die so suddenly. His coach and teammates were in

tears during press conferences all throughout the week. Fennville’s undefeated season suddenly wasn’t an issue anymore.

Fennville had its first-round playoff game just four days after Wes’s passing. Many thought that the school would forfeit the playoffs because it would be too hard for the team to compete after the tragedy. The Fennville players and coaches, however, knew that the playoffs had to go on as scheduled. Wes would have wanted the team to win, the coach believed.

So, just a few days after the team’s star had passed away, its players suited up and set their minds to winning their first game without him. The team went on to beat Lawrence High 65-54.

Two nights later, Fennville beat Bangor High, 79-50, to move on to the district finals, where Fennville rallied from a 10-point deficit to beat Covert High 51-48.

It’s almost as if Wes led that rally.

Fennville went on to lose to Schoolcraft High by a score of 8662 in the regional semifinals, but that doesn’t matter. What matters is Wes’s passing and Fennville’s time of grievance.

Sports-haters bash sports all the time, but sports-lovers embrace them at all times, even after a tragedy — especially after a tragedy.

Sports temporarily remove us from our world and put us in another one; they allow us to leave behind all our worries of yesterday, today and tomorrow.

Fennville High played because the team, the school, the town and the Leonards needed a way to get over Wes’s sudden and shocking

death. The team asked Wes’s parents for permission to play after their son’s passing. Many probably thought that Mr. and Mrs. Leonard wouldn’t want the team to go on, because it would hinder them from getting over the loss.

But, as Mrs. Leonard reminded us last week, it’s not about getting over it — it’s about getting through it.

Basketball helped many people get through Wes’s death. It allowed the Leonards to be consoled by thousands of people; it gave the Fennville residents — and the residents of towns of the opposing teams — the opportunity to cherish family, friends and neighbors; it gave everyone who grieved something to hope for.

Sports aren’t the only thing that can serve as a distraction during times of grief. Other hobbies and interests can help, too. The special thing about sports, though, is that matches, games and seasons end.

Whether a season ends in a win or a loss doesn’t matter; what matters is that sports let go at just the right time. They hug us and wipe our tears until it’s time to move on and focus on new things.

It’s the most unfortunate of situations, and the Leonards need to get through it, not over it. They never will be completely over this tragedy, and they never should be.

They need to save the cherished belongings of their beloved son and brother. They need to keep in touch with his teammates and coaches. They need to keep all the memories of Wes, and they will.

They’ve always got basketball.

Upcoming Varsity Schedule Friday March 25

Saturday March 26

Sunday March 27

Baseball

at La Salle 3 p.m.

at La Salle 1 p.m.

at La Salle 12 p.m.

Softball

at Bonnies 3 p.m.

at Bonnies 12 p.m.

CAPS=HOME lowercase=away

Women’s Rowing

Women’s Tennis

Men’s Tennis

Track

Thursday March 24

Monday March 28

Tuesday March 29

Wednesday March 30

at Fairfield 3:30 p.m.

LEHIGH 3 p.m.

LEHIGH 5:30 p.m.

Murphy Cup Philadelphia All Day MARIST 11:30 a.m. at La Salle 10 a.m. at St. Joseph’s 3:30 p.m.

Raleigh Relays Raleigh, N.C. 10 a.m.

at Villanova 12 p.m. at Temple 1 p.m.

TEMPLE 1 p.m.

at Rider 2 p.m.

MARCH 23, 2011

PAGE 20

Rams Have a Tough Spring Break After Hot Start Coach Says Team Needs to Play Better, Wants Contribution from Everyone

By DANNY ATKINSON STAFF WRITER

The Fordham baseball team had an excellent first few weeks of the season, as the Rams stood at 9-2 in non-conference play on March 8 after impressive victories over Virginia Commonwealth University, Wake Forest and Towson. Despite the Rams’ initial success, however, it is realistic to expect that Fordham will have ups and downs as it readies for Atlantic-10 play. In their effort to become a better-rounded team, the Rams played both strongly and poorly during spring break. Fordham went 3-5 over the break, splitting a four-game series at Charleston Southern and dropping two of three games at Seton Hall’s Strike Out Cancer Tournament.

After its 9-2 start, Fordham’s 4-3 loss to Charleston Southern on March 11 was a difficult beginning to the eight road games the team had to face over Spring Break. The Buccaneers quickly scored two runs in the third to grab a 2-1 lead.

Though the Rams looked to be in good shape in the top of the fifth, after junior infielder Nick Martinez gave the team a 3-2 lead with his second homer of the season, Charleston Southern tied the game in the bottom of the frame.

After the fast start, both offenses quickly calmed down. Fordham senior starting pitcher Brian Pendergast had the Buccaneers chase him from the game in the seventh with consecutive infield singles and a sacrifice bunt. While freshman reliever Tim Swatek was able to prevent any significant offensive damage, the sacrifice fly he allowed gave Charleston Southern their decisive 4-3 edge.

The loss became only more painful for the Rams in the end, as the team had chances for a comeback in both the eighth and ninth innings. After hitting his second double of the game with one out in the eighth, senior first baseman Joe Russo was eventually gunned down at the plate. Fordham again got a runner in scoring position in the ninth when senior catcher Ryan David reached second, but he was stranded.

The Rams wasted a number of strong performances in their opening game against Charleston Southern. Pendergast took his second loss on the season, allowing four runs on nine hits in 6.1 innings.

On offense, Martinez was 3-4 with a home run and two runs scored.

Senior first baseman Nick Chinners made up most of Charleston Southern offense, picking up three RBI despite only getting one hit.

Fordham’s play during Spring Break was especially defined by inconsistency on both offense and defense, and these habits began with the first game in Charleston.

In the final four innings against the Buccaneers’ staff, the team could not mount any sort of rally. The Rams left six runners on base and, despite recording five hits, only one of them went for extra bases.

PHOTO BY SIMON SULIT/THE RAM

Junior infielder Nick Martinez is batting .349 through 16 games for the Rams.

The inconsistency that defines early-season baseball came up again in Fordham’s four-game series versus Charleston Southern.

Following the opening game of the series, the team had an embarrassing 11-2 defeat to the Buccaneers on Saturday, March 12. Fordham put up only three hits in the game, with two of those by junior shortstop Ryan Maghini.

The team pulled it together to record their best performance of the series with a 7-3 victory in the third game against the Buccaneers.

The Rams earned a 4-1 advantage by the top of the fourth with a two-run double from sophomore outfielder Ryan Lee and a two-run homer from Maghini. After an offensive surge by Charleston Southern, Fordham extended the lead with single runs in the seventh, eighth and ninth innings to make it a 7-3 game.

At the plate, Maghini had two doubles and two RBI, while junior infielder Brian Kownacki and junior left fielder Stephen McSherry had a pair of hits and a run scored each.

The final game of the team’s series in Charleston was a wild affair that lasted 12 innings with David’s RBI single proving to be the winning hit in a 10-7 victory. The Rams finally got it going in the fifth with three RBI singles, and the team’s ninth-inning rally against closer Cory Deighan was its most impressive of the season, as RBI doubles from Lee, Kownacki and senior catcher Chris Walker tied the game for the Rams.

Fordham’s hitters again exploded in the 12th inning. The key knock was a two-run triple down the right field by Kownacki, concluding the score at 10-7. The shortstop had a great day at the plate, tying career highs with four hits and three RBI. Both on offense and on the mound, Fordham was defined by its up-and-down play in South Carolina. The Rams’ offense left 41 runners on base and was generally

shut down by Charleston Southern’s starting pitching. Only one of the Buccaneers starters went fewer than six innings; however, the Rams still managed to score 22 runs and nab 10 extra-base hits over the weekend.

While the performance of Fordham’s starting staff was largely shaky against Charleston Southern, the Rams’ bullpen was a significant key to the team’s split. The best start for the team came in the opening game on the March 11, when Pendergast permitted four earned runs on nine hits in 6.1 innings.

From there, senior Max Krakowiak never settled down, allowing nine runs, five earned, in Fordham’s 11-2 loss in the series’ second game, and neither junior Daniel Munday nor senior John Flanagan lasted more than four innings.

Luckily for the Rams, the bullpen came through in every game and helped the team leave Charleston Southern with a record of 11-4.

Freshman Chris Pike particularly stood out, picking up his first collegiate win with 5.1 innings of onerun ball in the team’s 7-3 victory over the Buccaneers.

“It’s pretty simple why our pitching struggled in this series,” Head Coach Nick Restaino said. “Our guys just didn’t throw strikes. They made it hard on themselves.”

After a 5-2 defeat to Campbell University on March 16, in which the Fordham offense was held to just six hits, the team moved on to three weekend games at the Seton Hall Strike Out Cancer Tournament. At the tournament, the Rams would continue their schizophrenic play, as Fordham was easily beaten in its first two games before recording an exciting extra-inning victory in the team’s final game in New Jersey.

In Fordham’s opening game of the tournament on March 18, the Rams lost to Seton Hall by a score of 7-3. After taking a lead in the top of the second, Fordham’s offense largely disappeared. The Pirates

opened up the game with a fourrun sixth, while Seton Hall’s Benny Mejia shut down the Rams for only two runs in six innings.

His counterpart Pendergast continued the struggles for Fordham starters on the team’s road trip, permitting six runs on 10 hits with four strikeouts.

The second game of the tournament was only close for the first few innings, as the team was blown out

by Stony Brook 13-2. Following a second-inning RBI single by Russo that cut the deficit to 2-1, Fordham fell behind by as big of a score as 12-1 to the Seawolves.

Stony Brook’s Nick Tropeano picked up 10 strikeouts in seven innings. Meanwhile, Krakowiak was again pounded, giving up eight earned runs in five innings. Eight of Stony Brook’s hits went for extra bases.

“Our offense hasn’t been focused,” Lee said following the blowout loss. “Guys haven’t taken the right approach at the plate and no one is being aggressive enough.

It seems like all our hitters are in a collective slump. We’ll turn it around, but it’s frustrating.”

For Fordham, its extra-inning comeback against New Jersey Institute of Technology on March 20 was a big rebound after a rough stretch. After falling behind to the Highlanders 5-4, the Rams would win in 11 innings by a score of 7-6, the team’s third extra-inning comeback victory of the year.

NJIT rallied for three runs in the third after the Rams took a lead and eventually climbed back to take a 5-4 advantage, following a two-run single from Tyler Knapp.

Fordham responded immediately in the top of the eighth by manufacturing a run, using a single and a sacrifice to get Swatek to third be-

fore senior outfielder Alex Kenny tied the game with a single. The team continued to get on base any way it could.

The Rams loaded the bases in the 11th on a single, hit by pitch and an intentional walk, before McSherry recorded a two-run single to grab a 7-5 lead. Swatek would end the game by getting three straight ground outs for his second save of the season. With the win, Fordham moved its record on the season to 12-7.

The Rams stole 13 bases against the Highlanders, which is the most for the program in a game since 2001. Kownacki had a career-high four stolen bases. Kenny was 2-5 with two RBI, while Lee was 2-6 with two runs scored.

Though the team again did not get an ideal start from Munday, Pike earned his second win and continued to bolster his status as an unsung hero. Pike tossed 6.2 innings in relief while picking up seven strikeouts, giving up only two earned runs to NJIT. Fordham’s schedule slows down a little this week as the Rams get ready to play their first series in A-10 play away at La Salle this weekend before facing Fairfield next Tuesday. Despite the recent struggles, both Restaino and Lee are confident the team will quickly turn it around.

“The team just needs to play better,” Restaino said. “I don’t think were playing poorly, but we need contributions from everyone instead of just a few people.”

“Being in conference play means the games will have a lot more energy and importance,” Lee said.

“We were picked to finish in the middle of the A-10, and we know we’re better then that. This team is out to prove people wrong.”

PHOTO BY SIMON SULIT/THE RAM

Senior starting pitcher Brian Pendergast is 1-3 with a 3.86 ERA this season.