Volume 93 Issue 18

MEN’S SOCCER MOVES INTO 1ST PLACE — PAGE 15

SHOULD SERVICE BE COMPULSORY? — PAGE 7

SERVING THE FORDHAM UNIVERSITY COMMUNITY FOR OVER 90 YEARS

1918-2011

OCTOBER 26, 2011

VOLUME 93, ISSUE 18

Naison Analyzes Wall Street Protests

Scavenger Hunt Finds Success

By KAREN HILL CONTRIBUTING WRITER

COURTESY OF CHRISTOPHER KENNEDY

Dr. Mark Naison talked to students about “Occupy Wall Street” that is currently taking place in Lower Manhattan.

By CHRISTOPHER KENNEDY STAFF WRITER

“Mic check,” Dr. Mark Naison said.

“Mic check,” responded a group of about 50 students gathered in a Campbell Hall classroom last Monday.

In a talk arranged by the Resident Assistant staff of Campbell

Hall, Naison, of the African and African American Studies Department, discussed the “Occupy Wall Street” protests taking place in Zucotti Park in Lower Manhattan.

He began his talk by introducing himself and his background, and by demonstrating the socalled “Human Microphone,” a method of amplification that uses

a crowd around a speaker that repeats what the speaker says. It has been used in Zucotti Park to circumvent regulations that prohibit amplification aids.

Naison then discussed his own history of student activism.

In 1968, while a student-athlete at Columbia University, he participated in the occupation of the SEE NAISON ON PAGE 2

On Oct. 13 at 9 p.m., dozens upon dozens of eager Fordham students congregated outside the cemetery to meet the “Gatekeepers” of the Rose Hill Code. The perfectly foggy night created an eerie setting for the commencement of this hunt. Each of the more than 100 teams was presented with a scroll on which the secret clue was printed.

Some gave up early and others, after an hour of thought, rushed to the first location, and the Rose Hill Code began. The race continued until Wednesday, Oct. 19, at precisely 9:08 a.m., when Team Diggory emailed in the final, unlocked clue.

“The Rose Hill Code is an epic scavenger hunt,” Residence Hall Association’s (RHA) Chief of Staff Kevin Yevchak, GSB ’12, said. The Code, inspired by The Da Vinci Code, was originally created in 2009 by former president of RHA Jake Braithwaite, GSB ‘11. The Code aimed to establish

creative and interactive programming on campus.

In its third year, the Code has acquired incomparable and unexpected success. Yevchak estimated that about 30 teams would sign up and about 10 would actively play. To his surprise, over 150 teams registered, equating to 450 players.

“I was blown away,” he said.

“This [turnout] was beyond my wildest dream.”

Each team was supposed to have a personally chosen name, but a dilemma arose. The unpredicted high participation was disproportionate to the minimal amount of man power to customize each team’s name. Instead, the organizers randomly assigned names and digital crests. The teams were cleverly-named after aspects of the popular series Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings and “Game of Thrones.” For example, the winning team, Diggory, was named after the character Cedric Diggory from the famed Harry Potter series.

SEE ROSE HILL CODE ON PAGE 4

Axelrod Shares Experiences as Chief Strategist for Obama

PHOTO BY STEPHEN MOCCIA/THE RAM

RAM ARCHIVES

A fridge malfunction caused a minor fire and the activation of sprinklers.

Fire in Finlay Caused

By Sparking Fridge

By GIRISH SWAMINATH STAFF WRITER

At 9 a.m. on Monday, Oct. 14, a room in the basement of Finlay Hall caught on fire due to a faulty refrigerator. It was plugged-in appropriately and kept under normal conditions, with no clothes or items stuffed behind it. The wire connecting the electrical outlet and the refrigerator sparked and started a fire, eventually spreading to the student’s desk and chair.

“[Facilities] has the refrigerator and attempted to examine the cause of damage but does not know exactly how the fire started,” Elizabeth Amico, assistant director for housing operations at the Office of Residential Life, said.

The sprinkler in the room eventually activated, flooding it. The water seeped under the door of the student’s room into the hallway of the basement, and then entered five other neighSEE FINLAY FLOOD ON PAGE 4

David Axelrod, current chief strategist for Obama, started out as a journalist on a paltry salary.

his school’s theme song, going back to his childhood years, when, at seven years of age, he witnessed an inspiring speech

by President John F. Kennedy in New York, which he claimed, set his life on a political course.

Axelrod said he began his political experience by working for a Democratic Party candidate at age nine.

Axelrod credited this seminal experience with his life passion for politics, and, in 1972, he moved to Illinois to study political science at the University of Chicago. He decided to write for the newspaper in order to get more practical experience.

“In order to satisfy my interest in politics, I started writing,”

Sports PAGE 20

Opinions PAGE 9

Culture PAGE 14

Higgins throws for career-high 413 yards in loss.

Poverty in New York City is on the rise.

Up ’Til Dawn campaign to benefit St. Jude’s Children hospital.

By CONNIE KIM NEWS EDITOR

David Axelrod, chief strategist and senior advisor to President Barack Obama, shared his life story, political career and his days with Obama on Oct. 19 in Keating 1st Auditorium to a crowd of students and faculty members.

Axelrod began his story with

SEE AXELROD ON PAGE 4

INSIDE

NEWS

PAGE 2 • THE RAM • OCTOBER 26, 2011

SECURITY

BRIEFS

Oct. 19, Duane Library, 12 a.m.

Security observed students enter Duane Library. The security guard called the duty supervisor.

The students were identified and said they were on a scavenger hunt when they entered the building.

Oct. 20, Campbell Hall, 7:30 a.m.

A student was stuck in the elevator of Campbell Hall. The elevator company was notified and the FDNY responded. The student was released without injury.

Oct. 20, Queens Court, 4 a.m.

A student was studying in Bishop’s Lounge and left his computer in the lounge when he went to sleep. When he returned the next morning, his computer was missing. The student searched the area and spoke with the resident director to no avail.

Security is still investigating.

Oct. 21, Belmont Avenue, 1 a.m.

A student entered a building on Belmont Ave. to visit a friend.

While waiting to enter the building she pulled out an iPhone to make a call. A male snatched the iPhone and ran south on Belmont Avenue. NYPD responded and canvassed the area, but were met with negative results. The student was not injured.

Oct 21, Bathgate Avenue, 10:45 a.m.

A student got off the bus at Bathgate Ave. and waited to cross the street. A male came up from behind and said, “Give me your iPod.” The student turned toward the male, hit him with an elbow and punched him in the head.

The assailant was knocked to the ground. The student ran to the security office and reported the incident.

Oct. 21, Fordham Road, 6 p.m.

A student reported her iPhone was stolen while she was standing at the corner of East Fordham Road with the phone in her hand.

A male grabbed the phone and headed southbound on Third Avenue. The NYPD was notified and canvassed the area with negative results.

Oct. 21, Hughes Avenue, 8 p.m.

A student left his laptop on his desk in his bedroom. The roommates held a party that night that included non-Fordham guests. The following afternoon, the student noticed that his laptop was missing. Security and police responded and NYPD is conducting the investigation.

— Compiled by Brian Kraker

COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA

Occupy Wall Street protestors gather in New York City in order to give a voice to their concerns regarding the state of the economy through signs.

Naison Talks Occupy Wall Street Protest Movements NAISON, FROM PAGE 1

University administration building in addition to a student strike.

Notably, he carried a sign that said “jocks for peace” to distinguish himself from other members of Students for a Democratic Society, a student activist movement founded in the mid-1960s.

“I was a student athlete and I ended up as a student protester,”

“Maybe it’s the system, and maybe it’s something you have to fight together, and making that choice can be incredibly liberating. ” DR. MARK NAISON

he said. “Nobody was as surprised as I was.”

Fast-forward to the present.

“It’s 2011, and we hear that a strange group of people has taken over a park and are doing something they call ‘Occupy Wall Street,’” Naison explained. “And I take note, because I thought that the inequalities in American society have grown far greater than anything I’ve seen in my lifetime or anything that I’ve imagined. I was also concerned that my students could not get jobs that they were trained for.”

He explained that he paid more attention to the event after several Fordham students were arrested while crossing the Brooklyn Bridge on Oct. 1. He watched the protest grow, and followed the various issues concerning the movement.

When asked if he thought the movement needs to come up with more concrete goals in order to continue to grow and have a greater influence, he exclaimed: “everybody says that to me.”

COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA

One protestor uses powerful historical reminders to get her point across.

“I think they’re doing pretty damn well the way they are now,” Naison said. “Maybe it’s the absence of goals that allows them to unify so many people. I’ve even met people down there who are part of the Ron Paul movement.”

“I think that as long as you keep it somewhat vague, economic inequality and high unemployment have the capacity to bring lots of people together,” he explained.

“It’s fun to protest, especially when you’re scared. We were all really scared during the Vietnam War. And it’s pretty scary to graduate from college with $60,000 in loans and end up waitressing, babysitting, bartending and living in your parents’ basement, which is what a lot of my former students are doing.”

Naison noted that for his former students, and those in the audience, this was a case that many of their peers were facing.

“Maybe it’s not you,” he said.

“Maybe it’s the system, and maybe it’s something you have to fight together, and making that choice can be incredibly liberating. This

movement is saying, ‘It’s not your fault.’ It’s a system gone awry.”

He cautioned, though, that he, along with those who are protesting, doesn’t necessarily have a solution.

“I don’t know how to fi x this, because it’s still breaking,” he said. “It’s not like we’ve successfully dealt with the value of equity that’s out there in the form of debt […] what we’re in is not going away.”

Another issue, Naison said, is with the high level of debt resulting from student loans.

“There is no way that people will be able to pay back their student loans in full, in this society,” he said regarding people leaving college with such high levels of debt and unemployment.

One result of this movement, he explained, may be the forgiveness, at least in part, of such loans.

Not all students agreed with Naison’s analysis.

“I believe that there are structural flaws which have developed in our current financial and political system,” Elliot Talbot, GSB

’12, said. “These problems will not be solved through outspoken irrational behavior.”

“When this movement is actually ready to sit down with the opposition and objectively problem solve, you never know what both sides will be able to [get] accomplished,” Naison said. “Until then it’s just going to be considered another average NYC commuting inconvenience.”

Naison explained, however, that the movement has lead to wideranging discussions on all topics from infrastructure to education, involving people from all political persuasions. He attended at least one such discussion on highschool education where a group put on an improvisational play about educational issues.

“You’ve created a space where people are really talking to each other,” he said. “And not everybody is someone with predictable views. That, to me, is one of the great strengths of the movement.”

THIS

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OCTOBER 26, 2011 • THE RAM • PAGE 3

NEWS

PAGE 4 • THE RAM • OCTOBER 26, 2011

Rose Hill Code Draws Crowds of Students to Hunt for Clues ROSE HILL CODE, FROM PAGE 1

Conveniently, teams could track their progress on the new Rose Hill Code Web site. The interactivity and aesthetically pleasing graphic design of the Web site, is a large contributor to the Code’s success this year.

“The Web site made the Code more exciting,” the Web site’s creator, Michael DiTanna, FCRH ’13, said.

DiTanna said that the relatable “pop-culture and fictional references” in the marketing campaign drew the players’ attention. The Web site included fictional Jesuit lore, the history of Ignatius’s coveted Loyola Signet Ring.

“The ring has been guarded by Jesuits throughout the ages and was passed down from Fordham president to president,” read the Code’s Web site.

“It is said to be in the care of a secret Jesuit order, the Gatekeeper,” the Web site continued.

“It is your [the players] job to seek answers and investigate the disappearance of the signet ring, supposedly lost to history. It was last in the possession of Archbishop John Hughes.”

The majority of the teams involved sought and investigated amidst the thrill of the chase.

“It gets to the point where it runs your life so much that you are looking under objects out of habit believing there is a clue,” Yevchak said The journey shortened for

“I was blown away. This [turnout] was beyond my wildest dream.”

KEVIN YEVCHAK, GSB ’12

some tough seventh clue. Participant Harry King, GSB ’14, was looking forward to a “good mystery,” but his and other students’ progress halted when they could not locate the clue. It had reportedly been damaged by the weather and then relocated within the same vicinity.

“No clue was ever stolen,” Yevchak said.

Apart from locations of the clues, some players found trouble in the wording of the clues.

“The clues were vague and poorly worded,” King said.

Given that this was a scavenger hunt, the clues were not intended to be obvious. The vagueness of the clues allowed for the hunt to be extended, and as King admitted “an intellectually stimulating experience.”

“Some people are absolutely obsessed with the Rose Hill Code,” DiTanna said.

The winners of the Rose Hill Code were Isabel Arisso, FCRH ’13, Analy Garcia, FCRH ’13 and Molly Reardon, FCRH ’13.

Dedication, perseverance, willingness to be in the rain and sleepless nights all contributed

COURTESY OF KAREN HILL

The winners of the Rose Hill Code, Analy Garcia (left), Isabel Arisso (center) and Molly Reardon (right) hold the certificate.

to victory, according to Garcia.

The three girls are still glowing with excitement and pride over their accomplishment of epic proportions.

When the team first submitted their customizable name, they jokingly and ironically chose the title “The Winning Team,” which was changed to an automatically assigned name due to the unexpected high volume of teams.

“We registered our names as the Winning Team and we never thought we’d win,” Arisso said.

“We’re very proud of ourselves.”

“We invested 25 hours in this,” Reardon said, but it was worth it because they won $600, a tour of the Keating Bell Tower and a tour of the underground tunnels.

“Cash is great, but the Keating Bell Tower and tunnels are amazing and are something every student should [experience] before they graduate,” DiTanna said.

The winners agreed that the money was not as much a driving force as was the priceless experi-

ence of touring unique places of Fordham lore which are normally off-limits.

“It [the tower] has been on our bucket list,” the winners said in unison.

The highly rewarding, competitive and addicting Rose Hill Code promises to be a continuing tradition at Fordham University. Anyone who missed registration or prematurely quit the race should not lose hope because the Code is expected to return next semester.

Axelrod Shares Experiences Fridge Causes Fire in Finlay Hall as Chief Strategist for Obama FINLAY FLOOD, FROM PAGE 1

boring rooms. The flooding did not affect the laundry room, except for clothes that were on the ground, and the student whose room in which the fire originated was the only person who was severely impacted and needed to vacate temporarily.

“The student with the refrigerator in his room had to move out temporarily,” Amico said.

“He was given time to move all of his possessions into an empty on-campus residence and will be returning to his original room next week after custodial services finishes cleaning up, air drying and repainting the room.”

The student will receive financial compensation for any damage that occurred as a result of the fire by filling out an incident report form and refunding it to the Treasury of the University.

The Resident Assistant (RA) staff evacuated the entire building of students shortly after the incident occurred. Students were cooperative throughout the situation, and the evacuation went smoothly.

“All the students living in Finlay, especially those living in the basement, were extremely nice and cooperative,” Amico said. “If not for the RA staff and students’ cooperation, handling the situation would not be as smooth as it was.”

Facilities communicated with

AXELROD, FROM PAGE 1

“If not for the RA staff and students’ cooperation, handling the situation would not be as smooth as it was.”

ELIZABETH AMICO

Residential Life in terms of when they had to repaint the rooms, and Residential Life was responsible for giving students enough notice to make arrangements and leave the rooms at designated times. Custodial Services spent a considerable amount lot of time vacuuming the floors and drying the rooms completely to rid them of water.

Campus Safety and Security responded to the fire alarm and immediately notified the Fire Department of New York. Security also ensured that no students or unauthorized persons entered students’ rooms without permission while cleaning was happening.

“Overall, everything worked as per protocol in the case of an emergency situation,” Amico said.

“We are thankful for students, Facilities and Custodial Services in helping address this incident and resolving the situation.”

Axelrod said. “I decided in the summer of my freshman year to go back to New York and see if I could get a job at a newspaper company. I went to 70 different newspapers and magazines.

I worked at a small newspaper company for six months with salary of 50 dollars a week.”

When he got back to school, he took a freelance job in politics. Upon graduating from college, Axelrod began working for the Chicago Tribune.

“I worked at Chicago Tribune working mostly night shifts,” Axelrod said. “I fairly quickly became the city hall bureau chief. I definitely received a tremendous education from that experience.”

By 1981, at the age of 27, he gained acclaim for being the youngest political writer in the newspaper’s history.

Later, in the 1980s, however, he witnessed the change in journalism and started to worry about the change.

“There used to be a wall between the business side of journalism and the news side, but editors started to worry about the profitability and not the quality of publication,” Axelrod said. “I was worried about those changes, and also I started to question myself whether I wanted to stay as a spectator my whole life or to get in the arena.”

After eight years of political re-

porting, Axelrod left the paper to pursue a career in campaign consulting. Axelrod began to make a name for himself in 1984, when his campaign management team won Congressman Paul Simon a seat in the United States Senate.

Axelrod has since led successful campaigns for numerous Democrats, helping many politicians get elected at the local, state and federal level.

Axelrod and Obama first met in 1992, working amongst Democratic leaders in Chicago. Obama was a community organizer, working on increasing voter registration in Chicago’s underprivileged neighborhoods.

“Along the way, I met this young man called Barack Obama,” Axelrod said. “It’s kind of an odd story.

I got a call from a friend of mine, Betty Lou Saltzman. She wanted me to meet this extraordinary young man that she just met, named Barack Obama. I thought that was an unusual name. Saltzman told me that Barack could be the president of the United States sometime, in 1992.”

In 2003 Barack Obama convinced Axelrod to join his campaign as a strategist during his race for the Senate. Seeing great promise in young Obama, Axelrod was credited with Obama’s election as a U.S. Senator for Illinois in 2005.

Consequently, Obama and Axelrod’s mantra of “change” has

landed them both in the White House. Axelrod recently accepted Obama’s offer to become his chief political advisor, and he will continue in his role as Obama’s image architect and sage advisor.

“When we first came up with the message ‘Yes We Can,’ I thought it was a bit corny to actually put up for an ad,” Axelrod said. “At that time, Michelle Obama was at the scene, so I asked her if it wasn’t too corny.

She said ‘no.’ I’m glad she said it wasn’t corny.”

“Obama’s presidential campaign began with only eight advisors,” Axelrod said. “All we had was faith that the country needed change and different kind of politics.”

“I admired him then, I admire him now.” Axelrod said.

Axelrod ended the lecture with an inspiring message for students.

“Robert Kennedy was really one of my political heroes,” Axelrod said. “He said that ‘the future is not a gift; it’s an achievement.’

In other words, you have to work for it. It just doesn’t present itself to you […] We always push forward. We determine what our future is going to be. And I think the fact that you’re here tonight suggests that you guys believe that as well. My message to you is: don’t be a spectator. You are the one who is going to live your decisions. Take the lead.”

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PAGE 7

SAT Scores Drop: Teaching to the Test is Ineffective

JULIA MALAKIE/AP

Standardized tests occupy students’ time and energy during high school.

By RICKY BORDELON CONTRIBUTING WRITER

One Saturday morning during the last years of high school, students wake up early. After eating their breakfast, they grab their pencils and calculators, go to a high school or university, sit down and take a test. Students have lived — and sometimes re-lived — this experience, with each time

seeming to get worse and worse.

What is this ritual for high school upperclassmen? The SAT. The SAT, which began in 1926, has undergone many changes throughout the years. The most recent of these was in 2006, when the writing skills section was added, making the perfect composite score 2400 instead of 1600. The test is used mainly for college admissions and has often

been considered one of the more important factors in a student’s application. Lately, however, it seems that some schools, including American University in Washington, DC., have begun dropping the requirement.

Recently, the average scores of the SAT have been dropping.

According to College Board, the maker and administrator of the SAT, the average scores in all three sections (critical reading, math and writing skills) have gone down between one and three points for the high school class of 2011. The question now becomes: Why did the scores drop?

College Board claims that the drop in scores is due to the increase in diversity of the students taking the SAT. According to data gathered by College Board, there are many more students taking the test who come from bilingual households or households in which English is not the first language. The College Board believes that this fact led to the drop in scores this past year.

Another reason for the drop in scores could be linked to the controversial No Child Left Behind Act. The act basically says that all public schools that receive federal funding must assess their students using standardized tests in order to measure the quality of education they are receiving.

There are many problems with this policy. The Act promotes “teaching to the test.” This involves teaching students how to

take a test and showing them how to do the types of problems that they will find on the test. This method is not beneficial to the students in the long run.

Students who are “taught to the test” seem to lack the critical reasoning and thinking skills required by higher education. They also seem to lack the knowledge and skills that they must apply to a type of problem they have never seen before. “Teaching to the test” does not seem to teach or prize any practical application skills.

For example, when asked for the radius of a circle, a student who has been taught to the test would be able to plug numbers into the formula A=πr2; however, when given a complex word problem that requires the student to know how and when to use the formula, he or she probably will have some trouble figuring out what to do. This general lack of knowledge can result in a lower SAT score.

If a student is taught to the test throughout elementary, middle and high school, he or she will probably lack some of the higherorder thinking skills required to do well on the SAT. In this way, it seems that “teaching to the test,”

such as state standardized tests, while helping schools achieve better ratings and retain funding, does not help students with one of the more important tests that they will take: the SAT. As the average SAT score is going down, however, it seems that the overall competitiveness of college admissions is rising.

Fordham has received more applications each year for the last 20 years, making the admissions process more competitive. From the classes of 2013 to 2014 and the average SAT score went up nine points. For the class of 2015, Fordham changed the scale to 2400, and the average score was between 1830-2050. In terms of class rank, however, 41 percent for the class of 2014, 56 percent of the class of 2015 was in the top 10 percent of their high school class.

Although the College Board claims that the average SAT score is dropping due to increased diversity, the No Child Left Behind Act and “teaching to the test” are also hindering the students from performing at their highest level on the SAT. Ricky Bordelon, FCRH ’15, is a political science major from New Orleans, La.

COURTESY OF COLLEGE BOARD

Service Learning Proves a Viable Option for Fordham Students

By PATRICK MULLEN CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Catholicism — and the Society of Jesus in particular — has always stressed service as an important part of faithful life. As a Jesuit institution, Fordham’s tradition is deeply rooted in service.

Service is not a requirement at Fordham University, but there are some who believe it should be. It would mesh well with the University’s Jesuit ideals if there were to be some kind of service requirement in order to graduate. Should this be changed?

No. My reasoning behind this is that if one is required to do service, then it is not service in the truest sense of the word. While I believe that all students should engage in some kind of service activity either through the University or the wider community, I believe service is all about volunteering one’s time out of the goodness of one’s heart, not out of an obligation. My grade school required 40 hours of service per semester, and I was always a little troubled by it, though I never fell short of the hours. There is just something about being told to do community service that bothers me.

That being said, Fordham still has plenty of service opportuni-

ties for each and every student.

There are one-credit service pairings in the form of integrated courses and interdisciplinary seminars, the latter of which can be applied to any class one takes.

These allow students the opportunity to have 30 service hours per semester and earn credit toward graduation while doing so.

This semester for instance, there are three courses being taught as integrated, including those in sociology and health and medicine. These opportunities enable the student to test the practicality of what they are learning in the classroom out in the real world. In addition to this, there are plenty of studentrun groups that focus on service, and let it be said that the Bronx and New York City allow plenty of chances for service.

Justin Freitas, associate coordinator of Service Learning, described the one-course pairings as great opportunities, and stressed that — with regard to the interdisciplinary seminars at this Catholic institution of higher learning — every class can easily incorporate service. In some cases, it may take some creativity to mold what one is learning into community service, but many classes (such as any theology class, for instance) translate well to service learning, making

SARAH RAMIREZ/THE RAM

Programs such as Urban Plunge introduce new students to community service activities from their first days on campus.

interdisciplinary seminars very manageable.

If students wish to participate in service while at Fordham, they are encouraged to come to the Dorothy Day Center for Service and Justice located on the first floor in the McGinley student center. Since service is not a requirement at Fordham, however, it is somewhat difficult for the word on things like this to be dispersed.

As a freshman, I was familiar with the Dorothy Day Center but

had not heard anything of the one-credit pairings. Part of this may be because one must preregister for an integrated course, although one does not have to do so for an interdisciplinary seminar.

I went around and asked a few of my fellow freshmen classmates if they had heard of these one-credit pairings to see how well advertised they were. The general consensus that I got from my peers is that they knew what these were but knew very little, if

anything at all, about them. Perhaps information about servicelearning programs could be better publicized.

I do think that these one-credit pairings are a great option for students, and I hope everyone knows about and takes advantage of them. There truly are plenty of opportunities for Fordham students to serve the outside community, be they in New York City or even internationally.

Patrick Mullen, FCRH ’15, is an English major from Delafield, WI.

PAGE 8 • THE RAM • OCTOBER 26, 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 Advertising: (718) 817-4379 Executive: (718) 817-4380 Publishing: (718) 817-4381 Editorial: (718) 817-4382 Newsroom: (718) 817-4394 Fax: (718) 817-4319 theram@fordham.edu Fordham University - Station 37 Box B Bronx, NY 10458 Editor-in-Chief Nick Carroll Executive Editor Celeste Kmiotek Managing Editor Victoria Rau Design Editor Stephen Moccia Business Editor Lindsay Lersner News Editor Connie Kim Brian Kraker Assistant News Editor Emily Arata Opinions Editor Christine Barcellona Assistant Opinions Editor Sarah Ramirez Culture Editor Sandy McKenzie Assistant Culture Editor Scharon Harding Sports Editors Dan Gartland Erik Pedersen Copy Chief Mary Alcaro Copy Team Patrick Derocher Abigail Forget Taylor Engdahl Tom Haskin Olivia Monaco Veronica Torok Hussein Safa Anisa Arsenault Cas Black Hadley Brochy Colleen Chambers Connor Ryan Photo Editor Nora Mallozzi Web Editor Kelly Caggiano Faculty Advisor Beth Knobel

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OPINIONS

From the Desk of Patrick Derocher, Copy Editor As I sit here writing what may well be my last Ram article and not leaving myself nearly enough time to finish my anthropology homework, I find myself debating the rather basic matter of what the topic of this article should be, and an 800-word treatise on tax policy seemed like a very good way to get no one to read this paper ever again.

Instead, I’m going to riff on a theme that has been expressed in these pages on several occasions: taking my lessons learned at Fordham and applying them to the world. Fordham urges us to be “men and women for others,” and there isn’t a single person on this campus I should have to remind of that. Additionally, Rev. Joseph M. McShane, S.J., has told us all countless times that he wants us to leave Fordham “bothered” and inspired to rectify that discomfort by going out into the world, fixing what bothers us and . . . being men and women for others. I don’t know if these philosophies awakened something in who I am or if they formed it (and I certainly don’t know if there’s one of those I would prefer to be the case), but I do know one thing: The world bothers me.

Consider, if you will, the Occupy Wall Street movement and its offshoots. It is, to say the least, an understandable cause to back; the distribution of wealth in this country is ridiculous and, while solid arguments can certainly be made that

some benefit comes from the continued existence of a very affluent über-class, the situation is about as close to ideal as Fordham is to San Diego.

On the other side of the political spectrum, consider the Tea Party. Although they are more . . . colorful in their protests, it is also a group that has found a major issue with the status quo and has taken a stance against it. The United States is, quite frankly, at a major fiscal precipice right now. Through a combination of tax cuts, military operations, runaway entitlement programs and unsustainable public employee contracts, this country is on the brink of ruin in many ways.

Do I think we should turn this problem into a massive grievance fest with violent, sometimes racial, overtones? Absolutely not, but we cannot pretend that everything is okay with this country’s finances.

These groups address major problems that need to be addressed, and we should be bothered by the status quo (not to mention the fatalistic zeal that groups like Occupy Wall Street and the Tea Party express). What both these groups miss, however, is a broader picture.

Is wealth distribution terribly askew in the United States? Of course it is. That said, we should be glad that we don’t live in Equatorial Guinea, where per capita income is the highest in Africa, but 70 percent of the people live beneath the United Nations Poverty Threshold

of $2 per day. Do we have a major debt crisis in this country? Absolutely we do. At least we aren’t Europe, collapsing under the debt of a few neighbors, not to mention dealing with ensuing riots in the streets of Athens and Lisbon. To address a concern shared by both of the aforementioned groups, are there issues with personal freedoms in this country? Whether you look at it from the left or the right, yes there are. It could be worse; we could be among the billions of people in countries designated “not free” by press and civil liberties watchdog groups. Citizens of China, two-thirds of Africa and nearly the entire former Soviet Union are routinely oppressed to an extent unimaginable to most Americans.

The list goes on.

A woman in South Africa is more likely to get raped than to complete high school. The developing world is being enveloped in smog that makes Houston look like the Sierra Nevada. Sub-Saharan Africa, when it isn’t being wiped out by HIV/ AIDS and a whole host of diseases we wouldn’t think twice about in the United States, is being economically colonized by an oppressive China. Half of the world’s population either lacks access to clean drinking water (one billion) or adequate sanitation (2.5 billion).

The problems aren’t all outside our borders, however. Parts of Washington, D.C. have an HIV rate equivalent to parts of Africa.

Schools all across this country are failing their students, and not just in inner cities; crushing poverty is endemic in Appalachia and parts of the Southwest, it’s just that no one makes documentaries about them.

Three out of every four Americans are overweight or obese, which is going to create massive health system crises in the very near future (in addition to being a statistical impossibility).

This is not meant to make anyone depressed, or to discount the importance of what we all live every day. It is meant to serve as a window to the world, in a way that has been massively shaped for me by my Jesuit education. Am I bothered that I go to a university where financial aid is a pain to work with, the Office of Residential Life an even bigger pain and the food quantifiably atrocious? Sure, but that isn’t all there is and that is something that I have learned here at Fordham: The world is huge and incomprehensible, and you can find something wrong with just about anything, but it is up to us — each in our own way — to have the motivation to work toward a solution.

I am bothered, but I am not bitter.

Here in the United States, it is easy to take the freedom of the press for granted; barring the extreme cases such as that of Valerie Plame, or the localized cases involving conservative high school newspapers, few people have to worry that their views are not being expressed. Certainly, there are biases in any given news source, and certainly, journalists and reporters resort to sensationalism, but most Americans can go to bed at night with the assurance that the details of their country, and their world, are available to them, down to Bill Clinton’s underwear preferences.

Not so in other parts of the world, and especially in Libya, where in March, four New York Times journalists were held hostage for six days. The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) notes that, as of August, the whereabouts of six Libyan journalists, missing for six months, are still unknown.

Also in August, an Australian freelance journalist was attacked in Benghazi, while two French journalists were shot in Tripoli. Reporters Without Borders (RWB) adds that, since the rebellion’s start on Feb. 15, 2011, five journalists have been killed, 32 have been imprisoned, eight have been briefly detained, 15 have been kidnapped and 20 have been forced to leave the country.

Even before the revolt, the BBC reports that Libyan officials arrested 19 journalists in November of 2010, though Col. Muammar Qaddafi ordered their release, while the RWB has repeatedly given Qaddafi the title “Predator of the Press” since it began bestowing the honor in 1985.

Furthermore, in 2006, Libya was in the top five of the CPJ’s “10 Most Censored Countries,” while in February of 2010, Human Rights Watch drew attention to Libya’s restrictions on opposition Web sites and sites such as YouTube.

In October of 2010, the country revoked the vb.ly domain, used to shorten URLs for adult Web sites, stating that it went against Islamic teachings. In March of 2011, after the start of the revolt, Qaddafi attempted to stifle dissent by almost completely shutting down Internet usage, until the country’s main internet service provider restored service in August after the fall of Tripoli.

Let us be clear: The Ram does not condone human death at the hands of other humans. That being said, The Ram does support new opportunities for press freedom where it was once suppressed.

This past week, one of the most troubled nations of the world was given such an opportunity when rebels killed Qaddafi.

As evidenced by the surrounding countries, this turn of events does not guarantee a stable government in the future, nor even a clear leadership. In fact, given the troubles in confirming the former tyrant’s death, and the brutal, mob-run manner in which he was killed, it is likely that, despite the establishment of an interim leader, the upcoming weeks and months will be filled with claims to power and challenges to whatever authorities arise.

Nevertheless, in a country nearly obliterated by warfare, there is ample room for any number of reforms. We hope a truly free press is included.

So where does a country that hasn’t seen free press in decades go from here? After all, Qaddafi first seized power in a 1969 coup, at which time he overthrew the 1951 Constitution that allowed for “Freedom of the press and of printing . . . within the limits of the law,” replacing it with the Constitution Proclamation, which merely allowed for free opinion “within the limits of public interest and the principles of the Revolution.”

Perhaps citizens were still able to vocally express their distaste for the regime without being targeted by authorities, but 42 years of the looming threat of arrest for unapproved opinions is far too long.

Happily, the BBC reports that, as of the takeover of Tripoli in August, no known pro-Qaddafi media outlets remain and that, following the ruler’s death, news sources on Twitter and Facebook exploded with news and support.

With luck, the citizens will take this motivation, and their appreciation for the undeterred spread of information, and carry them to all forms of media. Half a world away, it seems only natural that their actions will translate to a lively and active press.

Still, reports of Qaddafi’s death, which officials originally attempted to attribute to crossfire, have been disturbingly contradictory.

The world, and least of all The Ram, cannot suggest the best course of action for the Libyans; surely, our own Constitution would not work in such a different and unique country. It is up to them to come up with a solution.

We can say, however, that after too many bloody months filled

with too much uncertainty, we hope the Libyans will be given the right to free press. We hope that, in the upcoming months, all citizens will be given the opportunity to read a plethora of news articles about what is happening.

We hope that trust will be restored between citizens who want the truth, reporters who want to discover and impart the truth and any remaining authorities who wish to stifle the truth. We hope that those brave enough to write honest reports of the situation — from 15-year-olds with Twitter accounts to 40-year-olds working for a newspaper — will be safeguarded, respected and honored for their services, rather than targeted and imprisoned.

Most of all, we hope that everyone, from those who took their families and hid them from the violence, to those who fought alongside the rebels to take over Tripoli, to those who clung to Qaddafi’s last strains of power, will be able to read news stories — be them via blog, television, Twitter, radio or newspaper — with the assurance of their truth.

It is easy to believe that the issue of freedom of the press started and ended with the U.S. Bill of Rights, but it did not. That does not mean, however, that the opportunity for its universality has ended. While Libya rebuilds itself, we cannot wait to hear about the grand feats that we are confident it will accomplish; we just hope to hear of them through the country’s own, free, media.

Editorial Policy The Ram’s editorials are selected on a weekly basis, and are meant to reflect the editorial board’s view on a particular issue.

EDITORIAL: Vive La Résistance

OPINIONS

H Homeland Insecurities Ins Isabel Brown

Poverty Plagues New York

By SHEILA SENNETT STAFF WRITER

No, He Started It! The latest episode in the hilarious sitcom of Republican primary debates has me questioning whether the candidates should be kept away from shiny objects as much as from the Oval Office.

Between Rick Perry sniping about Mitt Romney’s apparent hiring of illegal immigrant yard workers and Herman Cain’s plan to build an electric fence along our Mexican border, I half expect Michele Bachmann’s hairstyle to be the deciding factor as to whether or not she wins Iowa.

At a time when the U.S. is at risk of falling from its post as a FirstWorld power, as its citizens are being crushed under the weight of economic turmoil, how relevant to our lives is Mr. Romney’s lawn service? I can imagine opponents’ trite rebuttal of how hiring undocumented workers is a reflection of his inferior American-ness, but perhaps the ability to lead effectively has been trumped by this frighteningly singular view of what makes a candidate appealing. The minutes wasted of bickering, during a program that exists to help voters understand how candidates are going to help them, were a disappointing testament to just how scattered the Republicans’ approach to campaigning has become this season. What does it matter if Romney promises to verify the backgrounds of his servants on national television? When is he going to start talking about the hundreds of millions of voters who don’t have any help?

Naturally, Herman Cain and Michele Bachmann’s plans to outdo each other’s offensive immigration plans did not help the debate. Cain claimed to be joking when he suggested a lethally electrified barrier to be built on the U.S.-Mexican border. Bachmann unabashedly announced she wanted every inch of border covered by a ($30 billion) fence. It doesn’t seem to occur to them that these ideas are not only inefficient but considerably more morally abhorrent than, say, secular public education, another horror which keeps Bachmann awake at night. Religious fundamentalists, uneducated voters, uneducated leaders . . . there are dozens of threats to national security from within our borders which not only I, but also the founders of this country, thought were more dangerous than abused migrant workers. The candidates’ arguments may have been laughable, but I was too shocked to start giggling.

After watching these controversies unfold on the TV screen, it’s become apparent that the most palpable aspect of the Republican candidates’ personalities is their hatefulness. These debates have shown us a new breed of politician — one who places ideology dangerously far ahead of reality.

Beneath the petty fights and ugly jokes distracting us onscreen, there’s a sense of hostility that intimidates more than it reassures. It seems as if the needs of the voting public are being willfully ignored —and we’re going right along with it.

OCTOBER 26, 2011 • THE RAM • PAGE 9

A report recently released by the U.S. Census Bureau shows that between 2009 and 2010, the percentage of New Yorkers living below the official federal poverty line increased by 1.4 percentage points, representing 75,000 citizens who were pushed into poverty in a year’s time.

This leaves the city-wide poverty rate at 20.1 percent and, contrary to the popular narrative, many of these New Yorkers are employed or hold multiple jobs, but are unable to get ahead.

A family of three with an income under $18,310 would fall below the poverty line, according to 2010’s federal guidelines.

The childhood poverty level has grown three percentage points, to a city-wide level of 30 percent, while 1.8 million New Yorkers, or approximately one in five households, are dependent on food stamps. The Bronx remains the poorest urban county in the country.

Children have been hit particularly hard by the recession, as families not only lose income, but often health benefits as well, leaving them more vulnerable than ever. Sharp cuts to public education compound the problem. This recession will have long-term costs, as cuts to education, nutrition and health care all provide significant barriers to the ability of children to flourish.

These statistics — which are proof of a failure to address systemic social inequalities — should spur soul-searching on the part of citizens and public officials in New York City.

Poverty serves to marginalize individuals and families, and the gap between the poor and the rest of society is greater than ever.

Poverty serves as a disadvantage at every turn and every step. It poisons American lives.

One of the few proven remedies to the poverty and inequalities that exist and persist in our society is education. An effective step is one that may not seem obvious: the expansion of early childhood education. Quality education is the most reliable tool to escape

people start out poor, work hard and stay poor. In the face of those speeches and diatribes, keep these numbers in mind: Of the children born into the bottom quarter of income distribution, half will stay there; if they are black, those hard odds grow to two-thirds.

There are 56 billionaires in New York City; their combined net worth is more than twentyseven times greater than the combined annual income of all New Yorkers who live in poverty.

These billionaires (as well as the multimillionaires and all the corporations which have received government bail-outs) have experienced decades of tax cuts and tax breaks from federal, state and city governments.

These are advantages that the poor — as well as the middle class — have done without; they only receive assistance from government when they are so poor that they need assistance simply to eat or to survive, and the way that they use that assistance is regulated far more than any corporation.

The argument that free market forces account for these injustices is unconvincing and disingenuous. To blame the plight of the poor on the poor, or on a culture of poverty and not on the social structures that hold them down, is to distort the facts. Those who deny this can keep their Horatio Alger narrative, keep their rhetoric and keep their bootstraps, because this is the cold, bitter truth.

Sheila Sennett, FCRH ’12, is a history major from West Hartford, Conn.

“Amid the rhetoric of class warfare, the idea of ‘pulling oneself up by one’s bootstraps’ resurfaces again and again. The truth is, however, that far too many people start out poor, work hard and stay poor.” poverty, and without early childhood education, many children never have that opportunity.

James Heckman, economist and Nobel Prize winner, has shown that investment in early childhood education ends in a return of seven percent, more than paying for itself. By the time children enter kindergarten, performance gaps exist between wealthy children and their lessprivileged counterparts, a result of unequal opportunities from birth to age five.

These gaps are only multiplied as children move through the education system. Early childhood education serves to give children an equal starting point, so that all American children will have the skills to compete.

Amid the rhetoric of class warfare, the idea of “pulling oneself up by one’s bootstraps” resurfaces again and again. The truth is, however, that far too many

COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA

The U.S. Census Bureau reports that poverty rates rose between 1959 and 2009; poverty is a particular problem in NYC.

Are your friends tired of hearing you complain?

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The Sweat at off w the Brow Harry MacCormack A Pyrrhic Victory Here’s my opinion on attempting to make Obama a one-term president. I do not agree with many of Obama’s policies, nor is he the candidate for whom I would have voted. That being said, he is still the president of the United States, and deserves some respect.

The Tea Party’s “scorched earth” policy to ruin Obama’s term is, plainly put, insane. I understand people do not like his policies, but to destroy America while it is under his command is utterly ridiculous.

Recently, the Tea Party sent an email to many of its supporters, calling for small businesses to freeze hiring, in order to cause the Obama jobs bill to fail. Their attitude is bewildering. It is like cutting off your nose to spite your face.

I am a conservative, but my allegiance is to the markets, to the return of America as an economic force with which to be reckoned. Hobbling your own economy during a time of severe need (for the sake of petty partisan victories) is abominable.

I have tolerated stupidity on the part of the Tea Party for a long time. Their latest move, however, is inexcusable. They have gone from a loud-voiced rabble to a full-blown danger to American prosperity.

This most recent act has proven once and for all that the Tea Party does not care about its followers or its own nation; all that matters to them is being right and being in charge. The Tea Party is actively building a fortress on a foundation of sand. Someone needs to explain to the Tea Partiers that a pyrrhic victory, or a victory where the cost is greater than the benefit, is hardly a victory at all.

I am sick and tired of all the demagoguery which seems to permeate American politics in this day and age, whether it is the fools at Occupy Wall Street, crying like children for economic reform with no goals or organization, or the Tea Party, which is so determined to be in control that they will watch America burn to the ground to gain power.

I am making a call for reason.

Instead of kicking and screaming and trying to cut down opponents while they have control, politics take all the time spent whining and find ways to be better. When the time comes for you to run things, instead of wasting time dismantling the work laid by your opponent, build over it, and improve on the work begun by those who came before.

Too often these days, political groups are so wrapped up in their rhetoric that they forget their purpose is not to argue, but is to work toward an America that is better for everyone, Democrat or Republican.

It is time that Americans grow up and remember that politics are not about who gets the last word, but about serving and improving the country.

PAGE 10 • THE RAM • OCTOBER 26, 2011

ADVERTISING

OCTOBER 26, 2011

PAGE 11

Fordham Anti-War Coalition Vigil Shut Down

By SCHARON HARDING ASSISTANT CULTURE EDITOR

Thursday, Oct. 6 marked the 10year anniversary of America’s military involvement in Afghanistan. To commemorate this event, the Fordham Anti-War Coalition attempted to hold a vigil for those affected by the war. This includes soldiers, civilians, families and lives lost.

“I thought it was important because people know that we’re in a war, but I don’t think most people know how long we’ve been there,” Erica Kadel, FCRH ’13, said. “We’ve been there for more than half my life.

We wanted to remind the Fordham community that war has costs.”

“As students that really believe in a peaceful world, this was something that was worth giving our time to,” Cori Ring-Martinez, FCRH ’13, said. “This sort of remembrance would be really poignant if it makes students pause and reflect.”

In order to do this, the club needed to comply with Fordham’s demonstration policy. The policy requires forms be submitted and, according to Fordham’s Web site, “the organizer must appear at the Dean of Students office for his/her campus. The Dean of Students/ designate will meet with the organizer within one business day. The planned demonstration may be scheduled no less than two business days after this meeting.” Club members submitted these forms two weeks before the proposed date. Their request was still listed as “pending” on Oct. 6; they decided to continue with the vigil.

“We didn’t think it’d be such a big deal because we know other clubs do it, and we thought it would be worth going ahead with it,” RingMartinez said.

The students made over 200 flyers to advertise the event, which they named “Occupy Eddie’s.” The flyers included a list of cited facts about the war, such as “As of June 6, 2011, the number of uniformed dead totaled 6,051...” and “It costs over 1 million dollars per soldier per year to be deployed in Afghanistan.”

“The club’s advisor is required to approve space reservations,” Christopher Rodgers, dean of Students at Rose Hill, said. “This approval was apparently never received and so the request never made it to our offices. The organizers seem also to have forgotten to submit their flyers – otherwise we would have learned about the event and reached out to the students to coordinate.”

At around 6:45 p.m., five members of the club set up on Keating’s steps. They lit candles and held homemade signs with messages including “Drop Beatz Not Bombz” and “What Could 400 Billion $ Do At Home.” By 7:05 p.m., two members of administration arrived to order the students’ dispersion.

There were approximately eight students present at that time. The flyers caught the attention of the administration and, since the group never got official approval, the vigil was shut down. The students were told that safety concerns and the possibility of others needing the

PHOTO BY SCHARON HARDING /THE RAM

The Fordham Anti-War Coalition attempted to hold a vigil for people affected by the war in Afghanistan, including soldiers and their families, in addition to civilians.

PHOTOS BY SCHARON HARDING /THE RAM

Club members made 200 “Occupy Eddie’s” flyers, which gave facts about the war, before gathering on Keating steps on Oct. 6. to light candles and hold up signs.

space caused for the demonstration policy’s enforcement.

“Staff had heard nothing about the program as the flyers were not submitted for posting and the space was not reserved,” Rodgers said. “[The administration] was right, but in the light of everything, they weren’t able to take a step back and think ‘What’s the worst that can happen with kids talking about antiwar?,’” Will Yates, FCRH ’12, said.

“They made a good point when they said that they were not against our message, which was nice, but they still were unable to take a step back.”

“It’s not like we were gathering to be mean-spirited or do something against [the] administration,” Kadel said. “We were making broad statements about how war is an inferior choice to diplomacy or other venues of solving issues. I don’t think that message should be shut down anywhere, especially at Fordham, where it’s supposed to be a Jesuit institution.”

Although they did not get approval for what was considered a demonstration, the students felt their message should have been deemed valuable enough to continue.

“It was an effort to start a dialogue,” Ring-Martinez said. “We want to to be able to start a discussion that will hopefully lead to critical thinking between the world and our school.”

“I wanted people to look up and see candles and think, just for a second, ‘Wow. There’s stuff going on in the world,’” Kadel said.

“I think this incident shows that we have to have a more cooperative agreement in place,” Ring-Martinez said. “It was like talking to robots.

There were a few answers, but it wasn’t substantial. I know they were doing their job, but we’re at a four– year liberal arts campus in America and we’re not allowed to light candles?”

“I’m not saying that it’s wrong for administration to know what’s going on on campus, but for me to have to get approval to let other people know my opinion is ridiculous,” Kadel said. “I have to get approval to sit on Eddie’s [...] and just be present in case people did want to come by and talk.”

Some students have expressed discontent with the demonstration polciy. Rodgers has addressed this with student leaders.

“In summer 2010, I worked very closely with the USG president to review and revise the demonstration policy and encourage our students to follow its rather clear stepby-step instructions,” Rodgers said.

Administration does not aim to completely silence students, but insists they follow policy.

“I am glad to see any group of students interested enough in any cause to organize, however,” Rod-

gers said. “And, as the handbook makes clear, students can certainly use space they reserve to demonstrate on our campus. We simply ask that these events be coordinated with us and that permission to use space be requested a reasonable time beforehand.”

The students said they believe the vigil could have been more successful if Fordham had a designated free speech zone. United Student Government has been lobbying for such a zone in the past but has not acquired approval.

“The larger issue is that people can’t assemble for free speech inside of Fordham gates,” Yates said. “This week we plan on opening up that debate again. It’s probably going to be a year-long campaign, but that’s alright.”

“Even a 10 [foot] by 10 [foot] space would do,” Kadel said. “All you have to do is put a stick in the ground with a sign. It’s not a money commitment—it’s an ethical commitment. It’s a commitment to say we believe that our students and faculty have a voice.”

“The concerns about safety, while important, are not so important to stifle the right to free speech,” Ring-Martinez said. “I think it’s really important to have space where we’re able to be heard, not only as students but as adults that are here to learn something and make something of ourselves.”

The debate for a free speech zone does not appear to be going away soon.

“It’s something that Fordham needs to get on board with because a lot of New York schools and Jesuit schools are very much on top of that,” Yates said.

“How are we supposed to have a trusting relationship when everything is policed and viewed as less than worthy?” Ring-Martinez said.

“It’s insulting frankly. Fordham must work to foster an environment where creativity, free speech, critical analysis and dialogue are encouraged outside of the classroom.”

The students will have to be persistent to achieve this goal.

“We discussed a similar proposal at length several years ago and instead compromised with student government to make various revisions to the demonstration policy to address some of the concerns expressed,” Rodgers said. “Having made the process as easy to understand and follow as we now have, it’s ironic that a completely unrestricted ‘free speech zone’ is again being proposed.”

The Fordham Anti-War Coalition will discuss methods to obtain a Free Speech Zone in addition to new ways to commemorate those who have died as a result of war.

The club meets on McGinley’s second floor on Wednesdays at 9:30 p.m.

CULTURE

PAGE 12 • THE RAM • OCTOBER 26, 2011

Cooking With Clara CLARA ENNIST

Dining Out: Prince Street Café

By COURTNEY HO

Stuffed Cabbage Supertasters are people who have a heightened sense of taste to some or all foods. While the word may sound made-up, it is indeed a real thing; all people have certain foods that they love or cannot stand (like cilantro).

Although they are not technically “supertasters,” children could easily fall into this category. Their picky eating habits are not always the result of irritating childhood petulance; sometimes they actually cannot stand the taste of a food because they have a heightened sense of taste.

Specifically, children tend to shy away from foods that are bitter, which is probably a throwback to times past when bitter meant poisonous and children were figuring out what foods they could eat in a Darwinian Eat This, Not That fashion.

It is nice to believe that I was not a little brat when I was younger.

As a child, I could not stand the taste of cabbage, and it is an aversion that has carried through to my adulthood. I try to steer clear of cabbage, unless it is shredded in an egg roll, so I have not actually tasted it for awhile to decide whether or not I still dislike it. To ease myself back into eating it, I wanted to cook stuffed cabbage because if anything is filled with beef and rice and then covered in tomato sauce, it probably will taste good. Stuffed cabbage appears in a number of cultures around the globe under different names and slightly varied recipes: the Russians have Golubtsky, the French have Chou Farci and the Bulgarians have Zeleva Surma.

The recipe with which I decided to work is called Gołąbki, Polish stuffed cabbage; it is one of the few recipes that does not require pickled cabbage as a wrapper. The ingredients are simple and cheap: ground beef, white rice, onion, garlic, celery, cabbage, an egg and tomato sauce.

The directions are relatively straightforward, too: parboil the cabbage; cook the rice and beef; mix the beef rice, onion, garlic, egg and celery; wrap the beef and rice mixture in cabbage leaves; top with tomato sauce; and allow to simmer for about an hour.

The verdict on cabbage? It is pretty delicious when used to wrap the beef and rice. Maybe it is not exactly the most culturally sensitive thought, but the outcome is like a little cabbage burrito. Wrapping the cabbage rolls, however, is similar to how one would wrap a burrito: fold each side toward the center and then roll.

I am uncertain as to when or how I started disliking cabbage; I have no idea if it was the smell, the taste or the texture that turned me off.

At least I have resurrected a food from my childhood, but I cannot say the same for stuffed squid or a McDonald’s hash brown – both of those foods have unpleasant memories tied to them. For those two foods it may take longer than 21 years to develop an aversion and then cure it.

For the recipe, visit theramonline.com.

STAFF WRITER

PHOTO BY COURTNEY HO/THE RAM

The grilled marinated chicken sandwich is served with chipotle aioli.

PHOTO BY COURTNEY HO/THE RAM

Prince Street Café is located at 26 Prince St., between Elizabeth and Mott St.

Prince Street Café is a deceivingly cute little café nestled between Elizabeth Street and Mott Street.

I was originally going to Café Habana across the street (which, by the way, has amazing Cuban sandwiches); unfortunately, the line was out the door, and my friends and I were extremely hungry. I frantically looked around and was drawn to the atmosphere of this café across the street.

My friends and I sat down, but no one tended to us for another 10 minutes, though we were among the less than 10 people in the café. After the waitress finally arrived, we were served warm, gross-tasting water. Yes, you read right, people. The water was gross-tasting.

You’re might be thinking "She's overreacting. New York water is delicious."

I can attest to the fact that it is not when it has been left out in room temperature for a really long time.

There are bigger problems at hand. I looked at the menu and thought it looked pretty good.

I ordered the grilled marinated chicken sandwich.

On the menu, it said it was a sandwich filled with marinated chicken, avocado, vine-ripened tomato and chipotle aioli.

First of all, the chicken was not seasoned, it was definitely not marinated and even felt slightly cold. The half of a slice of a toma-

to that I received was nasty.

The avocado was smushed and, again, not seasoned. They didn't even toast the bread. So essentially, I paid almost $10 for a sandwich that required no skill, common sense or even taste buds.

My friend ordered a grilled marinated chicken wrap with roasted corn salad and chipotle aioli. She could not hold it up with her hands because the whole thing kept falling apart. She had to resort to eating it with a fork and knife. Based on the way they "wrapped" it, it was more like an unsuccessful quesadilla than a chicken wrap.

My other friend got a smoked turkey sandwich with brie cheese, granny smith apples and cranberry chutney. Everything in it was cold.

Honestly, if they had simply toasted the bread and melted the cheese, the sandwich would have been alright.

Overall, Prince Street Café was horribly disappointing. There is really no other way to say it. It is important to note that I gave this place an opportunity for redemption.

I would give them two stars instead of one because I have to admit that the place was nice and clean. The food was disgusting, however, so it is not worth it. If you're ever in Nolita, don't go to this café; don't be deceived like I was.

For photos of delicious food, non-delicious food and more, check out fordhamfoodgirl.blogspot.com.

Editor’s Pick: I Could Be The Only One

By BRIAN KRAKER EXECUTIVE NEWS EDITOR

Covers are always a touchy subject. Often a listener’s pure infatuation with the original song causes any imitation to pale in comparison, however, when bands possess such an admiration for their peers’ work, they often produce the greatest imitations. Pearl Jam’s reproduction of “Love, Reign o’er Me” demonstrates their respect for the rock ‘n’ roll pioneers The Who. Other times, the ability to take a song and completely change the instrumentation used creates an entirely unique interpretation.

When Iron and Wine replaced the synthesizer in The Postal Service’s “Such Great Heights” with a single acoustic guitar, the solo artist produced an acoustic ballad out of an electro pop classic.

Yet, when two artists convene to honor a peer’s work, true musical genius is born.

This is the case for “I Could Be the Only One,” a two–track collaboration between the Brooklynbased solo artist Kevin Devine and the Atlanta-grown Manchester Orchestra. Both acts have spent sufficient time touring together, with Devine opening for Manchester Orchestra on multiple occasions.

The pair shared the stage in a multitude of concerts and now share the recording studio, swapping each others’ favorite tunes.

The record opens with Manchester Orchestra, who transformed Devine’s uncharacteristically pop-single “I Could Be With Anyone” into a somber tune. Replacing the synthetic beat and light chord progression with a single acoustic guitar, Manchester weaves melancholy notes under lead singer Andy Hull’s calming voice.

Where the original track swells into a crescendo of distorted, snarling guitars, Manchester introduces harmonizing vocals and dueling acoustic guitars over a piano melody in the song’s conclusion.

The cover extends the song over a minute and a half with instrumentals that relax the original’s chaotic rhythm guitars.

Devine chose “The Only One,” the opening track to Manchester Orchestra’s 2009 album Mean Everything to Nothing, emptying the song of its heavy chord progressions and synthesizer lead. The cover contains the full gamut of available instruments, including a xylophone, maracas and electronica melodies. The song’s beat is composed of shaken maracas and whimsical snapping, converting the once punk rock track into a tune fit for an afternoon on a beach.

Devine replaces the lead synth progression with his own humming sound, producing a tune reminiscent more of a Jimmy Buffett classic than its indie-grunge origins.

This EP was released Jan. 26,

COURTESY OF FLICKR

2010 to little media acclaim, yet this gem should not be overlooked.

With the power and emotion emitted in less than 10 minutes of play time, this album was a precursor to the two acts’ upcoming side-proj-

ect collaboration under the name Bad Books. This mellow record proves that covers, although few and far between, can transform a cherished track into a new creation deserving of equal recognition.

CULTURE

WHO’S THAT KID? Graeme McEneany A MEMBER OF GSB ’14 MAJORING IN FINANCE AND MATH FROM HOPEWELL JUNCTION, N.Y. In what campus organizations are you involved?

Since I first transferred to Fordham this fall, I have aligned myself with many organizations in order to become involved in my new community. I am a member of the rowing team and also a member of the Fordham Ramblers. I participate in Beta Alpha Psi and the Finance Society, as well. These are my first experiences with organized Fordham activities and I am really enjoying the social aspect of all of these groups. It’s a great way to get to know individuals in the community when you are new to a school.

Please describe yourself in a couple of sentences.

I am someone who likes to be involved. I’m down-to-earth and generally have a positive outlook on things. What I really appreciate about what I have found through the Fordham community is that I finally feel like I am at the right place where I can enjoy life and get the most out of it. I feel like I can take advantage of the ideal college experience, which is very important to me.

Please describe something about yourself that not many people know.

When I traveled to Jamaica I ended up participating in a relatively dangerous activity — not something I do all the time. I actually climbed up a waterfall in Jamaica while linked to other people that were climbing alongside of me.

It was pretty intense — something you think you’ll never do, and sometimes I wonder why I ever did it.

What is your favorite aspect of Fordham? Why? My favorite aspect of Fordham would have to be my involvement in the Ramblers. Being part of this organization makes me feel like I belong to a brotherhood. We are such a close knit group of friends that really get along, and that’s not always easy to find. I feel that the Fordham community, in general, has a very welcoming attitude.

What is your favorite class and professor at Fordham? Why? My favorite class is my Business Law class, which is taught by my favorite professor, Dennis Cappello.

Honestly, it is one of the few classes that I find to be genuinely interesting and thought-provoking.

Plus, he’s just a laugh–out–loud, dry-humor personality type: the combination works perfectly.

What is your favorite memory while attending Fordham?

The candlelight ceremony during Orientation has been my favorite memory so far. I met some great people and really enjoyed the whole ambiance and significance of the ceremony. It was the first time I’d ever done something like that. Since this is only my second month at Fordham, I anticipate many more exciting memories to come.

What is your favorite thing to do in NYC? I wish I went to the City more.

It’s not as new and exciting for me as for some because I only live about an hour away, but being out in the atmosphere of Manhattan is always a good time.

What are your plans for after college?

I definitely would like to be a securities trader for a large financial firm. Working at a corporation such as Goldman Sacs would be ideal.

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

What I want to do and accomplish at Fordham aligns with where I want to be after I graduate. My top priorities for school are to establish internships and keep my GPA around a 4.0. But, more importantly, I want to build tight– knit friendships that I can keep for the rest of my life.

OCTOBER 26, 2011 • THE RAM • PAGE 13

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

Going

27

?

On

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

THURSDAY Nightmare: Fairy Tales Haunted House Clemente Soto Velez Cultural and Educational Center (107 Suffolk St.) 6 p.m. - Midnight Travel through the haunted forest with a frightening fairy tale theme.

28

FRIDAY The Zombie Prom The Delancey (168 Delancey St.) 8 p.m. - 1 a.m.

Win Zombie Prom King and Queen for a cool $75 at this party.

29

SATURDAY Sleepy Hollow Haunted Hayride Pay $10 at Thursday’s CAB Candy Apple Giveaway to join the ride.

30

SUNDAY Screening of Frankenstein Museum of the Moving Image (36-01 35th Avenue) Astoria, Queens 7:30 p.m.

Home videos of creator Boris Karloff will be shown.

31

MONDAY 39th Annual Village Halloween Parade 6th Ave. from Spring St. - 16th St. 7 p.m.

Show up early to walk in the parade with your costume.

01

TUESDAY The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse BAM Rose Cinemas (30 Lafayette Ave.) 6:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m.

The wide-screen epic is a remake of Rudolph Valentino’s short film.

02 COURTESY OF GRAEME MCENEANY

Graheam McNeany, who is a sophomore in GSB, is from Hopewell Junction, N.Y.

WEDNESDAY Men’s Basketball Maroon & White Scrimmage Rose Hill Gym 7 p.m.

Celebrity radio personalities Boomer Esiason and Craig Carton of WFAN sports radio will serve as guest coaches.

— COMPILED BY SCHARON HARDING

Ram Reviews MOVIE

The Ides of March

By JAKE KRING-SCHREIFELS STAFF WRITER

A hopeful, promising and certainly liberal air exists around Governor Mike Morris, and why not? His George Clooney (Good Night and Good Luck) mug appears in Obama-esque red and blue “Believe” posters. He is in a close Ohio primary race against a barely seen Senator Pullman, battling for the Democratic nomination for president. Morris is a fervent environmentalist, promoting noncombustible engines, and is also a secularist.

Instead of sidestepping theological morals, Morris smoothly professes his allegiance to the Constitution. His goals seem plausible, except his temerity feels too fictitious and his ideals would be harshly censured in today’s uncompromising Congress.

That is not to say that The Ides of March insists upon sending a political message. Instead, it looks at the inner workings of the political process, its ideological claims falling by the wayside in light of its internal operation. In this sense, the urgency and cunning intelligence this film depicts finds some authenticity. The steady flow of words proclaimed and then actually practiced muddies the governor’s persona which becomes ever more intriguing.

Morris, in his heated primary battle, embodies a cherished candidate, a strong contender who appeals to a striving middle class.

Clooney, who directed and helped write the film, begins to tarnish this figure. This takes center stage in the middle of Morris’s campaign, where the cold blood of politics infiltrates Stephen Meyers (Ryan Gosling, Drive), the governor’s campaign staffer and slick savant. His unreadable eyes imbue him with his shady characteristics, even though he blatantly proposes that Morris has to

win.

Stephen learns from his boss Paul (Phillip Seymore-Hoffman, Capote), who squares off with rival campaign manager Tom Duff y (Paul Giamatti, Barney’s Version) representing Pullman.

Both Paul and Tom play the crafty veterans, using their logical cynicism to express their maniacal means. Stephen observes the upclose tricks of the trade and also discovers the conditional relationship between insiders and the press. Marisa Tomei (My Cousin Vinny) plays Ida Horowicz, a New York Times reporter trying to scoop up any juicy hunches, specifically if the Morris campaign can garner the approval of a self-righteous North Carolina Senator ( Jeffrey Wright, Source Code) and his plentiful delegates. Her early, friendly banter eases Stephen into a comfortable friendship, but she quickly exposes him in exchange for a hearty headline.

These types of encounters only intensify the campaign trail and

Stephen’s growing hubris pushes him to audaciously make independent choices. These include a conspicuous encounter with Duff y and a relationship with Morris’s head intern Molly (Evan Rachel Wood, Across the Universe). She seduces, then plays coy, but ultimately lures the young staffer into bed. Her father is in charge of the Democratic National Committee, but her ominous past begins to peel away and has potential to send Stephen and Morris’s campaign into the gutter.

Gosling, with his glossy and impenetrable gaze, steals the show. He molds himself proportionately to the changing tide of the film, taking on a heavy, vengeful tone each day that toys with his sense of entitlement and loyalty. The sensuous displays of affection gracefully portrayed by Wood exaggerate this mental divide and spark impulsive reactions that allude to its iconic title. These heightened ethical indecisions, however, lack a few early morning, intern-run espresso shots. It comments on a dignity-

exhausting process but the flowing pace lets the disappointing imposition of a still-corrupt Washington seep its way in. The intrigue of its moral ambiguity controls a bleak, exposing process, relying on cynicism that pursues, avoids, and then becomes a last resort.

Maybe the biggest point the film works to explain is the indecisive individual societal complex. Morris, in one of his public Q and As, converses with a pundit about the death penalty. He admits that if someone murdered a member of his family he would take action, responding atypically, “I would commit a crime for which I’d happily go to jail.” Yet, he adds, “Society has to be better than the individual.”

The Ides of March pushes this logic, but also backs off its difficult premise, keeping its plot suspenseful, yet only mildly challenging. Do we trust in the cause or is it lost in the dirty vessel that carries it? I am still trying to figure this out.

To Read more, visit http://fieldoffilms.wordpress.com.

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

CULTURE

PAGE 14 • THE RAM • OCTOBER 26, 2011

Up ’Til Dawn to Hold Letter Writing Event in November

COURTESY OF CATHERINE GEORGE

COURTESY OF CATHERINE GEORGE

Up ‘Til Dawn raises money to benefit St. Jude Childrens’ Research Hospital, which was founded by Danny Thomas in 1962 and is located in Memphis, Tenn. The letter wrtiting event will occur on Nov. 16.

By CONNOR RYAN STAFF WRITER

A Fordham student who was interning at New York’s St. Jude fundraising center wanted to get the Fordham community engaged in raising money for St. Jude’s while also raising awareness and consciousness. The result was Up ’Til Dawn, a studentrun event that has allowed for a longstanding tradition of hope and good, old-fashioned letterwriting to grow.

St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, Tenn. is the only pediatric cancer research center where families are never required to pay for their child’s treatment, according to the hospital’s Web site. Faithful to its mission and financial guarantee, St. Jude’s relies predominantly on donations, and that is where

Fordham—along with many other colleges and universities around the country—comes into play.

Each year, Up ’Til Dawn brings students together to eat, enjoy entertainment provided by various student groups on campus and address prewritten letters to friends and family, requesting for donations to benefit the children of St. Jude’s.

As the night moves forward, envelopes become less legible, food gets cold and playlists begin to repeat, but good conversation and the possibility of soliciting a big donation with any envelope allows for an electrifying energy to permeate the room. It is this atmosphere of community and this unified goal that quietly transforms the early evening hour into the early morning.

Along with the personal satis-

faction that inevitably goes along with supporting a good cause— or at least spreading the word about a good cause—prizes that participating students are eligible to win include a $200 iTunes gift card and T-shirts, along with many more incentives the program plans on releasing. The student who addresses the most envelopes by the end of the event will be rewarded with an iPad. “I was so inspired by the cause and the hospital’s mission; I wanted to get involved and raise awareness,” Catherine George, FCRH ’12, executive director of the board responsible for organizing the program, said about what led her to the program.

“By getting involved in this event or club, not only will you have fun and gain experiences to add to your résumé, but you are also supporting an amazing

cause,” she said.

According to George, Fordham raised over $32,000 through Up ‘Til Dawn last year, making it the highest-grossing year since the program’s inception and placing Fordham at the top of Region 9 (raising more money than all New York and New Jersey schools).

The e-board hopes to piggyback off of the momentum sustained last year and continue down the road of awareness— and sizable generosity.

“Take a look at any of the current or past patients of the hospital and you will be unable to keep your wallet closed,” Christina Debiase, FCRH ’13, Logistics Chair of the program, wrote in an email.

The program strives to generate money, but at the heart of the mission is a drive to educate the community about the steps St.

Jude’s takes, not only to create a comfortable, yet technologically advanced environment for treating children and alleviating families of financial concerns, but also to conduct innovative research determined to find a cure for all cancers.

“We have gotten to see our 18th birthdays and these kids should get that chance too,” Debiase said.

This year’s Up ’Til Dawn event will take place on Nov. 16 from 6 p.m. until midnight on the second floor of the McGinley Center. The leaders of the program ask that attending students bring the addresses of as many friends and family members as possible.

For more information regarding sign-up and other event details, students are encouraged to visit the St. Jude’s Up ‘Til Dawn Facebook page.

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PAGE 15

OCTOBER 26, 2011

Men’s Soccer Upsets No. 10 Charlotte, Moves into Tie for First in A-10

RAM ARCHIVES

Senior John Niyonsaba’s goal lifted the Rams to victory over Charlotte.

By KARA SCAGLIOLA CONTRIBUTING WRITER

The men’s soccer team moved into a tie for first place in the Atlantic 10 last weekend, losing 2-1 to Saint Louis on Friday before upsetting No. 10 Charlotte 1-0 on Sunday.

Fordham men’s soccer started the weekend with a tough loss against Saint Louis. An aggressive first half left the chilly onlookers heated, as both teams focused on keeping possession of the ball and defending their respective sides of the field.

Saint Louis did not get its first shot until the 30th minute. Senior goalie Ryan Meara made the save to keep the score 0-0. Even after a solid 30-yard shot from Fordham

sophomore midfielder Nathaniel Bekoe a few minutes later, the first half of this game remained scoreless.

The second half turned out to be more eventful.

Sophomore defender Jon Roeckle scored 37 seconds into the half. Six minutes later, the Billikens extended their lead when freshman midfielder William Hidalgo scored. Saint Louis managed only three second half shots, but the team converted two of them into goals.

The Rams remained without a goal until the 73rd minute when freshman midfielder Jack-Tim Murphy landed the ball in the Billikens goal, bringing the score to 2-1. The goal was Murphy’s second of the season.

Fordham continued its aggressive offense for the remaining 20 minutes of the game but was not given another solid chance to score, resulting in the Rams’ second conference loss of the year.

“After going down two goals we worked hard to get back into the match with a good goal from JackTim Murphy,” Head Coach James McElderry said.

“I was confident we would get the equalizer, but we ran out of time,” he said. “This loss forced us to have a mindset of ‘must win’ against Charlotte. They were No. 10 in the Division I National Rankings, but the staff and team are confident we can compete with anyone in the country. We always seem to play our best soccer against the toughest opponents.”

This was the mindset of the Rams as they headed into their Sunday game against the 49ers, Fordham’s second matchup and possibly its second upset against a ranked opponent since the team faced Xavier (No. 23) a few weeks ago.

The first half was high on fouls and was played primarily in the midfield, with each team only taking two unsuccessful shots.

The second half began similarly, until the Rams were able to capitalize on a weak moment for the 49ers, as senior forward John Niyonsaba took a shot from the top of the box that deflected off of a defender and into the Charlotte goal.

Fordham played a tight defense and managed to run out the clock without giving Charlotte an opportunity to gain an equalizer,

earning its second upset of the season with a score of 1-0.

Fordham’s defense held Charlotte to only four shots for the game, outshooting the 49ers 7-4.

Meara made two saves for his eighth shutout of the season.

With the win, Fordham is now 8-6-1 on the year (4-2 in the A-10). The team is tied for first in the conference with Dayton and LaSalle. All three teams have 12 points.

As the Rams finish their homestand this Friday on Jack Coffey Field against LaSalle, they feel confident but they also feel the pressure to get another win.

“This upcoming game is important in a lot of ways,” McElderry said. “We will be honoring the 11

seniors on the team, and we also need to continue to pick up points in order to qualify for the A-10 playoffs. LaSalle is undefeated in our league and tied with us for first place so the game will be very evenly matched. I know our players are aware of the importance of the game, and I am confident we will play a good match in our last home game of the season. Hopefully we will have a big crowd to support the team and our senior class.”

Friday’s game against the Explorers will conclude a five-game homestand for the Rams. They finish their regular season at Saint Joseph’s and Temple in Philadelphia on Nov. 4 and 6, respectively.

RAM ARCHIVES

Senior Ryan Meara recorded his eighth career shutout a 1-0 win Sunday.

Swimming and Diving Competes at Mixed Results for Rowing Marist and UConn to Start Season at the Head of the Charles

By TIM DEROCHER CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Last week, the Rams’ swimming and diving teams kicked off their seasons with two meets, including a dual meet against the Marist Red Foxes and the Husky Invitational.

The women beat Marist with a score of 144-99, while the men lost a close battle with a score of 125-112. At the invitational in Connecticut, the two Fordham teams claimed eight wins.

Inside the McCann Natatorium on Thursday night, the women’s team pulled down wins in the 400 medley relay (junior Brienne Ryan, seniors Courtney Collyer and Kelly Bunster and junior Alana Biagioli- 3:54.80), the 200 freestyle (Ryan- 1:54.68), the 200 intermediate (Collyer- 2:08.50), the 200 butterfly (Collyer- 2:05.65), the 100 freestyle (Ryan- 52.91) and the 200 backstroke (freshman Spencer Chappell- 2:07.87).

The men’s team contributed an additional five wins in the form of the 400 medley relay (junior Thomas Yi, sophomores Ben Dwyer and Shintaro Noguchi and junior Devon Morris- 3:30.07), the 200 freestyle (Noguchi- 1:43.65), the 50 freestyle (Morris- 21.61), the 100 freestyle (Morris- 47.02) and the

400 freestyle relay (Noguchi, sophomores Nick Belfanti and Michael Grimmett-Norris and freshman Pat Militti- 3:13.16).

Head Coach Steve Potsklan was pleased with the performance.

“We got a lot of good performances and it’s a platform for us to build on,” Potsklan said The dual meet was the first of many in the season as the team moves toward its ultimate goal of the Atlantic 10 Championships in February. These early meets provide a chance for the swimmers to get acclimated to racing and to a highly competitive environment.

“That is our major goal, to get all our swimmers to perform their best times,” Potsklan said. “We do that and everything else falls into place.”

The Rams’ second meet of the week was equally successful, as the two teams accomplished eight wins and 47 top five results between them. To be able to score in many events and to be flexible are two of the keystones of the team thus far.

“We have a lot of versatile swimmers in our program,” Potsklan said.

“Something we really try to bring to our team is swimmers and athletes that can do a lot of multi-events.”

The men found wins in both the 100 free (Morris- 46.91) and the 100 butterfly (Noguchi- 50.54),

while the women took home wins in the 200 butterfly (Collyer-2:03.45), the 100 butterfly (Collyer-56.62), the 400 individual medley (Collyer4:30.33) and the 200 freestyle relay (Collyer, Kellie Lyver, Ryan, Bunster-1:38.33).

Collyer’s stand-out performance (she won all seven events she swam in) earned her Atlantic 10 Women’s Swimming and Diving Performer of the Week. This was not her first time winning this accolade, but rather her third. Starting her senior year in style, Collyer scored 18 individual points along with being a member of the winning 400 medley relay during the dual meet against Marist.

She continued her domination in the lane by winning the 200 butterfly, 100 butterfly, 400 individual medley and 200 freestyle relay with her teammates at the Husky Invitational.

Collyer and the rest of the team seek to continue their winning ways as their next dual meet draws nearer.

“We’re gonna use this meet against a close rival to give our kids a chance to get a lot of swims in and see where we are,” Potsklan said.

The next meet is slated for Friday, Oct. 28, when the Rams host Fairfield University at 5 p.m. inside the Messmore Aquatic Center.

By JONATHAN PETIX CONTRIBUTING WRITER

This past weekend, the Lady Rams competed at the Head of the Charles Regatta in Cambridge, Mass. The Head of the Charles is one of the biggest sporting events in the world. Each year, over 300,000 spectators, vendors and fans line the bridges and banks of the River. It is America’s premier fall rowing festival.

The Lady Rams were fired up to row at such a prestigious venue in two events, the Club 4+ and the Championship 8+. The Club 4+ raced on Saturday and was stroked by freshman Alex Azizi.

“We have been training hard for the past six weeks with this one race in mind,” Azizi said prior to the race. “I am ready to release the Kraken out there.”

Her intensity was reflected in her boat’s performance, as the Lady Rams in the Club 4+ placed seventh in a field of 45 crews, with an official time of 20:20.6.

“Our girls put it all on the line out there,” Assistant Head Coach Nick Dawe said. “They did everything we asked them to do and got a great result.”

In order to be guaranteed an entry at the Charles, the crew must

place in the top half of the field of competition in a given event.

This year’s finish guarantees that the Lady Rams will be returning to race at the Head of the Charles next fall.

On Sunday afternoon, the Lady Rams’ first 8+ raced in the toughest event at the Regatta, the Championship 8+.

“This event is consistently filled with the top athletes from the top teams year after year,” Head Coach Ted Bonnano said before the event.

“But I think our girls are up for the challenge.”

Stroked by freshman Ashleigh Aitchison, the Lady Rams ended up finishing in 36th place with an official time of 18:07.35. The team held their own against tough competition. The Riverside Boat Club, which has a history of training some of the top collegiate teams in the country, was among the schools ahead of which the Rams finished.

Next weekend, on Saturday Oct. 29, the crew team will travel to the Schuylkill River in Philadelphia to race at the Head of the Schuylkill Regatta. On Sunday, they will defend their title as Metropolitan Champions at the Fall Metropolitan Championship Regatta on Travers Island, N.Y. to close out the fall season.

PAGE 16 • THE RAM • OCTOBER 26, 2011

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SPORTS

Overlooked NBA Stories

By DJ SIXSMITH STAFF WRITER

You know the NBA lockout is in full swing when the top news of the week is that the Sacramento Kings are making progress in their effort to build a new arena.

After three days and 30 hours of meetings with a federal mediator in New York last week, the players and owners are not any closer to striking a deal than they were when the lockout first began.

The main issue that continues to split the two sides is the allocation of the league’s revenue. The owners are holding firm at a 50-50 division, while the players are adamant about receiving a majority of the pot. The two sides have not even been able to address the problems associated with the salary cap because they still cannot move past the division of revenue.

Unlike in the NFL lockout, the owners of the NBA are fully content to sit out the entire season. According to Commissioner David Stern, 22 of the league’s 30 teams lost money last year. In fact, for some small markets, it would make more financial sense to not play any basketball this season.

The NBA finds itself in an eerily similar situation to the NHL in 2004, and this should make fans everywhere nervous because it took Commissioner Gary Bettman an entire year to restructure the financial system of the NHL. A major positive was taken from the NHL lockout, however, in that the league became more competitive. A hard salary cap has allowed smaller market teams to become legitimate contenders, and that is why the NHL has been able to reclaim its position as a mainstream sport.

Enough about this lockout. The question is: Where do we go from here?

With many in the media focusing on the charity games and world tours planned for some NBA stars like Kobe Bryant, Derrick Rose and Kevin Durant, I thought it would be more interesting to showcase the stories that the lockout is overshadowing. Yes, there is more that the lockout is preventing us from seeing besides Craig Sager’s velvet jackets on TNT. Let us start in Hollywood, where once we get back to basketball, the Lakers will be under the guidance of former Cleveland Cavaliers head coach and ESPN analyst Mike Brown.

It is hard to remember that the

Zen Master Phil Jackson retired and chose serenity in Montana over his high chair on the Lakers sideline.

Brown took the Cavs to the NBA Finals in 2007, but that was largely because of one guy who currently resides in South Beach. The window is closing fast for Los Angeles, and it will be intriguing to see how the team responds to Brown’s laid-back coaching style.

Four other new faces join Brown on the sideline as Lawrence Frank, Rick Adelman and Kevin McHale all return to the head coaching ranks, while Mark Jackson gets his first crack with the Golden State Warriors.

One man who will not be returning to the NBA after the lockout is the Big Diesel, Shaquille O’Neal.

After evoking fear into the minds of opposing defenses and coaches alike for nearly two decades, the man of many nicknames decided to call it quits in June.

Although the Big Cactus was plagued by injuries toward the end of his career, the NBA will certainly miss the man who put up some of the greatest numbers the game has ever seen and held some of the greatest press conferences that the media has ever witnessed. While O’Neal’s off-the-court antics will certainly stay with fans for years to come, his numbers truly define his legacy as a future first-ballot Hall of Famer.

While Shaq walks away from the NBA with four rings, all eyes will be on O’Neal’s former teammate LeBron James and his quest for his first title.

King James has now been to the NBA finals twice, and his most recent failure still stings after the Dallas Mavericks proved that team basketball trumps stardom. After attracting major media attention last year, do not expect critics to lighten up on James anytime soon. The Heat may have three of the best players in the NBA, but they still lack a commitment to defense and a legitimate center. The lockout is just giving us more time to realize that LeBron is no longer the dominant player he was in Cleveland, even without the fourth quarter choking.

Fans want to see the lockout end not because they want players to receive their paychecks, but because they want to see what the next chapter will be of the ongoing soap opera entitled “The Heatles.” Many of these stories mentioned have been lost in the shuffle of the lockout, and if David Stern and Billy Hunter do not resolve their issues soon, fans are simply not going to care anymore.

Football Fordham 24-45 Lafayette FOR LAF

1 2 14 3 7 20

Dayton

Krabacher Marten Campbell Hannan Selsky Brown Vargas Morey Totals

K PCT BS BA 19 .559 0 2 7 .278 0 2 9 .333 0 4 0 .000 0 5 1 .000 0 2 5 .300 0 3 0 .000 0 0 0 .000 0 0 41 .384 0 18

DIG BE 4 0 7 0 4 0 0 1 6 1 2 0 4 0 5 0 32 2

K PCT BS BA 4 .167 0 0 1 .500 0 0 3 -.23 0 0 3 -.06 0 0 7 .091 0 1 5 .500 0 1 4 .125 0 0 0 .000 0 0 0 .000 0 0 1 1.00 0 0 0 -.25 0 0 0 -.67 0 0 28 .044 0 2

DIG BE 1 0 5 0 6 0 1 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 5 0 0 0 12 0 33 0

Men’s Soccer Saint Louis 2-1 Fordham

Women’s Soccer Fordham 0-2 Saint Louis

Saint Louis Player Briggs Robson Vandegriffe Roeckle Maglasang Kristo Manning Lee Bryce Hidalgo Substitutes Johnston Gabeljic McKee Schneider Totals

Fordham Player Murphy Dougherty Worden Carballeira Canicatti Solimine Widmann Nowakowski Maksuti Romano Substitutes Rooney Ker Poiesz Madasci Abrams Swift Totals

Sh 0 0 0 1 0 2 0 1 1 2

G 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1

A 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0

0 1 0 0 8

0 0 0 0 2

0 0 0 0 2

Gk Min Ga Sav Shackelford 90:00 1 7 Fordham Player Ferrantello Curran Bekoe Gimand Niyonsaba Richardson Markowitz Stalker Courtenay Seidenthal Substitutes Jolly Valencia Nagel Gulbins Murphy Totals Gk Meara

Saint Louis Fordham

Gk Suther Sh 1 0 2 0 1 2 0 1 2 0

G 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

A 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0

0 0 1 1 3 14

0 0 0 0 1 1

0 0 0 0 0 1

Min Ga Sav 90:00 2 3 1 0 0

2 2 1

F 2 1

Buongiorno Konkel

Ewing Diaz-Vazquez Arend Rodenberg Diamantidis Ritchie Atwood Totals

Dayton Fordham

1 25 16

2 25 13

3 25 15

Saint Louis Player Jarrett Baumann Reimer Viviano Kustura Suljic Hummert Stock Owens Hostler Substitutes Doescher Lopez Strebler Brenner Elking Merlo Totals Gk Walsh

Fordham Saint Louis

Sh SOG G A 2 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 7 2 0 0 4 1 0 0 0 2 1 0 0 0 22

0 1 0 0 0 0 7

0 0 0 0 0 0 0

0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Min Ga Sav 90:00 2 3

Sh SOG G A 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 2 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 1 0 1 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 2 0 9

0 1 0 0 1 0 5

0 1 0 0 1 0 2

0 0 0 0 0 0 1

Min Ga Sav 90:00 0 7 1 0 0

2 0 2

F 0 2

Charlotte 0-1 Fordham

Fordham 0-1 Charlotte

Charlotte Player Weldon Cowles Rodriguez Allen Darby Kirkbride James Gentile Gibson Caughran Substitutes Beaulieu Rex Smith Willoughby Totals

Fordham Player Murphy Dougherty Worden Carballeira Canicatti Solimine Widmann Nowakowski Maksuti Romano Substitutes Rooney Ker Poiesz Madasci Abrams Swift Totals

Gk Davis

Sh 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 2 0

G 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

A 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

0 0 0 0 4

0 0 0 0 0

0 0 0 0 0

Min Ga Sav 90:00 1 0

Fordham

Thompson

Visit theramonline.com for blogs covering NFL, MLB, NHL, NBA, College Sports and EPL.

F 24 45

Volleyball Dayton 3-0 Fordham

Hipp

Shaq’s retirement is one of several overlooked stories due to the NBA lockout.

3 4 0 7 3 15

First Quarter FOR Greg Wilson 45 yd pass from Ryan Higgins(Mirando kick), 9:17 LAF Nathan Padia 12 yd pass from Andrew Shoop(O’Brien kick), 3:11 FOR Darryl Whiting 3 yd run(Mirando kick), 1:18 Second Quarter LAF Andrew Shoop 8 yd run(O’Brien kick), 14:23 LAF Vaughn Hebron 5 yd run(O’Brien kick failed), 9:57 FOR Michael Mirando 32 yd field goal, 3:32 LAF Greg Kessel 1 yd run(O’Brien kick), 0:23 Third Quarter LAF Austin O’Brien 31 yd field goal, 8:42 Fourth Quarter FOR Blake Wayne 6 yd pass from Ryan Higgins(Mirando kick), 3:31 LAF Pat Mputu 39 yd run(Mark Ross pass from Andrew Shoop), 3:22 LAF Vaughn Hebron 7 yd run(O’Brien kick), 2:57 FOR LAF First Downs 28 22 Total Yards 565 523 Rushing 152 260 Passing 413 263 Punt Returns 1-14 2-15 Kickoff Ret. 4-272 8-478 Comp-Att-Int 32-52-1 17-28-1 Punts 2-53.0 4-41.8 Time of Poss. 26:04 33:56 Individual Statistics PASSING- Fordham, Higgins 32-52-2 Lafayette, Shoop 16-24-1 RUSHING- Fordham, Whiting 20-128-1 Lafayette, Mputu 17-116-1 RECIEVING- Fordham, Wayne 11-106-1 Lafayette, Ross 6-99-0

Daulton

PHOTO COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA

OCTOBER 26, 2011 • THE RAM • PAGE 17

Fordham Player Ferrantello Curran Bekoe Gimand Niyonsaba Richardson Stalker Murphy Courtenay Seidenthal Substitutes Valencia Markowitz Gulbins Totals Gk Meara

Charlotte Fordham

Gk Suther Sh 1 0 0 0 1 1 0 1 2 0

G 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0

A 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

1 0 0 7

0 0 0 1

1 0 0 1

Min Ga Sav 90:00 0 2 1 0 0

2 0 1

F 0 1

Charlotte Player Mulloy Waugh Bernard Rovito Handra McKeon Davies McGowan Wingo Dail Substitutes Trexler Broeker Robertson Jones Carew Olson Ryan Markham Totals Gk Lavigne

Fordham Charlotte

Sh SOG G A 2 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 1 0 0 2 1 0 0 1 4 1 0 0 0 22

1 2 0 0 0 0 6

0 0 0 0 0 0 0

0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Min Ga Sav 90:00 1 3

Sh SOG G A 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 9

0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 4

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1

0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1

Min Ga Sav 90:00 0 6 1 0 0

2 0 1

F 0 1

SPORTS

PAGE 18 THE RAM • OCTOBER 25, 2011

Senior Profile: Runner Mairin O’Connor

By KELLY KULTYS STAFF WRITER

NICK CARROLL Some of the major players in America’s Pastime show that baseball is an international game, and the same goes for basketball, where Germany’s Dirk Nowitzki reigned supreme last June. Why, then, is football, the American sport with basically no international appeal, the sport that is inching closer and closer to becoming the first global league?

Every year, it seems like football fans face the same threats. Despite the fact that England routinely struggles to sell out its only game each season, the country wants an increased role.

Meanwhile, America has never been more football-obsessed. Ratings continue to rise. The league can display tremendous greed and total disregard for its fans during this summer’s lockout and it remains just as, if not more, popular.

So why are these loyal fans being put through this? Why does a fan base have to lose one of its eight home games every season? Especially to a country that does not care about the product.

The NFL might see more money abroad, but is it really worth sacrificing America’s blind loyalty and obsession for football to make more money? This is not the NBA. The NFL is a financial gold mine.

Looking overseas for more money is a remarkable display of greed.

There is now speculation that the NFL could add an English expansion team in the coming years.

There are numerous reasons this would be a disaster, not limited to risking over-expanding (teams already struggle finding 53 NFLcaliber players) and nightmarish travel.

I understand the argument that the NBA did not become global until fans of other countries saw the American game, that it took the Dream Team to inspire kids all over the world to get them interested in an American game.

That said, it is no longer 1992.

The Internet brings everything together. Anyone, anywhere, can see a football game online. This would not have the same mind-blowing effect that bringing professional basketball players to Spain had.

The NFL should just settle. The league has an incredible fan base in America and does not need the risk that going global would entail.

Even the NHL, a sport that is not American and is more international than any other league, has not even considered expanding past its North American comfort zone.

If the NFL wants to keep experimenting in England, fine. One game a year, frustrating as it is, is understandable. Going beyond this, though, is wrong and it risks devaluing the rabid fans that have made the NFL such a successful league.

Mairin O’Connor has been running her entire life, especially during her time here at Fordham as a member of both the cross country and track teams. During her sophomore year, Mairin recorded Fordham’s fifth fastest time of the year, a 20:20 at the Leeber Invitational. That year she also competed in every cross country event.

This year, as one of the team’s captains, Mairin is currently in the middle of her best season at Fordham, recording times of 19:56 at the Fordham Fiasco 5K, 23:56 at the Purple Valley Classic 6K and 19:32 at the Metropolitan Championship 5K, despite the fact that she was recently diagnosed with a stress fracture. She is looking forward to rehabbing for the team’s most important and upcoming competitive races, especially the Atlantic 10 Championship race on Oct. 29.

An anthropology and sociology double major, Mairin is from Scotia, N.Y., and is a graduate of Notre Dame Bishop Gibbons High School, where she held the

school’s records for the 2000-meter steeplechase and sprint medley relay.

The Ram: How has the women’s cross country team been doing so far this year?

Mairin O’Connor: We’ve actually had a really great season.

We’ve been placing much better in all our meets than the past few years I’ve been a part of the team. We’ve got some really great sophomores and freshmen so that helps us out a lot.

TR: What does it mean for you to be a captain on the team?

MO: It’s been a ton of fun being captain with the other girls especially because I’m very good friends with all of them. I mean, it is a lot of work but to me it’s definitely worth it.

TR: What are some of your best memories from your cross country career here at Fordham?

MO: There’s [sic] been so many, but I’ll really always remember

the Atlantic 10 Championships for each year. We’ve had some really great times and memories as a team there. Also, I have to say the meet that’s probably going to stick with me forever was A-10s my sophomore year. It was the worst rainstorm that I had ever seen and we had to run in it, but it was just so much fun.

TR: What were some of your favorite times here at Fordham in general?

MO: I don’t really have specific favorite times, but I mean it’s just like everyone says, it’s the people you’ll remember most. I know that I’ll be friends with all of them forever. Also, I’m really proud to have been a member of all the cross country teams and now looking back to see how far we’ve come from my freshman year, it’s amazing. I’d recommend Fordham to anyone; I’ve had an awesome time here. It was the perfect fit for me.

TR: For the upcoming winter season, what are some of your goals for winter track?

COURTESY OF FORDHAMSPORTS.COM

O’Connor is a two sport team captain.

MO: For me personally, I want to drop my previous times from last season in the events I usually run. For the team, I want us to try and keep getting better times and hopefully set new team records at Fordham.

TR: What are your plans for after Fordham?

MO: Currently I’m applying to a lot of volunteer programs. I’d like to take a few years off to volunteer before heading off to grad school.

Women’s Tennis Closes out Fall Season at ITA Regionals

By MICHELLE FANELLI STAFF WRITER

This past weekend, the best of the Lady Rams competed in the USTA/ITA Northeast Regional, which was hosted at Yale University. Play started on Friday, Oct. 21, as Fordham sent four singles players, and two doubles entries to the competition, including freshman Bella Genkina who won a pair of qualifying matches, advancing her to the main draw on Saturday. Genkina’s first match of the day was against UConn’s freshman Maxie Weinberg, where she impressed with a win in straight sets, 6-4, 6-4.

Genkina then went on to play her second singles match of the day against Cornell’s Nina Turudic. Winning again in straight sets, 6-3, 6-2, she earned herself a qualifying spot in the round of 132 for Saturday’s main draw singles.

Friday’s doubles matches began successfully, as junior Amy Simidian and freshman Sarah Ali defeated Marist 8-2, advancing to round 32; however, their success came to end as they fell 7-4 to Penn’s Stephanie Do and Alex Ion. Genkina also participated in doubles play, but she and sophomore Hanna Fritzinger fell to Binghamton in a tiebreaker 9-8(3).

Play continued on Saturday, as the Lady Rams had two players advance to round 64, while one continued to round 32 on Sunday. Genkina continued play in the round of 128 as she defeated Niagara’s Hilary Hanson 6-4, 6-4.

She then moved on to play the ninth seed, Brown’s Masia Krasowski, however she fell in straight sets, 6-3, 6-0, in the round of 64.

Sophomore Angelika Dabu, playing in the round of 128, fell to NJIT senior Nina Mayevska 7-5, 6-2, while Ali also fell to Boston University junior Jessica Linero 6-2, 6-3.

Simidian continued to play well, however. Ranked as the 17th seed overall, she received a bye into round 64; while in round 64, she took on Harvard’s Hannah Morill.

Morill took the first set in a tiebreaker 7-6(4), but Simidian kept up her A-game, taking both the second set (6-4) and the third set (6-2), allowing her to advance to the round of 32.

“It’s great to have her as a Ram,” teammate Fritzinger said.

Regionals continued on Sunday

as Simidian, the only Lady Ram to advance this far, began play with a seeded match up against senior Katarina Gajic of Boston College.

Gajic won the first set 6-3, but Simidian won the next two sets 6-4, 6-2, advancing her to round 16.

Simidian’s winning streak came to an end when she lost in the round of 16 to Yale freshman Hanna Yu in straight sets, 7-5, 6-0.

“A big part of this game is building off your experiences,” Simid-

ian said.

“This weekend was a great chance for us to see where we stand against the region’s best and find out where we can make improvements. I see so much potential in these girls and feel confident we will use this experience in preparing for a successful spring. Personally, I was excited to be able to pull off some wins for us. Having the chance to represent Fordham is a lot of fun for me, and I can’t wait to get back out there,” she said

PHOTO BY AARON MAYS/THE RAM

The Lady Rams closed out their fall season competing at the ITA Regionals hosted at Yale University in New Haven, Conn.

Volleyball Sees Losing Streak Stretch to Eight

By DAN GARTLAND SPORTS EDITOR

Xavier junior Kaela Jo Freppon bounced the ball in front of her.

She threw it high in the air, took three long strides, jumped up and fired off a rocket of a serve. The ball glanced off of a Fordham player and hit the floor. The ace only gave Xavier a 3-1 lead in the first set of Friday night’s match, but it set the tone for the rest of the night.

Freppon had six aces in total, as the Musketeers went on to sweep Fordham, 3-0.

Xavier maintained a slim but steady lead early in the first set,until Fordham tied the score at 10. Fordham won the next point to take the lead at 11-10, but Xavier then went on a 15-4 run to win the set 25-15.

Xavier took control early in the second set on the way to a 25-11 victory. The Musketeers hit .522 for the set, with 12 kills and no errors. By comparison, Fordham hit -.231 with only three kills and nine errors. The third set was better for Fordham offensively, as it hit .211 for the set. Unfortunately for the Lady Rams, Xavier continued its impressive play; the Musketeers posted a .520 hitting percentage.

The Xavier offense was firing on all cylinders throughout the match, while Fordham seemed to sputter along. Xavier had 43 kills to only five errors for a .507 hitting percentage. Fordham hit .014 as a team with 18 kills and 17 errors.

When Dayton came to town on Saturday, it was a meeting of two teams headed in completely different directions. Dayton came into the match undefeated in conference play and riding a 12-game winning streak. During that streak, the Flyers dropped only two sets, sweeping 10 of the 12 matches.

Meanwhile, Fordham had a streak of its own: a seven-game losing streak.

Despite the seemingly lopsided tale of the tape, Fordham was able to play a fairly respectable first set.

Dayton led early, opening up a 15-7 lead. After two straight points

by Fordham made it 15-9, Dayton

used its first timeout. The Flyers won the first point out of the timeout, but Fordham took the next two. Dayton then burned its final timeout.

Spending both timeouts so quickly seemed like a curious decision by Dayton Head Coach Kelly Sheffield, especially with his team leading.

Coming out of the last timeout, Fordham was able to pull within four points at 17-13 before Dayton closed out the set on an 8-3 run, to win 25-16.

Set number two again belonged to the Flyers, who cruised to a 12-point victory, 25-13. Dayton junior Rachel Krabacher had eight kills in the set. Krabacher recorded 19 kills and no errors in the match, posting a .559 hitting percentage.

Dayton completed the sweep by taking the third set 25-15.

The loss extended Fordham’s losing streak to eight, while Dayton stretched its winning streak to 13. Fordham now sits in a tie for eighth place in the conference, three spots behind Rhode Island for the sixth and final playoff spot.

The Lady Rams will next be in action this coming weekend as they travel to Saint Louis and Duquesne for two conference matchups. Fordham previously fell to both the Billikens and Dukes on Oct. 7 and 8.

According to sophomore Carina Thompson, a playoff berth is not out of the question.

“We have to win five more games,” she said. “If we work hard and work together, we should be able to play well. These next games are teams we have played already so we know what to expect and should be more prepared to their tendencies.”

“We definitely know we can beat them,” Thompson said of Duquesne. “We just have to come out on top and keep our leads and contend with them. We cannot let them get ahead, much less take games away from us. We want to beat them not only so we can advance in the conference, but to show ourselves and others what we are capable of.”

OCTOBER 26, 2011 • THE RAM • PAGE 19

SPORTS

By DAN GARTLAND SPORTS EDITOR

Everyone can take a deep breath. The NFL’s hostage nightmare is over. Carson Palmer is no longer being held against his will in Cincinnati.

After the Bengals finished last season with a 4-12 record, Palmer said he wanted out of Cincinnati and requested to be traded. Trade requests are not unusual in pro sports — players do it all the time.

What was unusual was Palmer’s ultimatum: Trade me or I’ll retire.

At 31, he had plenty of football left in him, and retirement seemed a bit premature.

Once Palmer made it clear that he wouldn’t be playing in orange and black ever again (Cincinnati’s WCPO reported that he told a friend he would “never set foot in Paul Brown Stadium again”), the Bengals prepared for life without their franchise quarterback.

In April’s draft, they bolstered their passing attack by taking Georgia wide receiver A.J. Green with the fourth overall pick and quarterback Andy Dalton out of TCU early in the second round.

What they didn’t do was trade Palmer. Sure, the NFL lockout complicated things, but the team had from Jan. 23, when Palmer requested to be traded, to March 4, when the CBA expired, to get a deal done. Owner and team President Mike Brown said he would not trade Palmer, or even entertain offers.

When the labor mess ended in late July, his stance remained the same, and Palmer remained with the Bengals. It’s sort of mind-boggling, but it’s sort of noble.

Why would you hold on to a player if he refused to play for your team? If you don’t trade him, he essentially sits at home collecting dust. If you trade him, you can get valuable draft picks in return.

So why did the Bengals refuse to trade him for so long? They wanted to make a statement.

“Carson signed a contract,” Brown said, referring to the four years left on the extension Palmer

signed in 2005. “He made a commitment. He gave his word. We relied on his word. We relied on his commitment. We expected him to perform here. He’s going to walk away from his commitment.

We aren’t going to reward him for doing it.”

Palmer can’t really be blamed for wanting out of Cincinnati. In fact, it’s a wonder he lasted as long as he did with a franchise colloquially known as the “Bungles.”

The Bengals lead the NFL with 35 player arrests since 2000 and have had just two winning seasons since 1990, both with Palmer as the starting quarterback. In 2009, Cincinnati went 6-0 in the division en route to a 10-6 regular season, but were ousted by the Jets in the Wild Card round of the playoffs.

Then, in 2010, the Bengals went 4-12 and Palmer had had enough.

Their season ended on Jan. 2; Palmer requested a trade on Jan. 23, just three weeks later.

Brown stood his ground, though, and refused to trade or release Palmer, but in Week 6 of this year, the Oakland Raiders lost Jason Campbell, their starting quarterback, for the season with a broken collarbone. The Raiders approached the Bengals about a trade and agreed to give them a first round pick in this year’s draft and a conditional second round pick in 2013 in exchange for Palmer. That 2013 pick would become a first rounder if Palmer leads the Raiders to the AFC Championship Game.

Palmer, the Bengals and the Raiders all benefited from the deal. Palmer got out of Cincinnati, the Bengals got two high draft picks and the Raiders now don’t have to start Kyle Boller at quarterback, which is always great if you are trying to make the playoffs.

The Raiders did opt to start Boller in Sunday’s game against the Chiefs to give Palmer a little more time to learn the Oakland offense, but Boller looked like, well, Kyle Boller (7/14, 66 yards, 3 INTs), and was replaced by Palmer in the third quarter. Palm-

er wasn’t much better, completing only eight of 21 throws for 116 yards and three picks.

What would have happened if Jason Campbell hadn’t gotten hurt? The injury forced the Raiders to look for another option at quarterback.

“If you’re a quarterback out there and you want to come play for the Raiders, give us a call,” Raiders Head Coach Hue Jackson said after Campbell went down.

The deal to the Raiders occurred just ahead of Tuesday’s trade deadline. If Campbell didn’t get injured, Palmer likely would have stayed in Cincinnati until the end of the season. It would have been interesting to see just how long the Bengals held onto him.

Perhaps the real story here is what the Bengals have done without Palmer. Led by Andy Dalton, the fifth quarterback selected in last April’s draft, they have already equaled their win total from last season. In six games this year the Bengals are 4-2 and Dalton has completed 62.4 percent of his passes with seven touchdowns and five interceptions. Fellow rookie A.J. Green has 29 receptions for 453 yards and four touchdowns. Dalton and Green seem to be just as formidable a combination as Palmer and receiver Chad Ochocinco had been in years past.

It’s their defense which has been the key to success for the Bengals, however. They rank third in passing yards allowed per game with 189 and sixth in rushing yards allowed per game with 89.5.

Cincinnati is one of the pleasant surprises of this young NFL season. If the Bengals can continue their winning ways, they have an outside chance of making the playoffs. It would be tough considering they play in the same division as perennial juggernauts in the Ravens and Steelers, but it is certainly not out of the question.

What a remarkable story that would be.

How often does a team go 4-12, get rid of its two franchise players and get better?

Upcoming Varsity Schedule CAPS=HOME lowercase=away

Thursday Oct. 27

Friday Oct. 28

Men’s soccer

LASALLE 4 p.m.

Women’s soccer

LASALLE 7:30 p.m. at Connecticut College 2 p.m.

Water Polo

PHOTO BY AARON MAYS/THE RAM

Senior Brittany Daulton and the Lady Rams have lost eight straight matches.

Rowing

at Duquesne 1 p.m.

at Saint Louis 8 p.m.

Atlantic 10 Championship Charlotte, N.C.

Cross country

Swimming

Sunday Oct. 30

at Army 3:30 p.m.

Football

Volleyball

Saturday Oct. 29

FAIRFIELD 5 p.m.

Head of the Schuylkill Philadelphia

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Oct. 31 Nov. 1 Nov. 2

OCTOBER 26, 2011

PAGE 20

Football Loses Fifth Straight Game, Falls to 1-6 at Lafayette

By NICK CARROLL EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Fordham seems incapable of escaping the problems that have plagued it all season.

With over three minutes left and all of their timeouts remaining, the Rams, down 30-24, unsuccessfully tried an onside kick rather than trying to stop Lafayette’s offense, due to a young, shaky defense that struggled throughout much of the game.

“We were making stops on defense, but they weren’t three-andouts, and I just felt that if we kicked it off we would never get the ball back and that’s why I went for it,” Head Coach Tom Masella said.

After Lafayette recovered the onside kick, sophomore running back Pat Mputu broke a 39-yard touchdown run on the following play, and Lafayette converted the two-point conversion to go up 38-24.

Freshman wide receiver Lorenzo Smith fumbled on the ensuing kickoff at the 10-yard line, setting up another Lafayette score and giving the Leopards a 45-24 win.

Fordham passed up chances to score throughout the game. The team went 0-5 on fourth downs, including twice inside Lafayette’s 10 and twice at the 30.

“Really, it came down to four plays,” Masella said. “They converted one fourth down and we missed three critical fourth downs.”

“The first one we didn’t get any push up front,” Masella added. “The next one was an incomplete pass and the third one we ran play action and missed another.”

Fordham’s offense moved the ball effectively throughout the game. The team gained 565 yards as a team.

“I think our offense is getting bet-

PHOTO BY BRIAN KRAKER/THE RAM

Ryan Higgins threw for a career-high 413 yards in a losing effort on Saturday.

ter,” Masella said. “Anytime you put those yards up you’d like to put more points up, and unfortunately for us we bogged down in the red zone.

But we’re definitely improving on offense and that’s the way it should be with a young offense.”

Junior quarterback Ryan Higgins threw for a career-high 413 yards on 32-52 passing, including two touchdowns and an interception.

“The more he plays, the better he gets,” Masella said. “The one thing he has to continue to work on is game management. That’s the situations on fourth down, a couple of them I think we could have converted if he had more experience of managing a game. Certainly he can throw the football and certainly he made some big-time throws on Saturday.”

Higgins’ top target was junior wide receiver Blake Wayne. Wayne caught 11 passes for 106 yards and a touchdown.

“He played as well as we’ve had a wide receiver play,” Masella said. “He made some unbelievable catches, made some tough catches and then blocked extremely well.”

Senior running back Darryl Whiting rushed for a season-high 128 yards on 20 carries with one touchdown.

As it has been for much of the season, Fordham’s injury-plagued defense was a problem against Lafayette. The Leopards gained 523 yards as a team, rushed for almost six yards per run and picked up over nine yards per passing attempt.

“Right now we’re just playing so many kids who should not be playing at this particular time or are young and inexperienced,” Masella said. “They’ve given their best effort, unfortunately we’re putting them in tough spots. Some of them are just not ready to play but they have to.

Others are playing banged up and

others really shouldn’t be playing for us. The kids are giving as good an effort as they can, but it’s a struggle.

It’s an absolute struggle defensively right now.”

Making matters worse for the Rams, senior linebacker Nick Womack and freshman defensive back De’Nard Pinckney left the game with injuries. The Rams have already lost a plethora of starters to injury this season. Senior defensive back Kevin Carter, senior defensive lineman Patrick McGee, senior defensive lineman Andy Okonkwo, junior defensive back Khary Powell, sophomore linebacker Jake Rodriques and sophomore defensive lineman Justin Yancy have all missed significant time due to injuries this season.

“I’ve been coaching a long time and I haven’t seen this many injuries on one side of the ball as we’ve had the past four weeks, five weeks,” Masella said.

The offense spotted Fordham a first-quarter lead when Higgins found junior wide receiver Greg Wilson on a flag for a 45-yard touchdown, a play the Rams ran for success in the previous game against Lehigh.

“It’s been a good play for us,” Masella said. “Greg, if he’s matched up on a safety, has a good chance of winning, and we took advantage of that on Saturday.”

Freshman defensive back Vaughn Scott came up with an interception on Lafayette’s next drive; however, the defense was put in a tough position when sophomore running back Griffin Murphy fumbled at the Fordham 26. Lafayette, who started at the 13 because of an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty, scored three plays later on a 13-yard pass from junior quarterback Andrew Shoop to se-

nior wide receiver Nathan Padia.

Fordham quickly regained the lead after Lafayette junior defensive back Darius Safford fumbled on a punt return, giving Fordham the ball at the Lafayette 22. Two plays later Whiting found room off tackle to the left for a 3-yard touchdown.

Lafayette established its lead in the second quarter. The Leopards outscored the Rams 20-3, giving them a 27-17 lead at half. They were aided by an efficient offense and Fordham’s inability to convert two crucial fourth downs in Lafayette territory.

In the fourth quarter, Higgins found Wayne for a 6-yard touchdown to cut Lafayette’s lead to 3024.

After the Rams were unable to recover the onside kick, however, the game got out of hand, and the Leopards scored twice to close out their 45-24 win.

“Usually my tendency is to kick it deep and play defense,” Masella said. “Right now, at this point and at that point in the game, I thought we were out of gas on defense. We had three timeouts, I talked to some of the coaches and none of them felt good about us being able to get the ball back.”

With the loss, Fordham falls to 1-6, going into its highly-anticipated game at West Point, N.Y. Army, who competes in the Football Bowl Subdivision, is 2-5 this season.

“I think if you’re 1-6, you have to be excited to play this football game,” Masella said. “I think our kids are going to play in a great venue against a team that has a great storied past and great tradition.”

“As I told them, they won’t be getting this experience for as long as they live,” Masella added.

Women’s Soccer Loses Pair on Road, Drops to Eighth in A-10

By ERIK PEDERSEN SPORTS EDITOR

The women’s soccer team concluded an unsuccessful 1-3 road trip with shutout losses to Saint Louis (2-0) and Charlotte (1-0).

The results leave the Lady Rams in eighth place in the Atlantic 10 with only one match remaining, against undefeated LaSalle.

Despite outshooting its opponent 22-9 in each game over the weekend, Fordham was unable to score. After early season offensive success, the team has now been shut out in three of its past four games.

“We are rushing the plays,” Head Coach Ness Selmani said.

“They are so anxious to score, but nervousness doesn’t make you smarter, it makes you think slower and run slower.”

After a scoreless first half against Saint Louis on Friday night, the Lady Rams controlled the run of play in the second half, outshooting the Billikens 14-5. Saint Louis, however, scored the only two goals of the half.

The Billikens’ first goal came in the 48th minute, when freshman forward Lindsey Elking headed a cross past junior goalie Rachel

Suther.

Ten minutes later, Saint Louis added an insurance goal when senior midfielder Jessica Lopez scored on a chip shot which hit just under the crossbar and snuck into the goal.

“Sometimes those things happen at the wrong time,” Selmani said.

Freshman forward Kristina Maksuti led the Lady Rams with seven shots (two on goal), while senior midfielder Mariella Romano and junior forward Annie Worden each added four shots, but Fordham was unable to get anything past junior goalie Katie Walsh. Walsh made seven saves for her fifth shutout of the season.

Sunday’s game against Charlotte was more of the same for the Lady Rams. Fordham dominated the shot totals in each half, outshooting the 49ers 12-5 in the first half and 10-4 in the second half.

Charlotte’s goal came in the 55th minute off of a free kick.

Freshman midfielder Amanda Jones received the free kick and crossed the ball over to senior forward Macky Wingo, who directed the ball past Suther for her sixth goal of the season.

“It was a stupid foul by us [to set

up the free kick],” Selmani said.

Worden led the Lady Rams with five shots, with Maksuti and junior forward Liz Ker adding four shots each, but the team was shut out once again, severely damaging its hopes of qualifying for the A-10 playoffs.

“I think there was no question that we were the better team against Saint Louis and Charlotte for that matter,” Selmani said. “It was very disappointing to lose, but I can’t complain because the effort was unbelievable.”

Fordham is now 8-8-2 on the season, but the team’s record on the road is only 2-7-1.

“There’s no question that the freshmen don’t travel well,” Selmani said. “We have eight freshmen, and a lot of our points are scored by our freshmen. That’s the difference. This team has a great future, but they just don’t have experience.”

With a 3-4-1 record in the A-10, the Lady Rams are in eighth place in the conference. The top six teams qualify for the playoffs.

While Fordham has the same number of points as Charlotte and Saint Louis (10), the Lady Rams have only one game remaining, while the 49ers and Billikens

each have two. Saint Bonaventure is currently in fifth place with 11 points in-conference, and the Bonnies also have two games remaining.

To qualify, the Rams will have to defeat first-place LaSalle (which is 15-0-1 this year) at Jack Coffey Field on Friday, and hope that two of the three teams above them

fail to make it to 13 points during their last two games.

“We’ve been on the war path with LaSalle for years,” Selmani said. “Every game is crazy. I just hope our freshmen know that this is a really big game for us. We need to win first to have a chance to make the playoffs, but it is more important to beat LaSalle.”

PHOTO BY AARON MAYS/THE RAM

Freshman Kristina Maksuti led the Lady Rams with 11 shots over the weekend.