TUITION INCREASES SHOULD STOP — PAGE 9
BASKETBALL LOSES TO NO. 5 SYRACUSE — PAGE 20
SERVING THE FORDHAM UNIVERSITY COMMUNITY FOR OVER 90 YEARS
1918-2011
NOVEMBER 16, 2011
VOLUME 93, ISSUE 21
USG Passes Joint Resolution to Save Student Aid By CONNIE KIM NEWS EDITOR
The United States Congress passed the Budget Control Act of 2011 on Aug. 2, which reduced our nation’s deficit while simultaneously raising the debt ceiling and creating the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction to find further cuts this fall. Given the potential harm that these cuts could have to Fordham students and other college students, United Student Government addressed the issue with a joint resolution. While the current Pell Grant funding received a boost from the debt reduction package, it still faces $1.3 billion shortfall and is now caught up in the ongoing Congressional debate, which means that Congress could still reduce awards when it finalizes spending levels for the remainder of the 2012 fiscal year. In addition, all other student aid programs, including the Supplemental Education Opportunity Grants (SEOG) program, could face cuts in the coming months. Students may see cuts to their federal student aid packages because Congress has not finalized federal spending for student
PHOTO BY BRIAN KRAKER/THE RAM
United Student Government discussed how serious federal spending cuts could affect college students and passed a joint resolution with USG at Lincoln Center.
aid programs for the upcoming school year. “This is an issue that directly impacts thousands of our friends and fellow Rams,” Caitlin Meyer, FCRH ’12 and executive presi-
dent of USG, said. “Cuts to student aid, however, do not simply affect those who currently receive federal aid. The implications of further cuts to student aid will affect all of us in some way or an-
other. Too often, young people’s concerns are overlooked in our nation’s political processes because we do not show our representatives that we care, that we matter, that our voices and our interests
are relevant and that we will hold the government accountable for its actions.” Recent budget deals have cut $30 billion from federal student SEE STUDENT AID ON PAGE 3
Fordham Hosts Fox Business’ John Stossel Stossel Sits
PHOTO BY STEPHEN MOCCIA/THE RAM
John Stossel, former “20/20” anchor, gave a speech entitled “Prosperity and its Enemies” at Fordham on Nov. 10.
By MARK HERREROS STAFF WRITER
In a speech organized by the Fordham College Republicans last Thursday, former “20/20” anchor John Stossel called for America to return to its more prosperous roots and restore faith in businesses and consumers. Stossel, a libertarian, won 19 Emmy Awards during his career as a consumer reporter at “ABC News,” exposing how companies have cheated and misled consumers. In recent years, Stossel became more skeptical of government regulation and the actual culpability of business in society’s woes, and
eventually left “20/20” in 2009 to host his own news program, “Stossel,” on Fox Business Network. The lecture, entitled “Prosperity and its Enemies,” focused on how big government and regulations stunt the prosperity and economic growth of the United States. Stossel criticized agencies like the Food and Drug Administration and the Environmental Protection Agency for creating new problems, rather than solving existing problems. Thousands more people die waiting for lifesaving drugs to be approved than are those lost to the greed of pharmaceutical companies, according to Stossel.
“My first instinct was to say ‘Good, I don’t trust those greedy people. Who knows what they might sell me?’” Stossel said. “Now I say, ‘Was it worth it?’ I don’t think so anymore, because government, by protecting us from bad things, protects us from good things too.”
While Stossel has worked as a consumer reporter for the majority of his career, he describes himself as non-traditional by defending business, rather than levying criticism against it. “People think of business as a zero-sum game,” Stossel said. “So if someone’s getting rich selling stuff, you’re getting ripped off. But a business doesn’t work that way. In reality, corporations have no power because they have to persuade you to buy the stuff.” In addition to the immediate consequences of drug regulation, Stossel also said it produced unintended consequences, such as additional crime and resources spent dealing with enforcing laws that people are going to circumvent anyway. Instead, Stossel said he promoted voluntary regulation, which would allow consumers to use unregulated drugs at their own risk. Regarding illegal drugs, Stossel said that regulatory laws do not deter enough individuals to justify their existence and their mixed messages to America’s youth. “We’re telling kids in ghettos that entry-level jobs working at SEE STOSSEL ON PAGE 3
down with The Ram By BRIAN KRAKER NEWS EDITOR
The career of the award-winning journalist and television commentator John Stossel spans the full gamut of television success. Breaking into the industry through local television stations, Stossel went on to gain notoriety for his work as a correspondent and co-anchor of “20/20.” He now hosts his own show, “Stossel,” on Fox Business Network. During his visit to Fordham University, Stossel sat down with The Ram to discuss his career in journalism and his opinion on current hot-button issues. What advice do you have for college journalists who are interested in pursuing a career in journalism and reaching a position like yours? Try stuff. The world changes so fast that it’s hard to say that in college you should take this route. I SEE INTERVIEW ON PAGE 2
INSIDE Culture PAGE 11
Opinions PAGE 7
Sports PAGE 15
Society of Visual Arts showcases artwork at Rodrigue’s.
Four-year graduation guarantee is not a good deal.
Fordham loses to Bucknell 21-0 for 8th-straight loss.