RESPONSE TO BOOKSTORE ISSUES - PAGE 3
TWO TRACK STARS SET SCHOOL RECORD - PAGE 19
SERVING THE FORDHAM UNIVERSITY COMMUNITY FOR OVER 90 YEARS
1918-2011
FEBRUARY 9, 2011
VOLUME 93, ISSUE 3
Fordham Refuses Ban on Smoking University Does Not Follow Footsteps of Columbia, NYU, Other American Colleges; Students Still Permitted to Smoke Outside Buildings By CONNIE KIM NEWS EDITOR
In the wake of several universities banning smoking on campus, Fordham has decided not to follow suit. At the moment, about 400 college campuses nationwide are smoke-free, and many colleges in the New York area recently decided to enforce a smoking ban. Although the University banned smoking inside the residence halls as a prudent community health measure about eight years ago, students are still allowed to smoke in outdoor areas on campus. “I think Fordham should consider a smoking ban in outdoor areas of the campus,” Mark Wild, FCRH ’14, said. “Just banning smoking inside of the residence halls and buildings are not enough. It is a well-known fact that secondhand smoking is very harmful. However, we are always easily exposed to the smoke because many students smoke while walking to their classes or at the entrance of the buildings.” On the other hand, a group of student smokers argued that considering the ban was unfair. “If Fordham completely bans smoking on all parts of the campus, we have no place to go,” one student from a group of student smokers said. “Student smokers should have nothing to worry
about, because it would be an unjust act for taking away our right to smoke.” Despite many concerns from the non-smokers, Fordham is not considering additional bans in outdoor areas. “While we have watched with some interest as further bans have been put in place at other universities and municipalities to reduce harm to people from smoking, Fordham has not had any conversations about similar additional bans,” Christopher Rodgers, dean of students, said. “There are no plans at this time to ban smoking in outdoor areas. We do, however, remain very concerned with the health risk to our students from smoking.” “Too many of our students either bring this addiction with them to the University or develop the habit during their college years,” he continued. “In keeping with our mission to care for students, various parts of Student Affairs, including Student Health Services, Residential Life and the Office of Substance Abuse Prevention, seek to address this threat through education, advising and outreach.” Even if Fordham finally considers the additional bans, the University should expect a backlash from many student smokers, which might lead to months or
even years of protests and heavy rhetoric among the campus community, as shown by events at other colleges. “I have been keen to the smoking bans that have been implemented on several college campuses in recent weeks, which led me to inevitably consider where Fordham should stand in this debate over whether our campus is smoking-friendly or not,” Sara Kugel, executive president of USG, FCRH ’11, said. “Having done some research on the topic, I will say that although 400 college campuses have gone smoke-free, such status was achieved after months, sometimes years of tumultuous debate. With such limited time in office, USG must prioritize its initiatives based on the interests of our fellow students. At this time, I do not have the sense that this is something that my fellow students are tremendously interested in and as such, will not plan to make something an issue.” According to the University of Minnesota Division of Periodontology Web site, between 70 percent and 90 percent of non-smokers in the American population are regularly exposed to secondhand smoke. It is estimated that smokers only inhale 15 percent of cigarette smoke; the remaining 85 percent lingers in the air for everyone to breathe.
COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA
About 400 colleges nationwide enforce a smoking ban, but not Fordham. Other studies show that, the less current policy of no smoking inmembers of a community smoke doors or loosely enforced rule within their shared environment, of not smoking directly outside the less likely individual members of residential halls, to suffice. I of that community are to take up do not see [banning smoking] smoking. as a top priority right now for “[However,] I find these facts our campus, but if this is someregarding student health and wellthing the campus community felt being, one of the more compelstrongly about, I would be glad ling arguments for why a campus to discuss the topic and take the should go smoke free,” Kugel said. proper steps to ensure the desires of the community.” “At this time, I believe Fordham’s
Super Bowl Blackout USG Hosts Town Hall Meeting with Frustrates Students Clubs to Discuss Budget Process By VIKRAM BHATIA NEWS EDITOR
The Rose Hill campus experienced a television blackout on Sunday at 8:45 p.m. The loss of signal occurred during the third quarter of Super Bowl XLV, much to the chagrin of the Rose Hill student body. The blackout occurred as a result of a water leakage in Campbell Hall, which houses the data room that is connected with the school’s cable system. The water came in contact with electronic equipment, leading directly to the blackout. The source of the water was the melting snow surrounding the outside of Campbell Café, located on the first floor of Campbell. Eventually, Fordham Facilities Management found an alternate power source for the equipment and the power was restored at 9:30 p.m. The FOX feed came back on in the middle of a touchdown play for the Green Bay Packers. Quarterback and Super Bowl MVP Aaron Rodgers connected with wide receiver Greg Jennings for an 8-yard score to give the Packers a 28-17 lead with 11 minutes and 57 seconds remaining in the game. The signal was lost after the Pittsburgh Steelers scored a touchdown
to cut the Packers’ lead to 21-16. Pittsburgh made an extra point after the touchdown to come within four points, but viewer on the Rose Hill campus did not see it. The game was viewed by an estimated 162.9 million people, setting a record for the most-watched program in the history of television. Packers fan Jake Kring-Schreifels, FCRH ’14, was stunned when the FOX feed went down. “I could not believe that on the one day my team made it to the Super Bowl, the cable decided to quit,” he said. Some diehard fans quickly turned to their computers to watch the game on one of various Web sites that provided links to the FOX broadcast. “I was in disbelief viewing the most-watched television event in history on an illegal Web site huddled around a desk,” KringSchreifels said. Pittsburgh fan Keyne Rice, FCRH ’12, had luckily gone home to watch the game with her family. “I had a bunch of friends text me and be like ‘omg the game’s out, stupid Fordham’ and I was just kind of laughing,” she said. “I was so happy I decided to go home for the game. But if I had been [on campus] I would have been so [angry].”
get process and how the proposed modifications to the process would rectify those problems. In the current system, DiTanna said that the most severe shortcomings result from a system in which referendum clubs eliminate 65 to 75 percent of the budget before general clubs can even appeal for funding. The Committee allocates the remaining funds to general clubs on a first come, first served basis, as stipulated by the current rules; this forces them to make decisions blindly based on each appeal as it comes in rather than exerting any budgetary planning. In the new system, Fordham University Emergency Medical Service, Campus Activities Board and USG would have separate accounts from the general account that would fund all other clubs. Giving these clubs separate accounts will prevent them from competing with other clubs for funding, according to DiTanna. Under the current system, CAB, for example, as a referendum club must
appeal to the Budget Committee for auxiliary funding when funding that is needed for one of its committees is tied up in another committee but is not being used. The new system would eliminate this problem by giving CAB a predetermined sum in its account and internal authority over its committees, thereby shifting the responsibility for budgeting properly to CAB. Another major component of the proposed plan involves moving away from referendum in its current form, which allows clubs that have been granted “referendum” status to submit an estimate for their semester’s budget and receive it with little justification while non-referendum clubs must appeal for and justify all spending, to lump-sum funding. “We’re keeping all the benefits of referendum and getting rid of all the flaws,” DiTanna said to club leaders. In the new system, an eligible club could apply for a sum to last the entire
Sports PAGE 20
Opinions PAGE 7
Culture PAGE 11
Men’s basketball loses against Richmond
Government should make high-speed rail a priority
Fordham begins first official week of RecycleMania
By VICTORIA RAU MANAGING EDITOR
Club leaders shared their frustration over United Student Government’s budget process, expressed concern at perceived unequal allocation of funds and called into question the Budget Committee’s sense of accountability at a town hall meeting hosted by USG on Feb. 3. United Student Government Executive President Sara Kugel, FCRH ’11; Vice President of Finance Emily Amato, FCRH ’12; and Vice President of Information Technology Michael DiTanna, FCRH ’13, fielded questions from club leaders about how a new budget process, if implemented, would change the way clubs receive funds from the Budget Committee. DiTanna and Amato, co-chairs of the Student Activities Fund Audit Task Force, presented an overview of what their task force identified as major flaws in the current bud-
SEE TOWN HALL ON PAGE 3
INSIDE
NEWS
PAGE 2 • THE RAM • FEBRUARY 9, 2011
SECURITY
BRIEFS
USG Agrees to Study Abroad Resolution By VIKRAM BHATIA
February 1, Loschert Hall, 11:00 a.m. A student was drying her clothing in the laundry room. She left, and then returned a little while later. When she opened up the dryer she found that her clothing had been burned. The area was ventilated. February 2, Martyrs’ Court, 1:00 a.m. An RA observed a student smoking marijuana in front of Goupil Hall. The RA confiscated the illegal substance and referred the matter to Residential Life. February 2, McGinley Center, 9:45 p.m. An alarm was triggered inside the University’s Barnes & Noble bookstore. The store’s general manager responded, as did security. It was determined that a rear door adjacent to the Ramskeller was unlocked. There was no evidence of tampering or crime. Security secured the door and there was no further incident. February 4, Tierney Hall, 10:04 p.m. An RA witnessed two students in a verbal dispute. The two students became physical in front of the third floor kitchen. There were no injuries to either student. They had previously been friends before a falling-out a few weeks ago regarding several different issues. February 5, Hoffman & Fordham Rd, 7:30 p.m. A livery cab struck a student. She sustained minor bruises to her right arm and leg. A police car came and prepared an accident report. The livery stayed on the scene. FDNY EMS transferred her to St. Barnabus Hospital. February 6, Martyrs’ Court, 12:05 a.m. A male student opened the front door of LaLande, striking his friend in the head, causing a cut. FUEMS responded, but the student refused medical aid. February 6, Rose Hill, 8:45 p.m. The campus lost television signal. The security office and facilities both responded to the data room at Campbell Hall. Water dripping from the ceiling came in conact with electronic equipment, causing the problem. The water source was melting snow surounding the outside of the first floor coffee shop, Campbell Cafe. Facilities found an alternate power source for the equipment and the power was restored at 9:30 p.m.
NEWS EDITOR
United Student Government passed a resolution “in support of enhancing study abroad” during its first meeting of the semester on Thursday. * The resolution, written by Sean Radomski, president of FCRH ’11, and co-sponsored by Sidney Henne, vice president of GSB ‘11, claims that a stronger focus on study abroad programs would further enhance “Fordham’s image as one of the preeminent Jesuit institutions in the nation.” It also criticized the study abroad program as, up until now, only being viewed by Fordham as an “addition” to the standard education provided, rather than an “integral part of [the] college experience.” The resolution broke down its suggestions into three separate recommendations. First, “[Fordham should] take steps towards making Study Abroad more affordable with the eventual goal of full aid portability, so that every student has an equal opportunity to study abroad through one of the University’s many approved programs,” according to the resolution. “Currently institutional aid and merit scholarships that students are awarded upon entering Fordham cannot be used to pay for their abroad experiences,” Radomski said. At other schools of comparable prestige, however, this is not the case. Their policies are more flexible, as
they allow students to apply larger portions of their aid toward study abroad programs. “We would like to work with administrators to take steps towards making this Fordham’s policy, as well,” Radomski said. “[The University must] expedite the course approval process by creating a standardized list of preapproved courses that qualify as equivalents of Fordham University required courses, so that students can better plan for their abroad programs,” he said. “For example,” Radomski said, “if a student is an International Political Economy major and needs ‘International Economics’ to get their degree for that major, a course that they take while abroad could count toward that requirement.” The problem is that many of the courses offered in another country might not go by the same name. “What we would like to see is a list that has a Fordham course, and then all the courses offered by abroad programs that could qualify as equivalents for that course,” Radomski said. According to Radomski, the system, as currently constructed, is misleading. “Students are sometimes told that something counts before they leave, and then when they get back, they are told that the course does not count,” he said. “This makes it harder for them to plan ahead and meet all their graduation requirements.”
“[The school should] create new study tours, especially in Fordham College, so that students unable to study abroad a whole semester can choose a shorter option,” Radomski said. This type of addition to the study program would be beneficial to, among others, pre-med students. “Most medical schools will not accept biology, chemistry or physics classes from another country,” Radomski said. “Currently, many of the study tours that run through GSB have prerequisites that FCRH students would not have taken. By creating more tours, these students could then gain from the valuable experience of living in another country.” “Expanding study abroad opportunities will better Fordham University by getting the Fordham name out there and showing how our students can excel,” Radomski said. Other orders of business at the meeting included allocating some of the spare money left over for clubs and voting on new senate members. Global Learning Opportunities and Business Experiences (G.L.O.B.E.)received $200 for a Global Etiquette Dinner it plans to host this semester for both Rose Hill and GSB students. The club had asked for $6,300. The event will feature guest Gloria Petersen, a business consultant. Having allocated all of its remaining funds during a Jan. 26 meeting, the Budget Committee did not have
money with which to aid the club. USG stepped in and the Senate voted to allocate $300 of its remaining $500 to G.L.O.B.E. International Community of Fordham, which missed an opportunity for significant funding last semester (the club wrote 2010 instead of 2011 on last semester’s budget packet), was provided with $100 for its International Student Mixer event. These decisions left USG with 20 percent of what it had when the evening started. USG has $100 remaining to hand out to clubs for the rest of the semester. Fordham Nightly News was scheduled to appeal for money as well, but no club representative was present. After the money was allocated, members voted to fill three vacancies within the senate. The committee allowed candidates the chance to state the reasons for which they should be elected. Elizabeth Anderson was appointed the secretary and treasurer of the Rose Hill Class of 2013. Lorenzo Ferrigno was elected the secretary and treasurer of the Rose Hill Class of 2012. Matthew Genovese, GSB ’12, was appointed vice president of his school; he was unopposed. *The authors of the resolution planned to make some minor modifications to it at press time. The resolution will then be authorized by Executive President Sara Kugel in its final form.
Dorothy Day Hosts Post-HOPE Count Community Brunch By CAROLINE ZALLA CONTRIBUTING WRITER
On Feb. 3, the Dorothy Day Center for Service and Justice held its first Community Brunch of the semester, a monthly event that connects students with partner organizations in the Bronx. This particular brunch was a follow-up to the HOPE Count, which occurred on Jan. 31. HOPE Count is a once-a-year census in which volunteers canvass New York City to help estimate the number of street homeless on what is statisti-
cally one of the coldest nights of the year. Forty-two participants attended the brunch and about half of those had participated in the HOPE Count. This brunch included a lecture by Doug Becht, program director of the Homeless Outreach Team of Bronx Works, an organization that helps homeless people get off the streets and into the housing that they deserve. Becht spoke about how important it is for every person to be able to have a place to call his or her
own, saying that everyone has the right to some type of property. “An individual has a right to housing no matter what,” Becht said. His organization has helped place more than 200 people into permanent housing in the last two years. “Doug’s reflections on his work with the chronically street homeless in the Bronx provided participants with a broader lens from which to view their experiences with homelessness,” Caitlin Becker, assistant director of the Dorothy Day Center
for Service and Justice, said. It also provided students with a broader context for understanding their experiences, and working with homeless individuals and community partners. Becker hopes that the brunches will provide students with the ability to “develop long-term relationships with Fordham’s community partners, build community among current volunteers, inspire more students to become involved in the work of our partners in the Bronx and provide opportunities for reflection.”
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week at FORDHAM Wed., Feb. 9 Singing Valentines Table Ramblers McGinley Lobby, 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Thurs., Feb. 9 Seasons of Grief Duane Library 2nd, 2 p.m. Thurs., Feb. 10 Cinevents! (Due Date) Keating 1st, 9 p.m. Fri., Feb. 11 Pre-Columbian Art Metropolitan Museum of Art, 5 p.m. Fri., Feb. 11 “Single Ladies” Dance Lesson McGinley Ballroom, 9 p.m.-12 a.m. Sat., Feb. 12 FET Sketch/Improv Shows Blackbox Theater, 8-10 p.m.
NEWS
FEBRUARY 9, 2011 • THE RAM • PAGE 3
Sorkin: “We Need to Get Back to a Smaller World” By VICTORIA RAU MANAGING EDITOR
Andrew Ross Sorkin, New York Times financial columnist and reporter, recalled a moment in the heat of the recent financial crisis that sparked the idea for his awardwinning and bestselling book Too Big to Fail to begin his presentation to Fordham students, alumni and faculty. The moment was 2:30 a.m. on Sept. 15, 2008, mere hours after financial giant Merrill Lynch sold itself to Bank of America and Lehman Brothers filed for bankruptcy, and barely a day before American International Group, Inc. received an $85 million bailout from the federal government. Sorkin said that he commented to his wife that the tumultuous events that were unfolding would make a good movie, to which she replied, “No, Andrew, they would make a good book.” Speaking in a filled to capacity McGinley Ballroom on Feb. 8, Sorkin identified causes of the financial crisis, discussed where the financial services industry is and where it is going, conducted a question-and-answer session and shared anecdotes about the interviews he did for the book. “When you get inside the room, the story, of course, is always different,” Sorkin, who wrote the book in an effort to explore the backroom dealings of the financial crisis, said. “Nothing is black and white. Everything is gray.” Aware of Fordham’s connection to the movie Wall Street 2, Sorkin addressed the role of greed in the financial crisis, saying that he does not think greed was the dominating factor for senior executives involved in the crisis. “I think this was about pride and it was about power,” Sorkin said. “The people in charge of risk are probably the people least equipped to handle it,” he said, referring to the fact that even if CEOs are risking their own assets, they still can afford to mishandle them, something that is impossible to regulate. During the question-and-answer
PHOTO BY NORA MALLOZZI/THE RAM
Author and New York Times columnist Andrew Ross Sorkin filled the McGinley Ballroom to capacity on Tues., Feb. 8.
session, one student asked if Sorkin thought that by just patching up the system rather than letting it fail and rebuilding it, the industry is just prolonging a crisis down the line with ever-growing firms. Sorkin said that, while he has considered the idea of letting the banks fail and the free market take its course, the situation was worse than most people even knew. According to information Sorkin received after completing his book, a model prepared for then-president of the Federal Reserve Bank Timothy Geithner projected 24.6 percent unemployment should the threatened financial institutions fail. “I don’t think, politically, [that] it would have been acceptable to anyone in this room to have 25 percent unemployment,” Sorkin said. “It’s not a free market, it never has been a free market,” Sorkin, who maintains that capital requirements are the best solution to the market’s woes, said. “There’s no invisible hand, it’s a visible hand, [and] we just don’t see it all the time.” “The one thing I think we did learn from this crisis is that ultimately it was a crisis of confidence,” Sorkin said. While he does not anticipate another crisis of the same magnitude in the near future, he is
worried for this generation. “Too big to fail” is a concept used not only in the context of financial institutions, but also now in terms of municipalities and entire nations, according to Sorkin. He said that the mentality that “there’s always going to be a chance to play one more card” is one that can be detrimental because “confidence doesn’t evaporate over years or months, it evaporates in minutes.” The book not only details the survival and failure of major financial institutions, but also delves into the “human drama” of “people who, in their own right, thought that they were too big to fail.” Sorkin spent over 500 hours interviewing some of the most powerful, or formerly powerful, CEOs in the industry. Some of these, he said, talked to him with the hope of revising history and portraying themselves in a better light, others had good intentions and still others refused to talk to him until they realized how much information he had already accumulated. Another student asked if these CEOs will ever care about the individual investor. Sorkin acknowledged that a major problem is firms that are not necessarily too big to fail, but too big to manage, with
balance sheets totaling $1 trillion and CEOs that have little regard for smaller transactions. “I believe that at some point, we need to get back to a smaller world,” he said, though the international nature of the economy makes that an almost impossible goal. In the spirit of International Business Week, of which this event was a major component, Sorkin elaborated on why he is hopeful for the upcoming generation’s ability to engage in a global economy. “Despite all the bad news you’ve heard about our education system, this group is so entrepreneurial,” he said. “This is a generation that finds the opportunities. We need to cast the net wide and realize that the net is wide.” International Business Week, organized by Global Learning Opportunities and Business Experiences, focused on preparing students for these global opportunities through events such as an International Student Mixer held on Feb. 7 and a Global Etiquette dinner on Feb. 10. “You can’t do business without understanding the culture,” Namir Brentegani, GSB ’12, president of G.L.O.B.E., said. “This week is all about international experiences . . . You always have to be openminded.”
Response to The Ram’s Bookstore Coverage By PATRICK DEROCHER SENIOR EXECUTIVE EDITOR
In its Jan. 26 issue (V. 93, Issue 1), The Ram published a front-page article entitled “Fordham Fails to Comply with Textbook Law” by staff writer Mike Burkart, FCRH ’11, which accused the Fordham University Bookstore of violating the Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008. The Act, implemented on Aug. 14, 2008, set rules about the packaging and selling of college textbooks, as well as the responsibilities incumbent upon colleges and universities concerning the availability and distribution of textbooks. The act requires that institutions of higher learning, to the greatest extent practicable, make textbook lists, as well as ISBNs, available to students when schedules are created or handed out to students. On the publishers’ end of the deal, the HEOA limits the ways in and the
extent to which bundling (the packaging of two or more textbooks or other instructional supplements together) can occur. These new regulations, which have been implemented in the months and years since the law’s enactment, were the central focus of Burkart’s article. Since its publication, however, certain errors flaws and errors in the article’s content have been brought to The Ram’s attention. “The Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008 specified that schools must have these new disclosures in place for any courses starting after Sept. 1, 2010, affording Fordham nearly 15 months to implement a system that could fully comply,” Burkart wrote in his article. The HEOA, however, stipulates that these measures take effect on July 1, 2010. The Sept. 2010 date that Burkart cited was in fact the date around which that portion of the Act be-
came relevant to most colleges and universities. Additionally, a discrepancy was found in the article as regards the United States government’s enforcement of the HEOA. “Under the new law, the United States Department of Education has sole authority to investigate and impose sanctions for noncompliance with these new provisions,” Burkart wrote. While this is true for the majority of regulations set forth regarding higher education in the United States, and indeed most of the HEOA, it is not, in fact, the case for Section 133, the portion of the Act pertaining to textbooks. “The [United States] Secretary [of Education] shall not promulgate regulations with respect to this section,” Sec. 133(i), “No Regulation Authority,” reads. In Sec. 133(g), “GAO [Government Accountability Office] Report,” however, the Act calls for a report to be issued to
the United States Congress on the progress of compliance in 2013. These issues, to The Ram’s best knowledge, are the only ones present in Burkart’s article, and the rest of the piece reports accurately on the situation. In response to both the article and student concern over the bookstore and its operations, however, Fordham’s administration has commented on the matter to The Ram. “All parties involved in implementing the new textbook accessibility requirements at Fordham — bookstore, administration and faculty and instructors — have been fruitfully working together toward better communication and to overcome obstacles in the complex process of getting new textbook listing and ordering practices in place,” Dr. Nicola Pitchford, associate vice president and associate chief academic officer, on behalf of the office of the Provost, said.
TOWN HALL, FROM PAGE 1
semester, based on estimates for the events it plans to hold that semester. To be eligible, a club would have to prove its financial responsibility over the course of a few semesters. Before a club is eligible for lump-sum funding, or for smaller events, clubs may seek itemized funding, in which they provide an estimate for the event’s costs and over which the Committee exercises more oversight. Club leaders were concerned about whether lump-sum funding would have to reapply every year, given the amount of paperwork that already accompanies the budget process. DiTanna and Amato responded that under the new budget structure, clubs would have to reapply since budgets can change from semester to semester and that lump-sum funding in general would require “more accounting to justify the value.” One improvement over the current system is that excess funds do not become available until the end of the semester via “kickback.” All clubs will benefit from the new system for many other reasons, including more spending power, club equality and Budget Committee accountability. “Now we’re all going to be accountable,” DiTanna said of the Committee liaisons. “We’re going to have defined duties, defined goals.” ASILI Treasurer Melissa Wright, FCRH ’12, expressed doubts that Budget Committee members would be able to hold themselves accountable. “It’s a conflict of interest,” Wright said. “You can’t police yourselves.” In response, Amato said that “making the rules 100 percent more clear” and employing a more selective application process for choosing Committee members would provide for a more responsible committee in which liaisons actually engage with the clubs they represent in order to better understand the clubs’ individual needs. DiTanna said that the new process would allow the Committee to take a “more holistic approach,” considering all clubs’ needs for the entire semester on Budget Day, rather than having to grant appeals in any amount on a first come, first served basis. Another aspect of the new system, a reserve account, will enable extra funds at the end of every semester to carry over for future use, according to DiTanna (“I mean, it’s like the Federal Reserve”). In a recent mix-up, G.L.O.B.E., upon finding out that it was responsible for the funding itself, applied to Budget Committee for funding for its Global Etiquette Dinner featuring Gloria Petersen, an author and inspirational speaker, as part of its International Business Week. Having been under the impression that they could secure funding, the club members were devastated to hear that their appeal had been denied because there was no money left. “You guys should be a little more true to your words,” Anton Risteski, GSB ’12, vice president of G.L.O.B.E., said. “Better communication would be the lesson,” Sara Kugel, FCRH ’11, executive president of USG, said. She acknowledged club frustrations, but said the meeting’s purpose was to accept suggestions moving forward, not relive old frustrations. “We have to be proactive,” she said.
NEWS
PAGE 4 • THE RAM • FEBRUARY 9, 2011
Fordham in Brief Economic Roundtable Debates Future Job Market As part of “Growth or Stagnation After Recession in the U.S. Economy,” there was a panel of Fordhameducated economists and financial analysts for the second economic round table on Feb. 3, which was sponsored by the University’s Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (GSAS). According to the moderator, Dominic Salvatore, Ph.D., after the 1970 recession, it took 10 months to return to pre-recession employment levels. The post-Sept. 11 recession in 2001 recovered after approximately 40 months. Given the current nine-percent unemployment rate, coupled with new entrants into the labor force and capped by shifts to a global labor force, it may take six or seven years to reach five-percent unemployment again. Salvatore argued that simply being more innovative will not solve the problem. According to Sherif Assef, Ph.D., FCRH ’81, GSAS ’82, ’94, spreading out a company’s operations due to corporate tax rates and other regulatory functions makes sense. Manufacturing may be centered in Mexico, but intellectual property can be owned overseas more eco-
nomically and a company’s finance center might be located in Luxembourg. “Right now, there is a ‘deer in the headlights’ threat management,” William G. Foote, Ph.D., FCRH ’76, GSAS ’81, ’84, who has worked internationally in risk and performance management, said. “Companies spend money on compliance management rather than risk management because the cost of bad compliance is huge. But I would wager that the cost of bad risk management is much larger.” “There are a number of things we cannot do in the U.S. anymore,” he continued. “We cannot make a laptop here, which worries the intelligence community. We are creating a huge layer of structural inability in the U.S. We can talk about solutions, but they are going to have to be very strenuous.” According to Matthieu Royer, managing director of Credit Agricole Corporate and Investment Bank, the U.S. needs to align its incentives to achieve its economic policies. Even though American gross domestic product has grown over the past 20 years, the distribution of income has changed so that fewer Americans see the benefits of that growth. “We never talk about in what pockets that money ends up,” Royer said.
According to the panelists, an unstable Europe, Yuan currency manipulation from China, the rising global price of commodities and several bubbles that may yet burst including municipal budgets, pensions and the commercial housing market are other problems that negatively affect America’s recovery. “One note of hope for American employment is the fact that corporate America is sitting on a trillion dollars in cash, and that there are ample amounts of money in money market funds and in precious metals,” Mario Torsiello, founder and CEO of Torsiello Capital Advisors, GSB ’78, said.
Professor Examines Human Cost of Soviet Prison Science System Asif Siddiqi, Ph.D., associate professor of history, discussed the Soviet prison science system in his keynote speech at the 19th annual Arts and Sciences Faculty Day on Feb. 4. The talk took place at the Lincoln Center campus before an audience of his peers, who later honored the school’s faculty members of the year. In his speech entitled, “Science and Freedom: In the Shadow of the Gulag,” Siddiqi discussed whether
freedom was necessary for productive scientific and engineering activity to occur. “The unfortunate answer from the Soviet case would seem to be, no,” Siddiqi said, regarding the prison science system in the gulag, whose existence spanned from the late 1920s to Stalin’s death in 1953. The system, which put roughly 1,000 scientists and engineers to work, resulted in the development of more than 20 major weapons systems or processes, including the Pe-2 bomber, one of the most successful Soviet weapons of World War II. “The thousands of lives lost, the institutions disbanded, the disciplines suspended, all, as one, comprise an extraordinarily depressing record of possibilities interrupted,” he said. Science may indeed operate without freedom but it is a costly path to take.” According to Siddiqi, the system as a whole produced a host of Soviet scientists and engineers who “shared an enormous trauma that deeply affected their later lives” because the gulag prison science system added members when prisoners gave up the names of friends from their “civilian” lives. An entire generation of these elite engineers who were arrested during the second wave in the late 1930s went on to head their own design and engineering firms and
to dominate research and development, especially within the Soviet military-industrial complex, in the post-Stalin era. “Their adoption and occasional enthusiasm for certain traits of the organizational culture of the Soviet scientific and engineering owed much to their shared experiences with similar peculiarities characteristic of the prison system,” Siddiqi said. For the former “prisoners,” the experience in the gulag represented not only a shared rite of passage, but also a deep process of enculturation about the values of coercion, incentive and especially secrecy in institutional culture. “The prison science system, like its parent, the gulag, created walls within Soviet civil society that remained standing long after the gulag itself was consigned to the scrapheap of history,” Siddiqi said. “Historians and philosophers of science have been grappling with this disturbing correlation, that some of the greatest advances in science and technology occurred simultaneously with some of the most egregious crimes against humanity. Sometimes, the two went hand-in-hand and, as we saw in the Soviet case, one enabled the other.” —Compiled by Connie Kim, News Editor
Creator of Most Popular Harry Potter Fan Site Speaks at Fordham By KATHRYN HILLMAN CONTRIBUTING WRITER
This past Monday, Fordham hosted Emerson Spartz and Gaby Montero as a part of the Campus Activities Board’s American Age Lecture Series. While many will recognize Spartz as the creator of MuggleNet.com, the No. 1 Harry Potter fan Web site, Spartz and Montero have launched a number of other Web sites together and both are now working for Spartz Inc., the umbrella organization for their nine Web sites. Spartz launched MuggleNet.com in 1999, when he was 11 years old. His motivation? “Skull-crushing boredom,” he said. Born in Indiana and homeschooled, Spartz created MuggleNet.com using an online Web site creator, which equipped the Web site with the basics: graphics, some animation and backgrounds. It was, in Spartz’s words, “super ’90s.” MuggleNet.com began right around the time when Harry Potter fandom was exploding. As the Web site became more popular, Spartz took steps to ensure its continued success, by e-mailing webmasters to increase traffic on the site, researching more established fan communities’ methods of running their Web sites, borrowing the best ideas and by recruiting volunteers to help manage the Web site, all of which helped the site grow and gain new fans. At its peak, MuggleNet.com received 45 million page views per month. As the founder of MuggleNet. com, Spartz has worked on a number of projects relating to the site’s subject matter. He co-wrote two books, the first of which, MuggleNet.
com’s What Will Happen in Harry Potter 7 – Who Lives, Who Dies, Who Falls in Love, and How the Series Finally Ends, he wrote when he was 17 years old. It was published in 2007, prior to the release of the final Harry Potter book. The book was expected to sell 9,000 copies; it actually sold over 335,000 copies and spent six months on the New York Times Children’s Bestseller List in the No. 2 spot. The second book, MuggleNet.com’s Harry Potter Should Have Died: Controversial Views From the #1 Fan Site, was published in 2009. Spartz mentioned at the lecture that the title does not reflect his views; he just liked the way it sounded. In addition to book-related news, Spartz has visited all of the movie sets, courtesy of Warner Bros. Studios, and has interviewed many members of the cast, acting as MuggleNet.com’s representative. Spartz said one of the coolest things he had the opportunity to do was to interview J.K. Rowling, at her house in Edinburgh, on the day Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince was released. When Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows came out, Spartz was at the biggest book release in history, taking place in Oakpark, Ill., which he described as a “rock star moment.” Spartz attended the University of Notre Dame’s Mendoza School of Business. During college, Spartz delegated a lot of the responsibilities of the day-to-day running of MuggleNet.com to the Web site’s team. Spartz chose to major in management consulting; during this time he met Montero, also a management consulting major, since the two of them shared many classes. Montero had also created a Web site when she was 12, called Dailycute.net, a Web
site dedicated to all things cute. The Web site received 75,000 page views per month, though Montero took it down when she was in high school, feeling that she was unable to dedicate enough time to maintain it. Together, Emerson and Montero have created a number of Web sites, including GivesMeHope.com, which they founded in May 2009. GivesMeHope.com was a mix of ideas — in part a response to fmylife.com, in part the belief that the short-story format seen on other Web sites was the direction in which the Internet was headed. People post stories, of which six are posted on the main page per day. The Web site receives 2,000,000 visitors per month and as many as 250 stories per day. Spartz and Montero have received a number of messages saying that it has given people hope, and sometimes even stopped people from committing suicide. Over the last year, Spartz and Montero have worked with a publishing company to compile a book of the top 127 stories from GivesMeHope.com, with added illustrations or photographs for each one. The book was released in December 2010. Spartz and Montero now head Spartz Inc., representing not only MuggleNet.com, but all nine Web sites they run, including GivesMeHope.com, and its spin-off sites, such as LoveGivesMeHope.com, KidsGiveMeHope.com and SixBillionSecrets.com. While MuggleNet.com used to be treated as a very separate entity, the creation of Spartz Inc. acted as a parent or umbrella company. The company currently has nine full-time employees, four part-time workers and an office in Chicago. Their daily readership is around 500,000, which is about the same as that of the New York Daily
PHOTO BY NORA MALLOZZI/THE RAM
Emerson Spartz (left) and Gaby Montero founded GivesMeHope.com in 2009.
News. Spartz and Montero launched Givoogle.com, a search engine where a dollar per search is donated to the American Cancer Society. The site raised $6,569.89 before being shut down by Google’s lawyers for copyright issues. The site was revamped as SavesWatts.com, the same search engine, this time featuring a dark background to save energy. Another recent launch was OMG-Facts.com, a site where people contribute interesting facts, which are checked by the site’s managers and are then posted. It is followed by about 1.4 million people on Twitter. The site now has a weekly YouTube show, hosted by Montero, and the Youtube
channel is in the Top 150 YouTube channels while the show receives about 300-400 views per episode. Spartz and Montero have launched a number of new humor-based Web sites, including “Unfriendable” and “SmartphOWNED.” With the internet changing so rapidly, it makes it difficult for Spartz Inc. to predict future moves far in advance. Spartz said that they plan on launching some more humor Web sites, and another “all things cute” website, pioneered by Montero. The goal is to launch a site per month. They are also considering releasing some more books based on their other sites, similar to the book based on GivesMeHope.com.
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PAGE 7
Bloomberg Snuffs Out New York Smokers
BOB CHAMBERLIN/MCT
Though smoking is forbidden in bars and restaurants, New York City wants to restrict smoking further; the City Council voted on a bill that will prohibit smoking in public parks, beaches and some plazas.
By CHRISTINE BARCELLONA OPINIONS EDITOR
New York City is known for its intense smoking regulations; however, smokers can soon expect tighter restrictions. The City Council just approved a bill proposing a ban of smoking in public parks, beaches and plazas. Though the bill is intended to protect nonsmokers from secondhand smoke, it unduly infringes on the rights of smoking residents. Though a whiff of cigarette smoke sends me into a pathetic fit of asthmatic coughing, I cannot support the blanket ban of smoking in what The New York Times reports are 14 miles of beaches, 1,700 parks and many public plazas, including parts of the area around Times Square. Although fellow New York City residents with respiratory ailments must hate breathing in smokers’ fumes, they must also tolerate the occasional pollution because smoking is a common practice. Like it or not, there are people who smoke, who are physically and mentally addicted to smoking and, as the number of places they are allowed to
smoke dwindles, they must grow frustrated and upset. New York City residents pride themselves on their tolerance and their diversity, but that means more than accepting people of different racial or national backgrounds. An apparently forgotten part of New York City’s diversity is the plethora of lifestyle choices that people make, including the choice to smoke. Nonsmokers obviously do not want to be exposed to secondhand smoke and deserve protection from excessive or dangerous exposure to secondhand smoke; however, those whose lifestyles include smoking still deserve to have a decent number of comforts and protections. It is one thing to ban smoking in crowded, closed-in, semiprivate spaces like restaurants and bars, where stale smoke may loom over the room, filling the small indoor space, but banning smoking in open, outdoor areas is excessive. Mayor Michael Bloomberg seems to be forgetting about the rights of New York City’s smoking residents, which, according to Bloomberg.com, make up 15.8 percent of the city’s
population. According to The New York Times, mayor Bloomberg announced: “This summer, New Yorkers who go to our parks and beaches for some fresh air and fun will be able to breathe even cleaner air and sit on a beach not littered with cigarette butts.” Maybe Bloomberg will ban picnics in public parks next, bragging that he has prevented potential sources of litter, like forgotten napkins or a lost scrap of cellophane. He might even add that food is the leading cause of obesity in America, and that by banning public eating, he has made it that much harder for New York City residents to develop unhealthy eating habits. It is one thing to take action to protect residents. There is nothing wrong with passing laws that legitimately protect people from dangers that they have little power to avoid themselves. Even previous smoking laws have made some sense, since it is harder to avoid inhaling smoke if someone happens to eat in the same restaurant as someone else who is chain smoking. In public parks, however, where fresh
breezes blow and avoiding secondhand smoke is often as easy as moving a few benches upwind, it is more practical for the government to expect people to use their judgment and avoid secondhand smoke on their own. Also, laws protecting some residents should not curtail other residents’ rights unreasonably. When the no-smoking-in-bars law went into effect, smokers had the option to go somewhere else to smoke, say an outdoor venue like a park or plaza. Now even these options are shrinking for smokers, who will soon face a $50 fine for smoking in the newly designated “nonsmoking” public areas. Finding a middle ground is possible. One acceptable way to protect vulnerable residents from secondhand smoke would be to designate areas of parks as “smoking” or “non-smoking” sections. For example, maybe public playgrounds and the surrounding areas should be off-limits for smokers, but another area of a park could be available for those who wish to smoke. Protecting non-smokers from secondhand smoke, dissuading residents
from starting to smoke and encouraging smokers to quit are admirable goals. The Times reports that according to a study the city health department conducted in 2009, 56.7 percent of nonsmoking New York City residents appear to have “elevated levels of a nicotine byproduct in their blood indicating recent exposure to cigarette smoke,” despite the city’s already famous, or infamous, smoking restrictions. Though there does not seem to be a conclusion regarding what specific effect the elevated levels would have on residents’ health, the numbers in this study do suggest that something should be done to help protect residents from secondhand smoke. The way the Bloomberg administration has gone about setting up these protections is flawed, however. The city should seek a solution that can both protect the rights of smoking residents and the health of nonsmoking residents. Christine Barcellona, FCRH ’12, is an English major from Dallas, Texas. She can be reached at cbarcellona@fordham.edu.
Instead of Cutting Service, Government Should Make Rail a Priority By CHRISTOPHER KENNEDY STAFF WRITER
When will they replace the “Red Trains?” Those who know me as an unabashed rail buff have asked me this question as the aging cars of Metro-North’s New Haven Line creak through Fordham Rd. Station. While they are in the process of being replaced, as new M8 cars are currently undergoing testing, the issue took on new urgency last week. In response to almost half of the New Haven Line’s fleet needing repair, Metro-North released a winter schedule featuring less-than-normal peak-hour service weekdays and a Sunday schedule on Saturdays and Sundays. For those who ride the New Haven Line, which includes many Fordham professors, staff and students, this means more crowded trains, but for the city and the region as a whole, this issue should bring attention to the importance of good rail infrastructure. The current New Haven Line cars were built mostly in the early 1970s
for the Penn Central Railroad, which operated commuter service on behalf of the MTA until Metro-North was formed in 1983. Similar cars were built for the Harlem and Hudson lines at the same time, but those were replaced in the middle of the last decade by the M7s, the modern trains you see running between Fordham, Westchester and Grand Central Terminal. Replacement cars were never ordered for the New Haven Line because of a lack of foresight by former Connecticut Governor John Rowland, and the almost 40-year-old cars have had to suffer through another year. The broader issue here is the importance of maintaining rail as a viable travel option. In 2009, there were 36.3 million rides taken on the New Haven Line, each one contributing to the economy of the metropolitan region. Yes, trains lose money. That is the unfortunate fact that supporters of rail, like myself, have to defend to skeptics. People forget that those who travel by trains are going someplace to do something, usually either work at their job
ELLEN CREAGER/MCT
The United States needs to follow Europe’s lead and invest in high-speed rail.
or spend money on a leisurely activity. Rail has made it easier for suburban residents to spend their money in New York City and contribute to its robust economy. So, to those who claim that rail can be neglected because it loses money, I usually ask if they have ever taken the train into Manhattan, and what they did when they got there. Usually they tell me they saw a show or ate dinner. When I ask if they would have spent that money had they had to drive into Manhattan, they admit that they probably would not have.
The issue goes further, however. Rail infrastructure in the country as a whole is falling behind. While new high-speed lines open across Europe and Asia with top speeds approaching 300 miles per hour, Northeast Corridor trains are constrained in many places by Civil War-era infrastructure. The Acela Express, the closest America currently has to a high-speed train, advertises top speeds of only 150 miles per hour and, in fact, runs at an average speed of closer to 79 miles per hour. Travel time between New York
and Washington is only a few minutes shorter than it was 40 years ago. For too long, Americans have been content with roads, rails and airports that have not been significantly upgraded since the 1950s and 1960s. Some attention was called to this issue with the collapse of the I-35W bridge across the Mississippi River in 2007, but the fact is that large investments must be made over the next 10 to 20 years in order to bring the nation’s transportation network up to 21stcentury standards. Limited progress is being made. Construction will start soon on the first section of high-speed rail in California, and a similar project is being studied in Florida. The government is distributing billions of dollars in stimulus funding in order to begin the process of rebuilding decrepit rail lines across the country. Still, more can and should be done. Even in this era of belt-tightening, rail remains relevant and we cannot afford to fall behind. Christopher Kennedy, FCRH ’12, is a theology major from Mystic, Conn.
OPINIONS
PAGE 8 • THE RAM • FEBRUARY 9, 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.
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From the Desk of Jonathon Smith, Assistant Sports Editor It is Super Bowl Sunday and I am sitting in my room with a dilemma on my hands. This dilemma, as I suspect is the dilemma of many people on Super Bowl Sunday at college, is from where I should order food. The Super Bowl is a great time; there are lots of friends, great football, killer halftime show and, obviously, lots of food. The only problem is with the latter of that list—the food. I love all food, I even enjoy the cafeteria food (well, sometimes I do). The real question is from where do I want to order food? Coming from a very small Vermont town, the idea of having so many delivery options is still a novelty to me. So I am sitting here with four delivery menus in front of me, sweating, mostly from the absurd heat in my room, but also due to the anxiety this decision is causing me. I cannot make a bad decision as I will enjoy whatever I get, but it is the Super Bowl, and I want to make the perfect decision. The menus that I have in front of me are from Bellini’s, Planet Wings, Nice Food and Taco Kitchen. While there are other delivery options, these four are
simply the best for sober eating. When making my choice I will have to not only think about taste, but delivery speed, quantity of food and price. The first menu in front of me was the Nice Food Chinese menu. It seems as if each week there is a new, flashy Chinese menu in the lobby of my building, but to me nothing can top Nice Food. While the prices and options on the menu are similar to other Chinese restaurants, there is something about Nice Food that keeps my roommates and me going back. Not only do I look forward to making the phone call, but my roommates and I also like to play a little game where we predict how quickly the food will get to our room. With the clock running from the time we order to the time that the food got to us, I have experienced a record time of 22 minutes. Frighteningly quick. This is what Nice Food brings to the table: speed and taste. The food is great, it gets to the room quickly and the delivery man usually comes to our door; he once told us we had a nice-looking room. This was for sure going to be a tough choice to
which to say no. Bellini’s is my favorite pizza place in the Bronx. Their pasta, exotic pizza flavors and garlic knots are some of the best delivery food I have ever had. My problem with ordering Bellini’s is that the food will fill me up very quickly. If I want to be snacking on any other finger foods, then Bellini’s is not the place from which to order. Planet Wings would be the choice for the traditionalist. If I want to get into the true American football mood, then I want wings and a cheese steak. The only problem with Planet Wings is that they will probably be the busiest of my four options, which would make me wait the longest for my food. Nothing is worse than being hungry during sporting events. The final option is Taco Kitchen. I have never ordered from here before, and I do not know if I will gamble with an unknown ordering option during one of the most important eating days of the year. Taco Kitchen has always intrigued me, though. My roommates do not like Mexican food, but I do and I hear great reviews,
so I will definitely have to order it sometime. While I know I cannot make a poor decision, this is still what I will be spending my mental energy on today. Delivery food is a wonderful thing, and the time from when I make the call, to when the food comes will be the most anxious and longest time of my week. Who knows from where I will order? It will most likely be an impulsive decision and will throw away all of the thinking that I have done this afternoon. All in all it does not really matter; all that matters is that as a Fordham student, I will be able to choose from many different delicious delivery options and will probably be passed out from food overdose by halftime.
Tests Prove Useful Evaluation Tool By ABIGAIL FORGET COPY EDITOR
A Jan. 20 article in The New York Times discussed a study that revealed that taking a test, contrary to other learning methods, actually helps people to learn. The story cited a January article from the journal Science which found that students who read a passage, then took a test asking them to recall what they had read, retained about 50 percent more information one week later than students who utilized other methods. These other methods can include, “concept mapping,” in which students draw detailed diagrams displaying what they are learning, and writing essays. In the experiment, 200 college students were assigned several paragraphs regarding a scientific subject and were divided into four groups. One group read the text for five minutes and were immediately tested, the second studied the text in four consecutive five-minute sessions and the third engaged in the aforementioned concept mapping, in which the students put information from the text into a diagram and wrote details in bubbles. The last group wrote what they recalled from the text in a free-form essay for 10 minutes. When the students were evaluated on the material one week later, those who were initially tested in the experiment did much better and retained more information than those who drew concept maps or wrote essays about what they learned. I agree with Science’s findings; al-
though the professors and teachers who are grading tests are human, calculating a score on an examination is far more objective and specific than evaluating a concept map or essay. With a concept map or drawing, in which a student writes everything that he or she recalls in a bubble on the page, it is far easier to get the material “correct” because there is really no right or wrong answer; the grader’s interpretation plays a much bigger role. I tend to dislike the “everybody wins” mentality. I may be able to recall certain aspects of material from class because I found it interesting or engaging, but if those concepts do not happen to be the ones I am expected to retain for the course, then I should not be able to draw my way to a good grade. In the real world, I cannot pick and choose what I want to learn in a work environment. The article mentions that testing causes excessive student anxiety. I say: well, tough. During sporting events at my grade school, those working at the scorers’ table were told to stop putting the score up if one of the teams was beating the other by over 20 points, for fear it would upset the losing team too much. In my home state of Massachusetts, there have consistently been rumblings of standardized testing standards being lowered so more students can pass and feel good about themselves. Having your performance evaluated may be stressful, but it is absolutely essential to evaluate how much you have really learned. The article suggests that the
constant reinforcing involved in preparing for a retrieval test helps us to create cues and connections that our brains will later recognize when we are called upon to use the information we have learned. Although I tend to favor testing over more subjective methods, retaining any information, whatever method one may use, requires preparation and time. Cramming for an exam, one, never works and, two, typically causes one to forget the information as soon as the exam is complete. At Fordham, I have found that I retain much more information from a course where I am evaluated with a test rather than a paper. Even if I am relatively well-versed in the subject matter I am writing a paper about, I have all of the information in front of me as I am completing my assessment. Many times, I do not review the material very often throughout the semester, because I know that I will have all of it in front of me when I write the paper. On the other hand, as I prepare for a test that will require me to regurgitate facts, I take part in extensive memorization and repetitive practicing, which will enable me to remember things for
the test. Some may argue that going to a liberal arts institution should involve exploring more concepts and ideas, rather than strictly being assessed on one’s ability to remember specific information for an exam. I do agree that this is beneficial to one’s education, of course, but testing ensures that knowledge can be recalled verbatim and has been retained. Abigail Forget, FCRH ’12, is an English and communication and media studies major from Attleboro, Mass.
ANDREW LUCAS/MCT
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OPINIONS
FEBRUARY 9, 2011 • THE RAM • PAGE 9
Interning Abroad Also an Option To Help Prepare for Future Careers, More Students Should Take Advantage of Foreign Internships While Studying Abroad
Unfair Trade Eric Horvath Mubarak’s Mummies
COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA
Though Fordham study abroad programs tend to focus on coursework, students can choose to participate in internships in certain locations, including London.
By SARAH TEYSSEN CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Studying abroad is becoming increasingly popular; in 2006, 241,800 American college students chose to go abroad for a semester. Many asserted the ever-growing rate of globalization and hope for future employment in multinational corporations as their main motivations for the experience. Employers often do not see study abroad experience as positively as it is commonly believed. In fact, several studies have shown that it is conceived as rather irrelevant to the workplace and on par with having participated in co-curricular activities. In an attempt to make spending time abroad look more relevant on their resumés, some students are turning toward interning abroad instead. For many, this might indeed be a better option. The most common problem employers see in studying abroad is the fact that many students use it as a semesterlong excuse for travel and fun rather than truly learning anything relevant to their fields. It is true that for those studying fields like business or the humanities, a foreign university might not offer much more academic value than their home institution would have. In other words, getting your core classes
out of the way while partying in Paris or lying on the beach in Spain will not and should not give students an advantage in the job market. Of course, there is the aspect of being able to adjust to foreign cultures and thus possibly being able to work more effectively within multinational corporations, but many students do not venture much farther than Europe for their study abroad programs and, once there, stay
Auckland, New Zealand; and Dresden, Germany. All of these programs are facilitated by Boston University, which specializes in combining study abroad with internship placements. Typically, students take two or three academic courses, often including foreign language study, and work in a large international company the rest of the time. Of course, there are instances in which a purely academic study abroad program is still preferable to interning abroad.
Those wishing to pursue academic careers and those who are able to find programs that cater to a special interest they could not study at home, such as a biology major studying marine biology at a tropical destination, might be better off sticking to the traditional academic immersion. For those who wish to enhance their job prospects after graduation and really immerse themselves in the realities of everyday life abroad, an internship is the much better option. Most majors will find programs catering to their needs here at Fordham. Gabelli School of Business students could profit from programs in London and Sydney, political science majors can get an insight into international humanitarian work in Geneva and visual arts majors can challenge themselves in Parisian art enterprises. The only flaw visible in Fordham’s selection of intern abroad destinations are their relatively conservative locations. Most are in Europe, and all but one are in the Western Hemisphere, so it may be helpful to have more destinations available that combine the benefits of interning abroad with the challenges of cultural immersion. Sarah Teyssen, FCRH ’13, is an international politcal economy major from Erding , Germany.
Lincoln Mitchell, The Huffington Post
Ed Morrissey, Hot Air
“Reagan is viewed by most Republicans as the father of the modern conservative movement and a patron saint of the right wing. Ironically, if Reagan were around today he would probably be too liberal for many of the Tea Partiers and radicals who claim to admire him so much.”
“Reagan gave us a world where freedom and liberty triumphed over an ‘evil empire,‘ and the first step towards that victory was Reagan speaking plainly about its very nature, rather than indulging in the pablum of moral relevancy that Reagan’s political opponents demanded.”
“In other words, getting your core classes out of the way while partying in Paris or lying on the beach in Spain will not and should not give students an advantage in the job market.” within the same kind of communities they could have experienced at their own colleges. Interning abroad, on the other hand, shows potential employers that applicants really sought to enrich their college experience with knowledge and experiences they could not have gained at home. A company abroad will be able to show the intern unique perspectives on their field and many employees may not be able to escape true immersion into foreign language and culture if they are
Issue of the Week:
Reagan’s 100th A Look at the World Outside of Fordham from the Perspective of Professional News Bloggers
placed within a corporate environment. While most programs offered through Fordham’s study abroad office are traditional, academic-oriented study abroad experiences, there are also nine internship programs available to Fordham students. Destinations include major international business hubs like London, Paris, Sydney and Shanghai in addition to more unusual ones like Geneva;
See what commentators from the Left and the Right have to say about remebering Ronald Reagan’s legacy on his 100th birthday.
Before hearing of an essay depressingly entitled “The End of History,” the best fact I had about the year I was born was that it was when Nintendo unveiled the Game Boy. Francis Fukuyama’s essay comments on how the end of the Cold War, symbolically represented by the fall of the Berlin Wall, marked an “end point of mankind’s ideological evolution and the emergence of Western liberal democracy as the final form of human government.” This while Mario and Luigi were just beginning to usher in a new age of technological entertainment. History, as Fukuyama understands it, will come to a conclusion once ideological evolution ceases (i.e. as represented in the global trend towards liberalism). Recent events in autocratic Tunisia and Egypt demonstrate that the shift towards democracy is apparent, but more importantly show that our story is far from finished. Egypt, a country most recognized for its timeless history of pharaohs and pyramids, is both the most populous and one of the poorest members of the Arab League. Peaceful relations with the United States and everyone’s favorite Brendan Fraser trilogy have helped mask the corruption of Hosni Mubarak’s 30-year reign. With neighboring Tunisia’s successful ousting of its president, however, Mubarak’s illegitimacies are becoming common knowledge from Alabama to Alaska. A tremendous (and largely illogical) fear of a power vacuum caused by Mubarak’s resignation leading to Egypt becoming a breeding ground for al Qaeda is proliferating. The more pressing concern is how a newly empowered Muslim population in Egypt will democratically vote, and if the democratic election of an Islamic opposition party will destroy the peace of mind (among other, more tangible things) of Israelis. The move to democratic processes in Egypt does not appear to be fleeting. A recent article in The Economist commented on a sort of “evolution of Egyptian society,” one where “Egyptians have begun to establish themselves as citizens of their own country.” With hundreds of thousands of people protesting every day, it certainly looks like a fundamental change has occurred. Egyptians are rewriting their futures and inspiring their beleaguered brethren in Jordan, Yemen and beyond to do the same. *** On Friday, after glancing at the day’s headlines on a newspaper stolen from Finlay as, I asked my friend, “Do you think the New York Times knows there are other countries out there other than Egypt?” I don’t think my friend caught onto my sarcasm because he replied with something like, “Yeah, but it is so interesting.” The last few weeks have continuously proved my high-school self wrong: nothing’s more thrilling than history.
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PAGE 10 • THE RAM • FEBRUARY9, 2011
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Kristin turned her passion for giving back into a new Chicago institution—with full support from KPMG. “KPMG values innovation. They supported my project knowing I was developing valuable professional skills while serving our community.” Kristin and her team raised over $200,000 for Chicago’s Children’s Memorial Hospital. See how she did it. Watch Kristin’s MyLife diary at www.kpmg-go.com/mylife. kpmgcampus.com
© 2011 KPMG LLP, a Delaware limited liability partnership and the U.S. member firm of the KPMG network of independent member firms affiliated with KPMG International Cooperative (“KPMG International”), a Swiss entity. All rights reserved. 23197NSS
MyLife… is my community
FEBRUARY 9, 2011
PAGE 11
Writer Andrew Sorkin Talks Journalism By PATRICK DEROCHER
SENTIOR EXECUTIVE EDITOR
The Ram: We understand that you started with The New York Times in high school with an internship. How did you score such an internship while you were still in high school? Sorkin: Persistence. I started a sports magazine when I was 15 years old. We wanted to make it a national magazine, and for a brief moment it looked like it was actually going to work. It ultimately failed, but it was probably the best education of my entire life. The Ram: And you continued to work there in college? Sorkin: I wasn’t on staff or anything, I was basically a freelancer, but I was writing somewhat consistently throughout the year. My junior year I was abroad in London and that was great for me, because they asked if I could write some articles from there and again, I think it’s just positioning yourself and trying to be in the right place at the right time. The Ram: What’s it like being an American journalist in London covering mergers and acquisitions in European countries? Sorkin: I don’t know what it’s like anymore; at the time, it was amazing for two reasons. One was that the mergers and acquisitions boom of the late ’90’s; AOL-Time
Warner, all these big mergers are happening, so you couldn’t wake up in the morning without some big news event. The other thing was that London’s a very gossipy town; the British love to gossip. It was a bit like the wild, wild west. I think people felt very loose-lipped. Now it’s probably a lot harder these days because I think they finally caught up to the way it was being done in New York, which was a little bit more traditional and conventional. But it was bar none, one of the, if not the, greatest jobs I ever had. Except for Xeroxing and stapling for Stuart Elliott.
The Ram: How does it feel to have been featured as one of Keith Olbermann’s “worst persons?” Sorkin: You know, originally, I wasn’t that happy about it, because he, I think, had also featured Osama bin Laden within the last week, so that seemed like a bad thing. But I think he might have also featured the editor of The New York Times, and he featured a number of people that I actually admired, so I came around to thinking that maybe it was a badge of honor. And I’ve seen Keith. We both went to Cornell and we e-mailed each other about it, and he was actually apologetic. We were both on “Real Time with Bill Maher” in L.A. maybe a year or two ago, and so we had a very nice conversation, and I don’t think I knew it then, but some of that stuff comes with the territory, for better
or for worse.
The Ram: Who are your favorite people to work with at The Times? Do you have much interaction between columnists? Sorkin: The op-ed columnists sort of operate in a different world; I know Tom [Friedman], I know David [Brooks], but I don’t see them all the time. I just saw Tom in Davos [Switzerland, home to the World Economic Conference] and we moderated a dinner together. But he’s someone who lives in Washington, and last I saw, he was in Egypt. Most of my day is spent with a team of people who work on DealBook [Sorkin’s section of The Times’s Web site], in the business section: Floyd Norris, who writes a column, David Carr, who’s one of my favorites, David Pogue I don’t really get to see that much because he writes about technology and he writes from home. Ultimately, for everything you write, it may have your name on it, but it’s a team effort, because it’s you, it’s going to get edited; other reporters often times give me great ideas. I sit across from a guy named Peter Lattman and across on the other side from Susane Craig. I can’t tell you the font of ideas they are for me and hopefully occasionally I am for them, too. The Ram: What is that process like? Sorkin: I write a weekly column.
Hopefully I break some news, which obviously I can’t tell you what day it’s going to be. We broke news recently with Facebook and its $50 billion valuation. I’m doing a multitude of things during the week, and I’m also overseeing DealBook, and we have 16 people; that’s a 24/7 operation. I say, I’ve got a little tip about Goldman Sachs, she [Craig] races with it. With Groupn recently, we had Evelyn Rusli; she’s our venture capital expert. She came from TechCrunch [a technology Web site]. I’ll go to her with an idea, and some times vice versa. There’s a lot of back and forth. The Ram: We’re at a sort of crossroads as regards print and online media. What’s it like to work
in the modern newsroom at this point in time? Sorkin: When I started doing this, the goal was to write an article that was due at 4, or 5, or 6 o’clock at night. There was no Web site, there was no other outlet. When we started DealBook as an e-mail, we used to send it out in the morning, at 8:30. We’d spend a couple of hours on it and then I had the rest of the day to spend thinking about articles. Now it’s literally a 24-hour proposition. People are on Twitter, I spend time going on television, going on the radio. It’s really become an all-encompassing thing where you’re really trying to hit all these mediums in a way we never have before. But I’m a big believer in print at The New York Times.
PHOTO BY NORA MALLOZZI
Andrew Sorkin, columnist for The New York Times, spoke at Fordham on Feb. 8.
Fordham Begins First Official Week of RecycleMania
COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA
RecycleMania’s first official week of competition kicked off on Feb. 6.
By SARAH RAMIREZ ASSISTANT CULTURE EDITOR
By the look of all the fliers lining the residence halls, it is clear that RecycleMania has started here at Fordham. The 2011 RecycleMania Tournament is a friendly competition between institutions of higher learning across the world. Intended to promote on-campus recycling and sustainability efforts, participating schools report trash and recycling data. The universities are then ranked in a variety of categories,
such as “least amount of trash per capita” and the highest recycling rate. The RecycleMania program has grown tremendously, with only two schools participating in the inaugural competition in 2001. This year, Fordham’s first in the competition, 630 schools are participating in the program. The contest, which officially began Sunday, Feb. 6, will run for eight weeks, until Saturday, April 2. Prior to the Feb. 6 start date of RecycleMania, the University par-
COURTESY OF RECYCLEMANIA
RecycleMania is an eight-week tournament that promotes “going green.”
ticipated in a two-week trial run. Those results are already in — so far, Fordham has collected nearly 42,600 pounds of recyclables. The weekly recycling rate was about 26 percent, out of the total waste produced. The pounds recycled per person jumped to 6.05 pounds. last week, up from 4.08 pounds. during the first trial week. According to the RecyleMania Web site, Fordham is participating in the Benchmark Division. While the University will not be included in the official rankings or be eligible
to win any categories, it is still able to report recycling and trash data, but with more flexibility. Fordham has chosen to only tally the amount of trash and recyclables collected in the receptacles in the residence halls at Rose Hill and Lincoln Center. “Since it’s our first year in the competition, Fordham decided to just participate in the Benchmark Division this year,” Nell Roberts, FCRH ’11, a member of the RecycleMania committee, said. “We can see what works and what doesn’t, and then from there, we can hope-
fully get the entire campus involved next year and participate in the Competition Division.” To get students in the recycling spirit, there has been extensive advertising in the dorms. Some students, however, are not aware of the details or purpose behind RecycleMania. “I have no clue what [RecycleMania] is,” Dan Krug, GSB ’14, said. “I’m assuming it’s a campaign to get people to recycle, but I’m not sure.” It seems the message of RecycleMania has been lost in translation because of the nature of the advertisements. “I just walked into my dorm to find a giant magnet with guys and the word ‘recycle’ painted on their chests,” Cara McMenamin, FCRH ’11, said. “I have no idea what it’s about.” Despite any misconceptions, RecycleMania has at least gotten students talking about the University’s efforts to promote sustainability. “I think it’s important that our school and we, as students, take responsibility for our environment starting here at our University,” Michael Martinez, FCRH ’13, said. “I think Fordham already does have a variety of resources available for students who want to recycle,” Krug said. Only time will tell whether RecycleMania will be a successful program at Fordham.
CULTURE
PAGE 12• THE RAM FEBRUARY 9,2011
Cooking With Clara CLARA ENNIST Valentine’s Day is fast approaching and before you let out a sigh of exasperation, remember that the holiday is not just for couples, but is meant to celebrate all forms of love. That being said, this week’s recipe will probably be more helpful to those more romantically inclined. Whether you are uncertain about how serious your relationship is, do not care to spend a lot or just want to try something new, cooking is a great way to show someone that you care about them. Chicken Francese Servings: 4 Cost Per Serving: $2.00 Ingredients: -2 tbs. olive oil -1/2 c. all-purpose flour -4 eggs, beaten -1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast halves -1/2 c. white wine -2 c. chicken broth -1 tsp. chopped fresh parsley -salt and pepper to taste -2 lemons; 1 juiced, 1 cut into slices -1 tsp. cornstarch Directions Using a meat cleaver or back of a large metal spoon, pound the chicken until it is uniformly 1 in. In a large skillet heat the oil over low heat. Coat the chicken with flour, then with egg. Place the chicken in the skillet. When the edges of the chicken begin to brown, turn the chicken over and cook the remaining side until brown. Remove the chicken from the skillet and place on a plate lined with paper towels. Pour the oil out of the skillet. Melt the butter in the skillet, then add the lemon slices; cook until fragrant and slightly browned. Remove the lemon slices and add the wine, broth, parsley, salt and pepper, and lemon juice; cook over medium heat. Stir in the cornstarch and continue stirring until the sauce thickens. Place the chicken back into the skillet and allow it to cook for another 15 minutes. Serve hot with browned lemon slices on top. I have made this recipe more times than I would like to count, and each time, with one exception, it has turned out perfectly. You can serve it with whatever vegetable or starch you prefer (I highly recommend asparagus and risotto). If this is one of your first times cooking anything using cornstarch, make sure you add the proper amount of water to the cornstarch before placing it into the sauce. In order to avoid creating an utter disaster in front of your Valentine, add enough cold water so that the cornstarch is slightly dissolved or, if you do not have cornstarch on hand, substitute about 2 tsp. flour for the cornstarch. Because this recipe is on the sweeter side, you can also substitute equal parts white grape juice for the white wine if you find yourself unable or unwilling to purchase wine. When Valentine’s Day comes up and you want to cook, make this dish for your Valentine, the people you love or, if you are bitter about love, yourself. Now that I have given you a simple but splendid Valentine’s dinner, I leave it to you to figure out dessert.
Dining Out: Sammy’s Noodle Shop & Grill
PHOTO BY MOLLY MCCLOONE/THE RAM
PHOTO BY MOOLY MCCLOONE/THE RAM
Sammy’s Noodle Shop & Grill is a Chinese restaurant located on 6th Ave.
By MOLLY McCLOONE STAFF WRITER
In honor of the Chinese New Year and the Year of the Rabbit, I
decided to try out Sammy’s Noddle Shop & Grill in the West Village. I had been meaning to eat at Sammy’s for a few months since walking past it in the Village in
October, and I thought that the my’s out, let me get to the food. An Chinese New Year would be the extensive menu provides you with perfect time to follow through with all of the typical Chinese dishes, as this resolution. well as some that are more obscure. If you are looking for a no-frills, There is so much to choose from authentic Chinese food experience, that you almost do not know where then this is the place to go. Sammy’s to begin. is noisy and not concerned with its The food is amazing. Our meals décor in the least, especially when made up for all of the other shortcompared to other popular, highercomings of the restaurant, and then end Asian restaurants such as Tao some; they were truly delicious. and Buddakan. Mere seconds after our first bites, The walls are a garish red, the we forgot all of our complaints and lighting is bad and the tables are simply reveled in the delectable old; it really just feels like a larger dishes in front of us. version of a takeout Chinese place, We ordered three appetizers and including the delivery bikes. four entrees to share, and everyThere is an especially creepy, thing was fabulous. The scallion dimly lit back part of the restaurant pancakes were fresh and light and where you can see their dipping sauce Overall workers frantically was great. Location refilling soy sauce The lo mein Food Quality bottles, which is not dishes were heavy Atmosphere too pleasant. in fl avor but not in Hospitality The service is not greasy sauce, which Price $$$$ anything to brag was a nice departure (Out of 4 ’s) about, either. It took from the typically almost 10 minutes overly sauced lo after being seated and having our mein dishes from delivery spots in glasses filled with water for a server the Bronx. to come back and take our order, Our great meal ended with the and that was only after we flagged proverbial fortune cookie, and the one down. Do not bother asking laughs our fortunes provided were for a suggestion on what to order, the perfect end to a perfect meal. the waiters aren’t able to provide Days later, I was still talking any. about my delicious meal, and I After our initial impressions of look forward to going back. Sammy’s, my group and I were beThough skeptical at first, I can coming skeptical about what the assuredly say that Sammy’s is now quality of our meals would be, and one of my favorite restaurants in I was beginning to feel embarrassed Manhattan and I would reccomend about my suggestion. going there to eat. Before I continue commenting We left the meal feeling cultured on the service and décor and turn and satisfied, but not over-stuffed, you off to the idea of trying Samand our wallets were happy, too.
Editor’s Pick: Third Wave Coffee By PATRICK DEROCHER SENIOR EXECUTIVE EDITOR
The most traded commodity on Earth is oil. The second is another thick, dark liquid that makes things go: coffee. Some 8.7 million tons were produced in 2007, the most recent year for which the United Nations has final figures, with more than a third of it coming from Brazil, Vietnam and Colombia. One commonly believed legends is that the energizing effects of caffeine were discovered in the nineth century by an Ethiopian goat herder named Kaldi who noticed his goats acting strangely hyperactive when they ate the berries of a particular bush. This story may or may not be true (probably the latter), but that is not important. What is important is that people drink coffee for caffeine and that it has an extraordinarily prominent place in modern culture. Coffee is mostly used for its stimulating properties, but it is much more than that. It is a drink that binds together cultures, foments revolutions and can transform any moment into something special. And Fordham seems intent on systematically ruining it. On a recent trip home to Albany, I stopped by a coffee house at the nearby Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy. RPI’s food service, like Fordham’s, is a Sodexo operation. Unlike Fordham, RPI’s
coffee house (cleverly named Java ++) serves fresh Peet’s Coffee. Peet’s, founded in Berkeley, Calif. in 1966, originated the dark roast that Starbucks has popularized in its nearly 17,000 stores, but has remainined small in order to keep its quality top-notch. At Java ++, the coffee was kept in insulated, but unheated, urns, allowing it to remain warm without growing bitter. It was, in a word, refreshing. I am not a Starbucks hater (and perhaps the only coffee snob you will come across who legitimately enjoys their “Charbucks” roasts), but the Campbell Café always comes up short in some way; if the coffee is not bitter, then it is somehow watered down. This may be a result of the Café’s coffee supplier, or it may not. Either way, it deprives Fordham students of a truly fulfilling coffee experience. That all said, I did not come here to bash Fordham or Sodexo (though that is always fun), but to expound upon the joys of coffee, and to introduce you all to the concept of Third Wave coffee. The “Third Wave” notion assumes the first wave to be the introduction of coffee to Americans, even if it was instant, pre-ground, low grade Folgers, while the second wave was the spread of “specialty coffee,” especially espresso-based drinks, led by the aforementioned Peet’s and Starbucks.
Emerging in the past decade or so, Third Wave coffee places a strong emphasis on bean quality, brewing quality and the relationship between growers and buyers. Most Third Wave coffee is obtained through Direct Trade, in which representatives from the purchasing roaster work directly with growers to ensure an adequate price and as good a product as possible. Within the movement, there is an informal triumvirate of Chicago’s Intelligentsia Coffee & Tea; Portland, Ore.’s Stumptown Coffee; and Counter Culture Coffee of Durham, N.C. Of these three, New York only has a Stumptown location, at 29th St. and Broadway, though several independent coffee houses (and Dean & DeLuca) brew the other two. Take the phrase “Big Three” with a grain of salt. Between them, Intelligentsia, Stumptown and Counter Culture have a grand total of 14 coffee shops. As wonderful as Direct Trade may be (and it is certainly a better alternative to Fair Trade), Third Wave coffee is not about to take over the world. But it is pretty damn good. Specialty coffee roasters, Starbucks in particular, often make claims that their products have inherent flavors to them that are “sweet” or “spicy” or something to that effect (as I sit here reading directly from a bag of Starbucks Christmas Blend). In Third Wave coffee, those labels are true.
The best cup of coffee I have ever tasted was at Joe, specifically at their location on Columbus Ave. between 84th and 85th streets. They brew beans from Ecco, a northern California roaster that Intelligentsia owns. The shop advertised a cup of Kenya Kiunyu, named for its growing region, brewed one cup at a time by pourover, a method that deserves its own column in these pages. According to Joe’s chalkboard, the cup had flavors of blackberry, lime and, strangest of all, cola, inherent in the bean. Though I refused to believe this was possible, I purchased the coffee any way, wanting to give pour-over a try. I was wrong and happy to be so. The flavors are not strong, as in artificially flavored coffee, but rather gentle, enhancing the drink’s natural flavor profiles. The cola was the most interesting flavor, leaving a pleasant, subtle aftertaste reminiscent of Coke or Pepsi. (In a good way; I swear to God.) This makes it sound like better coffee is unattainable for the average college student, relegated to the realm of highly-trained baristas with the latest in Japanese brewing equipment. This is simply untrue. You can buy coffee from all of these roasters and more at any one of a number of coffee shops, grocery stores and convenience stores and brew it at home. Good coffee is within reach, and you should have it.
CULTURE
FEBRUARY 9, 2011 • THE RAM • PAGE 13
NookOut Before You Dine Out By JESSICA PASSANANTI STAFF WRITER
The new upcoming company NookOut recently launched a Web site that offers rare discounts at exceptional restaurants throughout New York City. Before Christina Sotto, GSB ’13, ventures to the city with her friends for dinner, she considers her options. After much deliberation over the location, the type of cuisine and the dreaded price limit, she says, “Let’s NookOut.” That is exactly what NookOut CEO Harman Kochar hopes that New York City students will do in the upcoming year. “We’ll consider ourselves successful the day we are able to convince people to NookOut before they eat out,” Kochar said. NookOut offers significant discounts to many of New York City’s high-rated restaurants as well as smaller upcoming restaurants. Struggling students who are on a strict budget might not get to experience the delectable cuisine
that the city has to offer; however, Kochar managed to find a way to make dining out easily accessible. “In a diverse place like New York City, you can find cuisines from all different parts of the world, and we want to make it easy for people to experience as many of these cuisines as they’d like — at a discount of course,” Kochar said. NookOut.com features many deals that could be purchased through online membership. Current featured deals include restaurants and bars such as Tahini, Zerza and Pulse Karaoke. Students can purchase a staggering deal at Tahini by paying $7 for two falafels and two drinks. The system is simple. Members purchase the deal on the Web site, and then NookOut sends an email with a “Unique Deal Voucher.” The member prints the voucher and presents it at the restaurant. Voilà. The significantly reduced prices are not rocket science. Last summer, Kochar decided to step out for an early dinner and could not help
but notice that many restaurants were vacant. Then, the idea for his company was born. “Why should I be paying regular peak prices, when all these restaurants are empty?” he said. “These restaurants should be fighting for my business at this time and promoting their restaurant to me. I would take a cab 10 blocks if a good restaurant was promoting a menu to me.” Financially struggling students are not the only ones benefitting from companies like NookOut. Special discounts enable off-peak advertising to people who might have never tried the restaurant without the deal. Kochar sees a promising future for NookOut. Eventually, he is planning to launch applications which would make meal vouchers available via smartphones. His new company could revolutionize the way students eat in the city. Perhaps sometime soon, Fordham students will NookOut before they dine out.
what’s Know “what’s going on” on campus or in NYC?
Going
10
?
On
Send tips, event listings, or comments to theram@fordham.edu.
THURSDAY Top of the Rock Observation Deck 30 Rockefeller Center See NYC like never before, including a view of Central Park without the crowds of the Empire State Building.
11
FRIDAY
Inside Broadway Tours 111 Fulton St. Call (415) 269-6354 for more information
Learn about Broadway’s history and go behind the scenes of the famous NYC landmark.
12
SATURDAY Lunar New Year Parade in Flushing Parade starts at 37th Ave. and Union St. 11 p.m. to 1 p.m. Enjoy the Lunar New Year with a parade featuring dragon dancers, steel drummers and fireworks.
13
SUNDAY
Le Bourgeosie Boutique 94-29 Merrick Blvd. 1 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Check out this newly opened boutique that offers polkadot dresses for only $38 and bangles for $2 a piece.
14
MONDAY Amsterdam Restaurant & Tapas Lounge 119th St. and Amsterdam For under $30 a person, enjoy cuisine with Mediterranean, Latin and Asian influences with your Valentine.
15
The Lion King The Minskoff Theatre 1515 Broadway at 45th St. Call (866) 870-2717 for more information
TUESDAY
Witness your favorite Disney characters take the stage in this musical performance.
16
Artists Speaking for the Spirits Arthur Bennett Hall 22 Chapel St. Call (718) 260-2909
WEDNESDAY
Celebrate Black History Month by viewing 40 muralsized pieces of art from artists such as Otto Neals.
COURTESTY OF JESSICA PASSANANTI
— COMPILED BY SANDY MCKENZIE
NookOut has launched a Web site that offers exclusive discounts and deals for certain restaurants in New York City.
Ram Reviews TELEVISION
MOVIE
“BOB’S BURGERS”
BIUTIFUL
With only three episodes under its belt, “Burger’s” has immediately revealed itself as a great alternative to the humor that audiences are so familiar with during this time slot. It tells the story of a family-owned burger joint, and the family’s struggle to run the company and deal with the problems that the business brings. Bouchard takes the road less-traveled and has a very streamlined, character-driven comedy. H. Jon Benjamin (“Late Night with Conan O’Brien”) gives a fantastically deadpan performance as the eponymous protagonist, the patriarch of the family and straight man to the rest of the cast. The jokes come quickly, and these characters really make a name for themselves as something special. It also has the potential to become seriously redundant and a little short-sighted if not treated carefully.
Directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu (Amores Perros), Biutiful takes place within the underworld of Barcelona, beneath the shadowed bowels of the city’s touristy height. Javier Bardem (No Country for Old Men) plays Uxbal, a lowclass, aging man immersed within the black market of trafficking illegal immigrants. Iñárritu’s harrowing shots are brought to life with extreme closeups, particularly ones of Bardem, whose sweating pores above his imprisoning stare reflect his suffering. His biggest fear, which he expresses every day, is being forgotten by his children. In his world, fathers abandoning families are standard; they are incarcerated men hungry for a better life. Biutiful takes a spiritual journey of gritty dedication and tender sacrifice, which throws the urban mud in our face.
GAME
MUSIC
TELEVISION
DEAD SPACE 2
DAS RACIST
“FACE OFF”
Dead Space 2 has lived up to its name and delivered a terrifying thrilling game that sets the bar for all future survival horror games; however, there were a few spots that fell a little flat. The monsters are still disgusting and terrifying, sprinting and intent on doing severe violence to you. The gameplay is smooth and exciting, giving the player plenty of rewards. The set-piece battles are incredible and ramped up over the original game with incredible scenarios unfolding, keeping the thrills at an all-time high. One thing that felt a little off was the pacing in the last two or three chapters, during which enemies attack in seemingly endless waves, making it harder to strategize and requiring a certain amount of deaths to know where the end of their onslaught actually is.
On Feb. 3, Himanshu Suri and Victor Vasquez of Das Racist rocked Manhattan’s Highline Ballroom stage, only stopping for the occasional breakdance or bowl hit. The pair bounced around stage performing songs off of their two mixtapes, Shut Up, Dude and Sit Down, Man, both released in 2010. Das Racist shared the stage with Danny Brown and Jasmine Solano, who helped to DJ and hype up the crowd. At only $15 per ticket, Das Racist definitely put on a show worth seeing. Das Racist returns to New York City on Friday, Feb. 18, playing at Pianos in the Lower East Side for only $8 (tickets and more information are available at pianosnyc. com). Judging from the sold out show at Highland Ballroom, and the rap group’s rapidly growing fame, the tickets will not be this cheap for long.
Syfy enters the world of reality competition with its new show “Face Off.” The show takes 12 special effects make-up artists and pits them against each other in a competition for $100,000 and a year’s supply of make-up. “Face Off ” is a fascinating introduction to the world of make-up artistry, which is often overlooked. It depicts the contestants as true artists and valuable craftsmen. For those who know nothing about this career, watching the process of creating monsters, zombies and out-of-this-world creations is both entertaining and educational. Host Mckenzie Westmore (“All My Children”) introduces the outlandish and sometimes frightening creations before seasoned judges Glenn Hetrick (“Buff y the Vampire Slayer”), Ve Neill (Beetlejuice) and Patrick Tatopoulus (I Am Legend).
TO READ THESE REVIEWS IN THEIR ENTIRETY, VISIT THERAMONLINE.COM AND CLICK ON “CULTURE” ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE HOMEPAGE.
PAGE 14 • THE RAM • FEBRUARY 9, 2011
CULTURE
Her Campus Web Site Launches at Fordham By SCHARON HARDING ASSISTANT CULTURE EDITOR
Fordham women have a new Web site to entertain them with the launch of the Fordham branch of Her Campus, as of Feb. 8. Her Campus is a lifestyle Web site designed by college women, for college women. Her Campus’ motto is “A Collegiette’s Guide to Life,” and the site includes various aspects of college life. Articles on the site range from fun topics, such as beauty and style, to useful advice on issues like health and career. The site does a good job of putting a lot of information in one place, saving girls a lot of time. The Web site is an impressive collaboration of useful, entertaining and empowering articles from which girls can benefit. Readers can view articles selected and written by average, real girls, as opposed to cynical bloggers or rich fashionistas who are out of touch with the realities of college life. What makes the Web site unique versus other female-geared Web sites is that girls in college make up the staff and writers for the website. Her Campus has different branches for dozens of different universities across the country. Fordham is one of the newest branches to the Web site. Browsing the Web site is like having hundreds of different girlfriends giving you advice and tips that are credible because they are contemporaries of most readers. Her Campus is also a great way to see what is hip in different universities. For example, one can browse the Tulane University division and get a perspective from a different part of the country. Each university is represented by
Campus Correspondents, two or three female students who build and create the materials for their division of Her Campus. Katie Corrado, FCRH ’12, is one of the Campus Correspondents for Fordham. She views the Web site as a useful tool. “Her Campus is essentially everything a college girl needs to know, right on one Web site,” she said. The correspondents plan to add new content to the website every week in order to keep girls updated and informed. They also plan to have a wide variety of material available. Prospective topics include alumni, faculty and student profiles, in addition to polls and campus events. Another interesting feature of Her Campus is that it is not a faceless Web site. The site has a link that lists all the girls who work on the site, with a little blurb about each one. This aspect highlights that the site is created by regular college girls. After all, these are the type of people who know what college girls are interested in reading about. Correspondents make sure to feature content that is interesting and relevant to girls in college. “The content is very realistic. National magazines profile celebrities, but we profile the girls we go to school with,” Corrado said. Her Campus is rather liberal. Writers do not have many restrictions in terms of what they can publish, which is another thing that makes Her Campus enticing. The Fordham Campus Correspondents, Corrado, Claire Cumberland, FCRH ’13, and Sarah Ramierz, FCRH ’13, received great
WHO’S THAT KID? Sasha Fisher A MEMBER OF FCRH ’13, MAJORING IN HISTORY AND ANTHROPOLOGY FROM SAN FRANCISCO Where have we seen you? In the endless line at the post office. Favorite childhood show and favorite current show? My favorite childhood show was “Rugrats,” I loved it so much. Now I really like “Mad Men;” I just started watching it. Who would play you in a movie and why? Halle Berry? I don’t look like her, but she’s awesome. If you could have a dinner with any historical person, who would it be and why? I just saw The King’s Speech, and I think that George VI would be really interesting to have dinner with. He took on so much responsibility in so little time, and did such a
response during the recruitment of contributing writers. They are always looking for more help; even guys are welcome to write for Her
Campus to put a male spin on the site. Anyone interested in writing for Her Campus can contact the campus correspondents on the
Her Campus Fordham page, www. hercampus.com/fordham. [Editor’s Note: Sarah Ramirez is a Ram editor.]
COURTESY OF HER CAMPUS
Her Campus gives females at Fordham a venue in which they can share stories and read advice from fellow students.
COURTESY OF HER CAMPUS
The Her Campus motto is “A Collegiette’s Guide to Life,” which aims to empower Fordham’s female student population.
How do you blow off steam? To blow off steam, I usually like to drink coffee with hazelnut creamer and watching bad T.V. What is the biggest misconception people have about you? That all I do is schoolwork.
Stuck on an island, what would you need? I would need a couple of good books. I would also need some sunscreen. What is your dream job? I would really love to be a cura-
tor at a museum. What is your guilty pleasure? I have two guilty pleasures. My first guilty pleasure would be eating chocolate. My second guilty pleasure would be reading gossip magazines.
good job. I think I could learn from him. What would your ideal day in Manhattan consist of? My ideal day would be going to a museum and then out to eat dinner somewhere interesting. Manhattan has so many interesting museums and quirky places to eat. If you could be anywhere and doing anything right now, what would it be? I would be avoiding the cold with hot chocolate and movies with friends. Favorite class at Fordham and favorite professor? My favorite class was my freshman European History class and my favorite teacher was Dr. Rigogne.
COURTESY OF FLICKR.COM
Sasha Fisher, who is from San Fransisco, is currently a sophomore in Fordham College at Rose Hill who enjoys museums.
FEBRUARY 9, 2011
PAGE 15
Fordham Drops Two More Against Richmond and La Salle Lady Rams Extend Losing Streak to Four with Conference Losses and Fall to 10th in Atlantic 10 Standings By ALEXANDER VILARDO SPORTS EDITOR
Times are tough for the Lady Rams (10-14, 2-6), who have lost four straight games since reaching the .500 mark almost three weeks ago. Last week, Fordham saw losses to both Richmond (15-8, 6-3) and La Salle (7-16, 3-5), as they fell even further down the Atlantic 10 standings. On Wednesday, the Richmond Lady Spiders visited the Rose Hill Gym and defeated the Lady Rams, 55-42. Junior guard Becky Peters scored a game-high 15 points to go along with seven rebounds and an assist in 37 minutes. Senior guard Kyara Weekes was next in line for the Lady Rams, as she posted eight points, 11 rebounds, four assists and three steals in a full 40 minutes. Senior guard Brittani Shells led the way for the Lady Spiders, dropping 14 points to go with seven assists, six rebounds and five steals. Shooting haunted the Lady Rams the entire game, as they shot just 27.8 percent from the field, compared to Richmond’s 40.3 percent. The Lady Rams also shot just 60 percent from the foul line. “We were taking a lot of shots, but they are a very good defensive team, so they weren’t uncontested shots by any means,” Peters said. “It was tough to get off clean shots.” Things were even worse from three-point range, as the Lady Rams shot a mere 24 percent. “I know I was 3-11 from behind the three point line, [but] a lot of late shot clocks forced me to throw
PHOTO BY NORA MALLOZZI/THE RAM
Senior Tiffany Stokes scored seven in the loss against Richmond while adding eight points in the losing effort versus La Salle.
up a three pointer,” Peters said. You can’t make it if you don’t take it.” Turnovers also cost the Lady Rams, as Richmond finished with
18 points off of 19 turnovers. “[During] the second half, we started forcing things,” Peters said. “Richmond played a very good defense which caused us to not
get that initial entry pass [that] we usually get, and because of that, it caused the person dribbling the ball to pick up the ball because they had nobody to pass to.”
The Lady Rams struggled in the paint, as well, as they were out-rebounded 41-36. On Sunday, the Lady Rams traveled to Philadelphia, where they were defeated by the La Salle Lady Explorers 69-54. Senior forward Caitlin Shadbolt put up 12 points to go along with three rebounds, two assists and two blocks in 30 minutes. Weekes chipped in with 10 points, four rebounds and three assists in 34 minutes. La Salle senior guard Ashley Gale recorded her 1,000th career point en route to a game-high 25 points. Shooting problems were once again the story of the game for the Lady Rams, as they shot just 27.4 percent from the field and 20.8 percent from three-point range. Peters, who posted eight points, did not have her usual stroke, as she shot 3-17 from the field and 1-10 from beyond the arc. She also added eight rebounds and a steal in 33 minutes. The Lady Rams were able to put up just 13 points during the first half, as they shot 5-22 from the field and 0-9 from three-point range. After returning to the Rose Hill Gym to face the St. Joseph’s Lady Hawks (13-9, 3-5) on Wednesday at 7 p.m., the Lady Rams travel to Xavier to take on the No. 7 Lady Musketeers (19-2, 8-0) on Saturday at 2 p.m. The following Wednesday, the Lady Rams will travel to the University of Rhode Island to take on another squad of Lady Rams (6-16, 0-8) at 7 p.m.
Lady Rams Continue Winning Ways While Men’s Swimming Continues to Struggle
PHOTO BY SIMON SULIT/THE RAM
Sophomore Thomas Yi placed second in the Men’s 200 Meter IM and placed fifth in the Men’s 100 Meter Backstroke over the weekend in the loss against UMASS.
By BRIAN JASINSKI STAFF WRITER
On Saturday, Feb. 5 the Fordham women’s swimming and diving team extended its winning streak to five and improved to 6-1 on the season after defeating UMass by a score of 171-127. The men lost their third meet in four chances
and now stand at 2-4. The women turned out another outstanding effort with 20 firstplace finishes on the day. Junior Courtney Collyer recorded three individual victories in the 200 butterfly (2:07.94), 200 breaststroke (2:25.07) and 200 individual medley (2:09.00). Collyer also swam the breaststroke leg of the
200 medley relay to help capture another Fordham victory in a time of 1:46.35. The most impressive performance by the Lady Rams, however, was highlighted by senior Megan McGorry, as she broke her own school record in the 1,000 free. She dropped her time from 10:13.42, which she set at last year’s
Atlantic 10 Championship, to 10:13.17, a whopping 17 seconds ahead of the field. In the 500 free, McGorry posted her season-best time of 5:02.99. She also recorded Fordham’s season-best time in the 100 breast, as she finished in just 1:10.54. McGorry’s teammates were delighted to see her break her own
record. “It was awesome to see Megan McGorry break her school record in the 1,000,” junior Kelly Bunster said. “It was really inspirational for the whole team to see that and cheer her on.” Junior Elizabeth Dorger captured both the one-meter and threemeter diving events with scores of 243.68 and 250.13, respectively. Freshman standout Shintaro Noguchi contributed to three of the men’s five wins. Noguchi won the 100 fly in 51.30 and the 200 free in season-best fashion with a time of 1:42.85. His starting split of 21.80 also helped sophomore Devon Morris, junior Danny Thrall and senior Billy Colton capture first in the 200 free relay. Noguchi, Colton, Morris and senior Matthew Grabiak combined to record their fastest time of the season in the 200 medley relay (1:34.84), but settled for second after they were touched out by UMass. Colton later won the 100 back in 52.61, and Grabiak took first in the 100 breast with a time of 1:00.24. The men look to snap their losing streak while the women will try to win their sixth straight on Wednesday’s Senior Day, when they host St. Francis College at 6 p.m.
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SPORTS
Lombardi Trophy Returns Home By BRENDAN MALONE STAFF WRITER
Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, Drew Brees: Meet the newest member of the Elite Quarterback Club, Aaron Rodgers. Rodgers concluded his incredible postseason with an MVP performance in Super Bowl XLV. Rodgers, against the No. 1 defense in the league, threw for 304 yards and three touchdowns, and those numbers would have been even better had it not been for numerus drops by Packer wide receivers. On the other end of the spectrum, Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger had a chance to move into the elite quarterback discussion, but his two interceptions, which Green Bay turned into 14 points, cost him a spot in that discussion. The first interception was more due to his offensive line, which has been a problem for the Steelers all year, and it finally came back to bite them at the worst possible time. The second interception was Roethlisberger’s fault, and it was a turning point in the game. At the time Big Ben threw the interception, the Steelers had a nice drive going and had a chance to cut the Packers’ lead to four. Instead, the Packers got the momentum back, scored a quick touchdown and stretched the lead to 21-3. The Steelers were able to answer with a touchdown right before halftime and cut the deficit to 21-10. They would get as close as 28-25 in the fourth quarter, but were never able to fully get over the hump. Even with the bad first half, Roethlisberger had one more opportunity to pull out a win when the Steelers got the ball back with 1:58 left in the game, trailing by 6 points. Roethlisberger’s first pass was complete for a first down to tight end Heath Miller, but the Steelers would fail to pick up another first down. The desperation drive ended when wide receiver Mike Wallace could not hang onto a high fourth-down pass from Roethlisberger. The Pittsburgh quarterback’s performance was made more disappointing by the fact that the Packers were without future Hall of Fame cornerback Charles Woodson for the entire second half, and starting safety Nick Collins was in and out of the lineup during the second half. The Steelers were also able to establish a running game, which should have enabled them to utilize their play-action passing game for big plays. They took one shot down the field to Mike Wallace, and Roethlisberger had him open for a touchdown, but overthrew him. Roethlisberger woke up in the fourth quarter, like he always does, and finally found Wallace deep for a touchdown to cut the Packers’ lead to three. This time, however, Roethlisberger was not able to overcome a shaky 52 minutes with a good
final eight minutes. Roethlisberger was not the only Pittsburgh star who wasn’t quite himself. The performance of the Steelers’ defense was even more disappointing. The Steelers had the league’s top-ranked defense this season, but it didn’t look anything like that in the Super Bowl. Aaron Rodgers picked them apart with a short-passing attack. The calling card of the Steelers’ defense is their complex blitz schemes, but Rodgers and the Packers countered those blitzes by getting rid of the ball very quickly and allowing their receivers to run after the catch. The Packers’ offense scored 24 points on the Steelers’ defense and, had it not been for drops by Jordy Nelson and James Jones, it could have been 38 points. Troy Polamalu’s name was called just twice during the game. The first time, he was late getting to Greg Jennings, which resulted in a touchdown. The other time his name was called was when he guessed wrong and Jennings beat him again for a touchdown. The Steelers’ defense prides itself on getting pressure on the quarterback and causing turnovers. They sacked Rodgers three times, but the Packers didn’t turn the ball over and the Steelers’ offense was never able to work with a short field. This game was another testament to the resolve of the Green Bay Packers. The Packers dealt with a staggering number of injuries to key players this season, most notably season-ending injuries suffered by starting running back Ryan Grant and starting tight end Jermichael Finley. The Packers played the entire second half without Woodson and wide receiver Donald Driver, but once again they just plugged another player into those spots and they performed well enough for the Packers to hold on and win the game. Now let’s just hope this isn’t the last football game we see for a couple of years.
Men’s Basketball
Swimming and Diving
Women’s Basketball
URI 72 Fordham 52
Fordham vs. UMass
La Salle 69 Fordham 54
Fordham
fg
Women’s 200 yd Medley Relay
Gaston
6-10 0-0 6-10 7 18 0
Bristol
3-6 0-0 2-2 13 8 0
Samuell
0-4 0-2 0-0 7 0 3
Estwick Butler
3pt ft reb tp a
5-17 5-13 3-4 5 18 0 1-14 1-9 2-2 4 5 3
Grayhack 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 Moquete
1-2 1-1 0-0 1 3 1
Dominique 0-2 0-0 0-0 1 0 0 Gifford
0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0 0
Green
0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0 0
Totals
16-55 7-25 13-18 41 52 7
Fordham
fg
3pt ft reb tp a
Shadbolt 4-11 2-5 2-2 3 12 2
1. Fordham A (Ryan, Collyer, Bun-
Stokes
3-8 0-0 2-2 8 8 1
ster, Lyver) 1:46.35
Bell
1-1 0-0 2-2 4 4 5
2. UMass A (Corriveau, Starosielec,
Weekes
2-8 1-3 5-5 4 10 3
English, Meho) 1:50.37
Peters
3-17 1-10 1-2 8 8 0
Dale
2-7 0-0 2-2 6 6 1
Collins
1-5 0-4 1-2 2 3 1
Zamora
0-2 0-0 0-0 0 0 0
Men 200 yd Medley Relay
Corning
1-3 1-2 0-0 2 3 1
1. UMass A (Ziegler, Sacco, Howard,
Totals 17-62 5-24 15-17 42 54 14
3. Fordham B (Cosentino, Biagioli, ones, Weiner) 1:50.88
O’Neill) 1:34.63 2. Fordham A (Colton, Grabiak,
fg
3pt ft reb tp a
James
6-15 0-4 5-6 7 17 5
Malesevic 8-11 3-4 1-2 5 20 3 Martell
1-4 0-0 0-0 4 2 0
Jones
4-8 1-3 7-9 3 16 3
Richmond 3-10 2-7 2-2 6 10 2 Eaves
3-7 1-3 0-0 4 7 2
Baskerville0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 Brooks
0-2 0-0 0-0 1 0 0
Malhoit
0-1 0-1 0-0 2 0 0
La Salle
2-8 0-0 2-3 13 6 1
Conner
1-5 0-1 0-0 1 2 1
Bryant
1-3 0-0 0-0 2 2 4
Gale
9-19 4-7 3-4 6 25 1
Scott
6-13 1-1 1-2 5 14 7
Women 1000 yd Freestyle
Ortiz
0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0 0
1. McGorry, Fordham, 10:13.17
Duncan
4-8 0-0 2-2 5 10 1
Jones
3-8 2-5 2-6 4 10 3
3. Fordham B (Gitman, Dwyer, Schenk, Thrall) 1:38.44
2. Field, Fordham, 10:30.80 Men 1000 yd Freestyle
McCaughern0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 Totals 26-64 7-14 10-17 42 69 18
1. Troy, UMass, 9:58.22 2. Grimmett-Norris, Fordham,
Totals
25-58 7-22 15-19 34 72 15
Steals: Butler (2), James (2), Malesevic, Martell, Jones (2), Richmond (3). Turnovers: Gaston
fg 3pt ft reb tp a
Koci
Noguchi, Morris) 1:34.84 URI
2
F
10:05.22
Fordham 13
41
54
Women 200 yd Freestyle
LaSalle 33
36
69
1. Wessel, Fordham, 1:55.40 2. Cavanaugh, UMass, 1:55.90
1
Steals: Shadbolt, Bell (2), Dale (2), Weekes, Peters, Col-
Men 200 yd Freestyle
lins, Koci (4), Bryant, Scott.
Butler (3), Moquete (2), Domin-
1. Noguchi, Fordham, 1:42.85
Turnovers: Shadbolt, Stokes (5),
ique, James, Malesevic (2), Jones
2. Gardner, UMAss, 1:45.58
Bell, Weekes (2), Peters (3),
(2). Blocks: Gaston (2), Bristol
Women 100 yd Backstroke
Dale (2), Collins, Koci, Bryant,
(2), James, Malesevic, Martell.
1. Ryan, Fordham, 55.03
(3), Samuell (4), Estwick (2),
1
2
F
Fordham 28
24
52
URI
47
72
25
2. Cosentino, Fordham, 58.38
Richmond 77 Fordham 60
Gale (2), Scott (6), Duncan. Blocks: Shadbolt (2), Stokes (4), Dale, Conner, Jones.
Men 100 yd Backstroke 1. Colton, Fordham, 52.61 2. Jennings, UMass, 53.99
Richmond 55 Fordham 42
Women 100 yd Breaststroke 1. Starosielec, UMass, 1:08.05
Richmond fg
4. McGorry, Fordham, 1:10.54
Bilney
1-2 0-1 0-0 3 2 2
Goring
6-9 0-0 0-2 8 12 1
Oliver
5-11 1-4 2-2 6 13 2
Powell
1-6 0-3 2-2 1 4 2
Shells
7-21 0-0 0-0 6 14 7
Women 200 yd Butterfly
Nichols
0-2 0-0 0-0 0 0 1
Anderson 5-11 4-7 0-0 3 14 5
1. Collyer, Fordham, 2:07.94
Johnson
2-6 0-0 0-0 6 4 0
Garrett
0-1 0-0 0-0 3 14 5
2. Jones, Fordham, 2:09.31
Dannelly 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0 0
Men 200 yd Butterfly
Richmond fg
3pt ft reb tp a
Smith
2-5 0-1 2-2 4 6 6
Harper
7-14 2-6 0-0 5 16 0
Geriot
7-14 0-3 1-2 5 15 2
Brothers 3-8 0-3 0-0 3 6 1
Lindsay
1-5 1-3 0-0 1 3 4
Duinker
1-2 1-2 1-2 0 4 1
Martel
3-4 1-1 2-3 6 9 2
Hovde
0-0 0-0 0-0 1 0 0
Robbins
0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0 0
Smith
0-0 0-0 2-2 0 2 0
Williams 1-2 0-1 0-0 2 2 0
Men 100 yd Breaststroke 1. Grabiak, Fordham, 1:00.24 2. Garufi, UMass, 1:00.74
1. Inglis, UMass, 1:55.96 2. Schneck, Fordham, 2:01.77
30-66 9-27 8-11 38 77 21 3pt ft reb tp a
Okoro
3-5 0-0 0-0 6 6 0
Totals
25-62 1-11 4-6 41 55 15
Fordham
fg
Stokes
3-11 0-0 1-4 8 7 1
1. Lyver, Fordham, 24.79
Stoddart 1-6
0-3 0-0 3 2 0
2. Bunster, Fordham, 25.25
Bell
0-2
0-1 2-2 3 2 0
Weekes
3-9
2-4 0-0 11 8 4
Peters
6-17 3-11 0-0 7 15 1
Collins
1. Howard, UMass, 21.33 2. Morris, Fordham, 21.95
Fordham
fg
Gaston
8-16 0-0 2-6 13 18 0
Bristol
3-6 0-0 0-0 11 6 0
Women 1m dive
Frazier
2-6 1-3 6-9 2 11 2
1. Dorger, Fordham, 243.68
Estwick
4-10 1-5 0-0 2 9 2
2. Elkins, UMass, 226.65
Butler
6-12 3-7 1-2 2 16 5
Hage
0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0 0
Grayhack 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0 0
3pt ft reb tp a
Women 50 yd Freestyle
Men 50 yd Freestyle Totals
OTHER THOUGHTS: •The Packers are set up to be a dominant team for a long time. They have an elite quarterback and young playmakers on both sides of the ball. As someone who is not a fan of the Packers, •The Steelers are not going anywhere either. This is a franchise that has more Super Bowl appearances (eight) than losing seasons (seven) since 1972. So unless Roethlisberger decides to do something stupid again, they will be a team to be reckoned with. •How many “Ben Roethlisberger is a changed man” stories did we just avoid? Dodged a big bullet there. •Great job by Fordham cable during the game. It makes it all the way through the torturous halftime show and cuts out just as the Steelers score to make it 21-17. •Thank God it was fixed in time for “Glee,” though. Jeesh.
FEBRUARY 9, 2011 • THE RAM • PAGE 17
Men 1m Dive 1. Duffield, UMass, 290.10
3pt ft reb tp a
0-2
0-1 2-2 0 2 0
Shadbolt 1-4
0-2 1-2 0 3 1
Corning
1-3
1-3 0-0 1 3 1
Totals
15-54 6-25 6-10 36 42 8
Steals: Goring, Oliver, Shells (5), Nichols, Johnson, Bell, Weekes (3). Turnovers: Bilney (4), Goring (4), Oliver, Powell
3. Kyung Kim, Fordham, 177.98
(2), Shells, Johnson (2), Okoro
0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0 0
Women 3m Dive
(2), Stokes (5), Stoddart (2),
Green
0-1 0-0 0-0 1 0 0
1. Dorger, Fordham, 250.13
Bell (8), Peters (2), Shadbolt.
Totals
23-53 5-16 9-17 33 60 10
Moquete
0-2 0-1 0-0 0 0 1
Gifford
2. Salas, Fordham, 239.25
Steals: Smith, Geriot, Brothers, Anderson (3), Lindsay, Martel
Men 3m Dive 1. Duffield, UMass, 307.80 3. Kyunng Kim, Fordham, 202.28
Blocks: Goring (3), Stoddart, Peters. 2
F
Fordham 19
1
23
42
Richmond 18
37
55
(3), Williams, Gaston, Frazier. Turnovers: Smith, Harper (3), Geriot, Anderson (3), Martel (2), Williams, Gaston (5), Frazier (7), Estwick (2), Hage. Blocks: Garrett (3), Lindsay (2), Gaston, Bristol (5), Estwick. 2
F
Fordham 25
1
35
60
Richmond 41
36
77
Visit theramonline.com for same-day game stories after home men’s basketball games. Also visit for blogs covering NBA, NHL, MLB, NCAA Basketball, NCAA Football and EPL.
PAGE 18 • THE RAM • FEBRUARY 9, 2011
JONATHON SMITH I have always thought that being the general manager of a sports team would be a pretty cool job. Think about it. You would be around sports all the time, have lots of power, get a fat paycheck and be able to basically play when you’re at work. You would be paid to oversee operations of a major team, say in this case, a baseball team. Basically, if I were Brian Cashman, I would get to just play with the Steinbrenners’ money all day long while trying to make the Yankees a better, more competitive team. Being a general manager of a Major League franchise is like being a kid all over again. I got to thinking about this last week when Andy Pettitte announced that he is going to retire. Cashman will now be scrambling to find a competent starting pitcher that is good enough to don the Yankee pinstripes. This is a job for me. For the next few weeks, Cashman and the rest of the Yankee brass will be reviewing their entire roster, available free agents and players for whom they can trade in order to make sure that they make a return trip to the playoffs. For the next few weeks, Cashman will be living my dream. I will start with what Cashman will do if he decides to look within his own organization and promote a player to Pettitte’s spot in the rotation. This is like a kid having a toy that he loved to play with, then losing it or breaking it and finding another toy of his own to play with instead. This toy is different and may not have all the same features as the old toy, but it still brings happiness to the kid. Cashman can find a new pitcher from within the organization, and while he may not have all the same features as Pettitte, he will have other skills that will bring the Yankees happiness. Another way that Cashman can replace Pettitte is by searching for a free-agent pitcher. While there are not many top-of-the-line players still on the market, it is an option for the team. He can look for a player with a different skill set who will mesh with the team and be able to put up numbers like Pettitte did. This is like a kid going to the store to buy a new toy to replace his broken one, rather than playing with a toy he already has. If the new toy does not bring joy, then the kid can get rid of it and buy another one. Similarly, if Cashman signs another player and it does not work out, he can get rid of this player and “go shopping” for a new one. The real comparison to childhood comes with the option of trading for a better player. The Yan-
kees could trade a current member of their team in order to find a player to replace Pettitte. This is just like kids trading toys with each other. Sometimes, though, the trades do not work out, and the toys the kids trade for are not as fun to play with as originally thought. Similarly, a traded player may not play as well for his new team as he did for his former team. Trading is a practice which we learn at a very young age. When we do not like what we have, we attempt to trade with others for something better. As a kid, you try to make trades that only favor you, such as me trading a Scott Erickson baseball card to my friend for a Tom Seaver rookie card. For those who do not know, I got the much better part of that deal. I can even remember when, in the third grade, a friend of mine gave me a Pokémon card with 20 hit points, and I tried to trade it to a girl who had a card with 80 hit points. The girl laughed and told me to get better cards, I never talked to her again. If Cashman were to trade for a player, he wouldn’t be able to trade nothing for something. As a general manager, Cashman must make trades that benefit both sides, meaning that he would have to sacrifice a skilled player or a player with potential in order to get one of equal value in return. This is the adult part of trades: checking your assets, seeing who is available and calculating the risk of making a trade. Aside from this, though, the job of Brian Cashman as he looks for Andy Pettitte’s replacement is one that is very comparable to childhood. He no longer has his player, and like a kid no longer having a toy, he will go out and shop for a new one. Now obviously it is not as easy as I have made it seem. Cashman will be faced with many challenges and demands from fans and ownership, and replacing a Hall-of-Fame caliber pitcher is no easy task. When you really think about it, though, general managers are basically like little kids. Picture a kid going to work, taking baseball cards out of a briefcase (if anyone even uses a briefcase anymore) and then calling his friends to see which cards they are willing to trade. This is at least how I see the job of a general manager. I try not to think about the dark side of the job. Things such as fans calling for your firing or ownership demanding you to make the team better. Players who demand higher contracts and intense offseason negotiations must also be very stressful. The pressure and loss of sleep with this job must be tremendous. Like with anything though, I prefer to think about it in simple terms. I like to picture myself going to work, talking with the players, talking with other teams around the league and trying to build a champion. What a reward that must be. Not just the sweet pay bonus, but to say you constructed a champion? Wow. Cashman will have his hands full trying to replace Pettitte, but if I were in his position, I would recall my childhood days of trading baseball cards and relish the moment to build a champion.
SPORTS
Senior Profile: Ken Fukomoto By CHESTER BAKER ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR
Senior Ken Fukomoto came to Fordham without ever playing squash and has become a major asset for the team. The squash team is currently in its first season under new Head Coach Bryan Patterson, after Bob Hawthorn retired following a 54year career. Fukomoto recently won all three of his matches in convincing fashion at the Siena Round Robin. The Ram: You play for both the squash and tennis teams, how does your preparation for the two differ? Ken Fukomoto: Well, the two sports are pretty similar so we do a lot of similar drills. Most of the time, the only thing that changes is the drills, whether we’re running squash drills or tennis drills. TR: Is there one that you prefer? KF: Well I was born and raised a tennis player. I’ve been playing tennis my entire life, so I would say that I consider myself more a tennis player than a squash player. I only started playing squash my freshman year at Fordham. TR: Really? So what made you pick up squash? KF: Well, Coach Hawthorn got a lot of the tennis players involved in squash. It’s a good networking tool in the business world, so that was a reason. He also wanted to be able to keep us in shape for the tennis season.
PHOTO BY SIMON SULIT/THE RAM
Senior Ken Fukomoto came to Fordham as a scholarship tennis player and picked up squash as a way of staying in shape between seasons.
the game. Coach Hawthorne was a really good coach but he was used to hardball squash. So B.P. has us doing a lot more new drills, and he’s been very good. TR: You guys recently had a great weekend at the Siena Round Robin; how do you feel about the way the season is going? KF: The beginning was a struggle for us. And those teams we played in Siena were a little weaker, so it was a confidence booster. We just lost to Vassar, who we defeated earlier in the year, but I think as we keep going, we’ll keep getting better. TR: What were your expectations coming into the season?
TR: What do you think the new courts can do for the program? KF: They will help us with recruiting, for sure. The past few seasons we’ve been ranked in the 40s or 50s, and I think in as little as two years we can really improve our ranking. TR: You’re from California; how did you hear of Fordham? KF: I actually applied because of the business school. I found it on my own and I liked that it was in NYC. TR: What made you choose Fordham? KF: Fordham offered me an academic scholarship and a tennis scholarship, so that was a factor. Getting to play at a school with a good academic reputation was a big bonus.
TR: The team is currently in its first season with new Head Coach Bryan Patterson, what do you think about him?
KF: There were three or four new guys we got this year that fit in the lineup well, so I knew we’d be good. The goal for the team was to get more wins than we had last year. Also, we wanted to get into a higher division at Nationals and face tougher competition there. We beat ranked teams like Drexel and Vassar so we should get some harder competition at Nationals.
KF: He’s great. B.P. [Patterson] is a really good coach and he knows how to get the best out of us.
TR: The new squash courts just opened up; how are you liking them so far?
TR: What do you plan to do after Fordham?
KF: Oh, they’re great. They really look great. It’s so nice to be able to practice on regulation courts, and they’ve been a big asset for us. The coaches love them too.
KF: Well, hopefully get a job. But as an engineering major I would say my dream job is to work with a sports company and be an engineer for them.
TR: Was it hard to learn? KF: A little bit, yeah, but it’s a racket sport, like tennis, so tennis players are able to pick it up faster than others.
TR: How does he differ from Coach Hawthorn? KF: B.P. is a lot more modern in
TR: What is your favorite part about the school? KF: I really like being in New York and all of the friends that I’ve met here. The faculty is also really nice and they’re really helpful.
Squash Drops First Match at New Courts Against Vassar By BRODY NIEPORTE STAFF WRITER
The Fordham squash team knew that this weekend would be a very historic one for the team; it would be the first time that Fordham would play a Division I match on its brand-new courts. The inaugural match on the courts took place against Vassar College. Unfortunately, the Rams did not get the result they were looking for. The match was highly competitive, but ended with Vassar coming out on top. It was a disappointing result for the Rams because they had beaten Vassar earlier on in the year, pulling out a thrilling 5-4
win. This time Vassar won by a score of 6-3. At the No. 2 position for the Rams, junior Andriy Kulak had a very impressive four-set win. He won with scores of 11-4, 11-8, 4-11 and 11-6. Kulak has been playing some great squash as of late, adding this win to the two wins he picked up at the Sienna Round Robin. “It is great to see one of our top players playing so well,” freshman Matt Wynne said, “He is a great player to aspire to.” Senior Ken Fukumoto and freshman Raymond Chen also picked up wins for Fordham. Each of their matches were extremely close, with Fukumoto closing out his match
with an 11-9 win in the fourth set, and Chen eking out a five-set victory. Looking back on the match, Fordham had every opportunity to pull out a win. In the first singles position, senior Colin Corbett lost a very tight three-set match. Sophomore Jack O’Brien lost in a close four-setter, and Vassar’s Max Middleton came back from a twoset defecit to win the match against Fordham junior Andrew Grosner. Adding on to the loss earlier in the day to Columbia, this loss to Vassar was tough to swallow. The Rams will be in action next Saturday as they travel to play in the Connecticut College Round Robin.
FEBRUARY 9, 2011 • THE RAM • PAGE 19
SPORTS
Track Splits Up, Finishes Strong in New York and New Haven By ALEXANDER VILARDO SPORTS EDITOR
PHOTO BY AARON MAYS/THE RAM
Junior Kevin Fitzgerald led his relay team to an eighth-place finish at the NBCI.
By CELESTE KMIOTEK COPY CHIEF
Fordham’s men’s and women’s track and field teams split up over the weekend, with some going to the New Balance Collegiate Invitational, which traditionally attracts elite competitors from around the country and is held at the Armory Track & Field Center in New York City, while the rest of the team competed at the Giegengack Invitational at Yale University in New Haven, Conn. The teams were pleased with their performances, especially given the divided team, and were pleased with the results the teams put out in every event. “While the majority of the team raced at Yale this weekend, splitting up the team allowed everyone to run as competitively as possible,” freshman Anisa Arsenault said. “We divided and as a whole ran well,” sophomore Julian Saad said. “We had great individual performances at both meets. Where in the past (to my knowledge) our team has scored primarily in the mid-distance areas, as well as a few other special areas depending on the year, this year we appear to be more balanced in all running areas.” The highlight of the New Balance Collegiate Invitational occurred when both senior Brian Schmidt and senior Kerri Gallagher set school records, both in the 800-meter run. Schmidt finished eighth, coming in at 1:50.98 to break Jim DiRienzo’s 1977 school record of 1:51.1, while Gallagher finished sixth with 2:07.61, breaking Lauren Gubicza’s 1992 school record of 2:10.76. Among the other Fordham competitors, the men’s distance medley team of Schmidt, sophomore Sean Atkinson, sophomore John Cosgrove and junior Kevin Fitzgerald finished eighth with 10:06.11, while the men’s 4x800 meter relay team of senior Tim Hutchinson, freshman Ryan Polo, sophomore Michael Rossi and freshman Brian Walter finished second with 7:41.43. On the women’s side, junior Kelly Connolly took eighth in the 500-meter dash, coming in at 1:16.68. At the Giegengack Invitational,
Fordham posted 11 top-10 finishes. In the men’s running events, sophomore Daniel Chediak took ninth in the 60-meter hurdles with 8.63, while Atkinson came in seventh in the 400-meter dash with 50.09. Walter took 10th in the 1,000-meter run (2:30.33) and Saad took third in the 3,000-meter run (8:25.57). In the field events, junior Ken Baron placed seventh in the pole vault with a height of 14’ 3.25”, followed by sophomore Keegan Talty, who placed 10th with 13’ 9.25”. Senior Pat Brown came in seventh in the weight throw with 50’ 3.5”, while senior Aaron Mays came in ninth in the triple jump with 40’ 7.75”. In the women’ running events, senior Sherilyn Groeninger finished seventh in the 60-meter dash, coming in at 8.01, while junior Elisabeth Warren came in ninth in the 400-meter dash with 59.30. Arsenault produced the Lady Rams’ top performance, finishing fourth in the mile with a time of 5:05.35. The teams are now looking ahead to the championship season and aiming for qualifying times and strong performances. “The rest of our meets this season are really important ones, and we’re hoping for some more qualifiers for ECACs/IC4As,” Arsenault said. “With A[tlantic] 10s quickly approaching, now is the time to get some good seed times and build our confidence as we head into the championship,” Gallagher said. “We have one final tune-up in Boston this coming weekend before we head to Rhode Island for the A-10 Championship meet Feb. 19,” Kesses said. “We are all ready to compete at a high level in Rhode Island and we’re confident that our coaches have gotten us ready to turn in some outstanding results in the upcoming weeks.” This week, the teams will travel to Boston to compete in the Valentine’s Day Classic, held by Boston University at the Reggie Lewis Center on Friday and Saturday. Both teams are looking forward to competing in the Atlantic 10 Championships that will take place in a few weeks.
Aaron Rodgers just proved us wrong. We thought he was really good. We thought he was a solid NFL quarterback. On Sunday night, Rodgers made us look stupid. He showed us that he’s not really good, and he’s not solid. He’s one of the NFL’s elite quarterbacks, and he is the Green Bay Packers. The road to Rodgers’ NFL success wasn’t short and straight, though. People wondered if he would even get a chance to prove himself. For three years, Rodgers kept Green Bay’s bench warm while a fickle Brett Favre put off retirement and kept his consecutive-starts streak alive. Maybe that’s the reason for Rodgers’ recent step to the next level. While other quarterbacks were thrown into the lions’ den (see: Alex Smith), Rodgers was able to pick Favre’s brain and turn himself into a pretty smart quarterback. In fact, in a few ways, Rodgers is already a smarter quarterback than Favre was. In his three years as a starter, Rodgers has thrown just two more interceptions than Favre did in the 2005 season. Favre never brought home the Super Bowl’s Most Valuable Player award. Rodgers received the award on Sunday night, and it’s probably just the beginning of a long chain of awards that he will win throughout his promising career. It’s been just three years, but Green Bay is already Mr. Rodgers’ neighborhood. Perhaps Rodgers’ patience throughout his entire football career is the reason for his transition to the elite. The poor guy had to wait for a good bounce longer than we had to wait for Christina Aguilera to finish the last note of the “Star Spangled Banner.” Rodgers had to wait to play big-time college football, too. He wasn’t offered a scholarship by any Division I program. Think any school regrets that? Illinois offered him a chance to walk on, but he turned that down to start at Butte-Glenn Community College. One day, a Cal scout – who was recruiting a Butte tight end – noticed Rodgers and later gave him the chance to be a Golden Bear. Rodgers then had to wait to be
the starter once he slipped on his Cal jersey. In fact, he wasn’t even supposed to start during his first season there; he didn’t get the nod until the fifth game. The rest is history. Rodgers had to wait just to be drafted in 2005. Many projected Rodgers as a top-five pick; some thought he would go first overall to his beloved 49ers. We all remember the look on Rodgers’ face as he sat through the first 23 picks of the draft without being taken. Finally, the Packers took him 24th to back up Favre and possibly be the one to take the legend’s spot. How does a projected topfive pick fall that far? Did the 23 teams before the Packers decide that Rodgers didn’t have what it takes to succeed in the NFL? Maybe the reason for Rodgers’ recent success is that he wants to prove everyone wrong. After years of being as overlooked as vanilla ice cream, he’s wanted the football in Green Bay more than Ben Roethlisberger wanted to party after Super Bowl XLV. Rodgers wants to show every Division I football program and each of the top-23 teams of the 2005 draft that they were wrong about him. And you know what’s scary? He’s already done it. He’s shown us that he can win the Super Bowl. He’s shown us that he can replace a legend, and he’s shown us that he can lift the weight of an entire city. No one expected him to be the star that he was at Cal. A community college transfer playing for the Golden Bears? Yeah, right. I can promise you that when he took over for Favre, no one in Green Bay expected him to be in the top 10 of almost every quarterback stat column just three years later. Certainly no one thought Rodgers would throw for 304 yards and three touchdowns and take home the MVP in his first Super Bowl. Maybe Rodgers is elite because he isn’t intimidated. He’s not thrown off his game by other, more skilled quarterbacks. He’s not shaken by bone-crushing defenses. He doesn’t cower when he’s trash-talked about replacing an NFL legend. He’s not even scared by the reputation that comes with winning the Super Bowl, let alone winning it for Green Bay. After hoisting the Lombardi
Trophy, many players and coaches probably worry about the next season and living up to the championship season’s standards. Rodgers doesn’t at all. “We’ve got one [Super Bowl victory], so now what?” he told reporters on Monday morning. “Let’s go get another one.” Rodgers knows he can win, and he loves the taste. Now he wants more, and after everything he’s been through, he deserves all he can get. Maybe finding a way out of Favre’s massive shadow is the reason for Rodgers’ greatness. For nearly 16 years, Favre was the Green Bay Packers, and the Green Bay Packers were Favre. Some kids had seen only Favre behind center for Green Bay. He played for the Pack as a 23-yearold kid and didn’t leave until he was a 38-year-old elder. The city of Green Bay was almost as obsessed with Favre as John Madden is. Green Bay had good reasons for its love for No. 4: Favre gave everything he had an more to the Packers organization. During his years in Green Bay, Favre never threw for fewer than 3,227 yards. He threw for 30 or more touchdowns eight times. He even ended Green Bay’s 29year Super Bowl drought. The guy was more thirst-quenching than Gatorade. Favre didn’t have it easy in Green Bay, though. He battled addiction, and his wife battled cancer. Late in his Green Bay career, he couldn’t come to terms with retiring. He plugged through, though, and he will undoubtedly go down as one of the best quarterbacks in NFL history. Green Bay fans loved Favre because of his toughness and his will to win. He started 253 consecutive games for Green Bay; not even his family issues stopped him. He led the Packers and their fans to two consecutive Super Bowls and brought home one. In 2007, as a beat-up 38-year-old in minus-four degree weather, Favre came within three points of returning to the Super Bowl. Packers fans wanted Favre no matter how old he was; they didn’t want some new, collegeaged kid. After all his years in Green Bay, Favre left Rodgers a pair of Shaqsized shoes to fill. Rodgers fits comfortably.
Upcoming Varsity Schedule CAPS=HOME lowercase=away
Thursday Feb. 10
Friday Feb. 11
Saturday Feb. 12
at Xavier 2:00 p.m.
Women’s Basketball
Squash
Monday Feb. 14
Tuesday Feb. 15
Wednesday Feb. 16
ST. JOE’S 4:00 p.m. IZOD
Men’s Basketball
Indoor Track
Sunday Feb. 13
Thursday Night at the Races New York 7:00 p.m.
Valentine’s Day Classic Boston, MA 9:00 a.m. CT College Round Robin
at Rhode Island 7:00 p.m.
FEBRUARY 9, 2011
PAGE 20
Rams Lose Players to Injury, Continue to Struggle By MARK BECKER STAFF WRITER
As if things were not already tough enough for the men’s basketball team, a slew of injuries has decimated an already thin lineup, making even one conference victory this year look near-impossible, as lopsided losses to Rhode Island (14-9, 5-4) and Richmond (18-6, 7-2) over the past week showed. Those two losses have brought the Rams’ Atlantic 10 losing streak to 35 games. At 0-9 in conference play (6-15 overall) and being the only team without a conference win to date, Fordham is on the outside looking in at the A-10 tournament for the third consecutive year, needing at least three wins at this point to earn a berth. “This is what the Atlantic 10 is,” Head Coach Tom Pecora said. “Part of being able to compete at this level is not just the physical aspect but the mental as well.” Fordham came into the battle of the Rams without the services of freshman guard Branden Frazier (flu) and left without the remainder of its freshmen – point guard Lamount Samuell (high-ankle sprain) and forward Marvin Dominique (shoulder). Neither scored a point in 36 minutes of playing time. Dominique is expected to miss the rest of the year after getting shoulder surgery, and Samuell could miss anywhere between 10 days and the rest of the season, according to Pecora. “This could be it,” Pecora said. Rhode Island beat Fordham at its own game in the 72-52 drubbing, as players’ minutes were almost identical. The difference was that only two Fordham players hit double digits in scoring, at 18 each (sophomore forward Chris Gaston and junior guard Alberto Estwick), while four Rhode Island players reached the mark, with Nikola Malesevic leading the way with 20.
PHOTO BY AARON MAYS/THE RAM
Sophomore forward Chris Gaston netted 18 points to lead the Rams in a losing effort against Richmond last Saturday.
Fordham took an early lead and traded baskets – as well as the lead – with Rhode Island throughout the first half until a 9-1 run sparked Rhode Island to a threepoint halftime margin. Estwick led the half with 10 points on 3-9 shooting (3-6 on threes), finally breaking out of a major month-long slump in which he shot only 5-28 (0-13 on threepointers) for a total of 11 points during 89 minutes of action over four games. He finished the game with 18 points on 5-17 (5-13 behind the arc) in the full 40 minutes. The good feelings ended there, as Rhode Island stormed out of halftime with 11 unanswered points and never looked back, slowly extending its lead to a game-high 20 at the conclusion. Neither team played particularly well at any point, excluding Rhode Island’s play during its second-half run, as each team shot about 30 percent from the field in the first half, with Fordham finishing at 29.1 percent, no thanks to redshirt senior guard Brenton Butler, who shot 1-14 from the field. “It’s February, so I tell them all the time, ‘You’re not freshmen anymore,’” Pecora said. “I don’t
believe us to be a young team anymore, and we still have veterans.” Gaston missed a double-double with only seven rebounds, as did junior forward Kervin Bristol with an 8-13 line. Besides four doubledigit scorers, Rhode Island enjoyed six players grabbing three or more boards and a 15-5 assistto-turnover margin, in contrast to Fordham’s 7-15 mark. Senior forward Delroy James led the way as usual, filling the stat sheet with 17 points, seven rebounds, five assists, two steals and a block. The Richmond game went more along the Rams’ 2010-11 script, with Fordham contending early, falling well behind by the half but rallying to close the gap before being dismantled in the final minutes, as Pecora attested to after the game. “I think it was basically a Fordham profile,” Pecora said. “You could almost script the game beforehand. We still haven’t had a game where the lion’s share of our players, six or seven guys, have played their A-game for 40 minutes.” The Spiders controlled seemingly every aspect of the game in the first half, perfectly illustrated
when senior point guard and defending A-10 Player of the Year Kevin Anderson swiped the ball away from Frazier, playing despite still battling the flu, seemingly without him even noticing until Anderson had laid it into the basket. Butler hit the first shot of the game – a trey – but the Spiders scored the next nine points and expanded their lead to as many as 22 before entering halftime up 16. Anderson was the star of the show, nailing four from long range en route to scoring 14 in the half. Bristol and Gaston owned the boards, meanwhile, pulling down seven and eight, respectively, to outrebound the Spiders by five in the half, but Richmond posted a plus-10 margin in the second half to win the battle. “Our guards aren’t rebounding the ball, and that’s hurting us,” Pecora said. “Bristol and Gaston are doing fine, but they need some help.” Fordham tried to fight back into contention throughout the second half, but despite playing up to the task, the execution just was not there, and the Rams could not claw back within even single digits. Richmond would
ultimately add a point to its margin in the second half, finishing with a decisive 77-60 score. The Rams’ problem was the opposite of their demise at Rhode Island. Being so shorthanded, Pecora, already forced to send Frazier out despite lingering illness, could field only a five-man rotation with two part-time substitutes, neither of whom scored a single point. “We’re undersized and undermanned,” Pecora said. “But I can’t go to the bench and play walk-ons at that point in the game.” Richmond received versatile production throughout its team – three players scored in double digits, seven others scored and seven grabbed three or more rebounds. Assist-to-turnover rate summed the story up, however, with Richmond’s 21-12 seriously outdistancing the Rams’ 10-17. Gaston played one of his better games this year, producing in both halves to end with 18 points and 13 rebounds, although he was responsible for five turnovers. Bristol had what is becoming his usual line with six points and 11 rebounds and added five blocks, while Frazier clearly struggled, especially handling the ball in Samuell’s absence, managing 11 points and two rebounds and assists, but committing seven turnovers. The Rams’ star player was Butler, redeeming himself after the Rhode Island game with 16 points on 50 percent shooting and five assists against no turnovers. Gaston’s 13 rebounds pulled his season average back up to 11, good for a tie for sixth in the nation. This appears a lock for Gaston to average a double-double for a second consecutive year. The Rams will head to Philadelphia for a second matchup with Temple (17-5, 7-2) on Wednesday, Feb. 9 and return to the Meadowlands to take on Saint Joseph’s (6-17, 1-8) at the IZOD Center on Sunday, Feb. 13 at 4 p.m.
Mets’ General Manager Visits Lincoln Center Campus By AMIT BADLANI STAFF WRITER
New York Mets General Manager Sandy Alderson visited Fordham’s Lincoln Center campus on Tues., Feb. 1 to talk baseball and raise money to fight prostate cancer. Alderson conducted an interview with Ed Randall, a veteran baseball analyst who will be hosting the Yankees post-game show this year. Randall is also a prostate cancer survivor, so the proceeds of the event went toward his charity, Ed Randall’s Fans for the Cure. Randall and Alderson discussed a multitude of topics in their twohour interview, ranging from his days with the Oakland Athletics to the current financial situation with the Mets and the Wilpon family, the team’s owners. Right off the bat, Randall got to the hot topic: What was the Mets’ involvement with Bernie Madoff, and why are the Wilpons selling a minority share of the team?
“I wouldn’t say it’s irrelevant, but it hasn’t affected me in the three months I’ve been here, and I don’t think its going to impact me going forward if they are successful in bringing in the investors they’re seeking,” the general manager said. He said this because the Wilpons announced they will be selling a minority share of the team, Mets fans should not worry about the situation affecting the product on the field. After revisiting the old days with the Oakland A’s and describing his military experience with the Marines, Alderson answered questions about the decision to hire Terry Collins as manager. “I think Terry was a combination of things,” he said. “He’s a former major league manager, so he’s had that experience. He has an intensity about him that may be under better control today than in his past managerial stints, partly due to being in player development … The thing I like about him is that he’s a little bit
different than I am or some of the other people that are involved; he’s somebody that can complement us and not be the same as we are.” Collins served as manager for the Houston Astros from 1993-1996 and manager for the Anaheim Angels from 1997-1998. During his years as a manger, he had the reputation of pressuring his players too much and taking the fun out of the game. In hiring Collins, however, Alderson obviously believes that the manager’s ways have changed since his years in Houston and Anaheim. Collins has most recently worked in the minor leagues, and was the Mets minor league field coordinator last year. When it comes to the players the Mets are putting on the field in 2011, Alderson is quite pleased. He stated that he likes his offseason acquisitions, in addition to the pieces that were already with the team. Randall asked the Mets’ GM about two pieces, a second baseman and a pitcher, that served as dead weight on the 25-man roster. Ran-
dall was obviously citing secondbaseman Luis Castillo and pitcher Oliver Perez. Castillo has publicly stated that he does not want to play in New York, and Perez refused a minor league assignment despite struggling to locate the ball in the strike zone. “What I’ve said publicly is that they’ll have to make our team,” Alderson said. Randall asked about Alderson’s signings of pitchers Chris Capuano and Chris Young, saying they could be “low-risk, high-reward type of players.” Starting pitcher R.A. Dickey just signed a multi-year contract, and Alderson was pleased with the results of his knuckleball last season. Based on the statistics he’s used since his Oakland A’s days, Alderson believes Dickey will be successful over the next two years. The contract of shortstop Jose Reyes ends this season, and Alderson will have to decide whether to extend his Mets career or trade him at the deadline. Mets fans were
clamoring to extend his contract over this offseason, but Alderson rebutted. “It makes sense to actually see him play before we make those kinds of decisions,” Alderson said. Alderson said that he would handle the situation with outfielder Carlos Beltran in a similar way, in that he may trade him near the deadline for prospects. Coming off his fight at Citi Field last season, closer Francisco Rodriguez may see his contract vest if he finishes 55 games. “We’re all aware that that exists,” Alderson said. “Typically, I like not to discuss incentive bonuses with managers. But this one, obviously, has gotten so much public play that it would be hard not to acknowledge it, at least. We’re all aware of it.” Alderson has handled all of the Wilpons’ controversies well and has prepared the Mets for a run this season. No matter how the team does, he is confident about its direction.