Volume 94 Issue 13

Sports PAGE 24

Opinions PAGE 7

Culture PAGE 13

Football loses to Villanova, 28-13

Wellness RAs should set example for alcohol use.

Ferragosto draws the community to Arthur Ave.

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SERVING THE FORDHAM UNIVERSITY COMMUNITY FOR OVER 90 YEARS

1918-2012

SEPTEMBER 12, 2012

VOLUME 94, ISSUE 13

Winning the Top USG Spot From 1,492 Miles Away Students Hit Stephen Erdman, USG Executive President and Urban Studies Major, Demonstrates Leadership at Home and Abroad

By KELLY KULTYS ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR

Stephen Erdman, FCRH ’13, is the most prominent student leader on campus.

He is a tour guide and a tutor, but he is most known for overseeing the United Student Government (USG). Many students, especially underclassmen, have no idea who USG Executive President Stephen Erdman really is. Even for those who have some idea, there is a lot more to him than just giving tours and dealing with Fordham’s policy issues.

Hailing from Allentown, PA, a town about two hours west of New York City, Erdman broke his family’s tradition of attending the University of Scranton when he chose Fordham.

“I wanted to go to a school in a big city, since I am an urban studies major, and I knew that I was interested in those issues, even back then, so New York stood out,” Erdman said. “But I also wanted a traditional college campus and Fordham obviously has that, so it was a great match. It all fit with what I wanted to do after I graduate.”

Once he arrived at Fordham, Erdman immediately got involved, both inside and outside the University, and from there he never looked back.

At Fordham, he began his USG career as the vice president of FCRH ’13 as a freshman, a position he held during his sophomore year and half of his junior year before leaving to study abroad in the Dominican Republic. Erdman was also elected the president pro tempore by the senate as a sophomore. Aditionally, he serves as a member of the Rose Hill Society

the Shops for FNO

By LAUREN MANZINO COPY EDITOR

PHOTO BY PAT DOHERTY/THE RAM

Erdman, an urban studies major, participates in programs centered around helping the Bronx community.

as a tour guide.

As an urban studies major, Erdman wanted to work outside the University’s gates, so he became involved with Fordham’s programs in the Bronx community.

He served as an Urban Plunge Assistant, and he has worked closely with the Dorothy Day Center for Service and Justice. Erdman also works with the Crotona Achievement Program as a tutor for middle school students.

Outside of Fordham’s reach, Erdman is just as involved. He is the coordinator for Parks Action for the City of New York (PACNY). He is part of a team that goes into the parks and communities specifically in the Bronx to help the Parks and Recreation Department maintain the parks’ appearances.

Erdman knew early on that he would eventually like to have a chance to be the executive president of USG.

“I really enjoyed working on different projects and being involved with USG,” Erdman said. “There were a lot of things I wanted to see changed or shifted in a different direction so I felt like [becoming the executive president] would be a good way to enact those visions.”

Last semester, while studying abroad in the Dominican Republic, Erdman had the chance to put those visions into place when the USG elections for the 2012-2013 term were announced.

The first step in his campaign process was picking a running mate. Erdman says he quickly decided that it was going to be Aileen Reynolds, FCRH ’14.

“Aileen was one of the most motivated members of USG when she came on my sophomore year,” Erdman said. “I felt like in discussions, in meetings we were seeing eye-to-eye, spearheading different initiatives. On a personal level, I

felt like we got along really well, so she seemed like the clear choice for me.”

It seems the choice truly paid off. Reynolds worked on the faceto-face campaign groundwork, such as hanging up posters, gathering signatures, going to meetings to work on endorsements and speaking with students. Erdman, meanwhile, handled behind-thescenes work, like emailing clubs, students and administrators to gain support, designing fliers and putting together their platform all the while living in Santiago de los Caballeros, located in the heart of the agricultural district in the Dominican Republic.

“It is a very different place than the tourist destinations that may come to mind when U.S. Americans think of the D.R.,” Erdman said.

While there, Erdman lived with a host mother, brother and sister.

SEE ERDMAN ON PAGE 4

Fordham Remembers 9/11 Victims, 11 Years Later

By KELLY KULTYS ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR

PHOTO BY MICHAEL REZIN/THE RAM

Students gathered Tuesday for a prayer service to remember those who died on Sept. 11, 2011. The service began at the McGinley Center and finished near Finlay.

The Fordham community gathered on Tuesday night to commemorate the 11th anniversary of the lives lost and the sacrifices made on Sept.

11, 2001. The memorial service began at 8 p.m. in front of the McGinley Center. A group of Fordham students and faculty processed with lit candles to the Finlay Garden.

Conor O’Kane, director of Interfaith Ministries, began with an invocation reminding students to remember those lost, pray for peace and embrace humanity. The choir followed with a poignant song, “There Is a Longing,” calling for God to be there “in sorrow, in grief…in weakness, in fear.” The service continued with a reading from the Book of Isaiah and a prayer for peace from the Qur’an, calling for a lasting peace emanating from God. Stephen Erdman, FCRH ’13 and

executive president of USG, led the group in a litany of peace. O’Kane then began the litany of remembrance, where he and some students read the names of the 39 members of the Fordham community who lost their lives that day.

Muhammad Hassan Sarwar, GSB ’14 and USG vice president of finance, followed with a moving reflection that included where he was that day and how each of us should appreciate the blessed community we are a part of here at Fordham.

O’Kane closed the ceremony with a prayer, and the choir finished with the hymn “Make Me a Channel of Your Peace,” before the students recessed in silence.

The memorial, which reminded us that the sacrifices made that day were not in vain, gave students a chance to come together to grieve for those lost and learn how to move forward in their honor.

See 9/11 Photo Spread, Page 3

New York City streets are famously packed with the most fashion-forward people sporting the most chic of styles.

Last week, New York welcomed in Fashion Week, a celebration of highly respected and distinguishable style. Though New Yorkers hardly need lessons on the elements of trendy dress, Fashion Week calls on one and all to observe new couture and strut their own sense of style, beginning with New York’s “one night only” shopping extravaganza, billed as Fashion’s Night Out. Held also in London, Milan and Paris, Fashion Week is an industry showcase that invites fashion designers and brands to display their latest collections in runway shows, appealing to both industry consultants and to the public. The runway shows serve both buyers and the media, as the fashion elite and countless media outlets get a glance at the latest tastes and trends in what to wear now, thus determining the “ins” and “outs” of the season for New Yorkers.

Running from Sept. 6 until Sept. 13, 2012, the eight days of New York Fashion Week showcase more than 300 exhibits of the most exquisite lines of fashion in hopes of enticing anxious editors, buyers and fashion junkies with the latest fads for the 2013 season.

On the night of Sept. 6, Manhattan’s boutiques and department stores were bustling with shoppers, among them many Fordham University students, out and about at the fourth annual shopping extravaganza known as Fashion’s Night Out. Spanning from uptown to downtown, Fashion’s Night Out took over city shops, promoting fashion and retail while offering exclusive giveaways, special deals and surprise celebrity appearances.

Many stores stayed open past usual business hours with specially-designated merchandise advertised at sale prices, making the shopping experience truly exhilarating. In distinct New York manner, shops and department stores staged musical performances while DJs spun dance tunes. Of course, free food and drinks completed the fun.

Many Fordham students had front row seats to the night’s festivities.

“It was cool to see not only the fashion in the stores, but also the fashions of the crowd,” Blanche Hedrick, FCRH ’15, said. “I loved SEE FNO ON PAGE 13

NEWS

PAGE 2 • THE RAM • SEPTEMBER 12, 2012

SECURITY

BRIEFS

Sept. 4, Rose Hill Campus 7:40 p.m.

Young male was found on campus by a security guard and claimed to be on campus to meet a counselor. The man gave a fake address and answered various questions elusively. NPYD was contacted, and the man was arrested for trespassing.

Sept. 4, Lombardi Center 8:45 p.m.

A student went for a swim in the pool in the McGinley Center. He left his belongings in an unlocked locker. When he returned an hour later, his iPhone 4 was missing from his backpack. Security was notified and is investigating the incident.

Sept. 6, Lombardi Center 10 p.m. - 8 a.m.

The assistant football coach left his iPhone 4S on his desk in the football office at 10 p.m on Sept.

6. Upon his return at 8 a.m. the following morning, his phone was missing. He realized he had left his office door unlocked. Security was notified and is investigating the event.

Sept. 7, 2458 Hoffman 7 a.m. - 12 a.m.

A student left his apartment for a trip to Manhattan around 7 p.m.

When he returned, he noticed his apartment had been broken into.

The thieves broke into the apartment through the window, which they accessed from the third floor fire escape. Two MacBooks, a 42inch television and textbooks were stolen. Security sent out a security alert to the Fordham community about the matter.

Sept. 8, 189th Street and Arthur Avenue 2 a.m.

A Fordham grad said he was assaulted by unknown perpetrators.

The alum did not know where the event occurred, but he contacted security from the address stated above. He did not wish to file a report with the police, but he was taken to St. Barnabas Hospital to be treated.

Sept. 8, BX12 Bus 9:45 a.m.

A student reported taking the BX12 bus from the Third Avenue stop to Grand Concourse. The bus was crowded with standing room only. When the student exited the bus she noticed her backpack was open and her wallet was missing.

Her debit card and driver’s license were reported missing.

Sept. 9, O’Hare Hall 2 p.m. - 12 a.m.

A student reported a criminal trespassing in his room. He left his room for several hours, and when he returned he found that various items in his room had been moved.

No items were stolen and the student insists that he locked his door.

There were no signs of forced entry. Security is investigating the incident.

— Compliled by Karen Hill, Assistant News Editor

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Fordham Grad Thankful for Support After Shooting Deanna Singh, FCRH ’01, Thanks the Fordham Community for Support After Sikh Temple Shooting in Oak Creek, Wisc.

By CONNOR RYAN & SARAH RAMIREZ NEWS EDITOR & SENIOR EXECUTIVE EDITOR

Deanna Singh, FCRH ’01, came dangerously close to the fatal shooting at the Sikh Temple of Wisconsin in Oak Creek, Wisc. last month.

Now, Singh is thanking the Fordham community for the support students, faculty and alumni offered her and her family.

“I just think that it’s really telling of the Fordham community that, as an alumni — somebody who’s been gone for quite some time — that even with that, the Fordham community was still there to support me and I really appreciate that,” Singh said in a phone interview earlier this summer. “That makes me even more proud to be an alumni.”

Singh highlighted Dr. Mark Naison and Dr. Mark Chapman, both of Fordham’s African and African American studies department, for their support.

“One of the best students I have ever taught, and one of the best student leaders I have ever had the pleasure to work with, Deanna Singh, was a member of the Milwaukee Sikh community,” Naison wrote on Facebook in August. “My heart goes out to Deanna, her family, her community and everyone else traumatized by this murderous rampage, apparently engineered by a white supremacist.”

Video released on Tuesday shows the shooter, Army veteran Wade Michael Page, outside the temple wielding a gun while police try to apprehend him. Page, who died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, reportedly had close ties to neo-Nazi and

COURTESY OF MCT CAMPUS

Community members remember the lives lost in the Sikh temple shooting.

white supremacist groups.

While the shooting — which left another six dead — is still under investigation, some theories hold that Page may have been targeting Muslims, who are often mistaken with Sikhs.

Sikhism is the world’s fifth-largest organized religion, and includes equality, the value of human life and justice among its main beliefs.

Although the majority of Sikhs live in Punjab, India, they have a significant presence in the U.S. There are two Sikh temples near Fordham — the Gurdwara Sikh Temple Society in Queens and the Sikh Gurudwara of Westchester in Yonkers.

On the morning of Aug. 5, at the same time Page was firing shots at the Sikh Temple in Oak Creek, Singh

was celebrating the birth of her newborn son at the Sikh temple in nearby Brookfield, roughly 22 miles away.

Singh said she was in the temple’s sanctuary with her one-month-old son, her three-year-old son and three priests when she received the “shocking” news from her father. Her aunts were busy preparing lunch and most of the men were downstairs in the temple when the news came to them.

“Somebody called my father from inside the other temple and said there was something going on,” Singh said.

“So we knew about it right away and we called the police, and they told us not to leave the temple because the shootings had taken place in the parking lot, and they weren’t sure how many shooters there were.”

Tierney Institutes iClass Cards Instead of Using Keys, Tierney Residents Now Use Their IDs to Gain Access to the Building

PHOTO BY JULIAN WONG/THE RAM

Students swipe their IDs against the card reader as a part of the pilot program.

By MICHAEL SANSEVERE CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Residents of Tierney Hall are the first to test Fordham’s new card-swipe system.

This system, installed this past summer in preparation for movein, is intended to increase student convenience and augment campus security. In order to gain access to the building, residents must tap their Fordham IDs against the new wall-mounted iClass card reading unit, which is set to the right of the building’s doors.

According to Jason Benedict, the executive director of the Information Technology Security Office, this new system is able to monitor exactly who is in the building. When students are no

longer residents of the building or are not allowed in for any reason, the system does not authorize their scan and their access is denied.

At the present time, guest check-in is still conducted in its regular fashion, requiring a host and his or her guest to sign in and out with a desk assistant or security guard.

Informal polling has already begun among a random pool of both Tierney residents and the building’s residence assistants. Benedict noted that an official, formal survey is in the developmental process, which will help determine the system’s effectiveness and its popularity among students.

There are many residents who are in favor of the new card-swipe

system.

Kate Doheny, FCRH ’15, is a proponent of the new system, calling it a “brilliant success.”

“It is a lot more efficient than keys because it is a lot faster and creates an all-around smoother process,” Doheny said.

Not all residents, however, are as readily accepting.

“The new system is good, I guess,” Mike Kurczak, FCRH ’15, said. “At night when a guard is on duty, each person entering the building has to tap their card before walking through the door.

Personally, it seems easier at times just to use a key.”

The range of opinions and constructive feedback is just what the University is looking for in order to determine the future of this new system.

John Carroll, associate vice president of security services, said that because of its relatively small size, Tierney Hall is a perfect place to gather a concentrated source of feedback and data. Thus far, Carroll described the new system as “doing very well.”

If the pilot program is successful, the targeted goal is to have this new card swipe technology installed in every campus residence hall by next September. Administrative and classroom buildings could follow suit.

Singh said that in a matter of minutes, local police surrounded the temple with what appeared to be a S.W.A.T team. The rumors and unclear reports contributed significantly, Singh said, to her concern for her two young children.

“I was sitting in the sanctuary and every time the door opened or somebody came through, my first thought — and then my only thought, actually — was where are my children and how would I cover them,” Singh said.

“You’re sitting in church, that’s not what you want to be thinking about.”

While many of the victims of the shooting are named Singh, she equated the name’s popularity to the name Smith.

Singh did not lose any family members in the shooting, but Satwant Kaleka, president of the Oak Creek temple who was killed, was a longtime family friend. Singh said she was with Kaleka the night before the shooting.

Despite experiencing that unnerving morning in August with her family, Singh says she is not discouraged from returning to the temple. Such acquiescence, she said, would be “a victory” for the shooter. She plans on telling her children the truth about what happened, but wants to emphasize the good that came from it.

“I think what I would tell them is that something really terrible happened, somebody made a really horrible and tragic mistake, but that the real lesson out of this is how beautiful people really can be,” Singh said.

“I think what I want to emphasize for my kids is how this greater community came around us with open arms, and I think that’s where the story is.”

THIS

week at Thursday, Sept. 13 Official Kick-Off Ascend Campbell Multi-Purpose Room 5:30 p.m.

Thursday, Sept. 13 Cinevents!: Brave Campus Activities Board Keating 1st 9 p.m.

Friday, Sept. 14 The Cardinal and Colbert: Humor, Joy and the Spiritual Life Rose Hill Gym 7 p.m.

Friday, Sept. 14 #ClubLib! RHA, USG, CSA Walsh Library Lawn 10 p.m. - 1 a.m.

Saturday, Sept. 15 Homecoming Fordham vs. Cornell Jack Coffey Field 1 p.m.

Sunday, Sept. 16 Dance Team Auditions Ram Rhythm Rose Hill Gym 2- 5 p.m.

theramonline.com

NEWS

SEPTEMBER 12, 2012 • THE RAM • PAGE 3

FORDHAM STUDENTS GATHER AT THE 9/11 MEMORIAL To honor the victims of Sept. 11th, Fordham hosted a prayer service to honor those who lost their lives that day. The names of the Fordham community members who lost their lives were read and flowers were placed at the memorial garden in their honor. Students and faculty commemorated the day with a candlelit procession and litanies. Those who spoke preached a message of creating peace throughout all races, genders and nationalities. The ceremony included many fitting songs, such as “Make Me a Channel of Your Peace.” Students offered their own personal reflections on the day to make this more meaningful and emotional.

—Kelly Kultys, assistant news editor

PHOTOS COMPILED BY MIKE REZIN

NEWS

PAGE 4 • THE RAM • SEPTEMBER 12, 2012

Fordham in the Bronx

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Erdman Elaborates on Campaign Tactics, USG Plans

Jeffrey Coltin Ferragosto: A Fordham Party The rain has passed. Accordion music floats through the air, mixing with the sweet smell of zeppole, and Arthur Avenue is taking center stage. Or maybe stage left — that Sinatra impersonator is pretty impressive.

Ferragosto, the annual street fair celebrating the area’s Italian identity, took place this past Sunday, Sept. 7. Fair-goers from the tristate area and beyond converged on a short stretch of Arthur Ave. between 187th Street and Crescent Ave. From the impeccablysuited Italian men smoking cigars to the young child hula-hooping in a tank top, the crowd was diverse, but one relatively small group was well represented: the Fordham community.

The family members of the band onstage were Fordham alumni.

The chef roasting a pig at Biancardi’s meat stand was wearing a Fordham hat. A maroon-andwhite clad dad guided his schoolaged boy through the crowds. A group of Fordham students sat at a table sharing a rice ball. Even David Greco, behind the counter at Mike’s Deli, has a son at Fordham Prep.

Greco is the owner of Mike’s Deli, Arthur Avenue Trattoria and ArthurAvenue.com, all located in the historic Arthur Avenue retail market established over seven decades ago by Mayor LaGuardia.

He has high praise for the University. With his son at the Prep, he already feels the camaraderie.

Greco is a big supporter of Fordham Rams athletics, often catering for athletes and supporters alike, including last year’s “Ram Town” season tip-off for men’s and women’s basketball. He hires Fordham students to work in his various food services, with four or five working the whole year and another seven or so in the busy weeks leading up to holidays like Ferragosto.

“They work very hard, I feel the sensitivity of ‘I need the job,’” Greco said.

Greco says he knows how important Fordham students are to businesses on Arthur Ave. He says the Belmont locals — residents of the apartment buildings near Arthur Ave. who are not students — are not shopping locally.

Johnny Cerini of Cerini Coffee and Gifts, and Greco agreed that the relationship between Arthur Ave. and Fordham University is strong.

Both Greco and Cerini speculated that one reason the Bronx’s Ferragosto — traditionally held on Aug. 15 — is held in September is because classes are in session.

Of the dozens of freshmen and transfer students interviewed on campus, all but one had already had a meal on Arthur Ave. since moving in. Still, Greco wishes the relationship was stronger.

“Our little area is very safe,” Greco said. “This should be Fordham town. Yes it’s Little Italy, the kids can’t take over, but the kids should be welcomed.”

PHOTO BY MICHAEL REZIN/THE RAM

At one of the first main events of the school year, Erdman assisted with the 9/11 Memorial Service as a reader and a leader of one of the litanies.

ERDMAN, FROM PAGE 1

He enjoyed watching telenovelas with them in the evening and interacting with his host mother’s hair salon customers during the day. Erdman also took classes in Spanish at the Pontificia Universidad Madre y Maestra and taught weekly class on the environment — in Spanish — to local middle school children.

Before he arrived back in the U.S., Erdman and Reynolds managed to pull off an impressive USG victory last April. Throughout the election process, the two became closer, creating a bond that, according to Erdman, will make their term a success.

“Since I came back from being abroad, we’ve gotten to know each other a lot better and it definitely was the best choice I could have made,” Erdman said. “She’s been wonderful — like all of the weakness that I have, she helps fill in those gaps. She helps keep me on track and keeps me in check, so I think that we really work as a team rather than as separate.”

Right now, their main priorities are dealing with internal USG aspects, such as holding the freshmen elections and rewriting the

constitution, but after the USG retreat in late September, Erdman promises that the executive board and the senate will hit the ground running.

Erdman has some challenges to deal with, as this year’s USG senate is very young, but he is hoping that will be a great benefit for the organization.

“We have a lot of new members to USG, which I think is great, but there’s some acclimating them to the process of USG and what we do,” Erdman said. “It seems like everyone is really excited to get involved, and many have a lot of good new ideas.”

As executive president, Erdman has many goals he’d like to accomplish between now and April.

“One of the main things I want to do is make USG more consistent in how it operates and more transparent,” Erdman said. “We worked the entire summer revising the constitution, bringing about a lot of pretty big changes, removing a lot of the unnecessary fanfare that nobody really needed.”

Erdman is more than just the man in charge of USG. He is also a senior, entering his final year at

the place he has called home for the past three years.

“I’m trying to balance my longterm goals with USG stuff and, well, it is my senior year, so I would like to have fun and hang out with friends before we graduate.”

Erdman says he is already planning for his post-collegiate life.

Currently, he has an internship with the Department of City Planning at its Bronx office. Erdman wants to continue in the field of urban planning.

“I’m hoping to apply to graduate school for urban planning within the next few years,” Erdman said. “I can see myself living in New York and I would probably stay in the Bronx depending on where my job is located.”

Before he leaves for good, Erdman wants to sit back and savor the many memories he has made and will continue to make on this campus and in this community.

“I really enjoy going out with friends and exploring some parts of the Bronx,” Erdman said. “I like walking with my friends to Pelham Bay Park, going to Orchard Beach or taking a walk into Manhattan and doing something fun there.”

Erdman offers many perspec-

tives on what he likes to do on the weekends, often going beyond the realm of the “usual” places Fordham students frequent.

“On a Friday night, my friends and I will go see a free exhibit at the Whitney Museum, and then come back to Fordham and hang out,” Erdman said. “I feel like that’s something unique to New York and especially the Bronx.”

Back home, in his apartment, Erdman continues to demonstrate his uniqueness with one of his favorite hobbies.

“This is kind of a geeky, nerdy hobby I have, but I keep tropical fish aquariums,” Erdman said. “I have a few back home too.”

Whether it is initiating policy changes here on campus, meandering through New York City, studying abroad in the Dominican Republic or tending to the tropical fish at home, Erdman believes he has become a person to whom all students can relate. Erdman hopes that through his participation on and off campus, he can come close to embody the true Jesuit spirit of “educating men and women for others.”

That is the man at the head of the USG table.

To Our Readers As The Ram strives to inform and spark discussion within the Fordham community through trusted and expansive reporting, my colleagues and I are proud to launch the “Fordham in the Bronx” feature this week.

Each week, these inches will be dedicated to what Fordham staff, faculty, administrators, alumni and — most importantly — students are doing in the Bronx community.

From participating in service projects to eating the world-

class Italian cuisine of Arthur Avenue, the Bronx is the backbone of our campus identity.

As I read this past Sunday’s extra-thick copy of The New York Times, I coincidentally came across an article about Fordham Road in the paper’s Metropolitan section — perhaps you saw it.

Among a few pictures and brief descriptions of Edgar Allan Poe’s cottage and the Grand Concourse was a line that, for me, summed up the exact essence of this new column.

“For the students who matriculate [at Fordham], these surroundings might be as much an education as college itself,” Sarah Harrison Smith befittingly wrote.

It is our hope that by including the Bronx in our coverage as an extension of Fordham’s greenery, we may move away from the notion of the scary place you hear about through security alerts and recognize the Bronx for its rich opportunities and culture, impressive history, and strong connections to Fordham.

Jeffrey Coltin, FCRH ’15, will write the column for The Ram, but we would like to know about your experiences in the Bronx.

Why are you proud to call the area home? Email fordhaminthebronx@gmail.com to submit ideas for the column.

Thank you for your continued readership, —Connor Ryan News Editor

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PAGE 7

Wellness RAs Should Set Example for Alcohol Use

By JOSEPH VITALE CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Today’s private universities have evolved into places of communal learning where both core values and truths act to foster the growth of the mind, body and spirit. The breakdowns of these large establishments into colleges, departments, organizations, etc. are meant to highlight practical ways of embodying such values and truths, as well as provide ways for students to connect with and support each other.

Fordham University does this in a number of ways, especially through its hundred or so clubs and organizations.

Among them are wellness communities, where students experience “community living without the involvement of alcohol or drugs.” Students who choose to reside in wellness dorms are able to live in tight-knit communities that embody the best principles of a Jesuit education.

While both underage drinking and abuse of any illegal substances are explicitly against the law, and all underclassmen dorms are labeled “dry dorms,” these wellness communities go an extra step and commit to abstaining from this particular aspect of college life. Regardless, students within the communities take the pledge to live and learn with like-minded people within the University.

Wellness residential assistants,

RAM ARCHIVES

Queen’s Court is a freshman residence hall that houses an integrated learning community dedicated to wellness.

upperclassmen who work to foster community growth and shape a positive living environment for new students, are not restricted from the consumption of alcohol, and therefore do not suffer any consequences at the hands of the University, as long as they are of age.

RAs are perceived as responsible adults who are not breaking any laws and, therefore, the University takes no extra steps to prevent them from engaging in such behavior.

Of course, from the outside looking in, this idea exudes a level of hypocrisy: If one’s job is to remind students that there are better choices to be made in the course of their college career, one should not

be making the bad choices themselves.

An important voice for the issue can be found in the halls within the wellness dorms.

“It does kind of bother me,” Anthony Pucik, FCRH ’16 and a resident of Queen’s Court, said. “If you are living here as an RA , you should be living by our rules. It’ll make students listen less to what they say. It is not a very role modellike thing to do.”

Members of wellness dorms are committed to forming a community through a united choice at a crucial point in their lives. If the law allows it, perhaps choosing to stray from the choice of the community is not such a bad thing.

Some students I spoke with said that there should be no action taken against RAs, given that it is not disruptive to the overall well-being of the community.

“What they do is their business,” Mike Sansevere, GSB ’15, said. “If they keep to themselves, it shouldn’t be a problem.”

At Fordham, students look up to RAs. Most, if not all, are approachable and are friendly with underclassmen. Ideally, they perform exceedingly well in their coursework and are involved in multiple campus activities.

My question is this: Why not take the opportunity to further the example set by Fordham’s RAs? The answer lies mostly in respon-

sibility. If wellness RAs are making a choice to consume alcohol, they must do so in a sensible manner.

Weekends should not involve stumbling past the doors of sleeping students or distasteful behavior on campus grounds. It should, conversely, involve exhibiting decency, responsibility and awareness of the possible consequences of their choices.

Being an adult figure in a community of new students should not mean that any potential for fun should be thrown out the window.

For some, enjoying college nightlife is one of the most liberating parts of the college experience. In taking part, wellness RAs assume the responsibility of showing that it is possible to handle such situations in a mature manner.

College life is about trying and experiencing new things. Alcohol may not be the best choice, and its consequences, if the drug is abused, can often be detrimental to the physical, mental and emotional health of students.

At the same time, pretending the issue is non-existent does not solve any problems either. In this light, wellness RAs who are allowed to consume alcohol should embrace the responsibility and leave an example that does not make a scene, but an impression, on the minds of underclassmen, who are the future of the University.

Joseph Vitale, FCRH ’16, is a communication and media studies major from New York, NY.

“Nuns on the Bus” Leader Captures True Catholic Spirit

By CANTON WINER ASSISTANT OPINIONS EDITOR

Most politically-attentive Catholics are undoubtedly aware that Cardinal Timothy Dolan delivered the closing benediction at both the Republican and Democratic National Conventions.

Most Catholics, however, have probably not heard of Sister Simone Campbell, the face of the “Nuns on the Bus” tour for social justice this summer and the deliverer of a spirited speech at the Democratic National Convention on Wednesday, Sept. 5. While Cardinal Dolan’s benedictions certainly leave a fair amount to be discussed, it was actually Sister Campbell who delivered the more interesting speech, a great deal of which focused on Republican vice presidential candidate Paul Ryan.

“Paul Ryan claims [his] budget reflects the principles of our shared faith,” Campbell said, as she criticized Ryan’s so-called “The Path to Prosperity” budget, which Ryan has claimed is inspired by his Catholic faith. “But the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops stated that the Ryan budget failed a basic moral test because it would harm families living in poverty.”

While the existence of another prominent American Catholic talking about social issues and morality may seem like nothing new, Sister Campbell and the Nuns on the Bus are actually doing something quite

revolutionary. Instead of focusing on abortion or marriage equality, Campbell and her fellow sisters are focusing on poverty.

Shockingly, NETWORK, the national Catholic social justice lobby of which Sister Campbell is the executive director, has faced criticism from within the Vatican for promoting “certain radical feminist themes incompatible with the Catholic faith.”

“I’ve no idea what they’re talking about,” Sister Simone Campbell said about the criticism in an interview with the BBC. “Our role is to live the gospel with those who live on the margins of our society: the hungry, the poor, the ill. That’s all we do.”

Campbell deserves to be applauded for bringing the focus of American Catholicism back to helping the needy and away from the bizarre obsession over abortion and marriage equality. The New Testament mentions poverty and the idea of helping the poor literally hundreds of times. Nowhere, however, does it mention abortion, and Jesus never once had anything to say about homosexuality.

“I am extremely proud of the Sisters [of Nuns on the Bus] and of NETWORK, because they are not hiding behind the typical political issues such as abortion. They are going back to Jesus’s actual teachings,” Elizabeth Zanghi, FCRH ’15, said. “As a Catholic, I believe poverty should be the most important is-

COURTESY OF HARRY WALKER/MCT CAMPUS

Sister Simone Campbell, the face of the “Nuns on the Bus,” spoke at the Democratic National Convention on Sept. 5.

sue [this election cycle], because it affects the most vulnerable people in America.”

A growing number of American Catholics share Zanghi’s view. According to the Catholic Star Herald, Barack Obama received 54 percent of the Catholic vote in 2008. He received 52 percent of the general vote, meaning that Catholics leaned more Democratic in 2008 than the general public. If Catholics shared the Church leadership’s consumption with opposing marriage equal-

ity and banning abortion rights, then surely they would not vote for a candidate who does not also hold those beliefs.

Sister Campbell is capitalizing on that sentiment. Her emphasis on caring for the poor instead of dwelling on legislating morality is one that will connect with most Catholics, and with most Americans.

“We care for the 100 percent, and that will secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our nation.

All of us drive for faith, family and

fairness,” Sister Campbell concluded to a roar of applause.

If Paul Ryan is trying to win votes for the GOP based on his Catholic faith, then he should drop the prattle on sideshow social issues and tax cuts for the super-rich. Instead, he should embrace Sister Campbell’s concern for the poor. American Catholics are moving forward. Will Ryan join them?

Canton Winer, FCRH ’15, is an undeclared major from West Palm Beach, Fla.

OPINIONS

PAGE 8• THE RAM • SEPTEMBER 12, 2012

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 Kelly Kultys, Assistant News Editor As any of my friends will tell you, I’m one of those crazy, scream-at-theTV, die hard New York Jets fans, a fate involuntarily thrust upon me by my parents (thanks for that, Dad!).

Even non-football fans know something about the Jets’ challenging history. Being a fan is not as easy as it has been for their cross-town rivals, something that my Giants-fan friends remind me of constantly.

Their history is not one full of illustrious Super Bowl rings and titles. There aren’t too many NFL records held by Jets players. No, they don’t make the playoffs consistently.

They’ve missed many draft picks over the years. All passionate Jets fans remember picking Ken O’Brien over Dan Marino, and recently we’ve had many busts — Vernon Gholston anyone? The worst part about being a fan is that the Jets have a tendency to give you a sense of false hope. They get so close, right to the edge, just to blow it — like Vinny Testaverde’s torn Achilles in 1999 that ruined the supposed Super Bowl-bound season, or more recently, getting stopped on fourth-and-1 at the goal line by Pittsburgh in the AFC Championship game in 2010.

Believe me when I tell you it’s a true challenge to put up with their

antics year in and year out; at the risk of sounding cliché, being a Jets fan has actually helped illustrate a few important life lessons for me.

For starters, it’s helped remind me that you can always get back up when you’ve been pushed down or looked down upon. One of my favorite Jets, Wayne Chrebet, was never the strongest, the quickest or the tallest, but he was one of the best wideouts the Jets have had in recent years. He played with all his heart, no matter how many people belittled him for his lack of apparent physical ability. I mean, we’ve all been there. If someone tells me I can’t do something, such as pursuing a career in sports broadcasting, I know for sure I will give it my all and use their doubt to my benefit.

Along the same lines, being a fan has helped me to remember that no matter how big or daunting the task is, I can accomplish it. I mean, the Jets have had their high points. Going to Gillette Stadium and beating the Patriots, led by the pretty successful Tom Brady, and in the playoffs no less, was not something the Jets should have done.

Personally (and I’m sure other people out there have this issue) I have a tendency to stretch myself a little thin. I drive myself crazy trying

to keep up with everything. Sometimes it gets downright overwhelming. I put a ton of pressure on myself and let me tell you, the tasks can seem incredibly daunting. Sometimes, taking a step back, and basically gameplanning for what’s to come, really does help me to pursue my goals.

Finally, it’s good to remember that we all fail, but that we all have to get back up and move on. For instance, there’s the current quarterback Mark Sanchez. He’s had a few meltdowns, such as the three-interception disaster in Miami, and some missteps, such as eating a hot dog on the sideline of a game. Now he has the media darling, Tim Tebow, breathing down his neck, all while trying to keep a sometimes-volatile locker room under control. He hasn’t always succeeded, and in fact, compared to many other quarterbacks, he hasn’t succeeded at all, since there’s no Super Bowl ring glistening on his finger.

Still, that hasn’t stopped him from coming to work. Even the media’s mockery and criticism, many times justly-deserved, hasn’t stopped Sanchez. In fact, they’ve motivated him to continue working harder, studying more, seeking advice and moving forward. Success doesn’t come without prior failure, and if we stopped

at every hardship we had to face, we probably wouldn’t accomplish anything. I know I feel a lot of satisfaction after I struggle my way through a class — Computer Science, I’m looking at you — or any other tough challenge. Maybe I’ll mess up on a few quizzes or answer some questions wrong, but in the end, if I put in the work, I can actually successfully complete it. In Mark Sanchez’s case, if (and hopefully when) he wins that elusive Super Bowl, all his failures, all his miscues really won’t matter anymore.

In life, there are numerous letdowns, missteps and difficult challenges that we have to overcome.

When we do succeed, there’s nothing better than that feeling of accomplishment. When the Jets do eventually capture that second Super Bowl, I hope in my lifetime, we can ask them how sweet that victory tastes.

EDITORIAL: Campus Advertising Needs Improvement From Aug. 29-Sept. 4 the Campus Activities Board (CAB) sponsored Fordham’s annual Welcome Week. The week featured events ranging from a ticket raffle for Broadway shows to an outdoor screening of Disney’s Hercules to a lecture from the Winklevoss twins, of Facebook infamy.

Although the events themselves were appealing, the problems with this year’s Welcome Week stemmed more from insufficient advertisement and a general diffusion of promotional energy across an assortment of events. The consequences of this were made evident by the low turnout and lack of hype surrounding SnowGlo, a dance party held in A-Lot on Friday, Aug. 31. We at The Ram feel that a lack of quality and timely advertisement

for this event demonstrates the greater issues surrounding campus communication between various departments and students, including issues such as food service holiday hours, Banner outages and break-stay housing (V. 94 i. 7).

CAB did post flyers around campus and publicize the events online through OrgSync and Facebook.

Whether because of their locations or the paucity of the usual loud, colorful on-campus advertising, the flyers did not catch the attention of most students.

OrgSync is not the most efficient method to communicate with students for a number of reasons — chief among them is the dearth of students who even have accounts on the platform, much less check those accounts with any reasonable

frequency. A website that is cumbersome to use, as well as serving only to reiterate many of the functions available on Facebook, OrgSync is a relatively new addition to extracurricular life. It has not fully taken hold as a platform by which student groups can fully interact with the student body as a whole.

Perhaps an email blast to all students with detailed descriptions of each of the events during the week would have led to greater awareness and larger attendance. Although there was an event page on Facebook (only 127 people responded as “attending”), the lack of details on the event page and in advertisements in general led to uncertainty about the nature of the event.

More specificity in the promotions for this event may have led to a bet-

ter turnout and greater excitement among students.

Furthermore, this event came nowhere close to matching the appeal of the Chiddy Bang concert during last year’s Welcome Week.

CAB did not hire an outside act this year but instead chose a Fordham student DJ for SnowGlo – we can only hope as a measure to save funds for Spring Weekend.

If this is the case, we at The Ram have faith in CAB that this Spring Weekend will prove to have the highest and most enthusiastic crowd in memory and that everyone will — at least — get a T-shirt.

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

Students Should Not Rely Solely on Comedy Central

By DECLAN MURPHY STAFF WRITER

Comedy Central’s “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart” and “The Colbert Report” offer a truly unique perspective on American politics, the news media and our culture in general.

While both hosts are comedians by trade, Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert also serve as thoughtful media watchdogs and satirists who address our nation’s chief political issues, comically comment on key political figures and point out the faults of the mainstream media, especially cable news programs. Their shows also manage to hold viewers’ attention while providing them with important political news.

Both shows, however, only provide a limited picture of the large scope of our political system.

While Stewart and Colbert may talk extensively about a controversial news topic, intelligently comment on a politician’s statements or poke fun at the smug

opinion of a Fox News anchor or the observations of a media pundit, both hosts can neglect many political issues that are affecting the country.

Getting political news from other sources, such as The New York Times, news magazines or indepth television programs, might be more beneficial to a voter.

These media sources provide more detailed reporting that informs the public of lesser-known issues and provides voters with more substantial political information.

Turning to Colbert or Stewart for political information is fine for viewers who are already politically informed, but young voters who look to their shows as a onestop shop for their news could be missing out on other stories.

“In terms of on whom or what students should rely for political information, Colbert and Stewart are as good as any other source,” Monika McDermott, professor of political science, said. “While they don’t spend a ton of time on news alone, the stories they do cover,

they cover in pretty good depth.

In fact, they spend more time on any top political story they choose to cover than do most news channels. So while they may not be best on breadth, they do a great job on depth.”

Stewart and Colbert also draw attention and political interest from college students who can be disinterested or cynical about the political system. Stewart and Colbert’s comedic approach makes politics a much more interesting subject for young people who are more inclined to watch an entertaining show rather than serious, hard news programs. At the same time however, “The Daily Show” and “The Colbert Report” constantly depict politicians as misleading and phony. Although many of Stewart and Colbert’s clever remarks are justified, they can provide a negative outlook on politics and can cause young people to hold a pessimistic and distrusting view of the government and the media. This could cause many them to lack faith in the po-

litical system and make them feel as if their votes have little to no effect in bringing about political change.

A great aspect of Colbert and Stewart’s shows, however, are the five- to 10-minute interviews of interesting guests that include prominent scholars, intriguing authors, devoted journalists and influential politicians. By devoting time to interviewing some of the most experienced people in their respective fields and placing extended interviews on their websites, Stewart and Colbert offer their audiences a unique opportunity to learn about the guests with an informal line of questioning that usually brings out the guests’ real views and personality. This interview style is a rare occurrence in the news media today, and it is an entertaining way to learn about the current events happening in our country and all over the world.

From their interviews, you can tell that both Colbert and Stewart are intelligent and politically aware.

SEE COMEDY CENTRAL, PAGE 9

OPINIONS

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The Left Lane Conor

SEPTEMBER 12, 2012 • THE RAM • PAGE 9

Colbert, Stewart Entertain and Inform

Righter’s Block

John P. Castonguay

Fucci

Clinton Invigorates DNC

DNC Disregards Pro-Lifers

The Democratic National Convention began in the twilight of the Republican National Convention (RNC), in Charlotte, N.C. on Sept. 4. The speakers at the threeday event were from all corners of the Democratic Party, including former presidents and even some celebrities. Most of the speeches were outstanding, including those by the first lady, Michelle Obama, and the president of the United States, Barack Obama. There was one speech, however, that stood out above all others. Former President Bill Clinton delivered a speech that contained everything that the RNC lacked: passion and relevant content.

In recent years, President Clinton has become one of the most prominent figures in the Democratic Party. Since his successful two-term presidency, which ran from 1993 to 2001, Clinton has been associated with one of the greatest periods of American economic expansions in history. Since the main point of conflict in the 2012 election is the economy, Bill Clinton’s presidency is something the Obama campaign should emulate, an association that has caused a surge of Clinton publicity.

Bill Clinton is also known as one of the more articulate presidents, certainly not one who would ask, “Is our children learning?” The Democrats’ ability to call upon a man who can galvanize not only the base of a party but also the undecided voters is so incredibly valuable and something that the Democrats are greatly utilizing. On the other hand when I sat around watching the RNC, there was not a single speaker with whom I was overly impressed. There were several who were well-spoken, but there was no singular outstanding figure.

It is hard for me to provide all of this praise for Bill Clinton without pointing out the fact that he has not always been so chummy with President Obama. When Obama was running against Hillary Clinton in 2008, Bill Clinton actively opposed Obama, for obvious reasons. This change of heart may seem strange, but I would pin it on two different reasons. The first reason is that Barack Obama will not be running for president in 2016, and Hillary will be stepping down as secretary of state following this election. This all indicates that there may be a Clinton-family run for president starting in 2016.

This rising publicity should be invaluable to garnering support for the Clinton name. The second reason ties into the first. In a time of heightening political party agitation, a figure such as Bill Clinton could be the force that the Democratic Party needs to stay together and avoid the fate of the shattering Republican Party. I know that Bill Clinton alone won’t be the saving grace of the Democratic Party, but a man of his stature and popularity can only be helpful in such a chaotic political climate. Bill Clinton’s galvanizing DNC speech could be what the Democratic Party needed to revitalize a sputtering campaign in these final two months.

The Democratic Party has its own crisis brewing. As Republicans struggle to maintain the support of the libertarian elements of their party, Democrats will have to contend with a splinter group of their own: pro-life Democrats. According to a Gallup Poll from May 2012, 70 percent of Republicans, 47 percent of Independents and 34 percent of Democrats describe themselves as pro-life. Overall, around 50 percent of Americans describe themselves as pro-life versus the 41 percent who describe themselves as pro-choice.

This year, Democrats have isolated pro-lifers. Obama’s administration acted to prevent the state of Indiana from denying funds to Planned Parenthood and replaced the funds New Hampshire denied Planned Parenthood with a Health and Human Services (HHS) grant. Federal funds were extended to insurance plans that provide abortion, and the HHS mandate will require employers to cover abortifacients. The Obama administration rejected a grant request by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops for victims of sex trafficking, because the Conference refuses to provide birth control and abortion services in its institutions.

At the Democratic National Convention (DNC), pro-life Democrats were further isolated. No pro-life Democrats were invited to speak, while the platform committee included Nancy Keegan, the President of Planned Parenthood, Barney Frank and other prominent prochoice figures. The party platform explicitly supports governmentfunded abortions: “The Democratic Party strongly and unequivocally supports Roe v. Wade and a woman’s right to make decisions regarding her pregnancy, including a safe and legal abortion, regardless of ability to pay.”

Attempts by pro-life Democrats to have more inclusive language regarding abortion were stifled. For example, the phrase “safe, legal and rare” was removed.

In what may have been an effort to lessen the impact of this isolation, Democrats invited Timothy Cardinal Dolan to deliver the closing prayer at the DNC. In his prayer, Dolan endorsed an anti-abortion position in barely-veiled language: “Thus do we praise you for the gift of life. Grant us to defend it. Life, without which no other rights are secure.

We ask your benediction on those waiting to be born, that they may be welcomed and protected.”

Dolan’s benediction was not televised on NBC, ABC, CNN or MSNBC, mitigating any attempt to use Dolan to bring pro-life Democrats back into the fold. The DNC’s official live stream also cut off the prayer, making it difficult to see the decision to have Dolan speak as anything more than an attempt to soothe the consciences of pro-life Democrats.

The Democrats will have to make a concerted effort to win back pro-life Democrats if they want to maintain their position in the White House and gain ground in Congress. Republicans, in turn, offer a firmly prolife position that may draw enough pro-life Democrats for them to reclaim the White House.

COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA

Stephen Colbert stars in “The Colbert Report,” a 30-minute satirical news program in which he acts entirely in character.

COMEDY CENTRAL, FROM PAGE 10

“If you have ever read or seen an interview done with either Colbert or Stewart you realize that they themselves are very informed and have their own political opinions,” Vincent Corcoran, FCRH ’13, said. “I’m pretty sure both Jon and Stephen would hope that their shows are not the only source of news for their audiences. I’ve been to tapings of both shows, and at both, the audience gets to have a Q&A session with the host. Yes, there are many fun-

ny and silly questions put forth, but I think people would be surprised to hear how many wellthought-out political questions are asked, and to hear the honest, under-dramatized responses they receive from either host.”

Even with the shortcomings that come with political shows rooted in entertainment, “The Daily Show” and “The Colbert Report” certainly have a place in our society. The combination of comedy and politics is a successful formula, especially among

college students and politicallyinformed viewers. These shows provide an enjoyable alternative to the repetitive and sometimes biased coverage of the major media networks.

Hopefully, voters who watch their shows will get their political information from additional sources as well, so as to form educated opinions before the election in November.

Declan Murphy, FCRH ’13, is a political science major from Parkland, Fla.

Eastwood’s Speech Perpetuates Partisanship

By NIKOS BUSE COPY EDITOR

As long as I can remember, my biggest heroes have been Batman, my parents and the many characters portrayed by Clint Eastwood. For much of my childhood, I watched these people perform admirably in situations of great duress, and, in doing so, I learned how to do the same. My admiration grew through the years, as I began to understand further the difficulties and intricacies of navigating through life with honor and respect for others. At the Republican National Convention (RNC), however, one of my heroes fell from grace in my eyes, as he acted without the character that so many of his roles embody.

During his recent speech at the RNC, my long-time favorite actor and director suffered a huge (and self-inflicted) blow. Just prior to the speech given by Mitt Romney, Clint Eastwood gave a speech of sorts, where he stood next to an empty chair that was meant to represent the seat of President Obama, and held a conversation with him about the strengths and weaknesses of his term as president. Throughout the speech, Eastwood made references to the imaginary comments of the invisible Obama. Eastwood’s speech was full of disparaging remarks and inappropriate insinuations; frequently, Eastwood alluded to the president, telling him to “shut up,” among other things.

It is important to note, however, that Eastwood’s speech did include some valid points about President Obama, especially regarding his forgotten promise to close the Guantanamo Bay Detention Camp in Cuba. Had Eastwood forgone the crude remarks and stuck to an honest assessment of Obama’s term, his

speech would have been far more appropriate and may have proved more convincing. As it was, however, he appeared as an aging has-been actor who was “winging it.”

In fact, The Los Angeles Times reported “Clint Eastwood confirmed in an interview with his hometown newspaper that he was winging it last week.” This revelation, in conjunction with the vulgarity of the speech, erased a large degree of my respect for Clint Eastwood because he acted without respect for both Obama and Romney.

Former President Bill Clinton, in contrast, gave a speech that was both succinct and focused on the benefits of choosing Obama and the hazards of choosing Romney. While Clinton was supportive of Obama, he did not go to the same extent of demeaning the opposing candidate as Eastwood did. Throughout his speech, Clinton mentioned the strengths of both parties, acknowledging the retaliatory partisan problems that have wracked our country in recent years.

“What is good politics does not necessarily work in the real world.

What works in the real world is cooperation…Unfortunately, the faction that now dominates the Republican Party doesn’t see it that way,” Clinton said in his speech last Wednesday. “One of the main reasons we ought to re-elect President Obama is that he is still committed to constructive cooperation.”

With this, and many other bipartisan asides, Clinton was able to critique the actions and speeches of the Republican Party, while giving an informative and accurate speech that still portrayed Obama as the candidate to elect.

This is not to say that President Clinton’s speech was without flaws, or that Eastwood’s was without

strong points. Some believed that Clinton’s speech was too long and too focused on his own presidency.

Others believed that Eastwood’s speech was entirely appropriate, and that those who censured it simply lacked a sense of humor. Some voters, even registered Republicans like Tom Merante, FCRH ’14, were embarrassed at the differences of quality between the two speeches.

“Frankly, I hated it,” Merante said.

“Nothing was said about anything significant, and the ‘jokes’ were stale.

The Eastwood speech seemed like another baseless attack on President Obama.” Merante went on to note that choosing to use Eastwood’s speech was not without some logical base, pointing out that Eastwood would attract voters, both young and old, who could recognize him as an icon standing with Romney.

At the heart of this comparison is the main problem facing both parties: divisive partisan actions and (more importantly) inaction. In our current society, it seems as though members of opposing parties cannot agree on anything, which creates a political system within which it is difficult to make any progress toward the creation of a better society. Both parties are at fault, for as soon as one attempts to take action on an issue, the other chooses to dig in its heels and prevents any change from occurring. With this practice, issues stagnate and become far more difficult to handle. Going forward, we need fewer speeches like that of Eastwood and more like the one given by Clinton — promoting compromise and cooperation, and condemning the in-fighting that has helped prevent our country from climbing out of the current recession.

Nikos Buse, FCRH ’14, is a Spanish major from Nicasio, Calif.

PAGE 10 • THE RAM •SEPTEMBER 12, 2012

OPINIONS

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Obama Embodies the Republican “American Dream”

By JOE CLINES CONTRIBUTING WRITER

When the Republican Party alludes to the bygone era of an “American exceptionalism,” it is referring to a quality that separates us from the rest of the world: “the American Dream.” America, the land of opportunity, is defined by the notion that those willing to work and undergo sacrifice will see their circumstances improve as the fruit of their labor.

The American Dream is not built on an absolute guarantee of success, but on a promise. The promise is that social standings would be defined by meritocracy, where those who succeed and those who fail will have done so experiencing the same cornerstone of American culture: opportunity. The American Dream is the story of the middle class; it is not a tangible, numerical figure, distinguishing the financially well-off from those who endure hardship, but an assurance that opportunity abounds for those with the commitment to seize it.

Julian Castro, San Antonio’s mayor, summed up the heart of the American Dream by stating “the American Dream is not a sprint, or even a marathon, but a relay.” Castro elaborated that his family did not achieve, in a single generation, the financial stability that is at the heart of the American Dream. Instead, the work of Castro’s immigrant grandmother, as a maid, allowed for her son eventually to “hold a microphone, instead of a mop.”

Stories like the one Castro of-

fered at the Democratic National Convention last Tuesday, Sept. 4 in Charlotte, NC, define America, a land built on the sweat and sacrifice of immigrants. America is predominantly a middle-class country, where many undergo the same struggles of the Castros: assimilating into American culture and ascending its societal hierarchy.

While Mitt Romney’s wealth is nothing to find fault with, the story of perseverance in the face of adverse circumstance embodied by Barack Obama is a more relatable and quintessentially American story than that of a wealthy, privileged son.

Obama overcame racial intolerance as a child of mixed ethnicities and the economic limitations of a singleparent household; his upbringing serves as both an inspiration and a reminder that opportunity exists for the determined, regardless of the circumstances into which one is born.

As the November presidential elections draw near, one of the biggest challenges facing the Romney campaign is convincing middleclass voters that he, devoid of any experience with financial hardship in his lifetime, is capable of understanding the plight of the everyday working-class family. Romney’s disenchantment with the financial realities of the middle-class have been well documented.

One particular instance that depicted the Romneys as “out of touch” with the actual strife of the middle class involved Mitt’s wife, Ann Romney, discussing how the couple made ends meet in college.

PHOTO BY OLIVIER DOULIERY/MCT CAMPUS

Barack Obama’s life story, honors and accomplishments fulfill the Republican version of the American Dream.

The then-dating Romneys were so financially gripped, Mrs. Romney said, that Mitt had to sell some of his stock portfolio in order to get by. The comment registers as a “10” on anyone’s “disillusionment scale,” a faux pas similar to Marie Antoinette’s infamous, “Let them eat cake” when discussing her country’s starving populace during the French Revolution.

For many college-aged students, a majority of whom do not own interest-bearing stock in American Motors, making ends meet in college equates to eating Ramen noodles for three meals a day and searching high and low for an on-campus job. Middle-class students, facing a seemingly insurmountable burden

of debt upon college graduation, are well within their rights to be incensed by Mrs. Romney’s claims to have shared their experience of financial struggle.

Ideally, and in an apolitical vacuum, a president should share the sentiments of the public and seek to serve the majority of Americans.

Romney represents the 1 percent of Americans born into a family possessing generational wealth.

Through no fault of his own, Romney is not an accurate representation of the overwhelming majority, which consists of those who have to fight and claw to better their standings in society, those who truly chase the American Dream. The mere existence of the poor does

not represent a decaying American Dream, as failure is recognized as a potential result in America. All that is necessary to perpetuate the inspiration and hope at the root of the American Dream is a fair chance, an opportunity.

The story of Barack Obama, rising beyond the fiscal constraints of a single parent’s income to graduate with degrees from Harvard and ultimately become president, is one of the more remarkable “rags to riches” American success stories of the 21st century. The life story of Barack Obama indicates that, indeed, opportunity still abounds for those willing to seize it.

Joe Clines, FCRH ’14, is an economics major from Hempstead, NY.

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SEPTEMBER 12, 2012 • THE RAM • PAGE 11

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The Cardinal and Colbert: Humor, Joy, and the Spiritual Life 14 September 2012 | 7 p.m.

Fordham University Rose Hill Gymnasium

LIVING the MISSION

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SEPTEMBER 12, 2012

PAGE 13

Fashion’s Night Out Brings Styles and Freebies to NYC

PHOTO BY TESSA VAN BERGEN/THE RAM

Fashion forward individuals sipped on free champagne and danced to various DJs while shopping in SoHo and 5th Ave. FNO, FROM PAGE 1

PHOTO BY TESSA VAN BERGEN/THE RAM

Spectators filled their favorite stores to take a sneak peek at upcoming styles.

seeing different peoples’ takes on the popular pieces.”

In SoHo, store employees stood at the entrances to their stores and eagerly waved shoppers through. At American Eagle Outfitters on Broadway, shoppers received a free tote bag with any purchase and took a free picture to be posted online. An employee at American Eagle recalled the store’s preparation for the night’s event.

“A lot of people have shuffled through the store tonight be-

cause the music catches people’s attention,” she said. “We worked hard on our window display also, in hopes people would get excited about our new fall clothes.”

Major fashion moguls were on-hand to fit customers and give advice. Victoria’s Secret tacked on a meet-and-greet with international model Alessandra Ambrosio to any $60 purchase.

Meanwhile, fashion expert Stacy London, co-host of TLC’s “What Not to Wear,” appeared at New York & Company’s Lexington Ave. store, styling the first 100

customers. At her SoHo location, Kate Spade hosted a game night, inviting clientele to participate in rounds of Pictionary while enjoying milkshakes and grilled cheeses.

Fashion’s Night Out had something for everyone, whether fashion conscious or not.

“I feel lucky to go to school this close to a city like New York,” Francesca Leite, FCRH ’15, said. “I look forward to FNO every year!”

It was a night for another fabulous side of New York to shine.

Arthur Avenue’s Ferragosto Presents a Change of Scenery for Fordham Students

PHOTO BY TOM KLOTZ/THE RAM

Ferragosto is a yearly event that takes place on Arthur Avenue. The fair celebrates Italian culture and features sampling of cheese, wine and meat. This year’s fair took place on Sept. 9 with a large crowd.

By RACHAEL PRENSNER STAFF WRITER

Once a year, the streets of the Belmont neighborhood fill with food, vendors and entertainers to celebrate Ferragosto, a traditional Italian festival that marks the end of summer.

Attendance for the local festivities climbed to about 20,000 attendees who all converge on the streets around Arthur Ave for a day celebrating culture and cuisine. Ferragosto draws attention to Belmont’s thriving Italian bak-

eries, restaurants and delis that seem too out of the way for Manhattanites to regularly frequent.

In the process, the Bronx’s Little Italy seems more like its crowded Manhattan counterpart.

Many Rose Hill students seized the opportunity for a cultural experience close to home. The family of Amanda Pell, FCRH ‘15, came up from New Jersey to go with her. On the street they bought zeppoles, sweet fried dough coated with powdered sugar.

“We have zeppoles at home, at

the Jersey Shore on the boardwalk, but they’re way better here,” Pell said.

Pell’s family went to the grandstand to listen to the Bronx Wanderers, a doo-wop band, she said.

A Frank Sinatra tribute singer performed, along with masked actors in the style of commedia dell’arte.

Ferragosto gave students an opportunity to interact with Belmont residents in a way different from their normal routines.

“I gravitate towards the establishments that are there for Ford-

ham students,” Pell said, mentioning Simon’s, Pugsley’s and Pete’s. “There’s a function of the daily life that [students] sort of miss out on,” she added.

Other students agree that, while they take advantage of the grocery stores, restaurants and bars in the neighborhood surrounding Fordham, connecting in other ways is a challenge. Todd Offermamn, GSB ’15, commented that the establishments in Belmont tend to be “service-oriented,” so experiencing the neighborhood as a customer is the course things

naturally take. Dorey Veron and Cristina Diaz, both FCRH ’14, said they have made an effort to get involved through volunteer tutoring.

Diaz said she found out about Ferragosto by chance.

“Fordham should have sent out an email that says, ‘Check this out,’” she said.

At the last minute, she and her roommates decided to head over to the festival and see what it was about.

They, like the hundreds of attendees, were not disappointed.

PAGE 14 • THE RAM • SEPTEMBER 12, 2012

CULTURE

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Fashion’s Night Out: A Fashion Lover’s Paradise

Balloons! Balloons! Ballons were a hot commodity at this year’s FNO. Manhattan’s streets were exceptionably colorful.

Cameras, celebrities, models and paparazzi could be found at every corner.

Stores had imaginative displays and the latest lines of clothes and accessories.

The cobblestone streets of SoHo provided a nice aesthetic for explorers of FNO.

Shoppers browsed couture jewelry at the Armani Exchange boutique. The new designs are sure to be popular this year.

PHOTOS BY TESSA VAN BERGEN/THE RAM

Elegant shoe displays were abundant throughout Manhattan. The expensive shoes were decorated with sheets, ballons and excellent lighting. Placed on pedestals, they attracted the attention of all.

CULTURE

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SEPTEMBER 12, 2012 • THE RAM • PAGE 15

Arts Spotlight

#ClubLib Provides Fall Concert

By DEVON SHERIDAN ASSISTANT CULTURE EDITOR

One of the many events packed into Homecoming Weekend’s itinerary this weekend, #ClubLib will take place Friday night with two goals in mind, the first being to capitalize on a beautiful but rarely used piece of Rose Hill campus, the Walsh Library front lawn.

“The idea was born out of the fact that the library lawn is such an underutilized space, and we thought it’d be a great location to do a large scale outdoor activity,” Mike Meehan, FCRH ’14 and Residence Halls Association (RHA) Co-Chair, said via an e-mail interview.

This leads to the second reason for #ClubLib’s inception: to provide Fordham’s student body with a larger scale music festival-style event this semester. This time last year, incoming freshmen and fellow upperclassmen were treated to a Welcome Back Week concert by rap-duo Chiddy Bang. Campus Activities Board coordinated the show. This year, however, Fordham students were not treated to a similar event. In fact, Rose Hill campus has, so far, gone this semester without any larger-scale shows. #ClubLib, which is the result of a collaborative effort between United Student Government, Fordham’s Commuting Students Association, and RHA, will provide this opportunity for students. The show features music from two Fordham DJs: DJ Pat McCarren, who has previously played at senior nights and opened up for Chiddy Bang last year, and DJ Mikachuu, who opened for DJ 3lau at last year’s Spring Weekend.

“We wanted to almost do a Fall Weekend,” Meehan said. “We are really hoping this event takes off and is successful, as we hope to make it a tradition in the vein of Under the Tent.”

On the #ClubLib Facebook page, the event is humorously referring to itself as “The Walsh Family Library’s own Electric Zoo.” Tickets for #ClubLib are on sale until Thursday in McGinley for $5 a ticket. These are not traditional tickets, however, as students will see organizers in McGinley handing out glowsticks stamped with the #ClubLib logo. When cracked by an attendant on Friday night, the sticks will provide students with admission to the show. For the many students who may have certain Colbert-related plans on Friday night, do not fear. The show, starting at 10 p.m. and ending at 1 a.m., will not conflict with the highly anticipated Stephen Colbert-Cardinal Dolan talk taking place earlier in the evening.

Also pitching in with the event are fellow on-campus clubs Peer Educators and Flipside. For thirsty, dance -crazed students, Peer Eds will be providing a convenient water station. Flipside, a club similar to Peer Educators, is dedicated to providing a safe atmosphere and fun activites for students on Friday nights. It will be raffling off Broadway tickets, sports tickets and New York City excursion trips.

So while a natural aversion to the library on a Friday night is an understandable and common emotion for many students, #ClubLib organizers are hoping to make an exception this Friday night. Homecoming Weekend is shaping up to be a memorable one.

By RACHAEL PRENSNER

COURTESY OF TIM LUECKE

Illustrations like this one of a man on Hoffman St. are on nyillustrated.tumblr.com and timlueckeart.blogspot.com.

Editor’s Pick: “Lost”

By SCHARON HARDING CULTURE EDITOR

I waited eight years to watch “Lost” and took four months to complete the series. My only regret is that I was not able to support the show when fans started abandoning the survivors during the middle of its run, nor defend it when disappointed viewers attacked its beautiful ending.

The show follows a group of people who become stranded on an island after the crash of Oceanic Flight 815, which was meant to fly from Australia to Los Angeles.

Quickly, the survivors learn that the island is more than just a deserted place with mangoes and beaches.

Within the first season they encounter a loud monster that tears down strips of trees effortlessly, kidnappings of their own people and other phenomena that seem to be either miracules or hallucinations.

“Lost” premiered when I was in 8th grade. I recall watching the commercials and thinking that it was going to be a magnificent show. When the program made its debut, however, I was cursed with an obligation to an insignificant middle school track meet. Thus, I was doomed to be an episode behind.

“Surely, I cannot watch a show an episode late,” my inferior 12-year-old mind concluded. “Besides, I already have a commitment to ‘America’s Next Top Model’ Wednesdays at 8.”

It embarrasses me to recall such thoughts, but again, I was an inexperienced child. I did not watch later seasons of “Lost” because I was already dedicated to “Desperate Housewives.” My attention span was not willing to sit through two dramas per week. Still, I knew I was missing out. Two of my friends were always unavailable on Wednesday nights, because they were watching “Lost,” claiming that waiting an extra day to watch it online was impossible. I patiently awaited the day when I would be as obsessed as my friends were.

The housewives ended their run this May, and finally, I found my opportunity to experience the journey that is “Lost.”

One benefit of waiting eight years to watch the show is that I was able to watch the series on Netflix. The show is complicated, with a neverending list of characters, clues, subtle hints and intricate and interweaving storylines. I was able to avoid some

COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA

Josh Holloway played James Sawyer, helping the series win 10 Emmy Awards.

confusion by watching the episodes in quick succession.

One of the best parts about “Lost” is the diversity of characters.

Survivors include the smart leader Jack (Matthew Fox, “Party of Five”), the overweight and joyous Hurley (Jorge Garcia, Deck the Halls), the pregnant Australian, Claire (Emilie de Ravin, Remember Me) and the heroin-addicted rock star, Charlie (Dominic Monaghan, The Lord of the Rings). From the beginning, you get a sense of who the “good guys” are, who appear to be the ones around whom the show will revolve.

On the other hand, there are characters who seem to be too mysterious to trust wholeheartedly. There is the gorgeous, yet suspiciously sneaky Kate (Evangeline Lily, The Hurt Locker), the overly independent John Locke (Terry O’Quinn, “666 Park Avenue”), the former Iraqi torturer Sayid (Naveen Andrews, Grindhouse) and the Southern con man, Sawyer (Josh Holloway, Whisper). The range of characters is a realistic depiction of a random group that would share an airplane flight, and also causes interesting problems as the clashing personalities are forced to depend on each other for survival.

Ultimately, “Lost” is a piece of

art. Many complain that the show has too many secrets, unrealistic twists and a mountain of things that simply do not make sense. When I watched it, however, I saw a series of metaphors and themes that seemed to have been thought out since the beginning stages of writing. There are also religious undertones that make one question the lack of depth of other shows. “Lost” was created with a purpose beyond entertainment. It has a message to share with viewers via an in-depth storyline comparable to literature.

“Lost,” and my summer, ended with an awe-inspiring episode that made me feel joy and satisfaction for every character. It made me find hope in pain, reason in suffering and faith in the writers. Yes, there were some questions left unanswered, but this is what makes “Lost” a personal revelation. The show is left open for interpretation, but I believe the answers are there. My two friends who watched the show years ago have since watched the series again, and discovered new things that help them better appreciate the show.

I waited eight years to watch “Lost,” but its concepts, monumental mysteries and messages will continue swirling in my head for far longer.

Tim Luecke, FCRH ’13, finds ideas while roaming the city with his iPad. His Tumblr, NYIllustrated, features digitally-animated images culled from city life: two men squeezed onto a bench below Rockefeller Center, a woman with bad posture and a shoulder bag peering up at a dazzling boutique window display. The visual arts major looks for “interesting juxtaposition, and really crowded people in really lofty spaces.”

Luecke is still discovering his Tumblr’s perspective, but he hopes to create one image of New York life per weekday.

The artist, who also struggles with finding perfection in his art, hopes the regularity will help jumpstart his creativity. “[It’s] all real scenes, but there’s embellishment mixed in with the honesty,” Luecke said of his work.

Luecke sketches his illustrations using the Procreate app on his iPad, then transfers them to a Cintiq tablet and finishes them in Photoshop. He said he believes people unfairly think that creating art digitally amounts to, “pressing a series of buttons and letting the program do the work for you.” This illustrator hopes to show how the artist’s hand is at work, even if he rarely puts a physical pencil to paper.

Last year, Luecke presented a series in Fordham’s Undergraduate Research Symposium in which he aimed to capture the “mythical New York” that stands apart from the city’s more pedestrian reality. The series, including portraits of Andy Warhol, Woody Allen and Zelda and F. Scott Fitzgerald, not only felt youthful and buoyant but also tender and meticulous. He also worked for the New York office of Marvel Comics during his junior year producing style guides for the artists who contribute to the various series.

“The main offices of Marvel are surprisingly small,” Luecke said.

“One floor of an office building, that’s all of Marvel.”

After graduation, Luecke hopes to get his master’s in animation from a school in California, closer to the bigger, more successful studios where he would eventually like to work.

“Being surrounded by students at Fordham who study literature and philosophy serves as inspiration for me and for my work,” Luecke said.

The liberal arts tend to come first at Rose Hill, but Luecke contests that there are plenty of creative and talented people that would thrive in the visual arts field if they had more resources to encourage a “creative ecosystem.” He adds that, in Fordham’s small art department, he has gotten one-on-one attention and has been able to, “tailor [his] own art education.”

Luecke’s NYIllustrated is a record of the city, but a personal one as well. Every day Luecke asks himself, “How am I feeling today?” and tries to answer this question through illustrations.

To suggest an artist for the column, please email rprensner@fordham.edu.

CULTURE

PAGE 16 • THE RAM • SEPTEMBER 12, 2012

Dining Out: The Mile End Delicatessen

PHOTO BY ALLISON MISCIAGNO-BERGIN/THE RAM

The Canadian-style deli, and this poutine, are located at 97A Hoyt Street, BK.

By ALLISON MISCIAGNO-BERGIN CONTRIBUTING WRITER

The Mile End Delicatessen is a north-of-the-border spin on a traditional New York deli. Nestled in the trendy neighborhood of Boerum Hill, Brooklyn, The Mile End brings a slice of Montreal cuisine and atmosphere to all of its patrons.

I was drawn to the restaurant with my friend Allison, who had also watched too many episodes of “How I Met Your Mother” and was looking to unleash her inner Robin Scherbatsky. We were determined to try the famously delicious poutine — a sinful piling of French fries, gravy and cheese curds. After careful Internet research and boredom on a Friday afternoon, we stumbled upon The Mile End’s website and headed to Brooklyn.

The restaurant is just a few steps away from the A train with

an inconspicuous exterior, which blends so neatly into the street that we almost walked past it.

The interior has a modernist feel to it: Four plain wooden tables with bench seating and a few backed stools at the bar add to the cozy, yet chic, atmosphere.

The menu is written on a blackboard above the subwaytiled kitchen where you can see your meal artfully prepared before your eyes. Since the restaurant is so small, we were told that during lunch or dinner rush hours, there is often a wait for service. This did not seem like a problem, because the surrounding area is dotted with tree-lined streets, brownstones and quirky shops to keep those waiting entertained.

The neighborhood and the restaurant are deeply entrenched in hipster paradise. My friend and I, having been influenced by the anti-hipster “30 Rock,” were a bit skeptical upon arrival.

The food, however, proved to be of good quality. The menu boasted some traditional deli favorites like smoked meat (Montreal’s answer to pastrami) and hot dogs. There were also more unique twists on dishes, like the dandelion greens salad and a lentil based relish.

We ordered the classic poutine (there is also a poutine with meat, but it was a bit pricier), the “Hoyt Dog” and the matzo chicken noodle soup. The poutine was served first, and it was everything we had dreamed.

The generous helpings of cheese curds and gravy made me appreciate French fries in a way I did not think was possible.

The rest of the meal was good, but lacked the amazing flavor of the poutine. The “Hoyt Dog” was very juicy and tender and came with a side of kraut on a poppy seed split bun. I did not care for the lentil-based relish, but since it came on the side, it did not detract from the quality of the dish.

Allison did not care as much for her chicken matzo ball soup because she thought it lacked flavor and the pieces of chicken were too hard. Overall, however, we both had a positive reaction to the place.

The Mile End’s menu has many affordably-priced options, most of them under $15 and many under $10. It is a great outing for someone looking to explore other boroughs and get a quick taste of Montreal.

Overall Location Food Quality Atmosphere Hospitality Price $ (Out of 4

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Check Take a look at the latest events and hotspots in NYC!

This

Send tips, event listings, or comments to fordhamramculture@gmail.com

!

Fordham University’s St. Rose’s Community Supported Agriculture: An Organic Food Co-op for Students, Faculty and Staff When: sign-ups end Sept. 21 Price: $16/week; buys 6-8 pounds of locally grown organic produce A common complaint amongst health-conscious students trying to survive on a stingy college budget (or anyone on a tight budget) is the high prices of fresh, healthy produce, which often deters students from purchasing high-quality, good eats. Furthermore, Fordham’s urban landlocked location makes it tough to find reliable produce vendors. Enter Fordham University’s St. Rose’s Community Supported Agriculture. For $16 a week, Fordham students, faculty and staff can receive 6-8 pounds of locally grown organic vegetables, which feeds 2-3 people. The program continues into mid-November.

Sign-ups for the program end Sept. 21.

The Cardinal and Colbert: Humour, Joy and the Spiritual Life Where: Rose Hill Gymnasium When: Sept. 14, 7 p.m.

COURTESY OF FORDHAM.EDU

This one is a no-brainer. Two of the heaviest hitters in their respective fields, comedian and self-professed lifelong Catholic Stephen Colbert and Cardinal Timothy Dolan will grace the scenic Rose Hill campus this Friday. Discussion topics will include the challenges facing the Catholic Church and the role humor can play in securing its future, and the two men will certainly provide a rip-rollicking good time.

Originally rumored to be broadcast on cable television, the talk will most likely prove very popular and many students are talking about camping out for tickets. Tickets will be available to Rose Hill students 8 a.m. – 9 p.m. at McGinley Ballroom, Lincoln Center students can pick up tickets in the Leon Lowenstein Lobby from 8 a.m. – 9 p.m., Westchester students can pick up tickets at the Campus Ministry Office, Room 133 from 4:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.

’s) - COMPILED BY DEVON SHERIDAN

Ram Reviews BOOK

THEATER

BOOK

MUSIC

BOOK

A CHANGE OF HEART

CHAPLIN

FIFTY SHADES OF GREY

BEACON

SUMMER RENTAL

By DANIELLE GARRAND

By RICKY BORDELON

By CODIE LANDSMAN

By KATIE NOLAN

By ALYSSA CARMUSCIANO

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

ASSISTANT OPINIONS EDITOR

STAFF WRITER

COPY EDITOR

STAFF WRITER

The basis of the story is that Shay Bourne, New Hampshire’s first death row prisoner in 69 years, has a last dying wish: to give his heart to the little girl whose stepfather and older sister he had brutally killed years earlier. A series of unexplained events creates undercurrents of religion in the book with influences from almost every major religion.

The novel is written in the typical Jodi Picoult style, where each chapter is told from a different character’s point of view, slowly revealing all of the facts that lead up to a twist ending.

This constant switch of voice keeps the reader perpetually thirsty for the answers. A Change of Heart is a mustread for any college student sick of plowing through boring textbooks.

Picoult’s extensive research on the characters and topic make the piece especially compelling, because it feels as if the reader is truly in the situations of the novel. The author spent over a year doing research.

The little tramp is on Broadway.

Chaplin tells the story of Charlie Chaplin “from the workhouses of London to the heights of Hollywood,” as the production bills itself. It opened this Monday, Sept. 10, at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre.

This new production, not related at all to the poorly-received 1982 attempt to produce a musical about Chaplin, features a rollicking score

by Christopher Curtis and book by three-time Tony Award winner, Thomas Meehan (Annie, The Producers, Hairspray).

The show is truly an inventive spectacle with costumes and scenery in cinematic gray scale, except for a few dashes of color, which help to dramatize moments. Projections and lighting emphasize the cinematic theme of the show without being overused or boring. Lush ballads mix with high-energy jazz numbers that are aptly performed by the talented ensemble.

Fifty Shades of Grey is a controversial novel that follows the relationship between college graduate Anastasia Steele and billionaire Christian Grey, whose troubled past has led him to seek out submissives for his BDSMstyle contracts with women.

The loving relationship that blossoms out of an originally bondagebased private affair has driven many readers to criticize the Fifty Shades trilogy, describing the book as unrealistic and grossly over-the-top. Granted, it is not every day that a man who began a BDSM relationship with a non-disclosure agreement outlining his kinky desires becomes a sensitive, loving family man.

The drama and unrealistic events, however, only mark what this series truly is: a fantasy novel meant for the open-minded. After all, how could fictional shows such as “Lost” or “True Blood” gain such enormous popularity, if their audiences demanded only realistic happenings?

It is always interesting to hear a sophomore album from a band that has “gotten big” from a debut album.

Fans approach the album with new expectations: Is it as good as its predecessor? Do they have the same sound? Will the album live up to the hype? After the huge success of Two Door Cinema Club’s debut album Tourist History, these questions were at the back of my mind as I listened to Beacon for the first time. I am happy to report that the answer is “yes” to all of the above.

Beacon is everything one could want, and more, from a sophomore album. It shows maturity and growth while retaining the Two Door Cinema Club “sound” from the first album. In my opinion, the standout track is “The World is Watching (With Valentina).” The use of female vocals is unexpected in a great way. Those same unexpected elements persist throughout the album.

The main characters of the novel, Ellis, Julia and Dorie, have been best friends since elementary school and now find themselves in their mid-30s and dealing with the many challenges that life throws at them. Ellis has lost her job, Julia is afraid of giving up her career to commit to her boyfriend and Dorie is dealing with a divorce from her husband. In order to get away from their hectic lifestyles, they decide to rent a summer home in Nags Head, North Carolina for a month.

The house is owned by Ty Bazemore, who is in danger of losing it to richer prospective buyers. Ty and Ellis eventually begin a summer romance that plays an integral role in the novel’s plot.

Summer Rental is the perfect mixture of light-hearted humor and suspense. The author, Mary Kay Andrews, does a wonderful job of mixing into the narrative elements of friendship, love and mystery, further enhancing my experience of the novel.

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SEPTEMBER 12, 2012 • THE RAM • PAGE 17

WHO’S THAT KID? Dan Finnegan A MEMBER OF FCRH ‘15 MAJOR UNDECIDED FROM ROCKVILLE CENTRE, NY Describe yourself in a couple of sentences for the readers.

What TV shows are you following right now?

I’m Danny from Long Island.

I take a lot of pride in my hometown, Rockville Centre, and I have always been obsessed with music and movies.

“McGyver” Bad.”

What is your favorite aspect of Fordham and why?

A casual stroll on an October afternoon across Eddie’s Parade admiring the fall foliage really gets my creative juices flowing.

What is your favorite thing to do in New York City?

Something I haven’t tried, but plan to do in the future, is to get myself cast as an extra in a film being shot in the city.

What is something about you that not many people know?

I’m Irish!

What is your favorite class at Fordham?

Philosophical Ethics with Professor Ballantyne.

and

“Breaking

What show, food, artist or movie would you consider your “guilty pleasure”?

I follow countless TNT and/ or USA dramas. “Franklin and Bash” and “Burn Notice,” are a couple examples.

You said that you are a music fan. What sort of tunes do you enjoy listening to?

Classic hip-hop, and by that I mean the Golden Era of East Coast rap, circa early ’90s, starting with Nas’ Illimatic and ending with 36 Chambers, notwithstanding Mobb Deep’s Tha Infamous.

I also listen to some modern rock, vaudeville and 1980s pop music.

If you were stranded on a desert island, what would you bring with you?

“Kind of Blue” by Miles Davis

If there was one thing about Fordham you could change, what would it be?

COURTESY OF DAN FINNEGAN

Dan, an Irish sophomore, is currently deciding between a major in communication and media studies and social work.

Definitely not the food.

Would you bring a record player, as well?

No, I would bring Miles Davis.

Television Repeats Itself With Remakes and Imitations

By DANIEL MURPHY CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Since its placement in the homes and hearts of America, TV has been equally captivating and inspiring. After a while, however, plots and ideas become repetitive, and complete remakes become the norm. This is seen with hits such as “90210,” a spinoff of the 1990s “Beverly Hills: 90210” series, and “Melrose Place,” a remake of the original show of the same name.

For all the people who live vicariously through their TV screens, these overlaps are very easy to see and connect.

Long-lived “Gossip Girl” is always guaranteed to bring unbelievable plot twists and an awe-inspiring fashion sense.

The show has gotten away with hard-to-fathom situations since its pilot, with unknown relatives and mentally unstable actresses all within the radius of a subway line.

Another transfixing hit full of luscious lifestyles and headshaking storylines is ABC’s “Revenge.”

This show’s purpose is to entertain all who do not have the Spanish fluency to watch telenovelas.

Like its counterpart, “Gossip Girl,” it includes a multitude of attractive 20-somethings doing

things we would never do, but love to watch. This works favorably for both shows.

With “Gossip Girl” in its final season, “Revenge,” which is now in its second season, seems poised to provide eager viewers with a show centered on “the fabulous life.”

Now, not every show highlights accessories and street addresses that many pin on their dream boards: some show the comical ventures of less graceful and more adorable characters.

Smash hit “New Girl,” starring Zooey Deschanel (500 Days of Summer), mimics the life of early star Mandy Moore’s self-titled sitcom.

Both feature young, single women working while figuring out their lives, with their humorous roommates a laugh away.

Mastermind of addicting dramas, creator, writer and executive producer Shonda Rhimes has two returning shows, “Grey’s Anatomy” and “Private Practice.”

These two programs are like siblings, with “Grey’s” being the older brother coming back for its ninth season, while “Private Practice” will air its sixth and possibly final season. Much like past shows “ER” and “General Hospital,” these shows provide an insight into hospital life.

Despite the classic, steamy rendezvous-in-the-“On-Call”-

COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA

“American Dad” is similar to MacFarlane’s earlier hit, “Family Guy”. Both outlandish cartoons have at least seven seasons.

room scenes, these shows are nevertheless quality programs.

They do, also, focus on some more serious medical issues, making them semi-accurate depictions of hospital life (for all of us who are not pre-med, at least).

There are few instances in which completely duplicated shows scream success. While the original “Melrose Place” was successful, the newer version flopped before you could even Google Map the location of the

set.

Likewise, when there is the same storyline but with a new twist; audiences love the comforting, yet entertaining feeling of something they know while also getting some new stimulation and laughs.

Seth MacFarlane has made most of his success from this situation, with the similar series “Family Guy” and “American Dad,” both consistently receiving rave ratings and reviews.

There seems to be no end in

sight for this cycle, for most of the shows highlighted in this piece are only starting their popular reign over the media. Additionally, much of the remakes’ inspiration comes from eras before the current generation’s time, thus negating some of the possible boredom.

Just like all love stories come across as if they were taken right out of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, much of today’s television appears to be growing from within itself.

PAGE 18 • THE RAM • SEPTEMBER 12, 2012

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SEPTEMBER 12, 2012

PAGE 19

Fordham Pulls off Major Upset Over Maryland

Women’s Soccer Knocks Off Terps 1-0 on Makutsi Goal in 70th Minute

By DOMINIC KEARNS CONTRIBUTING WRITER

The Fordham women’s soccer team continued its season by splitting games against St. John’s and Maryland. The Rams’ defeat of the Terrapins is Fordham’s first victory over an Atlantic Coast Conference team in its history.

Before pulling off its historic win against the Terrapins, Fordham fell to longtime rival St. John’s in a 2-0 loss on Friday, Sept. 7 in the Bronx.

The Red Storm wasted no time in pressuring the Rams, striking just five minutes into the match. Junior midfielder Megan Ritter delivered a corner kick into the box, and freshman midfielder Emily Cubbage onetimed a low shot past sophomore keeper Ally White after Fordham could not clear the ball.

St. John’s controlled the action until the 20th minute, when sophomore forward Kate McDonnell earned a penalty kick for Fordham after Red Storm goalie Ellen Conway tackled McDonnell in the box.

Sophomore forward Kristina Maksuti stepped up for the kick, but Conway saved the attempt by diving to her right. This missed opportunity would haunt the Rams, as they trailed 1-0 at halftime. Senior Annie Worden and Maksuti created opportunities in the last 10 minutes of the half, but Conway made two superb saves to deny Fordham a deserved equalizer.

COURTESY OF TOMI LAHCANSKI

Fordham celebrates their win at University Park in one of the most notable wins in the team’s recent history.

The second half began with Fordham continuing to create chances in the attacking third, but the breakthrough never came. Worden’s shot in the 50th minute nicked the crossbar after she received an excellent pass from freshman Victoria Camaj.

Worden found space again in the 55th minute, and her centering cross struck the right arm of a St. John’s defender. Yet, referee Jim Memos allowed play to continue, to the obvious displeasure of the crowd.

As fans continued to boo, St. John’s nearly scored another goal on a 56th-minute Morgan Ritter breakaway, but White made her finest save of the night to preserve hope for Fordham. St. John’s finally sealed its victory in the 77th minute on a

magical goal from Cubbage. Ritter fed Cubbage with a creative aerial pass, and Cubbage controlled the ball on the right wing before smashing a left-footed strike to the top left corner from 25 yards out. White had no chance to save the dipping shot, and the Rams were faced with an insurmountable deficit. Worden nearly scored for Fordham on an 81st-minute free kick, but Conway completed her shutout for a 2-0 St. John’s win.

“I am disappointed with the result, but we fought hard,” sophomore Maria Swift said. “The non-call on the hand ball was a game-changer.”

“It was a really tough loss. We showed a lot of desire, but soccer is a cruel sport,” Worden said. “We have

some players injured, but we will get it together when it counts.”

On Sunday, Sept. 9, the Rams rebounded with a massive 1-0 win against the host Maryland Terrapins. The Terrapins wasted no time in testing senior goalkeeper Rachel Suther. Maryland forced Suther into six first-half saves, while Fordham was stifled by the Terrapin defense.

Maryland narrowly missed breaking the scoreless tie in the 36th minute, when substitute striker Gabby Galanti struck the post on a header. Yet, Fordham reached halftime without conceding a goal. The Rams were buoyed by a resilient defense, which blocked numerous Maryland shots in each half.

Fordham started the second half

on the attack, with Worden shooting high in the 47th minute. Maryland quickly countered, however, recording nine shots in a 10-minute stretch. Five of those shots were blocked by defenders, and the Terrapins only forced Rachel Suther into one save during that stretch.

Fordham was rewarded for its exemplary defense in the 70th minute, when junior Kaitlyn Carballiera assisted Kristina Maksuti on a shocking strike into the top left corner from 30 yards out. Maryland responded with three shots on goal in the final 15 minutes, but Rachel Suther protected the 1-0 lead until the 90 minutes expired.

The landmark victory improved the Rams’ record to 2-4.

“Our team played with determination that I did not see in long time.

Nine of our players played the whole game, as we have been decimated by injuries and our bench is thin,” Head Coach Ness Selmani said. “I believe in them, that they can play against any team and come out on top. Rachel Suther was unbelievable and stopped everything that came her way. To match our goalie’s heroics, Kristina scored a tremendous goal from 30 yards. There was no player that should be left out without praise because they did a tremendous job.”

The Rams will stay close to home next week, as they visit Columbia on Friday, Sept. 14, before hosting Dartmouth for a Sunday, Sept. 16 kickoff.

New Quarterback Michael Nebrich Follows Joe Moorhead to Fordham

By CHESTER BAKER SPORTS EDITOR

Sometimes people question whether or a not a football player really wants to play for his head coach.

That will probably never be a problem in the case of sophomore quarterback Michael Nebrich.

Nebrich, who transferred to Fordham from UConn earlier this summer, chose his original school and now his current school mostly based upon his feelings for Head Coach Joe Moorhead.

“Once I met him [Moorhead] it was an instant connection,” Nebrich said. “Once I got up to UConn, [the offense] he wanted to run there, which is what we are running here,

all worked out for me.”

Whether it his his affinity for the no-huddle shotgun offense that Moorhead is so fond of or the strength of their personal relationship, Nebrich has not backed down about letting people know how highly he thinks of his coach.

“Me and him had an instant connection, I absolutely love the guy,” Nebrich said. “What he wanted to do on offense was perfect for what I do.”

After completing one season for the Huskies, in which the sophomore passed for 69 yards, he decided it was time for a change following Moorhead’s departure to become the head coach at Fordham.

“It was always in the back of my

COURTESY OF FORDHAMSPORTS.COM

Nebrich scored four touchdowns in his debut for the Rams last week.

mind when Coach Moorhead left, but I loved the people and I loved UConn, so I was still always kind of hesitant,” Nebrich said. “Once I made that decision, I knew right away that I was ultimately going to come here.”

Following around a coach from school to school seems risky for a player’s career, especially when that coach leaves a school from a BCS Conference for a school that was 1-10 last season and is ineligible for the Patriot League title.

“That was probably the hardest part of making the decision to come here,” Nebrich said. “Coming out, once I actually decided to transfer, I had looks from a bunch of different schools that I could have taken up on. It was tough coming here when I came on my visit seeing the facilities and being around it all, it made the decision a little bit tougher, but I sat down with Coach Moorhead and just said, ‘Hey, I’m not here for the facilities.’”

“Ultimately it’s all the same game no matter where you play. So, when I decided to play here me and Coach Moorhead sat down and decided we have a chance to do something special, and really turn things around.”

Taking the risk was not done without good reason. Nebrich sees the opportunity to play for a coach like Moorhead as far outweighing the negatives of playing in a lowerprofile conference.

“He’s an absolute players’ coach,” Nebrich said. “I know for a fact that every single person on this team and on this staff absolutely loves the guy.

He’s very personable with his players, he really gets everyone fired up and motivated to play the game.

Ultimately, he makes you have fun playing football. And that was one of the biggest for me with Coach Moorhead: playing football for him was fun.”

While lining up under center for the Rams at Jack Coffey Field has now become a reality for Nebrich, it was something that he never even thought about coming out of Lake Braddock Secondary School in Burke, VA. After all, Fordham had not even sent out a piece of mail to Nebrich.

“I don’t even think I got any kind of interest from Fordham,” Nebrich said.

While it may have taken a few seasons for Nebrich and the Rams to find one another, he will provide invaluable lessons to the team throughout the season. After playing at a high-profile, Big East school last season, Nebrich will be able to help the team prepare for its battle against the Cincinnati Bearcats later this season.

“I’ll be able to share some insight, same with Coach Moorhead and pretty much all the coaching staff here; we’ll be able to share and tell them how to do things, how to go

about being calm and treating it just like every other game,” Nebrich said.

Despite playing in big time college football stadiums like Mountaineer Field against West Virginia, Nebrich is for the most part just another sophomore, still racing to make 8:30 classes. While transferring can be hard on a student’s social life, Nebrich has found no problem assimilating into life at Rose Hill.

“It was different coming here and adjusting to the size of the school; it’s much smaller than UConn,” Nebrich said. “Meeting new friends is easy when you’re on a team, I’ve met all these guys and they are all wonderful guys. Getting together with them was simple and then that kind of helps you with meeting people outside of the football team.”

While it was Moorhead that drew him to Fordham, Nebrich, who hopes to enter the sports business world if football does not pan out professionally, sees a major plus being in New York and being able to land an internship with a sports team.

“That was a huge factor in making my decision to come in here because football only lasts for so long,” Nebrich said.

For the time being, however, Nebrich will attempt to be the linchpin in bringing Fordham back to the national spotlight, while playing for his good friend along the way.

PAGE 20 • THE RAM • SEPTEMBER 12, 2012

Two-Minute Drill CHRISTIAN BEAULIEU

Before last season, NFL fans saw the ugly, business side of the sport during a grueling standoff between players and owners. The holdout over the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) caused an NFL lockout. The season was threatened until both sides were able to reach an agreement before losing any games. The new Collective Bargaining Agreement is a 10-year contract that will alleviate any concerns of a strike for the better part of the next decade while allowing football fans to only worry about football. Or so we thought. This year brings to light another brewing dispute, this time between NFL referees and the NFL, over compensation and pensions for officials.

The officials and the NFL have been discussing a new deal since June, when they were locked out without a new CBA. The referees began negotiations with a set of terms they believed were fair, but they were willing to negotiate until an agreement could be reached.

The NFL, however, had other plans. Virtually all NFL refs only work part time and have another form of income for themselves and their families. This makes sense, considering that NFL referees make $8,000 a week and officiate games based on graded performance.

For a league that raked in roughly $9.5 billion of revenue in 2012, it doesn’t appear as though giving these 119 NFL officials a raise and proper pensions will economically endanger the league.

Negotiations between the two sides have been quite heated. The first meeting was highlighted by the NFL offering a deal that would make all referees full-time employees after taking a pay cut and changing the basis of the previous pension plans.

The NFL’s leverage throughout negotiations has been the replacement refs. The NFL has a group of referees that come in and can officiate games while the league waits for the locked-out referees to accept their proposal. What the NFL didn’t account for, however, are the discrepancies between the lockedout NFL referees and the replacement referees. The NFL’s idea of using the replacement referees began as a negotiation tactic when the league sent out a memo to all the teams, telling them to prepare for the replacement referees starting in the first week of the preseason.

When the first week of the preseason rolled around, the NFL’s threat became a reality as the replacement refs saw their first action. What transpired would have been funny, if it weren’t so sad.

The replacement referees struggled mightily. On more than one occasion they didn’t know the appropriate hand signals, which team or player the penalties were on, how to handle clock situations or penalty explanations. It was quickly evident that the replacement referees were not up to the standards of the NFL players and fans.

“The NFL really needs to kiss and

make up with the refs,” outspoken Vikings punter, Chris Kluwe said.

“These replacements are horrible.

Frankly, it’s kind of embarrassing.”

Now it is becoming clear that this is indeed an embarrassment for the NFL, and it is simply unacceptable.

The league sees nothing wrong with the officiating, even when its own players are upset. The NFL holds all the power in negotiations and can get the real refs back as soon as it stops playing such ridiculous hardball. It’s one thing to butcher meaningless preseason games, but until bad officiating changes the balance of one of the games in the regular season, it doesn’t seem as though the NFL is hastening to settle negotiations.

After a week of NFL football, the replacement referees have blown a few big calls, none of which stand out all that much. In the fourth quarter of an Arizona Cardinals and Seattle Seahawks game, however, the replacement referees granted Seattle a timeout. It was their fourth of the half and one they did not have to use. Luckily, the Cardinals held on to win it, and the inexcusable error didn’t change the outcome of the game.

Today’s NFL is trying desperately to be cleaner, fairer and safer, starting with the referees. The rules committee has put so much power into the referees’ hands that many games can be decided by the calls or non-calls. Even under immense scrutiny, NFL refs prove their worth time and time again. That is why I was so surprised at how little the NFL seems willing to bend in negotiations with the referees. By all accounts the officials are not asking for anything too exorbitant, but the league is choosing to negotiate intensely. It is clear that the NFL doesn’t see the referees as an integral part of the product it is putting out on the field. This was backed up by comments made by NFL Vice President Ray Anderson.

“You’ve never paid for an NFL ticket to watch someone officiate a game,” he said.

While this may be true, no one will continue to pay to see a game that is being ruined by poor officiating. The game has rules to maintain the integrity of the game, and by putting anyone but the most capable people in place to enforce the rules, the NFL is not doing its part to keep integrity in the game.

The NFL has an obligation to all of its parts: the fans, players, coaches, officials, owners and teams — to make the game as good as it can be. The NFL is like an engine, with each of those parts having a specific purpose in its function. Right now, professional football is one of the world’s biggest, most profitable and fastestgrowing sports, and all of its parts are of the highest quality. Changing the quality of just one of the parts, in this case, the referees, because there is a cheaper option, jeopardizes the whole functionality and performance of the engine. The fact that the NFL would consider such actions is an embarrassment, especially considering how little it would have to give up to make the situation right. The NFL needs to get off of its high horse in negotiations and make a fair deal for both parties, before inconsistent officiating from under-qualified referees becomes a black mark on the league’s season.

SPORTS

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Senior Profile: Randi Ewing

By DAN GARTLAND SPORTS EDITOR

Most college volleyball players wear jerseys numbered 1 through 20. Not Randi Ewing. She wears No. 33, just like her brother Patrick did as a basketball player at Georgetown, and just like their father Patrick, Sr., who wore No. 33 for the Hoyas. The elder Ewing would go on to become one of the best big men in the history of the NBA, and a Hall of Famer.

While the Ewing family may be basketball royalty, Randi has become a standout volleyball player for the Rams.

Ewing has been an important part of the Fordham volleyball team since her sophomore year.

After not seeing any varsity action as a freshman, she started 16 of the team’s 22 matches as a sophomore and appeared in each of the Rams’ 30 matches last year.

In both seasons she led the team in blocks and blocks per set. As a junior in 2011, she was named to the All-Northeast Region Team

by COBRA Magazine. As successful as she has been, Ewing almost never gave volleyball a chance.

Ewing’s middle school coach first encouraged her to try volleyball. He asked her to try out for the team, but Ewing said she really did not like the game. A few years later, though, a couple of friends managed to convince her to try out for the high school team.

“I just fell in love with it then,” Ewing said.

Not only did Ewing enjoy the game, but it was quickly apparent that she was awfully talented as well.

“My high school coach told me that he thought I was really good, and good enough that I could play on a collegiate level if I played club, but that would mean I would have to give up basketball.”

One might think that for someone with such a deep basketball background, giving it up might be a tough decision, but according to Ewing, she was more than happy to focus her efforts on something new.

“I just really didn’t like basket-

PHOTO BY ALLY WHITE/THE RAM

Ewing hopes to lead the Rams back to the Atlantic 10 Tournament this year.

ball that much,” she said. “I kind of felt like I should have been playing, because everyone expected me to. My parents never really expected me to. My dad was never like, ‘You have to play,’ but I always felt like I should. After I talked to them about it, they were sort of like, ‘Do whatever you want. If you don’t want to play, then you don’t have to play.’ So I started playing volleyball yearround and I was able to get my skills to where they needed to be to play in college.”

When it came time for Ewing to choose where she would continue her education and her volleyball career, she decided to attend Fordham, a decision influenced, she said, by equal parts volleyball and academics.

“I love the communications program,” Ewing said. “I’m a communications major and I had heard amazing things about Fordham’s communications program.

In high school I did a college tour, and I came to Fordham, and I just fell in love with the campus then.

I sort of forgot about it until I was looking at schools [for volleyball].

[Fordham head volleyball coach] Peter Volkert contacted me, and I

realized I’d really love to play for a coach with his coaching philosophy.”

Her time here is coming to a close. Ewing’s volleyball career will conclude this November, and she’ll graduate with a degree in communication and media studies this spring. After four years as a Fordham student-athlete, she has plenty to remember.

“I’ll miss Eddie’s and Keating, that view,” Ewing said. “I think that’s one of my favorite views on campus. I’ll definitely miss the road trips that I have with my team.

We have an amazing time on the bus and on planes. But I think I’ll just miss Fordham in general. I’ll miss being able to walk through all the halls and feeling like I’m on a campus while still having the city right there.”

When she finally does leave, Ewing hopes to put her degree to use in the television industry, ideally in sports broadcasting.

“Hopefully I’ll get something either in front of the camera or behind the camera, either way,” she said. “Hopefully something that will enable me to still be in sports and share my knowledge and passion.”

A Soggy Fordham Fiasco for Cross Country

By RYAN SCANLON STAFF WRITER

“Saturday’s conditions are what cross country meets are meant to be run in.”

These words from Fordham’s men’s cross country senior captain, Nick Synan, perfectly captured the essence of Fordham’s season opener at Van Cortlandt Park. The annual Fordham Fiasco kicked off another grueling yet anticipated season of Fordham cross country. The men’s team finished second overall in the Division One 8-km race (behind the powerhouse Yale Bulldogs), and the women’s team finished fourth.

The elements were in full effect, in the forms of rain and eventual mud. Synan was named team captain over the summer and led the Rams with an eighth-place finish in a time of 26:34.

Right behind him in ninth with

a time of 26:37 was freshman Mike Turi. With some key runners and leaders graduating, the men’s team is looking for young blood to fill those roles.

“We lost a good number of guys last year but we reloaded with two really great freshmen, Mike Turi and Quincy O’Connor,” Synan said.

Those who also contributed to Fordham’s scoring were junior Mike Belgiovine, who placed 16th in 27:18, O’Connor, who placed 20th in 27:22 and junior Joe Hartnett, who placed 21st in 27:24.

It should be noted that Fordham’s cross country MVP from a year ago, senior Julian Saad, raced unattached, finishing first among the unattached group in a time of 26:37. He plans to redshirt this season in an effort to come back with a strong team next year.

The women’s race went off shortly after the men’s, promising

tougher trail conditions. This year’s lady’s squad hopes to build off its strong freshman class from a year ago while incorporating the new freshman class.

Junior Anisa Arsenault led the team, finishing fifth in her race in a time of 19:20 for the Van Cortlandt Park 5k. A strong pair of freshmen placed behind Arsenault to secure 12th and 13th place. Freshman Suzy Sikorski ran 20:02 and freshman Melanie Notarstefano ran 20:08, showing promise. Seasoned sophomores Mara Lieberman and Sarah Glockenmeier finished up the scoring for the Rams in 16th and 20th place overall with times of 20:13 and 20:36, respectively. Some key runners, battling injury, did not race from the women’s team.

This weekend, on Sept. 15, the men’s and women’s teams are competing in the C.W. Post Invitational in Brookville, NY.

SEPTEMBER 12, 2012• THE RAM • PAGE 21

SPORTS

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NHL CBA Talks Frozen

By ANTHONY PUCIK CONTRIBUTING WRITER

September is upon us, and the National Hockey League still looks like it is not going to have a season this year. With talks for a collective bargaining agreement ranging from no talks at all to a few minor talks here and there, many believe that the NHL season will definitely not start on time. Some even feel as if the season might not start at all. This is not just in the eyes of analysts, but in the eyes of the players as well. As a result, many of the NHL’s top stars have publicly said that they would leave to play elsewhere if the NHL does not have a season this year.

The players saying this are not just third-line wingers or bench players either. Some of them are prominent players on some of the best teams in the league. The Pittsburgh Penguins’ top point producer from last season, Evgeni Malkin, has openly stated that he will go to the KHL league and play on a Russian team if there is a lockout. New York Rangers’ goaltender and Vezina Trophy winner, Henrik Lundqvist, has said that if the NHL locks out for even one game, he will spend the whole season with Frölunda HC of Elitserien, the Swedish team he played for before coming to the Rangers.

Lastly, Edmonton Oilers prospect and 2012 No. 1 NHL Draft choice, Nail Yakupov, said that he will play elsewhere if the NHL locks out.

These are just three of the many NHL players who have threatened to leave their teams in the event of a potential lockout.

Whether these are threats in order to speed up the process of ending the lockout, or simply statements of what would happen if differences aren’t resolved, comments like these from players as important as Malkin, Lundqvist and Yakupov spell bad news for the NHL. When it comes down to it, players do not care where they play as long as they are playing hockey.

Whether they are playing in the

NHL, Russia or somewhere else is irrelevant to them. This is just another reason why the lockout is bad for everyone involved. The players, as well as the teams for which they play, have the potential to suffer immensely in the event of a lockout this season.

It forces the players to be either out of work or find work elsewhere in the upcoming season. If the NHL has a lockout, every player on every team is unemployed. If they do not play hockey, they will get rusty and have a difficult time coming back to play next season.

As a result, they either have to scramble to find work in other leagues around the world, or simply take the season off and risk not making their team next year because they are out of shape. Naturally, the players will most likely go for the first option and try to find work in hockey elsewhere.

If this were the case, however, this is where the NHL teams suffer as a result of the lockout. What if a player gets injured, and when he comes back to the NHL he is not the same player? What if a player is older and has injuries that makes him decide that he should simply hang up his skates and retire before the NHL lockout ends? Now, the teams and owners are simply praying that their players end up coming back to the NHL safe and healthy.

Of course, this scenario only occurs if there is actually a lockout this year, but it does seem to be the direction the NHL is headed at this time. As a result, players have come out and openly said that they would be more than ready to pick up their skates and go play on another team in the event of a lockout. As previously stated, this is not in the best interest of the players, the teams or the fans, so the most logical thing to do would be to reach an agreement, right? The days are winding down, the clock is ticking and players are stating where they will go if there is no season. The question is: Will there be a season?

Check out our new look!

Let us know what you think at twitter.com/theram_sports

Varsity Scores & Stats Volleyball Fordham 26 25 25 24 15 3 FDU 24 19 27 26 9 2 Thompson (FOR)- 14 kills Wheeler (FDU)- 26 kills Fordham 28 25 21 18 15 3 Cornell 26 23 25 25 9 2 Konkel (FOR)- 22 assists Reinke (COR)- 36 assists, 13 digs Stony 17 25 21 29 15 3 Brook Fordham 25 18 25 27 13 2 Konovodoff (FOR)- 43 assists Rigo (SBU)- 19 kills Fordham 25 25 25 3 Bucknell 15 20 17 0 Konovodoff (FOR)- 36 assists Tauscher (BUCK)- 16 assists Fordham 25 20 25 25 3 NJIT 21 25 14 14 1

Men’s Soccer Fordham 2 Siena 1 Goals: Valencia (FOR), 52’ Ek (SIE), 79’ Granot (FOR), 99’ Fordham 1 Brown 0 Goals: Sotka (FOR), 10’ Water Polo Fordham 0 UCLA 22

Football Fordham 10 3 0 0 13 Villanova 7 0 14 7 28 Nebrich (FOR)- 106 yds rushing Medley (NOVA)- 125 yds rushing Women’s soccer Fordham 0 St. John’s 2 Goals: Cubbage (SJ); 5’, 77’ Fordham 1 Maryland 0 Goals: Maksuti (FOR), 70’

Cal Lutheran 8 Fordham 18 Bucknell 20 Fordham 8 Geo. Washington 8 Fordham 11

Golf- Colgate Invitational 4th out of 9 teams Cross Country Fordham Fiasco Men: 2nd Women: 4th

Athletes of the Week Nathaniel Bekoe

Rachel Suther

Junior

Senior

Soccer, midfield

Soccer, goalkeeper

Bekoe, a native of Nigeria, was named MVP of the Brown Classic this weekend.

Bekoe and the Rams won the tournament, knocking off #22 Brown in the final.

Suther stopped 12 shots in Fordham’s 1-0 victory against Maryland on Sunday.

It was the first time the Rams beat an ACC opponent.

News & Notes •

•

Senior kicker Patrick Murray was named National Placekicker of the Week for the second consecutive week after nailing 50-yard and 37-yard field goals in the team’s 28-13 loss to Villanova. Murray also had two punts downed inside the 10-yard line.

The Fordham men’s basketball 2012-13 schedule is now available online. It features an appearance in the Preseason NIT, in addition to games at Madison Square Garden against St. John’s and at the new Barclay’s Center in Brooklyn against Princeton.

Follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/theram_sports COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA

Evgeni Malkin of the Pittsburgh Penguins might stay in his native Russia.

PAGE 22 • THE RAM • SEPTEMBER 12, 2012

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The process allows the individual time and resources to grow, to mature in faith and come to conversion, a turning to meet God in a whole new way. For further information contact the Office of Campus Ministry at Rose Hill Campus at 718-817-4501 or cm@fordham.edu or at Lincoln Center at 212-6267 or campusminlc@fordham.edu Sacrament of Confirmation: the Sacrament of Confirmation is a program design for people who did not complete the sacraments of initiation within the Catholic Church. If you have been baptized and received the sacrament of Communion, the Sacrament of Confirmation will be the next step. For information about preparation to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation contact the Office of Campus Ministry at Rose Hill Campus at 718-817-4501 or cm@fordham.edu or at Lincoln Center at 2126267 or campusminlc@fordham.edu

Volleyball Splits Matches, 2-2, at Rose Hill Classic

By CHESTER BAKER SPORTS EDITOR

PHOTO BY ALLY WHITE/THE RAM

Abigail Konovodoff (left) sets up Randi Ewing for a big time spike.

By KENNY DEJOHN STAFF WRITER

The 12th annual Rose Hill Classic opened on Friday, September 7, featuring five very talented volleyball programs: Cornell, Bucknell, Stony Brook, New Jersey Institute of Technology and Fordham.

For the first time in tournament history, each Day 1 match went the full five sets, making for some entertaining volleyball.

The first match of the tournament was between Fordham and Cornell.

Fordham junior Maria Rodenberg tied the school record with eight aces in the match. One of her service aces was actually the match point, allowing the Rams to take the contest by a count of 3-2.

After two sets, the Rams held a commanding 2-0 lead in the match.

This lead quickly evaporated, as the Big Red came back with two set wins of their own. With the score tied at seven in the deciding fifth set, the Rams tallied six straight points to take a 13-7 lead. Junior Lisa Hipp supplied the highlights, contributing two aces to the run.

Hipp’s efforts were an integral part of the Rams’ attack. She put together a double-double consisting of 18 kills and 14 digs. Rodenberg had 10 digs and four assists to go along with her eight kills. Junior Carina Thompson contributed 10 kills, and junior Sara Konkel handed out 22 assists with her six kills.

The first day of matches concluded when Fordham took on Stony Brook. Unfortunately, the Rams would not finish with the same result they received against Cornell.

It was a tight match until the very last points were scored in the fifth set. The tie-breaking set was tied at 13 before the Seawolves earned a block error and an attack error from the Rams to take the match.

Hipp delivered her second double-double of the day, contributing 14 kills and 15 digs in the match.

Rodenberg continued her strong play as well, tallying 18 digs, four assists and one ace. Freshman Brennan Delsing totaled a team-high 16 kills to go along with five digs, three blocks and two aces.

After its loss to Stony Brook, Fordham hoped that day two of the

SEPTEMBER 12, 2012• THE RAM • PAGE 23

SPORTS

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tournament would bring them new luck.

The Rams opened their Day 2 schedule with a decisive 3-0 win over the Bucknell Bison. Fordham hit an impressive .347 in the match as a team, and the Bison defense had no answer to the Rams’ onslaught.

Four Rams hit .385 or better, with senior Randi Ewing leading the charge. Ewing hit an astonishing .545 with eight kills. Second on the team was Delsing, coming in with a .471-clip to go along with eight kills and six digs. Hipp tallied 12 kills and nine kills with a .385+ hitting percentage, while Thompson registered an even .385 percentage with five kills and three blocks.

Unfortunately for the Rams, Fordham fell to tournament-champion NJIT in the final match of the weekend. The Rams were only able to win one set in the match, falling 3-1.

The Rams’ offense was a far cry from what it was just a match before, hitting a miniscule .007 as a team. Delsing was the only Ram to record double-digit kills (12), while Ewing added five kills of her own.

Thompson issued strong words regarding her team a few days after the match.

“This season we are trying new techniques and systems of play,” Thompson said. “Given that we are still acclimating to these new processes, I would say we played well.

There were times when we were challenged during the tournament where we were able to step up and show how much we have grown as a team. There were, however, times we fell short. We just need to learn from those experiences and use them as positive motivations for change. I am proud of my teammates and all of their hard work.”

While the Rams of course were looking to win the tournament on their home court, a 2-2 split is something to be proud of.

Fordham used its momentum from the solid performance in the tournament to defeat Lafayette on Sept. 11, three sets to one.

The Rams will travel to Lewisburg, PA to take part in the Bucknell tournament this weekend, competing against the Bison for the second time in as many weeks.

The Washington Nationals front office has decided to stick to its guns, remaining steadfast in the decision to shut down Stephen Strasburg. Washington announced last week that its ace will sit for the rest of the season, despite earlier reports of Strasburg having a start or two left in the year. The team, which had set an undisclosed innings limit on Strasburg, will be sitting its stud for the rest of the year after pitching 159.1 innings. The Nationals will regret their decision if the team holds on to win the National League East.

For so many reasons, this Strasburg decision is wrong.

One of the major flaws in the decision is that the team set an innings limit, rather than a pitch count barrier. In baseball, there are times when a pitcher can get out of an inning in six or seven pitches, and there are times when they labor through a 40-pitch inning. How should two innings of separate pitch counts count the same towards the innings limit? It would be understandable, yet still condemnable, if the Nationals had set a pitch limit rather than innings limit. After all, when leagues were trying to limit the arm strain on pitchers in Little League, a pitch count of 85 pitches per game was set, not an innings limit.

Aside from the structural problems of the limit, shutting down one of the best pitchers in baseball will obviously make the team less potent in the playoffs.

While Joe Lemire of Sports Illustrated still sees the Nats as having a “formidable rotation,” it takes more than that for a team to win in October. To win the World Series, a team needs at least two stud pitchers and a solid No. 3 guy.

While Gio Gonzalez will be a fine ace, the other Nationals pitchers just do not possess the same pop as Strasburg.

By making this choice, the Nationals are putting one player

above the entire team. While some might be able to understand protecting an investment like Strasburg from re-injuring himself following his Tommy John surgery, this decision goes against everything that team sports are all about.

The Nationals have labored through poor play for years before finally experiencing some good fortune this season. By not going for the title this year, the team is unfairly hamstringing players that have stuck by the team through the early seasons in Washington, such as All-Star third baseman Ryan Zimmerman, among others. While the third baseman is in the prime of his career, there is no telling when he will have another chance to win a title. This could be his only shot to win, but the Nationals are not fully giving him that opportunity. This is not to mention the fans, who have had to watch seven straight seasons during which the team could not generate a winning record or reach the playoffs.

There are no guarantees in baseball. Washington General Manager Mike Rizzo and Manager Davey Johnson should know that anything can happen in a season. While the future is, of course, bright for the franchise with young stars like Strasburg and Bryce Harper on the roster,

nobody can predict the future. Injuries can totally alter a franchise in the blink of an eye, and other teams can rapidly get better. The team should be taking the chance while it can.

Most importantly, this decision will affect Strasburg’s public image, as he will be labeled as weak, through no fault of his own.

While the ace has voiced his displeasure over the move, stating “Well, they’re gonna have to rip the ball out of my hands, that’s all I can say,” earlier this summer, the move will still tarnish his reputation, and perhaps Strasburg’s psyche. If the Nationals are in a Game Seven situation and the camera pans over to see Strasburg sitting in the dugout wearing a hoody and spitting out sunflowers seeds, the public could label him as soft. A similar thing happened several years ago, when Ladanian Tomlinson sat out during a San Diego Chargers playoff game. A player’s reputation is defined by how he or she performs in big spots. While Tomlinson opted to sit out, the image of a star sitting on the bench while healthy in the middle of a playoff game will taint Strasburg’s image.

By not giving Strasburg the chance to deliver on a national stage, the Washington front office may be damaging its pitcher and its franchise for years to come.

PHOTO BY LYNNE SLADKY/AP

Strasburg has been robbed of his chance to compete for a title.

Upcoming Varsity Schedule CAPS=HOME lowercase=away

Thursday Sept. 13

Friday Sept. 14

Women’s Soccer

Volleyball

Sunday Sept. 16

Tuesday Sept. 18

at Brown 2:30 p.m.

at Stony Brook 7:30 p.m. at Columbia 7 p.m.

DARTMOUTH 12 p.m.

Bucknell Tournament Lewisburg, PA

Water Polo

Navy Invitational Annapolis, MD

Cross Country

C.W Post Invitational 10:30 a.m.

at Hoftstra 7 p.m.

2012 Adams Cup Newport, R.I.

Golf

Women’s Tennis

Monday Sept. 17

CORNELL 1 p.m.

Football

Men’s Soccer

Saturday Sept. 15

Columbia Invitational New York, NY

Wednesday Sept. 19

SEPTEMBER 12, 2012

PAGE 24

Fordham’s Second Half Struggles Lead to 28-13 Loss to Villanova Patrick Murray One of Few Bright Spots as Rams Drop First Conference Game of the Season

By DAN GARTLAND SPORTS EDITOR

The points rained down when Fordham beat Lock Haven 55-0 last week. On a stormy Saturday, in a rain-soaked first half against Villanova, the Fordham offense had no trouble putting points on the board, taking a 13-7 halftime lead, but when the skies cleared in the second half, the flow of points dried up. The Rams suffered a 2813 loss at the hands of the Wildcats.

“Their high-speed offense really put us on our heels,” Villanova Head Coach Andy Talley told The Philadelphia Inquirer after the

game. Indeed, the Rams’ up-tempo attack proved troublesome for the Wildcats early on, helping the Rams to get the early lead.

The game started well for the Rams, whose opening drive went 91 yards, capped off by a 6-yard Michael Nebrich touchdown run.

The drive had seemingly stalled at the Fordham 29-yard line when the Rams lined up to punt on fourth and 12. Senior punter Patrick Murray received the snap, tucked the ball under his arm and took off running. Twenty-five yards later he had a first down at the Fordham 46-yard line. Given a second lease on life, the Rams took 11 more plays to get into the

PHOTO BY MICHAEL REZIN/THE RAM

Senior kicker Patrick Murray picked up more several more awards this week, due to his superb punts and a fake punt run that lead to a first down.

end zone and take a 7-0 lead.

The 91-yard drive took 18 plays in a little over seven minutes.

Fordham dominated the time of possession in the first half, holding the ball for 19:13 of the half ’s 30 minutes. The second half was an entirely different story. Fordham held the ball for only 10:03 in the second half. None of the Rams’ six possessions in the second half lasted longer than 2:20 or more than six plays.

Villanova, on the other hand, controlled the ball for nearly 20 minutes and used several explosive plays to overcome the firsthalf deficit. Early in the third quarter, Murray made a brilliant punt which pinned Villanova deep in its own end. On the very next play, the Wildcats’ running back was able to break off a 44-yard run. Villanova would later punch the ball into the end zone on a run from the 1-yard line and take the lead with the ensuing extra point.

Villanova scored two more times: once on a quarterback run, and once when Fordham redshirt sophomore Ian Williams forced a fumble, which was recovered by Villanova and run in for a touchdown.

Fordham was shut out in the second half, unable to move the ball effectively.

“My hat is off to Villanova,” Fordham Head Coach Joe Moorhead said. “They played a great second half. I’m excited about our effort tonight, but the bottom line is we need to execute better.

PHOTO BY KATE DOHENY/THE RAM

Higgins had trouble finding the same offensive success he had in the opener.

We didn’t make plays in the second half on offense, which caused the defense to be on the field too long.”

With the Fordham offense repeatedly stalling, Patrick Murray had plenty of chances to punt. He averaged 44 yards on five kicks, including one which he angled out of bounds at the Villanova 8-yard line, and another that checked up at the Wildcats’ 3. He also hit field goals of 37 and 50 yards in addition to gaining 25 yards on the ground on a fake punt. For his effort, Murray, a preseason

All-American, was named Patriot League Special Teams Player of the Week for the second week in a row.

Fordham returns to action at 1 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 15 at home against Cornell in the annual homecoming game.

The game will be the first of the year for Cornell, coming off a 5-5 season last year. The Big Red returns nine starters on offense and eight on defense. Fordham last played Cornell in 2009, a game that the Rams won on the road by a score of 39-27.

Men’s Soccer Upends #22 Brown en Route to Tournament Sweep

By MATT ROSENFELD ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR

When the Fordham men’s soccer team traveled up to Providence, RI to take part in the Brown Soccer Classic on Friday, Sept. 7th, its record stood at 1-2. The team had struggled offensively in its first three games, mustering only one goal in total.

When the Rams got back to campus late Sunday night, they had three more goals and a winning record.

Fordham swept its two games in the Brown Soccer Classic with an overtime win against Siena and a shutout

victory over No. 22-ranked Brown.

The action started when Fordham took on Siena in its opening game of the Classic. Having struggled offensively in its first three games, Head Coach Jim McElderry made a couple changes in the lineup. Sophomore Ollie Kelly and freshman Ryan Walsh started the game for the Rams in hopes of succeeding offensively.

The first half would be scoreless, as the status quo remained for Fordham: struggling offense, stout defense.

That would change quickly in the second half. Just seven minutes in,

PHOTO BY PATRICK DOHERTY/THE RAM

Keeper Sean Brailey conceded just one goal in the Brown Soccer Classic.

senior Michael Valencia, gave Fordham a 1-0 lead. Valencia received a pass from sophomore Kalle Sotka and blasted the goal past Siena’s sophomore goalie Damian Liesmann.

“Getting the lead like that was awesome,” Valencia said. “At first I didn’t see the ball go in, but then my teammates started flying toward me and I knew. Getting ahead on a good team like that was big. After my goal, the whole team was flying around.

It gave us a lot of confidence for the rest of the game.”

The Saints would not go down easily though. With just 11 minutes remaining in the game, Siena put in the equalizing goal when a pass from senior Daniel Alderstad found the foot of senior Sindre Ek, who beat Fordham’s sophomore goalie, Sean Brailey, for the goal.

“Even after they scored, we still felt like the game was in our hands,” Valencia said. “We came out in overtime and showed it. We had the ball almost the whole time, and it just felt like a matter of when we were going to get that goal.”

The winning goal would not take long, just nine minutes into the extra time, Valencia, who ended the game with three points, found junior Nathaniel Bekoe on a pass. Bekoe then quickly got the ball to his open teammate, freshman Tommy Gran-

ot, who buried the goal into the back of the net, securing a 2-1 victory for the Rams.

The victory lifted Fordham’s record back up to .500 at 2-2.

The Rams’ second and final game of the Brown Soccer Classic was against the host team, the 22ndranked Brown University Bears.

“We were very excited to get into the Brown game,” captain Ryan Curran said. “The tournament was at their place, and we were off a nice overtime win, so we were ready to go. If the game had been Saturday, we would have been ready then too.”

The game started off quickly, as Fordham had a scoring chance in just the fourth minute, when a shot on goal from Ollie Kelly was saved by the goalkeeper.

The Rams would keep up the pace, and just seven minutes later, in the 11th minute, a high cross into the box from junior Jack Bouchard found the head of Kalle Sotka, who put it past the keeper and into the net to give Fordham a 1-0 lead early in the match. The goal was Sotka’s first with Fordham.

“It was good to get ahead [that early],” Curran said. “It gave us confidence we would be right there all game.”

Brown’s best chance in the first half came in the 36th minute, when

senior Thomas McNamara blasted a shot on goal. Sean Brailey was able to make the save, one of six on the day, to preserve the Fordham lead.

After the half, the physicality picked up. Fordham was given five yellow cards, while Brown sophomore forward Ben Maury was given a red card and ejected from the game in the 59th minute. This gave the Rams a man-advantage for the remainder of the game.

Despite being down a man, Brown managed to keep on the pressure.

Brailey continued to deny the Bears’ efforts though, recording four saves in the half, including a 90th minute attempt from McNamara.

Fordham held on for the 1-0 win, giving the team a winning record at 3-2.

“Beating someone like Brown is great for team confidence,” Valencia said. “Rankings don’t mean much to us, we know we can play with anybody, but a victory over a nationally ranked team is something we can look back and know we can compete going forward.”

The shutout was Brailey’s second of the year, behind what has been a stellar defense thus far this year.

Fordham has only given up three goals in its five games, and no more than one in any single game.

The Rams continue their road trip on Friday, Sept. 14 at Stony Brook.