Volume 94 Issue 15

Opinions PAGE 5

Culture PAGE 11

Sports PAGE 15

Romney does not care about student finances.

Justice film festival covers issues such as race and sex.

Women’s soccer opens homestand with two victories.

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SERVING THE FORDHAM UNIVERSITY COMMUNITY FOR OVER 90 YEARS

1918-2012

SEPTEMBER 26, 2012

VOLUME 94, ISSUE 15

Fordham Retains Liberty Cup Fordham Dips in Defense Leads the Team to a 20-13 Victory Over Rival Columbia U.S. News Ranking Since Last Year, Fordham Drops From No. 53 to 58

By FRANCESA LEITE COPY EDITOR

PHOTO BY MICHAEL HAYES/THE RAM

The Fordham offensive line helped clear the way for running back Carlton Koonce to rack up over 250 rushing yards.

By DAN GARTLAND SPORTS EDITOR

After the Fordham offense led the way in last week’s 34-27 homecoming win over Cornell, defense was the key this week. The Rams forced three takeaways and held Columbia quarterback Sean Brackett to a dismal 47 percent completion rate, as they defeated the Lions 20-13.

“At the end of the day, good teams find a way to win football games when they’re not playing at their peak offensively,” Fordham Head Coach Joe Moorhead said.

“With that, the credit goes to the defense. The offense wasn’t firing on all cylinders today. We were able to run the ball and make just

enough plays in the pass, but I think the defense played absolutely lights out.”

Fordham had an inauspicious start in the Rams’ annual Liberty Cup rivalry game against Columbia. After freshman running back Jared Crayton fumbled the opening kickoff, Columbia took possession at the Fordham 10-yard line. What the Rams did next they would continue to do all day: buckle down on defense when they needed it.

After two running plays, Brackett threw a pass to sophomore Connor Nelligan in the back of the end zone, but the play was broken up

by Fordham sophomore safety Levon Williams.

“When we walk out there on defense, we don’t care if it’s on the

1-yard line or the 50-yard line,” senior linebacker Mike Martin said. “We were just telling each other, ‘Let’s win this. Let’s stop them. Let’s keep them out of the end zone.’ That’s what we did as a team.”

The defense continued to play well, forcing three straight threeand-outs. The offense, on the other hand, was having a difficult time moving the ball. This was the first game for Fordham without sophomore quarterback Michael Nebrich, who split time with senior Ryan Higgins in the Rams’ first three contests. Also missing was junior Matt Stolte, the starter at left tackle, who suffered an arm injury in the Cornell game.

SEE FOOTBALL, PAGE 20

Fordham fell five spots this year in the U.S. News & World Report’s annual “America’s Best Colleges” ranking.

The report, released on Sept.

12, ranked Fordham at No. 58, a drop from its No. 53 seat last year.

The U.S. News website says the rankings are meant to provide prospective college students with a brief overview of some of the priority factors that go into choosing a college, such as graduation rate, class size, strength of faculty and freshman retention rate.

“The dip in rankings is disappointing news, but not entirely surprising, given the numbers Fordham reported to U.S. News,” Bob Howe, Fordham’s senior director of communications, said via email. “The University had minor declines in several reporting categories.”

“The U.S. News rankings correlate strongly with endowment,” Howe said. “Though Fordham performs better than expectations, to some degree funding will always be a limiting factor (analysis of the rankings on a historical basis suggests that most mobility occurs at about the 50 to 65 range, which supports a strong funding component to the rankings).”

Even though Fordham is still among the top-ranked national universities, anecdotal evidence suggests the drop has made its way into conversation.

“The ranking isn’t what made me choose Fordham, but it defi-

nitely put it on my radar because of the type of school I wanted,” Megan Wrinn, FCRH ’14, said.

While the U.S. News ranking is not meant to be the final say in one’s college choice, the ranking does provide a starting point in the college search.

“I hope the different departments are working on what needs to be fi xed so we can attract more good students who are looking at highly-ranked schools,” Wrinn said.

Despite this year’s dip, Fordham has climbed 26 spots since 2003 in the U.S. News ranking, according to Howe.

“It’s a little disappointing, but I know Fordham is a great school,” Leah Hedrick, mother of a FCRH student, said. “The opportunities that come from being a Fordham grad are available no matter what the ranking is.”

The U.S. News & World Report establishes the ranking based on a “formula [that] uses quantitative measures that education experts have proposed as reliable indicators of academic quality, and it’s based on our researched view of what matters in education,” according to the U.S. News website.

After years of an upward trend, Howe says Fordham is working toward improving its seat in next year’s list.

“The University is revisiting the measures that can affect our ranking, and apportion funding to those measures that will most benefit the students, and our score,” Howe said.

Additional reporting by Connor Ryan.

San Gennaro Festival Enlivens Streets of Little Italy The 86th Annual Feast Lasted 11 Days, From Sept. 13 Until Sept. 23, Bringing Thousands Together to Celebrate Italian Culture and Heritage

By LAUREN MANZINO COPY EDITOR

Ciao, Little Italy! Each fall, New York City hosts one of the most anticipated religious festivals called the Feast of San Gennaro. This year’s 86th Annual Feast of San Gennaro took place on Mulberry Street in the Little Italy section of Manhattan for 11 days, beginning on Thursday, Sept. 13 and continuing through Sunday, Sept. 23.

The feast, known for its vibrant celebration of Italian food and culture, is presented every year by Figli di San Gennaro (Children of San Gennaro), a non-profit organization that has managed the feast since 1996. The Feast of San Gennaro welcomes New Yorkers and tourists alike, many of them

Fordham University students, as they take part in the celebration of the patron saint of Naples.

The highly-venerated Feast of San Gennaro is an annual celebration of the Patron Saint of Naples, Italy. The first feast in New York City took place on Sept. 19, 1926 as newly-arrived Naples immigrants settled along Mulberry Street in Little Italy. These immigrants, eager to establish new lives and uphold ancestral rituals, transported the tradition followed in Italy to commemorate the day Saint Gennaro, a bishop in Benevento, Italy, died.

The feast has flourished ever since, becoming an 11-day cultural and culinary street extravaganza. Though the atmosphere of the feast is that of celebratory

festivity, board members of the Figli de San Gennaro are eager to highlight the founding of religious purpose. A commemorative mass spearheaded by Italian-Americans is held at the Most Precious Blood Church on Mulberry Street, and invites one and all to the shrine of San Gennaro for prayerful appreciation.

During each feast, a religious procession spreads across Mulberry and Mott Streets. The streets, decorated in red, white and green, are cleared for the procession of the statue of San Gennaro and many devout marching followers.

Tuttavia, a true experience of the Feast of San Gennaro, requires the festivalgoer’s absolute surrender to a sensory invasion. The buoyant SEE FEAST, PAGE 11

COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA

The colorful Feast of San Gennaro let the authentic culture of Little Italy shine.

NEWS

PAGE 2 • THE RAM • SEPTEMBER 26, 2012

SECURITY

BRIEFS Sept. 21, O’Hare Hall 6:45 a.m.

A student reported that another student entered her room. Security responded to the incident. She identified the intruder as someone who lived on the her floor. The invader was reported to the dean of students.

Sept. 21, 50th and 7th Ave 11:30 p.m.

A student stood in a large crowd observing a celebrity. She had a purse hanging off of her shoulder.

When the crowd dispersed she realized her wallet and iPhone were stolen. She did not wish to submit a report to the NYPD. Sept. 23, Walsh Hall 8 p.m.

An unknown student pulled the 13th floor fire alarm. It is believed to have been an accident. The pull of the alarm was unnecessary, and there was no fire. The building was evacuated and the FDNY responded. There were neither injuries nor damage to the building.

Sept. 23, 2484 Hughes Ave 1:30 a.m.

A large party was taking place in the backyard of a student’s off-campus home. NYPD and Fordham security responded because the party was excessively loud. One of the students refused to open the door for the police and consequentially was summoned by the NYPD. Sept. 23, Mugz’s Bar 1:30 a.m.

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New York’s Soda Ban Affects Fordham Food Services

By March 12, 2013, Fordham Will Have to Change Drink Sizes to Comply With the New Regulations Regarding Soda

By EDDIE MIKUS STAFF WRITER

Soda-loving members of the Fordham community may wish to change their drink of choice when traveling around New York City, where large helpings of soda will soon be a thing of the past.

As of March 12, 2013, restaurants and concession stands within the city limits will be required to restrict helpings of sugary drinks to 16 ounces per container.

The rules, which apply to any drink that contains over 25 calories per eight ounces, including many sodas and juices, will not be put into effect in supermarkets or convenience stores. Furthermore, it will not prevent consumers from purchasing multiple 16-ounce bottles of sugary drinks.

Like many other institutions, Fordham will have to make some changes to its food service in order to comply with the new regulations.

“As soon as the new regulation is printed and circulated by the NYC Health Department, we can then sort through the implications of the law to ensure full compliance prior to March 12, 2013,” Jeanne Molloy, Sodexo’s registered dietitian at Fordham University, said.

“All drink sizes will be brought to full compliance.”

Members of the Fordham student body are treating the new regulations with a rather skeptical attitude.

“Orange juice is a sugary drink, but it’s a healthy drink,” Vincent J. Pelizzi, GSB ’15, said, in describing a potential weakness of the policy.

In fact, drinks that are 100 per-

RICHARD DREW/ AP

The high amounts of sugar in soda are linked to obesity in America, and this ban promotes healthier lifestyles.

cent fruit or vegetable juice are exempt from the ban, as are drinks that are at least 50 percent milk.

Students also weighed in on the controversy that the “soda ban,” as it is colloquially known, has induced over how much the government should be interfering in people’s private lives.

“Big sugary drinks like that, if people want to be healthy, they shouldn’t be having them,” Pelizzi said. “But I don’t think local government has the right to enforce that for us.”

Not everyone agreed that the government had overstepped its boundaries in this case.

“I understand people’s objection to it fundamentally, but I don’t think it’s that big of an infringement,” Christopher Pedro, FCRH ’15, said. “It does limit the size of a drink, but it doesn’t limit how

many one could have. So someone could still buy the same amount of soda; they just need to buy it in separate servings.”

He further insinuated that consumer buying habits would not likely change as a result of the ban.

“Most people want to buy one drink, and will buy that one drink,” Pedro said. “Most people say, ‘I want one soda,’ not, ‘I want 16 ounces of soda.’ So, therefore, if they reduce the size of it, I think for most people, they’re still only going to be buying one drink, albeit less of said drink.”

The soda regulations are not the first health-related venture that the Bloomberg government has attempted to tackle with regard to food service in New York City. In 2008, the city issued a policy that restricted artificial trans-fats in restaurant meals to 0.5 grams per serving. That same year, the city

PACNY Cleans Up Local Parks

Students Get Down and Dirty in the Bronx, Restoring the Nearby Community

By JEFF COLTIN

Sept. 23- 24, 189th St and Bathgate 5 p.m.- 12 p.m.

A guest of a student parked her vehicle outside of the student’s offcampus residence. She returned the following day to see her passenger window had been smashed.

Her GPS and baseball glove were stolen. NYPD responded, and a report was taken.

—Compiled by Karen Hill, Assistant News Editor Correction In the last issue of The Ram [V.94, issue 14], it was not Fordham who invited outside journalists to the Dolan Colbert event, but instead it was “VIPs,” according to Bob Howe, Fordham’s senior director of communications.

Manhattan has Central Park, Brooklyn has Prospect Park, Queens has Flushing Meadows and Staten Island has the Green Belt, but of all the boroughs, the Bronx has the most green space — and Fordham’s Parks Action for the City of New York (PACNY) club is doing its part to keep it that way.

PACNY has been a club since the early 2000s, according to current coordinator Stephen Erdman, FCRH ’13 and executive president of USG. The club partners with a group called The Bronx is Blooming to work in parks around the Bronx, doing work like pulling weeds, moving mulch and planting flowers.

This past Sunday, about 15 Fordham members of PACNY convened at Ft. Knox Park, a mile north of campus. The park is a thin strip of land between Bronx Blvd. and the Bronx River. Remote-control car enthusiasts know the park for its dirt RC car track, but the Fordham students of PACNY saw it as public park in need of some helping hands.

Dozens of Bronx residents brought their cars to the track Sunday morning, filling the air with dust and the high-pitched buzz of tiny motors, while the students of PACNY worked at a garden area

THIS

week at

FORDHAM

STAFF WRITER

A student had a dispute with another student. One student threw a drink at the other’s face. The student who threw the drink received threatening text messages from the student who had the drink thrown in his face. The student sending the threatening messages was reported to security, who then referred the student to the dean of students. He opted not to report the threats to the NYPD.

also began requiring that chain restaurants within the city limits post how many calories were in each of their menu items.

That does not necessarily mean the soda ban will be implemented successfully. Several interest groups have said that they will explore legal options with regards to challenging the ban in court.

According to a Reuters article published on June 4, however, arguments against the ban will face a difficult test against New York City’s power to regulate public health.

If the ban is successfully upheld and implemented, consequences could reach far beyond New York City. According to a U.S. News and World Report article published on Sept. 14, “Experts say that if the ban is successful at curbing obesity, other cities and states could try to enact similar measures.”

Thursday, Sept. 27 Cinevents!: The Amazing Spiderman Campus Activities Board Keating 1st 9 p.m.

COURTESY OF FLICKR.COM

Students volunteer in parks in the Bronx, like the one pictured, all year round.

in the corner of the park. Some cleared weeds and trash, and while others moved mulch. The track was out of sight, but sounds and smells ensured it was never out of mind — such is life in the Bronx.

“The group hosts projects about once a month throughout the year, usually on Saturday mornings for about four hours,” David Birkdale, FCRH ’15, PACNY Assistant Coordinator, said. The turnout for the Ft. Knox project was of average size, but the club can bring out anywhere from five to 20 students, depending on the project.

“It’s really a great way to meet people at Fordham,” Birkdale said.

“It’s a great way to get out into the Bronx and know the community a bit better.”

Erdman said he agreed.

“One of my favorite things about it is going to a different part of the

Bronx, going to a new park, seeing a new area, not just walking past it, but actually getting your hands in the ground there and talking with the people who walk past and ask what you’re doing,” Erdman said.

“It’s a different way to see another part of the community.”

The Ft. Knox project was not different. Nobody in the Fordham group had been to the park before.

Many passers-by struck up conversation, asking what this group of college kids was doing gardening on a Sunday morning. After hours of working in the dirt, the group cleaned up and looked at all the progress it had made. It looked like a new garden. This is always Birkdale’s favorite part.

“Seeing the finished product, seeing the work we do when we come together and put our minds to it,” he said.

Thursday, Sept. 27 USG Freshman Elections Vote on Orgsync.com Sunday, Sept. 30 Comissioning Mass for Liturgical Ministers Keating 1st 5 p.m.

Monday, Oct. 1 Cultural Affairs Ticket Raffle CAB McGinley Ballroom 1 p.m.

Monday, Oct. 1 Bronx College Town Program Dorothy Day Center Keating 3rd 3:30-5:30 p.m.

Tuesday, Oct. 2 Cinevents!: Safety Not Guaranteed Campus Activities Board Keating 1st 9 p.m.

NEWS

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SEPTEMBER 26, 2012 • THE RAM • PAGE 3

Fordham Expands Its Alta Gracia Clothing Line Students Team with Barnes & Noble to Support the Living Wage Manufacturer, Alta Gracia, Based Out of the Dominican Republic

By KELLY KULTYS ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR

The Fordham University Bookstore has recently strengthened its relationship with the college apparel manufacturer, Alta Gracia, through its purchase of over 1,500 units of clothing from the vendor. Alta Gracia is not just a typical collegiate clothing manufacturer, as it is considered “a pioneer in ending the use of poverty-wage sweatshops,” according to Barnes & Noble College News.

Alta Gracia, located in the Dominican Republic, is a branch of Knights’ Apparel Inc., which designs clothing for college students. What makes Alta Gracia different from a traditional factory is that it pays its workers a living wage. According to bncnews.com, a living wage “enables an employee to afford adequate food, clean water, clothing, shelter, health care, child care and education for themselves and their families.”

“We are trying to get more people to know that this company exists, and they are actually doing something positive,” Jason Figueroa, general manager of the Fordham University Bookstore, said. “[Barnes & Noble] is now conscientious of who we are doing business with. I’m glad to work for a company that at least cares about these things.”

Bncnews.com also reported that this living wage is more than three times the average salary of other clothing-factory workers in the Dominican Republic. Many employees

praise Alta Gracia for its groundbreaking measures, as its workers can now live a more complete life.

With their wages, many of the workers have been able to purchase food to feed their families, install running water and upgrade their living quarters.

Here at Fordham, it is easy to see the affects of the growing relationship. The Alta Gracia rolled T-shirts are one of the prominent displays in the bookstore, and they have been one of the most popular items sold. “[The rolled T-shirts] are one of the bread-and-butter products for all of our stores,” Figueroa said. “They sold extremely well, especially for dads who came in for homecoming who didn’t want to try on a whole bunch of shirts. They were perfectly packaged for them to just say ‘I’ll have one of those and one of those, OK, we’re done. Let’s go to the game’.”

The push for an extended Alta Gracia clothing line in the bookstore began last year with Tim Casey, FCRH ’12, and Brendan Francolini, GSB ’14 and USG vice president of operations. The two brought a proposal to the Fordham Bookstore.

Before their proposal, the bookstore offered a small selection of Alta Gracia apparel. The clothing, was hidden in the back and made up less than 10 percent of the bookstore’s apparel.

“What we ended up saying was this is a great cause, and it’s in line with the University’s mission of trying to alleviate poverty,” Francolini said. “So how can we support that?

We want to show that students are interested in and support this.”

Casey and Francolini suggested that the bookstore purchase a greater percentage of its clothing from Alta Gracia and increase its prominence in the bookstore.

The Barnes & Noble College Division, the company that owns the bookstore, was already involved with Alta Gracia. It had ordered more than half of the products offered by Alta Gracia. It recently expanded its involvement, purchasing 116,000 units of clothing for a total of over $1.1 million.

“All 700 plus stores took Alta Gracia as the vendor,” Figueroa said. “We’ve replaced an older vendor and went exclusively with Alta Gracia. They actually weren’t sure if they could handle the weight of 700 stores ordering from them, but they did a great job.”

Up until this year, Fordham was not as heavily involved with the Alta Gracia line as other Barnes & Noble sponsored bookstores, such as those located at Duke University and New York University, which each sold over $300,000 worth of Alta Gracia products. Casey and Francolini suggested that Fordham get more involved, as they argued that Alta Gracia embodied Fordham’s mission: “Fordham is committed to research and education that assist in the alleviation of poverty, the promotion of justice, the protection of human rights and respect for the environment.”

They were very successful. The

PHOTO BY KATE DOHENY/THE RAM

The Alta Gracia rolled T-shirts are one of the most popular-selling items.

line is in the process of expanding even more. Figueroa hopes to continue diversifying the bookstore’s Alta Gracia products this spring.

“We’re actually expanding, with more shirts coming in the spring,” Figueroa said. “Hopefully some more fashion styles, but we’ll see.

The important thing is we’re expanding, because they did a great job, and [Barnes & Noble] is happy with the products, the styles, the timeliness.”

Other offices are becoming more involved with the campaign as well.

The Office of Residential Life has been one of the main supporters on campus. All T-shirts ordered through the department must be purchased from Alta Gracia, so those placed by residential assistants and the Residence Hall Association will support this cause.

“That’s been implemented slowly throughout the summer, but now

it is in full force,” Francolini said.

“Dean Kim Russell was responsible for providing that support.”

One of Francolini’s main goals is to continue this campus-wide integration. Students for Fair Trade and United Student Government are two organizations already involved, but Francolini hopes more groups will get on board, especially in raising awareness about Alta Gracia.

“There’s a documentary [about Alta Gracia] that we’d like to show again to students because it highlighted the stories of workers and how the company transformed their lives,” Francolini said.

Francolini and Figueroa said they believe that the continued growth of Alta Gracia on campus will help students learn more about their social responsibility to others, in addition to supporting “pioneer” in the fight against sweatshop clothing factories.

The Student Culinary Council, St. Rose's CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) and Fordham Dining Services have organized a farmers’ market on campus to spread the word on eating locally when possible.

Students and administrators will be able to purchase products from farms within 150 miles of campus. The CSA will also be selling "shares” from St. Rose's and Norwich Meadows Farm.

All proceeds from the farmers market will go to St Rose's Garden.

Follow the link for more details: fordhamsustainability.wordpress.com/st-roses-csa Sama Habib > President, Student Culinary Council

The best way to get rewarded for dining on campus.

Download the app, earn points, scan the rewards and save!

www.qponrevolution.com

Creating Exceptional Experiences Everyday

PAGE 4 • THE RAM • SEPTEMBER 26, 2012

A STUDENT BODY THIRSTS FOR CULTURE YOU ALONE CAN QUENCH THEIR THIRST WRITE FOR THE RAM CULTURE, AND SAVE THE FORDHAM COMMUNITY FROM CULTURAL IGNORANCE Contact us at: fordhamramculture@gmail.com or come to room B52 in McGinley, Tuesdays @ 6 p.m.

ADVERTISING

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SEPTEMBER 26, 2012

PAGE 5

Romney Disregards Student Financial Struggles

By CANTON WINER ASSITANT OPINIONS EDITOR

Are you receiving a loan to attend college? Do you have a work-study job? Then, in presidential candidate Mitt Romney’s eyes, you are “dependent upon government.” According to Romney, all students receiving any sort of government-funded assistance (such as Federal WorkStudy and student loans) “believe that… they are victims” and “will vote for this president [Barack Obama] no matter what.”

That is right — Mitt Romney basically just called you a whiny, freeloading Obama-lover. In a video released by Mother Jones, a nonprofit news organization, on Tuesday, Sept. 18, the Republican presidential candidate claimed that 47 percent of Americans do not pay taxes, are dependent on the government, see themselves as victims and will vote for President Obama “no matter what.”

Any student taking out federal loans or employed by a workstudy job falls under this 47 percent of so-called slackers.

While this is only Romney’s latest headline-grabbing blunder in his apparent race to lose the 2012 presidential election, it might be his biggest mistake yet; he did, after all, just insinuate that half of all Americans are parasites. College students should take note.

Romney has now explicitly displayed his disdain for, among

ELIZABETH ZANGHI/THE RAM

Kelsey Callaghan, GSB ’15, a desk assistant through the work-study program, receives federal aid through her job.

millions of other Americans, college students who cannot afford to pay for college themselves.

Romney’s insulting statement reveals that not only does he not understand the struggles of ordinary Americans, he does not care.

“My job is not to worry about those people,” he told the audience at the $50,000-per-plate May 17 fundraiser in Boca Raton, Fla. at which he was recorded. In a way, it is no surprise that a man who hosts fundraisers where dinner costs about as much as a full academic year at a school like Fordham would not understand why many Americans cannot go to college without financial help

from the government.

At an April 27 appearance at Otterbein University in Ohio, Romney gave some advice to those who want to go to college.

“Take a shot, go for it, take a risk, get the education, borrow money if you have to from your parents,” he said. Unfortunately, not everyone has parents with an extra $200,000 or so sitting in their bank accounts. His advice is about as useful as recommending that cash-strapped college students research how to turn dirt into gold.

Zoe Sanders, FCRH ’15, has a student loan and worked as a desk assistant under Federal Work-Study last year.

“I honestly would not be able to be here [without government aid],” Sanders said. “Explain to me how I am a victim by working 12 hours a week, on top of homework and other activities. It is not like we are sitting here screaming ‘Help me, help me!’ We are working for ourselves.”

Romney’s version of struggling in college was selling some of the stock that his father gave him.

“Neither one of us had a job, because Mitt had enough of an investment from stock that we could sell off a little at a time,” his wife, Ann, said in a 1994 interview with the Boston Globe. “The stock came from Mitt’s father.”

What Romney may not under-

stand is that not everyone’s father was the chairman and president of American Motors Corporation and the former governor of Michigan. The average college student’s version of struggle is eating crates of ramen noodles and getting a work-study job with the university, not selling some of daddy’s stock.

This is not to say that we should begrudge Mitt for his father’s good fortune. The problem with his extremely privileged upbringing is not that he received an unfair advantage for which he should be punished, but that he seems to resent those who receive any help from the government.

If Romney can so easily deride those who need and accept government assistance, then there is little to stop him from simply cutting programs such as Federal Work-Study and federal loans for college. We moochers should just sell some of our daddies’ stocks like Romney did. We should stop allowing ourselves to be “victims.”

Romney felt comfortable saying that the 47 percent are selfdefined “victims” for a reason: “I’ll never convince them that they should take personal responsibility and care for their lives,” he said. Romney does not think that we will vote for him. Will we prove him right?

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

SAT Can Be Biased Against Lower-Income Students

By NIKOS BUSE COPY EDITOR

For the past few years, various groups have debated whether SAT scores are a useful measure of merit for college applications. Many colleges, particularly those in the University of California system, have decried that SAT results are illegitimate predictors of grade point averages for incoming college freshmen, while institutions like the College Board have praised them.

Until recently, many have argued that the SAT is a faulty indicator of academic capability. Some, like Stella Thomas, FCRH ’14, feel that the SAT is a poor assessment of intelligence because it is not focused on the right topics.

“It’s more based on logic and manipulation than intelligence and aptitude,” Thomas said.

Still others believe that the SAT is unfair since students from higher socioeconomic backgrounds have historically scored higher. A new report from the journal, Psychological Science, however, may have debunked these popular beliefs about the SAT. The latest studies, conducted by a team of psychological scientists from the University of Minnesota, have shown that the SAT is equally predictive for the freshman year grade performance for students of both high and low socioeconomic statuses. The team collected information from students across 41 in-

stitutions, asking information about SAT scores, socioeconomic status and academic performance from the first year of college. They found that students’ SAT scores, when examined in conjunction with high school GPAs, can be highly predictive of freshman year academic performance, regardless of students’ financial backgrounds. According to the study, colleges and universities can look to the SAT for its ability to “[reflect] real differences in learning and skill acquisition, not socioeconomic status.” This study was hugely beneficial to the members of the College Board, who have been faced with much criticism over the past few years. Unsurprisingly, they were elated with the findings, claiming that the research team had undone a lot of efforts to undermine the use and status of the SAT. Critics of the test are skeptical of the study for a number of reasons, foremost of which are that the College Board funded the study, and that the top researcher assigned to the project is a consultant for the College Board. In addition, the findings do not dispute that the study supports a model wherein colleges will continue to admit a far higher percentage of students from high-income backgrounds. The research team claims, however, that the reason more students from low economic backgrounds will not be enrolled in universities is that there are fewer students who are applying, which would account for the

JOHNATHAN WILSON/MCT

Many critics of the SAT believe that the standardized tests are unfair to those from lower socioeconomic backgrounds.

drop in enrollments. Some believe that the reason students from lowincome backgrounds are no longer applying is because they have begun to avoid schools that look to the SAT as a major indicator of academic success or merit. Almost all schools that have removed the SAT as part of the criteria in prospective students’ college applications have seen a large subsequent growth of applications from students of lower-income backgrounds. If in fact this is the case, the SAT continues to serve as a barrier, preventing universities from admitting the diverse group that merits acceptance.

Many institutions have turned to affirmative action in order to create a more dynamic freshman class. In his review of the study, Saul Geiser, research associate of the Center for

Studies in Higher Education at the University of California at Berkeley, critiqued the findings. He argued that the reason the study seems to show a subdued disparity between socioeconomic status and SAT scores is not because the SAT is a more objective examination, but rather, because schools have “introduced compensatory policies to admit more low-income students.”

This is not a viable solution. By introducing measures to artificially inflate the number of students from lower-income backgrounds, the integrity of the college application is tarnished. At the same time, however, for colleges to continue using a form of testing that may be biased is just as morally reprehensible.

Even if the testing could be a fair assessment of academic ability, the

simple fact that there is doubt over its impartiality should prevent universities from turning to this method for determining which students to accept.

Until there is greater certainty that the SAT is not a biased source, colleges should refrain from using it as a reference point for determining whether students deserve acceptance. For now, to ensure that the process is based solely on merit, they should rely solely upon college essays and high school academic records to determine which students should be admitted. In this way, institutions of higher education would be able to form a class that is both diverse and deserving of acceptance.

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

OPINIONS

PAGE 6• THE RAM • SEPTEMBER 26, 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.

www.theramonline.com Advertising: (718) 817-4379 Executive: (718) 817-4380 Publishing: (718) 817-4381 Editorial: (718) 817-4382 Newsroom: (718) 817-4394 Fax: (718) 817-4319 theram@fordham.edu Fordham University - Station 37 Box B Bronx, NY 10458 Editor-in-Chief Olivia Monaco Managing Editor Victoria Rau Executive Editor Sarah Ramirez Business Editor Lindsay Lersner News Editor Connor Ryan Assistant News Editors Karen Hill Kelly Kultys Opinions Editor Rory Masterson Assistant Opinions Editors Ricky Bordelon Canton Winer Culture Editor Scharon Harding Assistant Culture Editor Devon Sheridan Sports Editors Chester Baker Dan Gartland Assistant Sports Editor Matt Rosenfeld Copy Chief Taylor Engdahl Copy Team Anne Marie Bogar John Bonazzo • Talia Boyer PJ Brogan • Nikos Buse Megan Connor Francesca Damiano Rosemary Derocher Pat Doherty • Lianna Drobatz Elisa Frangaj • Deirdre Hynes Stephanie Kawalski Dominic Kearns • Tyler Lancaster Francesca Leite • Lauren Manzino Shannon Marcoux Daniel Murphy • Katie Nolan Sara Powers • Anthony Pucik Anna Romagnoli • Allison Russell Andrew Santis • Kirsten Simons Marlessa Stivala •John Talio Lizzy Zanghi Photo Editor Michael Rezin Design Editor Elizabeth Mallozzi Web Editor Anne Couture Assistant Web Editor Daley Quinn Faculty Advisor Dr. Beth Knobel Opinions Policy The Ram appreciates submissions that are typed and saved on a disk in *.rtf, *.txt or *.doc formats, or sent to the staff via e-mail at fordhamramletters@gmail.com. Commentaries are printed on a space available basis. The Ram reserves the right to reject any submission for any reason, without notice. Submissions become the exclusive property of The Ram and will not be returned. The Ram reserves the right to edit any submissions. The opinions in The Ram’s editorials are those of the editorial board; those expressed in articles, letters, commentaries, cartoons or graphics are those of the individual author. No part of The Ram may be reproduced without written consent.

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From the Desk of Michael Rezin, Photo Editor As our world has grown increasingly wireless, we have witnessed the step-by-step evolution of the tech industry and all that goes with it. The smartphone has opened doors to the social media age. We have progressed from Myspace to Facebook, and then to Twitter, Foursquare and now Instagram (oh, and Google+).

Within all of these different sects of the social media and smartphone world, we have seen a steady, undeniable improvement.

Now, as a photographer, I must comment on the development and integration of photography into all of these media platforms and, in particular, I can’t help but notice the progress in the relationship within social media and photography. Social photo sharing started with Facebook photo albums and wall posts, and then continued with tweeting and twit pics. Now, Instagram functions as an entire forum devoted solely to pictures.

Before today’s smartphones came into existence, it would have been difficult to find a camera phone with more than 0.3 megapixels, which pales in comparison

to the current eight mega-pixel iPhone 5. As photos have become more integrated into the structure of social media, consumers demand better image quality, higher resolution and all-around better devices.

In 2006, I had an Olympus point-and-shoot camera that only had six mega-pixels and was worth around $200 to $250.

Back then, camera phones were simple, and companies aspired to make phones with better quality cameras. Since then, they have figured out how to make digital photography devices more compact. Camera phones have been developed to be more like the cameras of today. I am not saying that an iPhone is anywhere near the image quality of a Nikon D-7000, but phones are improving with every new model.

What fascinates me is that cameras are now taking cues from smartphones. Not too long ago, a company created the “Eye-Fi,” which is a line of memory cards that have Wi-Fi technology integrated into the card, so you can download your photos from the card without taking your camera

out of your bag. Companies have begun integrating GPS technology into their cameras as well, first externally with separate devices and now within the camera itself. Typically, this integration into the camera has appeared in point-and-shoot cameras, but this past month, Canon released the Canon 6D, which has both GPS and Wi-Fi capabilities built into it. The Canon 6D is a professional 20 mega-pixel Digital-SLR camera (for non-camera people, the really big cameras), so adding Wi-Fi to a high-end camera such as this is a first. This is huge for social media lovers, because they can wirelessly upload photos straight from their cameras to the Internet. They don’t even need to touch a memory card. This has increased the relationship between high-resolution images and social media significantly. Although this technology is amazing, it does come at a cost. The Canon 6D is listed at $2,100 without a lens, and, with the recommended lens, it amounts to about $3,000.

In tandem with increased connection, companies like Facebook and Apple are changing the

way we view photos. Facebook has set up a new photo queue that pops up with a black background when you want to view photos, and Apple has come out with its new iPad, which boasts one of the highest resolution screens on a tablet. Apple even marketed the iPad as “Resolutionary,” simply for its updated screen.

This side-by-side development of social media and photo quality has really given way to a better online experience and a superior viewing experience overall.

I can’t wait to see what the tech industry has in store for us next, but for now — until I can afford otherwise — I will remain the less-than-proud owner of a Verizon LG Octane and keep my photography and social media connected via USB.

EDITORIAL: Drop in Rank Is Only a Blip on the Radar For the first time since 2008, the Fordham website did not feature a brand-new memo on the U.S. News & World Report’s “America’s Best Colleges” rankings this fall. That is because the University broke trend this year and fell five spots, from No. 53 in 2012 to No. 58 for 2013.

Fordham has been working hard to improve its ranking, and is proud of its 31-point jump — which is now only a 26-point jump since 2003 — as students are reminded when they see the banner exalting Fordham’s triumphs when entering McGinley Center. The slight stumble in the rankings is surely a point of frustration and anxiety for the administration.

We at The Ram believe, however, that this does not represent a major obstacle to Excelsior, or “Ever Upward,” the campaign that Father McShane has spearheaded, which “seeks to raise $500 million to bring Fordham into a new era of preeminence by 2016, its 175th anniversary.” The No. 58 score fails to account for many new and exciting changes that have come into play this semester and will continue to improve Fordham’s image.

The massive renovation of Hughes Hall, the conversion of the Ramskellar, the expansion of Lincoln Center’s campus, our sports teams’ improving records, the promise of higher-quality food service and increased com-

petitiveness in admissions are only some of the many reasons that we have to be optimistic.

These advances will undoubtedly improve the University’s perception within the Fordham community, which is half the battle toward an increased recognition of Fordham’s merit by the wider community.

Both student surveys and alumni giving factor into the rankings, so it follows that if current and former students recognize that Fordham is on the right track, the rankings will eventually reflect that.

Additionally, these advances will certainly not be the last in the coming years. The administration has bigger and better

plans to continue Fordham’s progression into greater prominence — we can only eagerly await now and will celebrate them late — which will include the expansion of the law school at the Lincoln Center campus and new construction to increased residential space.

While Fordham may have had a minor setback this year, we feel confident that our University will continue on its climb “Ever Upward,” and we look forward to another jubilant message from

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.

Letter to the Editor Dear Editor, The article “Catholic Candidates Differ in Interpretation of Faith” (V. 94, i. 14) leaves readers with the notion that the faithful can choose from a menu of ideologies and still remain in the Church. American culture values individual expression and free thought, and opinions are encouraged. In the context of Catholicism, however, one’s opinions can quickly lead to apostasy if they contradict the fundamental teachings of the faith.

It is not the layperson’s role to interpret Catholicism; the dogmas that define the faith are a cohesive, inseparable whole. The “one” mark of the Church signifies a unified body of adherents centered on belief in one Lord, one God. Christ charged his Apostles and their bishop suc-

cessors with the responsibility to interpret scripture and tradition.

The Magisterium, or the official teaching body of the Church, authorizes the pope and bishops in communion with the pope as the only people that can officially define dogma.

So-called personal interpretations often contradict these official tenets and therefore cannot be defined as Catholic. Those who deny the real presence of Christ transubstantiated in the Eucharist, believe procured abortion is a woman’s right or support gay marriage are not Catholics, for they do not have the right to dissent from the Church on these incontrovertible issues. Therefore, they separate themselves from the community of believers and become apostates.

This is obviously a difficult

position to digest in the freethinking American culture. The Constitution grants freedom of speech and religion and establishes a republic; these are wonderful facets of American life and governance. The Church, however, is not a democracy.

National identities should be secondary to one’s identity as a Catholic, for after all, the word catholic translates to “universal.”

While the Founding Fathers are obviously important figures, perhaps American Catholics ought to be more interested in what the popes and St. Thomas Aquinas had to say.

Those who are faithful to Christ are also faithful to those He entrusts to lead His flock.

Obedience is the proper Catholic response to the Magisterium.

Obedience suppresses biases,

fallacies, desires, pride and vanity for the sake of accepting and trusting Christ above all else. Socalled Catholic politicians who are disobedient cause scandal by leading others to think that it is acceptable to disregard core moral and theological dogmas.

It is crucial that faithful American Catholics do not support objective evil in the voting booths.

Candidates who support procured abortion, euthanasia, embryonic stem cell research and same-sex marriage are in direct opposition to the Church. The implications for voting are important for intellectual and spiritual honesty as well as for the soul’s well-being.

Yours faithfully, John Ketcham GSB ’13

Are your friends really tired of hearing you complain?

Write for The Ram’s opinions section.

E-mail us at: fordhamramopinions@gmail.com

OPINIONS

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The Left Lane Conor

SEPTEMBER 26, 2012 • THE RAM • PAGE 7

Youth Vote Could Shift Election

Righter’s Block

John P. Castonguay

Fucci

Candidates Cannot Hide

Romney Has Privacy Problem

Since the start of the 2012 election cycle, Mitt Romney has been plagued by issues of personal privacy. When a person decides that he or she wants to be the president of the United States, there are some “rights” that will have to be surrendered; it just so happens that privacy is one of them.

During primary season, many of the potential Republican presidential candidates struggled to hide their personal demons that eventually crippled or ended their campaigns altogether.

One strong example is that of Herman Cain. For a while, Cain was faring rather well in his campaign, but that all changed when several charges of sexual harassment came to light that essentially destroyed his presidential hopes.

It has become tradition when grooming someone for a presidential campaign that the respective party will attempt to bury as much incendiary personal background as possible. Even after this, many candidates manage to find themselves in hot water. Mitt Romney was in good shape until it was clear he was the Republican nominee. The proverbial poop hit the fan when Romney decided he was not going to release his tax return information. This allowed Democrats to speculate about what was going on behind this billionaire’s closed doors.

Senator Harry Reid famously claimed that there had been several years that Romney had not paid taxes at all; Romney could not effectively parry this statement due to his failure to release his tax returns. Just recently, Romney released several of his tax returns hoping to quell this speculation. I feel that this is too little, too late. Romney’s desire for personal privacy very well may cost him in the upcoming general election.

To make matters worse, at a Romney fundraising event in May, Romney was filmed stating, “There are 47 percent of the people who will vote for the president no matter what. All right, there are 47 percent who are with him, who are dependent upon government.”

A tape was released anonymously, and the fallout was almost instantaneous. President Obama and other Democrats pounced, claiming that Romney was only willing to lead half the nation, and that is not what the job description entails. Romney later weakly attempted to clarify his remarks.

In the end, it is important to remember the personal sacrifices that are necessary when someone becomes the president of the United States. Privacy for candidates is a thing of the past; there is no way to hide sensitive details of one’s life from the modern media. Candidates should accept this fact early on in the campaign and come clean so the people have a good idea for whom they are voting.

This week has been particularly difficult for the Romney campaign.

Romney continued to fall behind in nationwide polls; Pew Research has him trailing Obama by 7 percentage points. In swing states, the picture is similarly bleak. Currently, CNN projects that Obama is leading Romney 237 to 191 in the Electoral College.

In addition to suffering in the polls, Romney has been unable to properly manage his private and public persona. Earlier this week, a grainy video was leaked of a Romney speech from a private fundraiser. His opponents are having a field day over some of his off-the-cuff remarks.

In the video, Romney states, “There are 47 percent of the people who will vote for the president no matter what,” and went on to say that “[M]y job is not to worry about those people. I’ll never convince them they should take personal responsibility and care for their lives.”

Liberal critics easily used these quotes to depict Romney as out-oftouch and unfeeling.

Romney’s response demonstrates a disappointing lack of understanding of the current media culture. He has tried to downplay the impact of these comments by emphasizing their impromptu nature rather than responding to the content. This further plays into the hands of critics of Romney, who can claim that Romney is not only unable to function without a script, but that he is also secretive. He could have attempted to draw attention to some of the other points he makes in the video, such as his patriotic remarks: “Frankly, I was born with a silver spoon, which is the greatest gift you can have: which is to get born in America.” He could also have released videos from other fund-raising events in order to show off his more personal side and to prove that he has nothing to hide.

Romney has previously demonstrated his hesitance to release additional private information in response to public scrutiny. This week, after months of pressure, Romney finally released his income tax returns.

The public learned that Romney donated 30 percent of his income to charitable organizations and paid an effective tax rate of 14 percent on his income, despite unsubstantiated claims by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid that Romney had not paid income taxes in 10 years.

While Mitt Romney might understandably be hesitant to release what, for anyone else, would be private information, he must realize that the American public, brought up on tabloids and gossip television, expects to know everything about major figures, particularly presidential candidates. He could use this expectation of intimate knowledge as an excuse to release favorable information and build a more personable image, or he could continue to make decisions, such as turning down an invitation to appear on “Saturday Night Live,” that make him seem aloof and secretive. Romney needs to find the correct balance between appearing presidential and not allowing the public to see “the real Mitt Romney,” or he will lose on Nov. 6.

AL SEIB/MCT

Barack Obama capitalized on the nation’s youth vote to help him win the presidential election four years ago in 2008.

By JOSEPH VITALE STAFF WRITER

The youth vote was what President Obama credited as one of his most fired-up bases in the 2008 election. Under his leadership, thousands of college students and recent graduates between the ages of 18-29 were motivated to ignite change during a time when it was most needed.

Fast forward four years, and it is the same old song. While a little more than half of all recent college graduates are unemployed or underemployed, many are waiting for a new energy: one dependent on the ability of the presidential campaigns to reach out to university campuses and motivate students not only to register to vote, but also to participate on Election Day. This distinction has been one of the biggest problems for both parties in the last 30 years. In 2008, while 44 percent of youth voters were eligible to vote, about 78 percent of this number cast ballots. This representation lags behind older voting groups, of which about 88 percent get to the polls.

Plenty of political scientists question why younger voters do not turn out in droves. One explanation is the disconnect between young Americans and politicians.

Government leaders are becoming more acquainted with social networking, but, even in 2012, voter registration is not done online or through social networks.

“I believe it’s because of a lack of political education and, more importantly, a belief that one vote will not change anything,” Anthony Carl, FCRH ’16, said.

“Candidates should focus more on motivating people to vote.”

For many students there is also the dilemma of being away at college, where an absentee ballot is required. The process is found to be lengthy and irritating, caus-

ing many students to avoid it as whole.

“Part of the problem is that many people think about politics as a dirty word or a bad thing — it’s something to be avoided, rather than the basis of how our world operates,” Chris Crews, an adjunct professor of political science at Fordham, said. “We’ve fostered this illusion in the U.S. that somehow by not being interested or involved in the community, neighborhood, city, etc. that you can avoid politics and stay ‘clean.’ Nothing could be further from the truth.”

As for all of the excitement about Barack Obama, the enthusiasm seems less present now compared to 2008 when campaign buttons were pinned onto fall clothing, bumper stickers adorned students’ cars and signs were hung on the walls of dorm rooms across the nation.

The reason for the dampened enthusiasm lies mostly in the dismal numbers of the economy, an issue at the forefront of the minds of college students. Many are eager to establish themselves in the real world, where they will soon begin interacting with the economy and government through loans, debt, taxes and employment.

“In 2008 there was a more widespread, overarching support for Obama,” Michelle DiMartino, FCRH ’15, said. “But now, my peers find hope in Obama’s long-term plans for the social and legislative plans for the economy and healthcare. Now, it has far more depth.”

During a time when unemployment is high, job opportunities are scarce and the economy continues to struggle, the youngest generation of American voters are feeling less motivated by President Obama than they were four years ago. They are looking for a refreshing political scene that caters to their interests,

namely low interest on college loans, improved job opportunities and motivation to take financial risks.

With good reason, both candidates have been attempting to court the youth vote since the beginning of the race.

This past week, President Obama launched a campaign called “For All,” which asked young voters to snap pictures of themselves putting their hand over their heart with a message written on it. The initiative asks that the pictures be tweeted with the hashtag “#forall.”

The College Republican National Committee has a recent initiative as well, headlined by the interesting title, “Oomph!”which stands for “out of my parents’ house.” The organization has drawn attention to the number of college graduates living in their parents’ homes (three in 10).

Many of these students want to leave their parents’ roofs and begin utilizing their freedom rather than be constrained by their parents’ wills.

Thankfully for Obama, the numbers are on his side: According to research gathered by Pew Research Center for the People & the Press, the Democratic Party has captured about two out of every three young American votes since 1972, but the most crucial step, encouraging as many students to vote as possible, has always been the most unpredictable part. How either of these candidates will do so is still uncertain with just days to go.

Recently, on a college campus in Florida, presidential candidate Mitt Romney, amidst cheers and excitement from the crowd, retorted, “Don’t just chant, you got to vote!”

He could not be more right.

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

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

PAGE 8 • THE RAM •SEPTEMBER 26, 2012

OPINIONS

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After Busy Summer, London Faces Identity Crisis

By THOMAS MERANTE COPY EDITOR

London’s marathon of a summer is coming to a close. The final Olympic and Paralympic medals have been awarded, and Elizabeth II’s 60th year as Queen has been celebrated with an extravagant Diamond Jubilee.

After studying in London for over three weeks through Fordham’s pilot London Liberal Arts Program, I still find myself in awe of how well the British capital handled these giant events, and of how much Londoners had to accommodate the extraordinary influx of visitors and tourists.

Like New York, Dubai and Tokyo, London is often hailed as a global city — a cultural and economic center of the world. Yet the coincidences of the Olympics and Jubilee have reignited the age-old question of Britain’s role in the world political arena: Does it actually want to be a part of a more global community, or simply appear to be positioned to maintain its upper echelon economic and political status? London, as the nation’s capital, thus finds itself juggling Britain’s own prestigious history with its increased identity as a member of a more globalized society.

First, as the Jubilee demonstrated, there is plenty in London that is purely a commemoration of British culture and history. The National Portrait Gallery displays paintings and photographs of the most prominent and recognized Britons, and Buckingham Palace remains the revered home of the

towards [immigrants] than the second longest-reigning British rest of [Britain], where only 8 permonarch. Tourists flock to the cent like them.”

Tower of London to view the England has recently tightened Crown Jewels, to Westminster Abnational immigrabey to stand on the tion laws and regugraves of Dickens and Darwin and After studying in lations on student visas, which further to St. Paul’s CatheLondon for over raises the question dral, which is deof whether it is as scribed by its own official website as three weeks through “global” in reality it is on paper, “a lasting monuFordham’s pilot as and if the nation is ment to the glory welcoming to of God and a symLondon Liberal truly foreigners. bol of hope, resilThis is not a ience and strength Arts Program, I question with an of the city of London and the United still find myself in easy answer. Fordham’s Dr. Hugo Kingdom.”

Britain’s interawe of how well Benavides, an anthropology profesnational ties, on the other hand, are the British capital sor and director of the London Libevident beyond the Olympics in regu- handled these giant eral Arts Program, suggests that even lar cultural staples events. an event like the such as food and Olympics may be sport. In some a power move, a reassertion of naparts of central London, Indian, tional identity and strength.

Pakistani and Italian restaurants “You have an event like the outnumber traditional British Olympics, which says that we pubs, and even in those pubs, all should get along, but then it many of the Barclays Premier ended up being more of a ‘ra-ra-ra’ League’s biggest stars on televito support British athletes,” Benasion are not British. Robin Van vides said. “Perhaps the Olympics Persie (Netherlands), Fernando were a very benign way to get back Torres (Spain) and Mario Balosome power.” telli (Italy) are just a few of the What seems to be clear is that countless top-shelf soccer players the very idea of British identity is who do not claim Britain as their changing, and that the old days of homeland. the Empire are over, despite the Still, Britain as a whole holds a reality that Queen Elizabeth still reputation for not taking particureigns over 14 overseas territories. larly well to those born outside of Benavides proposed that because its borders. In June, The Economist of this change, “there is a desire reported, “London, which is onefor old Britain to exist,” which third foreign-born, is far warmer

shines through even in contemporary British shows such as “Downton Abbey.”

In our increasingly interdependent world, it is becoming more and more important for nations to open their doors to others and cooperate for the sake of the global economy, and, even more importantly, for the ever-elusive ideal of world peace. Still, few would argue that nations should simply shed their unique identities that make each nation what it is today.

“The moment you open up [to the world] is the moment you feel the most vulnerable,” Benavides said.

This is where Britain is stuck.

To open up completely to the world means sacrificing power and perhaps a bit of national identity; closing the doors to the world, besides being a terrible public relations strategy, is

irresponsible and ultimately less possible than it was even 50 years ago. The United States faces very similar predicaments concerning national identity and its openness with the rest of the world, and the 2012 presidential election may indicate in which direction America is heading.

For now, however, the spotlight is on Britain, and London in particular. The Olympics and the Jubilee may have passed, but they continue to resonate with the people and the city. Sooner or later, Britain will need to decide which event is more representative of its future. In the meantime, one of the world’s most important and influential islands, and its capital, is dealing with a rather severe identity crisis.

Thomas Merante, FCRH ’14, is an international political economy major from Brooklyn, NY.

VERNON BRYANT/MCT

Following the Summer Olympics, London is left with an uncertain identity.

Romney Divides Country With ‘47 Percent’ Comment

By JOE CLINES CONTRIBUTING WRITER

If a picture is worth a thousand words, then a hidden camera trained on a usually-careful politician equates to a novel. The high stakes and scrutiny of a close election makes any gaffe or misstep on the campaign trail a potentially damning moment for either of the candidates involved.

Mitt Romney is one of the most carefully-scripted candidates in recent memory, frequently mocked for his “robotic” demeanor. Romney has been criticized for being careful to a fault, playing off of the disdain for the Obama administration more than generating enthusiasm from his own platforms.

Part of Romney’s reserved and calculated style of public speaking can be attributed to the fact that his father, George Romney, experienced the scrutiny a presidential campaign can bring. He delivered an infamous gaffe when he claimed that he had been “brainwashed” to oppose the war in Vietnam following a visit to the embattled nation.

George Romney’s campaign nosedived shortly after the comments became public, a fact that has not been lost on Mitt. Given the great care Romney has taken to play it safe and avoid self-inflicted negative publicity, the comments, which he admits were not stated “elegantly,” have the potential to derail the campaign, as evidenced by some poll numbers suggesting

Romney’s fading hopes of attaining the presidency.

Some pundits and voters feel that Romney’s comments may actually be a blessing in disguise, serving to galvanize a conservative base that has thus far been apathetic towards Romney. The candid remarks may serve to reenergize Romney’s own party, which in all likelihood would have supported him regardless, but may cost him dearly in his quest to sway the 5 to 7 percent of voters Romney sees as “on the fence” regarding the election. The comments, especially in reference to what Romney sees as a “victim” mentality among recipients of government aid, further the stereotype of Romney as an “out-oftouch” millionaire, creating a larger disconnect between Romney

and the independent voters that will sway the election.

Kyle Chuber, FCRH ’14, said he shares the sentiment of many that Romney’s comments have been sensationalized, as all politicians, regardless of party, have to pander to the support groups that serve as the backbone of their campaigns.

It is hard not to sympathize with Romney on a certain level: his comments were taken out of context and delivered while he was candidly speaking to a room of supporters. The comments are, however, consistent with his assessment of the middle class and poor, whom he sees as responsible for their own circumstances of need due to the lack of motivation a “welfare state” creates.

Mitt Romney’s greatest assets as a candidate, given the current

state of the economy, is his impeccable business reputation and experience in the financial world.

Romney’s gifts are also a curse, as his Bain Capital mentality segments society into a numbers game where the key to his election is meeting a quota, a percentage, instead of engaging the living, breathing populace that constitutes the percentages to which he panders.

While Romney’s figures are accurate and, in fact, alarming, the cold manner in which he derisively states that the 47 percent of Americans dependent on government will never be convinced to “take responsibility for their lives” neglects the real struggle experienced by this enormous segment of society. In any context, a multimillionaire chastising the work

JEFF SINER/MCT

A video released by Mother Jones on Sept. 18 has led to a storm of criticism toward presidential candidate Mitt Romney.

ethic and drive of those receiving need-based assistance reflects the detachment Romney has enjoyed from the financial struggle that constitutes reality for this 47 percent of Americans.

A numbers-game mentality may be an invaluable tool in the world of business. Statistics, however, cannot paint an accurate picture of the societal necessity of governmental programs that do not breed complacency, instead providing a safety net to members of society who have taken “care and responsibility” for their lives yet have fallen on hard times due to illness, unemployment or old age.

A major critique of the Obama administration and a very present theme of the Romney-Ryan campaign is that President Obama has engaged in class warfare, pitting different segments of society against one another through practices such as “redistribution of wealth.” Romney’s recent comments, however, have to serve as the best example of a divisive campaign.

Romney was not simply elaborating on the math behind electoral voting; by calling into question the character and work ethic of the Obama supporters “dependent” on government, Romney has drawn a line in the sand between segments of society more distinct than any perceived practice of need-based “redistribution” ever has.

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

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PAGE 10 • THE RAM • SEPTEMBER 26, 2012

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PAGE 11

Upcoming Justice Film Festival to Address Racism and Sexism

By MONICA CRUZ CONTRIBUTING WRITER

With the goal of spreading the message of peace and justice to the Fordham community, the Justice Film Festival will be held at the Duane Library from 10:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Saturday, Sept.

29. Educators and students in the departments of peace and justice studies, women’s studies and the Latin American and Latino Studies Institute organized the event that will screen films relating to the themes of justice, war, peace, gender and sexuality and race relations.

Films including Catch 22, Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner and Nasty Girl will be screened.

Sociology professor Dr. Orlando Rodriguez explained the selection of films.

“We wanted to show films that show us people who took moral stands on issues,” he said. “Not as heroic cartoon characters, but as human beings faced with difficult choices between comfort and doing the right thing.”

Rodriguez, one of the organiz-

ers of the festival, also said in an email that though we appreciate films for their entertainment value, we must recognize their ability to portray the serious issues experienced in our day-to-day lives.

“The medium [of film] combines art and entertainment to enlighten us about the moral and social issues that we face,” theology professor Dr. Maureen O’Connell said.

“These films are clearly not simply art for art’s sake, but creativity with an intention to spark some kind of transformation.”

O’Connell also described the hopes of the event organizers.

“We have so many creative students here at Fordham,” she said.

“I hope the festival encourages them to use their own creativity toward some social end.”

The seven films will be shown with breaks in between in order to allow for reflection and snacks.

The captivating list is completed with Rabbit-Proof Fence, The World Unseen, Of Gods and Men and Philadelphia.

“We wanted films that would provide a context to examine some of the justice issues facing

the Fordham University community, particularly in light of the incidents of racial and gender bias last spring,” O’Connell said.

Although some of the films are from eras as far back as the 1960s, O’Connell insists are relevant to the big issues of today.

“I’m most interested in students’ reactions to Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner […] many of the questions it raises about interracial marriage in the 1960s may be applicable to questions of same-sex marriage today.”

The variety of fantastic films, each with a unique perspective on controversial and hard-hitting themes, will no doubt stir up some interesting conversation. The Justice Film Festival will aim at being a stimulating and intriguing event that will serve as a catalyst for discussion.

“It’s tempting to think of justice as something we pursue ‘out there’ — in communities and cultures beyond our immediate campus community and culture,” O’Connell said. “But as cliché as it sounds, justice really is something that begins at home.”

COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA

1970s Catch-22 is a satirical WWII film based on Joseph Heller’s 1961 novel.

Fordham Alums Keep Theater Alive With Performance Group

By SCHARON HARDING CULTURE EDITOR

So you spent your time at Fordham marveling at Broadway plays, sweating with Fordham Flava and doing countless rehearsals for the Mimes and Mummers. All the while, you are an English major with career aspirations far from the stage.

Does graduation day mean the end of your creative career? Is there no more room for theater, art and personal expression once you enter the real world? For three Fordham alums, the show must go on.

Daria Tavana, FCLC ’11 who majored in English, and Anni Weisband, a New York University ’11 alumna, formed True False Theatre (TFT) after their graduation.

“Our goal has always been to create a non-profit performing arts organization focused on developing artist residencies and producing experimental theater, with a unique effort to raise awareness for local charities,” Tavana said.

Soon after, an entire team was formed, compiled of a group of adults who are still committed to flourishing their artistic sides.

Among them was Jessica Lit, FCLC ’11 who majored in theater with a history minor.

“The idea behind TFT was to really give our generation of artists, struggling to figure out what they want in this crazy city, a place to call home and the opportunity to do anything you’ve ever wanted to do without judgment,” Lit said.

“I was convinced that TFT was as addicted to the creative process as I was, so I would be in good company there,” Isabella Frisoli, FCRH ’12 who also majored in English, said.

TFT has also appealed to alums from Howard University, Stella Adler Studio of Acting and Barnard College. The team would not be a

COURTESY OF TFT

Bedspread was written by Tavana. The next event asks“How many beers does it take to get to the center of Shakespeare’s meaning?”

reality without the use of collaboration, something the members see as an artistic necessity.

“If I had one eigth of a penny for every time I riffed with a fellow actor or writer on an idea for a character […] just for kicks, I would have enough cold hard cash to fund an entire main stage season,” Frisoli said.

The team puts on a variety of shows. Its focus changes constantly and includes things from artistic residencies, special events, full-scale productions and even ’60s musicinspired concerts. TFT also plays host to many events, such as movie screenings, art shows and cabarets.

By doing this, the members meet artists from all disciplines and encourage audience participation.

“Always bring your environment into your artistic experience,” Tavana said.

Despite the myriad of activities of TFT, the team is still a theater group and focuses on embodying the theater in a unique way.

“The work we put out is not rehashed musical versions of cult movies,” Lit said. “We want to tell stories that have never been told before, and we want to tell stories from perspectives you may never hear anywhere else.”

“Whether it be our word choice in our ads or the manner in which we maximize our resourceful nature, our uniqueness rests in the little details — the magical oil that greases our wheels as we keep thinking up new endeavors,” Frisoli said.

The group enforces its motto to “empower New York City” by working with New York-based charities.

“By working with these charities and producing honest theater, TFT

aims to give artists a platform to grow and develop their skills in addition to an experience that allows them to directly help the community,” Tavana said.

The performers also aim to inspire audiences.

“We do our best to make sure the art we are putting out there helps the individual to grow in some way, learn something about themselves and how they relate to the world around them,” Frisoli said.

The performance group gives members the chance to live their daily lives and work toward their career goals, while not allowing their imaginative sides and dedication to theater to fade in the process.

“Working with TFT has given me the opportunity to hold down a 9-5 job and still act, direct and live in the theater world with the luxury of

knowing when my next project will be,” Lit said.

“I believe the future of American theatre rests in the hands of independent theatre companies — those similar to TFT who continue to produce new, beautiful work despite financial, social and political disadvantages,” Tavana said.

It can be difficult to take something you love and reduce it to a hobby. Sometimes this can be frustrating when you are not the big star you may thirst to be. The members of TFT, however, know how to manage these feelings.

“We want to conquer the world with this company and sometimes we all bite off more than we can chew,” Lit said. “In times like those, we take a step back, realize we’re not the Public [Theater], and decide what exactly is the most important thing in the moment. Then we plan for the things to come.”

Those interested in TFT can visit truefalsetheatre.org, and check out their Intoxicating Reads series, which will take place Oct. 2 at 116 MacDougal.

“We have some pretty great things in the pipeline ranging from crazy awesome posts on Facebook to insanely original events and residencies,” Frisoli said. “All you playwrights who can’t wait for the playwright’s festival, submit your work to TFT’s Polygraph Test. I know for a fact that we have some damn talented playwrights and sketch writers all over Rose Hill.”

Members of TFT will continue feeding the creativity energies that make them sparkle.

“Someone we all look up to in TFT is Ru Paul (I am serious),” Lit said. “One of her mottos is, ‘Remember to love yourself, because if you can’t love yourself, how in the hell are you gonna love somebody else?’”

PAGE 12 • THE RAM • SEPTEMBER 26, 2012

Behind the Spotlight RACHAEL PRENSNER

The job of a good DJ is to make a familiar song sound new again and open new possibilities beyond a song’s usual three-anda-half minutes of radio play. But for many, no matter how magical the DJ’s innovation, mixed music is just a soundtrack for the kinetic, and commonly drunken, energy of the dance floor. Since mixing decisions take place behind the privacy of a laptop screen, DJ-ing can seem automized and impersonal.

This week, DJ Pat McCaren, GSB ’13, talks about how the mixing process works. It has been a quick rise for McCaren, who “played around with” mixing in high school and got more serious the summer before his sophomore year at Fordham.

He sent in an audition tape for Chiddy Bang, a 2011 Welcome Week event, and was “totally surprised” when he was chosen.

Since then, he has DJ’ed for last year’s Senior Nights, #ClubLib and SnowGlo, as well as offcampus at Howl at the Moon and Michaelangelo’s.

Prepping for an event starts with the music.

“It’s almost like an English paper to a certain extent — I think about who my audience is, and then I make a rough outline,” McCaren said.

From there, he decides from which genres to pull and puts together a playlist. When cutting songs together, he works with “extended play” versions that run from four-to-five minutes and have longer introductions and endings (I’ve sometimes heard these versions while playing my radio, driving around late on a Friday or Saturday night.)

Before he gets to the event, McCaren works with the songs in Traktor Pro, a software program, and drops in cues for transitions and effects.

“In-the-moment,” McCaren balances volume and pitch levels with an external mixer, which he describes as “a video game controller for mixing.”

The DJ caters to what the crowd wants to hear while remaining unpredictable.

“I try to change it up and keep people guessing,” he said.

Sometimes this means mixing hip hop, electronic, rap and acapella tracks into the same mashup, or in DJ parlance, bootleg. Other times, it is all about dropping a sing-along hit into the dance beats.

“People will hear the Killers and go nuts, and it’s really fun to see their reactions,” McCaren said.

McCaren skews toward electronic, house and trap music, though he says music in general is a constant part of his life and he listens to all kinds.

“As a DJ,” said McCaren, “you start listening to music differently.”

For now, McCaren will use the art of DJing as a fun way to make some extra money.

CULTURE

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Dining Out: Colicchio and Son

By ALYCIA SHANNON CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Colicchio and Son’s Chelsea restaurant, situated at 85 10th Avenue, offers great options for all foodies. Upon first entering, it was hard to get the general vibe of the place, when a perfectly groomed host immediately grabbed my attention as I walked through the door. With one glance around the restaurant, however, it was easy to see that the restaurant’s division into two different sections suit different dining needs.

First, there is the main dining room, which is only available for dinner. The second section is the taproom, which has a more casual vibe and is open for both lunch and dinner. Since I was there for lunch, I was directed to a table in the taproom. The room was beautifully lit, with natural light pouring in from windows adorn-

ing the room. The light changed Colicchio and Son’s from a tight New York City restaurant into a natural open-aired spot. One of my favorite aspects of the taproom is the miniature open kitchen in the front that allows guests to have a sneak peek of what goes on behind closed doors.

Another great feature (and bargain) of Colicchio and Son’s is that it has a pre-fixed menu for lunch. $25 buys an appetizer and an entrée. Given the location and degree of quality, I would say that this is a great deal. The menu changes daily, and although those variations are slight, it still ensures that you can dine multiple times and not become bored.

I started off with the beef tartare, which was tossed in a smoked-egg vinaigrette. Aside from the high quality meat, the dish was bland. Fortunately, thick sliced chips sprinkled with a sort of spiced pepper mixture and

PHOTO BY ALYCIA SHANNON/ THE RAM

Tom Collicchio opened the restaurant in 2010. They offer goat sausage cavatelli.

PHOTO BY ALYCIA SHANNON/THE RAM

Colicchio and Son’s is located at 85 10th Avenue in the Chelsea neighborhood.

what seemed to be chili powder accompanied the tartare. If you ate the chips using the tartare as a dip it was actually pretty tasty, and helped balance out the blandness of the tartare. There was something about the creaminess of the tartare sitting on the crunchiness of the chip that worked very well.

For the main course, I ordered goat sausage cavatelli, which was delectable. While there was a bit of texture lacking in the dish, there was enough range in flavor from the sausage itself and the tanginess of the Greek yogurt in the sauce to make up for it.

One notable criticism of Colicchio and Son’s is that the waiter abandoned me about halfway through my meal. As a result, I decided to chat it up with the host, who ended up serving as my waiter for the rest of the meal. I told him that it was my first time eating there, and to my surprise the chef sent me over a

free pizza.

The pizza lacked any interesting flavors, but it was free so I cannot really complain. It was a thin crust margherita pizza (I’m a huge fan of thin crust), and there was just the right amount of smokiness from the oven. The mozzarella on top was of poor quality, but the sauce was wonderful.

Overall, I would recommend this restaurant, especially for lunch. As a student on a budget, I would not suggest Colicchio and Son’s for dinner because it gets rather pricey, but for lunch it was a great deal for a lovely atmosphere and tasty food.

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

’s)

Editor’s Pick: Pinterest

By ANNE COUTURE WEB EDITOR

Everyone has heard of Pinterest. com. If you haven’t, it is a pretty simple idea — artistic photos and quirky ideas are all gathered onto one website to simulate a cork board for inspiration and fun. The owner of the board can name and categorize his or her own board.

Some common boards include, “My Future Wedding” and “My Style.” It is the go-to place for unique wedding ideas and delicious-looking food with complicated recipes. It is essentially the ultimate female time waster.

While Pinterest does not advertise that it is for females only, that seems to be the consensus (as if the hair howto’s weren’t enough of a giveaway.) Of course, there are ways in which men are using Pinterest. The top five boards men have created are as follows: 1. Things My Girlfriend Should Cook 2. Things My Wife Should Cook 3. Stuff My Girlfriend Needs to Cook 4. Things My Girlfriend Should Wear 5. What I’d Like My Wife to Cook In all seriousness, though, the Internet has become increasingly geared to female tastes. A few have noticed

this and have capitalized on an idea of making websites targeted toward a more male audience including horrible places like 4Chan and Reddit where you aren’t sure what you’ll find.

Copying Pinterest shamelessly, Manteresting.com is a website worth a look if you are a male or into things like pea coats, zombies or how to make almost anything taste like bacon.

If Pinterest had an option to hide bride photos and healthy recipes, MANteresting would be the endresult. Before females start accusing this site of being exclusive and unfair to them, it should be noted that both genders are allowed to join.

There are a lot of us who would find DIY articles on how to make your own beer bottle opener a lot more useful than how to make a wreath out of yarn (don’t act like you haven’t pinned that one before). Of course, instead of “repinning” or “liking” a post such as one does on Pinterest, MANteresting.com requires you to ‘Bump It’ or ‘Shame It.’ Another similar manly Pinterest site also exists but tries to appeal to the more refined male. The site Gentlemint (gentlemint.com) works in the same way. The front page displays BBQ chicken, John Deere tractors and the Science of Running posts, just to name a few.

Of course, girls who are bored with

COURTESY OF PINTEREST.COM

The popular Pinterest site has sparked the creation of male-focused imitators.

Pinterest and want a new spin should know that other copycat Pinterest websites are there for them, which include Pinspire (pinspire.com). Pinspire seems to be even more girly and feminine than Pinterest, with Vogueinspired fashion teeming on the front page.

Maybe all these types of websites bug you. None of the pins are actually useful. You might be curious if that egg facial works, but who would really try it out?

If you are one of those skeptical ones, check out pintester.com. Pintester is a blog that tries out recipes and beauty tips. Her subtitle is, “F*king

Up Pintrest Pins So You Don’t Have To”.

She includes a humorous blog story about her attempt at the pin, a photo of the original eye-catching pin, and her result (usually not yielding the same results).

It is an honest and humorous perspective on the thousands of links that can be found at Pinterest and Pinterest copycats.

If you aren’t on a site like Pinterest yet, then you are missing out. Pinterest is fairly useful for finding some easy recipes and some fun DIYs and, you know what, it is great for planning parties and weddings as well.

CULTURE

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Another Day, Another iPhone

By SARA DeSIMINE

SEPTEMBER 26, 2012 • THE RAM • PAGE 13

!

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

Check

This

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

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

On any given day walking though the Rose Hill campus, you are guaranteed to see students doing a few things: rushing to class, lounging on Eddie’s and walking with their heads down immersed in their iPhones.

This week, many students will be even more distracted than usual as the new iPhone has been released. The iPhone 5 was released last week to thousands of pre-orders and hoards of customers in stores. Why do college students need iPhones so badly?

Some students think that smartphones are a necessary convenience.

“Everything and everyone is accessible through this palm-sized computer and phone,” Emily Pae, FCRH ’15, said. “It helps out a whole lot having it in college.”

Others think that smartphones are more trendy than they are essential.

“I don’t think a smartphone is necessary, but nowadays, people our age just need to keep up with the trend,” Rachael Roman, FCRH ’14, said. “No one wants to be that kid with the old flip phone in a sea of iPhones and droids.”

Some students think smartphones are more harmful than helpful.

“I think that smartphones increase stress,” Anthony Gatti FCRH ’14, said. “All of a sudden it’s okay for professors and bosses to pop you an email and expect that everyone in the class will have received it 15 or 20 minutes before class.”

“I own a smartphone because of its convenience,” Gatti, an iPhone

$6 Movies Where: various AMC theaters When: 7 days a week, before 12 p.m.

Price: $6 ($12.50 post-noon)

PATRICK TEHAN/MTC

The iPhone 5 and latest Nano require new dock connectors called Lightning.

owner, admits.

Why the iPhone? The Apple brand is known for having many devoted brand followers.

“I have a Mac, iPad and iPhone,” Pae said. “At home, my family shares an Apple computer.

We’re pretty loyal to the brand.”

The iPhone 5’s new features also draw in customers. “[My favorite new feature] would definitely be the turn-byturn directions with 3-D features in the map app,” Saba Nazir, GSB ’14, said.

Other new features include updated wireless technology, a bigger front screen, a higher resolution camera, panoramic picture abilities and a slightly smaller overall size.

“The many apps are helpful too,” Pae said. “and I utilize the

calendar and reminders feature more than often.”

Pae, Roman and Nazir are all current iPhone owners who preordered the iPhone 5. “[I ordered it because] I just like the new look,” Pae said. “I drop my phone a lot so I’m glad the back isn’t glass anymore.”

The iPhone 5 is built with anodized 6000-series aluminum, the same material used in Apple notebooks.

Past difficulties with the iPhone did not deter Roman from buying another one.

“I need the iPhone 5 because my current iPhone, the 4, is cracked and scratched and the home button doesn’t work,” Roman said.

Nazir admits, “I wouldn’t say I need one, I just want one.”

COURTESY OF IMDB.COM

As the movie season begins to abandon the lavish grandiose of summer cinematics and ebbs into quality-centric pretense of Oscar season, one may find his or her list of must-see movies may slowly begin to grow. One may also find, unfortunately, a wallet too barren to afford a $20 movie outing. If you consider yourself a proprietor of movie knowledge and strive to stay on your game as movie buzz and conversation intensifies, then there is a solution to this potential financial barrier. AMC, the popular cineplex chain, offers $6 dollar tickets, seven days a week, for any movie showing prior to noon. Sure, that means an early wake up, but isn’t it worth it to see Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s (50/50) face technologically morphed into that of Bruce Willis’ (Die Hard) younger self in Looper? Or how about potential Oscar juggernaut The Master directed by Paul Thomas Anderson (There Will Be Blood which dominated the 2008 Academy Awards) and starring Philip Seymour-Hoffman (Moneyball) and Joaquin Phoenix (Gladiator).

Also coming out within the next two months are Killing Them Softly (Brad Pitt, James Gandolfini and Richard Jenkins), Seven Psychopaths (Christopher Walken, Sam Rockwell, Woody Harrelson and Tom Waits? Yes, Tom Waits!) and Lincoln, Daniel Day-Lewis’ first movie since Oscar-winning creation, There Will Be Blood.

The three recommended AMC theaters are: AMC Loews Kips Bay 15 on 570 Second Avenue, Murray Hill located on the east side of Midtown (the 4 train stops about two blocks away). AMC Loews Lincoln Square 13 with IMAX Theater at 1998 Broadway is naught but a five block walk north of Lincoln Center. Finally, AMC Empire 25 is located at 234 West 42nd Street, Times Square, and you can take the B or D to the A or C train to get there.

So bring a mate, maybe not a date though because popcorn and a drink is like $20 for two, and many of these movies are probably too introspective or dark or sad to be proper date-material, and enjoy a quality flick for a quality price this fall.

- COMPILED BY DEVON SHERIDAN ASSISTANT CULTURE EDITOR

Ram Reviews MOVIE END OF WATCH

By PJ BROGAN

TELEVISION “THE MOB DOCTOR”

By ALYSSA CARMUSCIANO

COPY EDITOR

STAFF WRITER

With End of Watch, writer-director David Ayer (Training Day) create a film where the L.A.P.D. is the last line of defense between the denizens of Los Angeles and the hellish forces of Mexican drug cartels.

The two men leading the fight for L.A. are Brian Taylor and Mike Zavala, played by Jake Gyllenhaal (Zodiac) and Michael Peña (Crash), respectively. The two men are both police officers and 30-year-old frat boys. They are also two of the most saintly police officers ever displayed on a movie screen. The two partners and best friends save wet-eyed toddlers from blazing houses and rescue hundreds of human slaves on a whim. Taylor and Zavala could easily have been embarrassingly one-dimensional, but the incredible chemistry between Peña and Gyllenhaal makes them feel honest, intelligent and likable.

With charismatic performances by the film’s two leads, End of Watch has the makings of a great movie. The film’s biggest problem is that it is not entirely sure what it wants to be. Is it just another buddy-cop action flick?

“The Mob Doctor” premiered on Fox this past week. Jordana Spiro (“My Boys”) stars as Dr. Grace Devlin, a young surgeon with an amazing career ahead of her. There is one major setback: She is forced to work for the mafia as a result of the outstanding amount of debt that her brother accumulated. Grace must keep her double life a secret from her friends, family and boyfriend.

This fast-paced show is sure to keep viewers on their toes. Grace’s side job with the mafia and the family drama that accompanies it keeps the show from becoming a typical medical drama. Grace is an interesting character and is a far cry from your average working woman. A few questions, however, are left unanswered, namely, what Grace means when she claims that she will do anything to save her brother from the mob.

Will Grace have to murder someone on whom she is performing surgery thus breaking her Hippocratic Oath? In addition, is her ability to juggle the arduous tasks of both a career as a surgeon while working for the mafia realistic?

MOVIE HOUSE AT THE END OF THE STREET

+++

TELEVISION

MOVIE

“SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE”

SAMSARA

By ALEXANDRA GLEMBOCKI

By VANESSA AGOVIDA

By PATRICK DOHERTY

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

The title and trailer for House at the End of the Street screams horror-thriller, but in the theater, the audience screamed back in laughter.

The always-affable Jennifer Lawrence (The Hunger Games) is a natural as Elissa, a clever 17-year-old who seeks a fresh start with her mother by moving to a new town. The hitch: Their neighbor’s house was the site of the murder of a mother and a father by their brain-damaged daughter, who is rumored to be roaming the forest.

Unfortunately, the scariest part of the film is its sloppy plot. Atrocious character development and poor editing resulted in an absurd mess of a botched teenage romance.

The film eerily shares many details with the Twilight film franchise, most notably the stalker-like male love interests.

The average horror moviegoer will be disappointed in the lackluster scares and laughable construction.

That same moviegoer may be surprised to be leaving the theater with a smile not prompted by gore, but by an unexpected laugh and plenty of inside jokes to share with friends.

Growing up, everything that I heard about “Saturday Night Live” was spouted from the mouth of a cynic. Both adults and pretentious preteens would joke about how the show had gone downhill. The 38th-season opener on Sept. 22, however, proved that “SNL” has not lost its “enjoyable” factor. This is, quite possibly a stronger “SNL” than ones we’ve seen in recent years.

The show has undergone promising changes this season, most obviously the decision to replace Fred Armisen with Jay Pharoah as impersonator-inchief of Barack Obama.

The episode’s highlight was the “Introduction to Puppetry” sketch, in which Bill Hader stole the show as a hard-bitten army vet, whose identical twin puppet gives a dark narrative of his war experiences in Grenada.

In reference to Romney, Pharoah’s Obama says, “Stick with what’s barely working, or take your chances with that.” “SNL” has begun to realize what hasn’t been working and, as demonstrated by their casting changes, the show has worked to make some strides.

Samsara is a non-narrative documentary created by the acclaimed director and cinematographer Robert Fricke, whose past work includes directing Baraka and working as the director of photography for the groundbreaking Qatsi trilogy.

Even though there is no overt vocal narration, Fricke still has control over what he shows the audience and in what order. The footage was shot over a 15-year period and its reach spans the globe: from the pyramids of Egypt, an isolated African village, a processing plant for chickens and the devastation of a post-Katrina demilitarized zoned New Orleans. While the film plainly reflects upon topics that range from nature versus urban development to the source of human conflict, the audience is ultimately left to decide for itself what to take from the overall experience. In the end, that is what Samsara is: a brilliant and meditative visual experience. Personal and far-reaching, both judgmental of our actions and our understanding of love, Samsara is the perfect snapshot of Earth and the humans that live on it.

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

PAGE 14• THE RAM • SEPTEMBER 26, 2012

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WHO’S THAT KID? Kamie Crawford A MEMBER OF FCRH ’15 COMMUNICATION AND MEDIA STUDIES MAJOR FROM POTOMAC, MD Kamie Crawford was Miss Teen USA 2010. She recently transferred from Alabama University and came to New York to pursue a career in the modeling and the television industry.

Kamie understands the importance of a college education and is the first Miss Teen USA in 10 years to go to college. She does not have to choose work over school because she handles both like a true champ.

What would people be surprised to learn about you?

The fact that I am super, super computer savvy because I enjoy graphic designing and things like that.

When I was younger, I was never into pageants. I did not even know what a pageant was. I had never watched one before I competed in one. Miss Teen Maryland was my first pageant.

I was a video game nerd and would sit in my basement playing PlayStation 3 games all day, like Grand Theft Auto. I was not about the pageantry. I enjoyed looking good, but I had that other side of me that wasn’t beauty all the time.

How did you decide to come to Fordham?

I went to the University of Alabama and transferred from there to here. I was flying out every single weekend from Alabama to New York to do work. It made more sense being here. It is easier to work here because New York is the mecca of everything I want to do. Also, I knew Fordham had an outstanding reputation and a great communication program, so it just made sense to come here.

What’s your favorite thing about

New York City?

I feel like if you live in New York, you should never have a reason to be bored. Ever. There is always something to do. If you are bored, there is a serious problem. You can go to a show. I love Broadway. I love restaurants. There is always something going on, and it just keeps you hustling and on your feet.

What’s your least favorite thing about New York City?

My least favorite thing used to be the people and how mean everybody is. I have now realized that is what makes New York unique. People are always doing something. It is hard to be mad at them. Everyone is always hustling. Now, I hate the smells in the summer time in the city.

What is your most memorable moment at Fordham?

I got my car vandalized. The part that was damaged was on the sidewalk side. It was probably a Fordham kid having an interesting night.

My side door mirror was hanging by wires when I found it.

Do you have a favorite NYC memory?

I went and saw the ball drop for 2011. That was an interesting and definitely once-in-a-lifetime experience, because you should only do it once and never go back. It was very, very interesting, and it was memorable.

What is your favorite class at Fordham?

I would say my communication class, Gender Images in Media, because it is for my major. We have re-

PHOTO BY KAREN HILL/THE RAM

According to Crawford’s Wikipedia page, her Miss Teen USA prize included a stay in one of Donald Trump’s apartments.

ally great class discussion, but I also feel the same way about my philosophy and theology classes. That’s what I love about Fordham — the great discussion on interesting topics.

What do you think is the best part of a Jesuit education?

I love history, so it is interesting to hear what theologians and philosophers think. I love that Catholicism is not forced; my classes are not just Catholic-based. We talk about all different religions.

I personally am not Catholic, and I do not want that imposed on me. I like the core values; I’m down with Jesus.

Where is your favorite spot on campus?

The fake-me-out Starbucks. I am addicted to Starbucks. I wish it were a full blown Starbucks, but I will take what I can get. I could drink Starbucks four times a day.

My favorite drinks there are teas. I don’t like coffee. Everyone is always like, “How are you addicted to Starbucks tea?”

If you could change anything on campus, what would it be?

A real Starbucks. Two of them.

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

“Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta.” It is complete trash TV, but I just love it.

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

A plane or some form of a transportation device and a pilot. Or a yacht.

What do you ultimately want to do with your future?

I have a few things. I have my long term and my long, long term goals.

My long term is that I definitely want to stay in television and entertainment and things of that nature. I think Giuliana Rancic has an amazing job. Fun facts about about her: She competed in Miss Maryland USA, and she went to American University.

In the long, long term, I love digital

advertising and things like that and want to get involved with something like that and have my own sort of production company. That is way down the line when my lips fade and I need something to do with my time.

Is there anything else you’d like to share with The Ram’s readers?

I guess if you have ever been interested in getting into pageantry, know that it is doable. Don’t judge from what you have seen on TV. The women involved are extremely intelligent and intellectual, and you would be surprised if you took a deeper look inside. Don’t judge reality television, because it is not real. I had no idea what I was in for. It is completely different. I have so much respect for it.

The fact that the one TV show chronicling it makes pageantry seem like exploitation of women is unfortunate. It is more empowering than you would think. Girls who participate in summer camps and pageants know they won’t win, but they want to feel good about themselves. Being around smart women who are doing something that is what is about.

San Gennaro Festival Brings Out the Best in Culinary Arts FEAST, FROM PAGE 1

sights, rhythmic sounds and flavorful smells of genuine Little Italy are accentuated during the spirited days and nights of the

feast. People of all ethnic backgrounds enjoy all things Italian while shopping, socializing and of course, eating. More than 200 street vendors set up shop along

the festival streets displaying Little Italy souvenirs, jewelry and clothing. Carnival rides and arcade games line the streets as well, perhaps enticing those who

COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA

Italian immigrants created the feast on Mulberry St. to celebrate the patron saint of Naples, whose feast day is Sept. 19.

have just finished a meal and are gearing up for dessert.

The Italian Feast of San Gennaro would not be complete without trays of delicious, multicolored desserts — cannoli, zeppole and gelato are auctioned off at quick pace with vendors calling out, “Hey, cannolis here, three for 5!”

“The vendors made the whole thing,” Kady Joy, FCRH ’15, said.

“They kept trying to convince people that they had food unlike anything you had ever tasted.

They pretended that they themselves couldn’t believe what they had managed to create.”

Meatballs, pizzas and the feast’s signature dish “sausage and peppers” are prepared right before your eyes on outdoor grills and ovens, creating an aroma much like that of an authentic Italian kitchen.

If you are looking for more fun with food (who isn’t at an Italian feast?), there are cannoli-, pastaand pizza-eating competitions that may leave you unable to eat for days.

“I loved that there were so many different kinds of people,” Joy said. “Plus, I have never seen

so many cannolis in my life.”

In the restaurant district of Little Italy, seasoned waiters have experienced the feast for many years and are still thrilled by its growing popularity.

A restaurant waiter at Sophia’s Cocina at 243 Mulberry Street reflected on his San Gennaro experience.

“I really look forward to this time of year,” she said. “We compete with the other restaurants everyday, and it’s a big competition but I enjoy the feast. It’s my ninth one!”

Over the past 10 years, the Figli di San Gennaro has donated its earnings to worthy causes that in turn help to provide valuable services for children and education in the Little Italy community and its surroundings. After the feast, donations and contributions are passed on to benefit organizations in all five boroughs.

The Feast of San Gennaro is a proud, memorable Italian tradition linking the past to the present with the promise of future festivals to keep this beloved custom of Little Italy alive (and cooking). Until next time, from Little Italy, a presto.

SEPTEMBER 26, 2012

PAGE15

Women’s Soccer Picks Up Two Wins at Home Fordham Routs Fairfield 4-1, Defeats Loyola in 2-1 OT Thriller in Weekend Matches

By DOMINIC KEARNS STAFF WRITER

All season long, the Fordham women’s soccer team understood its potential, and its members continued to work towards a strong Atlantic 10 season. Even when the Rams endured numerous injuries and difficult defeats, the players insisted that this team was capable of big things. In the final games before league season, Fordham played to its potential and showed that it can be an A-10 contender with two wins.

On Friday, Sept. 21, the Rams scored a massive 4-1 home victory against the Fairfield Stags. The teams were evenly matched for the first 35 minutes, with most of the action occurring in the midfield.

Fairfield nearly scored in the 27th minute when sophomore midfielder Nikki Stanton nicked the left post on a shot from distance.

In the 36th minute, the Rams broke the deadlock when sophomore midfielder Maria Swift tucked a perfect one-time shot from 20 yards inside the right post.

The opportunity came to fruition after sophomore forward Kristina Maksuti won a loose ball in the box and then passed back for Swift.

Fordham doubled its advantage just four minutes later when sophomore forward Kate McDonnell and senior forward Annie Worden broke the Fairfield defense down.

McDonnell struck first with a creative lob shot that Stags keeper Veronica Saez saved. That blocked shot bounced into the box, where Worden knocked the ball into the goal amidst heavy pressure.

Fordham took a 2-0 lead into the second half, where it continued

PHOTO COURTESTY OF TOMI LAHCANSKI

Victoria Camaj (left) scored the first goal of her Fordham career in style, notching the overtime winner against Loyola.

to press for goals. Worden scored again in the 57th minute, courtesy of a ferocious shot that banged off the crossbar before landing over the goal line. In the 59th minute, Fairfield’s defense gifted the Rams a fourth tally when a Stags defender headed the ball over redshirt freshman goalie Veronica Saez. Maksuti pounced on the mistake to score her team-leading third goal of the season. At this point, victory was all but secured.

Senior goalie Rachel Suther replaced sophomore Ally White in the 66th minute, and she immediately saved a tricky shot off the foot of Erin Pettersen. In the 74th minute, Fairfield gained some consolation when Jac Ley hit a low effort past Suther’s outstretched arms.

Worden nearly earned a hat trick in

the 85th minute when her shot just missed. Nevertheless, the night belonged to the Rams in a 4-1 win.

“This is a great bounce-back from the last losses,” White said. “We have tons of momentum to build on for league, which starts next week.”

“We just started clicking and once one goal came, they all fell for us,” Swift said. “On my goal, I just tried to hit it hard and low.”

The Rams looked for their first winning streak when they hosted the Loyola Greyhounds on Sunday, Sept. 23. The match started like Friday’s contest, as neither team could score in the first 35 minutes. White made two saves in that stretch, yet the majority of the action occurred in the midfield. In the 36th minute, Loyola’s Nichole Schiro gave the Greyhounds a 1-0 edge when she

Women’s Tennis Competes at Army Invitational

By DYLAN BISSIONETTE CONTRIBUTING WRITER

The women’s tennis team competed at the Columbia Invitational on the weekend of Sept. 14th in its first match. Senior Amy Simidian and sophomore Sarah Ali made it to the quarterfinals, and the second doubles team made it to the semifinals. The tournament featured teams like Fordham, UConn, Lehigh, Quinnipiac, Stony Brook, FDU, West Point and UMass.

Fordham has high hopes for the year, and it showed major potential the Army Invitational last weekend.

Simidian lost her first match at the Army Invitational, but beat everyone in the back draw. She lost her initial match to Polina Movchan 6-4, 6-0, bumping her to the back draw.

The Rams opened strong in the first day of the tournament. Junior Angelika Dabu played second singles for Fordham. Dabu beat Jessica Podlofsky of University of Massachusetts 6-4, 5-7, 12-10.

Next, she played Lucy Nutting of UConn, beating her 6-4 7-6(2).

She went to the semifinals and defeated Sarah Viebrock of Quinnipiac 6-4, 5-7, 10-4. She moved on to the finals, where she lost to Altan Sarnai of Stony Brook 9-7, 6-2.

Ali also played second singles, beating Sam Stoslejvic 6-2, 6-2; and Dina Guzariva 6-4, 3-6, 11-9.

First doubles team Ali and sophomore Bella Genkina played

Lehigh in the round of 16. They beat Lehigh 8-3 and UMass 8-3.

They beat Quinnipiac 8-2 in the semifinals. First doubles played well at bothtournaments; they made it look like they will have an amazing season.

Fordham will compete at the Collegiate National Tennis Center in Flushing, New York, on the weekend of Oct. 5.

PHOTO BY MICHAEL REZIN/THE RAM

Dabu and the Rams got the season started off on a stellar note.

dribbled past White and a defender before calmly finishing. Julia Hajjar earned the assist after delivering a nice long ball to Schiro, while White’s 158-minute scoreless streak was snapped. Fordham carried that 1-0 deficit into halftime after a meager offensive display.

Coach Ness Selmani brought Suther into the game for the second half, but the pressure rested on Fordham’s offense to equalize.

Each goalie made one save in the first 20 minutes of the second half, and Loyola maintained its lead. The game turned completely in the 67th minute when senior midfielder Cara Rooney delivered her corner kick.

Senior midfielder Kaitlin Abrams squarely headed Rooney’s kick past Loyola goalie Didi Haracic to knot the game at 1-1.

The game sprung to life following Abrams’ goal, as the teams traded blows like two heavyweight fighters. After Loyola’s Haracic denied Worden, senior forward Nichole Schiro nearly regained the lead for the Stags when her 74th minute shot clanged off the crossbar. After several Fordham chances, Rams freshman defender Joann Murino cleared a dangerous Greyhound header off the line. In the 90th minute, Loyola junior defender Jenny Thornton returned the favor to block junior Kaitlyn Carballiera’s goal-bound header, so the teams entered overtime tied 1-1.

Fordham found its golden goal 37 seconds into extra time, as freshman Victoria Camaj netted a stylish winner. Joann Murino passed into the box for Camaj, who struck a low shot past Haracic to seal Loyola’s fate.

In the win, Abrams scored her first goal of this senior season, while Camaj won the game with her first Fordham goal.

“We felt that our Rams were not playing together as a team, so at halftime, I made maybe the strongest speech in my 17 years at Fordham,” Selmani said. “They responded by playing like they should play all the time without worrying who takes the credit and we left the field happy. The A-10 season is a completely new season and the team knows that. The games are faster, tougher and you need to focus for 90 minutes. I think [our] team is ready, so we expect to go to the A-10 championship in November.”

The Rams begin A-10 play on Sept. 28 against Duquesne at 5 p.m. and continue on Sept. 30 against St. Bonaventure at 1 p.m. Both matches will be at Jack Coffey Field.

Rams Place Well at Meets

By RYAN SCANLON STAFF WRITER

Fordham cross country was faced with a test this past weekend in the form of the Purple Valley Classic meet hosted by Williams College in Williamstown, Mass. The men’s team has a history of competing well at this meet, and this year’s contest was no exception with a fourth-place finish in a field of 17 teams. Leading the Rams was freshman Mike Turi, notching a fourth-place finish overall. Turi’s first two races were impressive, but this showing proves that he is ready to fill the void of the graduated runners.

With a time of 26:21, he was only eight seconds off the leader. Senior Nick Synan put in another solid effort and finished 12th for the men, in a time of 26:46. Sophomore Jon Annelli and junior Mike Belgiovine both came in at 27:05 to place 24th and 25th, respectively. In 36th, freshman Quincey O’Connor rounded out the scoring for the men in a time of 27:32.

The women’s team is still looking for some consistency early in the season. Junior Anisa Arsenault,

however, has been as consistent as one can get with another strong race, finishing seventh for the women at 22:46 in the women’s 6-km race. The next Fordham finisher, Suzy Sikorski, came in at 23:30 to earn 37th.

Sophomores Mara Lieberman and Sarah Glockenmeier finished 75th and 91st for the women; Lieberman in 24:21 and Glockenmeier in 24:36. The last one to score for the Rams was freshman Melanie Notarstefano in 106th at 24:53. The Rams were put against solid programs, but will definitely look to pack better as a group in upcoming races.

Fordham also sent runners to Fairfield University in Fairfield, Conn. for the Leeber Invitational.

The men’s squad finished fourth as a team. Junior Pat Burke had another good race, leading the way in 10th place in a time of 27:16.

The women earned a third-place finish out of six teams in the 5-km race. Senior Ashley Davis led the pack of Rams with an 11th-place finish in 19:49. The Rams will have next weekend to rest and get ready for the Metropolitan Championships the following weekend, beginning Friday Oct. 5 at Van Cortlandt Park.

PAGE 16 • THE RAM • SEPTEMBER 26, 2012

Two-Minute Drill CHESTER BAKER

For Torrey Smith to play just hours after learning that his 19year-old brother, Tevin, was killed in a motorcycle crash was unbelievable.

For Smith to score two touchdowns and lead the Ravens to a 31-30 victory over the Patriots on Sunday night was simply unfathomable.

If Smith’s performance does not go down as one of the most inspiring athletic displays ever, then I just don’t know what would. It is absolutely devastating to lose a brother, and it can take weeks to even smile again.

Trust me, I know from experience.

I lost my older brother, Ted, who graduated from Fordham in 2004, in August of 2008 when he took his own life at just 22 years old. In the following weeks, any day where I made it out of bed was considered an accomplishment.

That is not to say that I see myself having been weak during that time, as simply getting through such an experience is an almost insurmountable task. Instead, it means that Smith dealt with the loss in one of the most amazing ways imaginable.

While I coped with my brother’s death with at least two Slurpees a day for the first month following Ted’s death, Smith got through his first day without his brother by scoring two touchdowns on 127 receiving yards.

It is never smart to tell someone “I know how you feel,” after they lose a loved one, because in reality, everyone deals with loss in different ways. Still, I think that having teammate Ed Reed, who also lost a brother suddenly, will be a major asset for Smith.

While I do not know how Smith feels at the moment, I know what it feels like to suddenly lose someone so close. I could not even imagine what it would have been like if my story had been broadcast on all media outlets, as it was hard enough just to get out of the house to go to the grocery store.

Smith has truly shown America what it means to honor someone you love.

Of course, Smith did not immediately make the decision to play in the game, as he first drove home to be with his family in Virginia after learning of his brother’s death. After news got out about the tragedy, Smith received tons of tweets and well-wishes from players and fans alike, all sending their prayers and condolences to the Baltimore wide receiver.

In the hours after my brother’s death I leaned on my immediate family members like my mom and sister. After doing the same, Smith then found comfort and support in the game he loved and people he loved playing with.

“It was tough emotionally. I didn’t know how I would hold up,” Smith said following the game. “I was telling my teammates a minute ago that this is new territory

for me personally. I never really had to deal with a death in the family, let alone my brother. In our family, everyone’s so tight.

Just like a lot of other families. It’s part of life and, due to my teammates and my family and friends, I’ll be able to get over it.”

The Ravens also honored Tevin, as the team showed a picture of Smith’s brother while asking the fans to hold a moment of silence.

In the same way that I found solace in returning to school to be with my friends once again, Smith found comfort in being on the field, where he could be surrounded by thousands of fans ready to pick him up with their cheers. Throughout the game, chants of Smith’s name could be heard throughout the entire stadium, as the fans showed their wide receiver that they not only respected him, but they loved him.

Smith is not the only football player to play with a heavy heart this season, as other players have found comfort in football following a loss. While I find escapes in doing the things I love, NFL players follow suit, honoring their loved ones and dealing with their grief by playing the game they love.

Giants wide receiver Victor Cruz played against the Buccaneers in week two of the NFL season, the same week he lost his grandmother. Cruz, who learned how to salsa from his grandmother, honored her by performing his signature touchdown dance after breaking free for an 80-yard score in the fourth quarter of the game.

Following the game, he delivered a quote that is sure to give you goosebumps.

“Once I got to the 3 [yard line], I knew it was time to honor her and I knew she was with me,” Cruz said. “And it was almost like the place kind of went silent and I was just there dancing with her. It was a good moment.”

Another memorable game in which a player took the field shortly after a death in the family came Dec. 22, 2003, when Brett Favre played on the night his father passed away. You can’t help but admire the courage Favre had that night while playing with such a heavy heart, as he delivered four touchdowns on 399 yards as the Packers won the game.

I find it simply incredible that players are able to come from dealing with such grief and are still able to deliver these types of incredible performances.

Football, for them, has become the ultimate coping mechanism, a place where they can, for just a few brief moments, feel normal again. For people dealing with loss, finding that coping device is one of the most important things.

I just thank God that Smith was able to find his so soon after his loss.

Being able to feel normal again after losing your brother, even if for just a few seconds, is so important in the days following the loss of a brother.

It reminds you that one day you will settle back into your new routine.

Hopefully, he can continue to make it through this tough time, all while honoring his brother by hauling in touchdowns.

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Senior Profile: Kaitlin Abrams

PHOTO BY MICHAEL REZIN/THE RAM

Kaitin Abrams (right) serves as a co-captain for the women’s soccer team, where she has seen consistent playing time throughout her time at Fordham. The Rams are 29-36-5 during her three-plus years on the team.

By DOMINIC KEARNS STAFF WRITER

Kaitlin Abrams has been a consistent contributor for the Fordham women’s soccer team for the past four years. She played in 21 games as a freshman and worked her way into the starting lineup as a midfielder the past two seasons.

Last year, Abrams scored goals in consecutive games against Cornell and Delaware State.

This year, as a senior co-captain, Abrams has fought through an injury to play a key role in the Fordham midfield. She scored the tying goal on Sept. 23 against Loyola in an eventual 2-1 win. An anthropology and biology major, Abrams hails from Rochelle Park, NJ. The Ram: Why did you choose Fordham?

Kaitlin Abrams: I chose Fordham for a number of reasons. I fell in love with the campus when I came with [Head Coach] Ness [Selmani]. I love being close to New York. Ness was very persuasive when we met because he told me that the team is like a family. Even though the girls are not forced to live together, he said the players want to live together.

TR: What is it like being a team captain this season?

KA: It’s great. I’m honored that the coaches and players thought enough of me as a player and leader to be captain. This is a big year for us because we have not made the Atlantic 10 tournament the last two years. My class is the only class that knows what it feels like to go to the A-10 tournament, and it’s huge. It’s one of the greatest feelings. It is a big responsibility to lead the girls and get the girls there, so we try really hard to make it there.

TR: How can the team succeed in the A-10 this season?

KA: In order for us to succeed, there are a lot of small things we need to put together. We need to focus in the back at all times. A lot of goals we gave up have been our own errors for a quick minute. We also need to convert our opportunities. We just started to do that last night [Friday, Sept. 21], for the first time all season. So, scoring four goals against Fairfield was huge for us. We need to stay focused at the back and convert our opportunities. If we stay calm, we will be alright.

TR: What do you enjoy more: home games or the road trips?

KA: They are both really different. I definitely enjoy home games more. There’s nothing like playing

on your home field. It’s so great to play on our home field, and we have great fans. Winning at home is sweeter and losing at home is more sour. Playing at home is better.

TR: Do you have a favorite moment during your time at Fordham?

KA: Beating the University of Maryland will always be a highlight for me; that’s always going to be a game that I remember. I could not even play because I was injured, but Ness let me travel and I was able to watch it. Watching the team fight literally brought tears to my eyes. Also, going to the A-10 tournament my freshman year was huge. There is nothing like going to the A-10 tournament, and that’s why we are trying to get back there.

TR: What are your plans after college?

KA: I don’t know. I am kind of struggling with that right now. I am an anthropology and a biology major. I have been thinking about medical school for a long time, and I am doing research right now that I enjoy, so I am thinking about getting into research. I am really unsure at the moment. I would like to travel. I don’t know, I need to decide.

Volleyball Splits Matches in Philadelphia

By KENNY DEJOHN STAFF WRITER

Fordham volleyball opened play in the Atlantic 10 Conference this past week when the team travelled to Tom Gola Arena in Philadelphia, PA to take on the La Salle Explorers.

Fordham displayed solid hitting throughout the entirety of the match. The Rams started very early, posting a .462 hitting percentage in the opening set. That performance led to a decisive 2513 win in the set.

The momentum shifted by the end of the second half, as La Salle earned the six-point set win on the strength of six kills from senior Samantha Tulskie.

Set three saw nine tie scores, the last coming at 23 all, but a kill by freshman Brianna O’Neill gave the Rams a lead that they would not relinquish. Back-to-back errors from La Salle helped Fordham earn a 25-23 set victory.

La Salle played hard in the fourth set, cutting the deficit to two before Fordham senior Randi Ewing ended the threat. She recorded three kills and a block over the final seven points of the set to seal Fordham’s match win.

Junior Lisa Hipp anchored the Rams’ attack, recording her teamleading ninth double-double (13 kills, 13 digs). O’Neill tallied 12 kills and five digs of her own. Ewing and freshman Brennan Delsing each contributed 10 kills, while junior Sara Konkel racked up 44 assists. Junior Maria Rodenberg was stellar on defense, recording 16 digs, four assists and two aces.

Fordham completed its second match of conference play just a few days later against the Temple Owls.

The Rams were unable to play with the same offensive skill that they had in the previous match against La Salle.

Temple’s defense was able to hold the team’s leading hitter,

Hipp, to a hitting percentage of .062 in the contest. She also recorded just five kills. Delsing was the only Fordham player to reach double digits in kills (11).

Temple also outmatched Fordham in the service game. While the Rams were only able to record one service ace, the Owls posted a total of nine.

The Rams were swept in three straight sets, losing with set scores of 25-20, 25-12 and 25-17.

Delsing was the team’s top performer, recording eight digs to go along with her team-leading 11 kills.

Junior Carina Thompson had nine kills and two blocks, Ewing contributed six kills and four blocks, while Konkel dished out 28 assists with her eight digs and two blocks.

The loss dropped the Rams to 1-1 in Atlantic 10 play.

Fordham is now 9-12 following a 3-2 loss to St. Francis (NY) on Tuesday night at in the Bronx.

Packers Robbed

By CHRISTIAN BEAULIEU STAFF WRITER

The replacement referees are at it again. After two weeks of absolutely dreadful officiating, everyone already wanted the regular referees back. Many are angry with the replacement referees, but it is important to understand that they are simply overwhelmed by the speed and level of play they are supposed to be controlling, and they are doing the best they can. The blame, therefore, falls on the NFL for being stubborn and not negotiating fairly with the real referees.

With each passing game, the real referees gain leverage, as fans, players and coaches alike realize that the NFL has failed to replace the referees. Twitter was abuzz this past week with players and fans expressing their displeasure over the new referees. The coaches have been vocal in their criticisms, which have been heard on the field. The NFL is cracking down on coaches berating officials and has already fined Denver’s John Fox and Jack Del Rio for on-field criticism, while hefty fines await Patriots coach Bill Belichick and Ravens coach John Harbaugh.

I think they would all agree that the money-hungry NFL may gladly fine them, as long as the fine money could go into a fund to get the old refs back.

The reason that frustration is running high is because of the impact referees have on the NFL today.

Putting that power in irresponsible hands, is, well, irresponsible. Football fans feared that an officiating error would happen at a crucial juncture of a game and cost a team a precious victory. This week, what we had feared has materialized in the form of a Hail Mary catch that ended up winning a game for the wrong team. With eight seconds left in the fourth quarter of the Monday Night Football game, the Seahawks lined up on the 24-yardline, needing a touchdown to win.

Rookie quarterback Russell Wilson dropped back, scrambled and uncorked a pass deep into the left corner of the end zone. As a mad scrum of jostling for position ensued, Packers safety M.D. Jennings rose above the rest and intercepted the ball. As Jennings made his way back down to the end zone, Seahawks wide receiver Golden Tate grabbed Jennings around the back to his chest, where his hands eventually made their way to the ball. Once Jennings was on the ground, Tate grabbed the ball with both arms around the back of Jennings and made what the NFL calls a simultaneous catch. The replacement referees, who were slow to the play, saw both players with possession and called it a touchdown for the passing team, winning the game for the Seahawks. Replays showed Jennings clearly had pos-

SEPTEMBER 26, 2012• THE RAM • PAGE 17

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session of the ball first; he had an interception before Tate could do anything that resembled completing a catch. While the Monday Night Football audience awaited the call to be overturned, they were instead assured that the referees made the right call by the replay official.

Football fans all over the country were appalled by the incompetence of the officials throughout the week’s games, but Monday night’s debacle highlighted this. Fans waited for the NFL to respond to the erroneous officiating, and it did. The NFL released a statement on Tuesday morning stating that there was a mistake made on the play. This left fans disappointed. The mistake the NFL pointed out was that Tate, who ended up catching the touchdown, should have been called for offensive pass interference he committed on another Packers player before jumping for the ball. The NFL said this penalty should have been called and would have ended the game. When talking about the catch, however, the NFL stood by the call because the referees judged it was a simultaneous catch and made the correct call based on that judgment.

A huge fuss is being made over this game, but this controversy really isn’t about the Packers and Seahawks game. Instead, it’s about the hypocrisy of the NFL. The NFL and Commissioner Roger Goodell have made it a point to clean up the game. Integrity, on and off the field, has been a major goal of the commissioner’s as seen from his crackdown on “off-the-field discipline” and harsh punishments for cheating, like SpyGate. Conversely, when it comes to the most blatant form of integrity that directly affects the NFL, the league continues to support the replacement refs and refuses to yield to the real referee’s demands. Another major goal of the commissioner has been safety, and while he continues to fine players for making split-second football hits, he refuses to put in place a set of officials who are able to handle the speed of the game, putting all players at risk of injury. This hypocritical notion is being felt not only by the fans, but also by the players, reflected when veteran Packers linebacker Desmond Bishop tweeted, “Accountability: The moment a player does something to embarrass the shield, swift & immediate action takes place! WHY not now?!”

The NFL and the Commissioner are either too stupid to see this as a major problem or are too stubborn to fix it, but in either case, we, as fans of the game, deserve to have someone in charge who is willing to put integrity back into the NFL. After week one, everyone wanted the real officials back. Now, three weeks later, everyone knows that we need them back. Your move, NFL. Haven’t you embarrassed yourself enough?

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Varsity Scores & Stats Volleyball Fordham 25 19 25 25 3 La Salle 13 25 23 18 1 Hipp (FOR)- 13 kills, 13 digs Tulskie (LAS)- 14 kills, 14 digs Fordham 25 19 25 25 9 2 St. Francis 19 25 27 21 15 3 Hipp (FOR)- 16 kills, 14 digs, 3 aces Flinders (SFC)- 13 kills, 16 assists, 11 digs Fordham 20 12 17 3 Temple 25 25 25 0 Konkel (FOR)- 28 assists Mautautia(TEM)- 13 kills, 13 digs Golf- Cornell Invitational 2nd out of 13 teams

Women’s soccer Fordham 4 Columbia 1 Goals: Swift (FOR); 36’ Worden (FOR); 40’, 57’ Maksuti (FOR); 59’ Ley (FFLD); 74’

Water Polo Fordham 7 Harvard 12 MIT 9 Fordham 6 Football Fordham 14 3 0 3 20 Villanova 10 0 0 0 13 Koonce (FOR)- 250 yds rushing Garrett (COL)- 168 yds rushing Purple Valley Classic Men: 4th Women: 9th

Fordham 2 Fairfield 1 Goals: Schiro (LOY); 36’ Abrams (FOR); 67’ Camaj (FOR); 91’ Cross Country Leeber Invitational Men: 4th Women: 3rd

Men’s Soccer Fordham 0 Yale 0

Athletes of the Week Carlton Koonce

Victoria Camaj

Senior

Freshman

Football, running back

Soccer, midfielder

Koonce earned his second straight Patriot League Offensive Player of the Week after rushing for 250 yards in the Rams’ victory over Columbia.

Camaj, a freshman from Diamond Bar, Calif., scored the game-winning goal in the Rams’ overtime victory over Fairfield on Sunday.

News & Notes • • •

The men’s tennis team opened its season at the National Tennis Center Collegiate Invitational last weeked. Check theramonline.com for the full story.

Sophomore defensive back Jordan Chapman suffered an ankle sprain against Columbia, but is expected to play against Lehigh.

Want to cover the Fordham golf team for The Ram? Email fordhamramsports@ gmail.com and let us know.

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

Regular referees like Ed Hochuli have been locked out by the NFL owners.

PAGE 18 • THE RAM • SEPTEMBER 26, 2012

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Congratulations to the Fordham football team for winning its third consecutive Liberty Cup! --Photos courtesy of Lloyd Morrison and compiled by Liz Mallozzi

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A Look Inside the Rams’ Equipment Department

SEPTEMBER 26, 2012• THE RAM • PAGE 19

By DAN GARTLAND SPORTS EDITOR

PHOTO BY MICHAEL REZIN/THE RAM

All Fordham football players receive the services of the equipment staff.

By CHESTER BAKER SPORTS EDITOR

Try to imagine what it would be like to go to a Fordham sporting event without seeing the Rams don their traditional maroon and white. Well, that is exactly what Joe Webber, the new head equipment manager for the school, ensures will never happen.

Webber got his start in this line of work while attending West Virginia University as an undergrad before making stops in the equipment departments of Rutgers and New Haven. For Webber, a love of sports keeps him interested in the job.

“I grew up playing sports my entire life, and I just enjoy being able to stay involved and help athletes grow,” Webber said.

While Webber is responsible for maintaining the equipment for all teams at Fordham, football is the only sport for which he lays out the gear on game days, leaving the other teams in the capable hands of the facilities department.

Webber believes that hockey and men’s lacrosse are two of the more difficult sports to handle the equipment for, but football is the one that takes up most of his time at Rose Hill.

“Football has the most athletes,” Webber said. “They have 110 at a time and they have the most gear of any sport.”

Dressing so many athletes is not an easy task, as Webber and his crew need to start preparing the game-day apparel for the team at least two days before a game in order to get ready.

Much of that time is spent filling up the multiple equipment trunks for the team, in which the staff has a myriad of replacement parts for the players, such as shoulder pads, helmets and other essentials.

The equipment staff is also responsible for helping players get any legal edge that they can on the field, as football players continue to go for a tighter look, making it more difficult for the opposing team to grab at them.

“Players like to get their shoulder pads taped with double sided tape so the jersey is not loose for the other team to grab,” Webber said. “We also help players get into their uniforms because sometimes the jerseys are so tight that we need to help put them on.”

The players also utilize Webber’s services in choosing the face mask style for their helmets, which now sport TV numbers for the first time in several years. Still, there are some limits to the styles from which they get to choose.

“They don’t just get to pick,” Webber said. “If there’s a linebacker that wants an open face mask, I’m going to say ‘No, you’re going to get poked in the eye.’”

When watching a Fordham game, a recognizable swoosh can be seen on all jerseys, as the school is currently in a contract with Nike to provide all apparel for the teams. Having a major company as a provider is a blessing for the most part, as Nike has “been very good to us,” according to Webber. Still, some problems have occurred over the course of the season.

“They have been struggling a little bit with getting the shoes because, from what they told me, the Olympics kind of wiped them out of shoes,” Webber said. “But overall, they’ve been good at getting us what we need.”

Nike has plenty of new and exciting materials to offer, but don’t expect Fordham to follow Oregon’s trend of looking like comic book characters for every game. As a smaller, Football Championship Subdivision school, Fordham simply does not have the same funds to splurge on multiple uniform sets.

“They’re a bigger program than we are, so we don’t have that kind of luxury unfortunately,” Webber said.

While the Rams may not be flaunting chrome helmets, Flywire collars and new combinations every Saturday, Fordham still has the means to provide the occasional alternate uniform, such as the camouflage uniforms donned by the baseball team last season. The process of getting alternates, however, is not an easy task.

“There is a lot of work that goes into that,” Webber said. “It has to go through a lot of different people and they all need to approve it, especially if it’s not for a school color.”

While many schools continue to trot out black uniforms simply for the sake of wearing black uniforms, it appears as though Fordham is committed to maintaining the tradition of maroon and white for most sports. Still, having multiple uniform sets has proven to be a useful recruiting tool, so perhaps Fordham should look into taking up some different designs that still keep in line with the traditional look.

It is important for students to support the athletes of the school. Creating a home-field advantage at Jack Coffey Field and Rose Hill Gym is something that both head football coach Joe Moorhead and head men’s basketball coach Tom Pecora have talked about in the past. Just remember those who work hard to keep the Rams looking so good.

No, this isn’t just another replacement refs column. The situation in which the NFL now finds itself with the referee lockout is something that has become all too familiar in sports. It seems that in order to be a sports fan these days, you have to have a cursory knowledge of labor law.

In the past 14 months, lockouts have affected the NBA, NHL and NFL (twice). When will the team owners and the commissioners of these leagues realize that work stoppages are detrimental to their products?

Admittedly, the reasons behind these disputes were largely legitimate: The NBA and NHL owners were concerned that only a handful of each league’s teams are profitable; the conflict between the NFL and NFLPA in 2011 had to settle serious issues regarding post-retirement health benefits, among other things.

Those squabbles were regrettable, but not unacceptable. This nonsense with the referees is a totally different story. Vikings punter Chris Kluwe described it as the league “attempting to squeeze blood from a stone simply because [it] can.”

The referee lockout didn’t receive as much offseason media attention as the player lockout of last season because most people thought the NFL would be able survive without the largely anonymous officials. Sure, you can’t play games without players, but is football really worth watching if the officials make glaring mistakes that the fans at home can spot?

I could go on about the replacement referees, how they embarrassed the league and themselves on Sunday night in Baltimore, or on Monday night in Seattle, but the point is, the referee dispute is only latest in a series of events in which major professional sports leagues have upset their players

and alienated their fans.

The NHL — you may or may not realize (due to the fact that ESPN hardly mentions it) — is also in a lockout, and there is a strong possibility that the league will not play any games this year.

The 2004-05 season was already canceled because of a lockout, and last year’s NBA slate was cut to 66 games because of a lockout.

That canceled 2004-05 season had a tremendous impact on the stability of the NHL. The league lost its television deal with ESPN after the lockout ended, and as recently as 2010, the Stanley Cup final was not shown in full on national TV. Somehow, the league’s owners are willing to go through that again if it means getting what they want.

The owners are multimillionaires, and the players can find work overseas, so the only ones who really suffer are the fans. And

don’t get it twisted: The owners are the ones responsible for all of these lockouts. A strike is when the players refuse to work; a lockout is when the owners won’t let them work.

The players’ unions share some of the blame for making demands that disproportionately favor their side, but that’s their job. The real problem is that the leagues are monopolies and therefore hold all the leverage in negotiations — there isn’t anywhere else for the fans to go, at least not in this country. The AFL-NFL merger of 1970 was accompanied by a law that exempted the league from most antitrust measures, effectively solidifying the NFL’s monopoly status.

While I don’t usually support bigger government, there has to be some way for lawmakers to step in and make sure lockouts don’t occur every time a league’s collective bargaining agreement expires.

COURTESY OF AP IMAGES

The missed call on Monday night’s Seahawks-Packers game is just one example of the many times a labor dispute affected one of the four major leagues.

Upcoming Varsity Schedule CAPS=HOME lowercase=away

Thursday Sept. 27

Friday Sept. 28

at Lehigh 2:30 p.m.

Football

Men’s Soccer

Women’s Soccer

Volleyball

Water Polo

Sunday Sept. 30

Saturday Sept. 29

MANHATTAN 7:30 p.m.

DUQUESNE 5 p.m.

ST. BONNIES 1 p.m.

CHARLOTTE 7 p.m.

VCU 1 p.m.

CONN COLL 2 p.m.

BROWN 7 p.m

Cross Country

Men’s Tennis

LA SALLE 10 a.m.

ST. FRANCIS 2 p.m.

Women’s Tennis Golf

Yale Invitational New Haven, CT

Monday Oct. 1

Tuesday Oct. 2

Wednesday Oct. 3

SEPTEMBER 26, 2012

PAGE 20

Defense Leads the Way as Fordham Retains Liberty Cup Koonce Rushes for 250 Yards as Rams Top Columbia 20-13 in Annual Rivalry Game FOOTBALL, FROM PAGE 1

Fordham punted on its first possession and lost a fumble on the following one, but on the Rams’ third series of the day, senior running back Carlton Koonce broke a 92-yard touchdown run which gave Fordham a 7-3 lead. Fordham’s best possession of the first half was an eight-play, 70-yard drive culminating in an 18-yard touchdown reception by Koonce, which gave the Rams a 14-3 lead.

Columbia answered on the very next series, as Brackett connected with junior receiver Louis DiNovo on a short pass. DiNovo took advantage of good blocking down the sideline and ran 60 yards for a touchdown, cutting the Rams’ lead to four at 14-10.

The Lions would add another field goal late in the half. With Columbia facing a third-and-3 deep in its own territory and the clock winding down, Moorhead called a timeout, hoping to leave enough time for his team to get the ball back. On the first play following the timeout, Brackett found freshman receiver Isaiah Gross for a 38yard gain. Brackett and Gross connected again a few plays later for a 20-yard gain, which set up a firstand-goal at the 8. Once again, the Fordham defense made a crucial goal line stand, forcing Columbia to kick a field goal, at which point Fordham’s lead was cut to 14-13 with 34 seconds left in the half.

Thanks to a few big plays and some good clock management, the Rams were able to answer with a field goal of their own. Higgins completed three straight passes to set up a 43-yard Murray field goal,

PHOTO BY MICHAEL HAYES/THE RAM

Koonce’s 608 rushing yards this year rank third in the FCS. His 152 yards per game is the fifth-best average in the FCS.

and Fordham took a 17-13 lead into the locker room.

Murray had another field goal in the fourth quarter, but the story was the Fordham defense, which held Columbia scoreless in the second half to hold on for a 2013 victory. Columbia had success in the running game (168 yards on 30 carries for senior Marcorus Garrett) but the Rams refused to allow anything through the air and came up with big plays when they needed them.

A large chunk of Garrett’s yardage came when he broke a 64-yard run in the second quarter. It looked

as though Garrett would run untouched into the end zone as he streaked down the sideline with no one in front of him, but Fordham redshirt sophomore defensive back Ian Williams, a high school track star, came from the opposite side of the field and dragged Garrett down from behind inside the 5-yard line.

Two plays later, Williams made an acrobatic interception in the back of the end zone to deny the Lions a crucial chance to score.

Williams and Martin were the leaders for the Fordham defense.

Williams had six solo tackles in addition to his spectacular intercep-

tion. Martin had six solo tackles, including a sack and two forced fumbles, one of which he recovered. Martin’s fumble recovery came midway through the fourth quarter, with Columbia deep in Fordham territory, threatening to tie the game.

The turnover allowed Fordham to run the clock down before giving the ball back to Columbia for one last drive. With 1:17 remaining in the game, Brackett scrambled and completed a pass to Garrett in the end zone, seemingly tying the game. The home crowd erupted but quickly went silent when the

referee signaled a penalty for an illegal forward pass.

“When I saw the flag, I knew it was either holding, or something [on the offense],” Martin said.

“When you see the flag behind the line of scrimmage, it’s always on the offense, so I was feeling alright.”

The offense leaned on Koonce, whose 250 rushing yards came close to the Fordham record for most yards in a game. His 92-yard touchdown run tied the Patriot League record for longest rush.

For his effort, Koonce earned his second consecutive Patriot League Offensive Player of the Week award. He has rushed for 608 yards on the year, which puts him third in the FCS. “Glory to those guys,” Koonce said after the game. “The O-line met the challenge, answered the bell, came off the ball, and as you can see, it reflects in the stats. I’m very thrilled also with the ‘W’. The win, that’s the main thing.”

With the win, Fordham’s record stands at 3-1 for the first time since 2004. The Rams will face their biggest test thus far in this young season when they travel to Lehigh next week to take on the 11th-ranked Mountain Hawks. Fordham will probably look to Koonce to carry the load against Lehigh, whose 15th-ranked pass defense will test Higgins and his receivers.

“I’ll come in tomorrow and grade this tape,” Moorhead said.

“Hopefully we’ll continue to do the things we did well, correct the things we did wrong, and then we’ll move on to Lehigh, but these guys have earned the opportunity to savor this and enjoy it.”

Offensive Struggles Continue for Men’s Soccer in Scoreless Draw at Yale

By MATT ROSENFELD ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR

If there has been a theme in the Fordham men’s soccer team’s season thus far, it has been stout defense and weak offense. Last Friday, Sept. 21, that theme continued as the Rams battled the Yale Bulldogs to a scoreless tie in New Haven, CT. Real scoring threats were at a minimum in the game. There were only three shots on goal in total, two for the Bulldogs and one for the Rams.

The first of those attempts on net came in the 16th minute, when a Yale turnover opened the door for sophomore Kalle Sotka. Sotka was able to blast a shot on net from around 10 yards, but Yale’s senior goalkeeper Bobby Thalman was able to stop the effort.

“I was happy with some of the chances we created,” Fordham head coach Jim McElderry said.

“It was one of those days where we probably could have played three games and nobody would have scored.”

Yale first threatened in the 24th minute. The Bulldogs’ junior forward Scott Armbrust had his shot blocked by the Fordham defense,

PHOTO BY PATRICK DOHERTY/THE RAM

Nathaniel Bekoe and the Rams have struggled to find their stride offensively of late. They host Manhattan on Friday.

which lived up to its strong reputation in the game against Yale.

Just 10 minutes later, in the 34th minute, Yale had its first shot on net. The attempt came on a cross that found Bulldogs’ freshman forward Avery Schwartz’s head. Rams sophomore goalie Sean Brailey was able to snare the shot, preventing Yale from taking the lead.

Schwartz was not done in the

game, though. He sent forward a pass to Yale senior midfielder Tony Wilbar, who got off a quick shot. Brailey prevailed again, making the save on the hard shot.

After regulation ended scoreless, the two teams began overtime, which consists of two 10minute periods.

Defenses held strong in the overtime periods, as neither team was able to muster much offense

in either period. Fordham’s best effort in the extra time came on a shot from junior Nathaniel Bekoe, who had his attempt blocked by the Yale defense. Yale’s only shot in overtime was in the 99th minute, a shot over the net from junior Peter Jacobsen.

“Any time you play a game and you don’t score, you’re disappointed,” McElderry said. “The defense has given great effort though.

We’ve had a lot of injuries [on the defense], but you wouldn’t know.

There have been a lot of different personnel, but it seems no matter who we put back there, they are willing to do the dirty work, as well as Sean [Brailey] being very good in goal.”

The shutout was Yale’s third straight.

For the Rams, the game proved to be another strong defensive effort combined with a struggling offense. Brailey has had three shutouts total, and has given up only five goals in Fordham’s seven games. The offense, however, has only scored five times all season.

The Rams scored twice in just one game, a Sept. 7 overtime victory over Siena.

“Obviously, as a team we want to score more goals,” Brailey said.

“As an entire team, though, we’ve been playing well. Our record is not as great as we’d like, but we are definitely going to look to improve going into the conference season.”

Fordham returns home on Friday, Sept. 28, after four games on the road, to face rival Manhattan in the Battle of the Bronx. The game against Manhattan is Fordham’s last non-conference game.