Volume 94 Issue 16

Opinions PAGE 8

Culture PAGE 13

Sports PAGE 19

MTA fares affect a variety of students.

Jay-Z christens the Barclays Center with opening concert.

Football team implements new traditions.

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SERVING THE FORDHAM UNIVERSITY COMMUNITY FOR OVER 90 YEARS

1918-2012

OCTOBER 3, 2012

VOLUME 94, ISSUE 16

New McGinley Fitness Center to Open Next Week Roach Cardio Equipment, Strength Machines and New Studios Are Set to Fill the 9,000 Square Foot, Top-of-the-Line Facility Named New A.D.

By KELLY KULTYS

ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR

The new, state-of-the-art fitness facility located in the basement of McGinley, the previous site of the Ramskellar, will open its doors for business on Oct 15. The new fitness center hopes to welcome those of all fitness levels and serve the entire Fordham population from students to faculty — even alumni.

“We’re very, very proud of this facility,” John Puglisi, assistant vice president of facilities operations, said, in an interview.

“We got almost everything we wished for when the project came on board,” Mike Roberts, the assistant athletic director for Intramurals, club sports and recreation, said. “The only thing missing was a shower and changing facility, but we just ran out of square footage.”

The McGinley Fitness Center will add about 9,000 square feet of athletic facilities to the Rose Hill Campus.

“This space has good bones,” Puglisi said. “It was a good space to build in. It’s bigger than the fitness facility at Columbia. It’s much bigger than the one at NYU. I think we were able to get this facility to function at its best.”

The main area of the fitness center will feature a wide array of cardio machines, including treadmills, cross trainers, adaptive motion trainers and bicycles. Each one is equipped with top-of-theline accommodations, including large interactive touch-screens on each machine on which students can dock their iPods or even ac-

By CHESTER BAKER SPORTS EDITOR

PHOTO BY KATE DOHENY/THE RAM

The McGinley Fitness Center will supplement the Lombardi Center, with an emphasis on the health of all students. cess their Netflix accounts. The going to be able to offer things we and strength-training area that area also includes large HDTVs never had the chance to before.” includes a wide range of free hanging from the walls and access One of the studios is designed weights, in addition to strengthto natural lighting. to accommodate a large variety training and plate-loaded equipAround the perimeter of the of group fitness classes, anything ment. cardio equipment, there are nufrom yoga to Zumba to bootcamp.

“We put this at the very end, so merous cable and strength-trainIt also can be used to accommo[students] don’t feel on top of one ing machines. Within the main date dance teams during the times another,” Roberts said. area of the fitness center there is when there are no classes offered.

Reconstructing the Ramskelalso a stretching and body-weight “It has state-of-the-art sound lar into a fitness center included strength-training area, which inin here,” Roberts said. “You can many challenges for the facilities cludes equipment such as mediblast the music for classes in here. and athletic departments. cine balls, stability balls, body There are mirrors with LED light“Wrestling the space from Sobars and light, free weights. ing around them to do whatever dexo was probably the hardest Besides the central space, the you’d like with it.” part,” Leon Kokoszka, the facilfitness facility offers two brandThe other studio includes pority’s project manager, said. new studios, which will allow for table spin bikes, designed espe“We worked a lot over the sumgroup fitness classes, something cially for spinning classes. mer, which we prefer to do,” PugFordham has been looking to ex“The bikes are portable so you lisi said. “But we really needed pand on for a long time. can move them around,” Roberts this month of September, because “When they mandated this, said. “So if we need more rehearsal [this construction] didn’t lend itthey gave us a pretty good budspace, we can have it if we need it.” self to a 10-week schedule, since get for group fitness classes and Beyond the studios, there we wanted to do so much.” instructors,” Roberts said. “We’re is a designated weight-lifting SEE FITNESS, PAGE 2

Gabelli Visits Campus for Hughes Hall Dedication New Building Received Praise from Faculty, Alumni and Students for Its Impressive Design at Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony

By EDDIE MIKUS STAFF WRITER

The transformation from Hughes Hall the residence hall to home of Fordham’s Gabelli School of Business (GSB) was made complete at a ribbon-cutting ceremony held on Sept. 27.

At the ceremony, several deans in GSB gave speeches, as did donor Mario Gabelli, GSB ’65, the school’s namesake, and Rev. Joseph M. McShane, S.J., president of the University. The building was also officially blessed during the ceremony.

GSB officials marked the occasion with several laudatory remarks about the new building.

“It is the perfect mix of oldworld charm and modern-day business elegance,” Dr. Donna Rappacioli, dean of the Gabelli School of Business said, according to an article on Fordham University’s website. “It is a physical

space that respects history but leads to the future. And it is, most importantly, a home. As any professor here will tell you, the glass walls make it very easy to see who’s at home. And, in truth, we are all at home.”

Students also had positive reactions to the dedication.

“I thought it was very fitting for the event of giving us our new building,” Aurelia O’Keefe, GSB ’15, said.

She went on to say that she especially appreciated the decision to bless Hughes Hall.

O’Keefe is a student in the Global Business Honors Program (GBHP), the members of which were invited to help host the event. Others in attendance included various donors to the University, as well as GSB students connected with certain groups within Fordham University.

Additionally, Gabelli rented SEE HUGHES, PAGE 4

PHOTO BY PATRICK DOHERTY/THE RAM

Hughes Hall contains state-of-the-art technology, including Bloomberg terminals.

After an extensive nationwide search, Fordham named David T. Roach the new director of intercollegiate athletics and recreation. The hiring was announced via an email from Rev. Joseph M. McShane, S.J., president of the University, on Sept.

26. The position, more commonly known as the athletic director, requires Roach to manage all the Division I sports Fordham has to offer.

Roach will take over for Frank McLaughlin, who was promoted to assistant vice president for Athletic Alumni Relations earlier this year after serving as the athletic director for the past three decades.

Roach resigned from his position of athletic director at Colgate in August to pursue other opportunities after eight years there. Prior to his time at Colgate, Roach served as the athletic director at Brown for 14 years, a period in which the Ivy League school won seven national championships.

During his time at Colgate, Roach led the Raiders to 14 NCAA appearances as well as 17 Patriot League titles, or ECAC championships. The program also boasted a 100 percent graduation rate in Roach’s final year.

The decision ended a long search for McLaughlin’s replacement.

“Though we had a number of highly-qualified candidates from which to choose, David’s long experience, winning record in Division I and emphasis on superior academic performance made the decision an easy one for us,” McShane wrote in an email to all students.

McShane also cited Roach’s ability to fundraise as a primary reason for the hiring. Fordham’s new athletic director also serves on the board of directors and as a treasurer for the Black Coaches and Administrators. Roach will now take on a new responsibility, as he looks to bring Fordham back to prominence in the Atlantic 10 and Patriot League.

“I'm extremely excited about joining the Fordham University family,” Roach said in a press release. “I cannot wait to get to campus and begin working with Father McShane, the University administration, community, outstanding coaches and athletic staff to accomplish great things for Fordham student-athletes. I have always admired Fordham's educational mission and the role that intercollegiate athletics plays in accomplishing that mission.”

He also voiced his excitement on Twitter, as he tweeted “Can't wait to start working with everyone at Fordham!” from his personal account.

Roach will take over his new position on Oct. 15, and will be formerly introduced to students on Oct. 4.

PAGE2•THERAM• OCTOBER 3, 2012

SECURITY

BRIEFS

Sept. 26, D-Train, Grand Concourse125th Harlem 3 p.m.

A student reported to security that she took the D-train to Manhattan and left her wallet and keys on the train. Six hours later she received a call from her bank stating that someone attempted to withdraw money from her bank account. NYPD was notified and filed a report for grand larceny. The student changed her lock.

Sept. 27, Lombardi Center 7:15 p.m.

A student placed her purse on a rack in the Lombardi Center. Upon her return 20 minutes later, she discovered $21 was missing from her purse. Security is investigating .

Sept. 27, Coffey Field 7- 9p.m.

Two students reported that they put a gym bag on a Coffey Field bench. The students went to play ball and upon their return they discovered some of their property missing.

Two iPhone 4s and $30 dollars were stolen.

Sept. 27 A student reported she was receiving numerous texts and calls from an ex-boyfriend who continued to call her. The NYPD were notified and the student filed a complaint for aggravated harassment.

Sept. 28, 191st Street and Hoffman St 2 a.m.

A security guard observed two students fighting. Security responded and identified the parties involved.

Both parties declined to file a police report.

Sept. 28, East Fordham Road and Jerome Avenue 3 p.m.

A student said that she entered the BX-12 bus. She went to Jerome Avenue from Fordham Road and Bathgate. A male bumped into her in the rear of the bus. She exited the bus and realized her property was missing, including her wallet and credit cards. The NYPD was notified and the student filed a report.

Sept. 28, Arthur House I 9 p.m.

A fire alarm went off due to a smoke condition spurred by burning food on a stove. The FDNY responded. There were no injuries or property damage. The alarm was reset.

Sept. 29, Loschert Hall 2:40 a.m.

A student from another building attempted to enter Loschert Hall with an altered ID. The student was apprehended and reported to Residential Life.

Oct. 1, Parking Garage 9 a.m-2:30 p.m.

A student parked his car in the parking garage at 9 a.m. At 2:30 p.m., when he came to retrieve his car, he foudn it missing and realized his keys were stolen from his backpack during class. The student notified security and NYPD. The car was found the following day, but investigations continued.

—Compiled by Karen Hill, Assistant News Editor

NEWS

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Fitness Facility To Offer Variety of Group Classes FROM FITNESS, PAGE 1

Working through September when school began included many more challenges for the staff because they had to work around Sodexo’s schedule as well as all others who use the McGinley Center, since many of the pipes and wires within the space are interconnected throughout the building.

Another problem the work crew faced was trying to get materials in and out of the basement of McGinley.

“We had to make some new openings, because going back and forth with a single door for some of the equipment just wasn’t working,” Kokoszka said. “We changed a lot of the doors and we had to work very closely with Sodexo because we were sharing their loading dock.”

They also worked hard to address a popular complaint many students had — the air and temperature in the Lombardi center.

“From a building standpoint, the biggest problem was ventilation and air conditioning,” Puglisi said. “[We had to] make sure we could get enough air out, while getting enough cool air in.”

The staff was able to come just under the $1.9 million budget they received and still implement all of the new designs and state-ofthe-art machinery.

“I think [they] did a great job managing the budget,” Puglisi said. “A project like this really could have run away quickly.”

Besides the opening of the new fitness center, the athletic department also welcomes a new staff member to help direct both facilities.

“They budgeted for a new fulltime staff member, Sarah Bickford, who will manage this facility as well as oversee Lombardi, because we really want to make sure we’re not forgetting about that facility,” Roberts said. “She’ll be in charge of the instructional staff as well as the student workers.”

Bickford plans to start with a sampling of popular classes for the group fitness programs as well as taking students’ feedback on what types of classes they would like to

The staff was able to come just under the 1.9 million dollar budget they received and still implement all of the new designs and stateof-the-art machinery. have.

“We are hoping to have everything from Zumba to total body conditioning to spinning, even pilates, yoga,” Bickford, the new administrator of fitness and recreation, said. “I’m hoping to do hybrids of things as well as taking requests that make sense to the population on campus.”

The classes will be offered in the morning, midday and in the evening so students with differing schedules have a chance to fit as many in as possible. The schedules are still flexible to change in response to student and faculty demands.

The new McGinley Fitness Center can hold up to 200 people at a time, including staff and workers, and it plans to follow the same hours as the Lombardi Center, which are 6 a.m. until midnight during the week and 9 a.m. until 9 p.m. on the weekends.

There are still a few small details that have to be completed in the days before the official opening.

“The audio and video machines have to be tested,” Kokoszka said.

“But the biggest thing left is getting the building department to finalize all the inspections.”

“On our end, we have instructional staff to hire and training for everyone to go through, with the cardio equipment especially,”

PHOTO BY KATE DOHENY/THE RAM

The facility features top-of-the-line equipment for those of all fitness levels.

Roberts said.

Overall, the staff is extremely proud and excited to open the doors of the new facility.

“We were very happy with our architect [ Jack L. Gordon Architects],” Puglisi said. “They were the original architects on Citi Field and the architect for the Brooklyn Cyclones’ facility, so they came with an athletic and recreational background that we were able to tap into for what the

Fordham in the Bronx

By JEFFREY COLTIN STAFF WRITER

flow should be. It’s a bit of a specialized design.”

The new facility is complete, with everything the staff could have desired. They now hope students will have the chance to enjoy it for themselves.

“When we got together with the architects, we were just giddy with the prospects,” Roberts said.

“We got everything we hoped for.

It was like Santa came and wrote down your wishlist for you.”

THIS

week at

Students Welcome Nearby Off-Campus Options FORDHAM Best or Simon's,” Geoff Holman, Just last year, a Fordham stuside of Fordham Road between dent could walk nearly a half-mile down Fordham Road — from Hero City Deli east of Arthur Avenue, to Subway across from the Walsh Library—without seeing a single sandwich shop. But that day has passed.

This summer, that same stretch of Fordham Road welcomed two new delis: The Best Deli & Grill (known to many simply as “Best”) and Campus Deli Grill (similarly known as “Campus Deli”). The area, once as thin for sandwich-eaters as a panini, is now fuller than an overstuffed Dagwood.

Only a month into the semester and some students already have chosen their favorites. Taylor Fields, FCRH ’14, has made his choice clear.

“Overall, I gotta give it to Best […] you can get all sorts of different cheeseburgers, you can get stuff with avocado on it,” Fields said. “That’s hard to find in the Bronx. [They] also have a lot of Arizona Iced Teas, which is huge.”

Best opened in May, on the south

Bathgate and Lorillard.

The shop had been open throughout the summer and built a customer base of Fordham students on campus for summer session, including Kris Venezia, FCRH ’15.

“There’s a reason they call it Best Deli,” Venezia said. “The food’s the best, the service is the best and the prices are the best.”

Being open throughout summer allowed Best to gain a reputation before most students came back for fall semester.

“As soon as I entered campus, the first day of school, I was already berated with people telling me that Best Deli was the best deli to go to and that I simply must go,” Dan Stracquadanio, FCRH ’15, said.

“They were right. Best Deli truly was the best.”

Campus Deli, on the north side of Fordham Road, just west of Hoffman, has dedicated fans as well.

“The experience at Campus Deli is inviting and overall warmer than

GSB ’14, said. “Plus the prices are much more reasonable.”

Still, Campus has been working to gain customers. Co-owner George said they’ve been getting a lot of business from Fordham students.

“We want more though,” he said.

He tried to hire Fordham students, but “none of them really know the deli.”

Expectations are high still. George says he chose the location particularly because of Fordham.

Campus’ intimate square shop in a former insurance office contrasts with Best’s long, open floor plan.

Sami, who works the register at Best, says the deli has applied for a license to sell beer and hopes to fill the back of the store with tables and TVs within a week or two, “so kids can come in here and watch football.”

As Best looks to improve, does George at Campus feel a rivalry with his neighboring deli?

“I don’t even want to get into that,” he said.

Thursday, Oct. 4, Finance Society Meeting Freeman 105 1 p.m.

Thursday, Oct. 4, Jumpstart’s Read for the Record Meet at Ram Van 2 – 4:30 p.m.

Thursday, Oct. 4, Taboo Night, Commuter Students Association, McGinley Student Lounge 5-7p.m Saturday, Oct. 6, NYC Regional Students For Life Conference Duane Library 11:30 a.m. - 3:15 p.m.

Sunday, Oct. 7, Pulaski Day Parade Polish Cultural Exchange, 10:30 a.m.

Meet at Walsh Gate Library

NEWS

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OCTOBER 3, 2012 • THE RAM • PAGE 3

photos by KATE DOHENY compiled by ELAINA WEBER

COMING

THE RAM cardiova

THIS MO

NTH:

SKELLAR

scular • main stu weights • group dio • spin classes studio

NEWS

PAGE 4• THE RAM • OCTOBER 3, 2012

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Hughes Hall Hosts Official Ribbon-Cutting Dedication Ceremony FROM HUGHES PAGE 1

an actual ram to be present during the event, a decision which hearkened back to the days when Fordham kept a live ram as the University mascot. (That practice was stopped after students at a rival university stole the ram and painted it green.)

“It was quite fun,” O’Keefe said about having the ram as a guest at the ceremony. “It was entertainment for donors as well as students who walked past. Everyone wanted to pet the ram, wanted their picture with the ram.”

On a more serious note, students also used the occasion as a means to focus on real-world opportunities outside of Fordham.

“After we were done with our responsibilities hosting the event, we were allowed to mingle with donors, and it was a nice networking opportunity,” O’Keefe said.

Gabelli students have generally responded positively to the newly-finished Hughes Hall, which contains a trading floor with profesional Bloomberg terminals, as well as several classrooms, a room dedicated to the Honors Program and a Personal and Professional Development Center.

“The new Hughes Hall is a wonderful development for the Gabelli School of Business,”

PHOTO BY PATRICK DOHERTY/THE RAM

Fordham invited alumni, faculty and even a live ram to commemorate the official dedication of the new home of the Gabelli School of Business. for Fordham Preparatory School. though it’s nice to share with the Melanie Falk, GSB ’15, who also Schools of Business as saying that It was given its current name in Jesuits, there really was limited attended the dedication, said. more than 100 business schools space,” O’Keefe said. “The busi1935 and was converted into a “It would be much easier for have renovated buildings or conness school was really just being freshman dorm in 1982, 10 years the business school to climb the structed new ones since 1995. squashed into an existing buildafter the Prep moved to its currankings if it has a state-of-the-art Transitioning to a centralized ing. It didn’t have anything that rent location. The interior of location may also be easier on the building.” was created for us.” the building was completely torn Gabelli students.

In an article from 2010 on its Hughes Hall was first conapart and rebuilt during the most “I remember last year, I had website, Fordham cited the Asstructed in 1891 as the building recent renovation. a class in Faber Hall, which, alsociation to Advance Collegiate

College Republicans, Democrats Face Off in Heated Debate Members from Both Sides Tackle Tough Issues, Debating Hot Topics Such as Illegal Immigration and Medicare

By KELLY KULTYS ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR

On Wednesday, Sept. 26, the College Republicans and the College Democrats took the stage for one of their frequent debates.

Students and faculty packed into Flom Auditorium to hear the groups address a wide range of crucial topics, from illegal immigration to tax reform plans. This debate was especially important, as the students portrayed many stances and views espoused by both parties’ platforms in the upcoming presidential election.

The debate, which almost did not happen due to a last-minute cancellation by the original moderator, began with remarks by the new moderator, Rev. R. Bentley Anderson, S.J, on how the night would run. Each side would have a certain amount of time for an opening statement, a back-andforth question-and-answer session, questions from the audience and a closing statement.

The first topic of debate was what to do with the problem of illegal immigration. Luke Zaro, FCRH ’16, representing the College Republicans, called for a reform of the legal immigration process in the United States, in addition to a fortified border.

“Today’s immigration policy is a failure,” Zaro said, arguing for a reformed, streamlined immigration procedure.

Zaro argued that people who took the time, money and effort to move to America legally should be rewarded for putting up with the “flawed system.” Zaro also discussed the drain that illegal immigrants put on the economy, as they are able to use public goods

without contributing to the economy through taxes.

George DeVilla, FCRH ’16, spoke on behalf of the College Democrats and called for a policy of amnesty for illegal immigrants.

“People have the right to this life and to take advantage of the federal programs,” DeVilla said, claiming that the proposed Dream Act is a proper course of action due to its bipartisan support.

The two participants questioned each other intensely, as DeVilla argued that the border patrol is ineffective and should not receive more funding. Zaro responded that a more fortified border would reduce the number of deaths, now over 34,000, that occur on the Mexican-American border each year. DeVilla also argued that an amnesty policy would help enhance the cultural backgrounds of Americans, while Zaro stated that if the immigration policy was reformed, it would help stop biased suppositions that a certain race could be considered “second-class citizens, because they assume they are illegal.”

The topic of debate then shifted to economics as Anisa Assim, FCRH ’16, of the College Democrats discussed the opposing tax plans with Jeremy Fague, FCRH ’16, of the College Republicans.

Fague proposed the RomneyRyan tax plan as the model to follow for economic success.

“Efficiency, practicality and fairness” were three words Fague used to describe the plan, which calls for use of the private sector in order to create more jobs and help reduce the deficit.

“The current U.S. management of the economy is terrible,” Fague said. “[We] borrow 40 cents of ev-

ery dollar spent.”

Assim, on the other hand, called the Romney-Ryan tax plan “incomplete at best.” Assim also attacked the Republican idea of spending cuts.

“What programs should we cut spending on?” Assim said. “Medicare? Welfare?”

Fague argued that the RomneyRyan government subsidy to purchase private healthcare would lessen Medicare’s financial burden on the government, without taking away from the less-fortunate.

“We need to focus on poorer seniors,” Fague said. “FDR’s original [welfare] plans were aimed to help seniors from going into poverty.”

Assim finished the topic by saying that the Romney-Ryan tax plan was illogical and that it would only benefit rich Americans.

The third topic of the debate was how much intervention, if any, America should have in the Arab Spring. The Arab Spring, also known as the Arab Revolution, began in December 2010 and has since included numerous protests, demonstrations and revolutions in Arab countries.

Tom Byrnes, FCRH ’14, of the College Democrats argued against involvement in these countries.

“We don’t know what the people are going to do,” Byrnes said.

“We can’t force them.”

Sam Martin, FCRH ’13, on the other hand, argued for the College Republicans, citing the numerous rebellions and attacks that have occurred as reasons for the U.S. to get involved in these countries’ affairs.

“Security in Libya isn’t stable,” Martin said. “Mubarak fought hard in Egypt to keep terrorists out, but now the Muslim Broth-

erhood won the Egyptian presidency. Our embassies have been ransacked.”

Byrnes challenged the idea of supporting U.S. allies, like Egypt’s previous president, Hosni Mubarak, who governed some parts of his country contrary to U.S. beliefs.

“Can the U.S. continue to support monsters?” Byrnes said.

Martin countered by stating that it is a good idea to support stable leaders, who he said each help keep the number of terrorist attacks down, especially those leaders who are our allies.

“How can we have allies if we seek to overthrow them?” Martin said.

The debate concluded with a final topic of “What Would a Republican President Have Done Differently These Last Four Years?”

Joseph Campagna, GSB ’15, argued on behalf on the College Republicans, comparing the current situation to one 20 years ago, right before the election of Ronald Reagan.

“Reagan made [us] believe that our better days were not yesterday, but tomorrow,” Campagna said.

Campagna argued that no one can know exactly what a Republican president in office would have done for the last four years, but he claimed it would be better than Obama’s administration.

He also stated that Republican presidents have been famous for cutting taxes, not raising them.

Campagna argued in favor of the Romney-Ryan tax plan to help alleviate the deficit and claim fiscal responsibility.

Dennis Ryan, FCRH ’13, represented the College Democrats,

arguing that Americans made the correct choice when they elected Barack Obama, ending the Republican grip on the White House.

“Luckily through the various writings, the 2008 platform and the outrageous bills the Tea Party representatives have passed in these last two years, we have acquired information to know what a Republican government would have looked like,” Ryan said. “And it’s not pretty.”

Ryan argued that the upperclass taxes would have been slashed and would have raised middle-class taxes to make up for the lack of revenue. He also said that a Republican president would not have been able to accomplish many of the things Obama did, such as ending the war in Iraq and saving the oil industry.

Both sides, despite the heated arguing, agreed that the debate was successful.

“We thought the debate went well,” Ryan, president of the College Democrats, said via email. “It was great to see such a large turnout, and we love getting together with the Republicans to discuss issues and show our fellow students why the Republicans are wrong.”

John Mantia, GSB ’13, president of the College Republicans, also said he believed the debate was very effective.

“I am very proud of the team we have assembled this semester and look forward to continuing to improve the climate of critical thinking and debate on campus,” Mantia said via email.

The College Republicans and College Democrats debate came at an important time for college voters, occuring about a month before the election in November.

NEWS

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OCTOBER 3, 2012 • THE RAM • PAGE 5

Fordham Joins in Rally to Redevelop the Kingsbridge Armory In the Jesuit Spirit, Students in a Service-Learning Class Volunteer with a Coalition to Revamp the Delapidated Armory and Strengthen the Bronx Community

By TAYLOR ENGDAHL COPY CHIEF

Spanning close to five acres of land, the Kingsbridge Armory towers over the Northwest Bronx. It is reportedly the largest armory in the world, and yet, behind the padlocked wrought-iron gates, the massive structure sits empty, its brick façade hidden behind a curtain of ivy. The building has been vacant for close to 20 years now, ever since the National Guard vacated the premises and left it in the control of the state in the early ’90s.

The potential of such a space is not lost on the Northwest Bronx Community and Clergy Coalition.

The organization, founded in 1974, was formed as a response to the dismal conditions facing Bronx residents in the 1970s: Negligent landlords, countless apartment buildings destroyed by fires and corrupt banking practices were just a few of the major issues at hand. While government officials turned a blind eye to the growing devastation, local clergymen desperately united to form the Coalition in an attempt to save their dwindling parishes. Today, the group still functions as “a grassroots social justice organization that organizes residents to fight for long-term solutions to the problems in our community,” according to the group’s website.

Now, as two developers are competing for control of the armory, the Coalition continues to fulfill its

mission by seeking a plan for responsible redevelopment that will both benefit Bronx residents and address the community’s needs. A division of the Coalition called the Kingsbridge Armory Redevelopment Alliance (KARA), is entirely devoted to the cause; the Alliance organizes rallies, hosts community meetings and is circulating a petition in an effort to make the voices of Bronx residents heard in the struggle for possession of the armory.

Three years ago, KARA showed just how powerful a united community voice can be. According to The New York Times, the Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz, Jr. “and other Bronx officials blocked a proposal to build a shopping mall at the armory, in part because the developer, the Related Companies, balked at their demands that mall workers be paid a living wage, and in part over concerns that it would compete with local stores.” Now, in 2012, living wages ($10 an hour with benefits, $11.50 without them) have become the group’s rallying cry. The KARA petition calls for, first and foremost, living-wage jobs; other significant concerns are community space and environmentally-responsible construction.

Depending on which developer is selected, the armory will either become a “national ice center with nine ice rinks and extensive youth hockey and skating programs,” or a “$100-million development styled like the Chelsea Market,

with weekend stalls for artists and entrepreneurs to sell goods, as well as a six-screen theater and a rockclimbing wall,” the Times article reported. Diaz recently announced his approval of the ice rink, since the developer has made a verbal agreement to pay every employee a living wage. KARA has not explicitly backed either proposal, but rather has focused its efforts on securing a promise for living-wage jobs, among other things, in writing from both developers.

So far, Fordham University has played a notable role in the redevelopment of the armory due to its close ties to the Coalition. Members of Jeannine Hill-Fletcher’s servicelearning class are working as volunteers at the Coalition for the fall 2012 semester.

Hill-Fletcher is an associate professor of theology, as well as the faculty director of service-learning in Fordham’s Dorothy Day Center for Service and Justice. She has taught service-learning classes since 2009, and has partnered with the Coalition ever since. She has also been a member of the Clergy Caucus since 2009, which is a sub-group of the Coalition that meets monthly. HillFletcher sees projects like the armory as a continuation of Fordham’s Jesuit values.

“Fordham University is already embedded in this wider community that the Armory is a part of, and if we desire a healthy community — things like community space,

New Memorial Set to Honor Former Employees

PHOTO BY CONNOR RYAN/THE RAM

A memorial will be set up to honor Fordham staff and their families who died in a car crash

Fordham is in the process of installing a small memorial near the Faculty Memorial Hall gate to commemorate the employees who died last spring in a car accident, Fordham’s office of safety and security confirmed Tuesday.

Sisters Maria Gonzalez and Maria Nunez, former custodial service workers at Fordham, along with five of their family members, were killed on April 29 when their car veered into a guardrail and fell six stories off the edge of the road near the Bronx Zoo. Among the seven who died in the crash were Nunez’s daughters, Niely, age 7, and Marlyn, age 3. It is unclear as to when the memorial will be marked and publicly announced to the Fordham community.

— Connor Ryan, News Editor

COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA

The Armory was officialized as an historical New York landmark in 1974.

things like school space, things like living-wage jobs — all of those things that could be part of the responsible redevelopment of the Armory,” Hill-Fletcher said. “If we think of ourselves as being a Jesuit institution and as envisioning justice in the world and being part of those projects that seek justice, I think that seeking healthy opportunities at the Armory is a piece of the project of seeking justice in our lives.”

The initiative is a way for Fordham students to learn more about the Bronx community while working to effect tangible change. Students from Hill-Fletcher’s service-learning class will be uniting with the Dorothy Day Center’s Social Justice Leaders (SJL) to bring awareness of the KARA campaign to campus and also to organize a group from Fordham to walk over the Coalition’s next rally, on Oct. 17 at 6:30 p.m. at St. Nicholas of Tolentine Church

on Fordham Road and University Avenue.

Maya Deykerhoff and Kelsey Vizzard, both FCRH ’15, are in charge of community organizing for SJL, and they are eager to get Fordham more involved in the project.

“The best thing people can do to get involved is to stay aware of local news on the topic, sign the local petition and attend the rally on Oct. 17,” Deykerhoff said. Vizzard agreed, and further emphasized the good that Fordham can do as an institution.

“It is obvious by the amount of progress that the [Coalition] and the KARA campaign have made that they know what they are doing,” Vizzard said. “But they will always need support from the community to make their voice heard, and that’s where I think Fordham comes in.”

Those interested can sign the petition online by visiting change.org and searching for “It’s Our Armory.”

Next week, there will be no issue of The Ram due to midterms.

Good luck on your exams!

PAGE 6 • THE RAM • OCTOBER 3, 2012

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PAGE 7

New Athletic Director Has Opportunity to Think Big

By AUSTIN THOMAS COPY EDITOR

No current Fordham undergraduate has seen the football team have a winning season. The same is true for men’s basketball. And baseball, volleyball and men’s water polo have lost more games than they have won from 2007 through last year. Men’s soccer and women’s softball are our only headline sports that are consistently better than average.

Do not expect greatness anytime soon, either. This week, David Roach was hired from Colgate to replace former Athletic Director Frank McLaughlin, and Roach’s résumé could not be more closely tailored to the Athletic Department’s existing mission statement. “[A]cademics is primary,” it says, and Colgate under Roach had a 100 percent student-athlete graduation rate. It claims to “promote character development,” and at both Brown and Colgate, Roach set a precedent of outreach to local high schools. It aims to “promote and value diversity,” and Roach, a caucasian, was on the board of directors of the Black Coaches and Administrators. By this standard, Roach is a safe choice for the University but unlikely to bring immediate visible change to Fordham’s athletics.

Roach’s other qualities give a more nuanced explanation for his

hire. He increased corporate sponsorship at Colgate and will probably do the same at Fordham, meaning better funding for athletics programs. Roach has extensive Patriot League experience, which would be helpful if Fordham was to move back to that conference for all sports.

But his most interesting quality is his age: He is already 63 years old. He is therefore not likely to stay for an extended period of time — ten years seems a reasonable upper limit.

What, then, is Roach’s place in the long-term future of the Athletics Department? The cynical will say that he was hired based on his credentials and nothing more and that his age is typical of Fordham’s lack of longterm planning. More optimistic fans will notice his recent sabbatical (a six-month period several years ago to visit and consult with athletics programs including UNC, BC and Vanderbilt) and leadership in athletics management. In light of this managerial experience, Roach’s age may portend a short tenure with a focus on “house-cleaning,” in which he will help determine how best to improve our athletic programs and leave implementation to his successor. Many students would prefer a less cautious approach.

“If Fordham wants to compete with schools like Boston College, it needs to compete with them athletically,” Kathryn Reddy, FCRH ’14, a

member of the women’s rugby team, said. Still, “people are optimistic,” she said. Others, wary of being let down yet again by Fordham athletics, set simpler goals.

“I’d like to see more school spirit, which comes from teams being better,” Greg Stelzer, FCRH ’15, said.

Indeed, caution does not seem applicable to Fordham’s athletic past.

Our baseball team is the winningest in NCAA play. Football is 15th for all-time wins among NCAA Division I teams and first among nonIvies in FCS play, which is remarkable considering we had no football team from 1954 to 1970. Digger Phelps had his first head coaching job with our basketball team.

Nor is caution an appropriate word to describe Fordham’s athletics potential. We are uniquely situated to be New York City’s college football team — even, if we can dream, to the point of being one side of an upstate-downstate battle with Syracuse. And if we were good enough to play Boston College — imagine the rivalry. Basketball already has a nascent feud with St. John’s, but what if we were good enough to take on Syracuse and Georgetown? Columbia is just not up to these rivalries, and no other university in the city has D-I basketball and football teams. There is, therefore, an athletics void waiting to be filled, if only our teams can compete on a higher

RAM ARCHIVES

Changes in Fordham athletics could lead to a re-energized community.

level.

Caution will not bring us to that level. Hence the muted response to Roach’s arrival: He seems like the cautious product of a cautious hire. He will have to be not only at the very top of his game (as it were) but will have to play the visionary as he has not before. At Colgate and Brown, he led static programs. Both universities are satisfied with their places in the hierarchy of college sports, so Roach was able to focus on management instead of leadership.

Such complacency is not an option here. Fordham cannot let its athletics program remain as it is, and it cannot afford not to move up. We can only hope, whether he stays for five years or 15, Roach takes a differ-

ent approach in his new job, pushing coaches and administrators to excellence and pruning fruitless branches.

If Fordham wants to break into the top tier of universities, it will have to improve in new ways. Promoting its location and arts programs will only help so much; it is time to have better athletics as well.

Is David Roach up to the task of overseeing an ascendant program?

Hopefully he knows that rams cannot be shepherded; hopefully he is willing to grab the Rams by their horns. If he does not, the Fordham community can expect many more years of athletic mediocrity.

Austin Thomas, FCRH ’15, is a mathematics and physics major from Palos Verdes, Calif.

New York City: Getting Clean and Going Green

By JOSEPH VITALE STAFF WRITER

The most exciting part about being a native New Yorker is my selfappointed position of defender of all things that are not contributing to New York’s greatness. This includes lost tourists with oversized maps, people who block subway doors and cartoon characters who try to grope children in Times Square. Thanks to Travel + Leisure’s latest online survey of 35 American cities, it now also includes Travel + Leisure. My latest attempt to take a stand for the Big Apple has never been so spur-of-the-moment.

Time + Leisure’s online survey, which ranks cities in various categories, churned out results that favor New York City in some matters (theater/performance art, style, luxury stores and, of course, pizza) but not so much in others: according to the results, New York City is the dirtiest city out of its 35 competitors.

Survey responders mostly named excess garbage, rodents and rancid smells as the basis for their attitudes. My guess is that black bags were mistaken for people sleeping on the sidewalk, pooches of Upper East Siders were thought to be large rats on leashes and that the Staten Island Ferry gave them more than just a view of the Statue of Liberty. But maybe that is just me.

In a formal response to the survey’s results, the mayor’s office fired back politely (which is suddenly ironic due to the city’s No. 1 spot in the “rudeness” category)

CAROLYN COLE/MCT

Travel + Leisure ranked New York City as the dirtiest city in the United States, up four spots from No. 5 last year.

saying, “50.5 million tourists — the most to any destination in the U.S. — visited last year and saw for themselves that the city is cleaner than ever. Sounds like the people in this survey haven’t been here in a long time.”

New York: 1, Travel + Leisure: 0.

Regardless of the survey’s results, the truth is that New York is actually clean relative to its size and its history. During the first 4 months of 2012, the city’s Department of Sanitation (DOS) received a street cleanliness rating of 95.1 percent, comfortably passing the average target rate of 92 percent.

The Department, made up of over 7,000 uniformed workers and 2,000 civilian workers, is the largest in the world, collecting over

12,000 tons of refuse and recyclables per day. Under the current commissioner, John J. Doherty, New York City is the tidiest it has been in 35 years.

The DOS is one of the strongest in numbers and brute force out of all of the sanitation departments in the country. Its work is one that faces cities across the nation looking to make their spaces cleaner. Any New Yorker, in a city so concentrated, so concrete, owes a “thank you” to every sanitation worker (although it would probably be awkward and lead to confusion for both parties, so I would not actually suggest it in practice).

In an attempt to find someone with more knowledge and experience than myself, I spoke to Annika Hinze, an assistant professor

of political science at Fordham, whose teaching focuses on urban neighborhood space.

“As a Berliner by birth, I must say that I am impressed with the trash collection and the general organization and administration of cleaning in New York,” she said.

“And I am particularly impressed that in Manhattan everyone picks up their dog’s poo (something that is unthinkable and completely neglected in Berlin).”

Poo-free streets? New York: 2, Travel + Leisure: 0.

One of the most interesting facets of New York’s personality is an oddly self-conscious awareness of its own flaws and faults. The city is tackling internal issues that improve the lives of current and future residents alike at an impres-

sive rate. This, in regards to its urban development, is done through city-funded programs that help to decrease its carbon footprint and promote a healthier lifestyle for citizens.

In an effort to mesh both of these goals, New York is leading the way in increasing its amount of green space. Through parks such as the High Line in Chelsea, waterfront promenades such as Brooklyn Bridge Park and converted landfills such as Freshkills Park on Staten Island, New York is taking gray and making it greener, adding new bike paths and footpaths along the way.

For urban spaces, clean and green go hand-in-hand. A city dedicated to making itself more sustainable sets goals of cleanliness by condemning littering and promoting recycling, tidying up abandoned spaces and transforming them into useful spaces.

“Urban green spaces are becoming more and more important, especially as our climate changes,” Hinze said. “I think we should give the city credit for maintaining its green spaces, and I am convinced that they can improve life for the city’s citizens.”

Not only do green spaces increase the number of outlets for city dwellers to relax and enjoy the city’s beautiful waterside views, they remind us of how New York once was, and what it can become if we pay more attention to its most important aspect: the city itself.

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

OPINIONS

PAGE 8• THE RAM • OCTOBER 3, 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 John Bonazzo • Talia Boyer Nikos Buse Megan Connor Tom Haskin Deirdre Hynes Stephanie Kawalski Leona Lam Tyler Lancaster Matt McCormack Lauren Manzino Alisha Mehndiratta Katie Nolan Vincent Pellizzi Sara Powers • Anthony Pucik Anna Romagnoli • Allison Russell Kirsten Simons Marlessa Stivala • Austin Thomas Elizabeth 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 Tom Haskin, Copy Editor It’s widely accepted that the neighborhood surrounding Fordham’s Rose Hill campus “isn’t the best.” In fact, some may call it “bad.” Others, still, label it “dangerous.” Or, in some cases, it’s just downright “ghetto.”

Phrases like these — mixed in with derogatory and derisive comments about “locals” — are often the pervading sentiments when anything related to the Bronx comes up in conversation among Fordham students.

Of course, there are exceptions — as there should be. The Bronx is hardly a monolithic entity, as the borough itself is a massive and highly-diverse amalgamation of nearly a millionand-a-half people. On its own, it would be the seventh-largest city in the United States.

Never mind that many students’ primary experience with the Bronx is in the immediate area south of campus, bounded by Webster Avenue, 187th Street and maybe Crotona Avenue. In a borough of 42 square miles, this small tract of the Belmont neighborhood, even throwing in Fordham Road up to the D Train at the Grand Concourse, amounts to less than one-half square mile. To think of the Bronx as one big, bad wasteland of uniformity is to ignore the stark differences between Riverdale and Mott Haven, or Williams Bridge and University Heights.

But such limited experience

doesn’t stop the hysteria.

Two Saturdays ago, I witnessed a young woman screaming at four or five NYPD officers from the stoop of an apartment building on Hughes Avenue. All I can report on with absolute certainty is what was said. I presume that she was a Fordham student due to the color of her skin and the 30 angry college-age kids outside on the sidewalk, spilling into the street. I presume that she was a tenant of the building, because she stood in the doorway while everyone else was on the street. I presume that she was throwing a party, due to the time of night (after 1 a.m.) and the state of sobriety of the kids milling around in front of the building. In short, it was a typical Saturday night college scene.

Except what she said — or rather, shouted — was anything but typical.

In her anger, she lashed out. She screamed that she couldn’t understand why the officers were breaking up parties when — and I quote — there were “crackheads and rapists down the block.”

I’ve lived at Fordham for a little over three years, and most of that time was spent in the confines of on-campus residence halls. Even so, I would like to think I’ve been relatively engaged with getting to know my surroundings. I’ve been living on Belmont Avenue since June, though,

and I can’t say my experience resonates with her depiction.

My intention is not to demonize the young woman that night. What I do want to emphasize, however, are the sort of sentiments she expressed and question their underlying causes, prevalence and validity.

Institutionally, Fordham does a lot to encourage such perceptions. Tour guides tout the Ram Van service to Lincoln Center as an easy way to get to Manhattan, all the while circumventing the walk up Fordham Road and the use of public transportation.

Security briefs — while surely not superfluous — often function as more than just reminders that city living often mixes with muggers.

Instead, they add to an environment that drums up fears of leaving the gated community that is Rose Hill.

Of course, any mention of the gates necessitates a discussion of how they serve to create an island of supposed collegiate tranquility and lush beauty in an otherwise destitute area.

I’m fully aware that the Bronx has the highest homicide rate of the five boroughs (a tad higher than Brooklyn’s), and I’m not calling for a student-led revolution to tear down the gates. But I think that attitudes about a neighborhood filled with all sorts of people — drunk and noisy college kids to boot — should never be reduced to a war zone of “crackheads

and rapists.” (Never mind that one in every four college women report being sexually assaulted as a student and that cocaine is used by wealthy college students and low-income people alike.)

Yes, Fordham is part of the 48th Precinct, where in 2011 the NYPD reported 12 murders and 19 rapes.

Compare that to the Upper West Side’s 24th Precinct’s five murders and 12 rapes, and it’s clear the Bronx is not some sort of alternate reality of mass violence and lawlessness.

In short, we ought to seek out ways to humanize our views of the neighborhood in which Fordham is situated. Violence disrupts a neighborhood, and so too does the raucous partying and vandalizing of property that is often carried out by college students. The Bronx may not be the city’s cleanest and wealthiest borough, but we need to have an understanding of it that is far more nuanced than giant territory overrun by “crackheads and rapists.”

EDITORIAL: Candidates Should Focus on Student Issues With the presidential election only a month away, many people have already decided on the candidate for whom they will cast a vote based on ideological, social or perhaps even religious beliefs. A large portion of Americans may have made their decisions before the national conventions or any of the primaries simply based on party lines. There also remains, however large or small, a group of undecided voters whose choices could greatly impact the results of the election and, by extension, the direction of this nation for the next four years. The candidates seem to be ignoring the needs of many members of that demographic, including us, the students of the United States of America.

We at The Ram believe that President Barack Obama and Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney must focus more of their attention on the effects this election will have on students, especially at a secondary educational level. Issues such as student loans and infinitely-increasing tuition are of paramount importance to both current and future students, as well as their parents, and, as such, affect their political decisions. These same issues have been largely brushed aside in favor of discussion on other topics that, while of comparative importance to the country as a whole, do not hold much weight with the college population at the moment.

Some of the problem may result from a lack of political interest and a

general apathy toward political action from college students in recent years.

Four years ago, Barack Obama relied heavily on the youth vote in his victorious campaign for the White House, and The Ram has already touched upon the tremendous impact young adults could have on this election (“Youth Vote Could Shift Election,” V. 94, i. 15). It becomes a chickenand-egg quandary, however: Are students apathetic because the candidates do not address the students’ needs, or do the candidates not address the students’ needs because the students do not care?

It just seems careless at best to fail to consider the interests of the college population or regard them with careful attention. Authority figures

like to tell us that we are the leaders of tomorrow, and that may very well be true, but if that is the case, would it not be in the best interests of everyone involved to include us so that we may not repeat the mistakes of yesterday when we come to power tomorrow? For this reason, we hope to see and hear about a wide variety of issues as the candidates debate for the first time on Wednesday, Oct. 3, including higher education issues, not just hot-button social topics and Romney’s tax returns.

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.

MTA Fare Hike Hurts Commuter Students

By ANDREW SANTIS COPY EDITOR

Stand clear of another fare hike.

That is right, fellow New Yorkers.

Make way for a 7.5 percent increase in fares and tolls starting next year.

And then again in 2015. And 2017.

The Metropolitan Transporation Authority (MTA) is currently planning four different proposals that will sentence us to yet another fare hike, which will go into effect in March. Whichever plan the agency chooses, New Yorkers will see fare increases on the subways, buses, bridges, tunnels and commuter railroads. Great.

The last fare hike took place in January 2011, when the single ride fare increased by 25 cents and unlimited MetroCards became excessively high-priced. That same year, the MTA cut more than 30 bus routes and 500 bus stops, as well as two subway lines, to help close a $900 million budget gap.

This year, the MTA needs to raise at least $450 million to plug its bud-

get, and we are supposed to be helping the MTA with that budget.

As a student who depends on public transportation to get to and from Fordham every day, these proposals mean digging deeper into my (already empty) wallet in order to afford my MetroCard and Metro-North ticket. My commute is already too expensive. I spend $104 on a monthly, unlimited MetroCard and $178 on a monthly Metro-North ticket. Two years ago, that monthly MetroCard was $89.

In March, it is rumored that it will only be $109, but it still adds up.

Five dollars times 10 months equals $50. I could buy myself a sweatshirt at the bookstore with that extra money (Not really.).

What alternative do students have? There are not many options.

“I will still be using MTA services,” Andrew Montelongo, GSB ’16, who commutes from Flushing, Queens and takes three buses to school said. “The price of gas and the bridge tolls cost substantially more than the fare we’re charged for

public transit. The current $104 for the monthly MetroCard is not the easiest thing on my wallet, and an increase in fares obviously wouldn’t help change that.”

Corina Tse, GSB ’16, said she agrees. Tse is from Douglaston, Queens and takes the Long Island Rail Road and the subway to get to Fordham. On top of the monthly MetroCard, her monthly Long Island Rail Road ticket costs $193.

“Even though the difference in the fare increase does add up, it will not stop me from using public transportation,” Tse said. “The subway will still be the most cost-effective way to get around New York City and the other boroughs, whether or not there is a fare increase.”

The MTA is infamous for its unreliable service, fraught with delays, last-minute cancellations, crowded trains and lack of cleanliness. Many have wondered if we are really getting our money’s worth. Is a single bus ride really worth $2.25 if the buses are always running behind schedule? Is it worth paying $104

a month when the same train is always breaking down between stations? Should crossing the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge really cost $13 — one way?

We commuter college students do not have it easy. Expenses are everywhere, and they are not cheap.

Tuition is through the roof, books are outrageously overpriced and now we have to worry about having enough money to pay for our commute?

“As a college student, it is imperative to save every penny,” Tiffany Lee, GSB ’16 said. “It’s ridiculous.

We’re running out of money, for crying out loud!”

In the end, though, even if it means placing an extra quarter in our pocket to get on the bus or handing over a few extra dollars for a monthly ticket, Fordham students and New Yorkers alike will have to cope with the fare hike. In the words of MTA Chairman Joseph Lhota, “It’s going to happen.”

Andrew Santis, GSB ’16, is a commuter student from Flushing, Queens.

OPINIONS

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The Left Lane Conor

OCTOBER 3, 2012 • THE RAM • PAGE 9

Can ‘SNL’ Sway Presidential Elections?

Righter’s Block

John P. Castonguay

Fucci

Debate is Obama’s to Lose

Debate Can Change Race

On Wednesday, the first of three presidential debates will be occurring at the University of Denver. Each of the three debates will have a different topic pertaining to the upcoming election. The first is domestic policy, the second is a town hall format and the last is foreign policy. Debates could potentially be a make-or-break campaign fi xture for either candidate.

Debates are a great opportunity for a candidate to connect with undecided voters. For President Obama, this is a major opportunity to utilize his great charisma and hopefully gain some support from undecided voters.

The candidate that has the most to gain from these debates is Mitt Romney. Recently, Romney has been suffering in the polls after a week or so of negative press related to several less-than-savory comments relating to the American public. For those who don’t know what these comments were, Romney was recorded stating that 47 percent of Americans are completely dependent on the government and therefore will never vote Republican. With the start of these debates, there will be a great opportunity for Romney to turn attention away from his recent missteps and focus more on the content of his potential policies. It remains to be seen, however, if it is too late for Romney to recover from his blunders. His fate is more or less left in Obama’s hands.

If Obama wants to maximize his yield from these upcoming debates, he is going to need to take firm action. First, Obama is going to need to take advantage of the gradually improving economy.

This is especially important due to the fact that domestic policy is the first debate topic. The second topic should indirectly remind the American public of Romney’s incendiary comments.

If Obama can remind the public that Romney stated that he only wanted to govern for half the nation, Obama could potentially link that to a lack of willingness to compromise.

Finally, Obama is going to need to sell the public on his own platform. This final step is also the most important; lately a wide range of things have been turning around for the nation, and this needs to be brought to people’s attention. Obama needs to continue taking credit for the effect that democratic policies have had on improving economic conditions.

Overall, I believe that Obama should be confident with his current standing in the polls going into these debates. I honestly believe at this point that this campaign is Obama’s to lose; Romney has made misstep after misstep and has opened the door for Obama to show what he can do if reelected. Hopefully, these debates will be a strong showing for Obama and will put him in a position to storm the national election. Tune in at 9 p.m. on Wednesday evening to watch Obama and Romney duke it out over domestic policy.

Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney’s chances of success in the upcoming election seem to decrease daily. He is failing to win the battle for likability on the morning talk or late night comedy rounds, and he continues to supply his opponents with fodder for ridicule. Luckily for the Romney campaign, there are still several weeks left before the election. These weeks present a major opportunity to turn the tide of the election: debates.

In the month of October, Romney will have the opportunity to face off against President Obama in three debates. The vice-presidential candidates will also have a debate. Each debate will focus on a different area of interest.

Romney will be able to clarify his domestic policy in the first debate on October 3rd. The debate on October 16th will focus on appealing to undecided voters, and the final debate on Oct. 22nd will expose the candidates’ foreign policies for further dissection by the general public.

Romney has been intensely preparing for these debates since prior to the Republican nomination contest with an eye toward making an impact on the American public that increasingly views him as out of touch. During the Republican primary, Romney participated in nineteen debates, but none of these debates were against a lone candidate. He has recently been using Senator Rob Portman (R-OH) to represent President Obama in mock debates.

In addition to sporadic practice sessions, Romney recently spent three days in Vermont honing his live debate abilities. The Romney camp has tried to prepare its candidate as much as possible for dealing with the experienced and eloquent President Obama.

Beth Myers, a senior Romney advisor, writes, “Voters already believe — by a 25-point margin — that President Obama is likely to do a better job in these debates.

Given President Obama’s natural gifts and extensive seasoning under the bright lights of the debate stage, this is unsurprising.”

Although Obama will be a formidable opponent, Romney has a chance to use these debates to swing the momentum back in his direction. If he can be specific and clear in his economic plan, Romney will be able to take advantage of the still bleak economic picture. He needs to incorporate an element of surprise and believable self-deprecation in order to leave an impression on voters and cultivate a more personable image. Romney may also be able to take advantage of American dissatisfaction with President Obama’s current handling of the recent eruptions in the Middle East. If he maintains these areas of focus and uses the media, which relies on dramatic elections for ratings, Romney could win the debate in a knockout and give himself a chance in November.

NATE BEELER/MCT

By DECLAN MURPHY STAFF WRITER

The historic comedy sketch show, “Saturday Night Live” (“SNL”), has become a real player in recent presidential elections. While most voters, and the candidates themselves, probably perceive the traditional news media as having the most influence on the election, the entertaining “SNL” has used its skills in political satire to portray the candidates in a much different light. Combining topical news skits with candidate impersonations, the “SNL” cast works on its exaggerated political characters and rehearses tirelessly to fine-tune the punch lines of their skits. The impersonations of Barack Obama and Mitt Romney are often comedy gold for “SNL” cast members, who can use their remarks to create hilarious skits to which an informed audience can easily relate.

“SNL” cast member Jay Pharoah made his debut as President Obama in this season’s premiere, taking over for Fred Armisen, who had played him since 2008. The show could not resist taking advantage of the explosive news story that followed Mitt Romney’s “47 percent” remarks caught on tape. Pharoah’s opening skit as Obama had him speaking to a crowd from a podium and referring to his opponent Romney as his campaign’s “secret weapon.”

Right after that, the camera quickly switched to cast member Jason Sudeikis portraying Romney addressing a crowd on the campaign trail. Ironically, however, these jokes might actually help the candidates rather than hurt them. The show’s way of poking fun at them makes them seem more human and, therefore, more relatable to voters.

Because of the election, “SNL” has expanded its programming this season to include two episodes

of “Weekend Update Thursday,” which comically presents the top news stories of the week. Also, the Sunday morning news programs such as NBC’s “Meet the Press” and ABC’s “This Week” frequently play the highlights of the show’s political jokes to complement their heavy election coverage. This shows how the influence of “SNL” has grown during this election year.

Candidates and their campaign managers have recognized the value in appearing on late night comedy shows where they can boost their public persona and give voters a chance to see the candidates in a more informal setting. Back in 2008, both Obama and John McCain made appearances on “SNL” and “The Daily Show” during the campaign. This campaign strategy of using the entertainment media as a campaign platform suggests that “SNL” might be a real political player during the election.

Going on an entertainment program like “SNL” shows voters that the candidate is a regular, relatable person. It also helps voters move away from a perception of a candidate as being too proud or arrogant to have a sense of humor. In the tape that included Romney’s “47 percent” remarks, Romney also mentioned that he turned down an offer to go on “SNL” because he felt that it would not “look presidential,” even though both Obama and Bush made appearances on the show before they were elected. The presence of presidential candidates on “SNL,” or other late night shows, may have an impact on political awareness and voter turnout.

“According to the Pew Research Center, 15 percent of young people say that they learn useful political information from shows like ‘The Daily Show’ and ‘Saturday Night Live,’” Dr. Monika McDermott, associate professor of political science,

said. “While this doesn’t seem like much — people learn much more from traditional news shows — it’s not nothing either. In my opinion, ‘SNL’ probably has more influence in making people interested and excited about the election than it does in actually changing any minds. But that’s an important role as well, especially when it comes to younger voters who Obama really needs to show up at the polls.”

The effect of the popular “SNL” political sketches could also alter people’s perceptions of the candidates. While “SNL” is an entertainment show, viewers may get their political information from it and use it when forming their own opinions.

“It’s easy for the line between satire and reality to blur and reinforce the ideas that the general public may already suspect about the candidates,” Chris Hernandez, FCRH ’13, said. “I very recently saw a skit where Jason Sudeikis’s caricature of Mitt Romney is on ‘Cash Cab’ and expresses disinterest in answering the question for $25, which Sudeikis refers to as just a quarter. This sharp satirical jab at Romney being wealthy and unconcerned about the poor is meant to be an over-thetop exaggeration, but, nonetheless, there will be undecided voters who are influenced by this portrayal.”

Seth Meyers, co-head writer for “SNL” and host of the segment “Weekend Update,” also weighed in on the effect of “SNL” on candidates.

“It’s very important for both of them to come on. Senator Obama came on in 2007 and we all saw what ended up happening to him,” he said in an article this past Thursday in Politico. “So obviously, it’s very key to the election cycle to come on our show.”

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

Are your friends tired of hearing you complain?

Write for The Ram’s opinions section.

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

PAGE 10 • THE RAM • OCTOBER 3, 2012

OPINIONS

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Ramskellar Represents Progress But Lacks Nostalgia

By AUSTIN THOMAS COPY EDITOR

Upperclassmen will agree, the Ramskellar was no memorable room.

It had all the welcoming ambience of an elementary school gymnasium or the interior of an igloo. Though it began as a full-service bar and hosted future stand-up stars like Steve Martin, it had become a spartan space where brave souls went to battle the brawny sandwiches of Dagger John’s To-Go in recent years. The Ramskellar’s location in the basement of a dated building did it no favors, while plain décor and well-loved furniture cried out for replacement.

The administration heard those cries. Thus the Ramskellar was sealed off and thrust into a cocoon of obscurity, where it metamorphosed into a fitness center. The transformation, now nearly complete, is more thorough than that of any space in the history of the McGinley Center.

A Ram article (V. 94, i. 11) detailed the equipment and multi-use areas planned for the new fitness center. Seventy Cybex machines, 25 spin bikes, dozens of additional lockers, a yoga room and other amenities are replacing the worn tables and chairs of the old Ramskellar. Walls are being stripped, pillar masonry removed, the sculpted ceiling taken out and the weathered windows replaced. The redesign will add 9,000 square feet for exercise and fitness, more than tripling the amount of space currently available in the Lombardi Center’s workout room. The cost will run “roughly $2,500,000 in

all,” according to Marc Valera, Fordham’s vice-president for facilities management.

Is it worth it? Indubitably. The University’s construction budget is already spread thin by the massive endeavor at Lincoln Center, a project that will not end until at least 2014.

Soon the redevelopment of Loyola Hall will begin — a formidable task, since the building’s change from Jesuit residence to administrative space means it must be updated to meet current safety and accessibility codes — followed, sometime in the late teens, by the redevelopment and eventual replacement of the McGinley and Lombardi Centers.

But this last project will not happen for “five years at least,” Valera said. The Ramskellar replacement is “an interim step, if you would,” intended only to satisfy Rose Hill’s needs until a more extensive solution is ready. In this light, the seemingly makeshift move of building a gymnasium in an old basement makes sense; compared to the price (tens of millions of dollars) and procedure (endless campus disruption) needed to raze the old Lombardi Center and raise a replacement, the relatively low-cost gym project asks for minimal sacrifice.

Moreover, the Ramskellar will not only be a better gym than the current one, but a better room, in general, than it was before. It will be vastly larger than the current gym and better-furnished than the Ramskellar was; not only will it have TVs at every machine, space for stretching and multi-use rooms, but it will also have

better ventilation, better lighting and more available space than it did in its previous incarnation.

Perhaps the biggest cost of filling the Ramskellar with the apparatus of fitness is the loss of a tangible piece of University history.

“Alumni will not be happy,” J. Frank Hinck, a Fordham alumnus, said in response to The Ram’s original coverage.

Another alum recalled beersoaked nights with friends. While changed alcohol laws destroyed that part of the Ramskellar experience many years ago, the general sentiment among alumni is one of reflection rather than approbation. They know the new Ramskellar will be better, but they sense that the improvements will not preserve what the Ramskellar once was.

They are right. And no matter how bland a room seems to be, it will be memorable, in its way, to those

who made memories in it. Some of my best dinners last year happened around those drab basement tables.

Now, the only group memories made in the Ramskellar will be those of “pumping iron.” It is not that I think fitness is a less valid reason for people to be sociable, nor that I would keep every aspect of an imperfect thing unchanged.

There is, however, a certain sentimental aspect to change — and man-made physical change in particular — that we ought to remember, especially as Fordham strives to offer the most modern facilities to its deserving students. Which areas, we must ask ourselves, are worth saving? Which have enough inherent notability that they ought to be conserved, and which should be discarded wholesale? More importantly, as the Ramskellar’s improvements force us to ask, is maintaining the physical presence of a location enough, or

should function be respected?

Sometimes these answers are easy (yes, FMH is slated to eventually lose its classroom space). In marginal cases, they are less clear. Will Walsh ever be replaced? Faber? Should we take the gamble that in 50 years people will look at JMH and see a building made great with age, on the order of Freeman or Larkin? We must know these structures’ histories as well as we do the University’s needs, or we risk making a great university that is nonetheless not Fordham.

So when you stop by the campus post office and you detect the pungent odors of fitness from the Ramskellar, remember what that room was. Upperclassmen will know it was not always such a nice fitness center, but then again, it was not always so sweaty.

Austin Thomas, FCRH ’15, is a mathematics and physics major from Palos Verdes, Calif.

KATE DOHENY/THE RAM

The new Ramskellar will add 9,000 square feet of fitness space, including state-of-the-art, touch-screen cardio machines.

Romney’s Mormonism Should Not Be Source of Criticism

By SAMUELLE LAZAR CONTRIBUTING WRITER

In 1960, President John F. Kennedy was inaugurated as the first Catholic President of the United States of America. This decision came after fears among certain citizens that, as a Catholic, Kennedy would be unable to make impartial legal decisions; they felt that he would stand by the Vatican instead of the Constitution. It is now an absurd thought that Catholics cannot be high-ranking members of our nation’s executive branch.

Joe Biden is Catholic and so is his vice-presidential opponent on the GOP ticket, Paul Ryan. The nation has realized that Catholics are no more beholden in their votes to the Vatican than any other religion is to its center of worship.

We live in times that are similar to JFK’s 1960. There is unrest, and we are not quite sure what lies in store for our leadership, and sometimes that makes us fearful of what we do not know.

Mormons are a relatively new sect of Christianity, and are, in fact, distinctly American (their leader, Joseph Smith Jr., found the “golden tablets” that were the basis for the Book of Mormon in upstate New York). Mitt Romney’s religion does not make him any less able to govern over a state or become a successful businessman, just as it did not hinder his father from doing the same (governors of Massachusetts and Michigan, respectively).

According to Google Insights, public interest in Romney’s reli-

gion is higher than ever, leading some pundits to wonder if it will be his downfall in this election. I can assure you that if Romney is not elected, it will not be because he is “too Mormon for America.”

There are a myriad of other reasons to vote one way or the other.

The only reason that religion is even a topic of discussion for the Romney campaign is to prove to his conservative Christian brethren that he is a man of faith whose moral compass is distinctly Christian.

If these Christian evangelicals actually practiced what they (literally) preach, we would not even be hearing this argument. If we are really to delve into the main problem that these evangelicals have with Romney, it is this: He will not condemn any of the things he is supposed to. At events, he won’t come out with a rip-roaring Santorum-esque stance on marriage,

defending the union between man and woman as the only way that God could have ever wanted it.

Dr. Costas Panagopoulos is a political science professor whose concentration is in campaigns and elections. He is considered such an expert that he has been consulted by multiple media outlets such as The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Newsday, CNN, NBC Nightly News, Fox News and BBC. Panagopoulos said that even though he believes this election will come down to the candidates’ views on economy, that the evangelical Christians’ dour opinion of Romney has dogged him this whole race.

“I think this has been the problem for Romney all along,” Panagopoulos said. “Hardcore conservatives, especially social conservatives, don’t believe he is truly conservative or conservative

enough.”

They are angry that he will not commit to fight the things that they hate. They are angry that he will not publicly announce a commitment to the evangelical Christian positions on social issues.

Pastors who spoke to Time Magazine call him the “lesser of two evils” in comparison to Barack Obama, but they are still frustrated that he will not speak out in a louder voice to challenge the Democratic platform, which they believe has become, under Obama’s leadership, too extreme in its open support of gay marriage, among other things. Romney has been running his campaign on a message of revitalizing the economy, which, in recent weeks, has been failing him as he trails in the polls.

Christians believe that he should abandon his hard-line campaigning on the fiscal issues and devote his last two months to a campaign

JEFF BLAKE/MCT

Mitt Romney’s Mormon faith and upbringing has been seen as a possible obstacle by some political commentators.

that espouses his views on faith and issues that the admittedly large evangelical base thinks are what will swing the vote.

I think that by pandering to this base, Romney will lose even more ground than if he keeps trying to run with his current platform.

Some could say that the shades of gray on which Romney based his business ethics are not very Christian in nature, but people are more concerned by the fact that Romney is part of a religion with active missionaries whose practices are so absurd that they feature in a Broadway musical. Instead of focusing on whether or not Romney’s Mormonism is a factor that should keep him from being President, we should focus on the actual issues about which he is, or in many social cases, is not, talking.

I agree with JFK’s statement: “I want a chief executive whose public acts are responsible to all groups and obligated to none; who can attend any ceremony, service or dinner his office may appropriately require of him; and whose fulfillment of his presidential oath is not limited or conditioned by any religious oath, ritual or obligation.”

We can only hope that if Romney wants to recover any of the votes that he has lost over these last couple of weeks, he will remember this quote, and so will the Christian voters whom he seems to have disillusioned.

Samuelle Lazar, FCRH ’13, is a political science and communication and media studies major from Greenwich, Conn.

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OCTOBER 3, 2012 • THE RAM • PAGE 11

VOTE! Register to Vote October 1 – 5, 2012

Men and women for others

Lincoln Center | 1 – 3 p.m.

Plaza Level | Leon Lowenstein Center

Rose Hill | 1 – 3 p.m.

McGinley Center Lobby

Westchester | 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Lobby For more information about voter registration, including obtaining a voter registration form and all applicable state deadlines, please visit: www.yourvoteyourvoice.org www.elections.ny.gov or www.vote-smart.org Sponsored by the Office of Government and Urban Affairs, the Dorothy Day Center for Service and Social Justice, the Commuter Students’ Association, Student Affairs, United Student Government, and the Residence Hall Association.

PAGE 12 • THE RAM • OCTOBER 3, 2012

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OCTOBER 3, 2012

PAGE 13

Eight Historical Events That Shape Fordham Today

By SASHA FISHER STAFF WRITER

Fordham University has a rich and exciting history. The school has both been shaped and changed by the incessant force of New York City while simultaneously exerting its own influence upon the world. Most students know the basic statistics of the school such as the size of the student body and where the different campuses are located. Most students, however, do not know that the Vietnam War changed Fordham’s reputation profoundly or about the black student sit-in of 1969.

Here are seven interesting and defining events in Fordham’s history. There are many more influential moments not on the list, and each event has different angles and sides to it. Fordham University and its students have never sat stagnant with the time, but rather the school allows itself to be shaped by current events both locally and globally.

1841: Fordham founded The University was founded by John Joseph Hughes, as St. John’s College. Hughes eventually went on to be the Archbishop of New York. Rose Hill was originally a private manor. The name was changed to Fordham in 1907.

1918: The Ram founded The Ram began as an experimental journalism course in 1917.

The course’s final project became a newspaper, which was sent to Fordham’s students and graduates fighting in France during World War I. 1962: Sargent Shriver Speaks Founder of the Peace Corps Sargent Shriver spoke to students on Fordham’s campus.

“He linked modern global and social justice and humanitarian programs with Catholic ideas,” professor of theology Jim Fisher said.

The event took place just before the Second Vatican Council, which focused on connecting the Catholic Church and modern world.

Thomas More College: 19641974 The first women to study at the Rose Hill campus arrived in 1964, when the all-girls Thomas More College began classes. The young women originally resided off campus in the Bronx, before Goupil became home to the school’s first female resident students. Thomas More College merged with Fordham College at Rose Hill in 1974, and the University officially became co-ed.

1969 - Black Sit-In A black student sit-in occurred at the Fordham Administration Building.

“The sit-in was mirroring comparable movements across the country,” Mark Naison, professor

of African-American Studies and deptartment chair, said. “This led to the creation of the first black studies program at any Jesuit university in the United States, the Institute for Afro-American Studies.”

1955 - 1975: The Vietnam War Global events had a huge impact on Fordham University and its reputation.

“Before the war, Fordham was known as a locus of social and political conservatism which produced more FBI agents than any other school,” Professor Naison said.

The outbreak of the war sparked a strong anti-war movement on campus which resulted in the shutdown of classes in the spring of 1970.

Naison believes that after this, Fordham’s local and national reputation was “reflected on all sides of the political spectrum.”

FORDHAM ARCHIVES

This photo depicts the bottom of the oval drive of Walsh Library in 1864.

Crotona and Mount Hope, which had been hit hard by fires,” Naison said.

1967 - Bensalem College Opens

1970s: The Bronx Burning The burning of the Bronx over the first half of the 1970’s, which led to the destruction of over 30,000 buildings, pushed many people to abandon the Bronx.

Fordham University not only stayed in the Bronx, but also contributed to the recovery of the neighborhood through the Northwest Bronx Community and Clergy Coalition.

“Fordham helped to rebuild two Central Bronx neighborhoods,

Fordham opened Bensalem College in 1967, an experimental college run by Dr. Elizabeth Sewall.

The college did not require grades or a set curriculum. Bensalem closed in 1974.

Despite its failure, the college can be seen as a testament to Fordham’s commitment to continually update and improve students’ educational experiences.

2009-2012: Time

Construction

Fordham opened new dorms, Campbell, Salice and Conley, which combined living space with innovative classrooms in 2011.

The next year, Fordham opened the newly-renovated home of the Gabelli School of Business, formerly Hughes Hall. The building was funded by alumnus Mario Gabelli who donated $25 million in 2011.

Fordham’s history is full of interesting events that have made the school the unique university it is today. Local, national and global events will continue to mold Fordham and help the University create global citizens.

- Additional reporting by Sarah Ramirez and Scharon Harding

Barclays Center: Controvesy and Celebration Collide

By DEVON SHERIDAN ASSISTANT CULTURE EDITOR

The story of the new Barclays Center, which officially opened last Friday, Sept. 28, could start a number of ways.

A sportswriter might be inclined to harken back to October 1960, the month in which the Brooklyn borough and a wildly loyal fanbase lost the Dodgers when the team was shipped out west to Los Angeles.

He or she would probably write of how Ebbets Field, Brooklyn’s last great sports venue and one of baseball’s classic stadiums, was torn down less than a decade later.

If the sportswriter is like any other New York sports fan, he or she will

write about the anticipation for the pre-season opener on Oct. 15 between the new Brooklyn Nets and their now-cross-borough rival, the New York Knicks.

A financial journalist would probably start with an anecdote about the man-power, the money and the bigbusiness deals that were made just to open the Barclays Center before the start of the 2012-2013 NBA season.

The financial journalist might mention Mikhail Prokorov, the owner of the Brooklyn Nets and the man responsible for almost half of the money invested into the 18,200 seat Barclays Center, a chic, rust-encased behemoth of modern architecture.

A financial journalist will undoubtedly mention Bruce Ratner and

the Atlantic Yards Project and the millions of dollars invested into the project and the millions promised to come.

There is, of course, controversy surrounding the grand opening, the reason for the couple of dozen protestors one will see at the four scheduled JayZ shows at the center this weekend.

Construction of the Barclays Center promised 15,000 construction jobs and 10,000 permanent jobs following completion, which many claim have gone unfulfilled. In 2003, Forest City, the development company owned by Bruce Ratner, who is also a minority shareholder of the Nets, won the bid for a development project in the Prospect Park section of Brooklyn where the Bar-

PHOTO BY REBECCA HORNE/THE RAM

Upcoming acts at the Barclays Center include Barbara Stresiand, the Harlem Globetrotters, The King’s Men, Journey and Rush.

clays Center now stands.

The Barclays Center is the centerpiece of an ongoing development venture, projected for completion in 2028: 15 years later than originally proposed. Initally, Forest City promised funding up to $100 million, but has only provided a down payment of $20 million as of right now. This has caused outrage amongst many taxpayers whose subsidized taxes have heavily contributed to the entire development project.

But for four nights, starting last Friday night, Brooklyn residents, music fans and celebrities clamored together in a celebration of Brooklyn culture, led by the King of Brooklyn himself.

This is the opportune angle for a culture writer: to conjure up a story of a celebration of culture and a shared outward appreciation of one man’s music by so many diverse people in a venue geographically and symbolically tied to the man performing onstage.

The rounded, metal structure also pays homage to Brooklyn’s past landscape.

“I saw the outside. It’s weird looking, like a metal-weaved spaceship.

But it’s kind of cool in the sense that Ebbets Field was dark brown and brick like that,” Jeff Sharkey, FCRH ’14, said referring to the exterior of the Barclays Center, which from some angles looks to be built by bricks.

For Jay-Z himself, these inaugural shows mark a historical moment in both his life and in the timeline of the

borough’s history.

“Tonight we come full circle,” he said Saturday night.

Whether he is referring to the fact that he grew up in the BedfordStuyvesant area of Brooklyn (he also lived on 560 State Street in the late ’90s, only a few blocks away from the Flatbush-Atlantic intersection where the center is located) or to the fact that the Atlantic Yards project has been in the works for almost a decade, these shows signal a significant moment in Brooklyn’s recent developmental strides and growing quality of life for residents of the borough.

Events like this eight-day opening stint fortify the common misconception that Jay-Z commands a large share of controlling interest in the Brooklyn Nets, as his influence is felt all over the arena. He helped design the color and logo for the team. In fact, his influence stretches beyond the Nets: He owns a club, 40/40, located inside the Barclays Center.

He also had influence on the ticket prices for the show, insisting that half of the tickets be sold at $29.50. Undoubtedly, cheap ticket prices have lent to the anticipation and buzz surrounding the christening of New York City’s newest feature building.

“It’s good advertisement and good business for the Barclays center,” Daniel Finnegan, FCRH ’15, said. “As for Jay-Z, the choice reflects his involvement and influence with the project.

Obviously it is his way of giving back to the borough.”

PAGE 14 • THE RAM • OCTOBER 3, 2012

Behind the Spotlight

CULTURE

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Dining Out: Le Parisien

RACHAEL PRENSNER

Fordham Experimental Theatre (FET) boasts the distinction of putting on a great show where viewers can also lose their voice or get a nosebleed. This is because the club crams audiences of 50-60 people into Collin’s Blackbox Theatre, which is the size of many campus classrooms. The “E” in FET adds in another level of intensity. In a show two years ago – Evil Dead – attendees were given ponchos as they came in, and then splattered with fake blood during the course of the show.

Izzie Menard, FCLC ’13, is directing Little Shop of Horrors, a blackhumor musical. The story centers around two young kids who want to get out of a dead-end town. Seymour, a floral shop clerk, finds an extraordinary plant and sees it as a chance to win the attention of Audrey, the girl he loves. The plant draws the attention of the town immediately, but things quickly get out of hand when Seymour realizes it survives by eating human flesh.

Menard says, though Horrors is a more traditional piece, she’s trying to stay true to FET’s free-spirited ethos.

“The process started with casting, where we chose kids who could make the roles their own, and weren’t scared to make fools of themselves in the name of comedy,” she said.

“We literally did reverse type-casting,” Michelle Flowers, FCRH ’13, who plays Audrey, the show’s ditsy, sweet female lead, said.

Horrors has been especially tight on time. Rehearsals started the week of Labor Day, just under a month ago. Menard is an FET veteran who has performed in Evil Dead, Cowboys Don’t Sing and All My Sons, but Horrors is her directing debut.

“Trying to be an authoritative figure to all your friends is challenging,” Menard said. “There were a lot of issues that I didn’t originally think of.”

One of her actresses dropped out at the last minute, and Menard stepped in to take her place. When I interviewed her Monday night, the programs had just been printed, and “the set [was] still not finished.”

Though, as director, she had the largest share of responsibility, Menard says, “Everyone’s had to work really hard” to get the show off the ground.

Flowers, who also performs with the sketch club Free Pizza, says the student-run aspect of FET is key.

“We all care so much about the club,” she said. “Sometimes it amazes me how much time I spend here, nobody’s telling us to be here.”

Like many student projects, she says FET shows “can feel procrastinated, but somehow we’re able to turn everything around at the last second.”

“The staging of Horrors will give the audience a 360° view of the action and lots of engagement with the characters,” Mike Dahlgren, GSB and FCRH ’14, who plays Mr. Mushnik, grumpy floral shop owner, said.

Flowers and Menard agreed that shows at the Blackbox are always high-energy, with lots of audience interaction.

Little Shop of Horrors runs at 8 p.m. this Wednesday through Sunday, with a 9 p.m. show Friday night.

If you have a suggestion for the column, email rprensner@fordham.edu.

PHOTO BY MIKA KIYONO/THE RAM

The French cuisine restaurant is located between Lexington Ave. and 3rd St.

By MIKA KIYONO CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Anyone who has explored the city knows that it is practically impossible to find a good restaurant in Midtown, especially near the touristy and crowded Herald Square. Just five blocks away, however, is Le Parisien, tucked away in the quiet neighborhood of Murray Hill.

Le Parisien is a cozy bistro serving classic French food. Vintage French posters and wine bottles adorn the walls, and the waiters speak to each other in French. Le Parisien is one of

PHOTO BY MIKA KIYONO/THE RAM

The Brunch menu includes a choice of orange juice, sangria, coffee or mimosa.

those restaurants that makes cuisine. one feel quite lucky to be in New For the entrée, there are a York. After all, where else can wide variety of choices from one experience Paris in a meal French toast to Croque Monjust a train ride away? sieur. I chose the grilled portoI came here for Sunday bello and goat cheese sandwich brunch with a friend, and they with pesto sauce. had a spectacular prix fixe menu This well-executed sandwich that came with a came on a toasted Overall drink and an enbaguette with a layer Location trée for $12.95. of pesto sauce, meaty Food Quality Lunch and dinportobello mushAtmosphere ner prices are rooms, fresh arugula, Hospitality diced tomatoes and understandably Price $$ steeper, so this goat cheese. The (Out of 4 ’s) brunch menu is sweet portobello went perfectly with perfect for stuthe savory pesto sauce. The arudents who want to try French

gula and goat cheese completed the meal by adding just the right amount of flavor and punch.

The atmosphere of Le Parisien is warm and relaxing.

It is a great place to sit down with a friend and unwind from the bustle of school, internships and work.

After a long week, Le Parisien was exactly what I needed.

Simple comfort food made with fresh ingredients and cooked with care.

It feels as if time moves a little more slowly here, a place where there is time to breathe in a city that never pauses.

Editor’s Pick: Wandering, but Not Lost

By VICTORIA RAU MANAGING EDITOR

Pizza at 3 a.m.? No problem. Waffles and omelets at 3 p.m.? You got it.

Customized donut ice cream sandwiches, day or night? That’s doable.

In New York, there is no shortage of entrepreneurial spirit or of demand for food at obscure hours, which is clear in this city’s prodigious, competitive restaurant industry. There are over 4,200 restaurants in New York City, more than 3,500 of which boast a Manhattan address, by one estimate in USA Today’s travel section. Unless you find yourself in the middle of the East River, stranded on the George Washington Bridge or in a far corner of Staten Island, chances are that you are only a stone’s throw away from some type of food and libation. With so many choices, though, the question becomes how to decide. While location, budget constraints and specific cuisine cravings may help narrow it down, the knowledge that there are so many world-class options, for me, makes it a high-pressure situation to choose a venue for eating or drinking in the city.

In order to avoid settling for mediocrity in these situations, some people turn to what I will call the “3 Rs.” Reservations, reviews and recommendations are three ways to ensure that you have places to dine or carouse in a given neighborhood or borough. I love a good restaurant review as much as

the next person. I believe that recommendations based on anecdotal evidence provide some of the strongest indicators for what a place is actually like. I acknowledge that reservations, while irksome, are sometimes necessary and convenient. Lately, though, I am realizing that my favorite thing to do is to forgo research and the “3 Rs” altogether.

Some of my very favorite restaurants are places that I found serendipitously. On several occasions, I have stumbled upon truly delicious food served in unique, appealing atmospheres, and these are the places to which I return on a regular basis, especially if I have friends or family in town. It’s great to be able to say, “I know just the place” when you are cold, tired and hungry, wandering around a random neighborhood with your friends after a concert. Nothing beats the discovery, though.

I had agreed to accompany one of my friends to pick something up in the city on the Friday afternoon of Spring Weekend freshman year. As evening approached, I was anxious to get back to all the festivities, but he was hungry. We were somewhere south of Houston St., we were freshmen and we were way out of our league. I was trying to convince him to pick something up in Grand Central Station on our way back when I noticed a white awning with the barely-visible name of a restaurant. I almost walked by because it was so narrow, but instead

we went in, and I snacked on Brie tartines while my friend ate a full salmon entrée. Since that discovery, I have returned to the place at least half a dozen times.

A few weeks later, I was a little further east, searching for a snack with two friends. Each of us had a different idea of what we were willing to pay and at what point we were willing to settle for walking into a bodega and buying a bag of chips. One of my companions seemed to find something wrong with every place we passed, but finally, tucked around the corner on a quiet side street, we found a tiny place that had a reasonably priced bowl of soup on the menu. We went for the soup, but we stayed (and I continue going back) because they make some of the most excellent food I have ever had in one of the smallest kitchens I have ever seen.

Last weekend, I had two friends visiting from home, and we were in pursuit of a bathroom in Chelsea.

We had a Starbucks in view, but an “Open” sign above the door of a residential-looking building distracted me. I was confused because I could see what looked like the foyer of an apartment building through the glass door, but we found the door unlocked and entered the building. Down one flight of stairs, we found a softly-lit, cavernous room lined with beautiful exposed brick and Oriental rugs.

It turned out that we had stumbled on a bar that was “a New York icon

PHOTO BY VICTORIA RAU/THE RAM

Wander and discover new places

123 years in the making,” but that has only been open for a year. Either way, it was a welcome change of pace from the modern, sleek look of many Manhattan bars, and the refreshments were delectable.

Arthur Avenue is great, but there are four other boroughs and thousands of other restaurants. I was intentionally vague about the names and exact locations of my discoveries because this is the opposite of a restaurant review.

Word-of-mouth and Urbanspoon can only get you so far. Sometimes, the best plan is to have no plan.

So, my pick is this: Ditch the “3’Rs” and go plan-less — with an adventurous spirit and a little luck, you may discover new favorite places to eat and hang out.

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Jay-Z Welcomes Barclays Center to the BK

OCTOBER 3, 2012 • THE RAM • PAGE 15

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Detroit When: through Oct. 28 Where: Playwright’s Horizon Theatre Price: $10 with a student subscription

PHOTO BY REBECCA HORNE/THE RAM

Though Hova performed alone, the 18,000 audience included Pharrell, Star Jones, Al Roker, Magic Johnson and Beyoncé.

By REBECCA HORNE CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Though Hova performed alone, the 18,000 audience included Pharrell, Star Jones, Al Roker, Magic Johnson, and Beyoncé.

The Barclays Center does not set out to be just the newest, shiniest entertainment venue on the block. It clearly aims to embody the quintessential Brooklyn experience. From its slaw-topped hot dogs to its faux-rust exterior to its homegrown performing artists, nothing at the Center was left untouched by Brooklyn flare on Saturday night.

“Tonight is no ordinary night,” Jay-Z said, referencing the historical significance of the venue’s location (which has been marked by events like Jackie Robinson’s breaking of baseball’s color barrier).

While some audience members would have rather had an “ordinary” Jay-Z concert, one with the typical onslaught of Beyoncé and Kanye star-power, the artist made very clear that this weekend was

about Brooklyn and his solo return to his old home. Impressively, though standing on a relatively small stage, Jay-Z managed to bring enough attitude, presence, and brazen talent to ignite the sold-out crowd. His only exception to the solo rule was made for Big Daddy Kane, another legendary rapper and product of the Brooklyn projects, who took the stage for multiple numbers. The two artists were on fire once together on stage, making endless and complex rhythmic interplay look effortless. Jay’s band was flawless as well, taking the musical vibe seamlessly from soul to rock concert to rave.

Beyond the electric feel of the crowd and the music, the new venue — with countless staff and policemen galore — certainly did its part to make the evening run flawlessly. One could not go more than a few feet without running into yet another food stand with more mouthwatering options.

This place runs the complete cuisine gamut, from pizza by the slice to gourmet carving stations.

VIP entrances and celebrity hangouts also notably dot the Center, bringing a new element of nightlife and class to the world of sporting events and concerts. Even better is the venue’s defiance of the usual concert traffic laws, as numerous train options kept attendees moving in and out of the vicinity at lightning speed. In short, this is no Meadowlands.

Perhaps the biggest theme of the night—both in the spirit of the venue and in Jay-Z’s message to the audience—was that of reaching for one’s dreams and believing that the impossible can be made possible.

Jay managed to merge expressions of humility with deserved pride as he offered his own rags-to-riches history as an example for others.

For this reason, the Barclays Center likely opened its doors in the best possible manner, reminding New Yorkers that even crimeridden streets and billion-dollar budgets cannot crush dreams, whether they be for a neighborhood NBA franchise or a night with Jay-Z.

Detroit is a play set “in a first-ring suburb of a mid-size American city.”

It tells the story of two couples who recently moved to the neighborhood.

There is Ben and Mary, a middle class couple, struggling to align with what they perceive to be societal normalcy when Ben loses his job. They meet Sharon and Ken, fresh out of rehab, rejuvenated and ready to take the world on. The script is fantastic; it is simple and endearing at the edges of the dialogues creep dark secrets, waiting to burst forth at the worst of times.

Students can sign up for a Playwright’s Horizon college student discount online or over the phone (suggested). This is a sound investment, as this season at Horizon’s theatre is chock-full of notable plays. Detroit was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize in drama.

Dispatch When: Friday, Oct. 5 Where: Radio City Music Hall Price: $65 Radio City, keep the good shows coming. It feels like I’ve suggested Radio City more these past few weeks than all of last semester. But good shows are good shows. They deserve recognition. So check this one out: Dispatch, “the biggest band nobody’s ever heard of,” will take the stage at the Hall this Friday, for a relatively low price, considering the amount of shows they’ve played in the past five years (which I can count on my fingers) and the speed with which those shows sold out. Fans flock to Dispatch shows hoping to hear renditions of indie classics like “The General,” “Bang, Bang” and “Elias.” This show is a true gem. The band just released new songs for the first time in almost a decade, but who knows when they may perform around here again.

- COMPILED BY DEVON SHERIDAN ASSISTANT CULTURE EDITOR

Ram Reviews MOVIE LOOPER

TELEVISION “REVENGE”

MOVIE THE PERKS OF BEING A WALLFLOWER

+++

MUSIC

MOVIE

METRIC

TROUBLE WITH THE CURVE

By PJ BROGAN

By MARLESSA STIVALA

By COURTNEY SMITH

By MONICA CRUZ

By JAKE KRING-SCHREiFELS

STAFF WRITER

STAFF WRITER

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

STAFF WRITER

Welcome to Looper. Marty Mcfly doesn’t live here.

Writer-director Rian Johnson takes us to a crumbling American future where the mob controls time travel.

They send their enemies 30 years into the past to be killed by paid assassins, known as “loopers.” These young men spend their days disposing of the mob’s future trash and spend their nights pouring synthetic narcotics into their pupils with eyedroppers.

The mob can’t let anyone with a connection to time-travel live, so at any point, the man sent back to be killed by the assassin might just be the assassin himself.

Johnson delivers one of the most inventive movies of the year. With his wicked and thoughtful script, a typically grizzled Bruce Willis in Die Hard mode, and yet another understated knockout performance by Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Looper is the best mind-altering action film since he appeared in Inception. See it if you want to contemplate the cycle of life and the chaos of our smallest interactions.

Or see it if you want to witness a twohour gore-filled shooting gallery.

ABC’s “Revenge” essentially has it all. The series began its second season this past Sunday and quickly proved that not only is it as addicting as ever, but it is also just getting started.

For anyone new to “Revenge,” the show’s theme is fairly obvious from its title. The protagonist is a seemingly-sweet yet deeply-cunning young woman (played with astounding depth by Emily VanCamp, “Everwood”) with a serious vendetta against those who framed her late father for a terrorist attack years ago. Born Amanda Clarke, she has since taken on the name Emily Thorne and has been expertly trained in body, mind and spirit to face any challenge she may encounter on her quest for vengeance. After all, Emily’s adversaries are actually deeply influential, extremely wealthy and notoriously devious. Thus, the show’s setting in the luxurious Hamptons is quite an appropriate stage for Emily’s schemes.

Each episode reiterates two reappearing questions: Who will be the next victim of Emily’s wrath, and how long can she continue to “be” Emily Thorne until her true self is revealed?

Movies have the ability to define a generation. Sometimes a movie comes along that allows you to connect to its characters regardless of the time period. In Stephen Chbosky’s writing and directorial debut, The Perks of Being a Wallflower, we have a movie that will resonate with audiences and may be the movie of this generation.

The film allows the audience to connect with the characters, making Perks extraordinary. There are an endless number of movies that deal with the issues of today’s youth, yet they fail to resonate with audiences.

Furthermore, the fact that the film is based on a novel that was published in the late ’90s and takes place in the early ’90s proves that the story and the characters that Chbosky created are timeless. Anyone can make a movie about the personal struggles we go through when growing up, but many would fail to make it real.

As Charlie (Logan Lerman, 3:10 to Yuma) says, we want to feel “infinite.” The theme song of The Breakfast Club sums it up nicely: “Don’t you, forget about me.”

Topping off Radio City Music Hall’s week of huge musical performers, Canadian indie rockers Metric certainly delivered an incredible performance on Sept. 23.

The audience received a great surprise when Haines introduced the one-time Velvet Underground lead singer, legendary rock star and songwriter, Lou Reed, to join her in performing “The Wanderlust.” Reed and the band continued in a striking rendition of the Velvet Underground’s “Pale Blue Eyes.”

Though Metric performed at its best, most of the audience did not reciprocate much energy, unfortunately putting a damper on the experience as a whole. A chilly Sunday night isn’t exactly an ideal time for an exciting and loud rock concert, but it was still no excuse for the lackluster reaction of much of the audience.

The night ended with an incredible acoustic rendition of one of Metric’s biggest hits, “Gimme Sympathy.”

Though faced with a sleepy crowd, Metric gave a top-notch performance that certainly made fans even more excited for the band’s fantastic singles.

In sports, three or more consecutive wins or losses are deemed a streak, especially in baseball where there’s a number and a corresponding stat for almost everything. Perhaps it’s just a coincidence that for the second consecutive year we’ve been given a baseball film in late September (recall last year’s Moneyball, the Oscar-nominated Billy Beane memoir). This year, Trouble with the Curve, examines more front office dynamics, but this film slaps back at the sabermetric world, balancing new-aged scouting techniques with the chronicle of an aging scout who believes in evaluating players without those hokey computers.

Gus (Clint Eastwood, Dirty Harry) is chosen to go to N.C. to scout a heavily touted high school prospect coveted by many based on his astronomical numbers. Living a long, solitary life as a scout, he has become autonomous and strong-headed, finding difficulty in lending responsibility to someone else, and much of the tension of the plot arises when Gus’ daughter Mickey (Amy Adams, Doubt) is asked to accompany Gus on his trip.

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

PAGE 16• THE RAM • OCTOBER 3, 2012

The Seersucker KEVIN ZEBROSKI

The Seersucker provides a wealth of knowledge on sartorial fundamentals, contemporary male fashion and the mastery of personal style.

Packing for some global navigation is a potentially overwhelming pursuit that leaves the unprepared adventurer in a rumpled mess of cloth. This disaster is easily avoided with just a few simple practices and a concise list.

The standard black knit tie was a favorite of the late Fred Pressman, a fashion guru largely responsible for the modern reputation of Barney’s New York. Besides this classic tie, every man should also own at least one silk knit tie. They are suitable for casual or suited pairings, and are available in a variety that approaches the amount available for the standard necktie. Mr. International loves his silk tie because its construction allows for easy storage without creasing. J. Crew makes a decently constructed silk knit for a competitive price.

A few soft, polo-style shirts make a casual substitute for the t-shirt, and they look just fine with some wrinkles. Blue chambray shirts are a good choice for casual solid and patterned oxford cloth shirts. They look smooth paired with a casual jacket and can also be worn alone without appearing half-baked.

In the colder reaches of the world, a suit jacket or sport coat made entirely of wool is preferable to a wool and polyamide blend, and full wool suits make excellent all season outfits.

Cotton sport coats will wrinkle easily, but tropical climates call for a breezier fabric than wool. Try experimenting with shades outside of the business-approved navy and charcoal. Take inspiration from Billy Reid, Southern Gentleman, who utilizes lighter shades of blue, gray and even brown.

Also, try to avoid those gold buttons. They are a little too Ivy League reunion mixed with boat captain.

A sport coat with dark buttons is a more subdued and modern image.

Travelers do well with a few good pairs of slim-fitting, flat front chinos and a dark pair of jeans. As we prefer to pack light, color matters here.

Try to avoid redundancy. Try bringing only one pair of pants in a khaki shade, another in light gray, one in dark blue and a final pair in a bold red color. Variety will save space.

A waxed pea coat provides a waterresistant and wind-defying top layer.

It will also cinch the whole silhouette into an aesthetically appealing slim figure.

There are plenty of video guides online demonstrating the proper way to fold different articles of clothing that are easier to follow than a written explanation. The suit jacket is the most arcane, but it’s still manageable.

A portable steamer is also a great investment. They remove wrinkles without the damaging process of dry cleaning or the haphazard nature of ironing. Clothes should only be cleaned if they’re dirty, but a short bout in a dryer can also serve as a quick fix for a few wrinkles.

Above all remember to keep your wits and personal sense of style, about you. Pack light, have fun and look great.

CULTURE

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WHO’S THAT KID? Lauren Zupkus A MEMBER OF FCRH ’13 DOUBLE MAJORING IN COMMUNICATION AND MEDIA STUDIES AND FRENCH AREA STUDIES FROM OCEAN CITY, NJ Describe yourself in a couple of sentences for the readers.

What is something about you that not many people know?

Too hood for my own good. I’m probably the loudest person you’ll ever meet, but don’t call me out on it because then I’ll get really sensitive. Honestly, I would drop out and become a talk show host. But then again, I would never have this amazing opportunity to be Who’s That Kid, so I’m happy I stayed in school.

Hard to say, considering I’m pretty much an open book. But when I was in high school, my parents let me skip school and my whole family drove six hours away to see the groundhog on Groundhog Day in Punxsatawney, Pa. Trust me, it was as epic as it sounds.

What is your favorite aspect of Fordham and why?

The people keep me happy.

Somehow a big weirdo like me ended up with friends, so I really can’t complain. For the homies reading this, you already know what it is.

Love you.

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

I love going to shows. I’ve seen Britney Spears and Modest Mouse in the same weekend, so you can pretty much say I’m down for anything as long as it involves music. I just saw Madeon over the summer and Papadosio last week.

I’m trying to sneak into a Jay-Z show too since I got beat on a ticket.

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

Often times, I see students treating neighborhood residents like they’re aliens or foreigners; meanwhile we’re the ones who live here temporarily.

I’m not saying all Fordham students are like this all the time, but I think it’d be nice if students remembered that people are people no matter where they come from and deserve to be treated with respect.

What television shows are you following right now?

Considering I didn’t have cable for an entire summer, I have a lot to catch up on. I’m looking forward to the upcoming season of “Girls,” and I’m pretty excited that “Hey Arnold!” and “All That” are on at 3

PHOTO BY MICHAEL REZIN/THE RAM

Zupkus stresses about not seeing Jay-Z this weekend and her addiction to bows.

o’clock in the morning now.

Would you consider yourself a connoisseur of classic Nickelodeon television?

“Hey Arnold!” specifically, nothing else really. I have the first season on DVD. Brought it freshman year, it was great conversation starter.

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

I like wearing bows in my hair, and I’m 21, so that might be a problem. And I’m obsessed with horrible

rap music. “I Don’t Like” by Chief Keef was essentially my summer anthem, and I bump Rick Ross on a daily basis.

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

Rick Ross and a bottle of tequila.

What do you hope to do after graduation?

Right now I write for MTV International and I really like doing that.

Anything with journalism or traveling would be perfect.

JSO Embraces Jewish Culture During Yom Kippur

COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA

Lox, which is cured salmon fillet, was popularized by Jewish immigrants.

By LINDSAY JAVITZ CONTRIBUTING WRITER

In honor of the High Holy Day Yom Kippur, on Tuesday, Sept. 25, 2012, the Jewish Student Organization ( JSO) set up a table outside the cafeteria and handed out traditional Jewish foods and information cards.

At the event, the JSO members gave away free bagels smeared with cream cheese with a side of lox and

Jewish desserts. Club members also explained the holiday and its traditions to interested people and provided information sheets for students to learn even more about the holy day.

For those who do not know, Yom Kippur is the Jewish holiday which occurs nine days after the Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashanah. On this day, practicing Jews fast from sundown the night before until sundown of the actual holiday. This is

how the celebrators atone for their sins of the past year.

Once the sun sets, the fast is traditionally broken with a dairy meal that is meant to be easy on the stomach.

In previous years, the JSO has held Yom Kippur events on campus, but this year’s event was an awareness-building event.

“There have been many Yom Kippur events in the past, such as a pre-fasting meal, but I believe this was the first awareness-building event for Yom Kippur that’s been held in a while,” Connor O’ Kane, the associate director of interfaith ministry, said.

Morgan Vazquez, FCRH ’13 and the JSO club president, added that one purpose of this event was to increase campus awareness about the Jewish holiday.

“This will be a great way for students to learn that Yom Kippur is a day of fasting, and therefore, we will be providing them with treats before fasting begins,” Vazquez wrote in an email to all club members.

This marks the second JSO event of the year. On Monday, Sept. 17, the club set up a table outside the cafeteria and handed out apples and honey in honor of the Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashanah.

“I eat apples and honey as a

snack thanks to Rosh Hashanah,” Nick Sawiki, FCRH ’16 said.

A club leader claimed that it seems as though students are interested in the JSO events because of the High Holy Day events.

“So far people have been very inquisitive, they have not only come around for apples and honey for Rosh Hashanah but they have come around for bagels and lox for Yom Kippur,” O’ Kane said. He went on to say, “They take our information sheets and look forward to future programming.”

Still, being a Jewish student at a Jesuit university does make some feel lonely.

“It’s very lonely as there’s not many of us around,” Emilie Garber, FCRH ’16 and a JSO member, said. “I am happy with this event as it educates and brings awareness to the Jewish people.”

One club member stated her goal for the JSO Yom Kippur event next year: “I hope by next year to bring more people to the table.”

Garber added that by increasing event notification, there will be a rise in the number of people that will visit the Yom Kippur table next year.

“I hope that there’s more notification to get more people involved,” Garber said.

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OCTOBER 3, 2012 • THE RAM • PAGE 17

MOST FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS BY PROSPECTIVE STUDENT REGISTRANTS Q. I won’t be 18 until later this year. When can I register?

A. You can fill out and submit a voter registration form if you will turn 18 by Dec. 31. You can only vote, however, if you are 18 on the day of the vote. Several weeks after you register, or after your 18th birthday, you should receive a card in the mail from the Board of Elections telling you where and when you can vote.

Q. Do I need any identification in order to vote on Election Day? A. Newly registered voters should bring an ID to the polls but, if you've voted in a previous election you shouldn't need one.

Most voters who have voted in a previous election will not have to show any identification or proof of citizenship to vote. The voter ID card you may have received in the mail is intended to help you locate your polling site, but it is not required to vote. As a voter all you will have to do is sign your name in the poll site book. However, voters registering for the first time in their present county/NYC, may be asked to show ID at the polls in order to vote on a machine, if they did not include their license (or non driver ID) number or the last four digits of their social security number on their registration form, or if their license/ID number/ social security number couldn't be verified with the State's database.

So new voters should make sure they bring ID with them to the polls. But, even if you are asked to produce ID and that ID is rejected by poll workers it is still your right to vote by paper/affidavit ballot. If you are asked to show ID all that is required is a "current and valid photo identification" with your name and picture such as a drivers license or college ID. Government documents and utility bills or bank statements with your name and address are also acceptable forms of ID. With changes in voter laws in many states, it is better to be safe than sorry. You can contact your local Board of Elections for identification requirements or visit http://www.brennancenter.org/content/student_voting/ to find out the rules for your state.

Q. Where do I vote?

A. You should receive a card from the Board of Elections telling you where your polling site is. If you don’t, voters within New York City can call toll free (866) VOTE-NYC or 311, and others can call their local Board of Elections.

Q. I am registered to vote in another county (or state) but I need an absentee ballot. What should I do?

A. If you are a New York State resident, all you have to do is complete another voter registration form. This time, however, you will check the first box in Question 14 indicating that you want an absentee ballot. Assuming that you will be in school during Election Day, use your complete university address as your mailing address in order to receive your ballot. If you are not a New York State resident, you may request an absentee ballot by contacting your local county or city election official. Depending on your state, this individual may be the County Clerk, County Auditor, County Registrar or Supervisor of Elections, or the Board of Elections. In most cases, the phone number for these offices is listed in the blue government pages of you phone book. For detailed information on registering and obtaining an absentee ballot, please visit the Federal Voting Assistance Program (FVAP) web site at www.fvap.gov or call 1-800-438-VOTE. Q. Okay. I’ve received my absentee ballot. After I complete it, can I return it to any Board of Elections?

A. No. When you request an absentee ballot from a particular county, your absentee ballot must be returned to that county.

Your absentee ballot will have a return address for your convenience. Be aware, however, that you should return your ballot as soon as possible to be counted in the election results.

Q. I am registered to vote in another county (or state) but I am now a resident of New York City (or New York State). What should I do?

A. Just fill out a voter registration form with your new address. On the New York State form, answer Question 11 to indicate an address change. Place your previous address in Question 11 and your new address in Question 7. On the federal form (Box B), you must fill in your previous address to indicate an address change. Remember: As long as you do not vote in the elections of your original county AND that of your new resident county, you will be okay.

Q. I am not really sure what issues are important to the candidates. Do I have to register with a particular party?

A. No. There is an option that allows the choice of not registering with a political party. Registration for a specific party really is only important for primary elections since only a registered Republican can vote in a Republican primary. The same holds true for all political parties. In the general elections, party affiliation is not as important. If you need more information about a particular candidate or party, please feel free to contact organizations like the Rock the Vote at www.rockthevote.com or Project Vote Smart at www.vote-smart.org. Student organizations such as the College Democrats and the College Republicans are also very helpful.

Q. I am already registered to vote but I lived on campus last year and moved off-campus this year. What should I do?

A. Just fill out another voter registration form and answer Question 11 indicating a change of address. Just provide your new address in Question 7.

Q. I am registered to vote but would like to change my political party. What should I do?

A. Just fill out another voter registration form and answer Question 13 with your new party identification. You may also choose to not enroll in a party at this time.

Q. The voter registration form says not to use a P.O. Box number when providing the address for where I live. Since Fordham uses P.O. Box numbers, what should I do?

A. There is a distinction between where you live and where your mail is sent. If you wish to participate in the elections of your home county (your permanent home residence), then you should list your home address (where your tuition bill goes) as your permanent address and your Fordham address as your mailing address. If you determine that you would prefer to participate in the local elections then you use the University’s formal address, including your suite or room number.

For Rose Hill, the official University address is: 441 E. Fordham Road, ______________ Hall, Suite/Room ______, Bronx, New York 10458 For Lincoln Center, the official University address is: 113 West 60th Street, McMahon Hall, Suite/Room ______, New York, New York, 10023 Q. If I register, am I registered forever?

A. The details are a bit confusing. No matter where you live you should re-register if you move, change your name or change political parties. To make sure you get to vote on a machine on Election Day play it safe – fill out a new form. Current federal and state laws prohibit registered voters from being removed from the rolls for simply choosing not to vote. However, if you haven’t voted in a long time or if you haven’t received any recent mail from the Board of Elections you should probably fill out a new form.

Q. I wasn’t born in the USA. Can I still register to vote?

A. Any citizen of the United States can register to vote. You are a citizen if you were born in USA (including Washington DC, Guam, Puerto Rico or the US Virgin Islands). You can also become a citizen through the naturalization process. Holders of green cards are not eligible to vote.

Q. If I vote in a party’s primary election, do I have to vote for that party in the general election?

A. No. In the general election, (no matter what party you chose to enroll in) you have the right to vote for the candidate of any party -- or even to write in your own candidate.

Source: Office of Government Relations and Urban Affairs (2012) Fordham University

PAGE 18 • THE RAM • OCTOBER 3, 2012

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The Sacrament of Confirmation is a program designed for people who did not complete the sacraments of initiation within the Catholic Church. If you have been baptized and received the sacrament of Communion, the Sacrament of Confirmation will be the next step. For information about preparation to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation contact the Office of Campus Ministry at Rose Hill Campus at 718-817-4501 or cm@fordham.edu or at Lincoln Center at 212-6267 or campusminlc@fordham.edu

OCTOBER 3, 2012

PAGE 19

Moorhead Brings New Traditions to Fordham Football “Sharpen The Ax,” Gadget Plays and Other New Elements Introduced to Program

By CHESTER BAKER SPORTS EDITOR

When Fordham hired Joe Moorhead as the new head football coach, the school also brought a host of new elements to the program. Moorhead has implemented several new pieces to the Rams, ranging from off-thefield motivation to offensive style and look.

The prevailing mantra for the Rams this season has been “sharpen the ax,” a phrase that Moorhead took from an old quote from Abraham Lincoln, “Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I’ll spend the first five hours sharpening the ax.”

Moorhead passed along his affinity for the quote onto his players, as he believes it sends an important message to the team.

“Really what it focuses on is preparation,” Moorhead said. “Our focus as a staff and as a team is you win the game during the week with your preparations. We want to make sure that our weekly preparation, mentally and physically, is going to be the thing that wins the game for us.”

Moorhead hoped to instill the idea that every play in practice should be treated as the play in a game, and he has taken an extra step to ensure that players keep the quote in mind, as the team has a new tradition of chopping a piece of wood before each game.

“We pick one of our captains prior to each game to carry [the ax] out with us,” Moorhead said. “We’ve found some stumps as opposed to logs which is nice, so we kind of rally around it before each game, pop [the ax in the stump] before each game and get ourselves fired up.”

COURTESY OF FORDHAM SPORTS

The pride stickers are just one of the many new things Moorhead has used to motivate his players this season.

The fun, new tradition has done a fine job thus far of getting the players motivated right before kickoff.

“As a coaching staff, part of our job is to motivate the team and find new ways to get our kids excited about playing the game,” Moorhead said.

The Lincoln-inspired activity is not the only thing Moorhead has done to keep his team entertained, as he has also installed a number of trick plays into the team’s playbook.

“When we practice our red zone offense on Wednesdays and Thursdays, and the team knows the trick plays are going to occur, they get ex-

cited to see what we have dialed up,” Moorhead said.

While the plays are fun for both the team and the players, Moorhead chooses when to use them with careful consideration. The head coach chooses from a “menu” of trick plays when he sees fit to run one, based upon careful review of game tapes and scouting reports.

Fordham has used gadget plays on scoring plays against Cornell and Lehigh.

Senior wide receiver Blake Wayne and sophomore wide receiver Brian Wetzel have both been crucial in getting the gadget plays off and run-

ning. Wayne was an obvious choice to be used in the plays, as he served as the starting quarterback for the Rams in the past. It took a little more time to discover Wetzel’s role, however.

“Just watching him throw the ball around in practice [we saw his ability]” Moorhead said. “It’s just a matter of doing things that put your players in a position to be successful and we knew Brian could throw the ball, so he’s the right choice for those plays.”

Converting on one of those gadget plays is just one example of how a player would earn a pride sticker,

an addition to the program this year.

The decals are just one new part of the players’ helmets, as former equipment manager Charlie McMillan, who has since left for San Jose State, added numbers to one side of the headware.

The pride sticker, which is placed on a player’s helmet as a reward for a good play, is a tradition of several college football programs. Moorhead developed the idea in conjunction with a speech given to the team from a former teammate, who now serves as a Navy SEAL. “One of the things for the Navy SEALs is ‘earn your trident,’ and we just switched it around to ‘earn your horns,’” Moorhead said. “When camp ended we gave them their first sticker on their helmets, and then for each win they get one, and then there’s a list of certain criteria they can do to earn one. It’s just kind of a neat and creative way to reward kids for their performances.”

While passing along praise to the team, Moorhead has also made it a point to ensure that his players pass around respect to others.

“There’s a direct correlation between the things you do off the field and how you perform on the field,” Moorhead said. “If I can count on a guy to be at class on time, to make his study hall hours, to take his hat off when he enters the cafeteria, then I can count on him to run the right route, hit the right gap and to cover the right guy.”

These new elements of motivation, respect and offensive style have meshed together well for the Rams.

After all, Fordham has three times as many wins, through only five games, as it did in all of last season.

Bitterman’s First Collegiate Goal Leads Fordham Over Rival Manhattan

By MATT ROSENFELD ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR

Time and again, the Fordham men’s soccer team has fought long, hard defensive games, only to lose because of a lack of offensive output. That would change last Friday, Sept. 28, however, as the Rams defense remained stellar and the offense came through late in a 1-0 overtime win over the crosstown rival Manhattan Jaspers.

Manhattan came into the game with an unimpressive 0-6-1 record, but the Rams knew the rivalry game would not be an easy contest.

“Whenever you play the local team, it’s always very difficult,” Head Coach Jim McElderry said.

“It’s a big game for both teams, but I always get the feeling that it’s a bigger game for them sometimes, which means we need to find ways to get up for the game.”

The Rams attacked early as they saw two chances within the first 20 minutes of the game. Two freshmen forwards led the attack. Tommy Granot had a shot blocked by a Manhattan defender in the 14th minute and Ryan Walsh hit the crossbar on an attempt in the 20th.

Manhattan countered quickly, getting a shot on goal just two min-

utes later in the 22nd minute. A cross found the head of senior C.J. Dragovich, but sophomore goalkeeper Sean Brailey made the save.

The Manhattan rally would continue in the 26th minute, when a flurry of scoring chances was kept out by Brailey. Juniors Eric Mavakala and Kevan Lewis combined for three shots on goal in a 14second span. In what would be his second consecutive shutout, and fourth of the year, Brailey came up big for the Rams.

Fordham’s next opportunities would come in the second half, when in the 53rd minute, sophomore Kalle Sotka had a scoring chance denied by Manhattan senior goalie George Ellis, who then stopped a shot 14 seconds later from junior forward Julian Nagel.

Ellis continued to stop the Fordham attack. Granot and Sotka each had attempts in the 74th and 76th minute, respectively, that were knocked away by the Jasper keeper.

Brailey made one more save in the 88th minute to force the overtime period.

In overtime, Manhattan was only able to muster one attempt, a shot from junior forward Naru Park that sailed high over the net.

The game-winning goal for the Rams came with just under two minutes left in the first overtime period, as Rams’ sophomore midfielder Ollie Kelly sent a through ball to freshman midfielder Kyle Bitterman who beat Ellis from inside the box. The goal was the first of Bitterman’s career.

“Kyle has had a really good season,” McElderry said. “He’s getting better every game. He’s learning how to expose teams with his pace and his work rate.

I was happy for him that he got rewarded with a goal. He’s had a couple of chances and just been a little unlucky in that final shot.”

Bitterman is one of four freshmen who started in Friday’s game. Fordham is relying a lot on young players this season, as shown by the eight freshmen and sophomores that played against Manhattan. The reliance on young players is partly due to injury. Senior captain Ryan Curran is out with a broken foot. Juniors Jack Bouchard and Taylor Gulbis are also nursing injuries, but are close to returning to full health, the latter playing a little in the game Friday. “[Injuries] just give people more opportunities to step up

and play,” McElderry said. “I don’t think our team has missed much of a beat, but we definitely miss guys.

It affects your depth as well, but there is nothing we can do about it.”

With the win, Fordham improves to 4-3-1 heading into its Atlantic 10 schedule. The team will now play two or three games a week rather than the one-a-week pace that usually accompanies the non-conference schedule.

“[The schedule] is a big challenge not just for us, but for any of the teams,” McElderry said. “It is a major challenge. The Friday games are fast and very up-and-down, while the Sunday games are a little slower. You rely on guys that sometimes don’t play as much on Friday to come in and play big roles.”

The Rams open up their conference slate in Philadelphia on Friday, Oct. 5 when they take on the La Salle Explorers.

PHOTO BY ALLY WHITE/THE RAM

Fordham used another stellar defensive effort to win the “Battle of the Bronx.”

PAGE 20 • THE RAM • OCTOBER 3, 2012

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Recapping the NBA Offseason

By MIKE DAUBER CONTRIBUTING WRITER

It seems that the major deals of the free agency period are over, so let’s take a brief look at our new NBA. Let’s start with the Knicks, since they are the local team.

Three significant moves were made this offseason: the end of Linsanity in New York, the departure of Landry Fields and the arrival of Jason Kidd. Fields spent two years with the Knicks.

His first was very fruitful and put him on the map, while the second was a weary campaign which consisted mostly of dunks combined with struggles with the jump shot that had made him so effective the year before. Jason Kidd arrived in New York during free agency in a space of time largely dominated by the Jeremy Lin question. Lin signed an offer sheet with the Houston Rockets, which was initially matched by the Knicks, but a different version of Lin’s payout by year made the contract untenable by the Knicks, who would be hit with massive tax penalties by the league for going over the spending cap. Instead, the Knicks will ride into a fresh campaign with veteran point guard Kidd in tow, an experienced passer and accomplished three-point shooter. The Knicks should also come in hot from this summer thanks to the performances of Carmelo Anthony (who set the U.S. Olympic record for most points scored in a game with 39) and Tyson Chandler.

The departure of Kidd has put a pretty little dent in any remaining hope for the Dallas Mavericks to make a serious playoff run this year. Even more so, Jason Terry signed with the Boston Celtics, which effectively leaves Dallas with one aging superstar who recently stated that he has two years left on his contract and is not sure where his career will take him from there.

Meanwhile, the Jason Terry move adds further complications to an already-intriguing situation in Boston. Early in free agency, Ray Allen left the land of green and white and took his talents to South Beach, joining forces with the men who ended his season two years in a row. This elicited vicious fan reactions (such as shirts printed with Ray Allen’s number coupled with the name “Judas,” a symbol of the betrayal Boston fans feel). Swapping Allen for Terry in Boston on the surface may not seem like the best lineup but it certainly is not the worst. Allen is an aging star seeking one last ring before retirement. While he is known as the best three-point shooter of all time (he owns the record for most made), it has been a long time since he provided the dynamic energy in drives to the basket that a younger guard offers.

Terry, no youngster by NBA standards at 34, nevertheless brings more energy with his isolation plays, daring drives to the basket and penchant for inciting the crowd to participate vigorously.

Terry even shoots threes exceptionally well, so in my opinion this didn’t work out badly at all for the Celtics, despite what they might think.

Allen’s arrival in Miami bolsters an already-formidable squad coupled with the acquisition of Rashard Lewis, yet another excellent three-point shooter. Mike Miller, bothered by a bad back so much so that he was given pain killers before games and at half time during the playoffs, decided not to retire just yet and will ride into the season on his somewhat famous Game 5 performance in which he hit seven huge three pointers to help dispatch OKC (a team that looks pretty much the same this year, and hence not covered in this article). Wade is coming off of knee surgery, so we’ll have to see just how well he responds, and Bosh skipped the Olympics to rehab an abdominal injury, which nagged him during the playoffs. LeBron James will waltz into the season truly living up to his nickname, having earned his third MVP award, first playoff MVP award, second gold medal and the elusive NBA championship. All hail King James.

Well, we’ve certainly saved the big trade for last, mostly because of its major implications. Orlando dealt its disgruntled star center Dwight Howard, guard Chris Duhon and forward Earl Clark to the L.A. Lakers. The Magic also sent guard Jason Richardson to Philadelphia. The Lakers sent forward Josh McRoberts, forward Christian Eyenga and a 2017 firstround draft pick to Orlando. They also gave center Andrew Bynum to Philadelphia. The Sixers sent forward Andre Iguodala to Denver and forward Moe Harkless, center Nikola Vucevic and an undisclosed first-round draft pick to the Magic. Denver sent guard Arron Afflalo, forward Al Harrington and the lower of its 2014 firstround draft picks to the Magic.

What an unbelievably-loaded trade. The seemingly neverending saga of where Dwight Howard would play this season finally ends with the all-star center headed for Hollywood to join Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol and newly-acquired future hall-offamer Steve Nash. The move has leap-frogged L.A. ahead of OKC in the odds to win the championship, according to some Las Vegas predictions. The move also sees all-star center Andrew Bynum leaving the city which hosted him since his career began in 2005 for Philadelphia which is roughly only an hour from where he grew up in Plainsboro, New Jersey.

Philadelphia sent Andre Iguodala to Denver, which really shakes up the power balance in both conferences: Philadelphia, a rising team, will have to see where it fits in the rankings without the man who made them relevant again, and Denver will seemingly have its first marquis player to build its roster around since Carmelo Anthony’s departure two years ago for New York.

OCTOBER 3, 2012• THE RAM • PAGE 21

Follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/theram_sports Varsity Scores & Stats Volleyball Fordham 25 25 23 25 3 Charlotte 19 19 25 20 1 Konkel (FOR)- 37 assists, 15 digs Ochs (CHA)- 11 kills Fordham 25 18 25 25 3 VCS 21 25 22 23 1 Hipp (FOR)- 15 kills Farkas (VCU)- 14 kills Men’s Soccer Fordham 1 Manhattan 0 Goals: Bitterman (FOR); 99’

Water Polo Fordham 7 Brown 17 Fordham 12 Conn. College 6 Football Fordham 14 7 3 7 31 Lehigh 14 10 7 3 34 Higgins (FOR)- 373 yards rushing, 2 TDs, rushing TD Colvin (LEH)- 341 yards passing, 61 yards rushing Golf- MacDonald Cup 9th out of 15 teams

Women’s soccer Fordham 2 Duquesne 0 Goals: Abrams (FOR); 58’ McDonnell (FOR); 89’ Fordham 2 St. Bonaventure 0 Goals: Maksuti (FOR); 23’ Rooney (FOR); 83’ Men’s tennis Fordham 7 La Salle 0 Fordham 7 St. Francis (NY) 0

Athletes of the Week Kyle Bitterman

Rachel Suther

Freshman

Senior

Soccer, forward

Soccer, goalkeeper

Bitterman tallied his first career goal on Friday, an overtime game-winner which lifted the Rams over Manhattan in the Battle of the Bronx.

Suther had two shutouts over the weekend as Fordham opened conference play with wins over Duquesne and St. Bonaventure.

News & Notes • •

•

•

• •

Head Coach Joe Moorhead confirmed that sophomore quarterback Michael Nebrich underwent surgery Monday to repair a torn ACL. He will redshirt this season.

The Fordham water polo team beat Connecticut College and lost to #13 Brown at home this weekend. The Rams’ record this season stands at 2-13. They head to California this weekend for six matches.

The Fordham golf team competed at the MacDonald Cup this weekend in New Haven, Conn. The Rams finished in a tie for ninth. Junior Brandon Nolan was the team’s top finisher, placing 22nd with a two-day score of 143.

The Atlantic 10 Conference has announced a new eight-year television deal with CBS and NBC which will put more than 50 men’s basketball games on national television beginning in 2013. ESPN still holds the rights to both the men’s and women’s conference championship games.

The women’s rowing team opens its season this weekend at the Head of the Housatonic regatta in Shelton, Conn.

Interested covering the Fordham golf team for The Ram? Tweet us (@TheRam_ Sports) or email us at fordhamramsports@gmail.com.

Want to write for us? Tweet us (@TheRam_Sports) or Send us an email at fordhamramsports@ gmail.com

PAGE 22• THE RAM • OCTOBER 3, 2012

Smith Says ALEX SMITH

On Sunday afternoon, the San Francisco 49ers demolished the New York Jets 34-0. The Jets offense was miserable, mustering just nine first downs and 145 total yards. I am well aware that the 49ers have one of the most dominant defenses in the NFL, but even with that said, Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez had a terrible day, and I just can’t understand why Jets fans keep defending him.

Jets fans have an unreasonable love for the below-mediocre quarterback, and I want to know why.

The Twitter universe was abuzz during Sunday’s game. Fans were blasting the Jets left and right, but none of the criticisms seemed to be directed at Sanchez. Instead, Jets fans defended their signal-caller, and ripped on Gang Green’s lack of wide receivers.

Santonio Holmes is a former Super Bowl MVP, and Stephen Hill and Jeremy Kerley are solid young receivers. Dustin Keller, when healthy, is a slightly-aboveaverage tight end who can catch the football. In past seasons, Sanchez has had good receivers like Braylon Edwards, Jericho Cotchery and Plaxico Burress among others.

The Jets’ front office has done a nice job of supplying Sanchez with receivers to throw the ball to, but Sanchez has not held up his part of the bargain. In the game on Sunday, Sanchez threw a number of passes that were not even remotely close to his targets. A quarterback has to give his wideouts a chance at least to make a catch, and oftentimes Sanchez doesn’t do that.

Other fans cited the loss of AllPro cornerback Darrelle Revis to a season-ending ACL injury as the main reason for the loss. I have a feeling that Jets fans may stick to that excuse for the rest of the season. The fact of the matter is that Revis’ presence has no effect on the Jets’ offense. In the 34-0 loss on Sunday, the Jets defense allowed 245 rushing yards.

Having Revis in the lineup would not have altered those rushing numbers by very much, and he would not have added a single yard to the Jets’ offensive numbers.

Getting back to the main point, Sanchez completed 13 of his 29 passes for 103 yards, one interception and one fumble lost. This is just the latest example of Sanchez’s inept quarterbacking skills.

In two of the Jets’ first four games this season, Sanchez has thrown for less than 140 yards.

This Jets offense is no longer centered around the running game as it was in Sanchez’s first couple of years, so that excuse for why he doesn’t throw for a great amount of yards doesn’t hold any water.

Sanchez has never had a quarterback rating (QBR) higher than 48.0. According to the QBR scale,

100 is the best possible score, 0 is the worst and 50 is average. Sanchez’s QBR average from his first four seasons: 37.43. The numbers don’t lie.

In the 2009 and 2010 seasons, the Jets reached the AFC Championship Game. Granted, Sanchez was a rookie in 2009, but the Jets had great defensive units both years and could have been Super Bowl Champions with an experienced quarterback.

In those first two seasons, Sanchez’s job was to manage the game and not turn the ball over.

He had 29 total touchdowns in those seasons, while turning it over 46 times — this is not the way to manage a game.

It also appears that the Jets’ front office doesn’t have much confidence in Sanchez. Case in point: signing Tim Tebow in the offseason.

Jets Head Coach Rex Ryan has said again and again that Sanchez is his starting quarterback and that he is confident in Sanchez’s play.

At this point, I can’t believe Ryan can say that with a straight face. They signed Tebow to implement the wildcat offense, which takes Sanchez off the field or spreads him out to a wide receiver position.

So now the Jets are making a game plan that takes the ball out of Sanchez’s hands for many plays.

But don’t worry Mark, you’re still our guy, right?

This is the part of the column where I need to clarify that I do not think the Jets should turn things over to Tebow.

Since being acquired from the Denver Broncos this past offseason, Tebow has shown nothing to warrant being a starting quarterback.

In fact, if the Jets replaced Sanchez with Tebow, they’d be going from bad to worse.

Tebow was brought to the Jets so that they could win the back page of the newspapers, not to win football games. He is a running back who can throw the ball a little bit and yes, he has won games in the past, but he is not the answer to the Jets’ quarterback woes.

In my opinion, the Jets’ struggles to get over the hump and put together a Super Bowl caliber team boil down to one thing: they do not have a leader in the quarterback position.

Above all other things, the quarterback position is about leadership skills. The other 10 players in the huddle must have faith in the player who is telling them what to do.

Sanchez is only in his fourth season, but he has plenty of playoff experience.

Still, he does not have control of the huddle and he lacks that killer instinct that a leader must have.

So Jets fans, please fill me in: Why is it always the receivers’ fault? How would Darrelle Revis have changed anything about the 150 yards of total offense against San Francisco?

It’s time to stop defending a bad quarterback and admit that the Jets would be much better off with someone else under center — anyone but Tebow.

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Senior Profile: Ryan Curran

By MATT ROSENFELD ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR

Ryan Curran has been a mainstay on the Fordham men’s soccer team’s defense since 2010. Originally from Carlow, Ireland, located in the southeastern part of the island, Curran boasted a youth filled with awards and honors. He was a captain of his high school, CBS Carlow’s, team when it won the league finals in 2006. Curran was also a member of St. Joseph’s Football Club in Carlow before he came to Fordham. Since being a Ram, Ryan has anchored the Rams’ defensive units the past three years. Last year, he was named to the Second Team All-Atlantic 10 team, and was a member of a Fordham defense that led the A-10 in shutouts, fewest goals allowed and goals against average.

Now in his senior year, Ryan is a captain of the team. Right now he is suffering from an injury, but he is working to get back on the field to continue his success in his last year as a Ram. The Ram: You’re originally from Ireland. What made you decide to come to Fordham?

Ryan Curran: There were a lot of things that made me come to Fordham. Coach McElderry had a big influence on me. He really helped me make the transformation over here.

He was definitely great to me. Also, the campus is beautiful, and being a part of a program that I thought was really moving forward. It was something I really wanted to be a part of.

TR: How would you say the game is different in the United States compared to when you played over in Ireland?

RC: It is definitely a very different style of football, especially since a lot of teams play on turf over here. It’s very different from what I was used to playing on in Ireland. Teams get the ball out of play a bit more. The tempo is faster and a little more hec-

PHOTO COURTESY OF RAM ARCHIVES

Curran hopes to come back from an injury to play in his final season.

tic, especially in college soccer. That was the main difference. We also spend a lot of time in the gym, and that has helped me get more physical in my game.

10, which I believe we have a very good chance of doing this year. I don’t think it’s going to be easy, but I think we have the determination and skill to challenge for the conference.

TR: You’ve been contributing to the Rams since 2009. How does it feel knowing this is your last season?

TR: What has been your favorite moment at Fordham?

RC: It is definitely tough. If I didn’t have to graduate I wouldn’t, I would stay here as long as I could.

I’m just enjoying every moment, getting out training every day. I just want to do the best I can every game because there aren’t many left. I just want to win every game.

TR: Going into the conference schedule, what are your goals and the team’s goals for the rest of the season?

RC: My goal is to get fit as quickly as I can and just get back on the team [following the injury] As a team, our goal every year is to win the Atlantic

RC: Without a doubt, definitely the overtime win against Temple last season, when we won the Atlantic 10. Even just thinking about it now gives me goosebumps. Thinking about that goal going in during overtime and us just going crazy, that was definitely the best moment.

TR: Do you have any plans after graduation?

RC: Not right now. I’m actually graduating in December, so I’m not really sure what I want to do. I want to have all my options open. If soccer doesn’t work out for me, I want to stay in New York and get a job, but I’m not really sure right now.

Men’s Tennis Dominates in Home Opener

By MICHAEL PRINZ CONTRIBUTING WRITER

The Fordham men’s tennis team defeated La Salle University and St. Francis College (N.Y.) on Saturday, without dropping a set in either match. The Rams won both matches 7-0, to start their fall season off with a bang.

“I was very impressed with the guys, and I kind of expected to win both matches,” Head Coach Cory Hubbard said. “I’m very happy to be 2-0.”

The Rams’ first match was against the La Salle Explorers. La Salle and Fordham have had a pretty decent rivalry over the last couple of years, so there was plenty of tension between the two teams.

Fordham came ready to play and jumped out to an early match lead by easily winning all three doubles matches.

Sophomore Max Peara and Srikar Alla won their match 8-1, as did juniors Emilio Mora and Mischa Koran, while junior Kuba Kowalski and sophomore J.J. Tauil won 8-5. The team was clearly excited

and anxious to play, with teammates yelling encouragement to each other all match long.

“I want this team to be the most energetic team in the country,” Hubbard said. “Wins and losses are fine, but as long as the guys play with heart and with energy, I’ll be happy.”

The Rams’ passion and drive, as well as the cold early morning conditions, clearly frustrated the Explorers.

Several of LaSalle’s players took out some frustration on their rackets, and one even tried to start a shouting match before being subdued by a coach.

“La Salle has been a rival for the last five or six years, but we’ve played very well recently and kind of distanced ourselves from them,” Hubbard said.

The Rams continued that distancing, winning all six singles matches to complete the sweep of La Salle. Kowalski, Mora, Alla, Peara, senior Alex Dirienzo and sophomore Jan Krouham all won their matches in straight sets.

The second match of the double-

header was against St. Francis (NY).

The match was a bit tougher for the Rams, but they still started strong, winning all three doubles matches.

Kowalski teamed with Alla to win 8-1, Mora and Koran won 8-2 and sophomore Peder Gram was victorious in third doubles 8-2, with sophomore Michael Puntillo as his partner.

After doubles play, the match moved on to singles, and the Rams were a little fatigued.

“A doubleheader is definitely a test,” Hubbard said. “I knew it was going to test the guys both physically and mentally. I wanted to schedule it to see where the guys were at.”

The Rams showed their good conditioning in singles play, winning all of their matches in straight sets. Gram and Puntillo joined Krouham, Peara, Mora and Alla in helping the Rams sweep singles play and the match.

Two very convincing wins made it a successful home opener for Fordham. The Rams will be in action next weekend at the Columbia Invitational.

Volleyball Knocks Off Charlotte and VCU

PHOTO BY ALLY WHITE/THE RAM

Fordham’s front line aided the Rams in their two conference wins.

By KENNY DEJOHN STAFF WRITER

It was a good week for Fordham volleyball, as the team was able to knock off both Charlotte and Virginia Commonwealth at home.

The Rams played Charlotte first, on Sept 28. After a disappointing loss to St. Francis just a few nights prior, the Rams came out firing all cylinders against the 49ers.

Junior Carina Thompson sparked a 6-1 run for the Rams in the first set, and the team led 11-6 after junior Lisa Hipp recorded a kill. They never led by fewer than four points for the rest of the set. A service ace by freshman Brianna O’Neil gave the Rams a 22-13 advantage, and they would go on to win the set 25-19.

The 49ers held a slim 14-12 lead in the second set, but Fordham scored seven straight points to regain the lead. Charlotte came within two points at 21-19, but Fordham scored the final four points to take the second set.

The third set was close until the very end. There were 11 ties in total, with the final one coming at 19-all.

Charlotte led 21-19 before the Rams scored four of the next five points to lead 23-22. The 49ers would finish the set by scoring the next three points off of Fordham errors.

Fordham trailed just twice in the fourth set, with the final Charlotte lead coming early on at 8-7. The Rams led by as much as seven at 21-14 and ultimately took the set on Charlotte service and attack errors.

Hipp was the biggest contributor for the Rams, tallying 16 kills and hitting .419 in the match. She also chipped in nine digs. Freshman Brennan Delsing contributed nine kills and 10 digs of her own, while junior Sara Konkel finished with yet another double-double (37 assists and 15 digs). Junior Maria Rodenberg tied a career-high with 25 digs.

Junior Krissy Buongiorno also contributed, tallying six blocks and nine kills.

The Fordham Rams took on the VCU Rams on Sept. 30 at the Rose Hill Gym. VCU, the newest members of the conference, entered the match with a 14-2 record, having won 10 of their last 11 games. Fordham rose to the challenge.

The first set featured five ties over the first 14 points. Fordham scored

October 3, 2012• THE RAM • PAGE 23

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five of the next seven points after being tied at 7-7. Fordham came out on top, 25-21, on the strength of 16 kills and a .355 hitting percentage.

VCU essentially owned the second set, leading by as much as 10 at 21-11. An ace by junior Kassidy Burgess cut the lead to 22-17, but that was as close as Fordham would get. VCU took the set, 25-18.

The third set saw five ties, three lead changes and no team leading by more than four points. After the final tie at 14, Delsing contributed two kills that would give Fordham the lead for good. Consecutive kills

by Thompson and Delsing then gave Fordham its largest lead at 1814.

Fordham would eventually win the set 25-22 on a Rodenberg kill.

Fordham fired on all cylinders in the set, hitting .414 and registering 15 kills.

The fourth set was tied at 9-9 before Fordham took a 12-10 lead that it would not relinquish. O’Neil’s eighth kill of the match gave the Rams the win at 25-23.

With the two wins this week, Fordham improves to 11-12 overall with a 3-1 record in the Atlantic 10.

The match against VCU was won

by Fordham’s defensive efforts. The Rams held VCU to a hitting percentage of just .203. Senior Randi Ewing led the way with eight block assists.

Hipp, Ewing and Delsing reached double figures in kills. Konkel recorded her second double-double, tallying 48 assists and 12 digs.

Rodenberg added 14 digs of her own.

Konkel was pleased with her team’s performance.

“This past week we were able to come back from a rocky conference start in Philly and against St. Francis to have a successful conference weekend at home,” she said. “After Philly, we knew we had to change something if we wanted it to be successful and it started with practice.

We have been working hard both physically and mentally, practicing hard and watching film, preparing ourselves with a winning mindset. Our assistant coach Brandon [Crisp] always says, ‘We win today, we win tomorrow.’”

The Rams next play on Saturday, Oct. 6 in Kingston, R.I., against the University of Rhode Island.

By CHESTER BAKER SPORTS EDITOR

Let’s play the guessing game: I am going to give you the synopsis of an average day of two different 21-year-olds and you have to guess which describes my day.

Day A: Wake up in the morning, in a hotel room somewhere in America, go to the ballpark, snack on the pre-game buffet, put on an Angels uniform, smack a few homers, steal a couple of bases and make some web gems.

Day B: Wake up around noon, play NCAA Football 12 for around four hours, eat some food from 7-Eleven and then head over to night class.

If you guessed Day B, then congratulations, you’ve correctly guessed my average Wednesday. If you know that Day A describes Angels rookie superstar Mike Trout, then congratulations once again.

I am entering a very weird time in my life, when athletes will be younger than I am, as I continue to enter my adult years and new prospects are brought into professional leagues. While I find it hard to decide whether I want to go to Bellini’s, Pugsley’s or Simon’s for dinner, these guys need to worry about picking apart defenses, identifying a curveball over a fastball or making a game-winning three-pointer.

I have had some experience with watching athletes younger than me perform on a national stage while viewing college sports, but this is much different.

When watching college basketball or football over the past four years, it has been kind of weird to think “Wow, that guy is only 19 years old and he’s about to win a National Championship and here I am about to knock back my fifth slice of pizza.” Still, that had always been understandable because they were just college kids. I see college athletes around campus all the time, so watching them play on national television was never something that unusual. Also, everyone on the

court was around my age, as opposed to now, when I can see Robert Griffin III play against someone like Ray Lewis.

So how am I supposed to feel about athletes my age playing in major leagues? Should I be annoyed that they are out there living out a dream that I once had as a kid, or should I simply admire their athletic prowess? Honestly, I respect the hell out of these young kids that come into the league and are able to perform at such a high level. Mostly, I respect them because I know that it’s something that I could never do.

We all know that it can be difficult to be a college student at times, having to balance a social life with a mountain of papers. We have to race to class, turn in our homework and still leave some time to unwind and enjoy the college experience with our friends. Still, the pressure to perform well in classes is always there.

Now just imagine that pressure times a zillion, as your performance is analyzed and criticized by the team’s fan base, the national media and veteran teammates. It seems ideal to play a game for a living, but everyone knows that the pressures of professional athletes are almost unimaginable. At any moment, a player can go from stud to dud or

suffer a career-ending injury.

For Mike Trout and Robert Griffin III, among others, to come into their rookie seasons and put aside all of those pressures is simply remarkable. I really want to be jealous of them because they are basically living the lives that anyone who played Little League or Pee Wee Football dreamed of as a kid. But I just can’t be mad at them.

Instead, all I can do is respect the ability they have and admire the performances they have been putting on this year. At times, it’s tough to remember that these guys are mostly kids, with many of the same interests as me. For them to overcome all of that and put up gaudy numbers against veterans of their leagues is simply remarkable.

As the years go on and my 20s turn into my 30s and my genetic baldness undoubtedly takes over, I will eventually be watching athletes decades younger than me. I will join the ranks of grown men cheering for or against players much younger, but even then I hope that I am still able to simply marvel at the way that young professional athletes are able to perform.

If the time ever comes when I can’t just respect an athlete’s ability, then I might as well stop watching sports.

PHOTO BY BEN MARGOT/AP IMAGES

Mike Trout is one of the many young players to dominate professional sports lately. How should the average college student feel about this?

Upcoming Varsity Schedule CAPS=HOME lowercase=away

Thursday Oct. 4

Friday Oct. 5

Saturday Oct. 6

Men’s Soccer

at La Salle 7 p.m.

Women’s Soccer

at VCU 4 p.m.

at Richmond 12 p.m. at Rhode Island 5 p.m.

Volleyball

Cross Country

Men’s Tennis

Women’s Tennis Golf

Monday Oct. 8

G’TOWN 1 p.m.

Football

Water Polo

Sunday Oct. 7

Gary Troyer Tournament California Metropolitan Championships Bronx, N.Y. Columbia Invitational New York, N.Y. National Collegiate Tennis Invitational Flushing, NY Binghamton Invitational Apalachin, N.Y.

Tuesday Oct. 9

Wednesday Oct. 10

OCTOBER 3, 2012

PAGE 24

Last-Second Field Goal Lifts No. 11 Lehigh Over Fordham, 34-31

By DAN GARTLAND SPORTS EDITOR

The Fordham football team faced its biggest test thus far this season when the Rams traveled to Bethlehem, Pa. on Saturday to face 11th-ranked Lehigh. Fordham gave the Mountain Hawks everything they could handle, but fell short, losing 34-31 on a field goal as time expired.

“I’m proud as heck of our kids,” Fordham head coach Joe Moorhead said after the game. “They played a great game. It’s unfortunate it ended the way it did, because I thought we played well enough to win. Lehigh made one more play than we did.”

Fordham jumped out to an early lead, marching 68 yards on 12 plays in 3:31 on its first possession. Senior quarterback Ryan Higgins capped off the drive with a 3-yard touchdown run.

The Rams stretched their lead to 14-0 on their very next possession. On second down with the ball at the Lehigh 18, Higgins handed to senior running back Carlton Koonce. Koonce ran to his left and handed the ball off to sophomore receiver Brian Wetzel.

Wetzel then pulled up and threw to senior receiver Nick Talbert in the end zone for a touchdown.

The trick play silenced the crowd and seemed to shift the momentum in Fordham’s favor. Lehigh answered on the next possession, however. Lehigh ran the ball seven times on a nine-play drive, culminating in a 16-yard rushing touchdown from junior running back Keith Sherman.

PHOTO BY MICHAEL REZIN/THE RAM

“[Spadola] had his share of catches too, but Ian did a great job,” Moorhead said, of redshirt sophomore defensive back Ian Williams. “Ian’s a very good player as well and I’m glad we have him for a few more years.”

Fordham would give the ball back after a sloppy possession, which ended when Higgins was forced to fall on a bad snap on third down. Senior Patrick Murray had to punt from his own end zone. His strong kick went to the Lehigh 45, but a good return

by Lehigh’s Marcus Dormevil brought the ball all the way to the Fordham 25. Five plays later, Lehigh senior quarterback Michael Colvin called his own number and ran it in for a score, tying the game at 14.

Lehigh would add a field goal and another touchdown to make it a 24-0 run and take a 24-14 lead before Fordham finally scored again with 2:43 left in the first half. After an impressive 35-yard kickoff return from Wetzel, Hig-

gins found senior receiver Greg Wilson for a 42-yard gain. On the next play, Higgins connected with Koonce on a 12-yard touchdown pass. The 54-yard drive took only 19 seconds, and the Rams cut the deficit to 24-21.

Higgins completed 28 of 41 passes for 373 yards and two touchdowns against a Lehigh passing defense, which entered the day ranked 15th in the FCS. “Lehigh’s focus this week was to stop the run and stop Carlton and challenge us to pass the ball and win that way,” Moorhead said. “We talked to the kids last night that we feel we’re diversified enough as an offense that we should be able to do both well.”

Playing from behind in the second half, Fordham was forced

to lean on Higgins and the passing game. Koonce had 105 yards rushing in the game, but only four yards on nine carries in the fourth quarter. Higgins had a 13-yard touchdown pass to Wilson early in the fourth quarter which tied the game at 31, but it was the last time Fordham would score.

After forcing a punt, the Rams got the ball one final time, deep in their own territory with 2:36 left on the clock. On first down, Higgins was pressured. He rolled out to his left and tried to throw the ball away, but his awkward backhanded throw failed to reach the line of scrimmage, and he was flagged for intentional grounding. The penalty gave Fordham a second-and-21 at the 1-yard line. A Koonce run on second

down moved the ball out from the shadow of the goal line, but Higgins’ third down pass attempt fell incomplete and Fordham was forced to bring out Murray to punt from his own end zone. His strong kick went all the way to the Lehigh 40 but Dormevil made another spectacular return, taking the ball into Fordham territory at the 39.

On second down, Colvin found senior receiver Ryan Spadola over the middle. Spadola made a fingertip grab and went down at the 22, inside field goal range.

Fordham called timeout after a 2-yard rush by Lehigh with 44 seconds remaining. After another 2-yard gain by Colvin, Lehigh called time. Fordham nearly caught a huge break on the next play, when Lehigh sent 12 players on the field. Realizing the mistake, Lehigh called another timeout and avoided being penalized.

Then, on third-and-six from the 18, Colvin found an open receiver, who was tackled at the 5-yard line.

Lehigh allowed the clock to run down to three seconds before calling time and sending out the field goal unit. Senior Jake Peery knocked in the 22-yard attempt and Lehigh survived.

A loss like that can demoralize a team, its effect potentially lingering for weeks. Fordham head coach Joe Moorhead knows his team cannot afford for that to happen — there are still six games to play.

“This is a very resilient group,” Moorhead said. “There’s a lot of fight in this team and the message in the locker room was we can’t let this beat us twice.”

Women’s Soccer Opens A-10 Play With Two Victories at Home

By DOMINIC KEARNS STAFF WRITER

The Rams started the Atlantic 10 season with high hopes after a recent resurgence. After two more convincing wins, Fordham looks like it can battle for the A-10 crown.

On Sept. 29, the Rams handled the Duquesne Dukes 2-0 on a soggy Bronx afternoon. The Dukes nearly struck on a fourth-minute breakaway chance, but senior Rachel Suther blocked Paige Maroney’s effort with an instinctive left handed save. Fordham gained control of the game after that Duquesne chance, but the Rams were unable to find a first half breakthrough.

Torrential rainfall marred the final 10 minutes of the half, as most fans left their seats to find shelter underneath the bleachers. Neither team could score in the downpour, so Fordham and Duquesne finished the first half in a scoreless battle.

The second half began as the rain stopped, and Fordham continued to push for a breakthrough goal. The Rams were rewarded in the 59th minute, when senior Kaitlin Abrams headed a rebound effort into the net. Senior Cara Rooney had her header blocked, but the ball bounced to Abrams, who scored her second goal in two games. Fordham had an excel-

lent chance to double its lead in the 63rd minute, but senior Annie Worden’s penalty kick was saved nicely by Dukes’ goalie Devon Tabata. Duquesne tried to draw even, but the Dukes were stymied by a strong Fordham midfield.

The Rams enjoyed most of the possession over the last 25 minutes, and Suther made a simple save in the 80th minute to protect Fordham’s lead. With two minutes remaining, sophomore Kate McDonnell sealed the victory for the Rams with a sweet shot from 18 yards into the upper left corner.

Sophomore Kristina Maksuti assisted the goal with a well-placed through ball, and Tabata had no chance to save McDonnell’s effort.

Fordham earned a 2-0 triumph in its A-10 opener thanks to an impressive team effort. All facets of the game clicked in the second half, and the Rams played well on the slick pitch.

“Luck has definitely gone our way,” Suther said. “We’re shooting to score goals, not just to finish sequences, and a bunch of people are scoring. It was nerve-racking on that first breakaway, but I did not have to do too much. Those are the best types of games.”

The Rams continued their winning streak on Sunday with a 2-0 home win over the St. Bonaventure

Bonnies. The first 20 minutes went by with little goalmouth action, as Fordham eased its way into the game. In the 23rd minute, Maksuti hit a breakaway shot off the right post. The rebound bounced back into play, and Maksuti converted her second opportunity to give Fordham the lead. The Rams fired two more shots in the ensuing five minutes, and McDonnell nearly earned a penalty kick for the Rams in the 29th minute. McDonnell appeared to have been tripped by Bonnies keeper Megan Junker, but the referee allowed play to continue. St. Bonaventure could not muster any offense against the stingy Rams defense, so Fordham carried a 1-0 lead into halftime.

As the match resumed, Maksuti immediately smashed a 46th-minute shot off the right crossbar. In the 51st minute, freshman Joann “JoJo” Murino forced Junker into a tough save. The Rams continued their search for another goal and held the majority of possession.

In the 71st minute, Junker got injured, and was replaced by Katie Kerkman.

The Bonnies finally tested Suther in the 81st minute, as she alertly slapped Caitlin MacConell’s curling effort to the left of the post. One minute later, Rooney extinguished all hope for a Bon-

nie comeback with an awesome lob shot over Kerkman’s arms.

Kerkman came off her line to defend a free kick, but the ball fell to Rooney, who one-timed a left-footed lob into the goal.

In the final five minutes, St. Bonaventure created two strong scoring chances, but Suther denied Abby Maiello each time. As the final whistle blew, Fordham celebrated its second consecutive 2-0 win and stayed atop the A-10 standings.

“There’s no better feeling than

putting it in the net,” Rooney said.

“It felt great. We implement a lot of positivity into every practice, and feed off of that.”

Fordham’s record now stands at 6-6 overall and 2-0 in the A-10.

The Rams will try to enjoy the warm Virginia weather next week, as they have two games in Richmond. Fordham will battle the Virginia Commonwealth Rams on Friday, Oct. 5, and then play the Richmond Spiders on Sunday, Oct. 7.

COURTESY OF TOMI LAHCANSKI

Rooney’s 83rd-minute goal sealed Fordham’s victory over St. Bonaventure.