Volume 94 Issue 3

Opinions PAGE 5

Culture PAGE 11

Sports PAGE 15

Major choice is becoming increasingly important.

A look inside the Super Bowl’s halftime show.

Fordham signs a deal with sports app.

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SERVING THE FORDHAM UNIVERSITY COMMUNITY FOR OVER 90 YEARS

1918-2012

FEBRUARY 8, 2012

VOLUME 94, ISSUE 3

New York Celebrates Super Bowl Win

USG Holds Budget Town Hall Club representatives meet with USG to discuss potential changes to budget

By KELLY KULTYS ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR

CHARLES ECKERT/MCT CAMPUS

Thousands gathered in New York on Tuesday at the Ticker Tape Parade to celebrate the Giants’ Super Bowl win last Sunday in Indianapolis. SEE SPORTS.

Recycling Challenge Returns to Campus Office of Residential Life brings RecycleMania back to campus and hopes to inspire long-term, eco-friendly habits

By CONNOR RYAN NEWS EDITOR

As part of a greater marketing campaign, “Oh, say can you recycle” magnets made their way onto every resident’s door, and colorful posters have been strategically placed to shed light on RecycleMania. After a successful run last year, Fordham students are currently competing with students from all over the country for national recognition and the satisfaction of living on the cleanest campus in America.

According to advertisements designed by Rose Hill’s Office of Residential Life, 11 dorms from both the Rose Hill and Lincoln Center campuses are involved in this year’s RecycleMania competition. Alumni Court South, Campbell Hall, Queen’s Court, McMahon Hall and Walsh Hall are a few of the residence halls participating.

The eight-week tournament began on Feb. 5 and will continue until Mar. 31. Custodial staff members from each school participating in the tournament measure the amount of recycling materials and trash collected in pre-determined residence halls.

The amounts will be reported to RecycleMania, verified and then “ranked in various categories

based on who recycles the most on a per capita basis, as well as which schools have the best recycling rate as a percentage of total waste and which schools generate the least amount of combined trash and recycling,” according to RecycleMania’s website.

To build the competitive nature of the tournament and push students to continue to recycle, weekly rankings are compiled and updated on RecycleMania’s website. The tournament’s Facebook page, which has racked up over 4,600 “likes” also advertises e-cards.

“How about [sending an e-card to] a friend or colleague at another school you’d like to razz or give a friendly taunting,” the RecycleMania website said.

Elizabeth Amico, assistant director for housing operations, said that while Fordham did well mathematically last spring, but she wishes that the desire to recycle came from a source other than purely sport.

“In addition to RecycleMania, I wish that residents were interested in recycling all year long, not just for the competition,” she said recently in an email.

Alec Cooley, the Program Manager for RecycleMania, said that the competitive, tournament-style SEE RECYCLE ON PAGE 2

PHOTO BY CONNOR RYAN/THE RAM

A view of the Third Street gate on early Monday morning after a Sunday accident.

Intoxicated Driver Crashes Into Gate

By KAREN HILL

ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR

Fordham’s Third Avenue gate, located between the Metro North station and the Walsh Library, was razed to the pavement by a reportedly drunk driver on Sunday morning, Feb. 5, at 2:10 a.m.

The driver was assumed to be drunk due to his reckless driving. A white Mazda driven by an allegedly African-American male struck the gates, knocking them off of their hinges.

The speeding vehicle was traveling north on Third Avenue when it continued straight into Fordham’s gates. The driver immediately reversed and fled west on Fordham Road.

There were no reported injuries on campus, although the gates were left damaged.

Supervisors immediately responded to the accident. There were two witnesses present who were able to give a portion of the plate numbers. The witnesses and Fordham Security have been working with the detectives at the 48th Street precinct to match the partial plate numbers with the white Mazda.

A consultant came to Fordham to assess the damage done, and estimated that it could be fixed quickly. In the interim, the gaping hole was barricaded with cones, caution tape and makeshift gates.

The estimation was correct, as the fence was fixed early Tuesday morning. The damage is no longer evident, except for the cones and small makeshift fences pushed off to the side on standby should another similar incident occur.

Fordham’s United Student Government (USG) held a town hall meeting to discuss potential changes to the club budget system on Feb. 2.

“The point of the evening was to get their [the clubs’] feedback on the budget system as it is now and take into account any changes that should be made to the system in the future,” Joey Lauberth, GSB ‘14 and vice president of finance for USG, said.

The initiative is spearheaded by Lauberth and his budget committee. The goal of the town hall was to come up with a system to readdress the budget system to make it more equal for everyone.

“Our goal right now is to get as many people on board as possible and come up with a system that actually will be best for clubs,” Caitlin Meyer, FCRH ‘12 and president of USG, said. “We see no point in advancing a system that people don’t like.”

The current budget system consists of a two-tiered approach for dividing the money between referendum clubs and non-referendum clubs. Currently, out of the more than 100 clubs, only approximately eight are considered referendum. The others all make up the non-referendum group. To gain referendum status, a club has to demonstrate a history of a need for approximately the same amount of money each semester for their successful events and projects. That amount is then earmarked every semester for that organization.

On the other hand, non-referendum clubs have to submit an appeal every budget day, with a line-by-line approach, spelling out each and every single one of their expenses. Then, it is up to the budget committee to decide whether or not to award the club that money and then how much to grant to the club.

During the last budget day, a little less than $400,000 was given from the Student Activities Committee to be distributed to the various clubs. Approximately $250,000 was earmarked for the referendum clubs with the rest to be distributed to the non-referendum clubs. The budget committee received over $750,000 in appeals from the non-referendum clubs which left 72 percent of the apSEE TOWN HALL ON PAGE 2

NEWS

PAGE 2 • THE RAM • FEBRUARY 8, 2012

SECURITY

BRIEFS

USG Organizes Budget Town Hall

Feb. 2, Southern Boulevard Between 5 p.m. and 6:45 p.m.

An unknown person broke into the vehicle of a member of the Fordham community. The thief broke into the front passenger window of the Toyota Corolla and removed a GPS from the windshield.

Feb. 5, Loschert Hall Between 8:30 p.m. and 10 p.m.

A refrigerator was left outside of Loschert Hall by a student to air out. When the student returned two hours later the door was broken off and the wiring was damaged. Security is investigating the event.

PHOTO BY STEPHEN MOCCIA/THE RAM

Feb. 6, Third Avenue Gate 2 a.m.

A security guard reported that a male driving a white Mazda was driving north on Third Avenue and struck Fordham’s gates, knocking them off of the hinges. The vehicle backed up and drove down Fordham Rd. at a high speed. There were two witnesses to the accident; no one was injured. The New York Police Department was notified and is investing the accident in attempts to identify and locate the vehicle.

— Compiled by Karen Hill, Assistant News Editor

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USG student representatives listen to clubs at recent Town Hall meeting.

TOWN HALL, FROM PAGE 1

peals by clubs unfunded. This required the students to make tough decisions on where to allocate the funds they had.

“There are over 95 clubs right now who have to plan their semester ahead of time and then they still have to submit everything [appeal forms] and they’re not going to get the funding for everything,” Lauberth said.

The Budget Committee realizes that this system has an inequitable distribution of funds, which has created many problems. With the growing number of clubs at Fordham, it has become increasingly difficult for new clubs to get funding for their events, since they have no track record of suc-

cess. Also, the committee has noticed there has been some “just because” spending by referendum clubs since the money they have earmarked is theirs, so if there is money left over, they feel the need to spend it.

“We want to see if a lot of the problems that were identified last year still exist now,” Meyer said.

These abuses have caused the budget committee to brainstorm for a new budget process to equalize the playing field. The initiative they proposed is a move away from referendum clubs to referendum events. The money awarded

by SAC would then be broken down into aggregate funding and itemized funding. The aggregate funding would be awarded to

clubs based on recurring programs or needs. For example, if a club threw a successful event for a few consecutive semesters at approximately the same cost each time, that amount of money would be earmarked for them for semesters to follow. Whatever is left over would be “kicked back” into the pool for USG to distribute to other clubs who could make use of the funds.

On the other hand, the itemized funding would consist of the current system’s line by-line appeal.

Without the earmarked money for the referendum clubs, the hope is that there would be more money left over for appeals, and this would allow clubs to put on programs to move certain events into the “referendum event” status.

“If this proposal was to go through, the committee will know what was allocated last semester and we’ll be able to see that the money was used well, and we’ll use that in the future,” Lauberth said.

The Budget Committee would work very closely with Operations, especially the USG Vice President of Operations Angelo Labate, FCRH ‘12. The two groups would work with clubs to discuss what the criteria would be for an event, program or need to be deemed worthy to qualify for aggregate funding. The criteria would represent a holistic approach to give clubs an equal opportunity to get the proper funding.

The new system would also cut out “just because” spending, since the money left over from programs and events would be kicked back into the pool for other clubs to gain access. Clubs would continue to prioritize their budgets, which would allow for their most important needs to be fulfilled first.

Eco-Friendly Recycling Competition Inspires Fordham RECYCLE, FROM PAGE 1

program is the first step.

“At the end of the day, RecycleMania is trying to package recycling conservation issues in ways that will get people’s attention and engage them.”

Ultimately, the program promotes the benefits of recycling and waste reduction on a college campus and “help[s] develop those habits and create habits [students] will carry with them for the rest of their lives,” Cooley said.

Last April, The Observer reported that Fordham had “placed first in the category of lowest amount of trash per person.” McMahon Hall at Lincoln Center was Fordham’s winning residence hall.

Resident Directors and Resident Assistants from halls participating in the competition work with Ms. Amico and the rest of the Office of Residential Life. A large part of this year’s effort focuses on advertising and making students, faculty and staff aware of RecycleMania, according to Ms. Amico.

“While we did our best to make students aware of the competition[last year], we got feedback from some students that they were not aware it was going on,” Amico said.

Nearly 600 colleges from across

PHOTO BY MICHAEL REZIN/THE RAM

Labeled containers play a large role in the recent push for waste reduction as students compete in RecycleMania.

the country are competing in this year’s tournament, down from the 630 number that was recorded last year.

“We have schools that participate some years and other years they opt to take on other areas to focus on,” Cooley said in a phone interview. “We find that there are

a lot of schools that will pick it up one year, take a year off and then come back the year after that.”

The program is underway and riding on the coat-tails of success gained last spring, but Ms. Amico said that the responsibility to recognize the importance of recycling and spread the word about

the benefits of waste reduction lies in the hands of the Fordham community.

“It is the responsibility [of] the Fordham community to get the word out about RecycleMania and then up to the Fordham community to [physically] recycle,” Amico said.

This system would continue to equalize the field, considering that about 90 percent of the clubs have to go through a difficult appeals system that takes almost a month to complete. It will also create a bit more work for the budget committee since they will probably have more appeals to sort through, but they feel that as long as it will help improve the number of funded programs, it will be worth it.

Right now, this is the first step of the budget task force’s plan.

After the committee reviews the feedback they have received from clubs after the Town Hall meeting, they plan to send liasons out to all the clubs to discuss any concerns they have with the system.

Then, they will take the proposed budget to the administration and departments affected to hear their feedback. Finally, the committee will compile a finalized policy and present it to the SLC for their vote of approval.

Currently though, there are still issues and concerns that need to be ironed out. For one, the referendum clubs that currently plan their semesters around their guaranteed money will now be put in with the rest of the clubs, which could reduce their chance at funding. Also, the criteria for how a club would demonstrate the need to be considered for “aggregate funding” is still a point of contention for many, since some feel it would reinstitute the “two-tiered” system. Right now, the budget system is a work in progress, but the committee plans on pushing forward to update the system as best as they can.

“If no one wants to change anything then so be it, but we need to identify that and start working in the right direction,” Meyer said.

THIS

week at FORDHAM Wed., Feb. 8 GO! Alaska Application Deadline GO! Office, McGinley 2nd 5 p.m.

Thurs., Feb. 9 Careers in Education and Psychology Tognino Hall 5 - 7 p.m.

Thurs., Feb. 9 Cinevents!: The Muppets Campus Activities Board, Keating First 9 - 11 p.m.

Fri., Feb. 10 Urban World NYC CSA/ASILI McGinley Ramskellar 7 p.m.

Mon., Feb. 13 International Business Mixer O’Keefe Commons 1 - 2:30 p.m.

Mon., Feb. 13 Comedy Series Eddie Murphy’s Raw, ASILI, Walsh Hall Basement 7 p.m.

Mon., Feb. 13 Cinevents!: The Tree of Life Campus Acitivities Board, Keating First 9 - 11 p.m.

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PAGE 4 • THE RAM • FEBRUARY 8, 2012

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This gentleman, we call him Mr. G, is very talented, intelligent, has a great sense of humor and is responsible for Fordham’s architectural beauty. And when he walks into Pugsley’s he brightens the room. And as you can see, he loves good old fashioned Italian food.

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FEBRUARY 8, 2012

PAGE 5

Unemployment: All Majors Are Not Created Equal

By JUAN GABRIEL P. GARCIA CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Why do individuals spend thousands of dollars for college? What do students actually get in return for their money? Some say it is the experience one undergoes, others say it is the lifelong friendships one builds. One way or another, the kind of job one gets after college has to be an important factor. The large amount of money that individuals invest in a college education must pay off in the future. People hope that the money they use to pay for their college tuition places them closer to a job; they hope for job security in the future, so that they will be able to live life independently.

Some people study engineering just because the expected pay is high. According to The New York Times article entitled “Want a Job? Go to College, and Don’t Major in Architecture,” engineering students earn a whopping average salary of $55,000 right after graduation. I do not think that this is a good practice because students should go after what they desire rather than study a field that pays highly but is not of their interest.

Individuals may end up dreading every moment of their lives if they pursue a branch of study that does not really suit them. They may end up wondering what they could have become if they studied something else, something that they really wanted to do. To me, money is important, but it should not stop someone from studying something

CARTOON BY ANNA TIGHE

that he or she is passionate about.

For instance, just because the unemployment rate of architecturerelated jobs is quite high (7.7-13.9 percent) it should not stop someone from pursuing a career in the field.

“People should pursue what they love, because you don’t want to be in a career you’re going to hate for the rest of your life,” Bea Gonzalez, GSB ’14, said. “We only live once, and life would be better if we enjoyed it for the most part. I see college as a four-year journey wherein I decide for myself how I want to spend the rest of my life. College is

a time during which I get to figure out what I want to become.”

As a freshman, I have been reflecting on my past. Ever since I was a child, I have always wanted to do something related to business.

This is something that I have been exposed to for quite a while. I read books, watch Bloomberg television and do independent research on the Web. I am always looking for more to learn about business and its various concepts. I am trying my best to make the most out of my four years in college. I do not want to take anything for granted.

More specifically, when it comes

to classes, I try to reach out to my professors and ask questions because I know that they are experts in their fields. They have gone a long way, and I can really learn a lot from them.

Lastly, I think about my future. I think about the six semesters I have remaining. The future has a lot in store for everybody. For freshmen, an adjustment phase is about to end. Freshmen are not going to be the new kids after a few months.

Sophomores are more or less at the halfway mark of their college journey. Many juniors start to think about internships and begin work-

ing on their major. Finally, for seniors, it is almost time to set foot in the real world and find work. Job talks become serious, and many students have a final plan that they hope to achieve.

“As time goes on and unemployment rate statistics come in, those of us earning our undergrad degrees have less and less reason to buy into the theme of pessimism in terms of our outlook on employment out of college,” Michelle DiMartino, FCRH ’15, said. “Recently, the national unemployment rate fell to 8.3 percent; this is a drastic improvement from when we were talking about unemployment in my macroeconomics class back in September (when the rate was 9.1 percent).”

The unemployment rate of any job will go up and down. According to the law of supply and demand, the unemployment rate is related to the supply (number of workers) and the demand (number of jobs available). More architects would have jobs if more architecture firms came into place, and this would result in a lower unemployment rate. For all these reasons, I believe that the unemployment rate should not make much of a difference in the major that a student chooses to study.

Working hard to land a job that fits a student’s likes and interests would work out better than studying a specific field with high pay and low unemployment that does not interest the individual at all.

Juan Gabriel P. Garcia, GSB ’15, is a finance major from Manila, Philippines.

Why Mitt Romney’s Tax Returns Should Matter

By SAMUEL VERZINO CONTRIBUTING WRITER

With the 2012 Republican Party Presidential primaries underway, the debates are impassioned, the competition potent and the controversies abundant. As is increasingly apparent since the financial meltdown of 2008, which sent thousands of Americans plunging into debt and unemployment, there has been a staunch focus on the plight of the middle class in the United States. While some may argue that neither the incumbent President Obama nor the current GOP candidates have done, or vow to do, enough to improve the lives of the working and middle class, one cannot deny that nothing appears to capture a voter’s support in such an culture than expression of compassion and empathy with these Americans, contrived or not.

Unfortunately, when it comes to the imperative inquiry as to whether this sympathy is artificial or accurate, the tendency leans toward the former. Two ostensible explanations for such expression are, first and foremost, that the “middle-class” makes up the greatest voting population in the country, and secondly, those who typically run for the highest political position are those endorsed for their previous successes in American politics. As such, their incomes are typically much greater than the majority of the American people whose vote

they are so fervently endeavoring to garner. Such a system conveys its intrinsic flaws when those vying to become a part of our country’s infrastructure of security and empathy must compromise virtue in order to secure some fragmented version of support.

Nowhere else has this dilemma been more important during the current race than in the controversy over former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney’s hesitancy to release his tax return information. Not only does this dispute transcends both previously discussed reasons why candidates have been so keen to appeal mainly to the middle class over the past few years, but it also portrays the sheer problematic nature of attempts at pathos in political races.

As informed voters, every single one of us realizes that Governor Romney is extraordinarily wealthy, having gained said wealth through venture capitalism and investment practices.

As a benefit to large investors in the United States, one does not pay taxes on investments until they are cashed out. Due to the mass numbers of investments Mitt Romney has, his interest rates ebb and flow, thereby contributing to the quantity of his fortune. While I am no expert on the financial market myself, I must state that I am perturbed that a millionaire such as Romney pays a lower tax rate than many reasonably comfortable American citizens could hope

to pay. While his refusal to release his tax returns appears both deceitful and dignity-compromising, it is understandable, as he certainly falls under the category of “the 1 percent” which has become ever-so-hated in the past few months. Here is the rope and, consequentially, where even the most open-minded individuals may experience a divergence in opinion.

Mitt Romney, by nature of the law, has not committed any wrongdoing in paying an astonishingly low selfreported tax rate of “close to 15 percent” or in his initial refusal to release the returns.

The flaws in both the law and the state of inter-human relationships are clear in many factors of American politics. This situation conveys two hot-button disputes on a very visible pedestal: first, the animosity that wealth division has instated upon the country’s citizens, and second, the underlying sense of trickery to which those running for a political position feel so inclined to lend themselves.

In essence, the common voters bring both these plagues upon the system. We, as a society, desire figureheads that not only represent us as virtuous individuals, but also possess traits common to us. Psychologically speaking, we vote for the candidate that holds values most similar to our own. In this age of financial worry, a candidate who is transparent in his or her fiscal situation is desirable, yet we scorn those who have more than we

do, whether out of jealousy or disdain for the current state of capitalism.

While my personal opinion leans toward desiring Romney and the rest of the presidential candidates to release their tax information, these wants are just that: desires. While many Americans, including myself, may believe the political system to be flawed when candidates are unwilling to be yieldingly transparent on issues for which there is great de-

mand for public knowledge, we must yield to the structure ourselves, for we cannot boycott and participate in politics simultaneously. Agreement over such methodology will never be unanimous, and as such, there are concessions that both voters and candidates must be willing to make for the sake of compromise and consideration.

Samuel Verzino, FCRH ’15, is a biology major from Waterbury, CT.

JOE BURBANK/ MCT CAMPUS

Mitt Romney, who pays lower taxes than most, captivates a crowd at an event.

OPINIONS

PAGE 6 • THE RAM • FEBRUARY 8, 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 Connie Kim Managing Editor Olivia Monaco Executive Editors Sarah Ramirez Emily Arata 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 Anisa Arsenault Casimir Black Danny Casarella Isabella Fante Nick Harris Christopher Kennedy Celeste Kmiotek Brian Kraker Cathy Landry Tom Merante Meghan Mulvehill Katie Nolan Fariah Siddiqui Veronica Torok Photo Editor Michael Rezin Design Editor Elizabeth Mallozzi Web Editor Anne Couture Assistant Web Editor Francesca Arturi Faculty Advisor 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 Francesca Arturi, Assistant Web Editor The movies Bruce Almighty, The Nutty Professor and Ace Ventura are not the most thought provoking, to say the least. Not to say that anything is wrong with that. I think mindless movie or TV-watching can do the brain good. But basing your opinion off of these three movies, there is no doubt that you would think of the director, Tom Shadyac, as a complete buffoon, incapable of any deep thought.

However, you would be mistaken.

After having a near-death experience, Shadyac created and directed the documentary I Am. His mission in the movie is to answer the questions “What is wrong with the world?” and “How can we fix it?” After having seen this film, I have not only learned more about the human condition and how each individual can help humanity, but also a lesson about my personal worldview as well.

After re-evaluating his life of wealth and success, Shadyac set off on his mission to find out why so much of the world suffers tremendously, and how humans can help one another to lessen the suffering.

To me, this sounded like the mission

of an ignorant, unrealistic man hoping to hold hands around a campfire, sing kumbaya and make s’mores. As my skepticism fought to ignore all the themes made by this feel-good tale, I realized that maybe Shadyac was not so wrong to set off on this ambitious endeavor.

The answer to what is wrong with the world, according to the film, is the misunderstanding many have about the relationship humans have with one another. We, particularly as inhabitants of the Western world, think that success is individual, competition is natural and, in general, humans work mostly for themselves.

We believe that all men are completely separate beings from one another, except when they choose to interact.

This film fought just as hard as my disbelief to prove that we are, in fact, not separate from one another at all.

The scientists that were interviewed “proved” that our thoughts and emotions affect everything around us.

They showed that humans emit electromagnetic force fields that influence the energy of others, illustrating this supposed power of our thoughts by placing Shadyac in front of a dol-

lop of yogurt in a petri dish and connecting the yogurt with wires to an energy-measuring device.

When Shadyac thought of stressful things in his life, such as his agent who probably was wondering what on earth he was doing going around talking about the woes of our world, the change in Shadyac’s force field created a change in the energy of the yogurt. Watching this scene, I questioned how certain I could be of the validity of this experiment. What was all this mumbo-jumbo about energy fields, tribal cooperation and connections?

I could not help but question every idea these scientists (if they are really scientists), authors (I have never even heard of the books) and other intellectuals (obviously if they agreed to be in the movie, they too are crazy) came up with. Then I realized; why should I assume that if an idea is overly idealistic, it is automatically wrong?

New Yorkers are known for their cynical nature. We will question anything before we accept it. This is both good and bad. Questioning proposed ideas and standards is

good; you should not take anything at face value.

If cynicism is a state of mind when any positive idea is false, it becomes a character flaw. The answer to the question “How can we fix what is wrong with the world?” is, according to the movie, small acts of kindness that can create greater movements of change, and it is as simple as that.

Positive messages should not be thought of as inherently incorrect because of their positive nature, and as the movie proposes, I hope to someday answer the question “What is right with the world?” with “I am.”

However, the jury has yet to decide on whether Shadyac had any effect on that dollop of yogurt, and the cynicist in me is alright with that.

EDITORIAL: Sports Rising at Fordham

Last week, The Ram ran an indepth investigation into the state of Fordham athletics (V. 94, i. 2).

While no one would argue that Fordham is about to join the ranks of the most prestigious collegiate athletics programs, it is encouraging to see tangible progress among our teams, whether it is a smaller program like women’s swimming and diving or our now highly-funded basketball teams.

The improvement in their records should be motivation enough. Add to the equation more support from the student body: Gone are the days when the Rose Hill Gym emptied out at halftime. School spirit among students is as high as it has been in recent memory, and it is important to capitalize on it. When students care, so do student-athletes. Take a look at the men’s basketball home record this season for proof.

Furthermore, we believe a strong

Dear Editor: I was not surprised to read your editorial on Feb. 1 (v. 94 i.2), in which you discuss President Obama’s recent remarks on the costs of higher education, accountability and your own view as college students in which you express that you are glad to “hear about a possible tuition decrease.” Left out of your editorial, as indeed it has been left out of most of the discussion of “reform” in higher education, is any discussion of the position of the faculty. The faculty community in any college or university is charged with the production, evaluation and transmission of knowledge, and without such a community, there is no higher education left to reform.

The general shape of the problem of faculty in higher education—its continual decades-long disempowerment—is complicated by VicePresident Biden’s recent and inaccurate statement that “salaries for college professors have escalated significantly.”

athletics program reflects positively on the University itself. Athletics are often touted as the “doorstep” of a university. Having a recognizable and respectable athletics program draws attention to the school; from there, academics, campus life and student affairs can take center stage. People often forget that the Ivy League is, first and foremost, an athletics division. If Fordham truly aspires to be equal to institutions like Georgetown, Boston College and Notre Dame, a competitive, nationally-recognized athletics program is almost essential.

The question now is how Fordham can achieve the success it seeks in athletics. The University always prides itself on its high academic standards. Here, it is always academics first and athletics second.

Unlike some other universities, our student-athletes are expected to achieve at a high academic standard

and are not given an easy way out of that commitment. Fordham consistently places among the top of all U.S. colleges in its athletic program’s GPA. Just one year ago, 57 percent of Fordham athletes attained a GPA of 3.0 or better — a school record.

Should this academic achievement be seen as an enemy to athletic success? And, if it is, is it worth giving up Fordham’s high academic expectations to achieve this success?

We at The Ram applaud Fordham for standing fast by its principles. We are proud to attend an institution that focuses so strongly on academics, and we do not feel that these principles need to be compromised in order to create the necessary change in the athletics program. The change we are looking for will come from a change in the atmosphere here: a change that is already beginning. A comparison between the Rose Hill Gym dur-

Letter to the Editor VP Biden makes it seem as though most college and university instructors are full-timers who command very high salaries and cost tax-payers and/or tuition-paying students an arm and a leg. This is a serious mischaracterization of the facts, as pointed out by Maria Maisto, president of New Faculty Majority, who writes that what has escalated is the “number of so-called ‘part-time’ faculty, who, together with graduate students, constitute over 60.5 percent of the teaching faculty (often 80 percent at community colleges).”

Several petitions have been posted in protest of VP Biden’s mischaracterizations, but the damage has no doubt been done. Already, in other areas, “efficiency” notions and the magic of “metrics,” borrowed from the business sector, have damaged the public’s trust in K-12 education.

Whatever the causes of ever-higher tuitions may be, it would be a great mistake to point a finger at “instructional costs,” at least as these are represented by the wages and benefits of faculty.

For forty years now, while demand for higher education has risen, the faculty staffing to meet this increase has come in the form of adjunct or contingent faculty, who typically receive 1/3 or less than the pro-rata rate per course of traditional fulltime faculty. Also, they enjoy either few or no benefits in regard to health insurance or retirement support.

One could easily argue that adjuncts have long provided a hidden subsidy for students.

This trend has prospered and proliferated, at a rate such that at one campus where I work, about 90 percent of all courses in anthropology and biology are taught by adjuncts.

Working conditions for the nowmajority faculty create hardships.

Many adjuncts, for instance, work at either non-teaching jobs or at several different colleges. However, many adjuncts are indeed able to juggle schedules and venues in a way that affords an adequate if meager livelihood.

There are hardships for the dwindling percentage of full-time faculty

ing the men’s basketball team’s last home game (ultimately a close loss) and a game occurring on a similar weekend last year will convince anyone that the culture of school spirit at Fordham is changing for the better. The students are excited to follow a team which, newly provided with a larger budget and increased confidence, is excelling in a way that last year’s Ram Fan could never have fathomed. If the improvements in both athletics and school spirit continue in the way they have started, we hope it will not be long before Fordham is able to attain the combination of academic and athletic prestige that it so ardently seeks.

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.

as well. While student numbers rise, a fixed and small number of fulltime faculty must now take on many tasks.

At the present rate, full-time faculty will simply disappear at some time in the fairly near future. Whatever higher education is available will be taught by adjuncts or contingents who receive less than the median national income.

The new President of the Modern Language Association, Professor Michael Berube, has made it a key goal to work toward a future where “nontenure-track faculty members are getting the respect they deserve,” which means that the faculty as whole will be restored to its central place as that community which is at the heart of this thing called higher education.

Dr. Alan Trevithick, Adjunct Professor, Department of Sociology and Anthropology, Fordham University Board Member, New Faculty Majority: The National Coalition for Adjunct and Contingent Equity

OPINIONS

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Left of the Dial Allen Ying

Tax Code Unfair to Poor Over the past few months, the American political discussion has fervently been more focused on the growing gap in income inequality between the rich and poor. This gulf culminated in a debate in Washington and the presidential campaigns over the warrants of a tax reform in the United States.

Warren Buffet and Mitt Romney have recently made headlines, with the former arguing for tax reform and the latter exemplifying why we need it. Buffet, a multi-billionaire investor and Wall Street magnate, expressed concerns over how our tax code is written: in particular, the capitalgains code. He pointed out that he pays a smaller tax percentage than his secretary, something he wishes the government focused more attention on. Romney recently released his tax filings to the public and showed that although he and his wife earned a total of $40 million last year, he only paid a 13 percent tax rate, a rate consistent with couples earning less than $17,000 a year.

Why is there such a great disparity between normal income taxes and the capital-gains tax?

For one, it wasn’t originally designed to give professional investors a way to pay less money to Uncle Sam. Instead, it was conceived with a low tax margin because the government did not want to “double hit” middle income families, once when they earn wages and again when they make investments.

Furthermore, losses for investments are also deducted from the taxable gains, which allow many wealthy investors to sell off their losing investments to offset the taxable gains they received over the year. At least on Wall Street, this system has been abused and allowed multi-millionaires like Romney to pay an unfairly minimal share of the nation’s tax burden.

So what can we do to rectify this growing disparity? It is theoretically true that raising the capital-gains tax from 15 percent might hurt investment spending in America. More importantly, it would definitely hurt the millions of middle-class families whose retirement portfolios depend on capital gains and the 15 percent rate for long term investments.

However, reform must happen to prevent wealthy investors from essentially getting a tax cut while millions of poor families pay a greater portion of their income to support those cuts. Obama recently proposed a reform measure in his State of the Union address to have a nationwide income tax rate of 30 percent for the wealthy, regardless of how he or she earned that money. This is not class warfare or an effort to deflate capitalism and investments in America but rather a measure to ensure the wealthy pay their fair share to the government and the land that gave them their wealth.

FEBRUARY 8, 2012 • THE RAM • PAGE 7

Alumni Interviews Seem Impractical

By MICHAEL CHARBONEAU CONTRIBUTING WRITER

College applications are probably something most students remember with a good deal of distaste. Forms to fill out, letters to send, andtests to take and not to mention the dreaded application essays. These things are relics from a stressful time and are best left in the past. We all made it to college, and we are (hopefully) happy with where we ended up. For Fordham’s admissions department, however, the application process never ends.

Applications, perhaps more than anything else, determine the character of the student body and thus, the prestige of the school.

The alumni interview for applicants gained attention in recent years as an important addition to the typical round of college applications and essays. It involves applicants to a particular college interviewing with a local alumnae or alumna of that college as a part of the application process. Prestigious schools such as Georgetown and Harvard use the interviews in their admissions processes. Fordham, however, currently does not. Would Fordham stand to gain anything from offering interviews? That question is hard to answer without first looking closely at how other schools use the interviews and examining Fordham’s own admissions process.

The importance of admissions interviews varies at different colleges and universities, and most institutions do not require their applicants to undergo an interview. Daniel De Vise of The Washington Post noted in a 2010 article about admissions interviews that, while colleges consistently rank “grades and test scores” as the most important factors in admitting an applicant, a considerable portion of surveyed colleges place importance on student interest in the school—a factor that alumni interviews may help to demonstrate. Alumni interviews are especially common among top-tier universities such as Georgetown and Ivy League schools like Harvard, Brown and Yale. De Vise points out that among the schools that use the interview, it often serves as an extra source of information about applicants and as a gauge of how interested they are in attending the school.

While Fordham currently does not offer alumni interviews for applicants, it does have a history of conducting them. Fordham’s Associate Vice President for Enrollment John Buckley, notes that in the 1980s, Fordham conducted staff-led interviews with applicants. The applicant pool was much smaller then, but by the late 1990s the pool had grown significantly. Buckley states that it became “challenging to orchestrate” interviews with all of the applicants. According to him, Fordham’s applicant pool has experienced a large amount of growth over the past 20 years, from around 4,000 applicants in the 80s to about 34,000 applicants this year, an increase which he describes as “ahead of the curve.”

From a logistics standpoint, it would be difficult to interview so many prospective students. That said, the admissions department is by no means opposed to talking with students one on one.

Buckley points out that the admissions department does have plans in place to accommodate applicants who wish to meet with someone from the school to get more information.

Furthermore, the admissions department will schedule an in-

alumni interview has been largely positive. One of the schools to which I applied, Georgetown, offered me an interview. I remember feeling strangely flattered that the school wanted to interview me. It seemed like Georgetown was making an extra effort to get to know me as a person, and I appreciated that. The interview itself was not only a chance to talk about myself and my experiences, but it also served as an opportunity to talk with someone who had been to Georgetown about what the school is actually like.

However, other students view such interviews in a negative light. Jeff Coltin, FCRH ’15, also applied to Georgetown and underwent an alumni interview.

To him, the interview gave an excessively “prestigious air” to the school. It also made him feel as if he “was being judged” and therefore it was not something he enjoyed.

Although alumni interviews might make Fordham seem more elite, Coltin states, the hassle of having to appear for an interview might be a turnoff to students.

Becca Van Sambeck, FCRH ’15, echoed this sentiment, noting that alumni interviews add additional pressure to already stressed applicants. Clearly, alumni interviews are tricky to assess. Many colleges and universities use interviews but vary the importance they place on them.

Test scores, grades and essays remain the most important factors in admissions’ decisions, and the real value in the interviews appears to be in gauging student interest.

Any prestige the interviews lend to their institutions seems to be balanced out by both the difficulty in organizing them and also the mostly negative student viewpoint towards them.

Overall, interviews seem to work for some schools and not for others. Fordham’s growth may prohibit its use of this technique, but a bigger applicant pool is certainly nothing to complain about.

That fact alone demonstrates that students view Fordham as prestigious and desirable.

Georgetown and Harvard can have their interviews, but as far as this school goes, there is no reason to fix something that is not broken.

“Fordham’s applicant pool has experienced a large amount of growth over the past 20 years, from around 4,000 applicants in the 80s to about 34,000 applicants this year, an increase which he describes as ‘ahead of the curve.’

From a logistics standpoint, it would be difficult to interview so many prospective students” terview, either in person or over the phone, to talk with an applicant about concerning or unclear information on his or her application.

Buckley maintains that, like every other college and university, Fordham’s admissions process is “driven by academic factors” and places emphasis on the application essay as a window into a student’s “creativity and personality.”

Fordham is not alone in dropping interviews from the application process.

“More and more schools have moved away from interviewing due to increasing volume,” Buckley said.

Students also have varying opinions on alumni interviews.

My own experience with the

Michael Charboneau, FCRH ’15, is a communication and media studies major from Detroit, MI.

Are your friends really tired of hearing you complain?

Write for The Ram’s opinions section. Email us at: fordhamramopinions@gmail.com Or, want to comment on something printed in The Ram? Write a letter: fordhamramletters@gmail.com

Righter’s Block John P. Castonguay Gains Tax Discouraging for All Mitt Romney has released his tax returns, spurring many to call for an increase in capital gains taxes.

In 2010, Romney and his wife earned $21.6 million in revenue. Consider these statistics, “In 2008, according to the Internal Revenue Service, the median adjusted gross income was $33,048, which Romney earned in less than a day [...] Reaching the top one percent of taxpayers required $380,354 in adjusted gross income, about Romney’s earnings in a week,” which will be used as an opportunity to advocate an increase in all types of taxes on the wealthy but especially an increase in capital gains taxes. Capital gains are taxed at a rate of approximately 15 percent, as opposed to the 35 percent tax rate for regular income.

In light of these facts, it is an impulsive and understandable reaction to bitterly urge the government to increase the amount paid through capital gains taxes.

On the contrary, raising capital gains taxes is exactly the incorrect response.

Some will argue that lower capital gains taxes encourage job growth and an economic recovery. According to economist Allen Sinai and a Joint Economic Committee study, “a capital gains tax reduction would lower the cost of capital, boost investment, and stimulate economic growth.”

They also claim it increases tax revenue. This may be true, but I argue that increasing the capitalgains tax is wrong on a more basic level.

In order to make this argument, we must accept the premise that one of the goals of government is to punish and rehabilitate only the wrong-doers within society. A capital gains tax is a tax on “the profits that an investor realizes when he or she sells the capital asset for a price that is higher than the purchase price.”

In other words, a capital-gains tax punishes individuals for making good decisions. Thus, by raising the capital-gains tax, our government would violate one of its basic founding principles.

Those who earn large sums of money should not be punished for their success, but should instead be emulated.

In the words of former Supreme Court Justice Oliver Wendall Holmes, Jr., “Any tax is a discouragement.” The capitalgains tax specifically serves as a deterrent from working hard to research and discover the best investment choices. In our current “bailout culture,” in which, at least psychologically, it may feel like there are no consequences for poor decisions, we cannot afford to remove the benefits of making positive choices.

The result of the removal of risk and reward is apathy, and this apathy saps the initiative needed to solve our current economic political and social problems.

PAGE 8 • THE RAM • FEBRUARY 8, 2012

OPINIONS

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Fordham Should Prescribe Birth Control

By SARAH RAMIREZ EXECUTIVE EDITOR

Let’s talk about sex.

It is not a conversation that happens often on our campus. Our reluctance to do so, however, recently landed Fordham on College Magazine’s list of the most prudish universities.

Add to that conservative attitude Fordham’s strict guidelines concerning birth control and contraceptives, in line with most Catholic institutions, and you have a culture where discussions about sexuality and sexual health are taboo.

According to the Student Health Services website, “as an institution in the Catholic, Jesuit tradition, Fordham University follows church teachings on reproductive issues.”

The Catholic Church, of course, considers it immoral to prevent conception by any artificial means, including condoms, birth control pills and IUDs. Not all students attending Fordham, however, realize at first how Catholic tenets reflect on Fordham’s policies regarding women’s health.

“I’m not Catholic, so I didn’t connect the two things,” Elizabeth Bolen, FCRH ’14, said. “I just assumed that every college does [provide contraceptives].”

“I transferred from a different school in Baltimore, where we could get condoms whenever we needed them, and I already had a [birth control] prescription and everything,” Stella Jendrzejewski, FCRH ’13,

said. “So I didn’t even worry about [Fordham’s policy when I started] here.”

It is hard to place the blame on students for not understanding Fordham’s policy, since the full explanation is essentially hidden on the University’s website.

One organization, Fordham Law Students for Reproductive Justice (FLSRJ), has been pushing for a clarification of Fordham’s birth control policy.

“When there’s a policy that effects 50 percent of the students that attend the University, we just want to make sure that that information is clear and available to students so there’s no misconceptions,” Emily Wolf, Fordham Law ’13 and vice president of FLSRJ, said.

Online, one has to visit the Women’s Health Care tab on the Student Health Services site to find an explicit statement on the policy. It is the only page that states the following: “Neither contraceptives nor birth control are distributed or prescribed on premises as a standard practice.”

“We prescribe birth control pills to students with specific medical reasons such as PCOS, acne, etc. with official documentation from doctors or through examination at [the] health center. Reasons other than contraceptive purposes,” Kathleen M. Malara, director of Student Health Services, said.

Due to new government mandates about contraceptives, however, that policy may have to be expanded.

Last July, the nonpartisan Insti-

tute of Medicine, which had been reviewing the specifications of the Affordable Care Act (otherwise known as Obamacare) issued a report saying that birth control is a preventive medicine and should be free for all women.

By the first of August, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issued a ruling requiring that insurance companies cover women’s preventive services without co-pays or deductibles.

In addition to FDA-approved forms of birth control (and yes, that includes the morning-after pill), these preventive services include well-woman screenings, gestinal diabetes screenings, breast-feeding support and domestic violence screenings.

The biggest complication with the mandate, which was praised by most healthcare professionals, was the obvious contradiction with religious beliefs against contraception.

On Jan. 20, the HHS offered its solution: Religiously affiliated hospitals and schools have until Aug. 1, 2013 to provide the required healthcare plans covering contraceptives.

(Churches and other houses of worship, however, are exempt.)

The response from the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops was swift and overwhelmingly negative.

“To force American citizens to choose between violating their consciences and forging healthcare is literally unconscionable,” Cardinaldesignate Timothy M. Dolan, archbishop of New York, said in a state-

ment.

Senator Marco Rubio, a Florida Republican and a Catholic, has introduced legislation that would exempt other Catholic institutions from the mandatory birth control coverage in an effort to protect “religious freedom.”

Despite these strong reactions against the ruling, Catholics themselves are divided on calling it an infringement on religious expression.

In actuality, according to The New York Times, 98 percent of sexually active Catholic women have used contraceptives. No one, however, is forcing women to use contraception, and neither will the new mandate.

“It’s not even like if they made a policy that you could be on birth control, every single person would be on it,” Jendrzejewski said. “They should just give the option you can be on it.”

“Having an option is, I don’t think, against freedom of religion – forcing it would be,” Bolen said. “But I don’t think making it an option is.”

In fact, employees at Fordham already have that option, according to Malara.

“There is a women’s health provision law [in New York State] that Fordham complies with regarding preventative care,” Malara said.

“Fordham complies for employees but are not required by law to include this in the student health program; this is the debate going on presently and may change.”

For now, female students who use oral contraceptives need to find

alternative means of obtaining their prescriptions. While some students, like Jendrzejewski, can have their birth control mailed from home, others rely on Planned Parenthood, of which the closest location is still an hour commute in the Bronx.

These students would be the ones to benefit the most from having accessible birth control on campus, especially when as a community, there is limited discussion on healthy sexuality.

“I think it’s important because young people are a very vulnerable population for sexually transmitted diseases and infection and, of course, pregnancy,” Wolf said.

I consider the new ruling set forth by HHS a victory for women’s health, but obviously not everyone agrees. As a nation, though, we now have choice: What takes precedence, religious expression or access to viable healthcare?

As a student here, I don’t expect a complete change in Fordham’s values and culture. I know better than to hope for a vending machine selling Plan B and pregnancy tests, like the one recently installed at Shippensburg University in Pennsylvania.

Nonetheless, at the very least, I hope that as a community we can have an honest dialogue about our students’ sexual health – sooner or later, for better or worse. It is too important an issue to continue to ignore.

Sarah Ramirez, FCRH ’13, is an American studies major from Weston, Fla.

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PAGE 11

Super Bowl Fun: More Than Just The Game

LIONEL HAHN/MCT CAMPUS

Madonna’s flashy performance was joined by a variety of guests including M.I.A., Nicki Minaj, Cee Lo and LMFAO (above).

By DEVON SHERIDAN ASSISTANT CULTURE EDITOR

It has been eight years since the infamous Janet Jackson fiasco of Super Bowl XXXVIII. In the years since the fallout, the Super Bowl Halftime Committee has hired an array of performers.

They recovered conservatively with Tom Petty, Bruce Springsteen and, most notably, Prince, whose performance impressed viewers like me who had never even listened to the guy. Paul McCartney and The Rolling Stones did well, but The Who, a band of

the same era, struggled to sound like its old self, as lead singer Roger Daltry barely made it through the set. Last year came The Black Eyed Peas, who both dressed and sang like robots, leaving everyone feeling kind of weird.

When I heard Madonna was playing this year, I had initial reservations, which doubled when a small army of gladiators marched into the stadium as the show began. My issues were tripled when it became apparent that the gladiators were carrying a gold throne with Madonna perched on top, looking more like Persian King

Xerxes from 300 than a middleaged ’80s pop queen.

During the show, Madonna taught us that love is, in fact, spelled “L-U-V,” and that she can shuffle with electronic duo LMFAO, who was thrown onto the stage for a quick minute or two.

The committee must not have trusted Madonna to proficiently please the crowd by herself, so they added feature performers Nicki Minaj and M.I.A., (the most controversial performer who threw a middle finger to the crowd for good measure), and Cee Lo Green, who was actually fun

to watch and listen to. The show ended with a feel-good moment as the words “World Peace” lit up the field, drawing a couple snickers from the crowd in the lounge with whom I was watching the game.

Maybe I am coming off a bit more negatively than is warranted.

The purpose of the halftime show is to entertain, and it did; it was easily the time when everyone in the lounge was most hushed and focused on the TV. I suppose as long as they keep the variety up, the show will continue to be suitable entertainment between halves. I just feel bad for members of the older viewing crowd who were probably a bit confused by the Star Wars-esque robot and Roman gladiator costumes. If only U2 could play every year.

And then there were the commercials, always an entertaining staple of the Super Bowl. First up, an eclectic Pepsi commercial featuring Elton John dressed as king, who actually would have fit right in at the halftime show. There was a sexually-confusing M&Ms commercial and a classic Danica Patrick GoDaddy.com ad, whose commercials, now that Patrick has turned into a veritably talented NASCAR driver, are getting a bit old.

The first Doritos commercial, fa-

mous for being some of the perennial favorites, came with a minute left in the first half. Last year they had a dog jump through a glass door, and this year they put a baby in a slingshot, which was pretty funny, but raises the thought that maybe it was a bit over the top for a bag of chips.

My personal favorite was the Chobani commercial featuring John Stamos. It was good to see that he has moved on from “Full House,” and it was better to see him get head-butted. There are many websites, such as Sportsnation.com, where you can see the poll rankings of the best commercials. Many of the best this year followed the old “just-add-a-cuteanimal” technique with much success, and overall I think the commercials were pretty good, if a little strange and outlandish.

But, hey, the whole spectacle was entertaining, right? In the game itself, there was an early safety, which I actually missed while getting a piece of a six-foot Tino’s hoagie, as well as a Hail Mary attempt for the win as time expired. Every facet of the Super Bowl this year seemed to focus purely on entertaining the crowd, and while there may have been some less-than-perfect moments, it succeeded in its task.

Candy Lounge Hosts Fordham DJ Master Competition

By FRANCESCA ARTURI ASSISTANT WEB EDITOR

Most Fordham students would jump at the opportunity to “comfortably” explore Fordham Road’s infamous Candy Lounge. On the night of Tuesday, Jan. 31 at 11 p.m., when Red Bull sponsored the Fordham DJ Master competition, students were blessed with this opportunity.

When Daley Quinn, FCRH ’14, heard that a disc-jockey competition was being held at the Candy Lounge, he was very excited.

“I thought that I had to go because it’s the Candy Lounge, and when would I get an opportunity to go to the enigmatic Candy Lounge?,” he said.

Three DJs, DJ SON!K, DJ Cavannaughty and DJ Pat McCarren, dueled for the honorary title of Fordham DJ Master. At the end of the night, however, after all the complementary Red Bulls were consumed and all the Fordham students had their fill of bass pumping, electronically enhanced music, only one DJ could leave as victor. That person was DJ SON!K, Tom Dennis, GSB ’13.

Student Brand Manager Mary Atwater-Kellman contacted the DJs and organized the event at the Candy Lounge. The lounge dutifully lived up to its name, with decorative lights of various colors hanging over the bar covered by lampshades patterned with Licorice All-Sorts. The lounge is divided down the middle by a long bar, which for the night created a 21-and-up only side. Opposite the 21-and-older side were the DJs and dance floor. The Candy Lounge

PHOTO BY MICHAEL REZIN/THE RAM

Tom Dennis (above) also known as DJ SON!K defeated DJ Cavannaughty and DJ Pat McCarren to earn the DJ Master title.

proved to meet Fordham’s expectations of scandal by adorning the bar on two separate occasions with both a male and a female stripper.

“The exotic dancers stole a little bit of my thunder, but it wasn’t the first time people have stripped at my shows,” said Dennis.

Although the provocative dancers may have been a temporary distraction from the battle, the skills and power of the DJs managed to turn the attention back to the music.

The night began a little after 11 p.m. when DJ SON!K was introduced by the host of the night, DJZEKE, with a call to students to throw their Red Bulls up. Dennis, who has played at Santos Party House, R Bar and various venues around the Fordham area, began with a slow, ominous track that escalated into bass-pumping techno in no time.

“I’m going to do what I know how

to do,” Dennis said.

Indeed, he did. From the popular Jay-Z song “Ni**as in Paris” to the heavy electronic sounds of Skrillex, Dennis did not disappoint.

“Well, I was only there for two of them, but I think the first one was my favorite because his music was upbeat and exciting,” Christopher Del Basso, FCRH ’14, said.

Up next was Chris Cavanaugh, FCRH ’12, aka DJ Cavannaughty.

Cavanaugh began disc-jockeying after teaching himself how for the sake of brotherly love last May. “My brother wanted me to throw him an after-prom party at my apartment, so I decided to DJ it,” Cavanaugh said.

He may have begun his discjockey career humbly, but now Chris plays every Friday or Saturday night at Fordham tri-bar’s own Ziggy’s.

“He always gets the crowd

pumped,” Julie Ricevuto, FCRH ’14, said.

Chris’ track was a mix of crowdpleasing songs, including Adele’s “Set Fire to the Rain” and LMFAO’s “Party Rock Anthem.” Some creative touches, such as sounds of howling, were also included. After a brief snafu with the audio at around 12:30 a.m., Cavanaugh came back strong and finished with an electronic mix of Jay-Z’s “Public Service Announcement.”

Last, but certainly not least, was DJ Pat McCarren, GSB ’14. McCarren began disk jockeying because of his interest in mash-ups but soon realized that DJing was a better fit for him.

“It’s not as technical as making mash-ups; it’s more about the music,” McCarren said.

The Fordham crowd is no stranger to McCarren, who has spun at senior

nights and local venues.

“His good looks and talent are a force to be reckoned with,” Erin Regan, FCRH ’14, said.

McCarren also opened for Chiddy Bang at their concert at Fordham this past fall. He felt that was his most memorable experience as a DJ. “Looking out and seeing 2,000 people was unreal,” McCarren said.

Sadly, many of McCarren’s friends were unable to see him play when, late in the night, the bouncers stopped letting in anyone under 21.

“A lot of my friends didn’t end up getting in so I was pretty bummed,” he said.

This did not deter him from being competitive, however. His fight for the title included mixes of Big Sean’s “Marvin and Chardonnay,” David Guetta’s “The World is Mine” and, the classic crowd-pleaser, Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believing.”

Although McCarren was nervous about having to play last, he put on a great performance and ended the night on a good spin.

Fordham students voted for their favorite DJ by twisting the tab off of their Red Bull cans and placing it in one of the buckets on the bar labeled with the name of their favorite DJ. At the end of all the tab twisting and voting, the respected title of Fordham DJ Master was awarded to Dennis, DJ SON!K. Although this title is an honor, Dennis has his eyes set on the future.

“I still have a lot of competition out there, so I am not celebrating too much,” he said. “I am always ready to prove myself again. Until then, all ears on me.”

CULTURE

PAGE 12 • THE RAM • FEBRUARY 8, 2012

Going Global This week’s column was written by Stephen Erdman, FCRH ’13.

I am from a town in Pennsylvania less than two hours away from New York City. When I tell people from home where I go to school, however, more often than not, they have never heard of Fordham. So, when I arrived in the Dominican Republic this January, I did not expect to hear “Oh yes, Fordham – that’s near the zoo, right?” or “My aunt lives near there; she says it’s a very good university!” when I told some of my new friends about my school. I suppose I should not have been so surprised – the 2010 census reports that, of the more than 1.4 million Dominicans residing in the U.S., nearly half live in New York, with the Bronx housing the highest concentration of this population.

As an urban studies major, I felt that studying in Santiago, the Dominican Republic’s second largest city, would be a good way to better understand one of the United States’ largest immigrant groups. Living with a host family, taking classes alongside Dominicans and even dancing the bachata at local bars gives me a taste of the colorful culture that is increasingly permeating the streets of so many U.S. cities.

While I was well-aware of the Dominican diaspora before I arrived in Santiago, I knew little about the DR’s own experience with increasing immigration. Each year, a growing number of Haitians cross the border that divides the island of Hispaniola.

Haitians experience varying levels of discrimination as they navigate Dominican society. This is due, in part, to many Dominicans’ idealization of European physical features and hesitance to acknowledge the African influences in their culture (even though nearly 85 percent of the population is black or of mixed descent).

Haitians often violate this code, wearing their hair naturally or otherwise celebrating their African heritage. It has been fascinating for me to discuss these issues with both Dominican and Haitian students.

It has also been interesting for me to consider how I fit into this picture as a white, male foreigner. I believe I have benefitted from race and gender privileges that are even more overt than those that I experience in the United States. For instance, it is much safer for me to walk around by myself and to befriend new people than it is for the women in my program. Likewise, while several black students in my program are sometimes assumed to be Haitian and, as such, are treated rudely, I have only encountered the very best of Dominican hospitality and friendliness.

I must acknowledge that many Dominicans do challenge the social norms that maintain inequalities in their country and that, as an outsider, I posseses a limited understanding of Dominican society.

I hope that during my remaining three months in the Caribbean I can improve this understanding, as well as soak up ample sun on the beach before returning to the urban bustle of New York.

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Dining Out: Minetta Tavern Overall Location Food Quality Atmosphere Hospitality Price $$ (Out of 4

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Take the D train to 113 MacDougal St. to try the famous Black Label Burger.

By COURTNEY HO STAFF WRITER

It is Friday night in Greenwich Village, and the streets thrive with excitement and debauchery. On the corner of MacDougal between Bleeker and West 3rd Street stands the renowned French restaurant, Minetta Tavern. After successfully passing the intimidating, but kind, bouncer with my golden reservation, I walked through two velvet red curtains, and was transported into “classic” New York where the food and drinks were the stars.

The best way to imagine the ambiance and décor of the Minetta Tavern is by envisioning the archetypal downtown New York restaurant. The walls are covered with caricatures of past customers. Chandeliers provide just the right amount of intimately-dimmed lighting. Beautiful, young professionals grace the room with the latest fash-

ions, and the most comforting jazz plays in the background.

The waitress was friendly and welcoming, despite the somewhat chaotic crowd. I was impressed by her extensive knowledge about every aspect of the ambitious but condensed menu.

I started off with an appetizer from their daily specials, rabbit cooked in pork fat, served with a small salad and grilled bread ($18). In my opinion, anything cooked in pork fat is a gift to the palette and heart. The bread was delicious and perfectly grilled, which was not surprising, considering the owner (Keith McNally) also owns Balthazar in SoHo. The chef prepared and served the rabbit as a type of paté, inviting the eater to spread it on the bread. The dish was quite heavy for an appetizer, but the flavors were light and wellbalanced.

Let’s face it — the real reason I even stepped foot into the Minetta Tavern was to finally sam-

’s)

ple the great Black Label burger ($26). It is known as one of the most decorated and prestigious burgers in all of New York City.

People fawn over its care and have been trying to extract the secrets it holds, but complete knowledge of the recipe will only ever be known by its chefs (Hanson and Nasr).

The amount of attention and thought that has gone into this burger is practically beyond comprehension. Saying that the burger is “decorated” is really an understatement. The highly covetable components of the burger are a blend of the best prime beef from New York’s top meat purveyors. On the menu, it is described as a selection of prime dry-aged beef cuts with caramelized onions and pommes frites.

To create the bun, the chefs consulted with bakers from Balthazar Bakery and created a unique take on brioche that was made specifically for this dish.

Every burger is over eight ounces and is prepared on a griddle to guarantee that its juices get absorbed back into the meat while it cooks. The beauty of the cooking process is in its simplicity – it is flavored with some grapeseed oil and drizzled with clarified butter. That’s it.

The plate is served with frites and a piece of tomato and let-

tuce to place on your burger as you please. Since it was my first time trying the Black Label, I wanted it to be void of the usual toppings such as ketchup, lettuce and tomato. Biting into the sandwich felt like the ultimate form of immoral self-indulgence. It contains the most intense, condensed beef flavor that is practically four-dimensional. The patty was plump, tender and tremendously juicy. The fries were perfectly salted and delightful.

Everything in that meal came together so well. Appropriately speaking, I had what one might call a “foodgasm.”

For dessert (yes, I do have a pit-less stomach), I ordered the chocolate soufflé ($18). To be honest, I do not think I have ever had a bad chocolate soufflé at a French restaurant before.

They really know how to prepare them!

The light dessert had a deep chocolate flavor, yet kept its cloud-like texture. It was served with a biscuit and a side of vanilla ice cream. The biscuit was unnecessary, but otherwise it was a decent dessert.

There is a feeling one gets after having an extraordinarily enchanting meal — the world gradually becomes a haze, and one gets lost in the indulgence and comfort and is carried away in the arms of the chef. From the moment I stepped in to the moment I left, I enjoyed every minute spent in the wondrous Minetta Tavern.

I can honestly say I had one of the best meals of my life there.

All I can do is appreciate their craft and spread the word.

Editor’s Pick: “Downton Abbey”

By LINDSAY LERSNER BUSINESS EDITOR

As the largest commercial television network in the United Kingdom, ITV has a wide variety of shows in its repertoire. One of its latest hits has subsequently become increasingly popular not only in the United Kingdom, but also across the pond here in America. This show is “Downton Abbey,” a period drama that premiered in the fall of 2010.

“Downton Abbey” follows the aristocratic Crawley family and its servants in the early twentieth century. The show is named for the manor house in which the family resides. The audience is introduced to the family immediately after the Titanic sinks in April 1912.

In the premiere episode, the inhabitants of the Abbey are shaken by the news that the family’s cousin (and heir apparent to the estate) appears to have been aboard the Titanic and died. Thus, the Abbey is left in turmoil as it struggles to adapt to the changes this devastating event has forced.

As the show continues, the family moves through the years, eventually having to face World War I and the horrors that it

brings.

Throughout the show, the servants of the Crawley family play just as important a role as their aristocratic counterparts.

The division of storyline serves to highlight the class differences that prevailed at the time, while also revealing the many ways in which the lives of the “upstairs” family intersect with the “downstairs” employees. For example, when the family’s eldest daughter, Lady Mary Crawley, is involved in a situation that threatens to engulf all of Downton in scandal, the ramifications of her act may extend so far as to destroy the happiness of her trusted lady’s maid.

A core theme of the show is that, even in times of difficulty, there is still the potential for the bonds of love and family to become ever stronger; however, at the same time, betrayal, jealousy and ambition always loom over the Abbey, threatening to destroy every step of progress made.

It may seem shocking how the inhabitants of Downton can continue with their daily lives and even enhance them, when so much strife — both personal and on a larger scale — threatens to engulf their lives on an almost

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ITV’s show “Downton Abbey” stars Hugh Bonneville and Laura Carmichael.

daily basis. For instance, in the midst of World War I, Downton becomes a convalescent hospital.

Every member of the household is, as a result, drawn into the fray and forced to aid the war effort, making innumerable sacrifices along the way.

Overall, “Downton Abbey” is a phenomenal program, but with its talented roster of directors, writers and actors, anything less would be shocking.

The show was created, written and produced by Julian Fellowes, the British writer of the screenplay for The Young Victoria.

The show has received countless nominations and awards since its premier, including 11 Emmy nominations and 6 Emmy wins in 2011.

“Downton Abbey” features an extremely talented ensemble cast which includes Hugh Bonneville (Iris), Elizabeth McGovern (Kick-Ass) and Maggie Smith (Harry Potter).

The first season of the show is available to view on Netflix, and PBS is currently showing season two on Sundays at 9 p.m. in the United States and on PBS.com.

The cast is currently filming the third season.

CULTURE

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FUPAC Member Wins Beauty Pageant

By STEPHANIE KIM CONTRIBUTING WRITER

How often does a college student get the chance to say that she won a pageant? Maxine Cruz-Am, FCRH ’12, is lucky enough to be able to say it every day.

On Jan. 28, Cruz-Am partook in a Ms. Philippines pageant hosted

by Rutgers University in Newark, New Jersey. The Ms. Philippines pageant was created with the intention of inducing a little friendly competition all in good fun.

There are three portions of the pageant that the contestants prepared for: cultural wear, talent segment and, for the top five, question-and-answer.

The event was sponsored by Filipino Intercollegiate Networking Dialogue, an organization comprised of 12 districts whose purpose is to create a dialogue of contemporary issues pertaining to Filipino topics. Fordham University’s Philippine American Club (FUPAC), belongs to district three, which includes schools in the New York City, North Jersey and Long Island area, such as Stony Brook University and New York University.

Cruz-Am was initially reluctant to participate.

“It was out of my comfort zone,” she said.

With the encouragement of her friends in FUPAC, however, she agreed to represent FUPAC against 18 other schools in Newark Symphony Hall.

When asked if she was nervous, Cruz-Am admitted she was.

“I couldn’t help but be nervous, but I was still proud to represent my fellow club members against a bunch of other clubs,” she said.

Newark is not exactly around the corner. Still, more than 30 Fordham students made the trek via public transportation. This amounted to more than two hours of travel time, all to support their dear friend, Maxine Cruz-Am. As the audience began to arrive, music traveled throughout the venue as groups of supporters cheered clever chants for the 19 brave girls.

“Max City Trick, Max Max City,” a spin-off of the popular Tyga song, “Rack City” filled the entire auditorium as members of FUPAC began to overpower the other cheers.

During the cultural-wear portion, a majority of the contestants wore a customary dress called a

Filipiniana dress. In order to stand out, Cruz-Am boasted attire from a southern, more Muslim region of the Philippines known as Mindanao. Not only did she take a risk by wearing a “Pangalay Princess” outfit, she also performed a miniature Pangalay dance, a traditional Filipino dance, whilst standing on top of tinikling sticks, performing theatrical tricks to wow both the audience and judges.

As for her talent segment, CruzAm concocted a short Broadway number with the help of some of her fellow FUPAC club members, Andre Padayhag, FCRH ’14, Larion Santiago, FCRH ’13, Matthew Novick, GSB ’13 and Marissa Santander, FCRH ’14.

Cruz-Am sang a variation of songs, including “Little Town” from Beauty and Beast, “A Whole New World” from Aladdin and “For Good” from the popular Broadway show Wicked.

Cruz-Am had been practicing for the talent competition with many helpful club members since Dec. 2011. In addition to being wellprepared, Cruz-Am and her friends also made a joint effort to create four backdrops to be displayed

FEBRUARY 8, 2012 • THE RAM • PAGE 13

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

This

Send tips, event listings, or comments to theram@fordham.edu.

!

Out

“Caribbean Garden” New York Botanical Gardens 2900 Southern Boulevard Until February 26 Students: $18 Adults: $20 While this has not been one of the harshest winters in history, one can seek a warmer, summer climate at the New York Botanical Gardens as they host a month-long “Caribbean Garden” exhibit. Located in the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory, the exhibit features galleries and garden photography lessons, along with native plants of the Caribbean. This Saturday, the exhibit hosts Caribbean salsa dancing lessons, starting at 2 pm. For students and faculty, the Gardens are right across the street, and admission to the grounds is free.

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“Black History Month at Madame Tussauds” 234 W 42nd Street Until March 31 Adults (13+) $30-$36 The beginning of February marks the beginning of Black History Month.

In celebration of the month, the famous Madame Tussauds wax museum is featuring influential Black figures, such as Beyoncé, Stevie Wonder and James Brown. Newcomers joining the display are Barack Obama, Rosa Parks and Aretha Franklin. Madame Tussauds is located in the heart of the city, right outside of Times Square, so there are plenty of places to eat before or after.

PHOTO BY STEPHANIE KIM/THE RAM

Maxine Cruz-Am represented FUPAC in the Ms. Philippines Pageant, getting Fordham a win against 18 other schools.

— COMPILED BY DEVON SHERIDAN

Ram Reviews MOVIE

BOOK

BIG MIRACLE

THE FLIGHT OF GEMMA HARDY

PLAY RENT

MUSIC WINTERPOP

MOVIE THE WOMAN IN BLACK

By SARAH RAMIREZ

By LAUREN HATHAWAY

By AMANDA RYLAND

By DAN GARTLAND

By MOLLY FERNS

EXECUTIVE EDITOR

STAFF WRITER

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

SPORTS EDITOR

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Based on a true story, Big Miracle stars John Krasinski (“The Office”) as Adam, a television reporter working in northern Alaska (miles north of the Arctic Circle) in 1988. He is struggling to come up with a story idea for his producers in the small town of Barrow when he and a friend discover three gray whales trapped in ice. The family of whales was migrating south for the winter, but thick ice left them trapped, five miles from the ocean.

Along with a strong storyline, the acting is pretty solid. Kristen Bell (When In Rome) is hilarious as a spoiled but dedicated reporter, John Krasinski is charming as always, and Drew Barrymore’s (50 First Dates) performance is especially heartwarming. Big Miracle is definitely worth watching.

Margot Livesey pays homage to Jane Eyre with her most recent novel, The Flight of Gemma Hardy, which echoes Charlotte Brontë’s beloved novel while telling a story all its own.

If you pick up this book hoping for the story of Jane Eyre merely transplanted from 19th century England into a modern setting, you will undoubtedly be disappointed.

Gemma Hardy and Jane Eyre are two distinct heroines who, like other parallel characters in the novels, each have their own personalities, backgrounds and trials they must overcome. While the plot of The Flight of Gemma Hardy models that of Brontë’s classic novel, Livesey moves the story in unexpected directions, leaving her readers guessing how certain elements of Jane Eyre will play out in this updated story.

In 1996, the late Jonathan Larson changed the way theatergoers viewed Broadway musicals. By now, many people have heard the songs, (such as the popular “Seasons of Love”), have seen the Broadway play, or at least have watched the 2005 movie starring Rosario Dawson (Seven Pounds).

The reborn Rent is definitely a step down talent-wise from the Broadway cast, but the actors from the production of Rent at New World Stages still mesmerize audiences. The story has become timeless, and even the weakat-times off-Broadway actors can still capture Larson’s original story.

Any fan of Rent will love this offBroadway production, even if the actors’ performances cannot compare to those of the original Broadway cast and the 2005 film.

Winterpop is the second LP from The All-About, the synth-pop project of Colgate University sophomore Zac Coe. At its heart, Winterpop is a really fun record full of catchy melodies and sing-along choruses. The lyrics, however, are tinged with angst and regret, focusing on tales of failed relationships and lamentations about losing touch with old friends.

The album is loud and upbeat at times, but Coe is not afraid to slow down the tempo and get more meditative.

The All-About’s brand of infectious electro-pop is simultaneously soulful and sorrowful, melancholic but optimistic.

Winterpop can be downloaded free of charge at theallabout.bandcamp.com.

Daniel Radcliffe puts down the wand in favor of an axe in his first post-Potter movie role, the newly released The Woman in Black. The film, directed by James Watkins (Eden Lake) and based on the 1983 novel

by Susan Hill, seems reminiscent of suspense driven tales like those of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. It stands as a tribute to old-fashioned haunted house horror films, yet, I would hardly call it horror.

Radcliffe’s acting drives the film.

His eyes, which have rarely been seen without the covering of the Potter glasses, express the appropriateamount of grief and fear.

Radcliffe does his best to shake the Potter image. With The Woman in Black, Radcliffe cements himself as an actor from whom we can expect great things.

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PAGE 14 • THE RAM • FEBRUARY 8, 2012

CULTURE

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WHO’S THAT KID? Alex Smith A MEMBER OF FCRH ’13, MAJORING IN COMMUNICATION AND MEDIA STUDIES FROM PHILADELPHIA, PA Describe yourself in a couple of sentences.

I am a communication major from Philadelphia, Pa. and a diehard Philadelphia sports fan. I am an easy-going person, and it takes a lot to really get me upset, and I generally look at the glass as half-full.

What campus organizations are you involved in?

I work for the sports department of WFUV. Right now, among other things, I call the women’s basketball games, and next year I plan on calling the men’s football and men’s basketball games.

What is your favorite aspect of Fordham? Why? I think the size of Fordham is ideal. Fordham has to be one of the only schools where you can know the majority of people in your class, and that gives the whole school a real personal feel.

Another thing is Fordham’s great reputation in sports broadcasting, which is want I want to do for my career.

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

I may be a bit biased because I live in Walsh Hall, but the Walsh gate not being open 24/7 is a pretty big inconvenience.

Also, I wish the students and administration here cared a little bit more about athletics, but I think that is starting to pick up.

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

My ideal day in NYC would probably consist of Chipotle and a movie. It is little things like that that really make me happy.

I have also been to a few events at Madison Square Garden, and it’s pretty cool to say that I have been to “the most famous arena in the world”.

What’s something about you that not many people know?

I have worked as a lifeguard supervisor for the last three summers at Morey’s Piers waterpark in Wildwood, NJ. I’ve worked with people from around the world, and I can say that I’ve actually rescued a number of people from drowning. It’s a rewarding feeling to know that people feel safer because you’re around.

What is your favorite class at Fordham? Why? My favorite class, so far, has probably been Journalism Workshop with Professor Knobel. It’s only a two credit class, so I am actually taking it for the second time right now for it to count as an elective. It has really helped me improve my writing skills, and writing is so important for someone who wants to get into the broadcast/journalism field.

What do you want to do or accomplish before you leave

Fordham?

I just want to make a name for myself and leave Fordham knowing that I made the most out of it.

Through WFUV, I’ve been able to meet professionals in the broadcasting industry like Bob Costas, Jim Nantz and Tony Reali, so I think I’m on the right track right now to get myself out there and have a great college experience.

What would you consider your “guilty pleasure”?

As basic as it sounds, my all time favorite thing to do is to just go outside and toss around a baseball. It’s the most relaxing thing I can think of. I might be the happiest person on campus about spring weather starting to show up so I can get out on Eddie’s and have a catch.

What is the biggest misconception people have about you?

I’m not really sure. Most people might assume that I’m a really quiet guy, and I guess that’s fair because I’m normally shy at first.

But in reality, I’m a really talkative person, and I almost always have a smile on my face.

If you could go back to your first day at Fordham, what advice would you give yourself?

Probably to just enjoy the ride.

Don’t get too preoccupied about small things.

I’d tell myself that things will all

PHOTO BY MICHAEL REZIN/THE RAM

Alex Smith, a FCRH junior, dreams of becoming a sports broadcast journalist.

work out so have fun, work hard and good things will happen.

What are your plans (career or otherwise) for after college?

Well, I’m hoping that I can make some connections in the broadcasting industry through my work at WFUV and hopefully get a job that I love.

It’s been my dream for a while to become a sports broadcaster,

so fingers crossed.

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

Probably a baseball and my glove because that could keep me occupied for days at a time.

I’d also bring a beach chair and a cooler because if I’m stuck on a deserted island, I’m going to take advantage and enjoy the scenery.

FUPAC Member Wins Ms. Philippines Beauty Pageant

PHOTO BY STEPHANIE KIM/THE RAM

Members of FUPAC and Cruz-Am’s friends gathered to support the FCRH Senior during the competition. She dominated the cultural wear, talent and question-and-answer contests to win the crown.

QUEEN, FROM PAGE 13

throughout the four minutes allotted for the talent segment.

“I think the reason why Maxine won was because the judges were able to see how well she prepared for it,” friend and supporter Caitlin Ramiro, FCRH ’14, said. “You can also tell that both her cultural and talent parts were a product of her teamwork with everyone from

FUPAC.” “I was so stoked when Maxine’s name was the first one called, when they were announcing the top five to go through to the next round,” President of FUPAC Matthew Novick, GSB `13, said.

Chicago-based songwriter and YouTube singer Manny Garcia, who has almost 18,000 subscribers on his YouTube page, was random-

ly chosen from the panel of five judges to ask Cruz-Am questions for the final portion of the evening, question-and-answer.

Garcia asked whether or not Cruz-Am believes Filipino-Americans are apathetic towards American politics and what FilipinoAmericans could do to become more involved in them.

Cruz-Am eloquently responded

that she did not believe that Filipino-Americans were apathetic towards politics in the United States.

She further expanded her answer by noting that it is through the media that the younger generation can become more involved with American politics.

She continued to elaborate that through Filipino television channels such as TFC, American poli-

tics could be broadcasted to the older and younger generations alike.

With her uncommon cultural wear, a dazzling talent segment and an eloquently and intelligently spoken response for the question-andanswer portion, it is no wonder that Maxine Cruz-Am took home the coveted crown and title of Ms. Philippines 2012.

PAGE 15

FEBRUARY 8, 2012

How The New York Giants Help Me Get Through My Life

By CHESTER BAKER SPORTS EDITOR

I have cried every day that the Giants have been in the Super Bowl. I shed a couple of tears this Sunday, moments after the Patriot’s final gasp fell in between Rob Gronkowski’s outstretched arms. I bawled when Eli Manning led the team to the biggest upset in Super Bowl history four years ago. I was distraught when New York was dismantled by Ray Lewis and the Baltimore defense in 2001. I was baptized on the day Big Blue beat the Bills in 1990, and I am just assuming that at some point throughout that day someone had to shut me up from crying.

The strange emotions that you have for a team is the greatest thing about sports. After every game you ask yourself, “Why do I care so much?” Seriously, there are things in my life that should be way more important than the outcome of a football game in which I am not even playing. But so many times, Giants’ games seem like one of the most crucial aspects of my life.

Some people might call me an idiot. Some might call me a loser.

Others might tell me to get a life.

And that is just fine. If you do not care about sports then that is alright; just leave me alone. Because to me, the Giants represent so much more than just a team. They represent one of the last living pieces of my father.

My dad and I spent every Sunday in our basement watching the Giants, sometimes celebrating with a hug, other times commiserating without saying a word. I can still remember the smell of his famous chili he would make before every game, and I can still remember the sight of that chili thrown on the ground after New York blew a 24point lead to the 49ers in the playoffs in 2002.

The basement is also where we shared so many memories of epic foosball battles, billiards tourna-

LIONEL HAHN/MCT CAMPUS

Eli Manning and the Giants brought home the Lombardi Trophy for the second time in four years. For some, the win took on a special significance.

ments, darts match-ups and tabletop hockey showdowns. My dad always joked that he was training me for the Bar Game Olympics. I place a permanent foosball challenge to every single person on campus. He did not let out too much emotion during the games, but when something big happened he would let you know it. Whether it be a simple fist bump and a yell, or a depressed look before he headed upstairs to go to bed (sometimes as early as 7:30), he cheered in his own unique way.

Heading into the weeks before Super Bowl XLII, the first time the Giants beat the Patriots, we should have been analyzing every aspect of the game. We should have been talking about how much fun it would be to go to the championship parade if they pulled off the miracle.

But I couldn’t talk to him. I couldn’t cheer with him. He was not there.

He had died in November of 2006 from a sudden massive heart attack.

The father-son connection happens for children in many different ways. Some kids’ dads like to teach them how to ride a bike and that’s a memory they will always share.

I still can’t ride one. Others might work together. I never really knew what my dad did exactly, just that he went into New York every day and wore nice clothes. For us, we bonded through baseball catches, batting practice and watching the Giants on Sunday. That’s how we got to know each other, got to laugh with one another and to develop a bond that created a great relationship full of laughs and making fun of each other. I have always said that our relationship was simple: You give, you take and then you laugh.

As the days went on and I still tried to cope with what had happened to

my family, the Giants began to play better football. It seemed like every time I was doing something painful, the G-Men would do something to put a smile on my face.

I can remember one time when I went downstairs to our basement, as I did many times in the months following his death.

I sat down on our old couch, which looking back on it was a really ugly piece of furniture. I flicked on the television about ready to cry and decided to torture myself by watching a little bit of the game downstairs by myself. The second that I turned on the game, Manning threw a touchdown pass to Amani Toomer. I cheered just as I would have had he been right next to me, which has always been in a very loud manner. For the briefest of moments the Giants made me forget that my dad was no longer with

me, and for an even briefer moment I felt normal again.

These kinds of sports connections are quite frequent in our society. In the HBO documentary Nine Innings from Ground Zero, several people tell their stories of how the run of the 2001 Yankees helped get them through the months after 9/11. And I can guarentee you that if I were to visit my dad’s grave this month to share with him another Giants championship, I would find others there doing the same thing, or draping a Giants flag over the final resting place of their loved one.

Like those who held onto the Yankees during that time, I have held on to the Giants for the past five years as I continue to mourn the loss of not only my father, but my best friend.

In 2007, as the Giants were making their run to the Super Bowl, every time they pulled off another miracle, I felt that my dad had something to do with it, as most sports fans with someone in heaven will feel if their team performs well.

And it may not be true, but it does feel nice to think that my dad is up there pulling some strings so that I can cheer.

How else am I supposed to explain the David Tyree catch to myself?

Now, as they have pulled off another incredible run to the Super Bowl, I am left to celebrate without him here. But I thank him every day for making me a Giants fan, even when they do typical Giants’ things like letting Vince Young and the Eagles beat them at home. I may curse them off, and I may take to social media to express my feelings about them, but I will always be thankful for being a Giants fan. I owe that to my dad. And there are never times where I am more thankful than when watching the Giants hoist the Lombardi Trophy high above their heads.

It is times like these that I begin to cry tears of joy.

Fordham Enters Contract with Sports-Centered Social Media App PlayUp

By DAN GARTLAND SPORTS EDITOR

On Jan. 26, Fordham announced a partnership with PlayUp, a sports social networking app. PlayUp is now the Official Fan Engagement Partner of Fordham Athletics.

The PlayUp app allows fans to enter chat rooms and discuss game action with fellow fans, while also providing live scores.

“PlayUp is the first social networking app exclusively for sports fans,” David Brody, PlayUp U.S. head of marketing, said.

As part of the deal, PlayUp will promote its product at each of Fordham’s four home games being broadcast on the YES Network this season.

Two of these games have already taken place (against George Washington on Jan. 28 and against Charlotte on Feb. 4).

PlayUp will also be present when the Rams take on Dayton on Feb. 11 and LaSalle on Feb. 25. PlayUp

will have a table set up outside the entrance to the Rose Hill Gym with company representatives and will also have television commercials air on YES during the game, in addition to sponsoring in-game contests and giveaways.

The PlayUp app launched in October, but the company has been around since 2007.

According to Brody, the idea came from halfway around the world: Australia, to be exact.

“Our founders are from Australia,” he said. “They were at an Aussie rules football game and a player scores a goal, and they’re texting each other and that communication sort of captured our founders.

They said, ‘Hey, look, there’s a lot of excitement that goes on around texting and sports. Why don’t we form a company?’”

When the app launched in October, it was immediately popular.

“We reached the top five in the free sports category (of the Apple App Store) in our first week,” Brody

said.

PlayUp’s partnership with Fordham is the company’s first with an NCAA athletics program, though they hope to form similar partnerships with other schools in the future.

“We are looking at building out some other initiatives within collegiate athletics,” Brody said.

According to Brody, PlayUp became interested in Fordham as a result of the success the men’s basketball team has had this season.

PHOTO BY BRIAN KRAKER/THE RAM

PlayUp has been advertising in the Rose Hill Gym at a few selected games this season. The company will have its booth at two more games this year.

“Fordham is an emerging program,” he said. “We’ve been to a couple of games this year, both of which have been Saturday games, very exciting. The program is definitely on the rise. We’ve been there and been a part of the atmosphere.

We’re a company that’s all about the excitement that goes on around sports. It was a natural fit for us.”

PlayUp hopes that the deal is one that will benefit both sides.

“The partnership is beneficial in that, for Fordham fans, if you can’t make it to the game, our app allows you to join other Fordham fans, who may be at the game, or across the country, or on the other side of the world, and use the app like you’re watching the game together,” Brody said. “For PlayUp, obviously, working with Fordham is incredibly exciting for us, given all the excitement that’s going on, especially as we have a presence at the Rose Hill Gym where I think Fordham is 8-2 at home. I think being a part of that excitement is a natural fit for us.”

SPORTS

PAGE 16 • THE RAM • FEBRUARY 8, 2012

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Julian Saad Breaks School Women’s Tennis Wins Two to Open Record in 3,000-meters First Season Under New Coach

By ADRIAN BURKE CONTRIBUTING WRITER

On Saturday, Feb. 4, the Fordham track and field team was split between the New Balance Invitational and the Tribute to Charley Torpey Invitational. The Tribute to Charley Torpey Invitational was held at Mackal Fieldhouse in Kingston, Rhode Island to honor the late La Salle cross-country and track coach who passed away over the summer. Three event wins in the women’s competition led the way for Fordham. Junior Courtnay Newman, clearing a career-high and ECAC qualifying height of 5’7”, won the high jump event. Sophomore Anisa Arsenault placed first in the 3,000 meter run in 9:59.80. The final winner for the Rams was the distance medley relay team, winning the event in a season-best time of 12:23.47. In the men’s competition, Fordham had 11 top-five finishes, led by senior Nick Delligatti and the 4x400 relay team. Delligatti placed second in the 500-meter run in 1:05.79, while the relay team also placed second in 3:32.83.

The rest of the Fordham men’s indoor track & field team competed at the 2012 New Balance College Invitational at the Armory. Junior Julian Saad led the Rams, pacing the team with a school-record performance in the 3,000 meters. Saad placed eighth in the 3,000-meters

competition with a time of 8:13.88, breaking Pat Lavery’s previous school-record time of 8:18 in 1989.

On Monday, Feb. 6, he was named the Atlantic 10 Men’s Indoor Track & Field Performer of the Week. Saad also qualified for the IC4A Championship. Villanova’s Mathew Mildenhall won the event in a time of 8:06.23. The Rams had two top-six finishers, with senior Kevin Fitzgerald placing fourth in a season-best and career-best time of 1:51.12 and junior John Cosgrove taking sixth in a career-best time of 1:51.66. Fitzgerald’s time also qualifies him for the IC4A Championship while Cosgrove improved on his previous IC4A qualifying time. The other event for Fordham was the distance medley relay. The team of junior Sean Atkinson, Cosgrove, sophomore Sam Houston and Fitzgerald took seventh in a season-best time of 9:53.41. Texas A&M won the event in a time of 9:29.71, followed by Oklahoma (9:30.13), Southern Connecticut State (9:48.22), Iona (9:48.78), Texas-San Antonio (9:49.90), Columbia (9:50.87), Fordham (9:53.41), Kansas (9:57.89), Iowa State (9:58.54) and Duke (9:58.80).

The Fordham track and field team will next be in action on Feb. 10-11, when the Rams travel to Boston, Massachusetts for the Valentine’s Day Classic at the BU Track & Tennis Center.

By KENNY DEJOHN CONTRIBUTING WRITER

The Fordham women’s tennis team opened up second semester play last week with matches against the Fairfield Stags on Saturday, Jan. 28 and the Albany Great Danes on Saturday, Feb. 4.

Playing at the Stamford Indoor Courts, Fordham was able to defeat Fairfield by a score of 5-2. The highlight of the match came right from the onset, as the Rams swept all three doubles matches.

Junior Amy Simidian and sophomore Angelika Dabu opened the match by defeating Fairfield sophomores Sharissa Ryan and Monica Yajima 8-4.

The strong start continued in the second doubles match, as freshmen Bella Genkina and Sarah Ali defeated Fairfield’s freshman/sophomore tandem of Allison Radde and Victoria Pirrello, 8-6.

The doubles dominance was concluded when Fordham sophomore Hanna Fritzinger and freshman Julie Leong won 8-1 against junior Nikki Jackson and freshman Emma Samson of the Stags.

After dropping the first two singles matches, the Rams got wins by Dabu, Genkina, Leong and Fritzinger in the final four singles matches.

Fordham improved their record to 6-0 on the season after defeating Albany 6-1 this past Saturday. The team started off strong once again, win-

ning the first two doubles matches of the day.

Simidian and Dabu defeated senior Livia Gherman and sophomore Rocio Lopez of the Great Danes 8-5 in the first doubles match, and then Ali and Genkina were victorious over the freshmen tandem of Kirsten Scott and Cheryl Kukkonen in the following match.

Two come-from-behind victories sealed the win for the Rams in singles play. While Simidian (6-3, 6-4), Ali (7-5, 6-3) and Fritzinger (6-4, 6-2) all won in straight sets, Dabu and Leong needed to work a little harder to get the win.

After dropping the opening set to Kukkonen 4-6, Dabu rallied in the second set for a 7-5 win. In the tie-breaking third set, Dabu edged Kukkonen 10-7, giving Fordham the point at third singles.

Leong lost the opening set at fifth singles, 2-6, to Iannone. After the disappointing first set, Leong dominated the second set with a 6-1 win. In the deciding third set, Leong posted another dominating win, this time by a score of 6-2.

First year Head Coach Bette-Ann Speliotis Liguroi must be pleased with the way her team has begun the spring semester.

Ligouri is no rookie when it comes to success in tennis; she received the 1982 Claire Hobbs Memorial Award as female athlete of the year and was a Fordham Athletics Hall of Fame inductee in 2003.

Coach Ligouri and the Rams look to remain undefeated this season when they play again on Friday, Feb. 10 against the Richmond Spiders at the University of Pennsylvania.

PHOTO BY AARON MAYS/THE RAM

Fordham’s home opener is on Mar. 24 against the Saint Joseph’s Hawks.

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TWO-MINUTE DRILL

SPORTS

Senior Profile: Captain Ryan Hage

By CHESTER BAKER SPORTS EDITOR

CHRISTIAN BEAULIEU

CHRISTIAN BEAULIEU The New York Giants are the champions of the football world after beating the favored New England Patriots by a score of 21-17 in Super Bowl XLVI this past Sunday.

And to the victor goes the spoils.

What do the world champs receive for reaching the pinnacle of the football world? The answer is the legendary Vince Lombardi Trophy.

One of the most recognizable trophies in sports, the Lombardi Trophy has been hugged, kissed and passed around by some of the most legendary greats of football.

The trophy is designed by Tiffany and Co. but at seven pounds and 22 inches tall, don’t expect it to be wrapped up in a blue box and white ribbon. It is made entirely out of sterling silver and features a regulation football in kicking position atop a triangle base. It is inscribed with the words “Vince Lombardi Trophy” above the NFL crest as well as the roman numeral for that Super Bowl.

In 1967, NFL Commissioner Pete Rozell was discussing a world championship trophy with Tiffany and Co. Vice President Oscar Riedner. Riedner came up with a napkin sketch on the spot. The overall appearance of the trophy has been unchanged in the 46 years of league history. It was originally inscribed with “World Professional Football Championship” and featured the crests of both the NFL and AFL. When the two leagues merged in 1970, the league began calling the championship game the Super Bowl and featured only the NFL crest.

After winning the first two Super Bowls and three NFL championships, Fordham alum and legendary Green Bay Packers coach, Vince Lombardi was atop the football world. Following his unexpected death in 1970, the NFL changed the name of the championship trophy to the Vince Lombardi Trophy.

Tiffany and Co. estimates that the Lombardi Trophy takes four months to complete. Only one trophy is constructed each year in Parsippany, New Jersey. However, members of the winning team are allowed to purchase .75 scale replicas of the trophy.

The trophy used to be presented in the winning locker room; however, since Super Bowl XXX, the trophy has been given to the winning owner on the field directly after the conclusion of the game.

The trophy is then passed around as grown men cry over its beauty and significance. Unlike with the Stanley Cup and Grey Cup, the winners are able to keep the Lombardi Trophy.

The Vince Lombardi Trophy is named after a legend and only awarded to the greats.

PAGE 17 • THE RAM •FEBRUARY 8, 2012

TR: Why do you think Coach Pecora gave you a scholarship?

Ryan Hage came to Fordham as a normal undergraduate hoping to succeed as a business major. He will graduate as a scholarship athlete and as a captain of a Division I basketball program. After suffering a back injury in high school that scared away many of his recruiters, Hage thought his dreams of playing college basketball had faded away. Hage had been getting recruited from Ivy League schools such as Harvard. Now, due to several years of determination and hard work, he has been able to suit up for the Fordham Rams for the past four seasons.

RH: Well, he didn’t even have to keep me on the team when he came in, but every team I have ever been on, I have been a captain.

That’s just the kind of work ethic I have, and my nickname on the team my first years here was “Happy,” because I always enjoy playing and always do a lot of hard work.

So, I think he kept me on because I have a good attitude and good work ethic.

The Ram: You came onto the team as a walk-on player. What is it like to have to go through that process to have a spot on the team?

RH: I didn’t even come for basketball. I came because there is a great business school, it’s in New York City, the best city in the world, and also I have a brother here, and I am very close to my family so everything worked out really well.

Ryan Hage: I wasn’t a recruited walk-on, so I went to the coaches and told them I was interested in trying out. I went to all the open gyms and worked harder than everyone else, and when the tryouts came along, they kept me, which was huge, because usually schools don’t take a walk-on unless they were recruited, and through three years, I’ve been given the captaincy and now a scholarship.

TR: What does it mean to you to be named a captain and be a scholarship player?

RH: It’s a dream come true. I love basketball, I’ve been playing it my entire life and, after a back injury in high school, I really didn’t think I was even going to play college basketball. I’ve just worked my ass off, and to be a captain your senior year, when I did not think I was going to be on the team coming in, it’s great. I couldn’t ask for anything more from Fordham.

TR: What made you choose Fordham, especially not knowing you would have a spot on the team?

TR: What was it like playing for your dad in high school?

PHOTO BY BRIAN KRAKER/THE RAM

Ryan Hage is on scholarship for the first time this season. He came to Fordham without being recruited, simply coming to major in business.

RH: It was great; he has taught me everything I know about basketball. I have a basketball mind, and that’s all because of him.

Even when were just watching the games at home, he’ll ask me about the situation and he has turned me and all of my brothers into mini coaches.

Obviously, I am not as intense as that Seton Hall walk-on who acts like Thor with that hammer. But still, I get just as excited when I’m on the bench or when I’m playing.

TR: Pretty much every college basketball team has one kid on the bench who is out of his mind and always enthusiastic. Is that you on this team?

RH: We’re in the right direction.

Coach Pecora has done a complete 180 in the program. We have new weights in the weight room, new film room, new coach’s offices, new locker room and facilities that go a long way in a program. And also we need to keep getting the better talent, like we have been doing recently with the recruits that we’ve been getting.

RH: Yeah, I get really into it: that’s just who I am. I love this team more than anything, so when I see people that I have been playing with and practicing every single day with, I get so excited. It’s like watching your brothers do well.

TR: What do you think this team needs to do to compete in the top tier of the A-10?

TR: What is your favorite mo-

ment as a member of this team?

RH: It’s a tie. St. John’s here last year was unbelievable, but also being able to play against Syracuse, especially being from Rochester, was great. Coach Pecora did not have to play me, but he gave me that chance, and scoring two points with 150 family and friends being in the stands was unreal.

TR: What are your plans for after college?

RH: I just received a job offer from Citibank, so I will probably take that position. I just want to do something I love. If there was any way for me to own my own business and be my own boss I would really like that, and hopefully just be profitable and be happy.

Squash Splits Pair of Matches in Preparation for CSA Team Championship

By MATT DAVIS STAFF WRITER

The Fordham squash team played its last two matches of the regular season against Ithaca College and Vassar this past weekend.

Heading into the weekend with a record of 3-11, the Rams were hopeful for two wins against their opponents.

Having already played Vassar, the team knew what to expect.

But first, the Rams needed to play Ithaca College for the first time this season.

The Rams were led by sophomore Raymond Chen and junior Alex Williams who won both of their matches against Ithaca and Vassar.

Chen won his match 11-9, 11-8 and 11-3, while Williams defeated his opponent by the score of 11-6, 14-12 and 11-3.

His third set was a thriller, as the two battled back and forth for the set.

Williams played extremely well in his second set and came out on top.

The two losses that the Rams suffered were full of anxious mo-

ments. Playing out of the numberone spot was Andriy Kulak, who lost to Ithaca’s Bradley Kolodner 11-6, 11-9, 8-11 and 15-13. Going into the fourth set, Kulak was down 2-1, so a victory in the fourth

set was a must to keep his hopes of victory alive. His final set was thrilling, but in the end, his opponent was too much.

Playing out of the number eight spot was Quetzalli Torres, who

RAM ARCHIVES

Fordham will look to improve on its 4-11 regular season as the team enters the postseason coming off a second loss to Vassar.

faced off against Fargo Balliet.

Torres’ match was decided in five exhilarating sets that played out 12-10, 9-11, 11-3, 8-11 and 11-8.

Torres gave his best effort but came up just a little short of his goal. The Rams finished their match with a 7-2 win, moving their record to 4-11 on the season Next up was Vassar, a team that was responsible for handing the Rams a loss earlier in the season. The Rams fell again, this time by a score of 7-2. Torres’ match again went to five sets, but he fell to his opponent in the fifth set.

Although Torres lost, his match was the best one of the day as it played out 12-10, 10-12, 11-6, 10-12 and 12-10.

The bright spot of the Vassar match came from Williams and Chen, who won both of their matches on the day.

The regular season concluded in dramatic fashion, but the Rams are certainly looking forward to the postseason.

The Fordham squash team will be in action on Feb. 17-19, when the Rams travel to Princeton, New Jersey for the CSA Team Championship.

FEBRUARY 8, 2012 • THE RAM • PAGE 18

Goalie Problems in Philadelphia

By NICK CARROLL STAFF WRITER

On Groundhog Day, Punxsutawney Phil predicted six more weeks of winter. I’m fairly certain that most Flyers fans would be overjoyed with only having six more seasons of bad goaltending.

Despite signing the highly-regarded Ilya Bryzgalov to a nineyear, $58 million deal last June, Philadelphia has had the same concerns that have plagued it for the better part of two decades now, as the Flyers’ goaltending has let the team down.

Bryzgalov has struggled mightily, with a save percentage south of 90 percent, after he had finished around 92 percent in three of his four seasons in Phoenix.

The Flyers, who trail the Rangers by five points in the standings, lost their fourth game to the Rangers this season last Sunday.

After the game, when a reporter asked All-Star defenseman Kimmo Timonen what the difference was between the two teams in the loss, the veteran responded by saying “the goalie,” squarely placing the blame on Bryzgalov.

After the Flyers tied the game at one late in the second period, Bryzgalov gave up a weak goal off of Marian Gaborik’s backhand.

In the third, the Flyers quickly bounced back to tie the game, but Michael Del Zotto beat Bryzgalov five hole on another goal that shouldn’t have been allowed.

This is about more than just one game with Bryzgalov, though. His poor goaltending has plagued the Flyers all season. In four games against New York and Boston, the East’s two best teams, Bryzgalov has allowed an alarming 3.5 goals per game.

While wins and losses are not a reliable metric, it cannot be ignored that the Flyers are 1911-5 with Bryzgalov between the pipes, and they are 11-5-1 with the backup, Sergei Bobrovsky, who has outplayed Bryzgalov this season and could steal the majority of the starts if Bryzgalov fails to turn his game around before April.

It’s easy to be skeptical as to whether Bryzgalov will improve, though. Bryzgalov was always a decent goalie in Anaheim, but he never elevated his game to star status until he landed in Phoenix, where he played in a tight defensive system under coach Dave Tippett.

Just look at Tippett’s effect on Mike Smith, who replaced Bryzgalov as Phoenix’s starting goalie this season. Over the past couple of seasons, Smith had been awful, routinely posting save percentages right around .900. This year, his save percentage is all the way up to .922 in what is shaping up to be a career year for the journeyman netminder.

Perhaps even more telling, Bryzgalov’s former teammates, Derek Morris and Adrian Aucoin, could have foreseen Timonen’s pain. Before the Flyers and Coyotes played in October, they did

not hold back how they felt about Bryzgalov.

“We have to throw a lot of pucks at Bryz,” Morris said. “He’s known for letting in bad goals, you know, so I think our mindset is going to be get the puck down behind the net and hopefully he comes out and plays a few because he doesn’t like to do that.”

“It adds to your motivation when you have a good guy back there who you always want to do well for,” Aucoin added, referring to his preference for playing in front of Smith.

At this point, it almost goes without saying that Philadelphia must regret the Bryzgalov acquisition, even if this is only the first of the nine years on his contract.

The better question: is where do the Flyers go from here?

The Flyers are second in the NHL in goals scored. With Timonen, Matt Carle, Braydon Coburn and Andrej Meszaros, the Flyers have four strong defensemen, perhaps needing to make a deal to help fill the void left by the loss of Chris Pronger and reestablish the Flyers’ impeccable depth on the blue line.

Needless to say, the Flyers have a team good enough to compete for a Cup. Like almost every Flyers season, it will probably come down to the goaltending. Bryzgalov played two strong outings before his poor outing at the Garden on Sunday, but his struggles have easily overshadowed his rare flashes of brilliance.

Bobrovsky, who is still just 23 in his second season, has a .911 save percentage on the year and has played well in his limited chances. However, as last season went on, Bobrovsky wore down, and he did not play well when he had his opportunity in the Flyers’ goalie carousel in the playoffs, leading to the Bryzgalov signing last June. But after a strong rookie campaign and an even better second season, it looks like Philadelphia’s best option in net might be the one it had all along.

Bryzgalov’s situation will be fascinating long-term and will probably come down to whatever happens with the NHL’s collective bargaining agreement this summer. If possible, Bryzgalov will be “Wade Redden’d” and demoted to the AHL so he does not count against the Flyers’ salary cap.

There have also been rumors of an amnesty clause similar to the NBA’s. If this is the case, it could come down to whether the Flyers will be able to stash Chris Pronger on long-term injured reserve. If they cannot, they might be forced to rid themselves of Pronger’s contract (assuming he will not play anytime soon), in hopes that Bryzgalov will eventually contribute something.

Regardless, it’s only February and, even though they went after the biggest name and gave out the most money for their savior, the Flyers have a goalie problem.

Some things never change.

SPORTS

theramonline.com

Men’s Basketball

Women’s Basketball

Swimming and Diving

Fordham 60-78 Temple

Fordham 55-56 La Salle

MEN FORDHAM 123-170 UMASS

Fordham FG Gaston 5-12 Bristol 3-5 Frazier 2-10 McMillan 4-10 Smith 8-14 Hage 0-0 Zivkovic 0-1 Samuell 0-1 Estwick 0-2 Dominique 1-2 Gaitley 0-0 Robinson 0-0 Canty 1-1 Team Totals 24-58

3FG 0-0 0-0 1-5 0-2 4-6 0-0 0-1 0-1 0-1 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0

FT 4-4 0-0 0-0 0-2 3-3 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-2 0-0

REB 5 9 1 5 0 0 0 1 2 2 0 0 1 2 5-16 7-11 28

A 0 0 6 3 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0

PTS 14 6 5 8 23 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 2

10 60

Steals - Bristol, Hage, Estwick, McMillan (2) Turnovers - McMillan, Smith, Samuell, Dominique (2), Frazier (2), Gaston (4) FT 0-1 2-2 7-8 0-0 1-1 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-2

REB 7 9 4 1 1 0 4 0 3 0 1 3 4 10-14 37

A 1 2 1 3 5 1 2 0 0 0 0 1

FG

Stoddart Gaskin Collins Peters Corning Sims Durant Tapio

6-10 0-2 5-12 4-8 6-11 0-1 0-1 2-5

Totals

PTS 4 10 24 8 25 0 3 2 0 0 0 2

16 78

Blocks - Wyatt, Eric (5)

Turnovers - Fernandez, Moore, Dileo, Pendergast, Brown, Jefferson (2), Fernandez (4), Eric (4) 1 27 35

2 33 43

3FG 0-0 0-0 2-9 0-3 3-10 0-0 1-4 0-0 0-0

FT 5-6 0-0 0-1 2-2 5-6 0-0 0-0 2-2 0-0

REB 14 5 3 1 3 2 4 1 0 3 6-26 14-17 36

0-0 2-2 3-5 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0

4 2 5 6 5 0 0 4

1 0 2 5 2 0 0 0

15 2 14 8 12 0 0 4

23-50 4-16 5-7 28 10 55

Steals - Collins, Peters (2)

La Salle

FG 3FG FT

Campbell Koci Bryant Payne Scott Wilson Duncan Mosley Team

2-4 0-1 1-7 3-6 4-8 5-12 7-11 1-4

Totals

1-1 0-0 0-3 2-3 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-3

0-0 0-1 4-6 1-2 0-0 1-2 1-1 0-0

REB A PTS 5 2 2 1 3 3 7 3 6

3 0 1 1 3 2 0 0

5 0 6 9 8 11 15 2

23-53 3-10 7-12 32 10 56

Blocks - Payne Steals - Campbell, Scott, Wilson, Koci (2), Duncan (2) Turnovers - Koci, Scott, Mosley, Bryant (2), Payne (2), Wilson (2), Duncan (2), Campell (3)

Fordham La Salle

1st 26 30

2nd 29 26

Tot 55 56

Fordham 51-69 Temple

F 60 78

Fordham 62-69 Charlotte Fordham FG Gaston 10-17 Bristol 2-6 Frazier 3-11 McMillan 1-10 Smith 3-13 Samuell 0-2 Estwick 1-8 Dominique 0-0 Canty 1-1 Team Totals 21-68

3-5 0-2 1-4 0-3 0-2 0-0 0-0 0-0

Blocks - Gaskin

Steals - Wyatt, Dileo, Brown (2)

Fordham Temple

3FG FT REB A PTS

Turnovers - Gaskin, Collins, Corning, Sims, Stoddart (2), Peters (6)

Blocks - Estwick, Bristol (3)

Temple FG 3FG Lee 2-6 0-0 Jefferson 4-7 0-0 Wyatt 8-14 1-5 Fernandez 3-6 2-5 Moore 9-16`6-8 Cummings 0-0 0-0 Dileo 1-1 1-1 McDonnell 1-1 0-0 Brown 0-3 0-1 Pendergast 0-0 0-0 Godino 0-0 1-2 Eric 1-2 1-3 Team Totals 29-56 10-20

Fordham

A 2 0 4 4 3 1 1 0 0

PTS 25 4 8 4 14 0 3 2 2

15 62

Fordham

FG

3FG FT REB A PTS

Stoddart Gaskin Collins Peters Corning Sims Durant Tapio Team

1-7 0-5 4-14 3-7 6-7 0-1 1-2 3-5

1-2 0-3 1-8 0-2 3-4 0-0 0-0 0-0

Totals

0-0 0-0 6-6 0-0 0-0 0-0 2-4 2-2

6 2 3 5 3 1 2 1 7

0 0 3 4 1 0 2 0

3 0 15 6 15 0 4 8

18-48 5-19 10-12 30 10 51

Blocks - Stoddart, Gaskin (3) Steals - Peters, Corning, Collins (4)

Blocks - Dominique, Gaston (2), Bristol (8)

Turnovers - Tapio, Durant, Corning, Peters, Collins (4), Gaskin (4), Stoddart (4)

Steals - Bristol, Frazier, Dominique, Smith (2)

Temple

Turnovers - McMillan, Smith, Bristol, Frazier (3)

Charlotte FG 3FG Barnett 3-7 2-3 Mayfield 4-14 0-2 Braswell 7-13 0-0 Briscoe 4-9 4-6 Henry 0-6` 0-0 Sherrill 0-0 0-0 Nickerson 1-3 0-1 Williams 3-3 0-0 Team Totals 22-55 6-12

FT REB 0-0 3 9-11 14 6-9 12 0-0 0 2-6 3 0-0 1 2-2 3 0-1 8 9 19-29 53

A 0 4 0 1 4 1 1 1

PTS 8 17 20 12 2 0 4 6

12 69

Blocks - Sherrill, Henry (2) Steals - Braswell, Briscoe, Henry (2), Nickerson (2) Turnovers - Nickerson, Barnett, Braswell (2), Williams (3), Henry (4), Mayfield (5)

Fordham Charlotte

1 28 32

2 34 37

F 62 69

FG 3FG FT REB A PTS

Connelly 1-4 0-0 0-0 2 1 2 Macaulay 9-13 0-0 0-0 7 0 18 Williams B. 1-4 0-1 1-3 6 2 3 McCarthy 4-11 0-0 0-0 5 3 8 Peddy 9-14 1-3 2-2 3 11 21 Lewis 2-5 0-1 0-0 2 1 4 Brown 3-4 1-1 0-0 0 2 7 Works 0-4 0-1 0-0 2 0 0 Williams T. 3-5 0-2 0-0 2 0 6 Team 4 Totals

32-64 2-9 3-5 33 20 69

Blocks - Macauly, Lewis Steals - Connelly, Brown, Williams B. (2), Williams T. (3), Peddy (4) Turnovers - Connelly, Peddy, Williams T, Macaulay (2), Williams B. (4)

Fordham Temple

1st 27 36

2nd 24 33

Tot 51 69

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WOMEN FORDHAM 171-129 UMASS Women 200-yard Medley Relay- 1.

Fordham A (Ryan, Collyer, Bunster, Biagioli), 1:47.96 3. Fordham B (Chappell, Coe, Jones, Lyver), 1:53.81 Men 200 Yard Medley Relay - 2. Fordham A (Yi, McManus, Noguchi, Morris), 1:36.19 4. Fordham B (Grimmett-Norris, Hines, Schneck, Mulligan), 1:38.51 6.

Fordham C (Thomann, Dwyer, Simpkins, Belfanti), 1:41.49 Women 1000 Yard Freestyle - 1. Field (Fordham), 10:27.95 4. Kaftan (Fordham), 10:51.90 Men 1000 Yard Freestyle - 3. Hendrickson (Fordham), 9:53.49 5. Jacobsen (Fordham), 10:09.48 Women 200 Yard Freestyle - 2. Wessel (Fordham), 1:54.25 3. Biagioli (Fordham), 1:55.81 Men 200 Yard Freestyle - 2. Noguchi (Fordham), 1:43.21 5. Belfani (Fordham), 1:47.78 Women 100 Yard Backstroke - 1.

Peschke (Fordham), 59.99 3. Chappell (Fordham), 1:00.21 Men 100 Yard Backstroke - Yi (Fordham), 52.15 5. Grimmett-Norris (Fordham), 53.69 Women 100 Yard Breaststroke - 3.

McGovern (Fordham), 1:11.06 5. Coe (Fordham), 1:12.76 Men 100 Yard Breaststroke - 4. Dwyer (Fordham), 1:00.87 5. McManus (Fordham), 1:01.11 Women 200 Yard Butterfly - 1. Collyer (Fordham), 2:03.83 2. Jones (Fordham), 2:10.98 Men 200 Yard Butterfly - 2. Strong (Fordham), 1:55.91 3. Militti (Fordham), 1:56.63 Women 50 Yard Freestyle - 1. Ryan (Fordham), 23.83 4. Lyver (Fordham), 24.72 Men 50 Yard Freestyle - 1. Morris (Fordham), 21.10 5. Mulligan (Fordham), 22.12 Women 1 Meter Diving - 2. Dorger (Fordham), 224.17 4. Krok (Fordham), 215.47 Men 1 Meter Diving - 3. Wong (Fordham), 203.24 4. Landau-Smith (Fordham), 171.82 Women 100 Yard Freestyle - 1. Ryan (Fordham), 51.31 4. Lyver (Fordham), 53.39 Men 100 Yard Freestyle - 1. Morris (Fordham), 46.53 3. Militti (Fordham), 48.02 Women 200 Yard Backstroke - Chappell (Fordham), 2:08.01 3. Wessel (Fordham), 2:09.39 Men 200 Yard Backstroke - 2. Yi (Fordham), 1:53.17 3. Grimmett-Norris (Fordham), 1:55.65 Women 200 Yard Breaststroke - 3.

Coe (Fordham), 2:32.97 4. McGovern (Fordham), 2:36.75 Men 200 Yard Breaststroke - 4. McManus (Fordham), 2:13.61 5. Dwyer (Fordham), 2:14.48 Women 500 Yard Freestyle - 1. Collyer (Fordham), 5.03.23 2. Field (Fordham), 5:04.38 Men 500 Yard Freestyle - Hendrickson (Fordham), 4:49.87 3. Kosciuk (Fordham), 4:52.13 Women 100 Yard Butterfly - 1. Bunster (Fordham), 58.84 2. Jones (Fordham), 59.13 Men 100 Yard Butterfly - 1. Noguchi (Fordham), 50.96 3. Militti (Fordham), 52.01 Women 3 Meter Diving - 2. Krok (Fordham), 223.27 4. Salas (Fordham), 215.47 Men 3 Meter Diving - 3. Wong (Fordham), 169.65 4. Landau-Smith (Fordham), 156.14 Women 200 Yard IM - 2. Field (Fordham), 2:11.83 3. Jones (Fordham), 2:13.27 Men 200 Yard IM - 1. Kosciuk (Fordham), 1:59.13 2. Jacobsen (Fordham), 1:59.99 Women 200 Yard Freestyle Relay - 1.

Fordham A (Lyver, Collyer, Bunster, Ryan), 1:36.68 3. Fordham B (McKenna, Wessel, Biagioli, Peschke), 1:38 Men 200 Yard Freestyle Relay - 1. Fordham A (Noguchi, Militti, Mulligan, Morris), 1:24.43 2. Fordham B (Schneck, Yi, McManus, Belfanti), 1:28.11(GrimmettNorris, McManus, Schneck, Mulligan), 1:35.28.

FEBRUARY 8, 2012 • THE RAM • PAGE 19

SPORTS

theramonline.com

Women’s Swimming Tops UMass, Men Fall in Amherst

By TIM DEROCHER STAFF WRITER

Fordham’s men’s and women’s swimming teams competed this past weekend against the University of Massachusetts Amherst. The women won by a tally of 171-129, setting four pool records in the process. The men’s side lost by a score of 170-123.

Junior Brienne Ryan set two of those pool records, as she won the 50-yard freestyle in 23.83 and the 100 yard freestyle in 51.31. For her part in these events and two winning relays, Ryan was named the Atlantic 10 Swimming and Diving Performer of the Week. Four event wins and two pool records were more than enough to earn Ryan her seventh career weekly accolade.

Senior Courtney Collyer also broke an individual pool record of her own, as she won the 200-yard butterfly in 2:03.83. Collyer and Ryan, along with junior Kellie Lyver and senior Kelly Buntser, also took down the 200-yard freestyle relay pool record in a time of 1:36.68.

Collyer would also go on to win the 500-yard freestyle in 5:03.23. Bunster had an additional win in the form of a 58.84 100-yard butterfly swim. Joining them to round off the women’s individual event were sophomore Kara Field, who won the 1,000-yard freestyle in 10:27.95, freshman Ariana Peschke, who won the 100-yard backstroke in 59.99 and freshman Spencer Chappell who won the 200-yard backstroke in 2:08.01. The Rams’ other relay also won, as Ryan, Collyer, Bunster and junior Alana Biagioli took first in the 200-yard medley relay clocking in at 1:47.96.

On the men’s side of the meet, junior Devon Morris swept the freestyle sprints, winning the 50-

yard in 21.10 and the 100-yard in 46.53. Sophomore Shintaro Noguchi also won an event, as he swam to a first-place finish in the 100-yard butterfly in a time of 50.96. Also adding to the win tally for the men was freshman Kevin Kosciuk, who won the 200-yard intermediate in a time of 1:59.13. Morris and Noguchi would then go on to team up with freshman Patrick Millitti and senior Patrick Mulligan to win the 200 yard freestyle in 1:24.43.

As we enter the month of February, the A-10 Championships for winter sports draw closer. The Rams’ swimming and diving teams have only one more meet and two weeks until the A-10 Championships. After their home dual meet against St. Francis on Wednesday, Feb. 8, the teams have the A-10s in sight. As senior Courtney Collyer puts it, the team is “just trying to stay focused and continue to work hard.”

The women look towards a potential championship, coming off a second-place finish last season, but as Collyer also said, “we are not as much concerned with our overall place, but more with our times improving. We’ve put in a lot of hard work this season, and I know we are all going to do great at A-10s, and a championship title along with that would just be the cherry on top.”

The men also have plenty to look forward to, as their upperclassmen leaders look to bring a plethora of highly talented underclassmen into their peak as the championship approaches. The men’s team looks to improve on last year’s sixth place finish.

The teams next compete on home turf as they take on St. Francis on Wednesday, Feb. 8 in the Col. Frances B. Messmore Aquatics Center at 6 p.m.

By MATT ROSENFELD ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR

Football is far and away my favorite sport. I used to think it was baseball, but the older I get, the more I gravitate towards football.

The thing that really gets me is that there is just so much to like about the sport. When fall hits, you have not one, but two varieties of football to consume, college and pro.

They each have their own details that make them enjoyable in their own way. Different offenses, rivalries, weekends full of games to watch—I could watch football for eight straight hours on Saturdays and Sundays. Autumn weekends, to me, are meant to be spent with football.

Now we are in February, and college football has been finished for a month; the NFL just concluded another spectacular postseason and enjoyed another January with outstanding ratings and great playoff football. While the NFL continued its playoffs through January, college football has been in its rigorous second season, the recruiting season.

The recruiting process is essential in college football. Major college programs lose key players every year, whether to graduation, players leaving to join the NFL or, more recently, disciplinary problems. Recruiting is where they restock, building their base for the future. And if you think recruiting is not really a second season, think again.

There are numerous websites such as Rivals.com and Scouts.com dedicated just to recruiting these high school phenoms. All season long, colleges are inviting their recruits to visit their campuses and watch their games. Colleges basically pimp their programs to get the best athletes to play for their schools. You can’t really blame them, because every other school does the same thing, and competing for that player that will give them the edge to beat their rival.

The whole process culminates on the first Wednesday in February, otherwise known as National Signing Day. This is the first day that seniors in high school can sign a letter of intent for a school in the NCAA. Athletes can verbally commit to schools beforehand, but until the letter of intent is signed and delivered to the university, nothing is of-

ficial. As you might expect or may have even seen, the nation fawns over these high school seniors as if they are the next saviors of their schools. ESPNU covers this day with 10 straight hours of who is going where, from 9 a.m. until 7 p.m. when the last letter is in.

This is the one part I hate about football.

In its most basic form, as my favorite radio personality Colin Cowherd puts it, “[National Signing Day] is 40 and 50-year-old men losing sleep over high school students that will overwhelmingly disappoint.”

That’s what it is. Coaches, fans, everybody is dying to know where these high school studs will sign, and the funniest thing is, more than half of them will make a fraction of the impact they are expected to make.

Looking back at just the top 25 prospects in 2008 (these are kids that will either graduate this year, or have already gone onto the pros), 12 of the top 25 never made any significant impact for the team for which they signed. Half of those 12 transferred out of the major Division I school they signed with and ended up at lower division schools. Not that there is anything wrong with playing college football at any level, but for the show that is put on for these kids, it’s a bit of a disappointment when they don’t pan out. Also, I only sampled the top 25 prospects in that signing class. Yes, there are a few guys in the top 25 who are now enjoying careers in the NFL and a few more who you will see in April at the NFL Draft. There are even guys

who were overlooked and went to much smaller schools, who are now stars in the NFL, but the further you go down the list of ESPN’s top 150 prospects, the more the theme of disappointment turns up. These are the same kids we crown simply for choosing a school.

The fact that these kids don’t pan out on the field is one thing, but it’s really the selection process which, for lack of a better term, disgusts me.

These 18-year-old kids are thrust into the spotlight, put in all-star games on national television, interviewed and seduced by schools, and the national media covers it like it’s the fifth major sport. We sit them in front of hats, while they ooh and ah us, fake-picking one school, only to go to another. It’s a joke, it’s a mockery and it’s not what the recruiting process and college football should be about.

I’m not one of those guys who thinks it should be about the education. I don’t think the focus should be more on school. You won’t find a guy who loves football more than me, and I realize football is what is getting a lot of kids an education that they wouldn’t be able to get otherwise, and I respect that. But that’s not the point. Can these kids prove something before we anoint them the kings of their new schools? It might just be me, but I think you need to earn your 15 minutes of fame before you enjoy them.

So, before you brag that the number one prospect picked your favorite school, just remember that nothing is guaranteed, especially in football. Trust me, I love the sport.

JONATHAN BACHMAN/AP IMAGES

National Signing Day has turned into an enormous spectacle.

Upcoming Varsity Schedule CAPS=HOME lowercase=away

Thursday Feb. 2

Men’s Basketball

Women’s Basketball

The Fordham swimming teams have one final tune up at home against St. Francis on Feb. 8 before the A-10 Championships.

Sunday Feb. 5

at NJIT 6 p.m.

Monday Feb. 6

Tuesday Feb. 7

Wednesday Feb. 8

DAYTON 1p.m.

at Duquesne 7p.m.

XAVIER 5 p.m.

DUQUESNE 7 p.m.

at UMass 1 p.m.

Women’s Tennis

Men’s Tennis

Saturday Feb. 4

Valentines Day Classic BU Track & Tennis Center, Boston

Indoor Track & Field

PHOTO BY SIMON SULIT/THE RAM

Friday Feb. 3

at Army 1 p.m. at Cornell 5 p.m.

FEBRUARY 8, 2012

PAGE 20

Men’s Basketball Drops Two Crucial Conference Games Rams bounced by Temple and Charlotte as they drop further in Atlantic 10 standings

By ERIK PEDERSEN STAFF WRITER

For most of the season, Fordham has been able to use the Rose Hill Gym to make up for its struggles on the road. Last week, the Rams fell to 1-10 away from the Bronx with a 78-60 defeat at Temple. On Saturday, though, Fordham’s magic at Rose Hill ran out, as the team was unable to overcome a poor shooting performance in a crucial 69-62 loss to Charlotte.

Temple was likely to be a difficult opponent no matter where the game was played. The Owls entered Wednesday’s matchup with a 15-5 record (4-2 in the A-10), as well as a win over nationally-ranked Duke.

Fordham trailed by only eight at halftime, with freshman guard Bryan Smith scoring 15 of his season-high 23 points before the break to keep the Rams close. The Owls pulled away late, however, shooting 7-9 from 3-point range in the second half and leading by as much as 23 points on their way to the win.

“Temple’s a very good team and they’re always tough at home,” Head Coach Tom Pecora said.

“Good night by Bryan Smith, but no one else really brought their ‘A’ game, and you’re not going to win with one freshman playing well on the road.”

Senior guard Ramone Moore and junior guard Khalif Wyatt did most of the damage for Temple. Wyatt controlled the first half, scoring 16 of his 24 points before halftime, while Moore scored 20 of his 25 points after the intermission.

“They’re both very good players obviously,” Pecora said. “They’re shot-makers. It’s really tough to contest, and they made some shots with people draped on them. That’s

why they’re a good basketball team, and I think both Moore and Wyatt will get paid to play basketball in the next couple of years.”

It was a relatively quiet night for Fordham’s upperclassmen players.

Junior forward Chris Gaston was held to 14 points and five rebounds, while senior center Kervin Bristol managed just six points, nine rebounds and three blocks. Senior forward Alberto Estwick was held scoreless in 18 minutes.

“Once again our three veterans didn’t give us a whole lot on the road,” Pecora said. “The burden is on them. I’m on them constantly about it, and that’s what veteran leaders need to do.”

The Rams are now winless in their last 26 conference road games, with three more games away from Rose Hill this season.

“We’re going to get road wins in the conference,” Pecora said. “It’s just a matter of when guys get committed to do what they need to do.

The expression I use all the time is ‘hope is not a game plan.’ It’s about going out and executing and doing what you need to do, and I’m going to fight with them until we get that done.”

After the loss to Temple, Fordham returned home to face Charlotte, which had lost six straight conference games. The Rams were ice cold throughout, shooting 23.1 percent (6-26) from 3-point range and 30.9 percent overall from the field in the loss.

Going into the game, the teams were in a three-way tie with Rhode Island for 12th place in the 14-team conference. The top 12 teams qualify for the A-10 tournament, and Charlotte now holds the tiebreaker if the teams finish in a tie at the end of the season.

PHOTO BY BRIAN KRAKER/THE RAM

Freshman guard Bryan Smith was named Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Week after scoring 23 points against Temple and 14 against Charlotte, both losses.

“We gave up a golden opportunity,” Pecora said. “[Now] we have to find a win at home against a team that some people probably thought we weren’t going to be able to compete against.”

Gaston led the Rams with 25 points and 14 rebounds, but none of Fordham’s outside shooters were able to get in a rhythm. Smith, freshman guard Devon McMillan, sophomore guard Branden Frazier and Estwick shot a combined 19 percent from the field (8-42).

“I thought we got some pretty good looks that we didn’t knock down, especially early in the game,” Pecora said. “Right out of the gate,

we got a couple of real good looks that we didn’t make, and once again I think it gets in the young guys heads a little bit.”

The Rams were behind by as much as 11 late in the first half, but they managed to cut the deficit to four before going into the break.

Fordham then took its first lead with 18:34 left, but the 49ers answered right back with a pair of threes from junior guard Jamar Briscoe.

Charlotte gradually pulled away over the course of the second half as the Rams continued to miss open jump shots.

Junior center Chris Braswell and sophomore forward DeMarlo

Mayfield led the offensive charge for the 49ers, contributing a combined 37 points and 26 rebounds.

Pecora said he was unhappy with his team’s overall effort defensively.

Fordham was out-rebounded 53-36 for the game, with 18 of Charlotte’s rebounds coming on the offensive side of the glass.

“I said, ‘look guys, I coached effort today, and I haven’t had to coach effort in a while,’” Pecora said.

“When I coach effort, something’s wrong. We’ve got to be beyond that.

We didn’t contain the basketball; we allowed them to get some good looks.”

Bristol was the one bright spot defensively with a career-high eight blocks. His previous high was six against Xavier earlier this season.

“I feed off [the crowd’s] energy,” Bristol said. “When I get a block and the crowd gets into it, I want to compete more, I want to play more defense to help my team.”

The combination of Bristol on defense and Gaston on offense was not enough, however. Fordham drops to 9-13 (2-7 in the A-10) with the loss. The Rams also fell to 8-3 at the Rose Hill Gym this season.

Fordham now has a week off before facing Dayton at home next Saturday. The Flyers have lost four straight conference games to drop to 14-9 (4-5).

Fordham has not beaten Dayton since January of 2006, and the Rams lost by 34 points in last year’s meeting.

“Dayton’s a good club, they’ve had some good wins this year,” Pecora said. “But once again, they’re coming in here. The crowd was great today. I think the crowd kept us in the game [early] and got us back in the game. But then we had a little bit of a lapse when we took the lead.”

Women’s Basketball Loses to La Salle and Temple

By MATT ROSENFELD ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR

It was another tough week for the Fordham women’s basketball team as the Rams went winless in two games against La Salle and Temple on Wednesday, Feb. 1 and Saturday, Feb. 4, respectively.

Fordham hosted the Explorers of La Salle on School Day, when over a thousand children poured into Rose Hill Gym to take in the noon matinee. The kids were treated to quite a game, but unfortunately, the contest ended in a Rams defeat, 56-55.

In a game that went back and forth the entire time, and even saw the Rams erase a 10-point deficit with less than four minutes left, Fordham was on the wrong end of a late free throw that would win the game. In an attempt to take a charge, freshman forward Emily Tapio was called for a block with just seconds remaining, leading to a free throw

by La Salle guard Michea Bryant that would prove to be the difference in the game.

Coach Stephanie Gaitley re-

mains positive.

“The kids have been controlling the two things we’ve asked them to control: effort and attitude,” Gaitley said. “The effort has been great, the attitude has been great. We’re falling short against teams that are quite frankly, more talented than us. When we shoot well, we can stay in the game because we’re doing a great job of playing defense, but unfortunately, we’re young and we’re limited in depth, so our margin of error is very small.”

That being said, the Rams want to control their destiny heading into to the Atlantic 10 conference tournament. As nice as playing well in conference is, there is a bigger picture to be seen.

“We want to make sure [the team] is not satisfied,” Gaitley said. “You shouldn’t be satisfied because you’re close, you want to be hungry. You want to get over that hump. That’s part of the challenge in changing the culture of a team that hasn’t won.”

The loss on Saturday to Temple in Philadelphia was not as pretty a defeat as the one to La Salle.

The Owls beat the Rams 69-51 in a tough road loss for Fordham.

Fordham managed to hang with Temple early until a 13-4 run put the Rams down nine at half, followed by another 8-0 run

by Temple to begin the second half, pushing the lead up to 17.

The only bright spots were two solid performances from junior guard Arielle Collins and sophomore guard Abigail Corning, who each had 15 points against Temple.

The loss to Temple continued a theme of struggling against experienced teams that has plagued Fordham this year.

“We were going against a team that starts four seniors and a junior, has two potential all-conference players and that went to the NCAA Tournament last year.

And we are a limited team that plays hard,” Gaitley said.

Fordham, which is now 1113 (2-7 in conference play), will play its next game against Xavier on Saturday Feb. 11 at 5 p.m. in the Rose Hill Gym, following the men’s game earlier that afternoon.

PHOTO BY MICHAEL REZIN/THE RAM

Sophomore guard Abigail Corning had 15 points in the loss to Temple.