The Fordham Ram Serving The Fordham University Community Since 1918 Volume 96, Issue 14
FordhamRam.com F dh R
SSeptember b 24, 2014
Feds Lead Fordham Rallies for Climate March Effort Against Students Join Ranks of Protesters in Manhattan By SAMANTHA FRANCO Sexual Assault CONTRIBUTING WRITER
COURTESY OF SAMANTHA MANDICH
Over 400,000 people from across the nation assembled on Central Park West on Sunday for the People’s Climate March in New York City, hoping to catch the attention of United Nations leaders before they debated on environmental action at the United Nations climate summit on Tuesday. The march was divided into six broad categories that each included an array of groups. At the forefront, indigenous peoples led the way for the multitude of marchers. Then followed students, labor unions, parents and children, political organizations, veterans, peace and justice groups, scientists, faith communities and LGBTQ groups, to name a few of the many types of people who came to support climate action. Fordham’s own Students for Environmental Awareness and Justice (SEAJ) club gathered a group of students to attend the march. Even professors, including Fordham Communications pro-
At the College Democrats’ first meeting last year, one of the club’s new members was curious about the College Democrats’ relationship with the College Republicans. “Do you guys even like, talk?”, the student asked. That was the first meeting for which Mike Billotti, GSB ’15, was sitting president. He still remembers that question, and a full year later, he continues to have trouble convincing people that he actually gets along well with the College Republicans. “Everyone thinks that we hate each other for some reason…I think people are going to have that perception regardless, because of what they see in the media,” Billotti, who is still president of the College Democrats, said. “But at the same time, if people still do see us in that way, it doesn’t really affect who we are. If they care enough to actually come out for one of our events, they’ll realize that’s not how the picture actually is.”
The People’s Climate March sought to catch the attention of the United Nations.
SEE CLIMATE, PAGE 5
SEE POLITICS, PAGE 5
By JOSEPH VITALE MANAGING EDITOR
President Obama’s administration last Friday advanced its initiative to combat sexual assault on college campuses by formally launching “It’s on Us,” a nationwide public service campaign that urges young people to play an active role in preventing sexual assaults on college campuses. According to White House officials, it attempts to shift how young Americans perceive sexual assault by urging all parties to take responsibility in preventing it. From its name, the campaign indicates there are not just two actors — a perpetrator and a victim — involved in an incident of sexual assault, but also preventative roles for others to assume. One way the White House is accomplishing this is by encouraging men — who make up the majority of perpetrators — to take a more active role and intervene in situations that they find potentially dangerous. “By getting men involved, we can change this way of thinking and create new social norms,” White House officials said on Friday. “Research shows that bystander intervention can be an effective way of stopping sexual assault before it happens, as bystanders play a key role in preventing, discouraging and/or intervening when an act of violence has the potential to occur.” This campaign is just one step in the Obama administration’s effort to leave a lasting impression on the issue of sexual assault in colleges across the country. The endeavor originally began in January of this year, when the president, along with Vice President Joe Biden, established the White House Task Force to Protect Students from Sexual Assault. It has worked closely with schools in preventing sexual assault, providing practical tools to help combat sexual assault. The new initiative invites users to formally commit to assisting in sexual assault prevention on college campuses. The initiative asks students to SEE WHITE HOUSE, PAGE 2
in this issue
Opinion Page 9 What Words Should We Use To Reference Assault?
Culture Page 11 iOS 8 Update Released, Talk of the Town
Sports Page 20 Fordham Football Dominates Columbia 49-7
Reps, Dems are Partisan but United BY KATIE MEYER NEWS EDITOR
Old Gym to Receive New Equipment, Says Athletics By MICHAEL CAVANAUGH ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR
Recently, students and faculty alike who regularly use the RamFit Center have experienced frustration in regard to the lack of space provided by the fitness facilities. A quick trip to the gym’s back room, where the free weights are closelyarranged in the narrow corridor, is all that one needs to understand the campus’ general attitude toward the current state of the fitness facilities. “The current gym situation is not only inconvenient, but is highly unsafe,” said Brandon Kim, FCRH ’15. “Between the issues with the fire code forcing the students to cramp into a compact space, and the severe lack of equipment and poor equipment choices on the administration’s part, the gym is really not a place of self-betterment.” Baggio Williams, FCRH ’15, shares Kim’s sentiments and disagrees strongly with the hasty manner in which the old gym was shut down. “I am extremely saddened and upset that the old gym was closed and disappointed in the sneaky way in which it was done, during the summer when most students were not on campus and with no attempts made at garnering student support or approval before the decision was made,” said Williams. In addition, Williams voices the general frustrations of those who try to perform some resistance training in the RamFit Center. “I find the new gym to be a night-
mare to work out in,” said Williams. Despite the claims that safety was one of the main impetuses behind the closing of the old gym, Williams also mentions the lack of safety in the RamFit Center’s free weight area. “Given the small size of the room, everyone who is exercising is in very close proximity to one another, which can be a recipe for an accident when dealing with free weights,” he explained. “Many times, I have had to dodge other people’s dumbbells from landing on my feet mid-exercise. This dense design is definitely
not compatible with free weights.” However, plans are in motion that may alleviate these feelings of frustration and complaints of unsafe conditions. The athletic department has designated the area of Lombardi Center situated above the squash courts. This room, which overlooks the squash courts, once housed an ample and varied array of resistance machines, which was a strong supplement to the free weights of the old university gym. Since its closure last year, a number of rumors have been circulating regarding how the university plans to use the now-
empty room in Lombardi Center. “We weren’t really sure what we were going to do with [that space],” said David Roach, director of intercollegiate athletics at Fordham University, “but it seems like the logical place because it has rubber floors and we’ll be able to put down platforms.” Because the room previously contained resistance equipment and already has rubber floors, there is no need for any major renovations to take place; it is ready to receive the new equipment, for which SEE GYM, PAGE 2
SAMUEL JOSEPH/THE RAM
Students will be relieved to hear that the room that once housed exercise machines will now be home to free weights.
NEWS
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SECURITY BRIEFS Sept. 16 University Pizza A university staff member used the ATM machine within University Pizza in order to withdraw $20. When she looked at her bank statement several days later, there was a $180 withdrawal made from her account. When she contacted the bank, she was notified that the withdrawal was made in Manhattan and that another attempt was made in Arizona. She was advised to contact N.Y.P.D. Sept. 17 Rodrigues 3:30 a.m. A supervisor on patrol responded to Rodrigue’s when he heard glass break. He observed four individuals attempting to break into the basement of the coffee shop. The supervisor managed to apprehend two of the suspects and hold them in custody until NYPD responded and arrested them. The investigation to locate the other two suspects is ongoing. Sept. 17 188th & Hoffman St. 12 p.m. — 2 p.m. A student parked his Volkswagen on 188th & Hoffman St. When he returned to his vehicle two hours later, he found that the passenger side window had been broken. His backpack, which contained roughly $500 worth of books, was removed. N.Y.P.D. was contacted and an incident report was filed. Sept. 17 610 E. 191st St. 6 p.m. — 10 p.m. A student reported that her Toyota Corolla, which was parked opposite 610 E. 191st St., had been vandalized. The trunk, hood and roof had were covered in magic marker. The police were notified and are currently investigating.
September 24, 2014
White House To Combat Sexual Assault Gym Plans FROM WHITE HOUSE, PAGE 1
pledge “to recognize that non-consensual sex is sexual assault, to identify situations in which sexual assault may occur, to intervene in situations where consent has not or cannot be given and to create an environment in which sexual assault is unacceptable and survivors are supported.” A growing list of those who pledged can be found on the campaign website. The website also provides a series of tips to help students identify and prevent sexual assault. “If you see someone who is too intoxicated to consent, enlist their friends to help them leave safely,” reads one of the suggestions. Another tells students, “Trust your gut. If something looks like it might be a bad situation, it probably is.” A unique facet of the launch is the inclusion of a brief but diverse list of celebrities who are aiding the White House in attracting the attention of the millions of students attending U.S. schools. A video featured on its website features celebrities such as Kerry Washington (“Scandal”), Jon Hamm (“Mad Men”) and Questlove. Additional attendees of Friday’s event, which was held in the East Room of the White House, included Kevin Love, who plays for the Cleveland Cavaliers, and Olivia Munn, who stars in the HBO series “The Newsroom.” In addition to reaching a wide demographic, the White House is recruiting numerous partners to help spread its message, including the NCAA, Electronic Arts and student body leaders at colleges and universities across the country. Students from more than 200
schools have already committed to bringing “It’s on Us” to campuses. Fordham’s name does not appear on the list of schools as of September. Critics say that measuring success will prove difficult for government officials as it requires active participation from students and school administrators. The White House has said that nearly one in five female students will encounter sexual assault during their four years of college, but underreporting leads to distorted data on how often instances of sexual assault occur. An increase in reports following the campaign may indicate that the pronounced push to end campus assault is failing. Others say that a jump in reports may indicate that a greater number of students are reporting incidents, one of the goals of the campaign. There is also the issue of false reporting to consider, which is more difficult to determine, monitor and prevent. An accurate measurement of success, White House officials agree, may be found in the student surveys the campaign pushes universities to distribute. A heightened awareness about the facts, a more comprehensive understanding of how to prevent sexual assault and increased reports of bystander intervention are all possible indices of an effective campaign. Another tool to gauge the campaign’s success is how schools are handling reports of sexual assault. Botched investigations have brought national attention to the challenges facing both those who report and those who examine cases of sexual assault, leading to the investigation
of more than 50 schools for their handling of sexual assault complaints. Fordham students have been anything but silent on the issue of sexual assault. Fordham’s United Student Government has created a task force, called the Sexual Misconduct Task Force, to combat sexual assault on campus and serve as the essential role of liaison between USG and Fordham administrators. According to a recent report in The Fordham Ram, the effort was brought to the forefront by Nicholas Sawicki, FCRH ‘16, vice president of United Student Government at Fordham College Rose Hill. “We want to make sure that [sexual assault] isn’t happening at Fordham,” said Sawicki last week. “And for the cases that are occurring, we want to provide better protection for our students, make sure that the policies laid down by Dean [Christopher] Rodgers are well understood and we want to hopefully change the culture that leads to this issue occurring,” he added. He noted that one major goal of the task force this school year is to organize a conference that would bring together students, administrators and public officials, including local and state representatives and leaders. Sawicki also announced at the most recent public USG meeting that he would be co-chairing the task force along with a student leader of Women’s Empowerment, a gesture of solidarity toward Fordham students who have fallen victim to instances of sexual assault. There have been 21 reports of such instances at Fordham in the past three years, according to a nationally distributed report.
Sept. 19 — Sept. 21 2488 Hughes Ave. A student reported that some time over the weekend, her MacBook Pro had been stolen from her apartment. She accessed it during the day on Friday but did not notice it was missing until Sunday. She reported noticing a male whom she did not recognize leaving the building on Saturday afternoon. The student was advised to contact N.Y.P.D. —Compiled by Michael Cavanaugh, Assistant News Editor
COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
The White House’s “It’s on Us” campaign is urging men, in particular, to take a more active role in preventing sexual assault.
in Motion
FROM GYM, PAGE 1
the athletic department has placed an order. “I had the strength and conditioning coach put together a list of what equipment would be needed,” explained Roach. “We’ve already ordered the equipment and expect to have it in place by the end of October.” While Kim believes that the administration should have foreseen these issues and acted accordingly, rather than subjecting the students to this unfavorable situation until the end of October, he is optimistic about the future of the university’s facilities. “I think the athletic department’s decision to install additional equipment is the proper decision, as it actually takes into consideration the student population’s needs and safety,” said Kim. He continued, “I look forward to the installation of the additional free weight equipment in Lombardi Center, and I think it is a step in the right direction.” Because of the number of resistant machines present in the RamFit Center, the athletic department’s focus is on procuring free weights, which it hopes will alleviate the strain on the center’s lifting area. “The RamFit Center takes care of the need for [resistance] machines,” said Roach. “We believe that the new equipment will be a good supplement for the free weights that are in the RamFit Center.” Williams supports the decision as well. “I would be extremely ecstatic,” said Williams, “as additional free weights, particularly more power racks, a dumbbell rack, rather than smith machines, [are necessary].” When asked whether the athletic department had any further plans to expand the university’s fitness facilities, Roach did not discount the possibility of expansion, but he remained confident that the incoming equipment would be a sufficient solution to the problem at hand. “I think it’ll solve our problems in terms of additional free weight areas, so that helps us there,” said Roach. “Long-term, would we love to expand the RamFit Center? Sure, but that’s long-term and a ways down the road.” Though only time will tell whether these plans will be successful, the optimism of students and faculty alike is a strong indicator of what is to come.
This Week at Fordham Friday Sept. 26 Boren Scholarship Information Session
Friday Sept. 26
Monday Sept. 29
Global Poverty Conference
Malcolm Moran Keating 209 1 p.m.
Keating 3rd Floor Auditorium 1 p.m.- 2:30 p.m.
Lincoln Center 12 p.m.
Students are invited to attend an information session on Boren Scholarships, scholarships funded by the National Security Education Program (NSEP). Michael Saffle will be present to answer questions.
The International Political Economy and Devlopment (IPED) and CAPPUSA are co-sponsoring a conference on poverty called: “Poverty and Development: a Catholic Perspective.” All are invited to attend.
The founder of WFUV’s sports talk-show “One on One” returns to campus. Moran is a former New York Times and USA Today sports journalist and is currently the director of the National Sports Journalism Center at Indiana University.
Tuesday Sept. 30 Orthodoxy in America Lecture
Tuesday Sept. 30 Law School Admission Panel
University Church 6:30 p.m.
Four Times Square, New York, N.Y. 6 - 8 p.m.
The 104th Archbishop of Canterbury and Master of Magdalene College will receive an honorary doctrate of Humane Letters after a lecture on orthodoxy in America. All are invited to attend.
The Deans of Admission and Financial Aid from Cornell, Duke, NYU and Stanford Law Schools will be conducting a law school admission panel discussion at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP.
For more campus events, visit FordhamRam.com
NEWS
September 24, 2014 FORDHAM IN THE BRONX
Connecting with The Bronx, Through Volunteer Work
Page 3
Rumors Swirl Above Campus Graveyard BY ALEXANDRA LAIRD STAFF WRITER
SAMUEL JOSEPH/THE RAM
Many Fordham students are committed to volunteering, which is their way to connect with the Bronx community.
By JEFF COLTIN BRONX CORRESPONDENT
If Rose Hill is your new home, the Volunteer and Internship Fair is your welcoming neighbor. She bakes you cookies, tells you the hot spots in the area and pushes you to get involved with some groups in the community. The Volunteer Fair returned on Thursday, Sept. 18, as some 40 community partners set up along the west end of Edward’s Parade and vied for sign-ups from Fordham students. The scene has been the same for years, but now it’s under a new brand: “Welcome (Back) to the Bronx.” Bonato is a Social Justice Leader with the Dorothy Day Center for Service and Justice (DDCSJ) at Rose Hill and was sitting behind the Center’s table at the fair. “We thought that we would focus on the theme of Welcome Back to the Bronx so we could really highlight our community partners in the Bronx and show a sense of unity and solidarity with them,” said Angie Bonato, FCRH ’15. Beside the table stood a large map of the Bronx with photos of cultural sites around the borough from the Bronx Museum of the Arts to Orchard Beach. The table itself held smaller maps of where each of the community partners, the organizations who partner with the DDCSJ, was located in the Bronx. Bonato and a partner passed out postcards reading: “THE
By RYAN CHAND BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT
Business News Recap: Alibaba was welcomed to the NYSE with open arms this Friday. It was priced originally between $60-$66. However, due to investor demand, the price was raised to list between $66-$68. Shares of BABA debuted on Friday opening at $92.70/share and now is the largest IPO in history, beating out Visa which raised $17.9 billion. Demand for Alibaba is very high, and investors will keep an eye out for its first full trading week. Apple reached a record for the most first day smart phone preorders
Most students are familiar with the small, enclosed graveyard next to the university church. Fordham students pass the cemetery every day on their way to class, but very few know the truth about what—or what does not — lie beneath. Incoming students and visitors to the school indulge in rumors that the cemetery is a “phantom” one or “just for show.” “I was told on a tour that there are no bodies buried in the graveyard, that it is just a memorial,” reveals Crystal Gonzalez, GSB ‘17. Another popular rumor circulating the campus is that the cemetery was constructed to evade a zoning regulation. Both popular theories perpetuate the myth that the space is empty and the 138 tombstones are the only historical remains in the cemetery. Roger Wines, professor emeritus of history, who worked on an urban archaeology project on the subject, said that in the early 19th century the cemetery was located on former Fordham property where the New York Botanical Garden is now located. When this property was sold to the state of New York in 1890, the bodies were moved to the current location next to the church. Upon the construction of nearby Faber Hall, the bodies of 38 Jesuits were moved from their initial burial locations in the then-larger cemetery to alternate locations within the cur-
rent enclosement. Some of the bodies found there include Father Augustus Thebaud S.J., the university’s first Jesuit president, Father James Perron, S.J., a French army officer considered to be a model Jesuit as well as some former students. To be even more specific, the text of the cemetery plaque from 2000 reads: “In their hope of resurrection here lie the remains of 124 sons of St. Ignatius Loyola: 68 Jesuit priests; 44 Jesuit brothers; 12 Jesuit scholastics; 77 of them had assignments to Fordham. Others buried in the same cemetery for whom the Jesuits labored are: three Diocesan Seminarians, nine students, and two college workmen. May they rest in peace of Christ.” Additional and modifications to the graveyard include the replacement of the historical white marble headstones with low, granite stones. As a result, scholarly research from individuals like Wines and Fr. Thomas Hennessy can dispel the rumors that the cemetery is merely decorative. “When they were digging up part of the cemetery to build Faber, I was a student at Fordham College. One of my classroom buddies marveled at how tall one of the skeletons was — a very long legged Jesuit,” Wines said. Although it is true that there are bodies buried in the cemetery, it is not an active burial ground. Wines also shared that Jesuits of Fordham are no longer buried at this location. Instead, their interments are upstate at a shrine in Auriesville, New York.
BRONX.” According to the DDCSJ, about 1,200 Rose Hill students are involved with volunteer work, more than one in six students on campus, even counting graduate students who may already have careers. The hours students commit to service varies from place to place — from less than two hours a week with groups like Strive for College to a couple full days a week with the New York Botanical Garden. In front of rows of balloons representative of the Bronx’s borough flag — blue, white, or grey — the community partners tried to draw students to their tables. Some had fresh-baked cookies; others had flashy signs. At the Sisterms and Brothers United table, Geovanny Ayala handed students a small blue raquetball to throw. “Youth in the Bronx are more likely to get into prison than get into college or a living wage job,” Ayala said. On his tri-fold board was one large hole labeled “PRISON,” surrounded by much smaller holes, barely big enough for the ball to fit through, “COLLEGE” and “LIVING WAGE JOB.” Make or miss, Ayala would talk to students about how they can set an example for the Bronx youth by helping with Sisters and Brothers United’s college readiness program. Ayala would know about being a Bronx youth — the Bronxite has been with the group since high school and is now a student at BMCC. He said volunteer-
ing is a way for Fordham students to open their eyes. “They should know the struggle that people who live here go through,” he said. Because they do live here, so it is their struggle, sort of. Even though they’re just here for four years. And if they want to stay for longer, that’s great.” Yarali Cruz, FCRH ’18, has been in the Bronx for much longer than four years, but she was still drawn in to play the ball game. Growing up in the West Farms section of the Bronx, she said Ayala’s message interested her. “A whole bunch of people I know didn’t go to college and are in jail, and I’m just like ‘oh, I guess I’m the lucky one,’” she said. “It’d be nice to help other people not go to jail and go to college.” Other students really do see volunteering as a way to get to know the Bronx. “What better way to connect with the community than community service, you know?” said Brian Collins, FCRH ’18. “I’m a new student here; I live in North Jersey, a radically different place.” Collins proved active at the volunteer fair, signing up to work with three community partners. He had taken the role of welcoming neighbor to heart. “The best way to get to know the community, short of just wandering the streets and saying hi to everybody you meet,” Collins said, “is to join a volunteer program, meet a bunch of new people.”
Though the cemetery is not an active burial site, it does contain bodies.
for the iPhone 6 and the iPhone 6+. Preorders totaled over four million phones within the first 24 hours of availability. While the stock was not impacted as much due to Alibaba’s IPO, Apple should have no problem meeting high expectations for its iPhone sales in the coming weeks. The Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) concluded its twoday meeting on Wednesday with the decision to taper the Quantitative Easing (QE) program by an additional $10 billion a month. The FOMC ordered the trading desk in New York to purchase mortgage backed securities at a pace of $5 billion per month, purchase treasury securities at a pace of $10 billion
per month and continue to reinvest principal payments. The board also reassured investors that the Federal Funds rate would remain the same for a considerable time after QE ends. Ukraine’s parliament ratified a landmark trade and political deal with the EU, despite Moscow’s continued opposition against alignment with the West. Former president Viktor Yanukovych’s decision to drop the agreement last year in favor of closer ties with Russia triggered political and military tensions within Ukraine and Russia’s annexation of Crimea. The agreement contains free trade provisions; however, this was delayed due to fear that EU goods would flood Ukraine’s markets and hurt the local
economy. Another component of the deal was limited self-governance of specific territories controlled by Russian separatists. Finally, NASA awarded contracts to two commercial companies that will allow them to build space taxis to shuttle American astronauts to and from space. Boeing won the larger contract and was awarded a share of $4.2 billion, while Elon Musk’s SpaceX was awarded a $2.6 billion contract. NASA’s decision to hire other companies to build space taxis comes from the desire to reduce the need to use Russian space taxis. NASA pays roughly $70 million per seat to shuttle an astronaut using the Russian space shuttles.
SAMUEL JOSEPH/THE RAM
Markets: Markets continued to rally together as the Dow Jones Industrial Average closed at 1729.74, gaining 1.4 percent for the week, the NASDAQ gained 1.3 percent and closed at 4579.79 and the S&P 500 gained 1.3 percent and closed at 2010.40. While market volatility was high due to the FOMC meeting, stocks continued to move up and reach record highs. Precious Metals suffered their third straight week of losses due to the ongoing rally of the US dollar. Gold ended at $12.16 per ounce, which is its lowest level in 8 months. Silver ended at $17.61 and is at a fouryear low due to the increased pressure by the dollar.
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Photo of the Week
September 24, 2014
News Briefs & Bites • Close to a thousand members of the Fordham community — faculty, administration, students and alumni alike — gathered in Robert Moses Plaza on Sept. 18 to commemorate the opening of the new law school building. A number of wellknown dignitaries, including former New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg and U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor offered some words at the ceremony. The two were complimentary both of the new building and of the prestigious gathering of individuals at the commemoration. In addition, the Archbishop Emeritus of New York, Edward Cardinal Egan, gave the benediction and complimented the aesthetic design of the newly-completed structure.
KELLYN SIMPKINS/THE RAM
Passionate students and faculty joined nearly 400,000 other protesters at the People’s Climate March on Sunday, Sept. 21. The march spanned over 20 city blocks in Manhattan, from the Upper West Side into Midtown. Recent climate changes and the onset of unprecedented natural disasters have caused many to question how human actions are affecting the world at large. Protesters sought to call attention to environmental issues such as fracking or pollution.
• Five people accused of stealing over $850,000 have been placed under arrest for stealing customers’ personal information at banks in the Bronx, Westchester and Orange Counties. The accused are charged with having bank tellers steal customers’ account and social security numbers in order to create fraudulent documents that were then used to withdraw money from their accounts. The operation, which has been in play for at least four years, was discovered after investiga-
tors used authorized wiretaps in order to intercept telephone calls and text messages. The banks involved include Bank of America, JP Morgan Chase, HSBC, TD Bank and Wachovia in local New York areas. New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman announced the indictments of the alleged thieves. • On Sept. 16 a memorial was held at Rose Hill for Asit Mukherjee, Ph.D., professor emeritus of biological sciences, after his death from a long illness in May. Mukherjee, who retired in 2010, was a member of the Fordham faculty for over 30 years. A graduate of the University of Utah in Salt Lake City, he specialized in chromosomal abnormalities associated with human cellular aging, authoring over 50 papers on his various research collaborations throughout his lifetime. His work at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, contributed to the scientific research surrounding the identification of an abnormal chromosome in non-dividing and dividing cells in culture. At Fordham, he taught both graduate and undergraduate courses and oversaw a weekly four hour lab course. Students and faculty remember him as being dedicated and devoted to his job.
Kick-off Unites Tech, Business and Social Organizations By LAURA SANICOLA ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR
On Wednesday, Sept. 17, students with a passion for business, computing and social innovation and entrepreneurship met at the Fordham Foundry in Fordham Plaza. Representatives from organizations such as the Entrepreneurship Society, the Compass Fellowship, the Fordham Intercampus Social Innovation Team, Fair Trade Club, Social Enterprise Club, Digital Business Society and Computing Sciences Society were present at the meeting. The meeting brought together minds that are attempting to bridge the crossroads between technology and entrepreneurship while actively promoting the growth of student-run projects. Aaron DeVera, FCRH ’16, treasurer and director of research for the Computing Science Society, explained the vital connection between computing and business societies on campus. “Part of my job is to fund and approve anyone with a project idea for an application,” said DeVera. “From there, the Digital Business Society can turn the idea into a business model.” As stated on its website, the Fordham Foundry is “an independent, mixed-use business incubator located off-campus that was developed specifically to as-
SAMUEL JOSEPH/THE RAM
Several organizations met at the Fordham Foundry in order to build stronger relationships between their members.
sist promising entrepreneurs in launching new businesses.” Directed by Milton Sussberg, professor of entrepreneurship, the Foundry shares office space with the Small Business Services of the City of New York. Fordham students, faculty and alumni currently manage 10 companies. “We encourage people to apply for the Foundry even if they do not have a concrete company yet,” said Jackson Lindauer, GSB ’15. Lindauer currently works part-time at the Foundry as the director of strategy and community. “Come with an idea and a business plan. If you are admitted, you can take advantage of not only the office space, but of re-
sources, mentoring programs and workshops.” One such successful company is the Smart Girls Group, founded by Emily Raleigh, GSB ’16. The former Compass Fellow created a network that includes a daily blog, a monthly digital magazine and national chapters at universities. Though several of the clubs have held collaborative events in the past, the kick-off was the first time many of the organizations have shared the same space. Jordan Catalana, GSB ’15, community director of the Fordham Intercampus Social Innovation Team (FICSIT), acknowledged that the existing relationships
between current presidents of the organizations are what have caused collaboration in the past. “We are here to unite groups that otherwise would not have worked together, groups that absolutely should work together in the future.” Ross Garlick, GSB ’15, the president of the Digital Business Society, recognizes the importance for business students today to have ample knowledge of the technical aspects of business. As a result, the club frequently holds coding events with CSS, where students can learn the basics of coding computer programs. “Today, a business student’s most valuable asset could be his
ability to code,” Garlick said. “There are a lot of opportunities in tech companies for business students. Even if our business students don’t become technical analysts, knowing how to talk to a developer is important if you want to work on a startup.” Trends at business schools certainly seem to be backing up Garlick’s assertion. Harvard Business School will be adding a computer science elective in the coming years. As of last year, Stanford Graduate School of Business is now offering a joint degree conferring an MBA and an MS in computer science. Social innovation clubs were also represented at the kick-off by members of Students for Fair Trade, a club at Rose Hill seeking to, as the Fordham website states, “educate Fordham students about the impact that their consumer choices may have on impoverished producers and laborers in the developing world.” The organization is currently working to have Fordham recognized as a Fair Trade University. “It’s great to see so many minds in the same room,” said Catalana. “We will definitely try to coordinate another meet-up between clubs before the semester is over.” The Fordham Foundry is located at 400 E. Fordham Rd. and is currently hosting club meetings and events on weekdays.
NEWS
September 24, 2014
Awareness of Climate Raised by Protesters FROM CLIMATE, PAGE 1
fessor, Christopher Brandt, took time out of their day off to fight for climate change. “I went, like so many others, in frustration at the craven fealty of our ‘leaders’ to the corporate will…or lack of will. But I also held the belief that we the people are the only agents with the knowledge, the will and the courage, and that we, acting together can raise the consciousness of the human race. Consciousness raised, we can act decisively and intelligently, the ‘leaders’ and the corporate will be damned,” says Brandt. “I was a peacekeeper, with the orange t-shirt and the white ball cap. Nothing to do but give directions, the peace kept itself,” he added. Protests, however, did not end with the Climate March. On Monday, 2,000 protesters gathered for an event they called “Flood Wall Street” near Battery Park to conduct a peaceful sit in on Wall Street. The activists only got as far as Broadway before they were met with police barricades. Still, they did manage to block off traffic for eight hours. An estimated 100 people were arrested throughout the day because the event did not have a permit from the New York Police Department allowing a demonstration to take place. Environmental activists protested on Sunday, risking arrest in hopes to get their voices heard by world leaders who debated on issues such as how to reduce gas emissions in order to maintain a sustainable planet. “I believe we are perilously close to a point of no return on the aymptotic curve of climate change — very slow for quite a long time, then the curve sharpens, and in no time its trajectory reaches speeds impossible to stop,” said Brandt. If new legislation concerning climate action were to be passed, it would strengthen Fordham’s already existing environmental policies. The university has in effect a Climate Action Plan (CAP) in partnership with the New York City Mayor’s Office. Its goal is “for all the Fordham campuses to reduce its carbon emissions by 30 percent by 2017” in a wide range of areas including energy, recycling, building construction, transportation, education and collaborations. The plan is an acceptance of Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s challenge called PlaNYC to “reduce university’s carbon dioxide footprints over the next decade.” Brandt hopes that “[new legislation] would be strong enough to serve as a wakeup call, that Fordham and all universities would take seriously their mission as not the keepers but the disseminators of knowledge and leaders rather than followers in thought. Perhaps they will become less conventionally servile and passive and become centers of action as well as study and contemplation. And most certainly they would stop acting like corporations and find a new way to organize themselves.”
Page 5
College Dems and Reps to Put Aside Party Politics FROM POLITICS, PAGE 1
That is the goal, anyway. Billotti and Ben Shull, FCRH ‘16, the College Republicans’ president, have made it a point this year to put together more events that give members from both clubs and those with various political opinions a chance to express their ideas openly and publicly. “At the end of the day, you want a good political discourse, you want to hear the intelligent liberal argument and you want to hear the intelligent conservative argument,” Shull said. “If both clubs are interacting…that’s how you create this discourse.” Both Billotti and Shull are quick to say that this goal is nothing new — past administrations have always, for the most part, encouraged the kind of respectful discourse that this year’s political clubs want. But this year in particular, they seem primed for a kind of communication that is rare between opposing partisan groups. Both presidents agree that the Fordham Political Review, a political journal that was revitalized on Fordham’s campus last year, played a significant role in the renewed interaction between the two clubs. Shull has served as the Review’s Editor-inChief since last year, and Billotti has written articles for the publication. Many members of their clubs have become involved in various capacities as well. “I think the Fordham Political Review helped a lot,” Shull said. “We have members of both College Republicans and College Democrats write for us, we’ve had socials, and after a while, if you’re politically motivated, whether liberal or conserva-
tive, you’re going to come to know each other eventually on campus. You’re going to make those friendships that make you want to have a close relationship between both clubs.” These relationships, as well as Billotti and Shull’s increased familiarity with navigating the ins and outs of Office of Student Leadership and Development, have enabled them to hold more events for both clubs. “Now that we’ve both been Eboard members for the past two years, we’re in a position where we can make more co-sponsored debate happen,” Billotti said. “We’ve stated a lot of times before that our main goal is just making sure that people hear the message that each of our clubs has…we now understand how to go about creating these events, these open spaces for ideas to be thrown back and forth.” In years past, the events that enabled this friendly debate were primarily one-on-one, moderated debates that covered one subject at a time. While this format will return this year, there may be some revision. Currently, they are looking to change the format from what Billotti called “mudslinging events,” where there are rampant conflicting facts, to a panel discussion format where two speakers from each side will debate a specific issue. They are also considering meeting beforehand to hash out key facts so that there are not as many discrepancies as there have been in past debates. Billoti said that this will hopefully increase accountability. They are also interested in clearing audience questions before the event to raise the quality and
COURTESY OF BENJAMIN SHULL
Fordham’s political clubs have plans for more discourse in the coming year.
relevancy of the topics that audience members bring up. In addition to the debates, dialogues, panel discussions and even general social events are all on the table. In particular, Billotti and Shull are making tentative plans to have a panel discussion sponsored by the Political Review. These plans likely will not come to pass until at least November, because both groups have busy schedules in October. College Republicans, according to Shull, will have two speakers come to campus in the near future, though their names will not be released until Thursday. The
Democrats will be hosting blogger, columnist and journalist Ezra Klein, who has worked for The Washington Post, and currently contributes to Bloomberg News and MSNBC. Despite all of their collaboration and shared opinions, the club leaders have still maintained their own distinct philosophies. “We definitely have our opinions about what’s right. We definitely disagree strongly on fundamental questions,” Shull said. “But, if you’re not going to listen to the other side, or even consider the possibility that your views could be challenged, then why are you doing it?”
Chicken Downsize Prompts Outrage, Petition
SAMUEL JOSEPH/THE RAM
Students used to be able to get five chicken strips for a meal swipe, but now it has been changed to only three.
By ROBERT FRERICH & LAURA SANICOLA ASSISTANT COPY CHIEF & ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR
In a move that has shaken the Fordham community, Sodexo at The Grille reduced the number of chicken strips from five to three pieces for a meal exchange swipe. In addition, potato chips serve as the sole option for entrees that previously included the option of fries. This change has inspired Fordham student Stephen Watts, FCRH ’17, to create a Change.org petition asking the university to revert to the beloved option. On Change.org, Watts encourages students to sign by citing sev-
eral reasons why the recent policy change is unfair. “A bag of chips isn’t worth as much as 2 strips and fries,” Watts states. “Chicken strips are the last bastion of American freedom.” His petition, which, as of Tuesday night, had reached 60 supporters, needs 100 additional supporters to reach its goal to be sent to Fordham University and Fordham Dining Services. The petition itself reads, “To Fordham University: Bring back the five chicken strips with fries meal swipe at the Grille. Sincerely, [Your name]” The average meal swipe ranges from $10.20 to $10.60, depending on which plan a student selected.
Many feel that three chicken strips and a bag of chips is not equal to the cost of a swipe. “Three chicken strips are a snack, not a meal,” said Paul Martin, FCRH ’16. “A meal is five chicken tenders.” “I can honestly say that I am already hungry and I just finished eating,” said Simek Shropshire, FCRH ’17. She had ordered the three piece chicken tenders and a bag of chips for a meal swipe. “I have plans to sign the petition.” Many students are equally unhappy with the replacement of fries with a bag of chips, noting that the switch decreases the portion size that they receive. “The fries that used to be includ-
ed were much more filling than chips. I eat a bag of chips and I’m still left unsatisfied,” Martin said. “You can’t even compare the two foods.” “I understand if both the fries and the extra chicken tenders were over budget, but three pieces and fries seem like a happy medium,” said Sarah Burns, FCRH ’17. On the other hand, some students, including Carolyn Allain, FCRH ’17, do not find the recent change controversial. “The change doesn’t really phase me that much. Three chicken tenders is enough for me to be full,” Allain said. “Now I feel like I’m not wasting chicken tenders.” The Grille’s meal exchanges currently include the following options: three piece chicken strips with chips, a buffalo chicken wrap with chips, a cheeseburger with chips, a smoothie and a candy bar and a salad with a fountain drink. Fries are no longer available for any of these choices, according to new signs posted at The Grille. Jack Giacchetti, GSB ’17, feels that this policy, which affects far more than just chicken strips, is unfair. “From a business perspective the change makes sense. The school gains money if it cuts down the amount of food sold for the same price,” Giacchetti said. “However, I didn’t expect this sort of thing from a Jesuit school. That’s why I signed the petition.”
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September 24, 2014
OPINION
Page 7
The Fordham Ram
PHOTO COURTESY OF FLICKR
Kent State students disperse as Ohio National Guard troops attempt to clear the studen-led protest, which occurred on May 4, 1970 over the Cambodian incursion during the Vietnam War.
Urban Outfitters Sells Fashion, Without the Sense Sweatshirt Makes Light of 1970 Kent State Shooting By ABIGAIL HEINEMEYER STAFF WRITER
We live in society infused with a cultural attention deficit disorder; a time of constant pagerefreshes and updates, where five minutes makes a story old news. Having 15 seconds of fame has gone from being exceptional to normal, yet it corrupts the minds of so many. This twisted obsession with catching the public’s ever wandering eye has inspired numerous acts of juvenile (and often idiotic) decisions. It is in this competition for a glimpse of the spotlight that so many have been pushed off of the edge of rationality — a place that
Urban Outfitters recently saw itself speed right past. This past week, Urban Outfitters posted a vintage Kent State sweatshirt for sale on its website. While collegiate style is nothing new, it was the twist to this particular item that sparked some controversy. Along with the university’s emblem, the pale pink sweatshirt was detailed with splatters and smears of red dye, bearing a striking resemblance to blood. While this undoubtably violent-looking garment could be viewed as crudely inappropriate under any circumstances, it is Kent State’s infamous past that deepens the matter. In the height of the opposi-
tion to the Vietnam War during the presidency of Richard Nixon, young people across the country protested against the Cambodian incursion in which U.S. and South Vietnamese troops tried to destroy North Vietnamese reinforcements. Protests errupted around the country shortly after the news became public. On May 4, 1970 at Kent State University in Kent, Ohio, a terrible event of American history took place. Because of a large, and (what leaders perceived as) potentially violent, student-led protest against this Cambodian campaign of the Vietnam War, the Ohio National Guard was called in by Governor Jim Rhodes to
PHOTO COURTESY @SPARROWMEDIA
Urban Outfitters was selling this vintage Kent State sweatshirt which appears to have blood splatter on the sleeve.
help maintain the peace. Though the students were unarmed, violence broke out between the protesters and the authorities sent to contain them. By the end of the day, four students had been shot and killed, marking what is now known as the Kent State Massacre. It was one of the few times that U.S. citizens have been killed by American troops on American soil. In the face of outrage over the attempted sale of the sweatshirt on Monday, Sept. 15, Urban Outfitters’ executives released an apology via Twitter, stating that “It was never [their] intention to allude to the tragic events that took place at Kent State in 1970 and [they] are extremely saddened that this item was perceived as such.” The store added that the red splatters were simply meant to add to the vintage look and “are discoloration from the original shade of the shirt and the holes are from natural wear and fray.” Whether this debacle was intentional or not, numerous individuals feel insulted by the company. No one shares this sentiment as much as those at Kent State. In a statement released on the same day, Kent State responded to the situation and sale of the sweatshirt. “We take great offense to a company using our pain for their publicity and profit,” the statement read. “This item is beyond poor taste and trivializes a loss of life that still hurts the Kent State community today.” Alongside the students of Kent State, students at Fordham were also outraged. “I think that it is a very insensitive and tasteless thing to do. Events such as the Kent State shooting should never be taken lightly, and that is what the sweatshirt does,” Kathleen Towne, FCRH ’15, said. Others feel deterred from shop-
ping at the store. Like many Fordham students, Ashely Krammer, FCRH ’17, has been drawn to Urban Outfitters’ “vintage and bold style” in the past. However, with its recent displays of insensitivity, Krammer states “Now, maybe I will think again before I shop there.” Confusion was also a common response. After seeing the controversy on the news, Joe Moresky, FCRH ’17, simply did not understand Urban Outfitters’ logic. “I think the most surprising aspect, for me anyway, is that no one at the company raised any objection,” he said. The first thing that came to my mind when I saw the garment was the Kent State Massacre, and to claim that that was not what they had in mind and that they had people green light this, shocks me a little,” Moresky added. However, this is not the first time that this particular store has made headlines. Urban Outfitters has a long history of offensive apparel, such as a shirt reading “Eat Less,” which sparked outrage and boycotts from celebrities such as Sophia Bush. So how much is too much? While one — possibly two — public controversies might be deemed forgivable, when do we declare enough? And how do accept an apology from a company that has been so undoubtably brazen in the past? This then begs the question, was the Kent State sweatshirt a simple mistake, as the company claims, or was this just another one of Urban Outfitters’ bold PR stunts? We will most likely never know the answer, but either way Moresky is not far off in stating, “I expect a little bit more.” Abigail Heinemeyer, FCRH ’17, is a communication and media studies major from Bethel, Connecticut.
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R
Serving campus and community since 1918 The Fordham Ram is the University journal of record. The mission of The Fordham 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 Fordham 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 over 10,000. The Fordham Ram office is located in the basement of the McGinley Center, room B-52.
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Editor-in-Chief Kelly Kultys Managing Editor Joseph Vitale Copy Chief Katie Nolan Assistant Copy Chief Robert Frerich Editorial Director Shannon Marcoux News Editor Katie Meyer Assistant News Editors Michael Cavanaugh Laura Sanicola Opinion Editor Richard Bordelon Assistant Opinion Editor Felicia Czochanski Culture Editor Nicole Horton Assistant Culture Editor Amanda Giglio Sports Editors Matt Rosenfeld Max Prinz Assistant Sports Editor Anthony Pucik Photo Editor Samuel Joseph Web Editor Tara Cangialosi Business Director Felicia Zhang Business Staff Jason Chan Juan Gabriel Garcia Faculty Advisor Dr. Beth Knobel Editorial Board Kelly Kultys Joseph Vitale Shannon Marcoux Katie Nolan Robert Frerich Richard Bordelon Felicia Czochanski For a full staff listing, visit FordhamRam.com
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OPINION
September 24, 2014
From the Desk | Felicia Czochanski
Muggles Must Solve Gender Inequality If you’ve never gone to a Harry Potter midnight movie premiere, or even better, the midnight book release party at your local Barnes & Noble, you’ve never encountered the die-hard, and entirely enamored fan base that J.K. Rowling’s British brilliance created. I attended all of these releases and, like many others, have read the entire series multiple times. As if this did not validate my love of the series, I also played “Hedwig’s Theme” on piano in my fourth grade talent show, while dressed up as Hermione. Furthermore, I am currently tackling the task of reading the books in Italian — maybe being dubbed a “Harry Potter nerd” doesn’t even cut it for me. Though it’s been many years since I first read Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, my love for the series and its set of iconic characters has not been at all subdued. In fact, just this week, the respect I have for my childhood role model Hermione Granger, now transformed into my young adult role model, Emma Watson, has skyrocketed. Bringing together two of the things I take most interest in, Hermione and feminist issues, the United Nations Women’s Conference asked Watson to speak on the topic of feminism and the progress, or lack thereof, that has been made throughout the world. In her speech Watson joked, “You may be won-
dering who is this Harry Potter girl and what is she doing at the U.N.” However, her question provides the answer to its inquiry. All throughout the Harry Potter series, Watson’s character is an example of what it means to be a feminist. From an impressively young age, Hermione was assertive, strong-willed, fearless and had a strong sense of self. She was the perfect role model for any young girl, and continues to be one today. Watson was chosen to be the face of the HeforShe Movement, and she embodies the best of Hermione’s qualities in real life. With Hermione Granger as my role model, she showed me that it was more than okay to be an intelligent, assertive female, and caused me to become a feminist at an incredibly young age. When I was seven, I joined a baseball team and proved that even though I was a girl, I could play just as well as, if not better than, the boys. When I was 16, I finished the manuscript for my first novel. I sent it to publishing houses for the first time that year, and was told in response to create either a male or an androgynous alias, because it would be easier for a supposed “male” writer to break into the industry. As a girl and as a woman I’ve faced adversity throughout my life because of the fact that I am a female. And I will be the first to tell you why my gender will never limit me.
Although attempts at improving equality of the sexes have been made, equality has yet to be reached. In just minutes, Emma provided the clearest explanation of the problems that feminists, those who are afraid to declare themselves feminist, and those who do not understand the term “feminist,” have been facing. Watson stated eloquently, “I think it is right that I am paid the same as my male counterparts… able to make decisions about my own body… involved in the policies and decisions that will affect my life… and that socially, I am afforded the same respect as men.” To many, these statements are already believed to be true. However, the disturbing and frightening reality is that in society today, there is not one country in the world where all women can expect to have these rights — the rights that many naively believe to be natural human rights. Until our society rejects double standards gender equality will be impossible. Every time we call a girl “bossy” and a boy “assertive,” we are normalizing double standards. Every time we complain a woman only got a promotion because of the way she dresses and not the work she does, we take a step away from equality. By raising the awareness of this issue, the U.N. can get people to understand the severity of the fact that over half of the world’s population is
still struggling with receiving their basic human rights. When I was 18, my yearbook quote was the following mantra, said by Eleanor Roosevelt, “you must do the thing you think you cannot do.” I do not believe that there should be internal social boundaries based on society’s expectations of us that limit what females and males can do. I believe that all people have the capacity to do extraordinary things, and that it is out of line to tell someone that they cannot do something, especially just because of his or her gender. It is time for us to begin making the small changes so that equality can stop being something that we strive for, and instead something that we see in our daily lives. Personally, I’m tired of waiting for these unjust social boundaries to be lifted, and I am ready to experience the amazing things that women and men in our society can do. We all have it in us — it is time to start being extraordinary.
Editorial | Student Life
Condoms on Campus: Know Your Rights Fordham’s sexual health policy has become a notable topic of discussion on campus in light of recent events, especially the distribution of contraceptives by an anonymous group of students during Homecoming weekend. In fact, The Fordham Ram ran a frontpage article on the topic in its second issue, highlighting its importance to our organization. Given these recent events, and the attention sexual health policies have brought to Catholic universities — Fordham among them — in the past, we at The Fordham Ram believe it is important to take a close look at current policy and evaluate if it is a policy worth reconsidering. The university’s policy on contraceptives is as follows: “As an institution in the Catholic, Jesuit tradition, Fordham University follows Church teachings on reproductive issues. Distribution of contraceptives, contraceptive devices and/or birth control, in any form, is prohibited on Fordham University property and at University-sponsored events.” The policy continues, stating that the University Health Services staff is able to make “limited exceptions in writing appropriate prescriptions for the treatment of an existing medical condition accompanied by supporting documentation.” Example of this is that a student can provide a doctor’s note signed by her personal physician saying that a student is using birth control pills for uses other than its contraceptive purpose. There is currently a fallacy
floating around that condoms are banned on campus. This is not true. Considering the subtle, but essential, distinction between distribution and possession, students are permitted to have condoms. They just cannot distribute them at campus events. Students are not allowed to distribute contraceptives for a number of reasons, both practical and ethical. Most importantly, however, use of contraceptives is prohibited by the Ethical and Religious Directives for Catholic Health Care Services. This is a doctrine which the university is expected to follow without exceptions due to its existence as institution in the Catholic, Jesuit tradition. It is rather logical why the university does not fund the distribution of contraceptives at the events it makes possible — club meetings, residence hall programs and other miscellaneous events: It is contrary to one of its core beliefs. Some students also believe that resident assistants are required to confiscate contraceptives from residents. The university does have a policy against cohabitation, which states, “A student is not permitted to request or cajole a roommate to leave his or her room, suite or apartment in order to facilitate sexual activities” (also known as sexiling). There is nothing explicitly stated that prohibits the use of condoms or other forms of birth control within the confines of students’ rooms on campus. After consulting various resident assistants, it is not the case that they are
patrolling the hallways looking for condom wrappers or pill boxes. There is nothing in the Student Handbook or Residence Life Handbook that bans condoms. In fact, there is not one mention of the words “contraceptives,” “condoms” or “birth control.” If there were a rule stating that students could not use or possess condoms, we would oppose it fiercely. However, there is little evidence of such a policy. Claiming that there is such a policy — and that students should take action to change it — is a disservice to free speech, as well as a waste of resources and time. Another claim brought up in the original article was that the university limits discussion on sexual health due to its extensively restrictive policies on free speech. The is an exaggeration of school policy, and an undermining of past students’ efforts to further free speech on campus. As Christopher Rodgers, dean of students, pointed out in the article, there are a number of university-provided and student-run programs regarding sexual health. Such programs include online educational courses for incoming freshmen and orientation sessions on sexual misconduct, health and relationships. There is also Fordham’s CORE Programming, which includes Campus Assault and Relationship Education (C.A.R.E.) programming at the beginning of each academic year. Though there are reservations about the program, which was highlighted in an op-ed last week, titled “Why CORE Programming Misses the
Point,” it is a resource for students to consider at all points during the year. Other opportunities for students to participate in the discussion concerning sexual health are found in residence hall programming. Every residence hall is required to host at least one program each academic year concerning sexual health. Additionally, as Dean Rodgers noted, relevant student clubs and organization, are encouraged to host programs related to the topic. There are also numerous student publications including The Fordham Ram, the paper, The Ampersand and The Fordham Political Review that welcome and publish sexual health-related content on a regular basis. While writing an article in the newspaper will not change school policy nor the doctrines upon which the Catholic Church depends, the pages of student publications are a valuable resource for opinionated students to inject their opinions into the ongoing conversation. Though there is headway to be made in the debate about Catholic teachings and how the Church should enforce its doctrines, the current policy regarding sexual health and contraceptives maintains a reasonable balance between promoting sexual health and maintaining Jesuit Catholic values.
Editorial Policy The Fordham Ram’s editorials are selected on a weekly basis and are meant to reflect the editorial board’s view on a particular issue.
OPINION
September 24, 2014
Page 9
What We Mean When We Talk about Rape By MARGARITA ARTOGLOU CONTRIBUTING WRITER
“Fordham CARES,” declares the screen outside of McGinley Center. It references the Campus Assault and Relationship Education program, which aims to teach about sexual assault and misconduct prevention as well as inform students of the resources available to those who have been victimized. Fordham, along with several universities across the country, is trying to send the message that sexual assault is a serious issue. At the University of Kansas, though, students feel that the administration is not taking the issue seriously enough. A group of students is demanding that the administration change the official term they use to describe the act from “non-consensual sex” to “rape.” But are words just words? After all, “nonconsensual sex” is just a bare-bones definition of rape. Does it matter? “The way we speak about rape is essential because we live in a society entrenched in rape culture,” says Tina McCain, FCRH ’18. It is true that language is an extremely powerful tool. The way in which we refer to things can shape our views on it. In this case, the omission of “rape” and the usage of “non-consensual sex” creates a reality in which rape on the college campus is different than rape off-
SAMUEL JOSEPH / THE RAM
CARE is the Fordham program aimed to address sexual misconduct within the university, which includes education and resources.
campus. In fact, the protests at the University of Kansas were stirred when a student found guilty of non-consensual sex was merely put on probation and banned from university housing. The administration even deemed community service to be too severe a sentence. Brett Sokolow, CEO of the National Center for Higher Education Risk Management, calls the use of the offending phrase “minimizing or negating language, because there is no such thing— “sex’ is consensual by definition. When you refer to it as ‘non-consensual sex,’ you diminish the behavior.”
While “non-consensual sex” is technically a correct term for the action, it carries less weight than “rape.” The word “rape” connotes a wrongdoing, a misdeed and, above all, a crime. On the other hand, the phrase “non-consensual sex” strips the act of its criminality by not using the word that is used in the legal context. “‘Non-consensual sex’ seems to neutralize the actual malice of it,” says McCain. Additionally, “non-consensual sex” could cast the victim as a participant of the event instead of someone who was the victim of a heinous crime. This kind of terminology is condu-
cive to victim shaming and victim blaming, because it does not make it clear that a violation was committed by one person to another person. Victim blaming and shaming are problematic, because they cast a stigma on those who are attacked and support the idea that rape prevention is decided by potential victims. Some universities may shy away from “rape” because the word could make some administrators who judge assault cases associate alleged perpetrator with dark alley and an evil plan. They might imagine an extremely violent situation,
possibly leading them to treat cases where a perpetrator was a friend of the victim as less serious. This excuse is not only disrespectful to victims, but also is illustrative of an institutionalized issue. The idea that universities need to use a less-offensive phrase so that school officials judging rape cases will not minimize the severity of a sexual assault that occurred under slightly less violent circumstances suggests that the problem lies within the administration’s inability to accurately understand that rape always afflicts harm on the victim, regardless of the setting and situation. Changing a word for the benefit of an administration makes it acceptable for those whose job it is to judge rape cases, to have a pre-conceived notion that some cases are less serious than others. The word change renders educating administrators unnecessary, and if they cannot learn and understand that rape is always a complete violation of a human beings regardless of circumstances, why should the student body be expected to? If universities want to put an end to campus assault, they need to face the fact that every case of “non-consensual sex” is indeed a serious crime and deserves to be treated with equal respect. Margarita Artoglou, FCRH ’18, is a communications and media studies major from Queens.
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OPINION
Page 10
September 24, 2014
Is Free Speech in Academia Really Free? By CODY SIMS
Kaitlyn Lyngaas The Human Face of Climate Change
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
What is one of the quickest ways to get fired nowadays? Steve Salaita, a former English professor at Virgina Tech, has the answer: misuse of social media. Salaita was preparing for his new job at the University of Illinois teaching Native American Studies this fall when he was suspended, and subsequently not reinstated, due to a series of anti-Israel statements he tweeted over the summer during the Palestinian-Israeli crisis. It is only right that Salaita did not get the opportunity to set foot on campus. It should be known that a university is going to hold all of its employees accountable as direct representatives of the university itself. While Salaita and his supporters may argue that his termination was a violation of his freedom of speech, they fail to realize that any university is not going to let one individual tarnish the university’s reputation. Salaita is not the first person to be held accountable for questionable tweets, nor do I think he will be the last. In 2012, the University of Michigan dealt with a similar tweeting situation, although it was a student-athlete rather than a professor. Yuri Wright, an aggressively recruited cornerback from New Jersey, did not get the opportunity to play at his dream school because university officials deemed Wright’s tweets highly offensive. They revoked his athletic scholarship because he tweeted racially and sexually explicit comments. Granted, Wright and Salaita were not tweeting about the same things, but their tweets were
PHOTO COURTESY OF FLICKR
The University of Illinois (above) suspended and subsequently fired a future professor due to his anti-Israel tweets.
similarly offensive. It is understandable, however, that some may argue that individuals should be free to express their beliefs on their personal social media accounts. Esther Kim, GSB ’15, said, “Everyone should be able to tweet their own individual thoughts as long as it is your personal twitter. If you don’t like what someone tweets, you can simply unfollow them.” On the contrary, once you are representing a university, either as a student-athlete or a professor, you are being monitored and judged all of the time. Although this may not be “fair,” it is reality. There are certain unwritten rules someone in the public eye
must follow. Before tweeting, Salaita should have kept in mind that his ques-
tionable tweets could lead to the University of Illinois questioning his character. While it may be
tempting to tweet the first thing that comes to mind, it may not be the best choice to share all of your thoughts with the cyber world. You never truly know who is following your social network activities if your profile is accessible to the public. Salaita may never be reinstated and it is his own fault. Nonetheless, we can learn from his poor judgment. Social networking may be a way for you to share your thoughts with others; however, 140 characters seem to be enough to get people into a great deal of trouble. Cody Sims, FCRH ’15, is a communication and media studies major from Oakland, California.
Ram on the Street Do you think Fordham should allow the distribution of condoms on campus?
No, I don’t think it stands with the Jesuit tradition of our school.
Yes, clubs should be able to express their own opinions and help out people our age.
Yes, I think that the medical and safety benefits outweigh the cost of the Jesuit tradition.
I think it would be a good idea because it makes campus safe, even if it goes against Jesuit beliefs.
— Steve Sholdra, FCRH ’16
— Ronnie Kot, FCRH ’17
— Nick Riccelli, FCRH ’17
—Catherine Maccaro, FCRH ’17
Compiled by Felicia Czochanski, Asst. Opinion Editor Photos by Samuel Joseph, Photo Editor
The Earth’s climate is changing at an alarming rate. Rising sea levels threaten to wipe out entire nations, while severe droughts devastate agricultural communities the world over. People often fail to realize that the problems presented by climate change affect people directly. What happens to the people who live in these affected communities when their homes are no longer habitable? They are forced to pack up their families and leave behind everything they know. According to a recent report published by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, by the year 2050 up to 150 million people could be displaced as a result of climate change. The problem lies in the fact that no laws protect these people’s rights. They do not fit the international legal definition of ‘refugee’, and are thus cast aside and left to their own devices. The legal dispute over the rights of climate refugees stems from the fact that they cannot technically be classified as refugees. Under the current order of international law, the term ‘refugee’ is reserved for those fleeing political persecution. Consequently, environmental migrants who are forced to flee cannot be granted asylum, so their treatment by their host government is not regulated. Establishing laws to protect environmental migrants would require immense international cooperation on a global level. Unfortunately, proposals to open foreign nations to environmental immigrants have been met with hostility. If the definition of refugee is expanded to include environmental migrants, other countries would be legally obligated to help them. Environmental migration also occurs internally, so a need exists for laws that support communities at the local level. Local governments need to be held accountable for their people. If people of the poorest and most marginalized communities receive greater support at the local level, they may not be forced to seek international solutions. The international community is now faced with blatant violations of human rights and a strong moral obligation to act. People’s basic human rights are being infringed upon based on a legal technicality, which is unacceptable in today’s increasingly global society. The way I see it, there are two possible courses of action. Either the legal policy needs to be altered in order to make a place in the law for environmentally-displaced people, or an entirely new system of dealing with climatic migrants needs to be created by the bureaucracy. Neither will be easy, but the time to sit back and allow this suffering to continue has passed.
CULTURE
September 17, 2014
Page 11
The Fordham Ram
Hopstop: A Useful Tool for Urban Settings
Students Take to the Floor for Annual Pres Ball
By ALLISON HOERSTER CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Having moved from a relatively small suburb of Chicago to the vast, urban jungle that is New York City, I had worries about finding my way around the city using different methods of public transportation. The subway system is very confusing to me; it is not something you master overnight. It takes a lot of time and practice, beginning with learning the numbers and letters that correspond to where you are traveling. Now, if you are at all like me, you do not want to seem like a tourist in the main concourse of Grand Central Station, holding various train and subway schedules and looking very confused. I recently discovered a new app, HopStop, that put all of my concerns to rest. With the app, you are able to type your current location and destination into two search bars that appear on the screen. There are several ways of getting to your final destination, and you have the ability to choose between the subway/rail, a bus, walking, taking a taxi or riding a bicycle in order to do so. Once you choose the time you wish to depart, the app provides many routes from which to choose. For example, if I am currently at Grand Central Station and wish to end up at the Plaza Hotel, HopStop gives me several options with times and prices attached: a 6-minute taxi ride for $7, a 10-minute combination of walking and the 4 Train/R train for $2.50, a 19-minute walk, a 13-minute combination of walking and taking the M2 Bus for $2.50, the list goes on and on. The app also has full train and subway schedules and a ‘Live!’ feature that lets people write reviews about the different methods of transportation they use and whether or not they are running on time. I have used this app a few times and it has been a complete life saver in helping me navigate this amazing and bustling city.
REYNA WANG/THE RAM
At President’s Ball, both Rose Hill and Lincoln Center students gathered together at the Lombardi Fieldhouse to dance and socialize.
By AMINA BHATTI STAFF WRITER
The night of Sept. 12 was festive and frivolous as it pulsated with the beat of pop music into the wee hours of the next day. Students crowded into the large dark hall of the Lombardi Fieldhouse, dressed to the nines and full of energy and excitement. This was the scene of the 11th annual President’s Ball, which is open to Fordham students from all the university’s campuses, bringing them together as part of one large ramily. Sodexo catered a variety of snacks and beverages that were served at the event. Students could enjoy their food sitting at one of the many small round tables set up in the back of the room or head to the dance floor to move to the beat of the latest hits. It was a night full of merriment and memories. The President’s Ball is a tradi-
tion that began when Rev. Joseph M. McShane, S.J., president of the university, was inaugurated as the 32nd President of Fordham University and deemed it to be an event worth holding each year. Assistant Secretary of Fordham University Jennifer Nolan explained that the event originally took place at McGinley Center before it was moved to the Lombardi Fieldhouse to accomodate the throngs of students in attendance. “As many as 1,500-2,000 students come each year,” Nolan said. She pointed out the fact that the RSVP list several hours before the event kicked off already had 900 names. “People don’t always RSVP,” Nolan mentioned. Many people, generally more than what the list indicates, attend. The Ram Van, the intercampus tranportation service for Fordham, shuttles students from Lincoln Center to the ball and back. As with any event of its size,
the President’s Ball takes careful planning. Both the Office of the President, as well as the Office of Student Leadership and Community Development (OSLCD) coordinate to set up and run the ball. The ball usually takes place close to Homecoming for Fordham students. Last year, Nolan explained that the ball took place in October, so this year it was hosted relatively early. While the particular date of the ball is subject to change, certain traditions are kept as they prove popular with the crowd. DJ Cassidy is a great favorite with Fordham, as evidenced by his presence at the President’s Ball for the past few years. This year was no exception: Cassidy arrived to turn up the music and mix beats for the entertainment of all. Whether students wanted to take a break from dancing or were simply hungry, they had a circle of
tables full of food throughout the night to keep themselves energized or just stuffed. The selection of foods included various hors d’ouvres, chips, crackers, fruits, salads, sambosas, other fun finger foods and even desserts. The beverages included sodas, lemonade and iced water. While some students thoroughly enjoyed the party, others thought that the event could use a few changes. Ryan Khan and Kimberly Velasquez, FCRH ’17, agreed that “[the event] was fun, but there could’ve been better food and music.” Perhaps the essence of the ball was captured in the statement of another student, Tiffany McKay, FCRH ’17: “[While it was fun] the best part was seeing everyone have fun as well!”Overall, the special tradition of the President’s Ball has given the student body a night to remember and look forward to every year.
Your TV Binge Guide: Dexter At a glance: Genre: Thriller, Crime Drama Network: Showtime Seasons/Episodes: 8/96 Avg. Episode Length: 55 min Available on: Netflix, Showtime, Amazon Instant Video What it’s about: “Tonight’s the night.” So begins Showtime’s popular psychological thriller about a serial killer who kills serial killers, based on the book Darkly Dreaming Dexter by Jeff Lindsay. Michael C. Hall stars as titular character Dexter Morgan, a blood spatter analyst for the Miami Metro Police Department who uses his job to find killers who have slipped through the cracks of the law. Trained by his father at an early age to cover his tracks, Dexter maneuvers around his coworkers and loved ones to satiate his need to kill. At the same time, he finds himself struggling with his own nature, or “Dark Passenger,”
COURTESY OF AP
as he contemplates what he really wants out of his life. Why it’s so good: Despite being a criminal, Dexter’s mission makes him a perfect antihero. The psychological journey Dexter goes on as he attempts to understand his own psyche, while simultaneously trying to blend into normal society, results in an incredibly compelling character. At the same time, viewers are sucked
into the lives of the other members of the Miami Metro Police Department and their separate attempts to find serial killers at large in Miami. If you like crime drama, this is for you. Why you should binge it: Each season of “Dexter” has its own plot line, usually involving a new killer that has come to plague Miami. Dexter races against his coworkers to find the serial killer first, often resulting in
a heart-stopping thrill ride that lasts the entirety of the 12-episode arc. Even though the main plot of most seasons ties up nicely, the individual episodes blend into each other so effortlessly that arguably the best way to watch “Dexter” is a season per day. Standouts: Hall’s impressive, Golden Globe-winning performance completely captures Dexter’s charm and intensity. Likewise, Jennifer Carpenter is outstanding as Dexter’s ambitious and (in later seasons) often emotionally scarred sister Debra Morgan, who must deal with her own demons as she tries to work her way through the ranks of Miami Metro. As far as popularity goes, fans agree that seasons one, two, four and seven are the best of the series. Season one expertly sets up the intense, dramatic storytelling that fans of Dexter come to appreciate throughout the rest of the series. The other three seasons are known for their brilliant acting,
shocking twists and revelations and thrilling plot lines that are as psychological as they are filled with action. Potential Pitfalls: As the show winds its way toward a close, fans find themselves most frustrated by seasons six and eight. Season six is all over the place, with nonsensical subplots distracting from an already desperate overarching theme. That being said, season six has perhaps one of the best season finales of the show, raising the tension higher than ever before. That same redeeming quality cannot be said for the show’s final season, which seemed to drive so much potential into the ground, resulting in a finale that was incredibly disappointing for most viewers. I am not telling you not to watch season eight. I am just saying to brace yourself for an ending that does not compare to the show’s outstanding earlier seasons.
CULTURE
Page 12
September 24, 2014
Review | Movie
Review | Music
Pop Music Gets Revamped In Small Town America, a Struggle By AMANDA GIGLIO
By CLAIRE KIM
ASSISTANT CULTURE EDITOR
STAFF WRITER
Pop music is notorious for being the people-pleaser: fun, simple, basic. No one claims that pop is their favorite genre of music, especially in this day and age when being “different” is the best thing to be. You might hear people say, “I like to listen to alternative folk rap,” or “I’ve been really into this new underground techno hip-hop group,” or “I only listen to feminist, male, European rappers…” I am not judging. I am all about enlarging our musical palates, but I am also convinced that Mapei’s new album, Hey Hey, will remind you of the bubbly magic of pop. It is not simplistic; it is the farthest thing from basic. Hey Hey is the accumulation of the sweet, sweet sounds that our human ears innately crave. It is pop and it is incredible. Late in 2013, Mapei’s single, “Don’t Wait” caught fire in the online music world. Spreading into all music sharing websites and, most notably, hitting number one on the Hype Machine charts, this song was everywhere. All the reviews were universally positive, praising Mapei for creating a piece of pop genius without falling into the traps of plain lyricism. Then, she disappeared, leaving
COURTESY OF VOUGE
all of her newly created fans confused and disappointed. A year has passed, and Mapei is back, introducing her full length debut album on npr.org. This album has soul, funk, irresistible acoustics and engaging poetry, all enveloped in the translucent film of pop. It has the spunk of classic pop music with the intense complexity found in the meshing and blending of different sounds found in other genres. The upbeat song, “Come on Baby” keeps your heart racing as techno-babble is met with a strong chorus and rap break. Then the slower, but just as catchy, “As 1” soothes you into a mellow zen, beginning with clean piano and bubbly synthetic bursts. Listening to this album is fun. The delicate but dynamic songs leave you smiling, swaying and happy.
The Lowdown | Devon Sheridan
The City: A Linguistic Error In a column published two weeks ago, Canton Winer, FCRH ’15, former managing editor of The Fordham Ram, wrote about the negative linguistic message behind calling Manhattan “the city.” In his column, Winer harangued the common phrase as one that gives “the inherent suggestion [that] you somehow don’t live in New York City as an ‘outer-borough’ resident.” His fulmination—well-written and precise—against “Manhattan exceptionalism” pointed to aspects of the diversity and population of each borough (Brooklyn is the most populated) as reasons why Manhattan isn’t the sole soul of NYC. The column’s most interesting nugget of NYC trivia was that, other than Brooklyn, each non-Manhattan borough contains a public park bigger than Central Park. “Embrace your status as a Bronxite,” Canton begs, and don’t call Manhattan “the city.” I tend to agree, to a degree. Indeed, if you call Manhattan “the city,” then you are technically committing a linguistic faux pas. The real issue, however, isn’t whether you slip up and say “the city.” I’ve done it. I do it all the time. I’ll probably do it this week, when I enthusiastically tell random people my plans for my annual autumn trip to “the city” to buy sweaters. Everyone will understand. The real issue here, which Canton’s piece scratched at, is why we say “the city.” My qualm with Canton’s column is that he does not to address the real reason why people call Manhattan “the city,” which is the same reason why this column will be read in the Culture section. The unfortunate
truth is that, due to decades of redlining and gentrification, the Bronx is not “the place to go.” In fact, it has very few cosmopolitan qualities. On Yelp.com, a search for restaurants in Greenwich Village, which is New York University’s neighborhood, shows over 6,000 results. The same search for Bedford Park, Belmont and Fordham—the neighborhoods surrounding Fordham’s gates—returns a little over 300 results. Searching for local bars in Greenwich Village returns 4,000 results and 56 for Fordham’s neighborhoods. There are 23 theaters within walking distance from NYU. Excluding Fordham’s on-campus theaters, there are none within walking distance from Fordham University. The Bronx is comprised almost entirely of very low-income housing neighborhoods. As the poorest borough, its relationship with Manhattan and the rest of the boroughs is, both geographically and culturally, sequestered. In many ways, the only thing keeping the Bronx part of “the city” is that, nominally, it is so. Let’s not be naive: Students come to Fordham to live in NYC, but their desire to experience “the city” is not fulfilled by the Fordham neighborhood. There are no tall buildings, no trendy restaurants or bars and too few places to see or perform in a show. These things don’t exclusively make a city a city, but they do affect how people perceive a place as one. So, if you slip up—both in thought and in speech—and call downtown “the city,” I don’t blame you. And that’s kind of sad, really, because there is a lot that we—the student body, the university and local officials—could do to change that. But, that subject is for another column.
Growing up in a middle-class family in the suburbs and then moving to the Bronx for school has kept me somewhat sheltered from the corruption and poverty in other parts of the country and world. Since being at Fordham, I have realized the privilege I have and the ways people in the city are affected by poverty. When watching “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart” last month, one interview stuck out to me. Stewart had Tracy Droz Tragos, a documentary producer and director, on the show to raise awareness of her newest documentary, Rich Hill, which premiered at Sundance and is in theaters now. Described as “an examination of challenges, hopes and dreams of the young residents of a rural American town,” the film follows the lives of three teenage boys in Rich Hill, Missouri, through family problems, school troubles and financial struggles. Andrew, 13, brings the audience into his life with a mother who is
HD TRAILERS
mentally handicapped and a father who struggles to maintain jobs. He tells us how he is just like every other kid his age, as he shares his dreams with us. His family moves on a regular basis, and we get to see the struggles of having less as they live in close quarters and heat up water with an iron for bathing. Harley, 15, lives with his grandmother and extended family because his mother is in prison. We
do not find out why she is in prison until much later, but when we do it is heart-wrenching to see the mother and son’s pain from not being with each other. Harley struggles with staying in school and having enough money to get through the week. Lastly there is Appachey, 12, who is being raised by his single mother with his multiple siblings. He too struggles with school and anger issues. His mother’s stark honesty in her life decisions and its effects on her kids brings their life into perspective. The documentary follows the lives of these three boys over a year or two. Simple or mundane things that we overlook in our everyday lives are the main struggles in these kids lives. The documentary starkly depicts the lives of the poor in rural areas. The raw emotion portrayed is devastating, making the message behind the documentary loud and clear. It will make you cry while motivating you to try and change the world around you. This film sheds light on serious issues that are overlooked in America, and it will make you think about your life in a new perspective.
Editor’s Pick | Fad Diets
Debunking the Myths of Diets By MICHAEL CAVANAUGH ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR
People hate the word diet because they have come to associate it with going on diets for short periods of time, but people should instead put some time aside to do some research and build a consistent diet that they can maintain. There is a difference between “going on a diet” and “having a diet.” Typically, when people “go on diets,” they decide to suddenly cut out a large number of foods that were a staple of their daily consumption and instead only eat a small amount of select foods. This practice can lead to the endless cycles of crash dieting that so often lead to dangerous eating disorders. The word “diet” should not be associated with a temporary change in food consumption. After the few weeks of the diet are over and the numbers on the scale have dropped, chances are that you will call it a success and go back to eating whatever you want and in whatever quantities you want. But, this course of action is neither recommended nor healthy. Here are some tips to having a healthy diet you can actually stick to. It is simpler than you think. Obtaining the results that these fad and crash diets promise is easy and painless. If the number on the scale is all you want to see changed, it is as simple as creating in a caloric deficit each day, meaning that your daily calorie intake is less than the number of calories that you burn each day. Do not go by the scale. The scale, except in extreme circumstances, is a very poor indicator of an individual’s health. People should not be trying to lose weight; they should be trying to lose fat, or gain muscle — or, most favorable
WIKIMEDIACOMMONS
By following the food pyramid, all your nutritional needs can be fit into a diet.
to one’s health, both. Weight is just a number. Learn about your macronutrients. You should know what macronutrients are and how they function. Whether your goal is to gain muscle mass or to lose body fat, knowing what each macronutrient is and the effect each has on your body is incredibly important. Protein is the foundation of any good diet. It is the building block for muscle tissue, and it also helps promote healthy skin, hair and nail health. Carbohydrates have amassed a bad reputation, but as the body’s energy source, they are essential to a healthy diet. In addition, carbohydrate intake is closely connected to your thyroid function, which regulates the metabolism. Cutting out carbohydrates can be detrimental to hormonal health and the body’s ability to burn fat. Finally, there are fats, which also have an unfortunately bad reputation. Dietary fat has many functions, but most notably, it is related to hormones and hormone production (notably for men, testosterone). Your body needs all three of these macronutrients in sufficient quanti-
ties in order to remain healthy. Just because you know it is a Big Mac doesn’t mean your body does. We could get into the nitpicky stuff like cholesterol, but simply put, your body does not know the difference between a Big Mac and a serving of grilled chicken. Once your body breaks down food, they all become protein, carbohydrates, fats, etc.; although, that does not mean I suggest eating Big Macs every day. Think of it like this: if ones diet uses a certain calorie and macronutrient goal for the day, as every diet should, it does not necessarily matter what one eats to achieve that goal. The general idea is that you want to have a diet that is healthy, enjoyable and achieves whatever end you are hoping to achieve, whether that is losing fat, gaining muscle or maintaining your current body composition. Do a bit of research and try your best to follow the guidelines you set. Don’t forget that you are doing this to be happy and healthy. If you want to eat an entire Nutella pizza, more power to you— just tell everyone it was a personal pie.
CULTURE
September 24, 2014
Page 13
Celebrities Take On Blogging By ALAYNA PUTTERMAN CONTRIBUTING WRITER
All over the web, celebrities have started to create their own blogs. In terms of lifestyle blogs, Gwyneth Paltrow and Blake Lively are on the radar with the current “in blogs.” Each of these blogs is special in its own way and brings a unique twist to the lifestyle world, but they both inspire fans and young people all over the world. Gwyneth Paltrow’s blog called Goop can be accessed by going to Goop.com. Although this blog is not new and was founded in 2008, the blog is now gaining attention and momentum. Paltrow created this blog with the founding mission to “share all of life’s positives.” The “What is Goop?” section, describes what this blog is all about — “Gwyneth began curating the best of lifestyle to help her readers save time, simplify and feel inspired…for many, Goop has become their most trusted girlfriend on the web.” Goop is growing beyond its origin as a blog and is now a digital media and e-commerce company. Goop now has its own app called City Guides. The app costs $3.99 to buy, but seems to be worth it for its preloaded guides of New York, London and Los Angeles. It claims to be “filled with all the much-loved and underthe-radar places, along with classic
favorites.” Goop refers to its blog as “a wealth of knowledge and an indispensable resource for all who love to make, go, get, do, be and see,” which are the different sections under the “Journal” section of the blog. Goop also features sections for recipes and shopping, but the products featured in the Shop section are extremely expensive and potentially could be found on a different site at a lower price. On the other hand, Goop has many links to articles that offer good advice and insights on trendy items, ranging from clothing to food. A celebrity blog that contrasts Paltrow’s entirely is Blake Lively’s blog Preserve, which can be found at preserve.us. Blake Lively created a “Letter From the Editor Section” where she writes she is “hungry for experience” and that “everyone has a story to tell.” She writes, “Preserve is a creative space. A space which honors both tradition and innovation — a space which honors the future, while having a love affair with the past…” Preserve considers itself to be more than just a blog, but also a “magazine,” an “ecommerce hub” and a “philanthropic endeavor.” To me, the layout of the blog is slightly overwhelming and the color scheme hard to handle, but the content seems to be powerful and innovative. Preserve was named as such because the blog’s mission is to preserve
Playlist | Rosemary Derocher
Song: “Don’t Let It Get Your Down” Artist: Johnnyswim Album: Heart Beats Year: 2013
On Johnnyswim’s “Don’t Let It Get You Down,” it is very rare to hear one member of the folk duo singing by him or herself. Amanda Sudano and Abner Ramirez capture the spirit and nail the mechanics of vocal harmony so perfectly that it’s hard to believe they don’t share some mind or consciousness. Before things get too abstract, I’m just going to agree with what the writer, Nick Hornby, said in Songbook. “I’m not sure,” he writes, “[that] there are words to describe what happens when two voices mesh.” Even when they’re trading individual lines, Sudano and Ramirez manage to mesh incredibly well. On the one hand, you could argue that such a sound is simply the work of an expert producer. While I don’t deny that as a possibility, I also like to believe in things. Plus, I just watched a video of their NPR Tiny Desk concert — and it was just as close to perfect as the track I’m listening to on Spotify right now. So, I’m going to stick with the idea that they’ve got something special going, and I’m in awe of it. All of that aside, “Don’t Let It Get You Down” has a really great groove to it. Who in this world can resist the power of handclap percussion? Not me. As I listened to the song more closely, I realized that lyrically it had a lot of themes that were re-
latable to my personal life. From the beginning, there is a song about standing your ground: “Hold your course, here comes the cavalry / Don’t let it get you, don’t let it get you down.” Recently, I’ve been thinking a lot about how important it is to stick to my guns, and not just in an argument — where I feel like that phrase is most often used — but all the time. It is difficult letting myself do what I want when there are a thousand different obligations and fears in every decision. What will this person and that person think if I say this, and what would this other person do in this situation? It’s a lot. Doing your own thing is obviously a lot easier said than done, and I’m floundering at it on a regular basis. I’m so used to changing the wording in a given text or email a hundred times before I send it or wondering whether I should even send it at all. But, in my best moments, I just go for it. I’ve found it worth giving it a shot for the moments of clarity I get — the ones where I know that I’m being about as “me” as I can be, and not hiding anything. During the bridge, Sudano and Ramirez sing these lines solo for just a moment: “Oh, this could be the part of you that you ain’t never seen before / Oh, this could be the part, the part of you, you want to be.” That part of me is the best part, and it’s the me I’m trying to be — despite all the doubt in my head.
traditions and history. They believe that it is “wonderful to discover something that has been cast aside, to pick it up and restore it to its original beauty.” Preserve has tabs or categories called “passions,” including taste, style, projects, wellness, home, intimacy, culture and celebration. The Shop section of this blog is much more affordable than most of the items for sale that Gwyneth Paltrow and her team featured. Preserve has merchandise for sale in every price range, whereas Goop did not have many items that cost less than $100. Also, Preserve is interesting in that it has an artisans section that gives a description of each of the designers, details their backgrounds and provides a link to their products. This makes the customer feel as if they are investing in products that are one-of-a-kind and specially handcrafted, whereas Goop sells high-fashion designer items. It all really comes down to the buyer’s preference, because both have their pros and cons. This may not matter to some, but for others this may be a deciding factor: shipping and returns. Preserve has a much better return policy than Goop, which is a factor to consider when making purchases on either site. Do not forget to check any site’s policies before
CHRIS PIZZELLO/AP
Along with her blog, Goop, Gwyneth Paltrow came out with a cookbook recently.
pressing check out! What is special about both blogs is that they both focus on giving. Goop and Preserve give a portion of their funds to projects, foundations or in-
dividuals who are in need. I really encourage all of you to check out these blogs, or if you are not a fan of celebrity blogs, still try to delve into the blogging world.
Review | Art
Gallery of Vintage Posters A Must-See By CLAIRE KIM STAFF WRITER
Standing on the corner of 54th Street and Madison Avenue, helplessly wobbling as I switched from ballet flats to nude wedges, I could see, with just a slight tilt of my head, the Ross Vintage Poster gallery. In comparison to the buildings that surround it, it is a rather petite structure with large windows, ones that invitingly read, “VINTAGE POSTER GALLERY.” I took a tiny elevator to arrive inside the exhibition room, which was not much bigger than the elevator itself. Stepping inside, I could see it was filled with vintage posters neatly decking the walls and piled high on the desks set up in the middle of the room. The size of the room was promptly countered by the quality, condition and range of different posters. The current exhibit, “In the Beginning” focuses on turn of the century poster, ones that were the guiding lights for future poster artists. The pieces on the walls and display tables were from the late 1800s to the early 1900s, all original pieces in incredible condition. The exhibit showcased high profile names such as Lautrec and Mucha, while also introducing works by lesser known artists and even anonymous works. The two main art movements of this time period were Art Nouveau and Belle Epoque. Pieces from each category were featured together for “In the Beginning.” The organization
of the pieces in the exhibit was visually diverse yet cohesive at the same time. The Art Nouveau pieces, most notably “The Seasons” by Alphonse Mucha, featured soft pastels, delicate lines and heavy Czech influence. Meanwhile, the Belle Epoque pieces, such as Pal’s “Palais Sports,” held brighter colors and heavier outlines with a carnival-like playfulness. The most recognizable piece of this exhibit was “Jane Avril- Jardin de Paris” by ToulouseLautrec. This piece, along with “Jane Avril Snake Dress,” is a well known examples of the Belle Epoque movement and poster art. After I was able to snap out of the overwhelming awe I felt while looking at the many Lautrec pieces that have been dissected in my art history textbooks, I explored different artists. One of my personal favorite pieces was, “Musee Grevin-Fantouches de John Hewelt” by Cheret. This poster advertises a show performance in Paris. The delicate layering of colors and festive nature of the poster is directly related to the drama and light-heartedness of the Belle Epoque movement. The exhibit itself makes it easy and fun for the viewer to find similarities and differences between pieces. The posters were created in relatively the same
ROSS ART GALLERY
time frame, but were derived from different artistic influences. The works from this time in history reflect of the massive changes that were going on in the world. These pieces reflect the rebellion against what art was and was not, a reevaluation of what is considered beautiful and the sharing of art with the common people. These posters were displayed on common streets, enabling a collective viewing of some art that was being printed and mass produced. The exhibit shares a glimpse of a past that is not so different from our rapidly changing, technology driven present. “In the Beginning” is a beautifully thought out and intricately researched exhibits that is a must-see this fall.
CULTURE
Page 14
Who’s That Kid? | Kevin Curran
Letters | Ask Emma
A Rugby Player’s Future Endeavors in Australia By LAURA SANICOLA ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR
While most Fordham students spent this summer toiling away at minimum wage jobs or unpaid internships, one rising senior found himself over 10,000 miles from home, taking advantage of what he describes as “the athletic opportunity of a lifetime.” Kevin Peter Curran, FCRH ’15, spent three months training with and playing on the Brisbane rugby team of the Queensland Red Heavies in the Queensland Premiership of Australia. A native of Boston, Kevin is no stranger to the world of competitive rugby. He got his start playing on the Xavieran Brothers high school team in Westwood, Massachusetts and is a former captain of the Fordham Men’s Rugby Team, where he played as a fullback. Kevin has also played for the Boston Irish, a team in the East Coast Premiership. “The coach who started our rugby team in high school came into the wrestling room of my high school when I was a freshman and recruited as many wrestlers as he could,” said Kevin. “He knew we were in good shape and would immediately know how to tackle and ruck effectively.” Kevin also attributes his initial love of the game to his Irish heritage. The sport has European origins dating back to early 19th century versions of football. “My all-time favorite rugby player is Brian O’Driscoll, who played for Ireland, but I base my game more off of Gio Aplon and Shane Williams, who are South African and Welsh, respectively.” Having played international rugby, Kevin found noticeable differences between playing in different
COURTESY OF KEVIN CURRAN
premierships. “I’d have to admit that I prefer being part of an Australian team,” Kevin said. “Australian premierships are generally more competitive, and the teams are better overall.” Kevin was awarded free housing through the premiership as a benefit of spending the summer in Australia. However, he received no stipend or payment as an athlete of the Brisbane team. After his arrival in Australia in early June, Kevin got to experience life as a tourist. His travels extended from Brisbane to Sydney, where he visited historic sites such as the Sydney opera house, the Circular Quay and the Royal Gardens. The highlight of his summer, he says, was strictly rugby-related. “I was able to play with and learn from so many top notch rugby players,”
September 24, 2014
said Kevin. “I could not have asked for a better experience.” Though rugby is a significant part of his life, Kevin is heavily involved off the field. By May, Kevin will have graduated with degrees in international political economy and English. He currently works as an unpaid intern at the Dynamic Strategy Resource Group in Harlem, New York, where he writes press releases and news briefs. “I could potentially see myself working here after graduation,” Kevin said. “That is, if playing rugby isn’t an option.” Though Kevin’s plans for next year are currently uncertain, he can envision a future that will land him back in Australia. “If I am able to make it as a professional athlete, there’s no doubt in my mind that I will choose it over anything else,” he said.
Dear Emma, I’m doing a semester abroad, and the boy I’ve been talking to from home has been incredibly unresponsive. He doesn’t text me, and if we talk, his answers are short. I’ve said something to him dozens of times, and every time he kind of brushes it off and says he’s busy or he wants to talk but it’s just an issue with the time difference. Last week, he really pissed me off and I said to him that I think it would be best if we stopped talking while I’m here and we can just see where things are when I get back. He never texted back, and it has almost been a week. What does that mean? Deaded Dear Deaded, It sounds to me like you were putting in a ton of effort, and it wasn’t reciprocated. If you can put in effort while you’re studying in a different country, he can put in the effort if he’s in at home. I think you did the right thing by deciding that you should stop talking while you’re abroad so you can enjoy yourself. If you were to keep trying to talk to him this semester and then decide after that you did not want to talk anymore, you would feel like you wasted your time abroad. As for why he didn’t answer, I’m not sure. He’s either an asshole and won’t talk to you until you get home, or he will text you in a few weeks and disregard what you said. Regardless, I think he is a complete jerk for not answering and you should do your best not to think about it anymore. Enjoy your time abroad, and he will be in here when you return. Hopefully (probably) you will be over it by then. Study abroad is an incredible experience that should not be ruined by a stupid boy. You should be proud of yourself for taking control of the situation and not letting him ruin your time abroad. Emma
Dear Emma, My boyfriend and I just started dating and he’s on a sports team. He wants me to come to his games, but I’m really nervous to meet his parents. Do I introduce myself, or do I wait for him to introduce me? Meeting the Parents Dear Meeting the Parents, These kind of things are easy! You are overthinking this. You should go early with a group of your girlfriends, and then if you feel comfortable enough to introduce yourself, bring a friend with you! If you feel like his parents don’t recognize you, you can wait for him to introduce you. However, I think you would score some major brownie points by introducing yourself. Emma Have a question for Emma? Send them to fordhamramaskemma@gmail.com
Review | Television
A Gripping Chronicle of a Politcal Maverick By NICOLE HORTON CULTURE EDITOR
“Madam Secretary” chronicles the personal and professional life of a maverick female Secretary of State, Elizabeth McCord, as she moves her family to D.C., pushes past office politics and looks to influence international diplomacy. Like many others, I thought that Téa Leoni (Tower Heist) was going give her best Hillary Clinton impression. In addition to her character’s ambition and assertive nature, she even had the blonde hair and quintessential pantsuit. However, Leoni gives a gripping performance and the script does not at all mirror Clinton’s days in office as Secretary of State. “Madam Secretary” begins, at first inexplicably, in Syria where two teenage boys have been taken and jailed, one of them begging for someone to call the State Department. This impending international predicament is cut short as the viewers see Professor Elizabeth McCord on the way to visit her theology professor husband, Henry (Tim Daly, “Private Practice”), to tell him that she will be
COURTESY OF GLOBAL TV
A new drama on CBS creates a strong, likeable secretary of state.
having dinner with her former CIA co-workers. With her husband and two teenagers, McCord now lives a “bucolic life,” as one of her friends says while at dinner. However, they all receive a news alert that the previous Secretary of State has died in a plane crash, under seemingly questionable circumstances. The next day, McCord receives a visit from the president,
who offers her the position and will not take “no” for an answer. The show fast-forwards two months and shows the McCords now residing in Washington, D.C. This marks the official beginning of the show. McCord’s first major issue is “Operation Stupid Kids,” as the gruff Chief of Staff Russell Jackson, played by Bebe Neuwirth, refers to it. Viewers also meet the rest of
the White House staff, including McCord’s speech writer and press coordinator, played respectively by Geoffrey Arend (“Garfunkel and Oats”) and Patina Miller (The Hunger Games: Mockingjay- Part 1.) Her witty assistant, played by Jersey Boys’ Erich Bergen, is the only character that appears to serve as slight comedic relief in this serious, fastpaced TV show. McCord must work to have her voice heard and make an impact rather than act as a mere figurehead. After a failed attempt, she appeals to the president to enable her to negotiate under the radar. In a ploy to stop the press from picking up the story, McCord takes Jackson’s advice and takes on a stylist. Her stylish public appearance makes headlines, which serves as social commentary about the warped focus of the news world. As Madam Secretary navigates her first potential international crisis, it is apparent that she is a politician you will want to root for. Leoni makes her compellingly conflicted, as she is unsure if she is right for the job and whether this change was the right choice for her family. Nevertheless, there are a few
suggestions that would keep the audience’s attention and make it a must-watch. The pilot hints at future dramatic verbal spats between McCord and Jackson. It may not generate the high level of personal drama in the political world present in TV shows like “Scandal,” but these characters must interact more to advance the plot. In addition, there is the allusion of a conspiracy regarding the first secretary of state’s death, spurred by a warning from a former CIA colleague. Finally, achieving a balance in tone and plot movement would be beneficial — the show’s opening five to seven minutes have a jarring shift from harsh realism in Syria to the McCords going on a stroll and engaging in light banter during dinner. On Tuesday, Sept. 23, Fordham students were surprised to see “Madam Secretary” filming on campus. The path between Keating and John Mulcahy Hall was taken over by the crew, in addition to the third floor of Duane. A number of TV shows and movies film on campus during the summer or breaks during the academic year, so many students were excited to get a glimpse.
CULTURE
September 24, 2014
Page 15
With an iOS Update, More Options and Functionality CONTINUED FROM IOS 8 PAGE 11
there are a few possible suggestions: “The” and “This.” With more letters come more accurate predictions and, according to Apple, the program makes better predictions based on the user’s typing habits. Just as important, developers ensure much of the conversationmonitoring is done local to the device, meaning no NSA contractor is studying your texting habits. Another feature in iMessage is a new menu for sending photos, which shows a vertical carousel of recent photos from which a user can choose. iMessage also allows voice messaging and more simplified video messaging, largely to compete with third-party apps like Vine and Snapchat. The new iMessage also makes using group chats a bit more bearable. Now iOS 8 users can opt to silence alerts from chats with constantly chatty users. Users can also look at other details within the group thread, such as a log of sent photos and videos, and even title the group for sorting purposes within the application. In the Notification Center — which appears by swiping down from the top of the screen — more options and information are available as well. Apple has brought back widgets so that some apps — like the everpopular Evernote — can now ap-
SAMUEL JOSEPH/ THE RAM
iPhone users check out the new settings and iMessaging capabilities upon downloading iOS 8.
pear as a widget. Other preloaded applications, like weather and stocks, provide more information in the notification center. For the many who take advantage of their iPhone’s camera capabilities, there are also some expanded options for sharing and editing photos on Apple’s soft-
ware. The app now allows users to edit photos with more detail and precision, providing toggles for light and color aspects. Users can also share photos on Flickr and Tumblr along with Facebook and Twitter. Other new camera features include
Timelapse, which speeds up a video to a desired time length. A Slo-Mo option is also available on iOS 8. Other small features scattered across apps also help with day-today tasks. Users can install thirdparty keyboards, for example. Another addition is the option
for third-party apps to make use of TouchID fingerprint scanning, an option found on the iPhone 5S, 6 and 6 plus. While these features are successful, others are taking more time to be implemented. Apple has suspended the implementation of third-party health apps in the Health Kit app, which is now a native app on the phone. Increased interaction between Apple’s iOS devices and its computers, known as Continuity, is also on hold until the Yosemite operating system is released later this fall. There are plenty of other small updates in the new iOS that allows users to do some pretty neat things. Shazam is now built into Siri; just ask Siri what song is playing if you are curious. In addition, Safari is able to scan credit card information during a purchase. For those who use the Spotlight feature, more options are listed, such as items in the iTunes store. Other features (like a list of how much battery power each app is consuming) are hidden in the settings options of the iOS. Overall, it is difficult to believe the hype that the new iOS has changed lives: it has not. But, there is certainly a handful of features well-worth the update. They make everyday tasks a bit simpler and, ultimately, pack more punch into our smartphones.
Want to see your photos published in The Fordham Ram? Shoot us an email! fordhamramphotos@gmail.com
SPORTS
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September 24, 2014
The Fordham Ram
Rams’ Winning i S Streak kS Snapped at Six By DREW CASEY STAFF WRITER
After opening the season with a program best 6-1-0 record, the women’s soccer team lost a pair of road games this past weekend. Entering the weekend on a six-game winning streak, the squad attempted to make more program history with a seventh consecutive win, which would have surpassed the 2008 team’s six-game streak. The team was ready to go from the onset of its match against Providence College Friday. Junior Ivana Lahcanski opened the scoring with her second goal of the season and put Fordham on the board in the sixth minute. Sophomore Nicol Natale assisted Lahcanski, feeding her the ball from the right side of the field. However, the lead did not last long. Providence answered less than a minute later and added two more goals later in the first half. In the second half, neither team could find the back of the net. The Rams fell 3-1 to the Friars, but first year head coach Jessica Clinton still thought the team turned in a good effort. “Despite the score, I thought that we played really well,” Clinton said. “It was a game that, when it came to possession and movement, we clicked.” Less than 48 hours later, the team traveled to Stony Brook for a Sunday matinee match. The Rams
ANDREW ESOLDI/THE RAM
The Rams have maintained a perfect record at home, going 4-0-0, but have struggled away from Jack Coffey Field.
once again opened the scoring early in the contest, netting a goal in the 11th minute. Senior Kate McDonnell then connected for her third goal of the season. Stony Brook battled back and eventually tied the score in the 60th minute
and went on to take the lead in the 71st minute. However, Fordham did not go away. Senior Jessica Widmann tied the game in the 89th minute on a penalty kick, and overtime ensued. The Rams did not fare well in the extra period, as
Stony Brook scored just 2:14 into overtime and took the match 3-2. The two losses this weekend mark the first time the Rams have lost back-to-back contests since last October. “It’s a learning experience,” said
Widmann. “We learned about how we can become better as a team and try to prevent breakdowns from happening in the future.” The team is now 2-3-0 on the road, while they are a perfect 4-0-0 at home. “Winning road games has been something that we have stressed the importance of since preseason,” said McDonnell. “It’s always difficult to play without a home field advantage. But, if we continue to stay organized and disciplined, and keep our work rate high, we will do well in the upcoming road games.” Overall, the Rams are 6-3-0 and have one scheduled non-conference game remaining. At exactly the halfway point of the season, the members of the team are pleased with where they are, but they know that there is plenty of room for growth. “Overall, I think we are doing well,” said Clinton. “Playing–wise, we are where we want to be. Our leadership with this team is getting better every day and we are taking the right steps to get there. This is not a team looking for the easy way or interested in taking short cuts. They want to do it the right way and work hard for it. I’m proud of the work that they have done and I’m proud of where we are.” The Rams will host Columbia at 3 p.m. on Sunday before opening up conference play on Oct. 3.
Overtime Goal Lifts Rams Over Temple By TARA CANGIALOSI WEB EDITOR
After nearly 100 minutes of play, 31 shots and five yellow cards, the Fordham men’s soccer team stormed the field in victory after it defeated Temple University 1-0 in overtime last Wednesday, Sept. 17 on Jack Coffey Field. The winning moment came in the 99th minute, when the Rams’ Andres Penfold was fouled inside the penalty box. The referee called for a penalty kick, which the streaking senior fired past Temple’s goalkeeper with ease. With the win, Fordham moved to a 3-0 home record for the first time since the 1998 season when games were played on Edward’s Parade. Its overall record also improved 3-2-1 on the season, and the team remains unbeaten in its last four contests (3-0-1). “I think our guys have really bought into trying to win our games at home,” head coach Jim McElderry said. “In the overtime, our guys really pushed and tried to win the game.” Fordham did not waste any time creating scoring opportunities in the first half. Both sophomore Ole Sandnes and junior Tomas Penfold had multiple shots on goal within the first few minutes of the game. These chances, however, resulted in saves from Temple’s goalkeeper, Dan Scheck.
Senior keeper Sean Brailey got the job done for Fordham in the first half, making five key saves to keep the game scoreless. The most important save came in the 40th minute, when Brailey dove to the far post and punched away a shot from Temple’s Olli Tynkkynen. Besides a few moments of excitement and shots one net, the
remainder of the first half was slow. The teams exchanged possession frequently, and were unsuccessful in all of their scoring opportunities. “Today we were under a lot of pressure,” sophomore defender Andy Hickey said. “They have a lot of good individual talent up top, but we felt like if we broke
down those individuals coming at us defensively, that we could be on top.” In the second half, play tightened up and the goalkeeper only made one save each to force overtime. With less than a minute left in the first overtime, the momentum shifted in Fordham’s favor. Senior
MARIA ANCONA/ THE RAM
The Rams are 3-0 at home for the first time since 1998 when matches were still played on Edward’s Parade.
Eric Walano, a substitute, played a flawless ball across the 18 yard box, where Penfold hoped to meet the ball with a strike. However, Walano was tripped up by Temple’s Robert Sagel inside the box, causing the referee to blow his whistle and issue a penalty kick. With 13.9 seconds left, Penfold buried the kick into the top left corner, earning his fifth goal of the season and the overtime victory for the Rams. “Eric put on a great shift. He came in for nine minutes...and was able to make an impact,” Penfold said of his teammate. “And then I thought I got taken down in the box, and so did the ref. The rest is history.” Of Penfold’s five goals this season, three have been game-winning goals. In goal, Brailey finished with seven saves for the Rams, while also recording his first shutout of the season and the seventh of his career. Temple’s Scheck recorded four saves, while the Owls fell to 1-4-1 on the season overall. “I’m happy with the commitment of the group so far, especially at home,” McElderry said as his players rang the victory bell. “We have really come and competed well, so I’m excited for the future.” The team will next be in action on Wednesday, Sept. 24, when the Rams travel to Columbia for a 7 p.m. match against the Lions.
SPORTS
September 24, 2014
Page 17
Late Rounds Doom Varsity Scores & Stats Golf at Cornell By SAM BELDEN STAFF WRITER
Fordham golf faltered on the last day of the Cornell Invitational, causing them to tie for ninth out of 15 teams. Although the Rams were tied for fourth heading into the last day, they were unable to seal the deal in the final round. The event was held at the Robert Trent Jones Golf Course at Cornell University, a well-regarded layout designed by the eponymous course architect. The Fordham squad featured five relatively unfamiliar names in its effort to capture a victory. “We sent some of the other guys up to give them tournament experience,” said senior Drew Dufresne, who is usually one of the starting five for the Rams. While the starting five at Cornell may have lacked experience and failed to maintain their lofty spot on the leaderboard, they turned in a solid performance. Freshman Matt Schiller and sophomore Oscar Cabanas led the way for Fordham; both tied for 17th place. Schiller played consistently, opening with a strong 73 and breaking 80 in the last two rounds. Cabanas, on the other hand, started off with rounds of 74 and 73, but faded in the final round, shooting a disappointing 81.
Despite ending the tournament on a sour note, Cabanas was in good spirits and has high hopes for this year’s squad. “I’m excited about the young guys on the team,” he said. “I know there are wins coming soon for us.” The rest of the Fordham competitors were underclassman — freshman Joe Trim, who tied for 38th, freshman James Mongey, who finished in 55th and sophomore Hugh LaGrotteria, who wound up in 72nd. At the end of the day, it was a good effort on a well-designed course that played fairly tough. “The winds over the course of the 54 holes definitely impacted scoring,” noted LaGrotteria. “Greens were fairly receptive but very slick.” Dartmouth held on to win the event by a single stroke over Delaware and UPenn. After opening up a comfortable lead heading into the final round, the Big Green stumbled a bit, but none of the other squads could sink enough putts to catch them. The medalist was Blake Carter of Longwood University, whose performance featured an excellent second round of 70. He edged Delaware’s Kieran Purcell, who shot a tournament-best 69 in the final round, by one shot. This week, the Rams will take their regular squad to Vermont to compete in the Dartmouth Invitational, which will be held on Sept. 27 and 28.
Football Fordham 6 15 7 21 49 Columbia 0 0 0 7 7 (FOR) M. Nebrich 4 TDs (COL) J. Hunton 1 TD
Men’s Soccer Temple 0 Fordham 1 GOALS: Penfold (FOR) 100’
Volleyball Fordham 0 Seton Hall 3 (FOR) G. Mueller 14 digs (SHU) A. Hansen 9 kills
Women’s Soccer Fordham 1 Providence 3 GOALS: Lahcanski (FOR) 6’, Klaum (PRO) 7’, Walton (PRO) 32’, Zimmerman (PRO) 43’
Fordham 0 Middle Tennesse St. 3 (FOR) L. Hipp 11 kills (MTSU) C. Ross 15 kills Fordham Dartmouth (FOR) L. Hipp 11 kills (DU) J. Lau 17 digs
0 3
Men’s Cross Country Iona Meet of Champions 2nd place Mike Turi
Fordham 2 Stony Brook 3 GOALS: Cannicatti (FOR)16’, Rea (SBU) 60’ Good (SBU) 71’ Widmann (FOR) 89’ Edwards (SBU) 93’
14th-26:12.5
Women’s Cross Country Iona Meet of Champions 9th place Brianna Tevnan 21st-23:10 Golf Cornell Invitational
T-9th
Water Polo Fordham Connecticut College
13 9
Fordham Brown
6 12
Athletes of the Week Mike Nebrich
Brianna Tevnan
Senior
Senior
Football
Cross Country
Nebrich was named Corvias Patriot League Offensive Player and Beyond Sports Network Athlete of the Week, throwing for 435 yards and four touchdowns versus Columbia.
Tevnan was the top finisher for the women at the Iona Meet of Champions this past Saturday, placing 21st overall with a time of 23:10 en route to a team finish of ninth overall.
Each week, The Fordham Ram Sports editors honor one male athlete and one female athlete for their on-field performances as their “Athletes of the Week.”
News & Notes • Fordham running back Chase Edmonds was named the Corvias Patriot League Offensive Rookie of the Week for the second straight week and third time this year. Edmonds had 27 carries for 174 yards and a touchdown along with 41 receiving yards and a touchdown versus Columbia this past Saturday. • Former Fordham Ram Isa Abdul-Quddus had one pass defended, five total tackles and three solo in the Detroit Lions’ 19-7 victory over the Green Bay Packers. • Fordham’s men cross country team entered the U.S. Track & Field/Cross Country Coaches Association regional rankings on Monday at No. 10 in the Northeast Region. • Fordham basketball and SNY have agreed to a partnership for the second straight year to broadcast games on their network. There will be seven Fordham men’s games and two women’s games on SNY this year, starting with the women versus Hofstra University on Nov. 21 at 7 p.m. and the men on Nov. 23 against the University of Massachusetts Lowell at 6 p.m.
Follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/theram_sports COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA
The Rams were set to finish top three, but had a rough final day on the course.
SPORTS
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Senior Profile | Jordan Chapman
Water Polo Splits Opening Two Games of Conference Play By ANTHONY ALI STAFF WRITER
SAMUEL JOSEPH/THE RAM
Chapman has seen significant playing time during all four years as a Ram.
By MAX PRINZ SPORTS EDITOR
Jordan Chapman is a senior defensive back and one of the leaders of the Fordham football program. Chapman was a Second-Team All-Patriot League performer in 2013 and a three-sport athlete in high school, but did not play football until his senior year. The Fordham Ram: How did you first get into playing football? Jordan Chapman: It’s actually kind of a funny story. My buddy Zach Wholley, the brother of [Fordham Co-Def. Coor./Linebackers] Coach Wholley, convinced me to play. My sophomore and junior year, I wasn’t a fan of our head coach. I wasn’t a fan of the way he coached and the way he treated some of the guys. My senior season he left and we got a new head coach, DJ Hernandez. My buddy Zach was like, “You know what dude? It’s your senior season just come out, come play ball with the boys.” So I was like, “Alright, might as well.” I just went out and tried to have fun and I did. TFR: What made you come to Fordham? JC: Honestly, the full scholarship. Fordham was the only school that offered me a full scholarship. I was getting looked at from a couple of Division II schools, and a couple DII schools for basketball, too. But a full scholarship, Fordham’s academic reputation and getting to be in the city; I used to come to the city all the time with my mom. TFR: You’ve been part of a big rise in the Fordham football program. How would you describe the way the program has changed? JC: Hard-earned. Very hardearned. Freshman year, coming in and dealing with the 10-loss season that we had was really hard. In high school — and I’m sure this is the same for a lot of other guys — I was used to winning. I was used to being at the top of the totem pole. Coming in and doing so poorly was a real punch in the face and was like the entire team really need to work hard and focus on doing everything right for us to win. It’s been a long journey, but it’s been a fun journey as well. TFR: Do you think last year’s team was significantly special? Or are there a lot of the same attributes on this year’s team? JC: I think there’s a lot of the same. Last year we had a great class, our senior leadership was amazing. But this year, our senior leadership is also amazing. We’ve got Stephen
Hodge, whose story is similar to a lot of guys on the team. He was a walkon wide receiver his freshman year and last year he was an All-American linebacker. His leadership on the field and off the field has been huge. And we’ve got guys like Ian Williams, too, who is a fifth-year senior starter. His example and Hodge’s example, I think a lot of the guys on the team have really taken notice of them. TFR: Have you tried to take on more of a leadership role this year? JC: Yeah, I’ve tried to. I’m not really a vocal leader. I can be when I need to, like if I see something is wrong I’ll step up and say something, but I really just try to lead by example, try to do all the little things right on and off the field. TFR: People talk about cornerback being kind of a thankless job. Do you feel that way? Do you like playing corner? JC: Yeah, I love playing corner, it’s probably the most fun position for me to play. Going up against the top receivers in the Patriot League and the top receivers in the country in terms of our team, because we go play Sam Ajala and Brian Wetzel and Tebucky Jones all the time. It’s a lot of fun; I love playing corner. TFR: Is there anything better than picking off a pass? JC: Picking off a pass and scoring. It’s pure adrenaline. Last year, I had a pick-six against Lafayette. Most of the time, when guys score, like when Tebucky and Sam score all the time they kind of slow down as soon as they pass the goal line. I just couldn’t stop running. My adrenaline was so high I just couldn’t stop moving until I got back to the sideline. It’s a great feeling. TFR: Do you have a favorite memory from four years of football? JC: Beating Temple, for sure. That was absolutely huge. Just playing at the Link, too, was awesome. That’s every kid’s dream, to play at a professional stadium. I think last year against Bucknell, too, when I blocked the field goal. That was awesome too. TFR: Do you have any plans for after graduation? JC: I’ve been told by a couple of my coaches that scouts have been taking notice of me and if an opportunity presents itself, I’m definitely going to take it. But if it doesn’t, I really want to get into sports broadcasting. I’m a communications major, focusing on radio and TV broadcasting. If I don’t get into the journalism side, I wouldn’t mind getting into the production side, either. Anything in the general broadcasting production area would be awesome.
September 24, 2014
Fordham water polo headed to Connecticut College in New London, Connecticut, and then to Providence, Rhode Island, to face Brown University as it started conference play this weekend. The Rams finished the day with a 13-9 victory at Connecticut, but fell to Brown, 12-6. The results put Fordham at 7-3 on the season. In its first game of the day, Fordham bested Connecticut College, 13-9. The Rams opened their lead early in the first quarter, with the first stanza of play ending 3-1 in favor of the Rams. By halftime, the lead opened up to three, with the score at 6-3. Fordham preserved its three goal lead, netting another three to make the tally 9-6. A four goal flurry in the fourth quarter ultimately put the game squarely in the Rams’ win column, 13-9. The Rams were led by senior Ori Raz, who netted twice. Sophomore R.J. Simmons and freshman Ethan Vandeventer also scored two each, while juniors Bobby Wurtz, Andrew Gonzalez, Davis DeFontes, Patrick Reyes, Landon Kern and Cameron Shewchuck
also all found the back of the net. Rounding out the scoring was freshman Grant Keesling, who would add one goal. Senior goalkeeper Noah LeBeau continued to perform well in goal, with six saves, two steals and a penalty save. The Rams were also bolstered by the presence of senior Eric Minowitz, amid fear that he might miss this weekend’s matches after being forced to exit a game last weekend with a bloody nose. “I never like to see any of our guys go down the way he did,” Coach Bill Harris said last week about the injury. “If he can’t play, that’ll be a real loss for us. We’re talking about a guy who wins a large percentage of his swim-offs, who’s real fast and gets in good positions.” The Rams then made their way to Rhode Island, to take on Brown. Down 8-3 at the half, Fordham failed to make the comeback, as the Rams were outscored 4-3 in the second half. Gonzalez scored another two goals with Minowitz matching his output with two of his own. Wurtz and Reyes netted one goal each as well. In net, LeBeau made ten saves, while junior goalkeeper Patrick Harrigan had one.
These two games capped off what was an overall positive week for the Rams, who had three players receive weekly CWPA awards. LeBeau received his second consecutive Defensive Player of the Week award, after making 36 saves and four steals in last weekend’s Bucknell Invitational. “Noah was an all-conference player last year, so I wasn’t surprised to see him win the player of the week award,” Coach Harris said. “He’s a great athlete and leader in the pool.” Vandeventer received Rookie of the Week honors after finishing the Bucknell Invitational with two goals, two assists and five steals. Perhaps his most notable contribution was his game-winning goal against Bucknell in a sudden death period, which snapped a 33-year losing streak to the Bison. Joining the honorees was Simmons, who was added to the CWPA Offensive Honor Roll after tallying eight goals, six assists and nine steals in his performances during the Bucknell Invitational. Fordham water polo will be back in action on Sept. 25, when the Rams travel to New Rochelle, New York to take on Iona at 7:30 p.m.
Does America Have a Fighting Chance in the 2014 Ryder Cup? By SAM BELDEN STAFF WRITER
The Ryder Cup is a biennial exhibition that pits the very best American golfers against the best European golfers in a team match play high-profile event lasting three days. This year’s edition, to be held at the PGA Centenary Course at the Gleneagles Hotel in Scotland, begins in less than a week. It is sure to excite and entertain golf fans on both sides of the pond. As expected, the Europeans are the favorites, and for good reason. Since the turn of the century, they have won five of the six Ryder Cups. The American squad’s lone victory came in 2008. The Euro-
peans have proven on many occasions that they can outduel the Americans over the three days of competition. Furthermore, this year’s European team features four of the top six players in the world rankings: Rory McIlroy, Sergio Garcia, Henrik Stenson and Justin Rose. These four are an intimidating crew by any measure, and the Americans will need to bring their A-game if they want to have a chance against them. Despite all of this, the squad from this side of the Atlantic has a much better chance of winning the Ryder Cup than it would initially seem. While much has been made of Europe’s talented quartet of top 10 players, no one is talking about the fact that another four of
COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA
Rory McIlroy leads a top-heavy European squad into this year’s Ryder Cup.
the world’s top 10 hail from the USA: Jim Furyk, Bubba Watson, Matt Kuchar and Rickie Fowler. They may not be quite as good as Europe’s core four, but make no mistake — they are a credible, competitive group that is capable of carrying the American squad to victory. With them leading the way, Europe’s frontline is not that much better than the USA’s. Additionally, the Americans form a stronger team all around. While the European squad features some amazing talent, it also includes relative journeymen like Jamie Donaldson and Stephen Gallacher. Also on the team are veterans Lee Westwood and Ian Poulter who have been a part of Europe’s wins in the past, both men are badly out of form. The Americans, on the other hand, have a great team from top to bottom, with each golfer playing a specialized role. Hunter Mahan, for instance, is a master of match play who can perform well under pressure. Zach Johnson is a wiz at chipping and putting. Webb Simpson is the perfect partner for Watson; they went undefeated as a pair at the 2012 Ryder Cup. Keegan Bradley and Phil Mickelson complement each other perfectly as playing partners, while Jimmy Walker and Jordan Spieth are flexible, all-purpose players. Patrick Reed brings heart and intensity. The Europeans may have worldclass players and a sparkling track record, but they are not as tough as they look. The American team has been constructed perfectly and is built to give the defending champions a run for its money. Just like the last two times, this year’s Ryder Cup should come down to the last few matches.
SPORTS
September 24, 2014
Page 19
At 0-10, Volleyball Still Looking for First W By ANTHONY PUCIK ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR
The volleyball team began its year on a rough note. Facing a handful of tough competitors at the San Francisco Invitational, Rose Hill Classic and Hofstra Invitational, the Rams found themselves 0-10 heading into the Seton Hall Classic last weekend in search of their first win of the season. They started off against the 8-3 Seton Hall Pirates and fell in straight sets 3-0. The first set was knotted at 14, but Seton Hall took control and went on to win 25-19. The second set was even closer; the Rams held a 17-14 lead at one point, but a seven-point run by the Pirates gave them the advantage and, eventually, the set, 25-22. Seton Hall carried this momentum from the second set and went on to win the third with relative ease, 25-13. A trio of juniors, led the way for the Rams. Breanne Delsing had nine kills, Abigail Konovodoff had 23 assists and Grace Muller had 14 digs. The Rams lost their second match in straight sets on Saturday, Sept. 20, against the Middle Tennessee State Blue Raiders. This match was almost identical in score to the match against Seton Hall, as the Blue Raiders took the first set 25-19. Fordham jumped out to an early 4-2 lead in the second set, but Middle Tennessee State fought back to tie it up. That was the last time the Blue Raiders trailed in the set, as they took 12-10 and 20-16 leads. Fordham cut the deficit down to one, but Middle Tennessee State was too much for the Rams to handle, as they fell 25-23 and down two sets to none. Middle Tennessee State wasted no time getting ahead in the third
set, scoring the first four points and pulling out to a 10-2 lead that eventually became 16-9. From there, the two sides alternated points until Middle Tennessee State scored five straight to take the set, 25-14, and the match. Graduate student Lisa Hipp topped the Rams with 11 kills, Konovodoff once again led the team with 25 while Muller had 16 digs. The Rams’ final match of the tournament was against the Dartmouth College Big Green and featured three tightly contested sets, none of which went in Fordham’s favor. The Rams had the early lead in the first set 9-4 and extended it all the way to 16-10, but the Big Green’s 6-1 run brought them back within one. The two sides went back and forth from there, and Dartmouth was eventually able to come away with the 25-23 first set victory. The second set was even closer, as both teams were once again tied late at 20, but the Big Green once again outlasted the Rams and took the second set 2522. In the third set, Dartmouth jumped out to an early lead at 7-3 and then continued to 12-4. Fordham went on a run to bring itself within one point, but was unable to complete the comeback as Dartmouth swept the Rams, taking the third set 24-22. Hipp once again led the Rams in kills again with 11, Konovodoff in assists with 29 and digs with nine. The Rams hope to earn their first win of the season on the road with the beginning of Atlantic 10 play on Friday, Sept. 26 when they take on George Mason at 7 p.m. They then travel from Virginia to D.C. to take on another A-10 foe, George Washington University on Saturday, Sept. 27.
By ANTHONY PUCIK ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR
Allow me to take you all away from the giant mess that the NFL is in right now, the ridiculousness of Jameis Winston and the NCAA, the horrid play of both the New York Yankees and New York Mets and how LeBron James’ hairline has developed in the summer months. I’m here to talk about the fourth major sport: hockey. The NHL regular season is just two weeks away, and I am excited for the season to start. Taking a look at the three local NHL teams, there is plenty of excitement and plenty of questions that need to be answered early on for each. Take the Eastern Conference champion New York Rangers, for example. They certainly look like a different team this year, having lost Anton Stralman, Benoit Pouliot, Brian Boyle, Derek Dorsett and Brad Richards in the offseason while acquiring Lee Stempniak, Tanner Glass, Dan Boyle, Matt Lombardi, Kevin Hayes and a few other depth players. On the whole, the core of the team is still intact. The team still has Henrik Lundqvist between the pipes, and it resigned Derick Brassard, Mats Zuccarello, John and Dominic Moore. Derek Stepan, Martin St. Louis and Carl Hagelin round out the top offensive lines.
The big question surrounding the Rangers is whether or not they’ll be able to take that next step: make it to the Stanley Cup Finals and win it all. Are the players they acquired enough to make up for the talent they lost last season? Who will be their third line center: Matt Lombardi, Kevin Hayes or someone else entirely? Will the offense continue to grow under Alain Vigneault in his second year as head coach, or will Lundqvist be forced carry the weight of the team again? Then there are the New Jersey Devils, who made headlines in the offseason when they parted ways with longtime goaltender Martin Brodeur. This was anticipated given the trade for Cory Schneider two offseasons ago, but everyone expected Brodeur to retire. Instead, he is still looking for a starting job next season but hasn’t had much luck. Aside from that, the Devils didn’t really shake up their roster except they brought in Mike Cammalleri and Martin Havlat in order to help their struggling offense from last season. You’d like to think the big question for the Devils is on the offensive side of the puck. Will Cammalleri and Havlat be enough to help New Jersey’s offense? How long will Jaromir Jagr continue to play at a high level given his age? Until Brodeur finds another team to sign with
COURTESY OF FLICKR
After a long offseason, puck drop is only a few short weeks away.
or announces retirement, a lot of attention is going to be placed on him, whether the Devils want it to or not. Last but not least, there’s the New York Islanders: a team that seemed to have turned the corner two years ago when they made the playoffs and played a hard-fought first round series against the Pittsburgh Penguins, only to find themselves missing the playoffs last season and in the cellar of the Eastern Conference once again. Last season was misleading, however, as a multitude of injuries (including one to captain John Tavares which sidelined him for most of the second half of the season) kept an influx of players moving up and down between the AHL Bridgeport Sound Tigers and the Islanders. That isn’t all bad, however, as the Isles had a chance to showcase a great deal of young talent that might be able to start in the NHL this season. Players like Ryan Strome, Calvin de Haan, Anders Lee and Matt Donavan all proved that they could compete at the NHL level and most likely will find a spot on this year’s opening night roster. Then there’s the major shakeup to their offense and goaltending that also could prove to pay dividends for them. Signing Jaroslav Halak and Chad Johnson as the new tandem between the pipes and acquiring Mikhail Grabovski and Nikolai Kulemin to provide some offensive depth and veteran presence in the locker room could prove to be extremely beneficial for their team going forward. There may be a few questions, but with a move to Brooklyn next year and great potential, there is a lot to look forward to if you’re an Isles fan. I haven’t even gotten to the other top headlines around the league, and this is already too long, so I’ll leave with this: the Montreal Canadiens travel to Toronto to take on the Maple Leafs on Wednesday, Oct. 8, at 7 p.m. EST to open the NHL season. It’s time to drop the puck.
Upcoming Varsity Schedule Home games in CAPS
Thursday Sept. 25
Friday Sept. 26
Sunday Sept. 28
Saturday Sept. 27
Football
at Holy Cross 1 p.m.
Men’s Soccer
at Dartmouth 3 p.m.
Men’s Tennis Women’s Tennis
at Eastern Championships West Point, N.Y. at Battle in Beantown 3:30 p.m.
Cross Country Water Polo Volleyball
RAM ARCHIVES
Fordham begins Atlantic 10 conference play this week at George Mason.
Golf
at Iona 7:30 p.m.
at MIT 3 p.m.
Tuesday Sept. 30
at St. John’s 7:30 p.m. COLUMBIA 3 p.m.
Women’s Soccer
Monday Sept. 29
at Harvard 10 a.m.
at George Mason at Geo. Wash. 7 p.m. 7 p.m. at Dartmouth Invitational 8 a.m.
Wednesday Oct. 1
Page 20
SPORTS
September 24, 2014
The Fordham Ram
Rams Retain Liberty Cup For Fifth Straight Year By MAX PRINZ SPORTS EDITOR
For the fifth consecutive year, Fordham will be the home of the Liberty Cup. Fordham used yet another 100-yard rushing performance from freshman Chase Edmonds and senior quarterback Mike Nebrich’s best game of the season to blow out Columbia, 49-7. Nebrich, who has started slowly this season, was 32-48 for 435 yards and four touchdowns. Despite facing a variety of blitzes and heavy pressure in the pocket, he remained calm and took whatever the defense gave him. In the postgame press conference, Nebrich called the performance his best of the season, but pointed out that it was not perfect. “Yeah, [best game] so far,” Nebrich said. “A lot of room for improvement though, 16 incompletions: there’s room there to improve. A big win is always nice, but there’s always room to improve.” Nebrich’s day received a boost from a fantastic showing by his talented receiving corps. Seniors Sam Ajala and Brian Wetzel each had 10 catches. Fellow senior Tebucky Jones had his second straight impact game, catching seven passes for 129 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Jones’ first TD catch, a onehanded grab in the end zone, was particularly impressive. “The receivers were great,” Nebrich said. “They were doing a great job all week, getting lined up, getting exactness on their routes.
MATT ROSENFELD/ THE RAM
The Rams have won five straight Liberty Cups and lead the all-time Liberty Cup series with Columbia 9-4.
It doesn’t surprise me at all that all three of them had a big day.” Edmonds did his part on offense as well, rushing for 174 yards on a season-high 27 carries. He also contributed a rushing touchdown, as did fellow running back, sophomore Kendall Pearcey. “Chase and KP have been great for me,” Nebrich said. “They take a lot of pressure off me. Our big thing on offense is play-action pass and when you have two great running backs like we have, those play-action passes become really effective at opening the defense.
Having those guys here has been really great.” Columbia head coach Pete Mangurian was similarly impressed with Edmonds. “He’s a good back,” Mangurian said. “He spins, he gets you going, and they’ve got that short passing game that helps open up the seams.” The Fordham defense was, perhaps, even more impressive. The Rams stonewalled the Lions’ offense all day, allowing just 165 yards of total offense and shutting Columbia out until very late in the
fourth quarter, when many of the substitutes were in the game. The run defense, often a question mark, allowed just 59 yards. “We’ve emphasized the run defense since the end of last year,” Moorhead said. “To be a complete defense and go from being very good to a dominant level we needed to stop the run better.” The Rams began their dominant performance on their second drive of the game. Nebrich orchestrated a seven-play, 52-yard drive that led to a field goal and put the Rams up 3-0. Then he led a 13-play drive for
another field goal. A third consecutive scoring drive got Fordham six points when Nebrich found senior tight end Dan Light. At the 9:50 mark of the second quarter, the Rams were ahead 14-0 and getting everything they wanted on offense. “We actually had prepared pretty well for what we got today,” Nebrich said of the Columbia defense. “Once we got all their coverages down we had plays dialed up.” The defense, meanwhile, shut down the Columbia offense. Excluding the final drive when substitutes were playing, the Columbia offense did not register a drive greater than 50 yards. Columbia had 13 drives on Saturday, 12 of which ended in punts. Mangurian was visibly disappointed in his team’s play, especially on third down. “Numbers don’t lie,” Mangurian said. “When you’re 2-14 on third down it’s hard to keep a drive going. They made big plays and we didn’t. That’s what gets it going.” With the win, the Rams improve to 3-1 on the year and retain the coveted Liberty Cup for a fifth straight season. Coach Moorhead said he was pleased his team performed as well as it did in the rivalry game. “It’s very significant,” Moorhead said. “This is a good rivalry game between two great academic schools in close proximity to each other.” The Rams will travel to face Holy Cross this weekend for the RamCrusader Cup.
Fordham Continues Patriotic Tradition By MAX PRINZ SPORTS EDITOR
Fordham football donned special patriotic uniforms for its Liberty Cup match up against Columbia. Playing on the road this season, this year’s jerseys featured much less maroon and placed a greater emphasis on red, white and blue. This uniform featured a starsand-stripes theme that stretched from head to toe. The helmet fea-
tured a block F with the stars and stripes of the American flag. The shoulder pads displayed white stars on a field of blue, while the white pants featured both stars and stripes. Even the socks of the players were fitted with a smaller U.S. flag and a Fordham logo. Player names on the backs of the jerseys were been replaced by “PAPD,” “FDNY” and “NYPD” to further honor the the heroes who fought to save lives on 9/11. The players, who had not seen
the new outfits until just prior to the game Saturday morning, were excited about the new jerseys. “They were perfect,” senior defensive back Ian Williams said. “I loved them.” “I think they were a big improvement from last year honestly,” commented senior wide receiver Tebucky Jones. “I kind of feel like we’re the FCS version of Oregon right now.” The Liberty Cup was originally founded to honor the memory
KELLY KULTYS/THE RAM
Senior quarterback Mike Nebrich takes a moment prior to his last Liberty Cup game.
of those who lost their lives on Sept. 11, 2001. Columbia and Fordham were scheduled to play just four days after those attacks. The two teams moved the match up to Thanksgiving that year and created a trophy to remember the 36 Fordham and the 43 Columbia alumni and students who were lost that day. The annual Liberty Cup game has been played ever since. Head coach Joe Moorhead pointed out the significance of
the Fordham-Columbia game in his postgame press conference. “The reason [the game] was founded was to commemorate the lives of the victims of 9/11 and the people who fought to save lives,” Moorhead said. “For us to come out and put a good performance together was very gratifying.” With the win, Fordham secured its fifth straight season in possession of the Liberty Cup and pushed its lead in the series to 9-4.
MAX PRINZ/ THE RAM
The Rams warm up in the patriotic jerseys before their Liberty Cup game against Columbia.