Volume 96 issue 16

The Fordham Ram Serving The Fordham University Community Since 1918 Volume 96, Issue 16

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WSJ Columnist Talks Midterm Elections, Blasts Party Politics

SAMUEL JOSEPH/THE RAM

Kimberley Strassel, a columnist for The Wall Street Journal, came to Rose Hill to discuss the upcoming midterm elections.

By ANDREW MORSE STAFF WRITER

On Monday, Oct. 6, the College Republicans welcomed their first speaker of the semester to the Rose Hill Campus. The Wall Street Journal columnist Kimberley Strassel discussed the consequences of the 2014 Senatorial midterm elections and answered questions from the audi-

ence in Keating 3rd Monday night.

The midterm elections will be held in November and will play a significant role in how the last two years of President Barack Obama’s final term play out.

Strassel is a member of the editorial board for The Wall Street Journal.

She writes a weekly political column titled “The Potomac Watch.”

She also writes many of the un-

signed editorials appearing in The Wall Street Journal, which express the newspaper’s opinion on political policy. She is the only member of The Journal’s editorial board to be located in our nation’s capital.

Rather than share her predictions for the November elections, Strassel delved into the consequences of the elections’ potential outcomes. She outlined her thoughts on two differ-

October O b 88, 2014

Returned Grads Give Pro Advice

ent scenarios: one in which the balance in the Senate remains relatively the same and a second in which the Republican Party wins a majority.

If the Congressional balance of power remains the same after this November, then Strassel believes the next two years will be spent hashing out the same problems our country is facing right now. She blames a lot of the lack of production from the current Congressional regime on Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV).

“He does nothing. When people talk about dysfunction in Washington, the reality is that the dysfunction is one man,” said the columnist of Reid.

She accused the Nevada senator of turning down proposals in an effort to protect the Democrats’ public support and the party’s majority in the Senate, as well as sparing them from having to make tough votes.

A victory for the Republican Party in November would give them a majority in both the House and the Senate. Strassel is more optimistic in her view on this scenario, but warns that we will not see the drastic changes many conservatives would like. Rather, she predicts many smaller changes in an effort to build long-term momentum.

“Having a majority in Congress gives you more clout and a bigger

A pair of Rams returned to their old stomping grounds Tuesday for Fordham’s first ever News-Brunch.

Alice Gainer, FCRH ’04, and Dick Brennan, GSB ’83, reporters at WCBS and co-anchors of WLNYTV's News at Nine, spoke Tuesday morning to celebrate National News Engagement Day. The event, hosted by the communication and media studies department and the communication honor society, Lambda Pi Eta, drew a large, standing-room only crowd to McGinley 235. Brennan and Gainer, New York's only all-Fordham news team, gave students advice and spoke fondly about their time at Rose Hill.

"This place here is very special," Brennan said. "When I walk through here in the fall, it's the greatest feeling in the world."

Gainer shared similar feelings about her alma mater. She was one of the founders of Fordham Nightly News and also spent time at WFUV,

SEE STRASSEL, PAGE 2

SEE ADVICE, PAGE 3

By MAX PRINZ SPORTS EDITOR

Matos Talks On Keating, Actors, Not Students, Stage Protests

By KELLY KULTYS OMA Future EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

By KATIE MEYER NEWS EDITOR

Juan Carlos Matos has only been the new director of Fordham’s Office of Multicultural Affairs (OMA) for a few months, but he already has a long list of plans for the future.

The 27-year-old University of Miami graduate was promoted from his position of assistant director this summer, and officially became the acting director of the office at the start of this semester. He took over the position from Sofia Bautista Pertuz, who left to become assistant dean of students at Hofstra University.

Despite his heavy new workload Matos said he feels very ready to step into his new role, something SEE MATOS, PAGE 4

in this issue

Opinion Page 7 Ebola Outbreak in the Media

Culture Page 11 Display Shows Fordham in WWI

Sports

Page 20

Fordham Avenges 2013 Loss to Lafayette

Members of the Fordham community were greeted with the screams and shouts of an anti-war protest as they walked past the Keating steps on Tuesday, Oct. 8. From far away, it looked like a student-organized event, until the large film cameras and tents set up sporadically across campus became noticeable.

The protest was part of a commercial for GANT Clothing, an apparel line for men’s, women’s and children’s clothing founded in New Haven, Connecticut in 1949. According to its website, GANT was known for introducing and popularizing the button down collar to the U.S. Its roots in New Haven caused the brand to become popular with students and professors of Yale University.

On Tuesday, the clothing line staged a protest set in the 1970s on a college campus, right in the midst of the Vietnam War. The scene was complete with an old fashioned cop car, men on horseback and students holding signs that read, “Students for Peace,” “Will Work for Peace” and “Unite.”

This protest sent students to Twitter to voice their frustrations over Fordham’s free speech policy.

“I'm sorry, @fordhamnotes, so students can’t have a free speech zone for protest, but a TV show can pay to stage a protest & that's a-okay?”

Amanda Pell, FCRH’15, (@itsamandapell) tweeted.

Former managing editor of The

SAMUEL JOSEPH/THE RAM

Tuesday’s filming of a commercial for GANT Clothing illicited some feelings of frustration among the student body.

Fordham Ram, Canton Winer, (@ CantonWiner) FCRH’15, tweeted, “A protest is being filmed in the steps of Keating. Will we ever see a real student demonstration on those steps? #Fordham” and then “If student activists said they were filming for ABC Family would it be easier for them to protest at #Fordham?”

The students were expressing their frustration over the lack of a free speech zone on campus, a place where students would be allowed to protest, demonstrate, post, etc., without needing prior documentation from the university.

Right now, the university follows a demonstration policy that requires students to register their demonstrations in advance. Groups of students are prohibited from “creat[ing] a

volume of noise that prevents members of the university from carrying on their normal activities… congregat[ing] or assembl[ing] within any university building or on university property in such a fashion as to disrupt the university’s normal functions or violate the following rules.”

The policy states that a group cannot enter a private office unless given permission. They cannot block entrances, or other forms of passages, they cannot create noise that intereferes with those at work and they cannot occupy space unless they follow university procedures.

To get to this stage, students have to adhere to the official demonstration policy. It states, “the Organizer/ Liaison [member of the Fordham

University community] must meet with the dean of students to coordinate the planned event and is encouraged to schedule this meeting well in advance. To schedule this meeting, the organizer must appear at the dean of students’ office for his/her campus. The dean of students/designate will meet with the organizer within one business day. The planned demonstration may be scheduled no less than two business days after this meeting.”

The policy states that the leaders of the demonstration must meet with the dean of students to go over the details and communicate them with the Department of Public Safety.

In the past, students, especially former president of the United Student SEE COMMERCIAL, PAGE 3

NEWS

Page 2

SECURITY BRIEFS Sept. 30 O’Hare Hall 1:15 p.m.

Fordham Public Safety was notified when a fire alarm in the basement of Keating was activated.

F.D.N.Y. responded and discerned that the alarm was triggered by dust from the power tools of a contractor who was drilling in the basement.

Oct. 2 Fordham Road 4 p.m.

A Fordham student lost his wallet containing a credit card, bank card and driver’s license. The student was notified of suspicious activity by his bank. There were two attempted transactions from his account, one of which was successful. N.Y.P.D. was notified and is currently investigating.

Oct. 2 Campbell Hall 11 p.m.

Nine students were stuck inside one of the elevators in Campbell for 25 minutes. Fordham Public Safety notified F.D.N.Y., who was able to free the students from the elevator without incident.

GOP Should Focus on Realistic Goals, Advises Strassel FROM STRASSEL, PAGE 1

megaphone, but you cannot run Washington from Congress,” said Strassel. “Conservatives hoping for Obamacare to be repealed, drastic budget cuts or an overhaul to Medicare will need to temper their expectations.”

The Wall Street Journal columnist believes that Democratic leadership will use filibusters and the President’s veto vote to protect their high-priority issues.

Strassel believes that Republican lawmakers will have opportunities to achieve their less ambitious goals if they pick their spots wisely.

By attaching policy initiatives to appropriation’s bills and forcing the president to make tough decisions in the view of the public, conservatives will be able to achieve some of their more minor and realistic objectives.

Although these midterm elections are important, Strassel believes that the next round of midterm elections will be even more critical to the direction of our country’s policy initiatives.

“Democrats are not that fussed about losing the Senate, they feel any loss will be short-lived,” said Strassel.

This November’s midterms fea-

ture 21 Democrats up for re-election in some of the most difficult and tightly contested states, where only 15 Republicans are up for re-election in mostly right-wing states. The next round of midterm elections will feature 24 Republicans and only 10 Democrats for re-election.

Strassel is excited to see how this round of elections turn out.

“There are some races Republicans should win like Montana, South Dakota and West Virginia. What will be interesting to me are the races which people thought were out of reach [for Republicans], but are now in view like Connecticut and Iowa.

The GOP could have a good night in November,” Strassel said.

When asked what she expected during the last two years of the Obama Administration, Strassel replied, “The president will face a choice, whether a Republican or Democratic Senate. Does he want to do something final with his legacy, or does he want to lay the groundwork for the next Democratic candidate? If he decides he wants to do something it will most likely be with immigration.”

College Republicans President Benjamin Shull, FCRH ’16, was very

—Compiled by Michael Cavanaugh, Assistant News Editor

SAMUEL JOSEPH/THE RAM

In her lecture, Strassel discussed the potential outcomes of the elections.

excited that Strassel came to campus.

“I think it was fantastic, getting a chance to talk about Senate procedure and both domestic and foreign policy, it was fascinating,” Shull said.

Also the president of the Fordham Political Review, Shull is happy this discussion focused on the midterm

elections, because he feels they do not receive enough attention.

On Oct. 23, the College Republicans will be hosting Dana Perino, former White House press secretary to George W. Bush. They are also looking forward to their debate with the College Democrats this November.

All-Ram News Team Shares Passion With Students

Oct. 4 2491 Belmont 12:30 a.m.

A Fordham student who was attending an off-campus party notified Public Safety that she had misplaced her iPhone at some point during the night. When she attempted to locate her phone using the Find My Phone application, she discovered that it was somewhere on Crotona Ave. at around 5 a.m. Student was advised to notify N.Y.P.D. Oct. 5 Howl at the Moon 1 a.m.

Fordham Public Safety was notified that an unknown individual had taken a student’s iPhone while she was inside of Howl at the Moon.

She attempted to use the application Find My Phone to locate her device, she noticed that it was moving between Valentine Ave. and Kingsbridge Rd., then moved to Bainsbridge Ave. into a multipleapartment dwelling. The student was advised to contact N.Y.P.D.

October 8, 2014

KELLY KULTYS/THE RAM

Both Fordham alums, Gainer and Brennan have seen great success in their field.

FROM ADVICE, PAGE 1

getting critical hands-on experience.

"I remember covering something at City Hall next to Marcia Kramer, who's a legend at CBS," Gainer said.

"And now I work with her and that's amazing and fantastic."

Brennan, too, told a story of getting caught tongue-tied in front President Jimmy Carter as an 18-year-old freshman working for WFUV. "He comes up and he stops and I was like ‘Uhhh’,” Brennan said. “But, I

learned always have a question ready.

At that moment, I said, ‘Wow this is pretty cool. I can get to talk to the president’.”

Dr. Beth Knobel, a communication and media studies professor and advisor of the Fordham Ram, helped organize the event and moderated the discussion between the two newscasters.

“We thought it would be great to dedicate a whole day to the news and why it matters,” Knobel told the assembled students.

Both Gainer and Brennan spoke about the current state of news and the media. They stressed the importance of letting go of the obsession to be first and instead focusing on being right.

Gainer recounted a story where a cargo container on a ship was thought to have a person inside it. She reported the facts as she knew them, but her executive producer called her and told her to report a fact she had not confirmed as true.

“She said 'Just say it now, we can retract it later,'” Gainer said. “I almost quit on the spot. I said to her ‘I’m not going to do that’ and got off the phone with her. Ultimately it’s my face out there, it’s my name and my reputation. Turns out it was totally wrong.”

Gainer was proud not to have had to retract anything in her career.

“It's so much more important to be right,” said Gainer.

Brennan referenced CBS lead-anchor Scott Pelley when talking about the current problems the news business is facing.

“Everybody’s a reporter and nobody’s an editor,” Brennan said. “Nobody will remember who was first.

Nobody will forgive you if you're wrong.”

He also attempted to discount

the notion that the news business is incredibly political, stressing the importance of remaining neutral in reporting.

“That’s not what we do,” Brennan said. “We’re professionals, we try to call it. Nobody believes that, but if I could only take you into a newsroom and show you how things work.

We’re only trying to get it right.”

Gainer agreed that remaining impartial was critical.

“You have to get both sides or they won’t run the story,” Gainer said. “If you don’t, they’ll come after you.”

The two co-anchors also took questions and doled out a great deal of advice, telling students to remain passionate and dedicated.

“You really have to want this and know that you’re good at it,” Gainer said. “It’s a tough business and it’s getting even more competitive.”

“Everybody thinks they want to be in TV because it’s fun,” Brennan agreed. “It’s hard work. You've got to have some passion.”

Brennan also mentioned that it was OK to try and fail.

“Have an idea of what you want to do, but don't be too worried about it,” Brennan said. “When you're in your 20s you can fail all over the place. Try all those things and don't be afraid to fail.”

This Week at Fordham Thursday Oct. 9 A Night with the Coaches of Fordham Athletics

Saturday Oct. 11

Tuesday Oct. 13

Verbal Essences: First Show of the Year

Pinch Restaurant 8 p.m.

Blackbox Theater 8 p.m.

Members of the Fordham community are invited to attend a meetand-greet and cocktails at the awardwinning Pinch Restaurant at the Empire City Casino. Fordham Athletic coaches will be in attendance.

Fordham’s Verbal Essences Spoken Word will be holding its first show of the year this Saturday in Collins’ Blackbox Theater. Everyone is invited to attend.

Live Taping with Ben Brantley Pope Auditorium 7 p.m.

Tuesday Oct. 14

Thursday Oct. 16

Pope Francis: The First Year

Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson

Constantino Room 6 - 8 p.m.

Fordham Law School will be introFordham University’s Theatre Producing a new series on Pope Francis’ gram will be hosting two live tapings contributions to conversations about of Randy Cohen’s radio show, Person religion, policy and law during the Place Thing. The event will include first year of his papacy. live music and a Q&A session with Cohen.

For more campus events, visit FordhamRam.com

Collins Blackbox 8 p.m.

Fordham Experimental Theater presents Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson. This punk rock show chronicles the rise and fall of President Andrew Jackson. The show continues Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m.

NEWS

October 8, 2014

Page 3

FORDHAM IN THE BRONX

Breaking the Silence, Students Talk Campus Racism

By JEFF COLTIN BRONX CORRESPONDENT

‘Protest’ Draws Ire FROM COMMERCIAL, PAGE 1

On Wednesday night, a group of white students came together in an off-campus apartment to talk about race. At the same time, a group of students of color met in the library to talk about race.

It was not for an assignment. It was not for a club. It was just two groups of students coming together to talk about an issue that affected all of them.

“We met because we think that voices of students of color need to be heard, because now, they feel kind of silenced,” said Jane, who asked that we do not use her real name. She was one of about a dozen students of color who came together to share their experiences of racism on campus.

“We all have stories,” she said.

“They seem like isolated incidents… it’s really powerful for us to hear that it’s happening to a lot of us.”

“There’s a general hostility towards the Bronx,” Jane gave as an example. “Specifically, people calling the Bronx residents ‘locals,’ and how racially coded that is. I’ve heard people say ‘oh no I don’t want to go to that party, they let locals in.’”

It’s an identity thrust upon nonwhite students at the expense of other identities.

“A number of our people in [our] color group, we’ve been called ‘locals’ because [other students think] we don’t look like Fordham students, we look like we belong more in the Bronx.”

SAMUEL JOSEPH/THE RAM

Across ethnicities, students are getting involved with race issues on campus. Many white students hoping to act as allies.

Another example Jane gave was more institutional.

“Usually I’m one of two or three people of color in a classroom,” she said. “So a lot of the time, whenever race or anything race related is brought up, I am singled out by the professor to speak on it, as if I am the person who can speak for every black or Latino person in the community.”

The two groups — racial minorities and whites — planned to meet separately: two groups where people can freely express their experiences with race and racism at Fordham without fearing that they will offend, or that the conversation isn not for them.

To the students of color, the white group’s very existence was a source of hope.

“We were excited that it was happening with white people too.

Because that’s the people we feel like who really need to be talking about this,” said Jane.

The Caucasian students hope to play an allied role. "[The] most important thing was keeping in mind how to keep ourselves accountable to people of color and seeing our role as being supportive of them, following their leadership," said Rachel, which is also an alias.

Rachel, a Caucasian student who helped coordinate the meeting, said it was motivated by an Undoing Racism workshop she attended and a recent talk on policing and racism in America at Lincoln Center, but she emphasized the idea of confronting racism at Fordham was “not a recent thing.”

In the spring of 2012, the university faced a spate of hateful in-

cidents, from an expletive written on a black student’s door to another written on a bathroom wall.

An anti-racist “End the Silence” campaign at Fordham created in response garnered media attention and drew statements from university administration, including Rev. Joseph M. McShane, S.J., president of the university, but advocates — including the NAACP — felt the response was underwhelming since no policy changes were made.

Jane said she heard the campaign got squashed three years ago, so she is choosing to stay anonymous for now. But, she is not happy about it.

“Why should I be afraid about this? This is my school and all I really want is for people of color to be valued and acknowledged.

It’s not a big thing to ask.”

Government, John Gordon, FCRH ’10, had worked to create a “Maroon Square” — a free speech zone where students could gather without prior administrative approval.

Will Speros (@w_illest_), FCRH ’15 and news editor of the paper, referenced this idea in his tweet: “The wonderful irony of @fordhamnotes allowing a protest scene to be filmed on a campus with no free speech zone.”

Plans were introduced in the past as another former USG president, Stephen Erdman, said in The Fordham Ram (V. 94, I. 20) “[The proposal] was based off of the red square at Georgetown. It designated space for students as individuals or groups to host demonstrations or other events without prior approval.”

The pressure for a free speech square reached its peak after Ann Coulter was invited and then disinvited to speak at Fordham.

That sparked a free speech movement from students and USG, during which they came up with a free speech proposal in which USG intended to “propose Maroon Square as an enhancement to the current policy, offering students a fair and reasonable compromise that would provide them the opportunity to speak publicly without prior permission at the expense of other means of official demonstration in more prominent locations.”

After that, the discussion for campus free speech fizzled though GANT may have made it fashionable again.

Arthur Avenue to House Additional Students

By LAURA SANICOLA ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR

Arthur Avenue may have a different look by the summer of 2015.

This past August, Jarmel Kizel Architects and Engineers filed permits for the construction of a new student housing building on Arthur Avenue. The building, located at 2409 Arthur Ave., is next to popular Italian restaurant, Ann & Tony’s.

According to Dean Russell, assistant dean of students and director of residential life, Fordham has no involvement or affiliation in the project’s development. This leaves potential for it to house students at other colleges.

As reported in an article by the New York YIMBY, Bayside developer AB Capstone plans to build 64 student apartments in a “more modern, glassy space” above the two story brick retail store. The developer states that it hopes to attract primarily Fordham students. The base will be congruent with the surrounding buildings, however, the new, modern section will stand in stark contrast with other apartments and stores on the avenue.

Kaitlin McWha, GSB ’17, feels this is a mistake.

“If it is student housing, it has to be safe,” McWha said. “It doesn’t matter that it isn’t Fordham housing. There needs to be security. It will be a glossy beacon of newness – this makes it obvious that Fordham

students live there. We will become a crime target.”

The idea of housing that is not exclusively accessible to Fordham Students does not bode well for McWha. “Fordham students hardly have any interaction with college students in the surrounding area, and I don’t want to live with people other than Fordham students,” she said. “People won’t feel comfortable with that. It’s weird.”

Though many are concerned about overcrowding of housing due to a large freshman class, some students are excited about potential new space. Monica Sobrin, FCRH ’17, is one of thsoe excited by the possibility of off-campus housing

catered toward Fordham students.

“It’s likely that given the way the building is built, primarily Fordham students will live there,” said Sobrin.

“Fordham students living cohesively off-campus — that’s something I’d like to see through to completion.”

“People have the perception that the Bronx is filled with piranhas, and I’m sick of it,” said Joanne Drawbaugh, GSB ’17. Drawbaugh is interested in moving off campus in the near future. “Who wouldn’t want to live in a newer, nicer building in the Bronx?”

Though the building is located in a Residential 6 district of medium density, the classification of student housing by the city zoning code as a

“community facility” will enable the developer to build a higher density project than normally allowed.

The apartments will exist in a 31,101 square foot space that will be separated into rooms around the size of traditional college dormitories.

A premature but relevant issue regarding the new student housing project is how the size and newness of the living space will translate into the cost of a lease.

“If I’m paying for a smaller dorm space than those of surrounding apartments, I don’t expect to be paying more than my neighbors,” said McWha. “The cost would have to be significantly less than that to live

in a residence hall for me to consider moving into a shared space.”

Drawbaugh would live in the new student housing building regardless of its cost. “In the end, it will all come down to accessibility,” she said. “It’s a matter of preference, but I would always choose quality of a building over size as a student living off-campus.”

The developer estimated that the existing structures would be set for demolition in September, but as of Sept. 24, 2014, the permit plan has been disapproved and the Development Challenge Process is currently pending zoning approval. If all goes as projected, the project should be completed by the summer of 2015.

SAMUEL JOSEPH/THE RAM

This building, located at 2409 Arthur Ave., is currently projected as the future site of Jamel Kizel Architects and Engineers student housing project.

NEWS

Page 4

October 8, 2014

News Briefs & Bites • Fordham University has been ranked by job networking site LinkedIn as one of the best schools for two of eight “indemand careers.” The rankings were determined by tracking where college graduates are employed after graduation. The university came in at No. 8 in Best Schools for Media Professionals and No. 15 as Best School for Accounting. LinkedIn formulated the results using a point system, in which companies that employed and kept workers received a higher point value. From there, LinkedIn was

able to identify how many of its over 313 million users who had obtained an undergraduate degree in the past eight years were employed at the highest ranked companies.

• Oct. 1 marked the official ribbon cutting ceremony of a new residence hall at Fordham College at Lincoln Center. McKeon Hall is named after Robert “Bob” McKeon, GSB ’76, who passed away in 2012 after having served on the Fordham Board of Trustees. His donation contributed to the building of the new resi-

dence hall, which is now home to 430 undergraduate students.

Located above Fordham Law School, the 14 story building was designed by Pei Cobb Freed & Partners. The entire operation has taken approximately 10 years. The ceremony took place in the foyer of the law school, which is by the Robert Moses Plaza entrance of the building.

• According to the NYPD, a fight broke out shortly before 4 a.m. outside of Xtreme Lounge, at 2510 Valentine Ave., a few blocks from Walsh Library Gate.

The police said that three of the injured had been shot, two had been slashed with a sharp object and another was hit with a baseball bat. They were taken to St. Barnabas Hospital, where one of the men, age 24, was pronounced dead. Another man, age 21, was reported to be in critical condition after suffering from gunshot wounds. The other men involved remain in stable condition in St. Barnabas. When NYPD officers arrived on the scene, they found an aluminum bat lying near a pool of blood on E. Fordham Road. Photos posted by The

Daily News show the crime scene directly in front of the Burgert King on the busy throughfare.

As of 10 a.m. Sunday morning, parts of Fordham Road near Valentine Avenue were blocked off, where police continued to investigate the scene. Yellow crime tape extended from Valentine Ave. to Grand Concourse, where the B/D subway station is located. Pedestrians were asked cross over to the opposite side of the street to avoid the scene.

No arrests have been made, and a cause for the fight has not been determined.

Photo of the Week

SAMUEL JOSEPH/THE RAM

Twenty-four students on Tuesday evening, Oct. 7, delivered donated goods to people across New York City. The program, called “Meals on Wheels,” distributed over 100 meals, along with clothing and toiletry items. A joint operation between Global Outreach and Pedro Arrupe Council for Faith and Justice, the students involved invite the Fordham community to donate items by placing them in the pink bin labeled “Meals on Wheels,” located in the McGinley Center.

New OMA Head Wants to Redefine Multicultural FROM MATOS, PAGE 1

he attributes, in part, to having had Pertuez as a predecessor.

“She left the department and the office in an impeccable shape,” Matos said. “A lot of questions are already answered in the way she left the office.”

Matos is prepared to lead the OMA, based on his prior experiences. He studied public relations in college, and after being active in coordinating programs for various clubs on his campus, he discovered a passion for event planning. As he learned more about job options in the field, he decided he wanted to continue working in collegiate planning.

After graduating, Matos was accepted to New York University for a masters program in higher education and administration. He attained the position at Fordham after his graduation in 2011, and quickly began playing a large role in the small office.

His primary responsibility as assistant director was to keep events at the Lincoln Center campus. As director, he handles Rose Hill responsibilities as well. Matos admitted, with a laugh, that his first real priority is to find a new assistant so that he can divvy up the responsibilities.

Being the only person overseeing the department’s operations at both campuses, he said, has been stress-

ful. So far, he is still in the middle of the hiring process. “[The ad for the position] went up the 24th of September and we’ve had close to 100 applicants,” he said.

OMA, a relatively new office at Fordham, is growing all the time.

It started eight years ago as part of a strategic plan to promote multiculturalism at Fordham. Matos thinks that the lack of a long history has allowed the program to develop a fluid, inclusive identity, perhaps more so than similar programs at other schools.

“It is very unique from other multicultural affairs offices where, granted, they are open for everyone, but some departments, even at some other Jesuit institutions, have missions that are specifically for underrepresented students based off of identity,” Matos said. “They call those AHANA or AHALA, so basically serving African American, Hispanic, Asian American, Latino and Native American students. It’s an acronym specifically based off of identity. Some of those departments at a lot of institutions, and other Jesuit institutions, are very specific about their main focus and the students that they work with.”

Fordham’s Office of Multicultural Affairs, however, has developed a different philosophy.

“We’re able to collaborate in so

COURTESY OF JUAN CARLOS MATOS

Matos is in his first semester as director of the Office of Multicultural Affairs.

many different ways, and bring so many different people into the fold and into this conversation about how we can learn to look at all of our different identities and intersection of different identities. [From there, we can] work together to make Fordham a better place.”

Fordham’s definition of “multicultural” goes beyond race or ethnicity. It also includes sexual orientation, gender, culture, community, etc. The basic goal, he said, is to allow students gain a better understanding of someone else’s living

experience. This, he thinks, is what makes Fordham’s OMA so welcoming to everyone.

“Everyone is multicultural,” Matos said. “It’s something that is intrinsic to all of us.”

For the coming semester, Matos plans to stick by this identity, and to further emphasize it through his programming. He wants to improve diversity in the peer leader program, to collaborate with other student groups and to have additional training to further integrate peer leaders into the university.

He also wants to see more programming similar to Fordham’s existing Network of Support, like a LGBT and ally program that is open to all students who want to create a more supportive atmosphere on campus for people of all sexual orientations.

Matos’ hope is to replicate the success the Network has had, but with other cultural groups.

Another long-term goal that Matos has in mind is developing a program where students can make peer connections based on shared identities to help them navigate their college experience.

“Anyone can be a part of it,” Matos said. “Students will be able to connect with others, regardless of their personal identity, just to learn about other people with other identities.”

His goal for this program, ultimately, is to enable students to bring what they learn from OMA programs into whatever profession they end up in.

“We want to be having these individuals thinking ‘I can bring this into the business world, I can bring social justice and diversity into medicine,’” Matos said. “We’re really trying to develop students to have these competencies, and to be able to bring them out into the world, no matter where they choose to go.”

Business

October 8, 2014

Page 5

The Fordham Ram

The Meaning of a Strong Dollar

By AKASH BHATIA CONTRIBUTING WRITER

In comparison to the currencies of other countries (or economic communities), the value of the US dollar has been steadily increasing. The rise began in early June.

While there are certainly some benefits to a strong U.S. dollar, the overall impact on the economy can be harmful.

Here are the positives: One of the most obvious advantages is that if a Fordham student were to study abroad, the stronger purchasing power of the U.S. dollar will allow the foreign goods they purchase to be cheaper. Therefore, now is a great time to study abroad , while it is relatively inexpensive to live and buy things outside of the U.S. Additionally, there is no need for the Federal Reserve to cut interest rates. With stable interest rates, inflation is not a huge concern.

Another benefit is that imported goods are cheaper. This concept is similar to the previous one; a strong U.S. dollar compared to foreign currencies means the goods of those foreign countries will be relatively less expensive, and, in turn, provide the U.S. market with a wide variety of goods.

All of this provides enormous leverage for to the average American consumer, who will have a wide variety of cheap goods to choose from, whether they are purchased domestically or abroad.

On the other hand, there are numerous drawbacks to a strong dollar. As mentioned previously, corporations have to compete against foreign markets.

With a strong currency, U.S. exports are more expensive for foreign countries. This damages the United States’ overall productivity levels, and they may have to lay off some workers in order to maintain profit.

Many of the major stock indices, such as the Dow-Jones and the S&P 500, are primarily comprised of multinational corporations. U.S. goods will not seem as attractive to foreign markets when the U.S. dollar’s value is high. Since a great deal of U.S. business’ profits come from these foreign markets, the corporations will not do as well as they would have with a weaker U.S. dollar. The domestic demand for U.S. goods and services will not be high. Furthermore, the major stock indices will decline and, as American consumers interpret them as economic health indicators, will result in a loss of faith in the U.S. economy.

As one can see, while the word “strong” typically has positive connotations, a strong U.S. dollar may not be necessarily beneficial for the economy. The dollar’s rise in recent months should have some economists worried. Taking in all this information one can understand why countries such as China would intentionally set the value of their currency lower than the market exchange rate.

Consumers Determine the Fate of Apple

By AKASH BHATIA CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Since 2012, Apple has unveiled newer versions of the iPhone in September, starting with the iPhone 5.

This year at first felt no different, as the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus were marketed during their early September 2014 advertising campaign and launch event. However, some controversy and scandal did shroud what was otherwise described by Apple CEO Tim Cook as the “best launch ever.”

The first problem was colloquially referred to as “BendGate,” a reference to the Richard Nixon Watergate political scandal of the 1970s. Several reports surfaced from iPhone 6 Plus users saying that their phone had actually bent within a few days of use.

A video was released depicting a man bending an iPhone 6 Plus with his own bare hands, demonstrating just how malleable this piece of high technology is. Apple released a statement saying that under normal use the iPhone 6 Plus will bend only extremely rarely and that it tests its products rigorously.

The iPhone 6 Plus had already been disparaged as simply being Apple’s version of the Samsung Galaxy phone models, which already possess the 5.5 inch screen. Many have complained that Apple is simply catching up to Samsung in terms of technological development and innovation.

Nevertheless, the problems with the new technologies released by Apple do not stop there. iOS 8, which according to Apple’s website is “the biggest iOS release ever,” is the newest operating system for Apple’s phones.

For many people who updated, the Touch ID sensor did not work and

the device did not connect to their mobile carrier. Apple was forced to pull the iOS 8.01 update, and released iOS 8.02, which was supposed to fix these problems. Many users in Australia, however, still report that these problems persist.

Despite these claims, Consumer Reports actually found evidence to refute BendGate. They conducted tests of their own and found that it requires 90 pounds of pressure in order to bend an iPhone 6 Plus. In fact, the iPhone 6 will bend with only 70 pounds of pressure, 20 pounds fewer.

Moreover, many companies experience problems with their software when it has just been released; these bugs are commonplace.

The most remarkable thing is that people are still buying the product despite these issues. Apple released reports earlier this week stating that it sold over 10 million models of its latest iPhones. This means that Apple’s iPhone is close to becoming an inelastic good, in which the quantity demanded depends very little on the actual value of the good.

Why is this bad? Because inelastic goods are typically only things that

people need. Now, Apple does not have to pay very close attention to the actual quality of the product or fair pricing, because consumers will continue to purchase their goods.

New York City, especially the Bronx, has been highly impacted by the release of the iPhone 6. If anyone were to walk around Manhattan or even the Bronx recently, they would see long lines of people waiting outside any store that sells the new iPhone. In Manhattan, which ranks as the highest-income county by percapita income, this may be understandable, but in the Bronx this is not the case. The excessive consumerism and need for instant self-gratification may be perpetuating the poverty and homelessness that many of us witness when we step out of the Fordham campus.

Even though their propducts remain very popular, Apple’s stock was down three percent on Thursday, despite the fact that the launch of a new product typically results in their stock soaring through the roof. Are the days of Apple as a premier tech giant coming to a close? It is up to the market to decide.

CHRISTIAN WILOEJO/THE RAM

The iPhone 6 was generally well received despite various technical problems.

By RYAN CHAND BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT

Business News Recap: • After months of speculation and activist efforts, eBay’s board of directors has approved the plan to separate eBay and PayPal’s businesses into two independently operated publicly traded companies in 2015.

Activist investor Carl Icahn has been calling for the split since early February 2014, and the company has continuously defended its position of remaining a joint company. However, after reviewing a new strategy and analyzing the risk and rewards of the deal, the company agreed with Icahn’s request. eBay’s CEO John Donahue in a Forbes interview, stated, “The competitive environment is more dynamic than ever before.

It creates exciting opportunities and we thought we could capitalize on those opportunities more competitively and aggressively as two separate companies.”

Donahue said he would step down as CEO but continue to remain on the board. Once the split is com-

plete, the board will announce Dan Schulam as President and CEO-designee of PayPal and Devin Wenig as CEO of the new eBay company.

On Oct. 2, billionaire investor Warren Buffet announced plans for Berkshire Hathaway to acquire Van Tuyl Group, the largest privately operated U.S. auto dealer. Mr. Buffet’s plans signal an interest in the car dealership market and show very high potential for future growth. In an interview with CNBC, Mr. Buffet said, “I fully expect we’ll buy a lot more dealerships.”

• Berkshire Hathaway sees longterm value in this market and wants to consolidate a very segmented industry. After officially becoming a part of Berkshire Hathaway, Van Tuyl Group will be known as Berkshire Hathaway Automotive and Larry Van Tuyl will continue to manage it.

• The Labor Department released its monthly jobs report on Friday showing that employers have added 248,000 jobs in September and lowered the unemployment rate to 5.9 percent, putting 2014 on track to be

the strongest year of job growth since late 1990s. The U.S. unemployment rate dropped below 6 percent for the first time since the 2008 recession. The Labor Department’s report also indicated slow wage growth due in part to weak productivity and a downsized labor force, making it difficult to sustain long-term economic growth. This drop in the unemployment rate can influence the Federal Reserve to increase interest rates as early as 2015.

• Federal Reserve officials will continue to keep a close eye on jobs and wage growth as inflation is still under their target 2 percent. The Federal Reserve is scheduled to meet in late October to discuss the current state of the economy, the future of quantitive easening and the time frame to raise interest rates.

• On Thursday, Oct. 2, J.P. Morgan Chase & Co. said 83 million customers were affected by a cybersecurity attack on the bank this past August.

The stolen information includes customer’s names, email addresses, phone number, and addresses. Officials at J.P. Morgan are working

closely with law enforcement officials to further investigate the case and determine the extent to which this attack has impacted the bank.

J.P. Morgan’s cyber breach is another in a string of attacks that include companies such as Home Depot, Adobe Systems and, most notably, Target.

Markets: The market experienced some volatility as the major indices and stocks experienced their second consecutive week of losses due to continued concerns over global growth, specifically in countries such as China and Europe. Stocks slipped throughout the week as investors reacted to several disappointing economic signals and a slip in consumer confidence.

U.S. stocks continued to follow Asian Markets, as investors have growing concerns over protests in Hong Kong. Residents are peace-

fully protesting over demands for more autonomy from Beijing. Despite large drops, the major indices recovered some lost ground on Friday, due in part to the release of the Labor Department’s monthly report. The report detailed strong job growth for the month of September despite stagnant wages. Investors may see the Federal Reserve increase interest rates sooner than expected; however, they will remain at very low levels for the remainder of the year.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average opened on Monday at 17070.45 and experienced a .4 percent drop for the week, closing on Friday at 17009.69. The NASDAQ Composite Index started the week at 4512.62 and suffered a .8 percent drop, closing Friday at 4475.62. The S&P 500 experienced a similar chart pattern, opening on Monday at 1978.21 and losing .5 percent for the week, closing Friday at 1967.90.

The Fordham Ram would like to introduce its new business section, covering Fordham, local and international business-related news.

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Page 6

October 8, 2014

“Earning this degree changed my life.”

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Knowledge Through Practice

October 8, 2014

OPINION

Page 7

The Fordham Ram

Media Sensationalizes Ebola Outbreak

By JAMES DEMETRIADES STAFF WRITER

Monday, Oct. 6 brought a new wave of Ebola revelations: a female nurse being treated in Spain became the first case in Europe, 121 people died in one day in Sierra Leone, a man in Dallas remained in critical condition and the White House held meetings with senior health, Homeland Security and national security advisors. The threat of Ebola is real, and the Center for Disease Control and the World Health Organization both have detailed pages explaining signs, symptoms, prevention and resources to consider. Still, the Obama administration has assured the public that there is “little chance of a U.S. Ebola outbreak,” while noting today in a statement that other countries have not stepped up “as aggressively as they need to.” Despite these statements of reassurance, the American people continue to panic.

Late night TV hosts Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert have critiqued the American media for perpetuating fear, causing panic and failing to spread accurate information. These comments include swipes from the right and left wings. Some highlights include Fox News’ Andrea Tantaros asserting that The United States is broke. It is broke. And I do not think we are prepared to handle this if it escalates beyond this in a way that they say that they are.”

Joe Scarborough on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” said to former White House Advisor David Axelord that “a lot of Americans are seeing what happened in Dallas and looking at your laundry list, what happened with the Secret Service, what happened with the IRS, what happened with the VA, what happened with ISIS being a JV team. So when anybody, any member of the government says, ‘Hey, just relax, everything’s going to be okay,’ Americans don’t believe that.”

Headlines from CNN and Fox News trumpet that the disease could soon become airborne, a claim that does not have the endorsement or support of the scientific community. These fears are compounded

by Twitter and the Internet, where rumors have spread of a Zombie-like resurrection of Ebola victims, secret cases in Dallas and a U.S. government cover-up. Fears from these sources are clearly effecting people.

Dallas’ Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital, where the first patient in the United States is being treated, has reported that the ER, which normally has a waiting time of 45 minutes, currently has little to no wait, with patients forgoing treatment or visits for other healthcare needs due to fear of infection.

The reasoning behind this widespread fear is unfounded. Medical professionals continue to echo the same precautions and reassurances.

Officials at both the Centers for Dis-

DAVID GOLDMAN / AP

The American media, especially cable news channels, have focused much airtime on the Ebola outbreak.

ease Control and Prevention and the National Institutes of Health have reported that, while America will see some Ebola infections, we will not have an outbreak thanks to the health care system in our nation.

Additionally, the likelihood of transmission is low. It is not transmitted through the air, water or insect bites, but only by an infected person’s bodily fluids entering another person’s blood stream through bro-

ken skin. Washing your hands often and avoiding contact with the bodily fluids of the infected is enough to protect yourself. In other words, maintaining good hygiene and doing what you would do to protect yourself from the common cold should protect you from Ebola.

Meanwhile, the hype and sensationalism of the media does nothing to inform the public or help prepare for disease prevention. Instead of be-

lieving every word of your favorite media pundit, follow the health experts whose job it is to track, monitor and treat infectious diseases. They are actively working to help protect the public and promote public health, while media moguls are looking for website hits, hiked ratings and attention.

James Demetriades, FCRH ’15, is a history and political science major from Cromwell, Connecticut.

Vigilantes: Too Much Power, Not Enough Responsibility

By OLIVIA RICHTER CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Disregard the web-throwing, reflexes and superhuman strength of Spider-Man, and Peter Parker is just an average New Yorker with a sense of responsibility to keep his hometown safe. Spiderman is what one calls a vigilante: a citizen who takes law enforcement into his or her own hands without legal authority works.

One of Spiderman’s largest conflicts (aside from the Green Goblin, Dr. Octopus and the occasional lizard person) is his sticky relationship with the NYPD. Is he out of line trying to do the police force’s job without the proper license, even if at times he can be in places the NYPD cannot? This issue is a very real one outside the world of Marvel comics, as there has been a reported rise in vigilante groups in neighborhoods throughout New York City.

The NYPD sanctions 12 “Civilian Observation Patrol” groups around the city, but many more exist unwarranted, like the newlyformed Sunset Park’s Brooklyn Asian Safety Patrol and the Howard Beach Civilian Observation Patrol.

Vigilante groups can be a good way to increase a sense of security in Manhattan’s surrounding boroughs because many New York citizens feel that Manhattan is prioritized by the NYPD. The problem lies in where to limit the power of civilian protection groups.

DAVID J. PHILLIPS /AP

Vigilante groups, like this one in Vancouver, have become more and more common around New York City.

In the New York Post last week, Robert McCrie, a professor at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice, offered his belief that vigilante groups need to have a greater awareness of the extent of their power.

“The big concern is that people will have a hard time understanding what limitations they actually have...They are not police officers.

They are private citizens reporting anything suspicious,” he explained.

These groups, when they have earned respect in the neighborhood or borough that they strive to protect, can be very beneficial in reporting undocumented crime to the police. Though they have no authority to make arrests, civilian protection groups, like the well-known

Guardian Angels, can make citizens feel safer in place of inadequate numbers of actual officers.

Fordham political science professor Annika Hinze stated that respected vigilante groups “can be great to make neighborhoods feel more secure. It is such an American tradition for people to stick together. As a secondary institution, they can make people feel good, but if they get too strong and are intimidating, it becomes a problem.”

Certain groups have gone too far in exerting power they do not legally have. The Orthodox Jewish group the Brooklyn Shomrim were notified of the disappearance of 8-year-old Leiby Kletzky but failed to report it to the NYPD for

two-and-a-half hours, a critical time period in missing persons cases.

Kletzky was murdered, and the Brooklyn Shomrim were put under fire for their negligence.

How can we differentiate the beneficial vigilante groups from those that cause more harm than good? Hinze explained, “It depends on how well they are serving the whole neighborhood. Are they looking out for everyone? Are they cooperating with the police or hindering police work?” Some vigilante groups, like the Brooklyn Shomrim, have been known to only provide aid to specific ethnic or religious groups, which gives them a bad name outside their community and delegitimizes their work.

“If there’s no way to make sure these people are qualified, then they shouldn’t have power. I wouldn’t trust someone without a badge to protect me,” said Libby Smislova, FCRH ’18.

The 12 NYPD-sanctioned groups that are required to go through official training every two years are much easier to support than the unsanctioned committees. They are becoming more of a necessity as police focus and resources shift away from local crime, and resources center on anti-terrorism efforts.

Guardian Angel founder Curtis Sliwa stresses the importance of extra protection outside of the police force. “In the outer boroughs, people never get the top-shelf, five-star security that the NYPD gives [to Manhattan]. If you don’t do it yourself, you’re going to be left in the lurch. There aren’t enough cops.”

The reason Spider-Man is so easy to root for is his commitment to the safety of the entire city. In order to be equally respected, vigilante groups must not discriminate in their efforts to protect.

Unlike Spider-Man, they must cooperate with the police and remain within the limits of their power. If they can do this and gain the respect of their communities, vigilantes provide a great source of extra security. As soon as a vigilante group gains a false sense of the limits of its power, it becomes harmful and loses its credibility.

Olivia Richter, FCRH ’18, is an international studies major from Hampton, New Hampshire.

Page 8

OPINION

R

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October 8, 2014

From the Desk | Richard Bordelon

Never Be Afraid to Hope “Hakim drops the ball! Hakim drops the ball!”

Most New Orleanians remember this football game, Dec. 30, 2000, when the New Orleans Saints won their first ever National Football League (NFL) playoff game. Az-Zahir Hakim, the punt returner for the St. Louis Rams, muffed a punt in the fourth quarter that was recovered by the Saints’ Brian Milne, clinching a victory.

I was in the Superdome with my parents that day — my first ever Saints game — and I still distinctly remember the screams and roars of the Saints’ faithful fans as well as the chaotic celebrations that followed. This win ended a 33-year drought of playoff wins since the founding of the team in 1967, and ushered in a new era of Saints football.

Just a year before, Saints fans would show up to the Superdome donning brown paper grocery bags that proclaimed the “Aints,” a joking reference to the comical shame fans had for simply being

fans. Some thought that the Saints were beyond cure.

However, a winning streak never materialized for the 2000 Saints, and they lost their next game, a National Football Conference (NFC) divisional round contest in Minnesota. But, only nine years later, the Saints would go all the way, taking down the Indianapolis Colts in Super Bowl XLIV in Miami to win the Lombardi Trophy.

In that 9-year span, however, the team was fairly lackluster. A gleam of promise would come here or there, but overall nothing spectacular occurred. But, there was hope. There was always hope, the hope that they would find a better coach, a better quarterback and a reinvigorated spirit. These keys to success persisted among the fans.

Eventually, all of these things convened and New Orleans rejoiced with incredible excitement at the team’s newfound successs.

I don’t want to simply write platitudes. Many people have written on the nature of hope or expressed hope through stories or

poems. From Walt Whitman to J.K. Rowling, we have a plethora of authors who have created many literary characters who champion hope. These characters have crazy adventures or deep crises that use hope as a way to cope with their present situations. For us, it can be easy to say that we hope our dreams come true. But, can we live in a state of hope?

Times may be tough, and it may feel like everything is going wrong, but hope can help. Hope takes the certainty that something will go badly and transforms it into the uncertainty that eagerly awaits all of the more cheerful things that might follow.

Hope can be simple, a daily thing to remember. I do not think hope has to be this complicated or lofty a concept.

It can simply be the hope that your history quiz will go well on Friday or the hope that you will remember all of your lines onstage.

Everyday hope can be a simple yet important aspect to remember in your daily life.

As midterm exams approach (I shiver at the words), I still remember that soon they will be over. I have hope that my workload might decrease, at least a little bit; I have hope for a great rest of the year and for my life. Although some of this future is uncertain, it is hope that propels one through this uncertainty. I may be uncertain about my future, but I can tolerate that as long as my hope persists.

Now, as the Saints have had a bad start already this season, I have hope, no matter how little it might be, that the 2-3 Saints might make the playoffs. But, then again, there’s always next season.

Editorial | Students Life

Going Beyond the Story Tuesday, Oct. 7, was the first ever National News Engagement Day, sponsored by the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication. The purpose of the day, as well as the goal of the organization, is to “make engaging with news a national priority again.” Here at Fordham, we have plenty of opportunities to engage with the news.

The New York Times is delivered directly to our dorms, along with several other student publications that cater specifically to students, this publication included.

Additionally, we are bombarded with 24/7 cable news outlets, twitter feeds, blogs and all sorts of online news mediums. It is very easy to want to turn our heads and ignore the daily bombardment of news. It is overwhelming, it makes us anxious and it often shows us things to which we would rather be ignorant.

Even when we choose not to ignore the news, we tend to passive-

ly absorb it or pass it off by way of email, retweets or Facebook shares. Though sharing news that is important to us can help generate more awareness around a particular issue, it is not actively engaging the news. So, what does ‘actively engaging’ actually mean?

If something in the news captures your interest, do further research. A news article is a brief overview of the pertinent facts, but reporters can never tell the whole story in a few hundred words.

Finding additional stories and sources will provide alternate perspectives on whatever issue you are reading about, which is especially important when it comes to hotly-debated issues. Readers are quick to complain about bias in the news without being willing to do the research to determine their own opinions.

Once you have a nuanced understanding of a current event that you feel strongly about, do something to either support it or change it. If you are con-

cerned about housing shortages and homelessness issues in New York, take action. You can address the immediate symptoms of the housing crisis by helping out at a homeless shelter. You can work for an advocacy group that lobbies for housing reform and affordable rent as a way to address underlying issues. Finding an issue that you are passionate about, following it in the news and taking action is arguably what being a college student is all about.

Perhaps one of the most powerful, but least used methods of engaging the news is through government. Debating politics with your friends may be stimulating, but it does nothing to change the issues about which you are arguing. If you are upset about Washington’s neglect of immigration reform, call your local representative or email your senator. Congressmen and Congresswomen take voters who are clearly educated on current issues seriously, and your time spent contacting them may have far more power

than you think.

In addition to lobbying officials that are already in office, you should engage the news before casting your vote in the upcoming midterm elections. This does not mean just reading about the campaigns themselves — the slanderous campaign ads, the astronomical budgets and the staged press opportunities. It means taking those issues in the news that interest or anger you, and researching the candidates’ voting records on them.

Actively engaging the news is more than reading and goes further than comprehending. It takes obtaining a nuanced understanding, taking action and allowing it to impact your daily life and activities to truly say you are engaged with the news. Reading the news is important, but engaging it

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.

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OPINION

October 8, 2014

Mike Syku The Cancerous Faction of Feminism A TERF is a Trans-Exclusionary Radical Feminist, a member of a faction in the feminist movement that aims to exclude transgendered women from accessing female public restrooms and public safe spaces. This faction also works to bar transgendered women from several other places with a “Gurls Only No Boys Allowed” sign at the gate hastily scrawled in crayon, such as at Michigan’s Womyn’s Music Festival, where transgendered women were purposely excluded because of the genitalia they had when they were born.

The main argument that TERFs use to dismiss transgendered women is that “they are not real women.” Clearly, for them, biological determinism is completely fine to use as an argument unless it’s being used against themselves.

In other words: “I can judge you for the genitalia that you were born with, but how dare you judge me for mine.”

More than the inherent hypocrisy, however, are the underlying thought processes present in this kind of thinking. The assertion that transgendered women are somehow “less than” obviously damages transgender rights, but also severely damages feminism as a whole. A sizeable, vocal chunk of the movement that brands itself “not as women’s rights, but as equal rights” can’t bring themselves to care about some of the most disenfranchised people in their movement.

There is also something to be said about feminism as an identity as well. Bonding over the oppression of the patriarchy is fundamental to the movement, and is important to talk about. However, the exclusionary, isolating nature of the language used in the movement seems to turn many people off. Women are “feminists;” others are “allies.” Even people who aren’t TERFs identify themselves as feminists, a structured identity that is inherently against the other just by virtue of the exclusionary language. These problems are only compounded when the transgender members of the movement attempting to achieve the same rights — attempting to dismantle the same patriarchy — are attacked from inside their own movement by people who don’t want their help and do not acknowledge the fact that the patriarchy clearly oppresses transgender people as well.

Maybe we can dismantle the patriarchy together.

It must be acknowledged that there are feminists who are not TERFs and believe that transgenderism and transsexuality are compatible with feminism. This piece is not about those people.

Those people are doing well. I’d like, however, to point out that anyone that thought that it was valid to dismiss TERFs by saying that there are feminists who aren’t TERFs doesn’t really get the point.

I’d also like to refer those people to Twitter, where they can post responses with the tag #NotAllFeminists.

Page 9

Making Serious News Seriously Funny

COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA

Stepehen Colbert (right), host of the satirical “Colbert Report,” hosts many important guests, including Michelle Obama (left).

By CODY SIMS STAFF WRITER

Satirical news — love it or hate it — is often overlooked but quite important. Shows like “The Daily Show,” “Colbert Report,” “Last Week Tonight with John Oliver,” etc. have the ability to generate conversation among viewers regarding political issues that may otherwise go unnoticed.

These satirical news programs are not meant to be one’s daily source of news, but rather critique the news programs that you may be watching consistently.

Oftentimes we take the news for what it is without questioning the news source. These humorous news programs, although ridiculous at times, make us all think critically about accepting the information reported by dominant news sources.

Most major news corporations are compelled to not only fill time but, more importantly, generate profit. This type of reporting often leads to delivering news in a manner that is more entertaining than informative.

On the other hand, the comedy and exaggeration can highlight the flaws of what is being reported on a daily basis and accentuate important political topics that are potentially being overlooked.

Some viewers may argue that political satire shows spur distrust, belittle important political issues and promote a narrow point of view (most often the view of the show’s writers). While this may be true, it is usually not the case. In fact, according to the article “Lighten Up” in the Columbia Journalism Review, viewers of satire news programs are

more likely to watch and read traditional news sources as well.

I would also argue that satirical news segments are actually quite sophisticated. In order to understand many of the jokes and references, one must have a decent background regarding the topic of the segment.

“I’ve long thought of these programs as often proving keen commentary on the news itself.,” said Professor Robin Anderson, a communications and media studies professor at Fordham University. “I think the way they deconstruct the news exposes some of

“These satirical news programs are not meant to be your daily source of news, but rather critique the news programs that you may be watching consistently.” the problems of our current political dialogue; they offer a type of media literacy. No, they are not news, I think of them as part of a proud tradition of political satire, which has an important role to play in politics, especially today,” The “important role” of these satire news programs was also stressed by Katie Ehrlich, FCRH ’16. “I think news humor programs have more value than solely humor,” she said. Even though the material is presented in a sa-

tirical manner, it makes viewers think twice about what material is being presented to us and encourages viewers to consider other points of view they may otherwise easily dismiss.”

In addition, what makes these humorous news programs effective is that the program can be more relatable to the viewer. The humorists, more times than not, are able to make a connection with the viewer.

News anchors, on the other hand, deliver the news in a more serious manner, which in turn makes the entire show more impersonal.

When viewers watch satirical news programs along with traditional news sources, they have the ability to create a greater number of informed citizens and encourage political involvement.

Overall, the satirical media is a great form of entertainment.

While some people may find the shows offensive, I think it is important for the viewer to keep in mind while watching or reading any form of satirical news that it may very well highlight topics that may be sensitive to that comedian.

Although everyone should take the production with a grain of salt, satirical media has been, and will continue to be, popular among many citizens. With many serious and controversial events going on in the world, why heavily criticize programming that may potentially bring a few laughs to an overall depressed society?

Cody Sims, FCRH ’15, is a communication and media studies major from Oakland, California.

Kaitlyn Lyngaas The Plight of the Rohingya After the atrocities of the Holocaust, the world agreed on one thing: Never again would it sit idly while an entire group of people suffered in silence. When the international community was confronted with the horror of the Pol Pot regime in Cambodia, once more it vowed never again. “Never again,” people kept saying, but genocides happened again. They happened in Iraq, Bosnia and in Rwanda as well.

The Rohingya Muslim minority in Myanmar could be facing the same fate, but will the world finally step up and do something?

The Rohingya are a Muslim ethnic group that is not recognized among the 134 official ethnicities of Myanmar. About 800,000 Rohingya reside in Myanmar today, with over 80 percent of them in the western state of Rakhine. Despite their large numbers and overwhelming evidence that the Rohingya have been in Myanmar for centuries, the government of Myanmar treats them as if they were immigrants from neighboring Bangladesh.

Having been denied citizenship, the Rohingya have been left to wallow in the myriad problems resulting from statelessness, rendering them unable to marry, travel or even seek medical treatment without official permission.

Perhaps the worst part of the plight of the Rohingya is the forced relocation, resulting in an internally displaced persons (IDP) crisis. At this point, over 150,000 people are crowded into just 12 refugee camps. Conditions in the camps are deplorable and people cannot leave to seek work. The government has even been accused of purposefully denying access to humanitarian aid groups seeking to help the Rohingya while people continue to die of starvation and malnutrition every day.

Will the world finally intervene to stop this situation from getting any worse? Probably not. The only justifiable reason to intervene in matters of another sovereign state is to protect the interests of those being abused by their government.

Sadly, this has meant that the international community will not even think about intervening until accusations of genocide are declared.

The international community, understandably so, is hesitant to use the term ‘genocide’ without irrefutable evidence that genocide is truly taking place. Often times, this means that problems of genocide are not recognized until it is far too late.

How can you prove intent to destroy an entire minority until that minority has already been destroyed? This is a question that people must constantly work towards solving. There is no doubt that the Myanmar government mistreats the Rohingya. The United Nations even considers them one of the most persecuted minorities in the international community; however, what is happening to them does not amount to genocide — not yet, at least. For that reason, the world will continue to sit on its hands and watch this tragedy unfold.

OPINION

Page 10

October 8, 2014

What’s Your Brand?

Creative Presentation Helps Job Applications

By AINSLEY KILPATRICK STAFF WRITER

When children are asked what they want to be when they grow up, instinct tells them to say what they genuinely want to be. They will say jobs like ballerinas, police officers or even zookeepers: all directly reflective of a childhood interest or dream. Without the knowledge of how much their quality of life depends on their job, their answer comes from the simplest of ambitions inspired by innate passions. These passions carry all of us through the education system and now, as we progress into adulthood, they are reflected in our internship and job searches.

The education system encourages the art of specialization: finding the unique subject that a student can excel in and love. I have identified as a writer since I could spell, and therefore focused on English literature classes.

As society has developed, however, it is not merely enough to be good, or even to excel in your subject of choice. You must now discover why your passion is unique.

Though the data on the recent unemployment rate for college graduates avries, the Economic Policy Institute repors that its around 8.5 percent for those between 21 and 24. This should inspire students to try to get a jump-start on employment with internships. In the search for an internship, an employer will get

PHOTO COURTESY OF FLICKR

Presenting and marketing yourself creatively for prospective companies can help you land a coveted internship or job.

hundreds of applications, and they will all present similarly mundane work experience that requires only a basic high school education. It is unlikely your credentials will help you stand out. The job search is now about branding and marketing, and with minimal experience, undergraduate students market their passions and how their passions are unique and desirable to the employer.

Marketing standards require students to get creative with how they “brand” themselves in resumes and on social media sites like LinkedIn. To do this, students may want to turn to recent marketing campaigns by businesses and charities.

As we saw with the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge among other trends, creative use of social media is a boundless source of free adver-

tising for any organization. The ALS Association saw a 3,500 percent increase in donations in the period of time that the Ice Bucket Challenge went viral on Facebook and other social media sites when compared to donations from the same stretch of time last year.

Another organization called the Mineko Club used a creative campaign to fundraise for the Kamine Zoo in Hitachi City, Japan. The

group took the toys from lion, tiger and bear habitats, wrapped them in sheets of denim and then returned the toys to be torn into by the animals. They created a naturally distressed look that designers have been employing in jean design for the past decade. These jeans were then auctioned off this past July, with the Lion model going for $3,500.

Fatim Lelenta, a career counseling intern at Career Services, explained how creative marketing can work for students; “When searching for a job, developing relationships and networking is key.”

When asked about how creativity and marketing expands into how students present themselves, Lelenta said, “Following professionals in your field [via social media] and being plugged in and aware. Also creating something, so if there is a club that does not exist, creating that. Or if you create a blog that relates to your interests... this can help you stand out.”

These are small ways of advertising yourself and creating an Internet presence that could make you stand out to a particular person in a field of applicants.

I am not saying it is time to pull an Elle Woods and start printing resumes on scented pink stationary, but the process of following your passions now includes wrapping them in a nice bow.

Ainsley Kilpatrick, FCRH ’17, is an undeclared major from East Greenwich, Rhode Island.

++++. ONE OF THE

“

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BASED ON A TRUE STORY

ARTWORK: ©2014 FOCUS FEATURES LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Then email us at Fordhamram opinions @gmail.com

CULTURE

October 8, 2014

Page 11

The Fordham Ram

Walsh Library Exhibit Honors Fordham’s Role in World War I

By RICHARD BORDELON OPINION EDITOR

It was supposed to be the “war to end all wars,” but it was not. Only 25 years later, war again broke out in Europe, eclipsing the one before it. The scale of World War I was nonetheless tremendous for its time, and the Rams of Fordham played a role in it.

To commemorate the centennial of the beginning of World War I in Europe, Fordham archivists have worked and to compile an exhibit that examines the role of Fordham and its students in the Great War. Patrice Kane, head of archives and special collections at Walsh Library, along with Roger Wines, professor emeritus of history and Fr. Thomas Shelly, a historian, compiled a number of artifacts and documents that shed light on Fordham’s involvement. In addition, Lou DiGiorno, the school historian for Fordham Prep, assisted with the exhibition and examination of the role of the prep students in the war.

The exhibit specially features artifacts donated to Fordham by the family of Charles Curtin, who served in the medical corps overseas. These artifacts include a Fordham ambulance corps banner and a Red Cross armband.

When the United States decid-

Review | Ballet

ed to become involved in the war in 1917, Fordham immediately backed the war effort. Rev. Joseph A. Mulry, S.J., president of the university at that time, spoke often about the need for Fordham’s students to serve their country abroad in the military.

Kane explained that this immediate support was, in part, meant to combat the nativism that pervaded much of the United States at the time.

“There was still a lot of antiCatholic sentiment in New York and in the country,” she said in an interview there was also a belief that “Catholics by rule just follow the pope and do not get involved.”

Kane also explained that Fordham’s involvement was due to Mulry.

“Father Mulry was sort of a warmonger in this whole thing to make it look like we are going to go and we are going to get the Kaiser,” she said.

Though Mulry was a Catholic priest, “that was very characteristic of him,” Kane explained. “If you read any of the things that he said in any of the speeches, it does not sound like a priest talking, it sounds like an army general; but that was all for image.”

Two different groups of Fordham men were involved in the war.

Fordham students, some as young

PHOTOS BY CHRISTIAN WILOEJO/THE RAM

A number of documents on display show US history and Fordham’s role in World War I.

as 17, joined the medical corps and aided the medical efforts on the front in Europe. Alumni also fought for the U.S. in the war, and

Firebird Enchants in a Unique, Eye-Catching Rendition

By MARISSA VACCARELLI STAFF WRITER

At the heart of New York culture is the New York City Ballet.

At Lincoln Center’s David H. Koch Theater, the fall season began on Sept. 23 and will continue until Oct. 19. Tuesday through Sunday, the talented dancers put on their biggest and best performances accompanied by the New York City Ballet Orchestra.

On Friday, Sept. 26, members of the principal ballet gathered to perform the All Balanchine suite of: Donizetti Variations, La Sonnambula and Firebird. Each performance conveyed a unique

Fordham honored those alumni by dedicating the gate on Fordham Road and Third Avenue in their memory. The exhibit examines the

experiences of both groups.

Kane explained that some Fordham traditions and institutions, such as this very newspaper, The Fordham Ram, had their beginnings during World War I. “The newspaper was originally a newsletter for the soldiers overseas,” she said.

“They started it so that the Fordham men could read about what was going on here, and it was such a hit that they kept it as a regular school newspaper.” In addition, she explained that “it is considered one of the first school newspapers in North America.”

World War I, however, was not the first part of Fordham’s military involvement. “Fordham had a very significant military history that people really weren’t aware of,” Kane said. This history dates back to Clarence Edwards, for whom Edwards Parade is named, who first founded a cadet corps at Fordham after the Civil War. This is the first time that Fordham has publicly remembered its role in World War I since 1920.

“As far as I know, after the dedication of the memorial gate, I do not think it came up again,” Kane explained. “I did not want to do it as a celebration. You do not really want to celebrate it, but you do want to honor the people that gave their lives.”

COURTESY OF GLYN LOWE/FLICKR

The David H. Koch Theater holds the All Balanchine suite for the fall season.

story.

Donizetti Variations was created to celebrate the 100th anni-

versary of the unification of Italy.

In this upbeat performance, the dancers’ costumes resembled

those of Italian peasants in the countryside and they danced in trios and duos.

The principal ballet’s next performance of La Sonnambula featured a masquerade ball in which the main character finds love and then becomes spellbound by a sleepwalking woman. La Sonnambula evokes a mysterious, yet enchanting vibe.

The final show of the evening, Firebird, was the most riveting.

This performance tells the story of Prince Ivan in a wizard’s magical woods.

The prince catches the Firebird, who helps him destroy the wizard and save the creatures

of the mystic forest. The Firebird wears a radiant red costume that catches the attention of the whole audience.

The David H. Koch Theater is easily accessible via the Ram Van, which drops you off a block away from the theater. It is definitely a must-see for dancers and non-dancers alike.

In each performance, the dancers executed challenging choreography, while demonstrating the finesse and grace of ballerinas that takes years to master.

With the Nutcracker season, a holiday favorite, on its way, you should catch a performance of the New York City Ballet.

Review | Movie

A Family’s Trouble With Technology Use

By NICOLE PIERI STAFF WRITER

What does the excessive use of social media mean for our society?

The answer, according to Jason Reitman’s new movie, Men, Women & Children, is not pretty.

Boasting a stellar ensemble cast (Adam Sandler, Jennifer Garner, Judy Greer, Emma Thompson and Rosemarie DeWitt), Men, Women & Children tells the story of a group of connected teens and adults living in a small Texas town and their attempts to navigate the tricky and inescapable world of social media and technology in the present day.

The characters’ struggles center around their inability to connect properly with each other, both on and off the Internet. The married couple has lost any spark they had to begin with and turn to the Internet to solve their problems behind each other’s backs, while a mother practically stalks her daughter’s every move on social media to prevent anything from happening to her.

An unstable father-son relationship gets even rockier when Facebook and a multiplayer role-play game are involves, and a mother attempts to be supportive by creating an acting website for her

daughter. Peer pressure, bullying and romance can be found in the text and Facebook messages on the teens’ phones.

Based on the novel of the same title by Chad Kultgen, Men, Women & Children concludes that the majority of interactions within social media, when used excessively, can be destructive to real-life relationships. By not directly addressing issues or relying too heavily on technology, any true and useful communication is lost. This observation is not necessarily groundbreaking, but it is still an important one that the film successfully makes through the downfalls of

COURTESY OF IMDB

the characters’ relationships.

The film ingeniously uses graphics of interactions between characters on social media as the action occurs, making it easy for audiences to relate to the characters through their Internet colloquialisms, familiar iMessage screens and Facebook news feeds.

There are also quite a few laughs to be found despite the intense drama that takes place during the bulk of the story.

Ultimately, Men, Women & Children is an insightful film which tackles a subject that, despite being an integral part of everyday life, is still a mystery.

CULTURE

Page 12

Review | TV Show

October 8, 2014

Review | TV Show

Is Revenge Worth the Trouble?

Season 4 ‘Scandal’ Gets Heated

By JUNGSUH KIM STAFF WRITER

For those eagerly anticipating the return of “Revenge,” the wait is finally over. ABC’s hit show set in the Hamptons has graced us with another suspenseful season. The show tells the story of Amanda Clarke, who disguises herself as Emily Thorne in order to avenge her father, David Clarke, against the evil Grayson family. Season 3 left us with cliffhanger. It ended with Conrad Grayson’s release from prison and his encounter with David Clarke, who was thought to be dead. Viewers were stunned and left with many questions.

The first episode of Season 4 offered little in answer to these questions. It started with a glimpse into the new luxurious life of Emily Thorne. After her impressive and much awaited takedown of the Graysons, she was able to not only publicly destroy their image, but also buy Grayson Manor itself,

RICHARD CARTWRIGHT/ AP

Kerry Washington dominates “Scandal” as a politcal fixer.

By CAROLINE KANE CONTRIBUTING WRITER COURTESY OF LIONEL CIRONNEAU

Madeleine Stowne, Joshua Bowman and Emily VanCamp star in ABC’s “Revenge.”

making it even more humiliating for both Victoria and Daniel (Victoria’s eldest son). All seems fine until Nolan Ross confronts Emily about her obsession with seeking revenge, even after she had completed her mission. Emily is seen having an emotional breakdown, foreshadowing the difficult journey she will face in her future. The

The Lowdown | Devon Sheridan

Sports Integrating With Culture I’m a big sports fan, and for years now I’ve harbored a clandestine desire to write a column in the sports section for The Ram. Aware of my strengths, I have stuck with this culture column. Luckily, for me, “culture” is a very broad term, one that includes everything that makes our American identity unique. “Hey,” I thought just now, “sports are a massive part of that identity.” So, here goes nothing.

On Sunday night, the New York Times reported that the NBA had reached an agreement with Disney (ESPN/ABC) and Turner (TBS/ TNT) over the numbers for a new television deal. Those numbers, which are now confirmed, are astounding. Previously estimated to max out at $2 billion a year, Disney and Turner reportedly will pay the NBA $2.7 billion annually in a nineyear agreement that begins with the 2016-17 NBA season. Of course, I’ll leave it to our sports writers to predict how that agreement will affect the projected salary cap, a new collective bargaining agreement and, possibly, the potential for another lockout.

All that you have to know is that this deal is massive from both a financial standpoint, and also from a cultural standpoint. See what I did there?

Real quick on the financial side of things: first, this deal is a loud signal that the NBA is catching up to the NFL in terms of how much money networks will cough up to broadcast games. For instance: FOX, NBC and CBS each pay the NFL $3 billion a year to broadcast games. The fact that TBS/TNT, the land of infinite “Law and Order” reruns, is willing to pay almost the same amount for the NBA signals one of two things: either, these networks are banking on the continued rise of the NBA’s popularity, or their own programming is so futile in terms of ratings that they need something like the NBA to keep the advertisers around. It’s a continuation of a decade-long trend

of networks choosing to put money into live sports television rather than written television.

But, why so much for the NBA? I think it’s a bet hedged on a couple of things. The NBA is carving out in our cultural zeitgeist a larger piece of real estate than before. In short, whereas the NFL with all its game breaks which allow for advertising, is hand crafted for the TV era, the NBA is the perfect partner for the social internet — Instagram, Twitter and Reddit — era. NBA players are visible and very marketable, much more so than the masked, helmeted and cap-wearing guys in the NFL, NHL and MLB. When we recognize our athletes, we’re more willing to go out of our way to interact with them.

At some point, probably when our eyes travel from the television screen over to an iPhone or an iPad screen, there is transference from the sports ecosystem to a larger entertainment atmosphere. On Instagram, players and teams post pictures and videos of dunk contests. On Twitter, NBA players frequently interact with followers and with one another. The NBA Reddit community is witty and vigorous. In fact, if you want a crash course in NBA state-of-affairs, check NBA Reddit. Along with basketball analysis, expect to find just as much analysis of LA Lakers shooting guard Nick Young’s, also known as Swaggy P, relationship with popstar Iggy Azalea. Of course, none of this activity away from television affects ratings, but it does affect popularity.

Until now, no sports league has been able to harness sports entertainment without needing the game. With the NBA, social media — or the social Internet — has the power to drive people to watch the game, not just the other way around. Indeed, with this new TV deal, executives have placed a bet on a new, perhaps social, NBA in the hope that the “E” for entertainment in ESPN is as present as ever.

episode concludes with Victoria Grayson escaping her psychiatric ward and being kidnapped by the one and only David Clarke. However, we do not know why David has chosen Victoria as the first person to reveal himself to, nor what he plans to do with her.

“Revenge” seems to have a promising return even after the unbelievable plot twist that the previous season had left. Viewers are still left with lingering questions that will haunt them — How is David Clarke alive and what will Emily do once she’s found out her father has been alive all these years? Stay tuned for the rest of the season to find out.

Lace up your sandals, Gladiators, because Olivia Pope is back.

Let’s recap what we were left with at the end of Season 3: Mr. Pope had Harrison and Jerry Grant killed to guarantee that Fitz would win the presidential election. Huck and Quinn got cozy right before Quinn gave him the whereabouts of his old family. And Olivia and Jake left town on a jet. So now Olivia is back, lured to town by Quinn’s anonymouslysent clippings of Harrison’s obituary.

If one thing is certain about Olivia’s return, it is that everything has fallen apart without her.

This season premiere did not disappoint. Writer Shonda Rhimes did a fantastic job of tying up some loose ends, while still leaving unanswered questions for episodes to come. In the hour show, we witness Eli Pope

deny killing Harrison, David Rosen blackmail his way into the attorney general position, Mellie officially not care about anyone’s opinion and Fitz fire his entire cabinet in a fit of rage. The episode ends with Olivia dramatically walking past Fitz in a hallway, which leaves us wondering what will become of the beloved excouple.

In Episode 2, Olivia is forced to represent a client who will win support for Fitz’s gun-control bill, which confirms that Olivia is in fact here to stay. Among other drama, Olivia and Fitz share a moment at the end of the episode that reassures us that their chemistry is still present. Fitz’s State of the Union address has us all swooning and questioning, among other things, whether we are Team Fitz or Team Jake. For now, we rejoice over Olivia’s homecoming and have an entire season to make up our minds.

Editor’s Pick | Hipsters

Individuality Taken the Wrong Way

By FELICIA ZHANG BUSINESS DIRECTOR

Imagine: you’re in a hole-in-thewall cafe trying to balance on a narrow stool with spindly wooden legs, but failing because you have a bag on one shoulder and the table in front of you is too small to fit anything but your drink. Speaking of your drink, it’s served in this weird weighty earthenware bowl that you have to pick up with both hands, forcing you to either bend your neck down to take the daintiest sip or tilt your head back to take the longest draught. Which would be cool, you guess, if the chai latte they served you was not so spicy that it made you wonder if this was karma’s way of punishing you for chickening out of the cinnamon challenge that one time.

Anyway, your attention is diverted from your burning, spicy insides when this girl walks in and, right at home, plops down and orders her regular. Your quick appraisal of her sweeps from her brown striped fedora and choppy bob all the way down to her rolled-down socks and scuffed-up oxfords. Her skintight mustard pants contrast with her bulky thrift shop blazer that has so much shoulder padding that you suspect she sewed in a couple of pushup bras. She amazes you, because her outfit is so top heavy that you expect her to topple over — not balance as languidly as she does on that wretched little stool.

This all tells you one thing: hipster.

But she begs the contrary.

Ok, so she likes indie music, and ok, maybe some alternative, too; and

COURTESY OF FLICKR

Hipsters’ clothing and activities are now seen as mainstream and trendy.

perhaps, 50 percent of her closet was curated from thrift shops, but look, the other 50 percent of her closet is from Urban! Urban is mainstream!

(Digression: Urban Outfitters is urban and trendy, not hipster). And sure, she wears mod- ‘60s sunglasses and shops only at farmers markets and mom-and-pop grocery stores; and yes, she’d rather attend a poetry slam than the movies (“Really, you’re into The Hunger Games?”), but she vehemently denies that she is a hipster. That very word “hipster” grates against her being because it codifies her way of life and erases her as an individual who enjoys what she enjoys, wears what she wears and believes what she believes. The fact that her hobbies, clothes and beliefs overlap with the hobbies, clothes and beliefs of all other hipsters, is irrelevant.

However, what bothers her the most is that individualism is what

hipsterism is supposed to be all about.

The hipster culture today that’s often commercialized as the young urban’s anthem is the antithesis of the old days when hipsters found solace in pop culture. Now, the new cool is to wear ‘90s-framed glasses, drink black coffee and perform spoken word about your loss of faith in humanity.

If this describes you, congratulations, you’re a hipster in the most mainstream sense. However, you are not a true hipster until you genuinely enjoy these things as your own, rather than do them to buy into the new, hip, urban trend of being counter-society and above-it-all.

And, if you could care less about being a hipster, the takeaway from this is that, if you must judge the girl in the cafe with the brown striped fedora, judge her not as a hipster but as an individual. Thanks, she appreciates it.

CULTURE

October 8, 2014

Page 13

Dining Out: Pizza Vinoteca

By NICOLE HORTON & AMANDA GIGLIO CULTURE EDITOR & ASSISTANT CULTURE EDITOR

Pizza Vinoteca, located at 15 Union Square West in Manhattan, offers a delightful modern take on Italian classics, featuring a unique variety of thin crusted whole-wheat pizza.

Pizza Vinoteca is in a prime location with many shops and restaurants surrounding the restaurant. There is also a Regal movie theater and the famous Strand bookstore. The Union Square area is perfect for college students, as it is also the hub for students from other city schools, such as NYU and the New School.

The restaurant has a modern decor in black and white with red accents and had a colorful wine bottle storage unit that looks like a piece of art. Once we were seated, we took note of the glass roof and the tall Sophia Loren mosaic.

Our server came over to explain the restaurant’s iPad ordering system.

This use of technology is fitting for the modern dining experience that Pizza Vinoteca offers. There were two iPads on the table, so we picked them up and

began perusing the menu. It was tricky to use at first, but once we got the hang of it, the menus were a fun way to order food. Once both of us selected our meals, we sent the order to the kitchen. When we had a question, we selected the option to have our waiter come to the table. In addition to ordering with ease, we were able to continue our conversation while waiting for our waiter to come over, rather than looking for him or waving him over. This useful feature also enables diners to eat and order at their own speed.

In addition to being high-tech, Pizza Vinoteca also offered an excellent dining experience. In addition to 36 options for wine by the glass, all under $10, you can also order cheese, olives or a salad as an appetizer. As my appetizer, I ordered a grilled shrimp salad with spinach, fennel and orange. For someone who prefers simpler salads, this was certainly a daring decision on my part. However, the grilled shrimp was tasty and paired well with the vinaigrette dressing and the oranges served as a delightful contrast. My friend ordered a chilled corn soup.

Unlike most soups, this was specifically made to be served cold. She felt like she was eating corn on the cob with a spoon, a unique twist on a classic.

Then came the pizza. I ordered a vegetable pizza — eggplant with tomato, mozzarella and chili, while my friend ordered a simple margherita pizza. The portions were suitable (not too much or too little), assuming most people will have appetizers and/or dessert.

Our waiter offered us a plate for the middle of the table to share. This was a great idea, because we knew we wanted to sample different kinds of pizza. Both pizzas were really good and had whole wheat crust, which made us feel less guilty about eating so much.

For dessert, twists on classics were a nice surprise. There were gelato floats, such as root beer and creamsicle and bombolinis, which are a Tuscan-style donuts served with fillings and sugar toppings. I opted for a dessert that I had never heard of before, a strawberry banana gelato panini. It is described as a handheld sundae wrapped in vanilla cake and prepared in a panini press. Once again, I was pleased.

We left Pizza Vinoteca feeling full and satisfied. The food was superb and the atmosphere was very hip.

Even though the high-tech menu caught us off guard, the idea behind

Mimes & Mummers Amazes Students

COURTESY OF ANDREW BORDWIN

The simple decor adds to the fun, hip atmosphere of the restaurant.

it is interesting and it shows how this restaurant is setting trends that will continue in the future. If you are out

Playlist | Rosemary Derocher

By MARGARET ADAMS

Song: “Transistor Radio” Artist: Cloud Cult Album: Advice from the Happy Hippoptamus Year: 2005

STAFF WRITER

Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, the latest Mimes and Mummers production, graced the Collins Auditorium stage from Oct. 2 to 5.

The play, written by Tom Stoppard and first performed at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 1966, is told from the perspective of two “minor” characters from Hamlet: Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. Therefore, no matter how many times you have seen, read or watched Hamlet, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead is unlike any version you know. The production offered a truly unique viewing experience. From the juxtaposition of conversations and medieval doublets to the artistic interpretation of Shakespeare’s original scenes, it was an exceptional and artistic retelling of the well-known tragedy.

The most intriguing aspect of the play was the audience’s position. Director Rory Pelsue opted to have the audience sit on the stage, while the action took place on the edge of the stage and in between the auditorium seats. Just as the play itself offered a backstage view of Hamlet, the seating arrangement offered the audience a backstage view of the action. As Pelsue wrote in his letter to the audience, “I thought it would be interesting to flip the perspective of the playing space just as Stoppard flips the perspective of Hamlet by focusing on the hapless and slightly under-written friends of the famously complex Prince of Denmark.”

Philip Reilley, FCRH ’15, said, “I haven’t seen the Mimes do a show where they used the entire house... [as] someone who knows how much work goes into putting on shows, I know that the crew must have put in many hours of work to get the many technical aspects of the show, such as lighting, right. So hats off to them!”

Overall, I think the entire audience

with friends or looking for a simple place for a date, Pizza Vinoteca should definitely be on your radar.

COURTESY OF JAMES DEMETRIADES

The Tragedians added bits of humor to help move the play along.

would agree that the director excellently accomplished his goal.

Although the cast was surprisingly small, the actors brought amazing depth to their characters. AJ Golio, FCRH ’16, played the easy-going Rosencrantz (or was it Guildenstern...?) perfectly. The entire audience was moved by Rosencrantz’s sweet attempts to cheer his friend, and Golio expertly navigated Rosencrantz’s development from an easilyconfused character to one who experiences real terror at the thought of his own death. Michael Brown, FCRH ’16, who played the philosophical and quick-witted Guildenstern, effortlessly delivered the clever lines with impeccable comedic timing. In addition, Golio and Brown worked well with each other, and the friendship flowed easily between them and their characters. Krystin Vitale, FCRH ‘16, summed it up well by saying they were “brilliant, and they completely held the audience in the palm of their hands.”

The Tragedians, led by Amy Palen, FCRH ’16, as The Player, offered punches of humor and helped move the story along. Palen’s dramatic flair was perfect for the role, and she delivered the clever and sharp lines of

The Player effortlessly. The motley crew of Tragedians was funny, dramatic and just a little bit outrageous — exactly as they should be. Of course, the classic characters from Shakespeare’s play made appearances: Collin Wright, GSB ’16, played the moody Hamlet well. Nick Motlenski, FCRH ’16, commanded the stage as Claudius, and Jake Benoit, FCRH ’17, portrayed the self-absorbed Polonius with just the right amount of comedy. Anna Smutney’s, FCRH ’17, Gertrude and Cat Gallagher’s, FCRH ’17, Ophelia were significantly smaller parts in this retelling of Hamlet than in the original, but they were still completely memorable.

From the music to the costumes and from the staging to the acting, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead was an exceptional production. The clever and cunning dialogue kept the audience’s attention throughout, and every single actor was outstanding and unforgettable. If you didn’t get to see this production, be sure to see The Mimes and Mummers’ next production of Spamalot, Nov. 13 to 16.

Cloud Cult’s album Advice from the Happy Hippopotamus has been in my life since I was 13 or 14, and I stumbled across it while scrolling through my older brother’s iTunes library. A lot has happened since then, and God knows I’ve grown a lot, but the album has managed to stick with me. “Transistor Radio” was always one of my favorite tracks, and my understanding of and appreciation for the song has grown along with me.

At its most basic (but still meaningful) level, it’s a song about the connection the singer feels with his grandfather, who died 20 years prior. He starts the song off as a child — he hears his grandfather through his transistor radio, saying there’s something he wants to show him. His grandfather serves as a sort of guide, and the singer imagines that his grandfather is leading him through various stages of his life by the voice coming from the radio. As long as he’s got that voice, he feels as though he’s not lost and heading toward some kind of purpose in life. Then, one day, the radio gives out. He’s got nothing to go on, and he doesn’t care what happens next.

The next line goes, “Let me tell you about rage when a signal died that day,” and it’s one of the most emotional lines of the song.

There’s a precarious feeling to this part of the song, a sense of being completely lost and untethered to the world. In the end, though, the singer recovers. Somehow, he always ends up where he’s meant to be. Even though he no longer hears

the transistor radio, perhaps just because he’s older, he realizes that, “Where I’ve been, where I am, is the show.” All his grandfather wanted was for him to enjoy his life and not take anything for granted.

The music gives “Transistor Radio” a warm, gentle feeling that drew me to the song in the first place. In the background, there’s just an acoustic guitar and occasional interjections from the glockenspiel, and singer Craig Minowa’s voice has a childlike quality to it.

Even when the lyrics become dark, the music’s tone doesn’t really change. The instrumentation gets a little heavier and the plucking gets a little fiercer, but things calm down again by the end. It’s been a hard time for the narrator, but he’s made it through and still hung on to the sense of calm and guidance that the transistor radio gave him.

He’s grown, but there’s still a part of him that remembers what it was like when he was a child and had grandpa’s words of wisdom to help him along the way in life.

Even if you don’t listen to any of the words, “Transistor Radio” is a low-key song that’s wonderful to listen to on repeat six times when you’re stressed. But, if that’s not your thing, maybe once will do it.

When you take the words into account, however it becomes even better. It’s a reminder that growing up doesn’t necessarily mean shedding everything from your childhood, but rather, learning how to call on the best parts of yourself that may well have been there all along.

CULTURE

Page 14

October 8, 2014

Who’s That Kid? | Joe Halpin & Nick Makarov

Entrepreneurial Ambition and Friendship Lead to Success

By JASON CHAN ASSISTANT BUSINESS DIRECTOR

Coming to Fordham University from Illinois and California, Joe Halpin, GSB ’17 and Nick Makarov, GSB ’17, began their friendship and business partnership in Martyrs’ Court Jogues. These two students, equally interested in business and making the world a better place, joined Compass Fellowship, a social entrepreneurial club, when their freshman year began.

The two noticed that many students had a hard time fully comprehending current events and looked to fix the problem. Their goal? To create a comprehensive timeline of all influential events of a specific story that the college reader could understand.

Less than a year later, the two started SamePage, won the Kenneth Cole Grant for their entrepreneurial spirit and met Kenneth Cole himself. The business idea came from their desire to make the world an easier place.

“I had this vague idea that I could pursue through Compass, and, in fleshing out the idea, I found myself asking Joe for input and help, since he was the top dog in his high school newspaper,” said Nick. “The broad goal was to make comprehension of

JASON CHAN/THE RAM

Nick Makarov (left) and Joe Halpin (right), accept a national business award.

current events easier for students.”

In addition to coding and doing market research, SamePage applied to various grants like The Kenneth Cole Grant. The Kenneth Cole Grant, won in April, has been the duo’s biggest achievement to date. They had the opportunity to meet Kenneth Cole for his advice, obtained money to fund their project and pitched their idea to various people.

“The entrepreneurial community is full of ‘get stuff done NOW’ people, which is pretty overwhelming,” said Nick. On the other hand, the two still

plan on spending the year building the brand, voice and staff. Ultimately, their goal is to win more grants and to slowly grow the business.

Before the awards, the fame and the “grown-up” stuff, Nick and Joe were just two motivated kids who chose to attend Fordham. “I knew two things coming to college: I loved my Jesuit high school education and wanted to study business,” said Nick.

“Being at Fordham and in New York was a no-brainer.”

Joe was equally attracted to Fordham. He knew that he wanted to

study business and wanted to do so in a fast-paced environment, and he wanted to be at a school that felt like home with a community of driven passionate people. He searched for schools all over and felt drawn to New York City and Fordham.

While Nick does not want to limit himself to any one discipline of business, he is currently looking to pursue management consulting. Joe is very interested in designing. He interned at a theatre company over the summer, and created his own website. Ultimately, he is interested in branding and technology, therefore he chose to study marketing and infosystems.

Outside of work and academia, the two have very peculiar interests. Nick enjoys fantasy football, “Gossip Girl,” salsa dancing, World Star Hip-Hop and turtlenecks.

On the other hand, Joe loves Beyonce, overwhelmingly so. He is interested in the arts, Idina Menzel, club sports and social entrepreneurship.

“I’m just really passionate about entrepreneurship, social innovation, design and technology. I’m very much a ‘get stuff done’ type of person, which is why I love fast-paced hectic environments (i.e., shows and start-

ups). Aside from business-related interests, I really do love reading, running, and seeing new shows (just saw FOUND at the Atlantic—phenomenal!). Between school and work, I don’t have much free time, but that’s how I spend it!”

“When I actually have free time, it’s usually spent researching fantasy football, watching Netflix, playing FIFA, or reading. Big nerd for Lord of the Rings/“Game of Thrones” type stuff,” said Nick.

In addition, Nick wants to become a coffee connoisseur, salsa dancer, savage letter writer and rock climber.

“I want to try to have a job in every business discipline before I graduate. Get a little taste of everything. A fruit salad of experience, if you will,” he said.

On the other hand, Joe loves theatre and hopes eventually to produce Broadway shows: “I love collaboration and want to create memorable, life-changing moments in theatre,” he said.

These two passionate and wellrounded students are on their way to becoming very successful, and we can look out for creative ways that they will mix art, business and social responsibility.

Letters | Ask Emma Dear Emma, There’s a boy I’ve been friends with for about a year now that has been flirty with me lately. We kissed once and flirt all the time, so it’s very obvious to the rest of our friends. He thinks I play games with him and I’m teasing him, but in reality I really don’t know what I want. My friend had a talk with him, and he told her he’s going to have a talk with me and ask me a yes or no question. I don’t know which to say.

Friends?

Dear Friends, It would be easy for me to say that if it was meant to be you would know, but that’s not always true.

Some of the best relationships come from friendships, and your hesitation could be for a number of different reasons. You could be worried about losing your friendship, causing an awkward dynamic in your friend group, changing your mind or even him changing his. If it’s any of those reasons, I think you should say yes. Taking a risk could lead to something beautiful. If your hesitation is coming from a gut feeling telling you that you know it’s just flirtation and nothing serious, you should probably say no and stop flirting with him. Continuing to lead him on could potentially ruin your friendship.

Good luck! — Emma

Dear Emma, This past weekend, my boyfriend cheated on me. He said he was at the bar and he doesn’t remember, but he kissed a girl and one of my friends saw. To add insult to injury, he lied about it when I asked him. He’s really shaken up and keeps apologizing, but I broke up with him anyway. He has been texting me non-stop and texting my friends saying he’ll do anything, but I just don’t know what to do.

Cheated on Dear Cheated on, I’m sorry he put you in this position. Honestly, everybody makes mistakes, and if you’re considering giving him a second chance that’s up to you. However, the fact that he lied about it says a lot about his character. If he had told you it happened or at the very least not lied about it, it would be a different story. You deserve to be with someone who won’t cheat on you, or if he does, will be a man and own up to it.

Good luck! — Emma Have a question for Emma? Send them to fordhamramaskemma@gmail.com

Review | TV Show

With Romance, Mystery and Murder, New ABC Drama Shines

By JORDAN SIMON CONTRIBUTING WRITER

In the 1989 film Dead Poets Society, Professor Neil Keating (played by the late Robin Williams) teaches and mentors a group of impressionable teenage boys. Fast forward eight years to I Know What You Did Last Summer, a cult thriller that sees its four main characters disposing the presumed dead body of a man they ran over with their car in the opening scene. It is easy to imagine that these films served as some inspiration for Peter Norwalk, the creator of the latest ABC drama “How to Get Away with Murder.” Whether or not this is the case, the show is destined to become one of the biggest new shows in primetime.

Produced by Shonda Rhimes (“Scandal,” “Grey’s Anatomy”), the show premiered on Sept. 25 with high ratings and an fresh premise.

Academy Award nominee Viola Davis (Abileen Clark, The Help) stars as Annalise Keating, a criminal law professor and defense attorney who chooses five law school students to work at her firm while helping them navigate the world of criminal

law. The students soon become embroiled in a murder plot of their own, in which they dispose of a corpse during an annual bonfire.

Davis excels at portraying a woman tasked with the job of discrediting witness testimonies, introducing new suspects and reburying key pieces of evidence. A mastermind at manipulating the jury pool, Keating exhibits poise in her professional life that is nonexistent in her personal one. At one point in the pilot, Keating reveals her marital issues and breaks down in tears over her inability to conceive a child.

If her work in movies like Doubt and The Help are any indication, Davis is a pro at pulling off the vulnerability that is required to play a character with this sort of baggage.

But, what makes Annalise Keating an intriguing character is her assertiveness. Bold, brash and unapologetic, Keating embodies the resilience and impulsivity seen in heroines such as “Scandal’s” Olivia Pope and” Grey’s Anatomy’s” Cristina Yang. The type to yell at her client for withholding evidence one day and pursue an affair with a married police detective the next, she is a welcome addition

to the pool of cleverly crafted female characters that inhabit the diversifying landscape of primetime television.

The students who work at Keating’s law firm are all equally complex and intriguing, due in large part to

the talented actors that play them.

Wes (Alfred Enoch), Michaela (Aja Naomi King), Connor (Jack Falahee), Laurel (Karla Souza) and Asher (Matt McGorry) all fill in the additional layers of heart and moral corruption necessary for a prime-

time drama centered on courtroom politics. Despite being only in its second episode, the series packs a few surprises and a bit of romance, mystery, intrigue and murder to captivate viewers looking for something to watch during the fall season.

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October 8, 2014

SPORTS

Page 15

The Fordham Ram

Men’s Soccer Upended d d by b St. S John’s, URI

By TARA CANGIALOSI WEB EDITOR

At the halfway point in its season, the Fordham men’s soccer team faced two tough opponents in St. John’s University and the University of Rhode Island this past week, dropping both matches 1-0.

The combination of the out-ofconference loss from St. John’s and subsequent loss against Atlantic 10 Conference rival URI puts the team’s record at 3-6-1.

In the first meeting between the two schools in nearly 18 years, Fordham and St. John’s fought to the end in both teams’ final non-conference match of the season, played on Sept.

30 at Belson Stadium in Queens. The match was added this past week, as it was originally not on the schedule for both teams.

The Rams kept the game scoreless for the first 86 minutes. Though a tough opponent, St. John’s could not penetrate Fordham’s defense, headed by seniors Ryan Cupolo at center back and senior goalkeeper Sean Brailey.

“We’ve been working on being countered in practice, and getting behind the ball as soon as we can,” Cupolo said.

The Red Storm finally managed to break through in the 87th minute when Gabriel Camara headed in a corner kick eight yards out, earning him his second goal of the season.

Camara’s late-game heroics cast a shadow over Brailey’s performance in net, as he registered a career-high nine saves in goal.

Junior Tomas Penfold tried a long shot within the final minute of the game as an attempt to tie the score,

SAMUEL JOSEPH/THE RAM

The Rams have struggled to put the ball in the net and were shut out by their two most recent opponents.

but the St. John’s keeper, Jordan Stagmiller, preserved the shutout and earned his fourth save of the day.

“We gotta keep our heads up and keep on playing — that’s all we can do,” the younger Penfold said.

The game was defined by goalkeeping, as Brailey and Stagmiller shined equally for both teams. Unfortunately, it was not enough for Fordham, as they lapsed within the crucial final minutes of the game.

The 1-0 win brought St. John’s record to 3-4-3, while the Rams dropped to 3-5-1 just before the start of A-10 Conference play.

A week later, Fordham faced its fellow Rams from the University of Rhode Island on Jack Coffey field.

Fordham came out looking strong,

possessing the ball deep into URI’s end of the field. Within the first ten minutes of the game Fordham earned three corner kicks on the offensive end, but was unable to finish.

In the 32nd minute, Fordham almost got a score on a nice combination play. Senior Andres Penfold sent a behind-the-back pass toward the center of the field, leading sophomore Andy Hickey to net. However, Hickey could not get a good look, resulting in a URI save.

URI got a break following Hickey’s injury and brief departure from the game. URI’s midfield snuck a ball up the right sideline, where it was dribbled to the end line and crossed by junior Ryan Oakley. Matt Sykes was there to finish it for URI, striking the

ball past a diving Brailey, and putting the opposing Rams ahead 1-0.

“We just kinda let up for a second mentally, and they were able to capitalize on it,” Cupolo said. “It was unfortunate for us, but we gotta be able to come back in situations like that and score.”

Minutes later, the ref awarded URI a penalty kick. Under supreme pressure, Brailey made the full stretch to his left to deflect the shot. He returned to his feet moments later to save the rebound shot, rallying his teammates and keeping the score at 1-0.

Following the break at halftime, Fordham did not look offensively sound. In the 53rd minute, Brailey broke up a loose ball confrontation

between the 18 and six yard lines. He then left his feet in the 65th minute to punch a rocketed shot over the crossbar.

Fordham’s sense of urgency to score did not arise until very late in the game. Within the final ten minutes, the Bronx-based Rams finally began to advance the ball forward from the defensive end, setting up strikers with opportunities.

With four minutes left to play, the younger Penfold got a hold of a shot from far out, but URI’s goalkeeper, Nils Leifhelm, made the stop.

“We have struggled for a long time coming out of the half strong,” he said. “But we really have to come out better and push the team, especially when we are down 1-0 at home.”

Nearing the end of the game, freshman Jannik Loebe crossed the ball from the right side. Tomas Penfold got his head on it, but the ball sailed just over the crossbar, leaving the Rams scoreless with less than a minute to play.

“We had a lot of big opportunities in the second half to score, but we just didn’t finish them” Loebe said. “We just have to keep working to improve our opportunities and try to score the next time.”

The Rams’ final shot came as the clock ran down. Senior Eric Walano powered the ball toward the net, but it sailed high and wide of the goal, awarding URI the 1-0 victory.

Fordham will continue its inconference schedule against fellow A-10 Conference opponents for the remainder of the regular season.

The Rams are back in action next Friday, Oct. 10 when they travel to Philadelphia to take on La Salle University at 7 p.m.

Golf Places Ninth at MacDonald Cup

By SAM BELDEN STAFF WRITER

This past Sunday, Fordham golf continued its season by finishing in ninth at the MacDonald Cup. The Rams played consistently through rainy weather, and it paid off in the form of an improvement over their last-place finish at the Quechee Club Collegiate Challenge the week before. The event was contested at the Yale Golf Course, a classic par 70 designed

by Charles Blair MacDonald.

Senior Ben Alcorn paced the Fordham players by tying for 20th place. After opening with a 75, he crafted a strong 71 in the final round to wind up with a solid finish.

In a way, it is only fitting that Alcorn performed well, as he had some positive thoughts regarding both the layout of the event.

“It’s one of the top-ranked collegiate courses,” Alcorn said.

“We’ve played well here in the past.”

Two other seniors, Drew Dufresne and Jeff Hogan, also shot decent scores in New Haven. Dufresne played consistently, starting off with a round of 74 and finishing with a 75. He wound up in

COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

The Rams faced rainy weather throughout their rounds at the Yale Golf Course, but were still able to take strokes off their game.

a tie for 31st. Hogan, meanwhile, started off well with a 73, but he faded to a 77 in the final round.

The other Rams, freshman Matt Schiller and senior Brian Engstrom, finished in ties for 47th and 62nd, respectively.

For Hogan, it was a special tournament. His brother, Jay, plays for St. Edward’s, and it was the first time that the two ever went up against each other in collegiate golf.

“It was the coolest thing I’ve ever done as an athlete,” Hogan said of the experience. “It made

my focus more intense knowing I was going up against him, and I couldn’t have asked for a better weekend. It’s one I’ll never forget.” Jay Hogan ultimately tied for 49th, falling short of his brother’s mark.In the end, experience seemed to be what propelled the Rams to a more successful finish.

“With four seniors on the team, it’s a course we’re all familiar with,” said Dufresne. “It’s about picking our spots and making sure we play smart.”

The Fordham squad had a positive takeaway from the week.

“I thought we had our best team performance of the year so far,” said Hogan. “We hung tough on Saturday with the weather being absolutely miserable and then had a great second round on Sunday.”

Yale, the host, won the cup.

The Bulldogs played well on both days, but they had to fight off a final round charge by the Harvard Crimson. Yale wound up winning by a single stroke over their archrivals.

Eric Mitchell of Princeton was the medalist. He opened with a

solid 70 and closed with a superb 68; both scores ranked among the best of the tournament. Mitchell held off a group of eight runnersup, most of them representatives of schools in the Ivy League.

With the MacDonald Cup behind them, the Rams now turn their attention to Pennsylvania, where they will be finishing up their season. This week, they head to the Temple Invitational.

After that, they will be teeing it up at the Lehigh Invitational for the last tournament of the calendar year.

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Page 16

October 8, 2014

SPORTS

October 8, 2014

Water Polo Splits Four Matches in Cali

By ANTHONY ALI STAFF WRITER

The Fordham water polo team headed to California this past weekend to start its annual west coast trip. As a prelude to the Gary Troyer Tournament, which began on Friday, the Rams played a doubleheader on Thursday, where they fell to Cal Baptist, 10-8, before beating Mt. San Antonio 10-7.

To open the Troyer Tournament, the Rams again split the matches, defeating Occidental College 12-7 prior to a close 1211 loss against Fresno Pacific University.

Playing Cal Baptist, a team that had received six votes to be ranked in the Top 20, the Rams held their own, trailing by only one goal by the end of the first quarter with a score of 4-3. The Lancers, however, added two goals to their tally by halftime to give them a 6-3 lead.

Fordham proceeded to outscore them in the third quarter two goals to one, making it 7-5, but was unable to bring itself any closer, as goalkeeper Joseph Moorman made an astonishing 16 saves to hold the lead.

Sophomore R.J. Simmons led the Rams in scoring with two, while juniors Davis DeFontes, Bobby Wurtz and Andrew Gonzalez scored one each. Rounding out the scoring were freshmen Ethan Vandeventer and Matthew Farrell, along with senior Ori Raz. Senior Noah LeBeau made seven saves in net.

The Rams rebounded with a comfortable win over Mt. San Antonio, having never trailed once in the match. Maintaining its lead 3-1 lead after the first quarter, Fordham extended their lead to 6-3 and never looked back, ending the third quarter with a sizeable five goal lead, with the score at 9-4.

Raz led the scoring, with four, followed by DeFontes who had

two. Simmons scored his third of the day in the match, and was accompanied on the scoresheet by junior Patrick Reyes, freshman Cameron Shewchuck and reigning CWPA Northern Division Player of the Week, senior Eric Minowitz, who had seven steals to go with his goal.

Next up was the first day of the Gary Troyer Tournament, where the Rams also went 1-1. Starting its day against Occidental College, Fordham displayed some serious firepower early on, scoring five goals in the first quarter, with junior Patrick Lenihan netting his two goals of the game in this early flurry.

Simmons would again find his way onto the scoresheet, helping to extend the Rams’ lead to 7-3, along with fellow junior Mike Hay. Simmons and Reyes netted again in the third, with Farrell, Minowitz, and Shewchuck finishing the scoring in the final quarter to secure the win.

Riding the momentum from its first win of the day, Fordham started its second match red-hot, bagging the first two goals of the match against Fresno Pacific University. Unphased by the early goals, the Sunbirds tied things up, setting up exciting second and third quarters, where they took a 7-5 lead.

Fordham tied the game up at 9-9 with only 3:30 remaining on the clock, but FPU scored 12 seconds later to halt Fordham’s momentum and take the lead for good. Overall, Raz netted four goals on the day, with Simmons and Gonzalez each netting a pair of their own.

The results leave the Rams at 10-7 for the season, matching their exact record from last year at this point in the season. The Rams are set to return for their first home game of the season on Oct. 15, against St. Francis (No. 20) at 7:30 p.m., after they finish up the Troyer Tournament against Chapman and La Verne.

Page 17

Varsity Scores & Stats Football Lafayette 3 7 8 0 16 Fordham 7 24 3 8 42 (LAF) B. Searfoss 2 TDs (FOR) B. Wetzel 115 yds, TD

Volleyball Duquesne Fordham (DUQ) A. Love 18 kills (FOR) L. Hipp 13 kills

Men’s Soccer Rhode Island Fordham GOALS: Sykes (URI) 17’

La Salle Fordham (LAS) J. Whelan 10 kills (FOR) G. Muller 8 digs

1 0

Women’s Soccer VCU 1 Fordham 0 GOALS: Gogolin (VCU) 20’ George Washington 1 Fordham 1 GOALS: Cooper (GW) 43’, Sims (FOR) 71’

3 0

0 3

11 12

Fordham Chapman

6 10

Fordham La Verne

6 8

Golf Macdonald Cup

Water Polo Fordham RV Cal Baptist

8 10

Fordham Mt. San Antonio

10 7

Fordham Occidental

Fordham Fresno Pacific

12 7

B. Alcorn

9th T-20th- +6

Rowing West Point Head Race Varsity 8

Gold

Varsity 4

Gold

Athletes of the Week Brett Biestek

Brianna O’ Neil

Grad Student

Junior

Football

Volleyball

Biestek was named Corvias Patriot League Defensive Player of the Week.

He had a career-high nine tackles and four sacks in the Rams’ 42-18 win over Lafayette.

O’ Neil was one of the Rams’ top performers in their first win of the season against Atlantic 10 rival La Salle. She led the team with 12 kills and had three digs in the 3-0 victory.

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 swept the Corvias Patriot League Awards this week. Along with Brett Biestek, Mike Nebrich (23-32, 287 yards passing, three touchdowns) won Offensive Player of the Week for the third straight week, running back Chase Edmonds (197 yards rushing, two touchdowns) won Rookie of the Week for the fourth straight time and kicker Michael Marando (two field goals and four extra points) was named Special Teams Player of the Week for the first time this season.

• Five Fordham softball players were given the National Fastpitch Coaches Association’s All-America Scholar-Athlete Honors. Seniors Michele Daubman, Kayla Lombardo, Serena Moroukian, Brianna Turgeon and sophomore Lauren Quense received the honor for having GPAs of 3.5 or higher.

• Former Fordham kicker Patrick Murray kicked a career-long 55-yard field goal and made four extra points in the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ 37-31 loss to the New Orleans Saints.

• Fordham volleyball fell to Lehigh Tuesday night 3-0 (16-25, 16-25, 19-25) dropping the team to 1-17 on the season. Graduate student Lisa Hipp led the Rams with eight kills and junior Abigail Konovodoff had 13 assists and eight digs.

Follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/theram_sports ALLY WHITE/THE RAM

Fordham dropped its last two matches to Chapman, 10-6 and La Verne, 8-6.

SPORTS

Page 18

October 8, 2014

Tara Cangialosi

Senior Profile | Chandler Moore

Leighton Schneider ALCS Preview

Washington’s Mistake

At the start of the MLB season, ESPN asked 44 of its experts what team would win each division and what team would win the World Series. Not surprisingly, only two had either the Baltimore Orioles or Kansas City Royals in the World Series, and both experts had the teams losing. Only five of the experts had the Orioles making the playoffs, while 15 experts had the Royals making the playoffs.

The American League Championship Series starts on Friday, and despite all the experts’ doubts heading into the year, one of these teams will get a chance to go to the World Series. This will be significant for both franchises, as neither team has made the Series since the 1980s.

The Orioles and the Royals have the sixth and seventh longest current World Series droughts the MLB — 30 years and 28 years, respectively. One of these teams will get the chance to end its drought this year when they play in the American League Championship Series.

Even though neither of these teams have been in the playoffs very often or are in the top media markets in the country, this series will be great for baseball.

It gives fans across the country a chance to see two teams that do not have a great history in the playoffs. The Orioles have won three World Series, while the Royals have just one in the franchise’s history.

While this is probably not what TV executives would have wanted for the ALCS, it will still draw viewers because of the differences between the teams.

During the regular season, the Orioles led the league in home runs, while the Royals did not even hit 100.

On the other hand, the Royals led the MLB in stolen bases with 153, which was 109 more than the last place Orioles.

The Royals are continuing their small-ball tactics during the post-season, having already stolen 12 bases in four games, more than all other post-season teams combined. While some teams might call them boring, their tactics are effective. They already have scored 24 runs.

The Royals and the Orioles played against each other seven times this season, with the Royals winning four.

The Orioles are also continuing to do what they did during the regular season, and that is hitting the crap out of the ball. In their three game sweep of the Detroit Tigers, they scored 21 runs and hit four home runs. They are hitting home runs at a higher percentage than they did in the regular season.

That said, I think that the Royals will win the ALCS due to their pitching staff. Against the Angels, who had the best record in baseball, the Royals pitching staff had 25 strikes outs and held the Angels to a .170 batting average.

Everyone, and then no one, wanted to be at Nationals Park last Saturday.

After the Washington Nationals dropped the first NLDS game to San Francisco, it seemed like one bad game would not take the wind out of their sails.

At least that’s what everyone thought.

Game 2 brought about 18 innings of baseball, 17 different pitchers from both teams and disaster for the National League’s top-ranked team.

By the time the game had ended, it earned the title of longest postseason game in MLB history. Spanning six hours and 23 minutes, the contest outlasted the Oct. 5, 2005 matchup between the Astros and Braves that took five hours and 50 minutes.

With two outs in the top of the ninth inning and the Nationals up 1-0, the game was in the bag.

The Nats’ Jordan Zimmermann retired 20 consecutive batters and was one out away from a complete game shut-out that would even the series at one game a piece. Failing to retire the side, however, he walked Giants’ second baseman, Joe Panik.

It was here that first-year manager Matt Williams made an undeniable rookie mistake.

Williams pulled Zimmermann, even though the right-hander had only thrown 100 pitches and given up three hits. The performance was clutch beyond belief and it was exactly what the Nats needed, but it was capped before it was complete.

He called on Drew Storen, Washington’s closer, to lock in the win.

He would do just the opposite, giving up the game-tying double to Pablo Sandoval. Buster Posey was thrown out at home on the same play, sending the game into extras and muddying Zimmerman’s nearly perfect performance.

Storen’s failure to close the game mirrored his blown two-out, ninth inning save opportunity in Game 5 of the 2012 NLDS series against St. Louis. Though no one wanted to speak of it, the resemblance was uncanny.

Williams’ blunder would haunt the Nats for the rest of the night.

A game of its own, extras lasted until the 18th inning. The Giants’ Brandon Belt finally broke through, when he smacked a solo shot over the right field fence, giving the Giants a 2-1 lead. The Nats could not respond, and the Giants held a startling 2-0 lead in the series.

Williams over-managed with a classic first-year mistake: he felt the need to use his closer.

Though Washington came back from the loss with a Game 3 victory at AT&T Park on Oct. 6, they can no longer afford the types of mistakes made in Game 2. With the Giants still up 2-1, the Nats still have some serious work to do in Game 4 and Game 5, if there is a game 5.

If Washington continues on to the NLCS come the end of the week, Williams must trust his starters, or it could send his franchise packing its bags sooner than they would like.

SAMUEL JOSEPH/THE RAM

After dealing with many injuries throughout her time at Fordham, Moore is healthy and has 36 kills in the 2014 season.

By ANTHONY PUCIK SPORTS EDITOR

Chandler Moore is a senior middle hitter on the Fordham volleyball team from Moraga, California. Injuries have sidelined her in the past, but now she is healthy and ready to help Fordham in her final season in the Rose Hill Gym. The Fordham Ram: California is a long way from New York. What made you want to come to Fordham?

Chandler Moore: Well, at first when I was being recruited I didn’t look at any schools outside of California. My neighbor played volleyball here when I was a freshman and I ended up talking to her and her parents. I didn’t want to come on a visit because I was convinced that I wasn’t going to go outside of California, but my brother said, ‘Why don’t you just go for the trip?’

So, I ended up coming, and I just fell in love with it, and I’m so happy

I came here.

TFR: You’ve had a few injuries in your time at Fordham. How frustrating has it been to have to deal with them?

CM: It was definitely frustrating, especially my freshman year. I started, and then not being able to play my freshman or sophomore year was pretty upsetting, especially because I’ve been so used to starting and playing in high school. Luckily, the doctors here are nice and I got through it and being uninjured now and having the opportunity to play has been really nice.

TFR: There’s been a coaching change in your time here. How has Coach Ullery helped you in your game?

CM: Not even just my game.

She’s an amazing coach but as a person, too, she’s really brought our team together. All of us on the team are best friends and I think she really did a good job recruiting and getting girls that she knew would

fit in with the team. In general, she’s just done an awesome job building up the program.

TFR: As you exit the program, how do you feel about the program going forward?

CM: I think that they’re going to be really successful. Our freshmen this year are really talented and I know under Gini she’s going to get really good recruits to come in. I know already we have a bunch of really good recruits coming in next year. So, it’ll be exciting to watch them and I’ll definitely come back for games.

TFR: Any idea of what you want to do in the future after you leave Fordham?

CM: I actually have no idea. I’m deciding if I want to go to school for interior design or some type of design or work in the city. I’m still deciding what I want to do and if I’m staying in New York or California.

I’m not really sure. I’m in between right now.

Three Advance to Quarters at Quinnipiac Invitational

By DAVID BALICK STAFF WRITER

Following a two-week long break, the men’s tennis team returned to action this weekend to compete in the Quinnipiac Invitational at Quinnipiac University.

Some of the weekend was cut short due to rain, but the Rams still got in several valuable matches.

In the A singles bracket, seniors J.J Tauil and Mischa Koran competed for the Rams. Tauil won his first match, defeating Wagner’s Allen Wang 7-5, 6-2, but fell to Wesleyan’s Steven Chen in the quarterfinals, 6-0, 6-1.

Koran put up a strong fight in his one and only match of the week-

end, but fell to Michal Rolski from Wagner, 6-3, 7-6.

In the B bracket, Freshman Pol Giraldez and Senior Max Peara competed for Fordham. Peara lost his one and only match of the weekend, 6-3, 3-6, 10-2.

Giraldez, however, was able to win his first match, 6-3, 4-6, 11-9, to advance to the quarterfinals. His weekend ended there though, losing 6-3, 6-3.

Junior Pedro Alonzo competed in the C bracket, winning his first match with two strong games, 6-3, 6-4. But, like all the other Rams who advanced on the weekend, fell in the Quarters, losing 6-1, 6-2.

Freshman Joey Brander also played in the C bracket, where he

lost 6-1, 6-2.

Lastly, in the D bracket, Freshman Harris Durkovic and Joseph Kavalovski both fell in their opening matches with identical scores, 6-0, 6-3.

Fordham did not compete in any double matches on the weekend.

The tournament was a good experience for the team as they look towards the rest of the season, especially with so many freshmen.

While the results may not have been what they hoped, the team showed positive signs and provided reason to be optimistic about the rest of the season.

Fordham next plays this coming Wednesday, Oct. 8, when they will travel to Marist College.

SPORTS

October 8, 2014

Page 19

Women’s Soccer Drops Back to Back Games

By DREW CASEY STAFF WRITER

After completing its non-conference schedule at 6-4-0, the Fordham women’s soccer team opened up its eight-game Atlantic 10 schedule this past weekend.

On Friday afternoon, the team battled Virgina Commonwealth University at Jack Coffey Field and fell 1-0. Two days later, the squad faced off with George Washington University and drew 1-1.

“I think the team’s overall performance the last two games [was] above average,” Jessica Clinton, the team’s first-year head coach, said.

“I am happy with our play for the games, but as always, there are areas of improvement.”

Friday’s contest with the VCU Rams, originally scheduled for 7 p.m., was moved up to 1 p.m. to accommodate Fordham football’s nationally televised football game against Lafayette. The earlier start did not seem to affect either team: They combined to fire 10 shots in the first 45 minutes. Fordham registered six of the 10 shots, but only the Rams from central Virginia were able to find the back of the net in the first half.

In the second half, Fordham came out with a vengeance to tie the score and had multiple quality scoring chances. Senior goalkeeper Ally White kept the team in the game, but her teammates could not find the back of the net. The best chances throughout the contest came from sophomore defender Brianna Blunck and junior midfielder Ivana Lahcanski, who each had four shots in the game.

With a football game and a men’s soccer game in between, the team

closed the weekend on Sunday with a 4 p.m. match against the George Washington Colonials.

George Washington netted a goal in the final minutes of the first half before freshman midfielder Natalie Sims tied the score in the 71st minute. Sophomore defender Ally Doyle assisted on Sims’ second goal of the season.

The final 19 minutes ticked away without another goal, and the game headed to overtime tied at one.

George Washington dominated the first and second overtime periods, outshooting the Rams 8-1 in the 20 minutes of additional time, but White was again stellar between the pipes. The Diablo, California native made multiple game-saving stops and was the main reason Fordham drew with the Colonials.

“Ally White has been great in goal,” Clinton said. “She is getting better each game with her organization and dominance. She stepped up big time against GW with some key saves that kept us in the game, and we will need Ally to continue to be a rock for us as we continue with A-10 play.”

“This Fordham team wants to and will compete in the conference tournament,” Clinton said.

“The only adjustment that will continue to help us be more successful moving forward is our mental toughness through the 90 [plus] minutes.”

The team is now 6-5-1 overall and 0-1-1 in the A-10. They are currently 11th in the conference, but still have time to get into the top eight and qualify for the Atlantic 10 Championship. The squad travels to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to face conference leading LaSalle this Saturday.

By MAX PRINZ SPORTS EDITOR

This past Saturday I watched Fordham football dismantle Lafayette at home. The Rams performed brilliantly in a nationally televised game that gave them revenge on a team that ended their perfect streak one year ago. Fans at Jack Coffey Field were loud and energetic for four quarters and eagerly celebrated with the team at the Victory Bell afterwards.

It was a strikingly different experience than the games that I attended four years ago as a freshman. It’s wild to reflect on how much the culture surrounding our football program has changed in four years — a shift that is due almost entirely to head coach Joe Moorhead.

Moorhead has instituted a wide array of ideas that have dramatically impacted Fordham football. Using mottos such as “Sharpening The Axe,” to “212 Degrees,” and “Three More Feet,” Moorhead has managed to motivate and restore a football program in a way that was unimaginable four years ago.

On Sunday, however, I experienced a very sad football culture — I got a prime look into the sad state of the New York Jets.

Though I was primarily watching baseball on my laptop, I took periodic strolls into the living room to check in on the Jets game. They weren’t really necessary. I could hear the frustration of my roommates throughout the apartment.

Sunday felt like a tipping point for the Jets. They need a culture change, and it should start at the top, with the head coach.

It’s time for the Jets to let Rex Ryan go.

It feels as if everything has finally spiraled out of Ryan’s control. It isn’t that his team got beat up on Sunday.

It’s that his players didn’t respond, or

in the least, show any fight.

Ryan has even lost his starting quarterback. Geno Smith missed a team meeting last Saturday night because he went to see a movie. Smith said he mixed up the time zone difference and arrived just after the meeting ended. When your starting quarterback — a position that requires an incredible amount of intelligence — is struggling to tell time, you’ve got a serious problem.

Smith played very poorly in Sunday’s game, completing just four of 12 passes for 27 yards. He was pulled in favor of Michael Vick, but that didn’t make any difference. Ryan said he planned to start Smith again this weekend as well.

Jets fans of all types are ready to declare the season a lost one. The team looked ill-prepared on both sides of the ball. The offense didn’t enter opposing territory until late in the game. The defense left Antonio Gates, one of the best tight ends of all time, open for not one but two touchdown catches.

The brashness Ryan once injected into this team was noticeably absent.

The Jets don’t have an identity anymore.

To be fair, Ryan has had a great deal of success in New York. He took the Jets to the playoffs in consecutive seasons and was the leader of the first team to ever win back-toback road playoff games in consecutive seasons. He has navigated an extremely harsh New York market fairly well.

But, that is the past. The Jets have lost four straight for the first time under Ryan. It’s time to make this the last time such a streak occurs, too.

If Moorhead’s time at Fordham has taught us anything, it’s that coaches can make a huge difference to a football team. Fordham players no longer doubt if they can compete with the top programs in the country. The Rams expect to win and they show it. The Jets players, by comparison, only look lost.

Following Sunday’s shutout loss to the Chargers, Ryan expressed his condolences to the team’s supporters.

“I apologize to our fans, the ones that are left,” Ryan said after the game.

Rex, the way things are going, I can’t imagine they’re going to stick around much longer.

COURTESY OF FLICKR

Rex Ryan is certainly on the hot seat after the recent struggles of the Jets.

Upcoming Varsity Schedule Home games in CAPS

Thursday Oct. 9

Friday Oct. 10

Sunday Oct. 12

ADELPHI 1 p.m.

Women’s Tennis

ADELPHI/ MANHATTAN 9:30 a.m./3 p.m. at Metropolitan Championships 2 p.m.

ST. FRANCIS (N.Y.) 7:30 p.m.

Water Polo

Golf

CHRISTIAN WILOEJO/THE RAM

Senior Jessica Widmann leads Fordham with four goals this season.

Women’s Rowing

Wednesday Oct. 15

at La Salle 1 p.m.

Men’s Tennis

Volleyball

Tuesday Oct. 14

SAINT JOSEPH’S 1 p.m.

at La Salle 7 p.m.

Women’s Soccer

Cross Country

Monday Oct. 13

UPENN 1 p.m.

Football

Men’s Soccer

Saturday Oct. 11

RHODE ISLAND 7 p.m. at Temple Invitational All Day at Head of the Housatonic TBA

Page 20

SPORTS

October 8, 2014

The Fordham Ram

Rams Shine Under Friday Night Lights, Defeat Lafayette, 42-18

By MAX PRINZ SPORTS EDITOR

What a difference a year can make.

Fordham football avenged one of its two losses from a year ago, defeating Lafayette, 42-18. The matchup with the Leopards was Fordham’s first Friday night game since 1976, a fact that was not lost on the crowd at Jack Coffey Field.

The game was also nationally televised on the CBS Sports Network, a fact head coach Joe Moorhead said fired his players up.

“This is the kind of night you dream about,” Moorhead said after the game. “A national-televised game, at home, under the lights against the defending Patriot League champion who ruined our undefeated season last year.”

Senior quarterback Mike Nebrich, who missed last year’s contest against the Leopards due to a knee injury, was a star under the Friday night lights. Nebrich completed 23 of 32 passes for 287 yards and three touchdowns.

“For me, it was a personal game,” Nebrich said. “They ruined our perfect season last year in a game I didn’t play. It was a game we really wanted and we just went out there and took it.”

Freshman Chase Edmonds continued his own streak of stellar play, rushing for 187 yards and two touchdowns and keeping the Lafayette defense guessing all night long.

The Rams started slow, both offensively and defensively, and were faced with their first deficit since September 6 at Villanova. The Leopards’ third drive was a ten-play, 54-yard

SAMUEL JOSEPH/ THE RAM

Senior Tebucky Jones’s touchdown catch in the second quarter was the top play on Friday night’s SportsCenter.

field goal scoring drive that out-muscled the Rams’ defense.

Down 3-0, the Fordham offense woke up. The Rams used a penalty, a 20-yard catch-and-run by senior Sam Ajala and a 44-yard touchdown run

by Edmonds to gain the lead.

The Rams came right back out on their next offensive drive and drove the down the field for a field goal of their own to take a 10-3 lead. Senior Michael Marando nailed a 36-yard field goal to cap a five-play 21-yard drive.

Nebrich led three more touchdown drives in a 3:38 span before the end of the first half, one to each of his senior receivers. Tebucky Jones’s

touchdown was particularly notable.

Jones caught the ball and juked a defender out his shoes, a play that top SportsCenter’s Top 10.

Well-executed as they were, none of those touchdown passes was the standout play of the first half. Following the touchdown pass to Jones, the Rams executed a surprise onside kick to get the ball right back to Nebrich.

Senior Jordan Chapman made a stunning play, leaping into the air and tossing the ball back in-bounds to his teammate, freshman Caleb Ham. The play visibly frustrated the Leopards and put the game squarely in the Rams’ control.

“Coach Nate Slutzky [special

teams coach] said throughout the week that they have a certain look, and we call it kick-pass,” Moorhead said of the onside kick. “He said on the third kickoff we’d like to try to it.

He said [Lafayette’s look] was there, so we rolled the dice and it paid off.”

The Leopards, however, refused to lie down. Lafayette rallied in the second half, cutting the deficit to 34-18 and taking advantage of a sputtering Fordham offense.

The Rams snapped out of it in the fourth quarter, scoring once more to put the game out of reach. Just to be safe, Moorhead pulled out a trick play on the two-point conversion.

Nebrich handed the ball to Edmonds

who, instead of running, tossed it to senior tight end Dan Light.

Nebrich, who started the season slowly, has come alive in recent weeks.

“I think the biggest difference is my preparation,” Nebrich said. “Ever since the Villanova game I’ve been putting in a lot of extra hours in.”

The defense also made a significant contribution to the victory, holding Leopards’ running back Ross Scheuerman to just 39 yards on the ground.

“Our defense has played fantastic for the past four weeks,” Moorhead said. “Stopping this running back on the ground was no small feat. This kid’s an NFL-caliber running back and they do a great job on the ground.

It was a Herculean task and the kids really stepped up to the challenge.”

The defense was bolstered by a particularly strong performance from senior Brett Biestek, who finished with four sacks. Biestek, a senior leader, had been quiet statistically in previous games, but broke out in a big way Friday night.

“The plays came tonight,” Biestek said. “The coaches said, ‘Don’t worry you’re not making plays; you will.’

Today I made a couple plays and it really helped the momentum turn, I thought.”

With the win, the Rams improve to 2-0 in the Patriot League, a fact Moorhead said he was proud of.

“There were a lot of things that motivated us for this game, but the most important thing was to get Patriot League win No. 2 and keep our streak rolling at home,” Moorhead said.

Next, the Rams take on UPenn on Oct. 11 at 1 p.m.

Volleyball Nets First Win of Season

By ANTHONY PUCIK ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR

The 0-15 Fordham volleyball team (0-2 in conference play) returned to the friendly confines of the Rose Hill Gym this past weekend in search of its first win of the season.

The Rams played their first home Atlantic 10 conference game on Friday, Oct. 3 against the 6-8 Duquesne University Dukes who also entered the game with an 0-2 conference road. The first set was tied at seven, but a 15-7 run by the Dukes put the set out of reach. The Dukes won 25-17 to go up a set to none. The second set featured another run by Duquesne, this one early in the set to put them up 144. The Rams clawed their way back to within six, but that was as close as they could get once the Dukes took a commanding 2-0 set lead after the 25-13 victory.

The third set featured much of the same for Fordham. Duquesne’s 14-3 run gave it an early advantage that it never relinquished. Fordham cut the lead to seven but would not come closer as Duquesne improved to 7-8 on the season (1-2

in conference play) and Fordham dropped to 0-16 (0-3 in conference play) after its seventh straight game without a set win. Graduate student Lisa Hipp led the Rams with 13 kills in the match, while junior Abigail Konovodoff had 16 assists and junior Brianna O’Neil put up five digs.

Fordham’s next match was Saturday, Oct. 4 against the 6-13 (03) La Salle University Explorers, another A-10 opponent. The Explorers had a much harder time pulling away from the Rams than Duquesne did, but did have a 2017 lead late in the opening set. The Rams took a timeout to regroup, and it paid off. They went on an 8-4 run to take the first set 26-24, their first set victory in seven matches.

“We showed the type of team we were at the end of the first,” head coach Gini Ullery said. “Energy level, competing totally 100 percent into the match is something we’ve been stressing and that was so important and the girls did a great job at it.”

And Fordham did not look back from there. The Rams gained an 8-3 lead in the second set and never relinquished it. They won the sec-

CHRISTIAN WILOEJO/ THE RAM

Junior Brennan Delsing contributed nine kills in the Rams’ win over LaSalle, their first victory of the year.

ond set 25-21 and opened up a 7-2 lead in the third set. They swept the Explorers with a 25-14 victory in the third set. O’Neil led a balanced Fordham attack with 12 kills, Konovodoff added 19 assists and junior Grace Muller had eight digs.

“I think it was a long time com-

ing,” Ullery said of the 1-16 (1-3) Rams’ victory. “The girls work hard, they compete. We do everything we need to do. Tonight was the first night we all put it together.”

The Rams’ next A-10 matchup is Saturday, Oct. 11 at home against the University of Rhode Island at

5 p.m.

“Hopefully, we’ll just keep rolling,” Ullery said. “We’re playing it match for match day for day.

Rhode Island is going to be a tough team, but we have to come out and play our game to give us a chance to win.”