Volume 96 issue 19

The Fordham Ram Serving The Fordham University Community Since 1918 Volume 96, Issue 19

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November 5, 2014

Students Join Stand Against Sexual Assault

By JOE VITALE MANAGING EDITOR

Navy blue and awkwardly lengthy, the standard residence hall mattress is difficult to lug around. Typically a twin XL, its bedbug-proof material makes it difficult to grasp without constant re-adjustment. Walking with it above one’s head takes the balance of an Olympian. The weight of the object seems to double with every step.

Without a helping hand, it can be a burdensome weight to carry.

And, yet, this intentional lack of mobility did little to dissuade Fordham students from lugging their own mattresses to McGinley Lawn on Oct. 29, where an organized speak-out was held to raise the voices of victims of sexual assault at colleges around the country.

Hosted by Women's Empowerment and the United Student Government Sexual Misconduct Task Force, the speak-out, officially titled “Carry That Weight,” was part of the National Day of Action, which ultimately comprised more than 130 colleges and universities.

Centrally organized by two Co-

lumbia University students, the campaign was largely inspired by the work of Emma Sulkowicz, a Columbia student who drew national attention when she vowed to carry her mattress across the Ivy League campus until her alleged perpetrator, a fellow student, is removed from campus.

Following in Sulkowicz’s footsteps, the two Columbia students, Zoe Ridolfi-Starr and Allie Rickard, invited other students to carry their pillows and mattresses on Oct. 29 to bring awareness to the issue of sexual assault on campuses and what they see as the inability of administrators to manage such injustices in a useful and understanding manner.

While students managed to bring some mattresses to McGinley Lawn for the afternoon event, most who participated in the day of action opted to carry their pillows around campus for the day.

Some were artfully patterned, others dully colorless, but all i n voked the sacredness of personal space and served as tokens of solidarity.

“Emma [Sulkowicz]’s work is SEE PILLOWS, PAGE 4

KELLYN SIMPKINS/THE RAM

An informal protest held by SAGES in front of McGinley Center was broken up by Fordham Public Safety.

SAGES Takes Complaints to McShane

By KATIE MEYER NEWS EDITOR

SAGES (Students for Sex and Gender Equality and Safety), a coalition of Fordham students that earned attention in September for distributing condoms at President’s Ball, has officially brought its grievances to the university.

SAGES has published a list of

complaints on its Tumblr and Twitter pages, the foremost of which are the lack of free and accessible condoms, on-campus access to birth control and STD testing, a free speech zone for students and the elimination of gendered guest policies in dorms.

While these demands have long been known to the public, they were not officially brought to university attention until Monday.

$15,000 Increase in FUEMS Budget Approved

SAMUEL JOSEPH/THE RAM

FUEMS is an integral part of student safety, both on- and off-campus.

By MAX PRINZ SPORTS EDITOR

After receiving an appeal, the Student Life Council voted on Wednesday to increase the referendum funding for Fordham University Emergency Medical Services (FUEMS) from $10,000

to $25,000 per semester. SLC voted 10-0-5 to increase the referendum for FUEMS, hearing testimony from both United Student Government Vice President of Finance Kara Norton, GSB '16, and Director of FUEMS Chris Valenza, GSB ’16.

Valenza presented the mem-

bers of the SLC with the budget information for the past three semesters, including the current Fall 2014 semester.

This information showed the increasing costs FUEMS has incurred, as well as presented statistics demonstrating the increase in student need for emergency medical services.

As a referendum club, FUEMS is allotted a certain budget each semester, and can ask the USG budget committee for more funds if necessary. The budget committee granted FUEMS an additional $7,668.92 for the Fall 2014 semester.

Increasing the referendum is a two-step process that first requires the club to meet with USG's budget committee. Once approved by the budget committee, the club appeals directly to the SLC for a final vote of approval.

Norton also provided the council with a level of context, saying that clubs like Peer Educators and Mock Trial both have budgets in the $20,000 range.

"As any other club or organization, FUEMS experiences many costs throughout the year," Valenza said in a letter to the council.

"In the past, the budget allocated to FUEMS has been just sufficient to get by. Unfortunately, with rising medical costs and new [New York State Department of Health] standards, FUEMS is in desperate need of more funding."

The packet that Valenza distrib-

uted also outlined the club's plans for new spending.

This includes the purchase of an emergency ambulance service vehicle or "fly car" that would increase FUEMS' ability to respond to students on campus in need of treatment, the purchase of automated external defibrillators for each building on campus and the funds to comply with new New York State Department of Health regulations to produce electronic care reports.

Also included in the packet were statistics highlighting an increasing need for the services provided by FUEMS. The total calls have steadily increased over the past 10 years, from 465 in 1994-95 to 720 in the 2013-2014 school year.

Additionally, FUEMS treated a record 141 patients in September of 2014.

Assistant Vice President and Dean of Students Christopher Rodgers commended Valenza on his presentation, as well as the fine work FUEMS does.

"Your organization does a phenomenal job," Rodgers said. "This group [SLC] talks about, each month, the transports that you do."

One eye-raising note in the FUEMS budget was the $6,018 set aside for the club's appreciation dinner last spring.

"Every year we do have an appreciation dinner for our memSEE FUEMS, PAGE 5

Shortly after noon on Monday, the group’s core members met outside of Cunniffe House. They planned to bring their petition directly to Rev. Joseph M. McShane, S.J., president of the university. However, he was not in his office and they could not enter, so they settled for taping their demands, as well as their petition with more than 1000 signatures, on SEE SAGES, PAGE 5

Int’l Students Face Intern Troubles

By LAURA SANICOLA & EDDIE MIKUS ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR & STAFF WRITER

While college students across the country vie for competitive internships to further their academic and professional careers, the process creates a wide array of challenges for a specific sect of the Fordham population.

Yota Oue, FCRH ’17, and a native the Federated States of Micronesia, sees firsthand how not being a native citizen of the United States affects the internship process. “The challenge I’ve learned from [my friends] was that it is harder for SEE JOBS, PAGE 6

in this issue

Opinion Page 7 Bronx Barnes & Nobles Remains Open

Culture Page 11 Pop Culture Halloween Costumes Dominate

Sports

See Insert

Winter Preview 2014-15

NEWS

Page 2

SECURITY BRIEFS Oct. 29 Parking Garage 4 p.m.

A university employee reported that a GPS device valued at roughly $100 had been taken from the center console of her vehicle. The employee told Public Safety that she had parked her car on the fourth floor of the garage and that the driver’s side door had been left unlocked. Public Safety is currently investigating.

Oct. 29 Keating Hall 1:20 p.m.

A male student reported that his Pioneer headphones, valued at approximately $225, were missing from classroom B-13 in Keating. He had placed them underneath his desk during his class, and when he returned later after realizing he had forgotten them, they were no longer in the classroom.

Nov. 1 Howl at the Moon 2 a.m.

The bouncer at Howl at the Moon confiscated a pellet gun that an individual brought in as part of his costume. Later, a Fordham student called Public Safety to inform them that she believed one of the bouncers was carrying a firearm. N.Y.P.D. was contacted and responded to the scene. Upon N.Y.P.D.’s arrival, the bouncer clarified that the firearm in question was simply a pellet gun that he had confiscated.

Nov. 1 189th and Arthur 3 a.m.

A Public Safety supervisor noticed four unidentified individuals following two female students who were walking along Fordham Road. He began to tail the individuals, who attempted to follow the two students into a deli. The supervisor continued to tail the individuals after they were forced to leave by someone inside of the deli. When one of the individuals noticed that they were being followed, he threw a liter of Pepsi at the Public Safety vehicle. NYPD was notified and the assailant was apprehended and arrested.

—Compiled by Michael Cavanaugh, Assistant News Editor

November 5, 2014

Public Safety Goes Mobile With New App

By MARIA PAPPAS STAFF WRITER

With the release of the Fordham Safety Application, the Fordham community now has a new method for contacting Public Safety. This app, available in the App Store and via Google Play, was announced via a school-wide email on Monday, Oct. 27. According to Ronald Mercandetti, head of technology and special projects for Public Safety, the app has been in the works for about three and a half months.

Students have multiple options for contacting Public Safety through the app. They can choose to type their own message send a predefined message, or hold down a blue button for urgent assistance. The app alerts are sent to an iPad located in the Public Safety offices, and include the location of the sender.

Public Safety can then respond to the call as quickly as possible.

However, John Carroll, associate vice president of Public Safety, states that the app is not the most efficient way of communicating with the office.

“All we care about is the safety and well-being of our students, faculty and staff,” said Carroll, “and the best way to ensure that is for you to pick up the phone and call [Public Safety].”

By calling, officials can ask where you are and what you need in a more efficient manner. “It saves us so much time—if you need an ambulance, we can dispatch it right there,” says Carroll.

The app does not allow such

CHRISTIAN WILOEJO/THE RAM

The new security app released by Public Safety allows students to contact the Public Safety office quickly and discreetly.

back-and-forth communication.

“It’s a one-way text from the person who has it on their phone to security,” says Mercandetti. Although Public Safety cannot send a text in response, they do have the capability to call the sender if such a situation were to arise.

Carroll believes that the app will be helpful for several reasons, the first being that students are more likely to text than pick up the phone.

The second reason is that “if you were ever in a situation where someone was following you or they were close to you and you were fearful and you just couldn’t call us, for whatever myriad of

reasons, this is certainly another way for you to reach us.”

This is not the first time that Public Safety has released an app.

The Trans-loc app, is also available in the App Store. It alerts students as to where the campus vans are located as they travel around campus. It was developed so that students would utilize campus vans more. “I don’t see that much more use of the van... [it’s] another resource that we put out for our students that I don’t think they fully utilized,” says Carroll.

Yet, Carroll is hopeful about the use of the new security app. “I think it gives [students] another...

way to reach us in a serious emergency. And, we want to be there for you,” he said.

Shannon Yawman, FCRH ’18, echoed Carroll’s hopefulness, saying, “I’m still going to be incredibly cautious [off-campus], but I think that [the app] definitely gives me another layer of security that makes me a little more comfortable.” She also states that she would definitely use the app.

“Hopefully it will head off some serious incidents,” said Mercandetti, “and if students out on the street or in the community feel unsafe for justifiable reasons, they reach out to us and we respond to them before anything happens.”

Flu Shots Available to All — For a Price

By ERIN SHANAHAN STAFF WRITER

Vaccination is known to be one of the best ways to protect against the flu. Fordham University uses Maxim Health Service to host a flu shot clinic on both the Rose Hill and Lincoln Center campuses. As a result, Fordham urges all those on campus to get vaccinated in order to protect the rest of the Fordham community from influenza outbreaks.

Last year, Fordham University Health Services gave out approximately 500 vaccines to the student body. This year, they have already given out about 250.

To get a flu shot, call the Uni-

versity Health Services for an appointment. Though some insurances cover flu shots, other students need to pay $25 for the vaccine.

Kathleen Malara, executive director of Student Health Services, is in charge of ordering, advertising and administering Fordham’s flu shots.

“Getting the flu vaccine does not cause anyone to get the flu,” she commented. “If they fall sick immediately after, it’s because they were already infected with the virus. Getting the vaccine doesn't mean they will absolutely not get the virus; however, they will be less ill than someone who did not get the vaccine. They

need to get a vaccine each year because each year the strains are different, so the vaccines are different.”

According to the Center for Disease Control, the vaccination rate among groups such as pregnant women and health care workers was about 34.2 percent.

Interestingly, the vaccination rate among college students was only 10 percent.

This low vaccination rate among college students is probably not just due to a lack of information about the flu shot’s benefits. Rather, it may be caused by a lack of time or motivation to make an appointment.

In addition, the lack of a past

vaccination history may cause this low rate among college students.

“To be honest I never have had a flu shot. I don’t have anything against getting one, it has just never been part of my norm back home,” said Holly Niedzwiecki, FCRH ’18.

Some others theorize that students are hesitant to receive vaccinations due to a false sense of health security. However, close living situations, shared restrooms and constant, varied activity make disease contraction easy.

As a result, Fordham urges students to take advantage of the University Health Services and make an appointment for a vaccination as soon as possible.

This Week at Fordham Thursday Nov. 6 Fordham University Science Council Lecture Lincoln Center 6:30 p.m.

The Fordham University Science Council will present a lecture entitled Needle in a Haystack Reserach Projects for Environmental Protection: Two Down and One to Go. The lecture will be delivered by Daniel P. Molloy, Ph.D., FCRH ’69 and GSAS ’71.

Saturday Nov. 8

Thursday Nov. 6 Senior Night McGinley Lounge 10 p.m. — 1 a.m.

Fordham seniors are invited to the second Senior Night of the semester.

The theme of this senior night is “#tbt 90s Night.” Students are reminded that the event is open to Fordham seniors only, and a valid ID must be presented before entering.

Sock Saturday McGinley 205 Noon

Tuesday Nov. 11 Lecture on Interfaith Marriage Lowenstein Center 6 p.m.

Patrick J. Ryan, S.J., the Laurence J. McGinley professor of religion and society at Fordham, will deliver the Fall McGinley Lecture on interfaith marriage. Rabbi Daniel Polish, Ph.D. and Professor Jerusha Lamptey, Ph.D. will give the Jewish and Muslim responses, respectively.

Participate in an outreach program to provide homeless individuals in Manhattan with supplies. Groups of four or five students will hand out socks to individuals who appear in need. After the distribution, students will have the opportunity to debrief back at Rose Hill.

For more campus events, visit FordhamRam.com

Wednesday Nov. 12 Town Hall Rose Hill Commons 235 5:30 p.m.

The Dean’s Office of FCRH and the United Student Government’s Dean’s Advisory Council invite students to a town hall, which will allow faculty, students and members of the Fordham community to provide imput on the search for a new dean of Fordham College at Rose Hill.

NEWS

November 5, 2014

Page 3

FORDHAM IN THE BRONX

‘Savor the Bronx’ Pushes Novelty in Borough Entrenched in Tradition

By JOE VITALE MANAGING EDITOR

The crowd of reserved, middleaged professionals at Bronx Beer Hall on Monday was an odd sight for a dive whose tables are typically occupied by boisterous students and shoppers speaking in various languages.

Far from a boozing bunch, the group of city officials, restaurateurs and entrepreneurs were there to kick off Savor the Bronx, a two-week event celebrating the borough’s culinary offerings.

Doubling as an homage to the fruits of the Bronx and a promotional effort for restaurants hoping to capitalize on exposure, the outcome event left long-time patrons and first-time guests with plenty to appreciate on a chilly afternoon on Arthur Avenue.

Sprawled across the bar counter was a sampling of the Bronx Beer Hall’s colorful menu. Margherita pizza steamed alongside a halfdozen chicken wings. A plate of traditional antipasto lingered next to fried pickle chips. Mason jars filled with an array of craft beers passed from hand to mouth, each sipped and relished as if it were an aged Merlot.

Among a handful of notable guests sampling brews and chatting up reporters was Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. After recommending the pumpkin spice (“nice and sweet,” he called it), he doled out advice for Fordham students looking to expand their understanding of the borough without breaking the bank. “I know the budgets are tight, but they got sales this week,” Diaz Jr said. “I would really advise Fordham students to get out, discover and really experience the Bronx.”

Savor the Bronx was launched at the Arthur Avenue Market, marking the venue as a major culinary landmark and a great combination of old and new.

The promotion, produced by the

Bronx Tourism Council and cohosted by the Bronx Overall Economic Development Corporation, offers fixed menu options for lunch and dinner across more than a dozen Bronx restaurants.

Among them are Ceetay, an Asian fusion restaurant on Tremont Avenue, and Charlier’s Bar and Kitchen, a modern American Grille, located on Lincoln Avenue. Both are new on the scene and brandish contemporary cuisine in trendy spaces, bringing some buzz to the Bronx.

As for Arthur Avenue, one does not need to look further than the Bronx Beer Hall itself. With glossy tables made of reclaimed woods, flat-screen televisions and chic lighting, it is instantly distinguishable from the rest of the market, with banners that seem like relics and with products that seem to have escaped replacement for decades.

Perhaps the menu is another litmus test of its ability to spring into the future. Like many hotspots of Manhattan and Brooklyn, most of what the Beer Hall sells is locally sourced from the Bronx. All of its ingredients, for example, come from the Arthur Avenue Retail Market.

Its beer listings tell a similar story.

Monday’s top choices included a stout from Gun Hill Brewery, which brews all of its products just a stone’s throw from Fordham’s campus and exclusively uses ingredients from local farmers. Another favorite was a selection from The Bronck’s Beer Company. Named after Jonas Bronck, a Swedish Captain who settled in the Bronx in 1639, the brewery is owned and operated by sixth generation Bronx residents.

An added dash of homegrown pride was thrown in on Monday with a hot sauce—unabashedly dubbed “Bronx Hot Sauce”—set to make its debut at the Beer Hall this month. Created by King Phojanekong, chef at two burgeoning New York City restaurants, the sauce is produced by Small Axe Peppers, a company that locally sources

SAMUEL JOSEPH/THE RAM

The Bronx Beer Hall offered an array of foods to customers, including the Bronx Borough President, at a two week event.

and produces hot sauces in the borough using community farms.

To produce the sauce, Small Axe Peppers donated 3,500 Serrano pepper seedlings to community gardens throughout the Bronx. After they were harvested this summer, Small Axe Peppers purchased the peppers back from the gardens and used them to make the hot sauce in a local factory.

“People are really loving the sauce,” said Phojanakong, whose face was flush from sampling the sauce with news reporters at the kickoff event. “It helps when people are pushing local beers and other local products.”

Despite its forward momentum, Bronx Beer Hall is still rooted in the traditions of the Arthur Avenue Market.

Its menu offers classic Italian paninis, featuring ingredients like smoked mozzarella, provolone, mortadella, prosciutto and grilled eggplant. With a helping of pizzas, there is a mozzarella pie, one topped with fresh zucchini and a traditional Margherita style as well.

Even its branding offers a slice of tradition. Strung on the walls

are Bronx and Italian flags, while its coasters sport a logo bearing the colors of the Bronx flag: blue, orange and white.

Still, there is a clear boundary between what is old and what is new when stepping into the market.

Few understand this tension between contemporary cuisine and an inescapable history better than Diaz Jr. Among his many challenges is moving the borough forward without leaving behind what has made it a place of such distinct passion and energy.

“We have so many great flavors in our borough, and I hope everyone—visitors and locals alike—will take advantage of this promotion and try something new,” Diaz Jr. said. “Our borough has an amazing food culture, and Savor the Bronx is a great way to explore our epicurean delights.”

Diaz Jr. unsurprisingly had many supporters present at Savor the Bronx’s opening event. Most spoke highly of Diaz Jr.’s success in steadily ushering in a new era in the Bronx.

“I’ve always been trying to support my borough,” said Andre Luglo, a frequent patron of the market who

works at one of the other restaurants participating in “Savor the Bronx.”

“But things like this show that we have real potential,” he added.

Daniel D’Allara, a frequent patron and resident of City Island, lauded Diaz Jr. for his efforts, finding his forward-thinking vision to be essential in re-branding the borough without forgetting its roots.

“The Bronx borough president is a real good guy,” said D’Allara before calling him “a true champion of the Bronx.”

Like his borough president, D’Allara finds places like the Bronx Beer Hall essential in cementing the borough as a haven for culturalenthusiasts, all while confronting the friction between the frontiers of urban life and communities entrenched in ethnicity. He believes that promotional efforts like Savor the Bronx play a crucial role in making this possible in a borough he finds to be visited all too seldom.

“It’s got great beers and foods,” D’Allara said of Bronx Beer Hall, “but it’s really got a great sense of history.”

“There’s something about it that makes it feel so alive,” he admired.

Opening of New Gym Facility Delayed Until January

SAMUEL JOSEPH/THE RAM

Students will have to continue to exercise in the RamFit Center until a new workout space opens in January.

By MICHAEL CAVANAUGH ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR

Frustration over the insufficient resistance training space allotted to students in the RamFit Center will continue until the second semester of the 2014-2015 academic year, according to a recent announcement by the United Student Government (USG).

Rose Hill’s USG broke the news to its followers when it sent out a tweet from @USGrh on Oct. 17 which

read, “Athletics: the new free weights space in the Lombardi Center will now open in January.”

However, David Roach, director of Athletics, assures the students and faculty members who were looking forward to the additional facilities that the delay is for good reason.

“We didn’t go with the less expensive, cheaper equipment,” said Roach. “When we went to order it, we could get the plates, dumbbells and bars whenever we wanted, but the racks are being custom-made and

manufactured.”

Because the plates and dumbbells are relatively useless without a platform and rack, the Athletics Department decided to wait until the higher-end racks were manufactured and before opening the new space to the community.

“The equipment should be in by mid-to-late December,” continued Roach, “but we decided that with tests and finals it would make more sense to open it after break in January.”

Brandon Kim, FCRH ’15, expressed his mixed reaction to the news and the way that the situation has progressed.

“I am honestly not too concerned that the new gym opening is being postponed,” said Kim. “While I would have enjoyed using it this semester, I can’t say that I didn’t expect the late opening. Considering how the administration went about being irresponsible for [the exercise facilities] this semester, they really don’t have a standard to upkeep [in my opinion].”

Kim went on to express satisfaction with the reasoning behind the delay. “[That being said], having nicer gear is always worth waiting for,” said Kim. “I look forward to using the new gym gear next semester.”

This delay comes shortly after the Athletics Department announced that additional free weight equipment would be added into the room above the squash courts in the Lombardi Center, a space that once held resistance machines, in late October, barring any unforeseen problems.

The old machines, along with the equipment in the space that once acted as the main weight room for the university, were removed as renovations took place on the Lombardi Center’s outdated restrooms.

While the plans for the space above the squash courts are definite, the fate of the old weight room remains in question. As of now, it acts as the equipment room for the Athletics Department, after the bathroom renovations required the small equipment room adjacent to the Lombardi Field House to be repurposed.

“When they did the new bathrooms for Lombardi over, they had to take the equipment room away,” said Roach. “They’re now going to start construction on reconfiguring and giving us the equipment room back.

Then we’ll figure out what we’re going to do with that space.”

Despite an apparent trend of disappointments for the community of fitness facility users, administration has solidified plans for the updated facilities, and the Rose Hill community can expect it to be open for use starting in the second semester.

NEWS

Page 4

November 5, 2014

News Briefs & Bites • On the evening of Nov. 3, Phil Jackson, current president of the New York Knicks, received the Johnny Bach award, which is presented each year at the Fordham Men’s Basketball Tip-Off Dinner to a person who “has had substantial and lasting impact on the sport of basketball and who best emulates Mr. Bach’s drive and passion for excellence.” John Bach, FCRH ’48, is renowned as one of the most talented coaches in basketball history.

He helped the Chicago Bulls to three straight NBA championships, and is credited with being the most successful coach in the history of Fordham University’s

basketball program. The two other recipients of this award, which began to be awarded in 2012, are P.J. Carlesimo and Patrick Ewing.

• Alex Gorsky, chairman and CEO of Johnson & Johnson, and Sander Flaum, CEO of Flaum Navigators and adjunct professor in the Schools of Business, spoke to Fordham students on Oct. 30 as part of the Flaum Leadership Lecture Series. Gorsky’s speech centered on how the balance between maintaining a healthy work life and home life is vital to being an effective leader. In 2012, his company had operations in over 50 countries. He had made

the decision in 2004 to leave Johnson & Johnson after 16 years in the business, but rejoined 2008. He advocates constant communication with bosses and employers, being part of an organization that is serving a greater good and living in another country over studying abroad.

• Ken Langone, co-founder of Home Depot, addressed a crowd of 400 people at Rose Hill about what he has learned about business, investing and life on Oct. 27 as part of the President’s Council lecture sponsored by the Gabelli School of Business. In his talk, Langone covered the progres-

sion of his career from digging ditches for the Long Island Expressway to serving as the director of the New York Stock Exchange. Langone has spent his later years generously donating his money to charities such as NYU Langone Medical Center in New York City. He professed his adamant opposition to the Obama Administration’s regulation of the markets, which he believed stunts the startup business process.

• A crowded conference at the Fordham University School of Law hosted James Comey, who was appointed FBI director in

September 2013. Comey discussed the topic of government surveillance, which, following the Snowden scandal, has raised the public’s suspicion of government tracking of their daily lives to an unhealthy level. Surveillance of technology, Comey discussed, is instrumental in the tracking of criminal suspects, and he fears that public skepticism and paranoia will be detriment in this process. It is this kind of surveillance that enables freedom, especially in light of the increased use of the media by organizations such as Al Qaeda and ISIS/ISIL.

Photo of the Week

CHRISTIAN WILOEJO/THE RAM

This past Friday, Greenwich Village hosted its 41st Annual Village Halloween Parade. The event, extending over a mile of local street, is held every Halloween night, and commonly attracts more than two million in-person spectators and a television audience numbering in the tens of millions. The costumed group of performers also boasts an impressive number of participants, including roughly 50,000 people and many floats.

Students Speak Out, Carry Pillows in Solidarity FROM PILLOWS, PAGE 1

very conscious of the way it invokes public and private space and the way it adds a physicality (and therefore a powerful visibility) to the burden of sexual assault,” said Genevieve McNamara, FCRH ’17, a member of Women’s Empowerment and one of the organizers of the event.

She continued, “In some ways it alleviates part of the burden, because it is necessarily impossible to erase Emma's identity as a survivor when she carries a dorm mattress around with her, and one of the greatest burdens survivors face is the way society denies or invalidates their experiences.”

But the visibility of the display often does little to eradicate criticism and shun blame, McNamara said, which only adds to the weight being carried.

In addition to urging students to carry around mattresses and pillows, the day’s event doubled as a speakout, a tool used by Women’s Empowerment and USG Sexual Misconduct Task Force to give power to the voices of those who say they feel silenced by administrators, victimblamers and others who invalidate their experiences.

To combat that silencing, the speak-out provided an opportunity

for members of the community— men and women, survivors and allies, undergraduates and graduate students—to share their experiences with the nearly 50 community members who stood on McGinley

lawn in addition to the hundreds of others who heard the amplified voices while passing by the centrallylocated event.

“I did not wear that dress as an invitation,” said Tochi Mgbenwelu,

CHRISTIAN WILOEJO/THE RAM

Rowan Hornbeck, FCRH ‘18, was one of the students to carry a pillow last week.

FCRH ’15, one of the first students to recount her experience in front of fellow students. “Seeing him around makes me uncomfortable, like it’s giving the whole thing some agency.”

Her words, interspersed by extended pauses, were met with claps and snaps of encouragement. Wiping away tears, she continued.

Colin Dobell, FCRH ’15, recalled an encounter he found increasingly difficult to erase from his memory.

“I am in shock, as the smell sits in my nose,” Dobell recalled as he read aloud from a poem he wrote. “It still sits in my nose.”

While much of the focus remained on anecdotes, there also was a focus on what it means to be an ally to a survivor, highlighted by a number of suggested tips on how to support a survivor of sexual assault.

To emphasize the pervasiveness of sexual assault, a student read statistics aloud, as well. According to onestatistic, nine out every 10 victims of sexual assault are female.

According to another, 97 percent of rapists never spend a day in jail.

“As someone who is not a survivor of sexual assault, I think that the publicness and central location of the event increased the urgency I felt to stand in solidarity and protect the

survivors who were present,” said Caroline Corwin, FCRH ’15, an organizer and participant of the event.

“After all, that is my job as an ally, especially when survivors are making themselves vulnerable in front of strangers while literally anyone could walk by.”

With the event’s coordinators urging attendees to step up to the microphone and speak aloud through the event, many of the stories were improvised, relying upon recent experiences to highlight the weight students find themselves carrying.

One student, Andrew Maddigan, FCRH ’16, discussed the peculiar looks he received when wearing a shirt with the words “this is what a feminist looks like” printed on it.

Lena Ficchi, FCRH ’15, described the initial shock after an unwanted sexual encounter, followed by her hesitance to tell anybody else about the traumatic experience.

“I was just confused, I didn’t know what was happening,” said Ficchi, noting that she had never told anybody what happened to her before.

“I did not want allies because I did not feel like a survivor in the least bit.”

“But this,” she said in front of the crowd of about 50 students, “is a huge improvement for me.”

NEWS

November 5, 2014

Page 5

Public Safety Observes Protest, Does Not Intervene SEE SAGES, PAGE 5

the door to his office.

Then they moved outside to have what SAGES organizer and founder Rachel Field, FCRH ’15, called a “speakout” across from Dealy Hall.

The crowd, which was originally comprised of about 20 SAGES members and videographers, grew as passing students joined in.

“We shouted some chants about student power and women's rights, then some individual statements of support using the protest tactic of the human mic,” said attendee Monica Cruz, FCRH ’16.

Associate Vice President of Public Safety John Carroll arrived at the demonstration after it had already begun. His only complaint was that the students had not followed official university rules about events.

“The policy is pretty simple, and it’s in the student handbook, and if they could follow that, it would all work much better,” Carroll said, but conceded that “they didn’t represent any threat as far as I saw, and they

weren’t disrupting traffic.”

Public Safety’s only intervention was to remove the petition and demands from McShane’s door. After taking it down, Carroll promised to deliver it to McShane. He delivered it to the president’s office that day.

The SAGES members hoped that their speakout would prompt university administrators, as well as students, to pay them more serious attention.

“Because we officially made our demands known, and because we had so much documentation, we can now expect that the administration will give us serious consideration and respond to our needs,” said SAGES intercampus liaison Sapphira Lurie, FCLC ’17.

“Though we've gained a lot of attention in the press, on social media, etc., many students still aren't aware of who we are and the changes we're fighting to bring about on campus,” Cruz added. “Our survey shows that a majority of Fordham students disagree with the University's policies

on contraceptives, so we hope to garner more support from people as passionate about sexual health on campus as we are.”

However, Field still does not think SAGES has accomplished its mission of capturing the attention of the university.

“I’ve overheard, sort of down low, a couple things from different organizers…from the administration, that they’re really not trying to take us seriously at this point,” Field said.

As the time of the publication of this article, SAGES had not yet received a response from McShane about their demands.

“I highly doubt they’re ever going to meet with us,” Field said.

If that meeting does not happen, she said, the group will take its protests further. Another protest is already planned for Nov. 20 at 4 p.m. at Lincoln Center.

For now, Field remains cautiously optimistic.

“I think this is a long process— change doesn’t come quick, it

doesn’t come easy,” she said. “And there has never been a student movement that got anything accomplished by simply asking for it.”

Despite Field’s concerns, the university did release a statement acknowledging the demonstration, though it might not be the response SAGES wants.

“Fordham recognizes that there is—and should be—a diversity of opinion on matters of faith at a Catholic university, and especially at a Jesuit one,” the statement, which was supplied to The Fordham Ram

by Dean of Students Christopher Rogers, read. “We are nonetheless committed to the teachings of the Church, and as a part of our mission we model those teachings for our students, including those on contraception...For that reason, Fordham neither distributes, nor permits distribution of contraceptives. The only exception to this policy is the prescription of birth control pills for medical reason unrelated to contraception.”

SLC Confirms: Funding Hike for FUEMS FROM FUEMS, PAGE 1

bers because we're on service 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and our members are getting nothing in return," Valenza said when asked about the item. "So this is the one night where we all go out to a really nice dinner. It is also used as a fundraising event."

Noting the importance of the services that FUEMS provides, the council voted unanimously, albeit with five abstentions, to increase its referendum.

The staff members from the Office of Student Leadership and Community Development, who admitted to having a very handson role in doling out club funds, abstained from voting because of a conflict of interest.

The Student Life Council will next convene on Dec. 3.

University Begins Preparations for Middle States Evaluation

By KELLY KULTYS EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

With less than two years until Fordham will be re-evaluated for Middle States accreditation, the university has begun its self-evaluation process.

The Middle States accreditation occurs every 10 years, so in the spring of 2016, the non-governmental affiliated organization will arrive on Fordham’s campus to evaluate whether the university has lived up to its own goals.

As stated in the Middle States Accreditation Handbook, “accreditation is a process used by colleges, universities and other institutions of higher education to sustain and strengthen their quality.”

Middle States Accreditation gives benefits to students, faculties and the universities themselves, including eligibility for federal and state student financial aid.

According to the handbook, accreditation is often required for the university to receive grants, and accredited universities can only accept transfer credits from like universities.

According to Jonathan Crystal, co-chair of the self-study steering committee and an associate vice president and associate chief academic officer in the Office of the Provost, the committee’s main goal is to create a self-study report that gives an in-depth look into whether or not Fordham is fulfilling its mission statement.

“Middle States doesn’t go around saying ‘This is what your mission should be,’” Crystal said.

“As long as you have a mission— and we do, Fordham has a mission statement in place—they want to know, ‘Okay, this is what you promised, are you actually accomplishing this?’”

To ensure that Fordham is in fact accomplishing what it has promised, Crystal and his committee have set up task forces to address different standards that the university claims to hold.

For example, one of the task

forces looks into admissions and retentions.

Their main question, as stated in the university’s Middle States’ Plan, is “how effective is Fordham’s admissions policy with regard to marketing, recruiting and selecting the undergraduate, graduate and professional students whom the university’s mission aims to serve?”

The Middle States plan states that these task forces will give Fordham “an excellent opportunity to merge three overriding purposes into one: produce a successful reaccreditation selfstudy report, provide data and 13 analyses that will contribute to effective and efficient strategic planning and take full advantage of Fordham’s anniversary to emphasize its unique mission as the Jesuit University of New York.”

This self-evaluation will take almost a full school year as the committee is required to examine Fordham and its mission as a whole.

“Middle States looks at the entire university, it’s not just the academic areas,” Crystal said.

“It’s finance, you know, one of the standards is institutional resources, so do you have sufficient resources to achieve your goals and how effective, efficient is the institution at making good use of these resources?”

Some of the key standards covered in the Middle States selfstudy which are most relevant to Fordham students include the importance of highly regarded faculty, student services and the importance of student learning.

Crystal even described the Middle State evaluators as “obsessed” with student learning.

“One of the things they really stress is the assessment of student learning—in other words, we have these great classes but are students actually learning what we want them to learn?” Crystal said. “Is the university actually doing what it’s supposed to do?”

However, this is the most elusive standard to judge, as Crystal is still unsure of how to properly

SAMUEL JOSEPH/THE RAM

A Middle States team will arrive at Fordham in 2016 for a decennial evaluation.

grade this aspect.

“How do you determine that?

It’s not just grades,” Crystal said.

“How do we know that we’re succeeding in what we’re trying to do?”

However, the student services task force has an easier job in its evaulation.

“The main goal in this area, as stated in Middle States’ plan, is to answer these questions: “What student support services are provided at Fordham and how are these services reflective of the university’s mission?,” Crystal said.

“How do student support services at Fordham promote the comprehensive development of the student and how effective are these services in response to the

full spectrum of diverse student populations, needs, and abilities?”

The President of the Residence Halls Association, Maria Buck, FCRH ’15, is specifically concerned with what Middle States determines for this area of their evaluation.

She described Fordham’s current problem with student services as a lack of communication.

“I think just getting the word out about student services — we don’t do a great job,” Buck said.

“So I think that our school does a good really job of trying to cover all the bases with student resources, it’s just that students don’t know about it. I mean, the only reason I know about it is because I’m actively involved with it.”

Another student leader, Alice Smyth, GSB ’15, was a New Student Orientation Coordinator and is heavily involved in the Commuting Students Association.

Smyth is looking to see what the self-study reports on altering the events process that students currently have to go through.

“I think that the Middle States self-evaluation should list creating either one student liaison between all the 90+ clubs and organizations or they should encourage that each of the clubs and organizations create a position on their executive boards that is solely for the purpose of dealing with the OSLCD [Office of Student Leadership and Community Development] process,” Smyth said.

Also in the student life-related standards, Christopher Rodgers, dean of students, is chairing the student complaints and grievances sub-committee. These sub-committees look at different aspects of the overarching standards.

These standards or main questions about areas of the university that were created by the steering committee will be reported to the Student Life Council in December.

Crystal says that he wants to both to show the students and administration what is going on and to receive feedback from the Council.

After the self–study is complete, the Middle States evaluators, which are a team of administrators from other universities, will get a chance to read it before they arrive on campus in spring 2016.

“They’ll have an opportunity to meet students, faculty, administrators,” Crystal said. “Basically, it’s a way to flesh out what the self-study says, make sure that the self-study is an accurate representation.”

Until then, Crystal and his committee are continuing to gather as much information as possible to finish the self-study, hopefully by the end of next semester.

NEWS

Page 6

November 5, 2014

Paperwork Impedes Foreign Students’ Internship Apps

CHRISTIAN WILOEJO/THE RAM

Fordham students and companies see interning as an integral part of professional training, but many face obstacles.

FROM JOBS, PAGE 1

them to obtain the internships because they have to have a green card or some work visa,” Oue said.

International students, who comprise seven percent of the Class of 2018, face restrictions on the kind of work that they can obtain in the United States based on limitations of certain types of visas.

The University World News estimates that “900,000 foreign students are expected to enroll in American higher education institutions this year with the big North American nation experiencing an astonishing 40+ percent increase in international student enrollments over the past decade.”

Fordham’s Office of International Services recognizes nine different kinds of visas for which international students may apply that are specific to the individual’s reason for staying in the country.

As a result of the Compact of Free Association (CFA) between the United States and the Federated States of Micronesia, Oue is able to both enter and work in the United States without a visa. However, knowledge of the benefits of the CFA is so minimal that Oue barely made it through customs.

“When I first came to New York, [customs] stopped me and didn’t believe that I was a Micronesian citizen and with this ability to enter the U.S. without the visa,” Oue said. “I was stopped for a while and had to bring up the compact online.”

Due to a misunderstanding by customs agents, Oue also is not in possession of an I-94 form, which is used to document the entry and departure of non-immigrants into the United States.

“I am supposed to have an I-94, one was not issued to me last year when I came to Fordham,” Oue said.

With no student visa, no I-94 form and no social security number, Oue must compete for internships against U.S. citizens within a complex system of employment that has varied rules on hiring immigrants and non-immigrants.

“Companies also don’t really help international students acquire a green card because the company themselves have to go through the paperwork based on the international interns that they want,” Oue said.

When a company considers entering the process of securing an internship position for an international student with varied forms of paperwork and visas, it takes into consideration whether or not an American student can fill the position. “[To obtain] a full time job an international student will need to be sponsored by the company, if it really, really wants you, and sponsorship costs a couple of thousand dol-

lars,” said Christian Zilio, GSB ’15, a Venezuelan native.

He added, “Even if you get the sponsorship, the government might or might not give you the visa.”

According to website of the Department of Homeland Security, it is within the restrictions of the F-1 visa, which is the most common visa for international students to obtain, that students may only work oncampus so long as the employment does not take a job away from a U.S. resident.

“Each student is very different, so each student should be looked at on an individual basis,” Erin McLaughlin, assistant director of experiential education in the Office of Career Services, said concerning how paperwork issues could impact the ability of international students to obtain internships.

“The student really needs to take ownership of what visa they’re here on,” she added.

The varied nature of these visas and the specific requirements of each company suggest that is easier said than done. If a student with an F-1 visa wishes to accept paid, offcampus employment considered an “integral part of the curriculum for a degree” by the Department of Homeland Security, a student must be eligible for Curricular Practicum Training (CPT).

The United States Citizen and Immigration Service (USCIS) defines CPT as “alternative work/study, internship, cooperative education, or any other type of required internship or practicum that is offered by sponsoring employers through cooperative agreements with the school.”

In order to obtain this, a student

must already have been enrolled in a U.S. school for one year and must have already received a job offer in one’s major or field of study that qualifies before submitting CPT authorization request.

During or after the completion of a degree, international students also have the ability to receive Optional Practical Training (OPT).

OPT requires that a student pursue employment in an area of study, but does not entail a specific employment opportunity at the time of application.

An F-1 student can apply for OPT after nine months at a U.S. college but cannot begin employment until receiving an Employment Authorization Document (EAD) from USCIS after a year of enrollment.

On top of this, USCIS can take up to 90 days to process a request for OPT. McLaughlin recommends international students resolve any potential visa issues with the Office of International Services, which must authorize both OCT and CPT. In the face of the obstacles international students must overcome to secure internships in the U.S., Oue suggested that companies change their policies toward international students.

“Definitely, one [solution] is having those companies set up making sure that they do have positions available, maybe solely, for international students,” Oue said.

“It will just remove all the frustration and all the efforts of going through the process of internship.

Finding out [your eligibility is limited] because you’re an international student and you don’t have a green card, it just stumps all your efforts.”

Panel of Professors Discusses State of Politics in Middle East

By CAILIN MCKENNA COPY EDITOR

The International Studies Club hosted a panel discussion on the Middle East on Tuesday, Nov. 4, with Fordham professors John Entelis and Doron Ben-Atar at the Lincoln Center Campus.

Entelis, a member of the political science department and head of the Middle Eastern studies program and Doron Ben-Atar, a member of the American studies program, engaged in conversation with about 30 Fordham students regarding some of the current issues in the Middle East.

The director of the internation-

al studies program, Sarah Lockhart, moderated the event.

The discussion focused on some of the current situations affecting the Middle East, including emerging democracies in the region and the Syrian Civil War. For Ben-Atar, who is Israeli-born, it boiled down to human rights.

“It is mainly a question of our responsibility as humans,” he said.

He also asked the audience about the extent of our responsibility to get involved and in what particular ways our involvement would be constructive.

This allowed students to form their own opinions about the situation and pose some possible so-

lutions later on in the discussion.

Entelis also agreed that the topics discussed were issues of human rights and democracy. However, he added that the legitimacy of nation-states and identity has created many of the problems in this tumultuous region.

Much of the conversation focused on American involvement in the region. Ultimately, Entelis proposed a military disengagement from many Arab states by the United States.

Entelis proposed that the U.S. “engage in society, and disengage in regime.” At this point the crowd erupted, and Lockhart reconfirmed Entelis’ point, not-

ing the American involvement in Egypt prior to the overthrow of Mubarak’s regime.

Entelis called on the U.S. and other involved nations to “reduce the status of relationships and focus on civil society over regime needs.”

The discussion then opened up to questions from students. Kayla Matteucci, FCLC ’18, talked about the importance of military disengagement from the Middle East, and then shifted toward focusing on Middle Eastern societies.

However, she later commented that she was hoping for more from the panel discussion.

“I hoped to get a chance to talk more about specific countries in the Middle East especially in regards to the aftermath of the Arab Spring,” she said.

However, the event was overall well received.

“It was a spirited Q&A session, and students were very engaged in the conversation” Mike Dobuski, GSB ’17, said.

While the state of the Middle East is constantly changing so much day to day, Entelis believes that the key to understanding the region is to “overcome the legacy of the past, meet the demand of the present and plan for the future.”

This Week in Gabelli Thursday Nov. 6

Monday Nov. 10

Monday Nov. 10

Tuesday Nov. 11

Wednesday Nov. 12

Morgan Stanley Info Session

ICAP: Recruiter in Residence

Academic Skills Workshop

“Berkshire Beyond Buffet”

Catholic Interscholastic Business Challenge

1 p.m. — 2:15 p.m.

5 p.m. — 6:30 p.m.

1 p.m. — 2:15 p.m.

5 p.m. — 6:30 p.m.

7:30 a.m. — 3:15 p.m.

Join Maia Herring, Morgan Stanley’s recruiter for Fordham, for an opportunity to learn about upcoming opportunities within Morgan Stanley and its Summer Internship program.

ICAP, a leading markets operator and provider of post trade risk mitigation will be on campus to discuss opportunities within the company, resume review and provide tips for successful interviewing.

Geared towards freshmen but open to all students, this workshop will provide tips and advice on how to improve academic skills and discuss strategies for more efficient work strategies.

Professor Lawrence Cunningham will be speaking to students at Rose Hill about his new book, Berkshire Beyond Buffett: The Enduring Vale of Values. Students who attend will receive a free autographed copy of the book.

Students will deliver ideas and presentations regarding business ethics, entrepreneurship and marketing. There will be networking opportunities, guest lectures and group activities to participate in throughout the day.

November 5, 2014

OPINION

Page 7

The Fordham Ram

Barnes & Noble Story Has More to Tell

By MARGARITA ARTOGLOU CONTRIBUTING WRITER

It was recently announced that the Barnes & Noble in Co-op City’s Bay Plaza would be closing its doors for good.

Under different circumstances, this might be met with disappointment from the store’s regular patrons, knowing they would soon find another neighborhood bookstore and resolve the problem.

Sadly, this was not the case because there are no other neighborhood bookstores left. In fact, Bronx residents had to rally to get the store to open in their borough in the first place.

This Barnes & Noble is not only the chain’s sole surviving location in the Bronx, but is also the last general-interest bookstore in the entire borough. After petitions and negotiations by Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz, Jr., an agreement was made to keep the store in the Bronx.

Unfortunately, the agreement only guarantees that the store will stay open for another two years.

The problems started when the property owners, Prestige Properties and Development, raised the rent, and Barnes & Noble could not foot the bill.

The Bronx, traditionally a lowincome area, has been seeing some economic revitalization in the past few years in the form of new stores and franchises.

While there are some positive aspects to this new investment into the Bronx, it also means that prices will continue rising in neighbor-

COURTESY OF FLICKR

Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz, Jr., visited the Bronx’s Barnes & Noble when it announced it would remain open.

hoods where many businesses will not be able to afford these price hikes.

What this meant for the Bay Plaza Barnes & Noble, specifically, was that rent was going up, and there were other companies willing to pay Prestige’s higher prices. Coupled with the fact that book sales have been declining, it was not feasible for the bookstore to survive without some government intervention.

Bookstores can become community centers, and foster growth and education. It is clear that this particular shop is treasured by the community.

A huge mural pays homage to Bronx landmarks, including Fordham University; Bronx residents take buses and trains from all over

the borough to get there and many people spend hours reading and lounging in the in-store cafe.

But, with rent rising and book sales decreasing, keeping the store running looks like an impossible task, regardless of the community benefits it may bring.

“It seems like people just aren’t spending enough money on books,” said Helen Keating, GSB ’18. “From a business perspective, it makes sense to shut down Barnes & Noble if they can’t pay the rising rents when another business can.

The property owners aren’t taking the community into consideration, they’re just thinking about the bottom line.”

In a society where the popularity of e-readers and online vendors

like Amazon are rising, the need for brick-and-mortar bookshops is dwindling. From a business standpoint, it is more profitable to follow the trends. Why fight to keep this one location open when it clearly is not bringing in enough cash?

In certain incomes do not leave much room to purchase books, but bookstores are still important for their atmospheres. Reading improves education, and leads to increased opportunity and socioeconomic mobility.

The closing of the Bronx’s last bookstore would bring limited access to educational materials. Ereaders can be expensive and, despite the trends, not every person who wants access to books can afford to purchase a Kindle.

Additionally, the electronics policies in New York City public schools forbid such devices on school property. In a society where income inequality and disparities in education are so high, access to books is essential.

Critics may say the solution is obvious: head to the library. But, libraries are not always well-stocked, and students who want to check out an SAT prep book a couple of weeks before an exam or a popular new novel will likely find meager offerings.

Besides, many book lovers will tell you that there is something special about owning a paperback and leafing through its pages.

It is also unfair to say that Bronx residents should have to travel all the way to Manhattan or Queens if they would like to own a book, especially when the Co-op City location is already a trek for many patrons.

The revitalization of the Bronx is threatening to push out businesses that the community fought for in order to make way for other franchises.

It seems like many forces are fighting the survival of the Bronx’s bookstore, and while it will be a challenge to keep it up and running, it is up to residents to show their support.

As Diaz noted, “If you want a store to flourish and stay here in our borough, you have to petition with your wallets.”

Margarita Artoglou, FCRH ’18, is a communication and media studies major from Queens.

The Affordable Care Act: An Evaluation

By PASQUALE GIANNI CONTRIBUTING WRITER

How the tables have turned. Just about this time last year, Republicans were salivating at the prospect of huge midterm gains because of problems with the Affordable Care Act (ACA). It was the number one election issue for the 2014 midterms: the HealthCare.gov website was on the fritz, not enough young people were signing up and stories were circulating about people across the country “losing their plans.” Now, however, we face a much different reality.

In light of a New York Times article published last week, “Is the Affordable Care Act Working?” many are only now beginning to notice the tremendous progress the ACA has made in just one year.

The number of uninsured Americans has declined about 25 percent and the only factor hindering the acceleration of that figure is the sad reality that 23 red states still refuse to adopt Medicaid expansion because of, well, partisan politics.

Premiums have not risen sharply as the law’s opponents initially predicted. Critics are attributing the low premiums to the competition it has fostered as new companies continue to enter the market.

The healthcare industry has greatly benefited from the law. It provides new customers to health insurance

companies and more paying patients to doctors, hospitals and pharmaceutical companies. One measure, the S&P 500 Health Care Index, has climbed 24 percent in a year. Slowing health-care spending as a percentage of GDP also can be attributed to the law’s elimination of unnecessary care that cost money; reduced patient remittance to hospitals shows that.

Sure, the health-reform law still has its flaws and kinks to be worked out. But what huge new program does not? Besides, a glitchy website is no reason at all to write off the success of one of the biggest policy accomplishments in our nation’s history.

The days of laughable repeal attempts by congressional Republicans and misleading, sometimes fraudulent “Obamacare horror stories” from Fox News and other right-wing media outlets seem to have ended.

That is not the best of the news; the law’s success is only expected to continue. During the second enrollment period, starting November 15, an additional five million Americans are expected to sign up. More states, including Michigan, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Utah and Indiana are in talks to put partisanship aside and accept federally funded Medicaid expansion.

The upshot? The enormous healthcare sector should experience continued growth, at least within the

COURTESY OF FLICKR

The Affordable Care Act has, on the whole, withstood much criticism from Republicans hoping to make it a major issue.

next year. (Indeed, most analysts say now is still a good time to invest in health-related stocks.)

However, as Republicans have seemingly conceded this loss, Democrats have failed to capitalize on the law’s success. At the outset, Democrats were on the defensive, finding themselves on national television in situations having to explain that “the law isn’t perfect, but…” Some even said it should be changed or even repealed as they feared they wouldn’t be reelected.

Those Democrats now find themselves in tricky circumstances, since they do not necessarily want to contradict their earlier statements. As a result, they cannot really take much credit for a law they initially supported in Congress. Such is the reality that the Affordable Care Act’s success is not helping Democrats win elections as it should. The ACA is not unique in that regard. Programs that benefit Americans every day, such as Social Security and Medicare, have shown to produce little

positive political consideration for the Democrats, their parents.

Lives, though, are more important than elections. Healthcare reform is here to stay—at least until another system emerges, say, with a single payer element. America is now a better place, thanks to the evolution of the Affordable Care Act. Pasquale Gianni, FCRH ’17, is a political science major from Chicago.

Page 8

R

Serving campus and community since 1918 The Fordham Ram is the University journal of record. The mission of The Fordham Ram is to provide a forum for the free and open exchange of ideas in service to the community and to act as a student advocate. The Fordham Ram is published and distributed free of charge every Wednesday during the academic year to the Rose Hill, Lincoln Center and Westchester campuses with a readership of over 10,000. The Fordham Ram office is located in the basement of the McGinley Center, room B-52.

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Editor-in-Chief Kelly Kultys Managing Editor Joseph Vitale Copy Chief Katie Nolan Assistant Copy Chief Robert Frerich Editorial Director Shannon Marcoux News Editor Katie Meyer Assistant News Editors Michael Cavanaugh Laura Sanicola Opinion Editor Richard Bordelon Assistant Opinion Editor Felicia Czochanski Culture Editor Nicole Horton Assistant Culture Editor Amanda Giglio Sports Editors Matt Rosenfeld Max Prinz Assistant Sports Editor Anthony Pucik Photo Editor Samuel Joseph Web Editor Tara Cangialosi Business Director Felicia Zhang Business Staff Jason Chan Juan Gabriel Garcia Faculty Advisor Dr. Beth Knobel Editorial Board Kelly Kultys Joseph Vitale Shannon Marcoux Katie Nolan Robert Frerich Richard Bordelon Felicia Czochanski For a full staff listing, visit FordhamRam.com

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No part of The Fordham Ram may be reproduced without written consent.

OPINION

November 5, 2014

From the Desk | Max Prinz

Breaking Down Your Own Barriers I hate to admit it, but I was one of those freshmen who struggled adjusting to college. I didn’t get very involved my first year and often found myself having a difficult time.

That mostly started to change before the start of my sophomore year, when I was an orientation leader for the first time. The New Student Orientation program brought in motivational speaker Marc Wayshak to speak to the entire orientation team that year to encourage leaders to do their job as best they could.

In his session, Wayshak promised to teach everyone in the room to punch through a wooden board, kung fu style. Given my total lack of martial arts training, I was very skeptical at first. As the 90-minute session went on, however, I began to believe.

Wayshak also had us write a goal on our boards. Any goal, big or small, would do, Wayshak said, as long as it was something we wanted to accomplish in the upcoming school year. If we could break through the board, surely we could break our mental or

emotional barriers and achieve whatever goal we wrote down.

I wrote five words on my board.

“Work for the school newspaper.”

Thankfully, I punched through that board on my first try. I couldn’t believe how powerful it felt to finally knock down those barriers from my first year. I went and signed up to write for The Ram the very next day.

It feels both very strange and very sad to be sitting here writing my last “From the Desk” just two years later. Working at The Fordham Ram has been the greatest joy of my Fordham career. For the past four semesters, I have looked forward to Tuesday production nights more than anything else, and have found a home with the great people who often spend all night in McGinley’s B-52 office.

I’m not sure I’ll entirely know what to do with myself on Tuesdays in the future.

None of it would have been possible without the help of a great number of people. I must, of course, thank the previous sports editors, Chester Baker and Dan Gartland, for giving me a chance

in the first place with the men’s tennis beat and helping me get started. Things would be very different for me if Dan hadn’t deciphered my terrible handwriting and found my email address.

Matt Rosenfeld and Anthony Pucik deserve a huge thank you as well. It was a treat to work with both of them and, even though we were there to get a job done, they made long nights much more fun than they probably should have been.

Robert Frerich, Katie Nolan and the entire copy staff have made me an infinitely better writer. I had a vague understanding of writing mechanics when I started as an assistant sports editor, but now I truly care about debates over an extra comma and that is thanks to them.

The entire editorial staff of The Ram should be thanked too, especially our leaders Joe Vitale and Kelly Kultys. Fordham is full of great people from all over, but the best people at Rose Hill are the ones on staff who I get to work with every week.

I want to thank my mom as

well. She’s always been my biggest fan and the list of sacrifices she has made for me would fill several books.

It took me a little while to get there, but being at The Ram has been by far the best part of my college experience. I’ve come to truly love writing every week and I beam with pride every time there’s a fresh stack of newspapers on campus.

If you’re reading this and are considering joining The Ram, do it. You’ll be very glad you did.

Go out, punch through wooden boards and break down your own barriers. Trust me, there’s a lot of good stuff waiting for you on the other side.

Editorial | Student Life

Academic Freedom on Commencement Day After seeing students across the country protest coveted commencement speakers last year (among them, the former secretary of state, head of the International Monetary Fund and the current attorney general), it was not surprising when students at U.C. Berkeley last week began protesting their university’s decision to host Bill Maher as commencement speaker.

After the mid-October announcement, a student group at the university issued a statement saying that Maher was not welcome on their campus. “Bill Maher is a blatant bigot and racist,” the students wrote, “who has no respect for the values U.C. Berkeley students and administration stand for.”

The claim was in response to a bit on his talk show, “Real Time with Bill Maher,” during which he labeled Islam an intolerant religion, based on a thorough Pew Research Center survey last year of Muslim attitudes based on 38,000 interviews in 39 countries.

The survey found that more than half of Muslims said homosexuality was immoral and that a wife should obey her husband without exception. Most Muslims in at least a half-dozen countries said they favored “executing those who leave Islam,” and the survey found there was strong support among the group for “honor killings,” or killing some-

one for committing a serious sin, such having sex out of wedlock.

On his show, Maher took a jab at the religion, calling it “the only religion that acts like the Mafia.”

He went on to say that progressive values favored by liberals are intolerable by most Muslims.

All of this, though, is distracting from the issue.

His opponents—young Americans who overwhelmingly identify as proponents of free speech— claim not to be limiting free speech. Rather, they are hoping to censor speech that is offensive to them.

As of Tuesday, a Change.org petition, titled “Berkely Stop Bill Maher from speaking at U.C. Berkeley’s December graduation,” had garnered more than 5,000 signatures.

“Too many students are marginalized by his remarks and if the university were to bring this individual as a commencement speaker they would not be supporting these historically marginalized communities,” the petition argues. “It is the responsibility of the University of California to protect all students and uphold a standard of civility.”

Luckily on Wednesday, the university released a statement saying they would not rescind its invitation.

“The UC Berkeley administration cannot and will not accept this decision, which appears to have been based solely on Mr.

Maher’s opinions and beliefs, which he conveyed through constitutionally protected speech,” read the statement. “For that reason Chancellor Dirks has decided that the invitation will stand, and he looks forward to welcoming Mr. Maher to the Berkeley campus.”

The statement continued: “It should be noted that this decision does not constitute an endorsement of any of Mr. Maher’s prior statements: indeed, the administration’s position on Mr. Maher’s opinions and perspectives is irrelevant in this context, since we fully respect and support his right to express them.”

As debates regarding free speech rage on, it is difficult to sympathize with the students of U.C. Berkeley.

In the cases where a university submits to students protests— resulting in rescinding an invitation—it is not the speaker who loses. Instead, it is the university administrators who folded to the demands of close-minded students who deem themselves the arbiters of all things good and all topics of discussion acceptable.

Without a doubt, even if Bill Maher was disinvited from U.C. Berkeley, he would continue with his talk show, making use of his right to speech on his HBO program. Despite a brief issue for his public relations team, being disinvited to speak would be unlikely to result in any stain on his image.

Maher clearly acknowledged this while speaking on his show last week. “It’s not my reputation on the line,” he deadpanned. “It’s yours.”

Inviting a speaker is not equivalent to endorsing everything he or she has ever done or said. Inviting a speaker to commencement is simply a claim by a university that someone has an interesting point of view to share with the senior class. People need to understand the difference between total endorsement and providing a platform for someone to spark a discussion.

Here’s to hoping that more universities (like Berkeley) and more speakers (like Maher) make the responsible decision in the face of student protests. While student protests can spark valuable dialogue and should be protected as free speech, they should not seek to impede or punish the free speech of another group or individual. Students often value free speech until the speech offends them, but the truth is that all protected free speech, even if it is unsavory or offensive, should be respected. We hope that Fordham’s administration will remember this if it receives pushback from members of the student body for future commencement speakers.

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.

Disagree with us? Write a letter to th editor!

E-mail letters to fordhamramletters@gmail.com

OPINION

November 5, 2014

Page 9

Lessons Still to Be Learned from UNC Scandal

By CODY SIMS STAFF WRITER

While NCAA student-athletes may need a little extra help in order to balance sports and rigorous schoolwork, how far is too far? The University of North Carolina Chapel Hill has certainly tested the limit.

Over the course of two decades, officials at the university failed to address alarming red flags that could have put an end to a major problem years ago. Approximately 1,500 athletes benefited from fictitious classes and undeserved high grades in a department that was formerly known as the African and Afro-American Studies department (AFAM) at Chapel Hill. From 1993 to 2011, those classes did not require attendance and only called for one research paper. The papers were all given A’s or B’s regardless of their quality. School officials decided to turn a blind eye and the problem intensified. AFAM was exempt from external reviews because it did not include a graduate program. Although University of North Carolina’s own credibility is at stake, these fraudulent classes at the University of North Carolina do indicate a larger problem in the collegiate sports and academic systems as a whole.

If a major sports school like University of North Carolina were able to get away with this loose protocol for two decades, what else is being

SAGES and the Fight for Free Speech

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The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s athletics program was investigated and exposed for having fraudulent classes.

overlooked at other major athletic institutions? Jennifer Allen, FCRH’16, said, “It absolutely is an indicator.

College administration tends to ignore the academic problems when it comes to student athletes, because they see how much athletes can help the school’s reputation. The purpose of a college institution is for education. When that is undermined, so is the overall credibility of the university.”

While some believe this incident at University of North Carolina is an indicator for universities across the nation, others seem to think differently. Chris Gaston, a former basketball player at Fordham University, said, “The University of North Carolina incident is definitely not an indi-

cator for schools across the board.”

Some schools have a strict policy.

For example, during my time at Fordham, people were designated to stand outside of our classes to make sure we attended every class. Our academic advisors also had open communication with all of our professors throughout the semester. I think the stern academic policies Fordham implements will be beneficial for all student-athletes when their sports career is all said and done.” While those strict policies are great for the student-athletes here at Fordham, at bigger athletic programs what is the likelihood of similar strict policies being implemented? In a perfect world, that would happen. However, in major Division I schools, academ-

ic protocol is most likely placed on the back burner.

At the end of the day, NCAA sports are a business, and schools will do whatever it takes to build a winning program. The system is undoubtedly flawed. It may even be too big of a problem to fix. While universities may help the athlete to find the easiest way to a higher G.P.A., athletes must hold themselves accountable to a higher standard. Sure, scandals like these are harmful to a school’s reputation. On the other hand, athletes must realize that always taking the easy way out is doing them more harm than good.

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

Chris Rock Was Tasteless on SNL

BY ROBERT FRERICH ASSISTANT COPY CHIEF

Chris Rock’s monologue from this past weekend’s “Saturday Night Live” has struck a chord with the nation’s populace after he made jokes about the Boston bombings and 9/11, which begs the question, “When does a controversial topic still come ‘too soon’?” Rock joked about never going into the Freedom Tower, known as One World Trade, which opened this past Monday, and that those who built the tower were fools just asking for trouble. While the tower has many different meanings to Americans, its symbolism as hope, pride and “a nation rebuilding” after tragedy remains ubiquitous. As I watched Rock joke about the two terror attacks, my jaw dropped.

I have been a faithful viewer and supporter of “Saturday Night Live” for the majority of my life. But, for the first time, I find myself truly appalled at “Saturday Night Live’s” and Lorne Michaels’, the show’s creator and producer, decision to allow Rock’s jokes during the show’s opening monologue. Many consider “Saturday

Michael Syku

Night Live” New York City’s show; it has been produced in renowned studio 8H in Rockefeller Plaza since its beginnings in 1975, credited it with keeping New York’s television industry alive and influencing public opinion. How, then, could a show so inherently linked to New York City and adored by New Yorkers poke fun at the greatest and deadliest attack to strike not only New York City, but the United States as well?

Needless to say, it should not.

This desperate attempt by Rock to be ‘edgy’ and to draw in viewers to “SNL’s” weak 40th season was completely unnecessary. Rock joked, “They should change the name from the Freedom Tower to the ‘Never Going in There Tower’ because I’m never going in there.” The audience was reluctant to laugh, but warmed up near the end of Rock’s monologue.

For a show that so carefully and beautifully handled the terrorist attacks by having a special tribute segment with then-mayor Rudy Giuliani and many first responders and firemen on its season premiere episode a mere 13 years prior, I was surprised to see the direction it has taken.

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Chris Rock’s SNL monologue prompted outcry from many criticizing his “humor.”

“SNL” is no stranger to controversy. Sinead O’Connor’s musical guest appearance in Season 18 was also a shocking moment when she tore up a picture of Pope John Paul II at the end of her musical set in an act of defiance against the Church. Also, a sketch parodying victims of the 2008 recession showed an allegedly fictional couple, responsible for much housing turmoil in northern California, labeled as “people who should be shot.” Negative feedback flooded in when it was discovered that the couple in the sketch were found to be real people. Lorne Michaels apologized about mistakenly approving the sketch without checking its facts and then pulled the sketch from all online sources.

The difference between these incidents and Rock’s is that Lorne Michaels knowingly approved this monologue, which made it through days of rehearsal and the dress rehearsal show immediately prior to its live airing.

For a show that owes much of its support and success to the city that helped make it iconic, allowing these jokes was not only distasteful but out of line. Making light of the Boston Bombing incident the night prior to the New York City marathon simply furthers the hysteria and fear people already had surrounding the event, and did nothing to appease people’s anxiety about the events that took place in Boston in 2013.

“Tomorrow’s the New York City Marathon. What could go wrong there, right?” Rock said. Continuing the joke, he referred to the very act of running a marathon as terroristic in nature, then moved onto the Freedom Tower spiel.

I am a firm believer in free speech and respect Rock’s right to say what

he wishes. That being said, I do not believe “SNL” to be the appropriate platform for such jokes. Save it for stand-up, do not plague the airways of public television and “SNL’s” audience which, ranges from 11-year-olds and up, with such distasteful commentary. Lorne Michaels should have exercised much better judgment.

It was Rock’s job to make people laugh, not to make light of the U.S.’s tragedy where over 3,000 of its people in the very city Rock was performing were blown up in cold blood.

He did attempt to highlight a flaw in American society, stating that Americans commercialize many holidays that are supposed to call us to remembrance. “Hey, hey I’m not joking about 9/11, but we live in America and in America there are no sacred days because we commercialize everything.” Rock stated. Though this may unfortunately happen, for now this is still “too soon” and using “SNL” and New York City as vessel to deliver this social commentary was not appropriate.

I am not one to quickly take offense, but remarking on a society still recovering from this awful attack that has affected so many people on a personal level, and a nation as a whole, was in poor taste. Don’t just stay away from the Freedom Tower, Chris Rock; stay away from “SNL.” The Freedom Tower serves to show the world that we will not give into aggression, but by Rock joking that he plans to avoid it, he is essentially bowing into this terroristic aggression. Jokes like this will always exist, but I do not think they belong on a show with such cultural influence.

Have a little class, “SNL.” Robert Frerich, FCRH ’16, is a biology major from Minneapolis.

Students for Sex and Gender Equality and Safety (S.A.G.E.S.), the protest group on campus that has been dropping off condoms, recently taped demands to the office door of Rev. Joseph M. McShane, S.J., president of the University, along with a petition with over 1,100 student signatures.

The recent unveiling of this group during an unsanctioned protest outside of the McGinley Student Center raises a very important question: When your university is an institution that intimidates people into working anonymously in the first place, what does that say about the culture of free speech on your campus?

Of course, this is prefaced by the fact that members of SAGES felt that they could be safe coming out of anonymity. For this, we commend Fordham’s administration.

However, with this commendation, it seems that that free speech on campus seems to be a privilege, not a right. Even the language that Dean of Students Christoper Rogers uses when he talks about the protests implies “allowing” the protest to go on instead of shutting it down.

Members of SAGES revealed themselves after getting over 1,100 signatures to support its cause. This is a crucial point because it is clear that the administration cannot realistically punish all of the 1,100 students who agree with SAGES. It is more accurate to say that members of SAGES revealed themselves not because Fordham made them feel safe, but because their fellow students stood in solidarity with them.

Fordham’s disapproval of SAGES was made very clear in the Office of Student Leadership and Community Development’s (O.S.L.C.D.) response to its condom drop at Pres Ball: “Secret protests are fun, but at college, we debate ideas rather than litter about them...try some Fordham values this Homecoming: open debate and respect for beliefs and traditions of others.”

Inviting someone who is clearly not respected to debate is abusive and patronizing. It also portrays a fundamental misunderstanding of speech: There is no forum for real debate and talking into the air does not get anything done, so this is SAGES’ way to facilitate discussion.

The idea that an institution of higher learning like Fordham would so frighten a bunch of students trying to have a discussion about basic human rights is not only ridiculously hypocritical, but also quite terrifying. It seems obvious that SAGES needed to operate anonymously because there is no other effective recourse to have their voices be heard. There is no effective structured system in which people with opposing views can expect to be heard at Fordham and by the university community; therefore, the only way to be heard is to go outside the structured system of debate and do something that sparks conversation and a dialogue throughout the Fordham community.

Page 10

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CULTURE

November 5, 2014

Page 11

The Fordham Ram

Pop Culture Ushers in Witty, if Offensive, Costumes

By MEGAN BRONNER STAFF WRITER

This past Friday, Fordham students did not allow late-night rain to dampen their spirits, although it may have dampened their costumes. Across New York City, adults dressed up as their favorite superheroes, cartoon characters or monsters, embracing their inner children. The costumes are, by far, the best part of Halloween. Every year, different trends emerge, usually based on pop culture or news events from the past few months. Pinterest, Instagram and other social media sites make tracking these trends easier than ever. Here is a recap of popular Halloween costumes from this year. They run the gauntlet from fun to offensive. Clearly, the most tasteless costumes got the most attention, but some creative and cute costumes garnered a lot of buzz as well.

Ebola Workers In the past several weeks the confirmed Ebola cases in the US have made headlines, so some decided to turn heads with Ebolathemed costumes. Ebola nurse, doctor and sanitation worker costumes made tasteless statements, although it is a timely, newsworthy topic. This costume certainly got a lot of attention, although maybe for the wrong reasons. The general consensus for the Ebola workers’ Halloween costumes is that they exploit a disease respon-

Additionally the costume could be construed as insensitive to the ALS Association that benefitted from ice bucket challenge donations. Although, one could argue that this costume was a creative take on a popular cultural phenomenon. It was topical, and not necessarily desired to offend.

sible for taking the lives of thousands, and it is demeaning those who treat them by being a “sexy Ebola nurse.” Sometimes cliches are not a bad thing—just be a regular sexy nurse.

Ray Rice and His Wife Another display of tastelessness occurred when some decided to dress as Ray Rice and his domestically abused wife, Janay. Last week TMZ tweeted the link to a photo of a man wearing a Ray Rice jersey and dragging a blow up doll behind him intended to represent Janay. Janay then replied to TMZ’s tweet saying, “It’s sad, that my suffering amuses others.” It is sad indeed. Other photos continued to surface on other social media outlets as Halloween festivities continued on. One only needs to search #RayRice on Instagram or Twitter and plenty of examples of this costume come up. Some couples went as far as to wearing blackface to be as tasteless as possible. I even saw one photo where someone dressed his or her son as Ray Rice and the boy was dragging an inflatable doll behind him.

The consensus on this costume is that it is extremely offensive to make fun of domestic abuse.

However, others argue that some Halloween costumes, including this one, should not be taken too seriously.

ISIS Each Halloween I always try to convince my friends to be the

Elsa and Anna from Frozen Not all popular culture based costumes offended people. The Disney movie Frozen continued to catch the hearts of many, especially on Halloween, and many paired up to become the princess duo for the night. Elsa and Anna were some of this year’s most searched costumes. Even as a children’s movie, Frozen was a popular choice for all ages, simple to put together and easily recognizable.

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The Ebola Virus takes on karaoke at a Halloween party.

Spice Girls with me, but it never works. However, others managed to convince their friends to be members of the terrorist organization ISIS. I must have really terrible persuasion skills. At first being a terrorist for Halloween may seem easy and creative, but if you think about this idea for more than five seconds you should start to think otherwise. This Halloween proved that some people do not have the capacity to do that.

Once again some decided that this costume was child-friendly and dressed their kids as ISIS members carrying around a doll about to be

beheaded. Personally, I found this costume to be the most universally offensive, and I thought it was completely appalling that people would dress up as members of a terrorist organization.

This costume makes me, and hopefully many others, question what goes through some people’s minds when they are choosing a Halloween costume.

Ice Bucket Challenge While not as inflamatory a costume, anyone with a Facebook profile is probably sick of seeing the ice bucket challenge.

TV Characters Dominate Halloween Characters from television shows were also prominent this Halloween. If you had a big group up-to-date with its Netflix shows then “Orange is the New Black” cast was a perfect choice. With simple orange jumpsuits and a variety of props pertaining to each character, the costume was cheap and easy to assemble. This costume was inventive, and still related to pop culture. Other TV characters were seen this year as well, including Sheldon and Amy from “The Big Bang Theory” and Rory Gilmore from “Gilmore Girls.”

Review | Music

Say Hi Creates Nostalgic Yet Creative Sound

By AMANDA GIGLIO ASSISTANT CULTURE EDITOR

I have never been good at keeping up with new music. I prefer to listen to a few of my older favorites and call it a day. Lately, I felt bored with my music selection and I have been searching for different artists to explore. When my friend suggested I take a look at the newest album from the artist Say Hi, I could not resist.

Previously known as Say Hi to Your Mom, singer/songwriter Eric Elbogen is the mastermind behind this indie rock project, which

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The group’s signature minimalist album artwork reflects their simple lyrics.

formed in 2002 in Elbogen’s hometown of Brooklyn, NY. In 2008, the band shortened its name to Say Hi and signed a recording contract

with Barsuk Records in Seattle. The newest album, Endless Wonder, is the band’s ninth album and continues to project Elbogen’s musical genius.

Endless Wonder features 10 amazing tracks, each with new electronic tunes and simple lyrics that make you sway along with the music.

I was hesitant at first to stray from my usual music taste, but Say Hi has a creative sound different from most alternative groups. Eric Elbogen could be called a funnier, darker Connor Oberst, who is best known for his work in indie rock band Bright Eyes. However, with that comparison, Endless Wonder seems happier and more optimistic than Say Hi’s previous albums.

Songs like “Such a Drag” and “Hurt In The Morning” have a surpris-

ingly upbeat sound that urges you to get up and dance around. The songs towards the end of the album have a more relaxed sound that makes you sit back and listen to each lyric, bringing you into a trance-like state.

“Clicks & Bangs” holds true to its title as it consists of repeating clicks and bangs behind soulful words.

This album brings new music to my collection. It has a somewhat nostalgic sound, as if the music is from a different decade. Say Hi has developed over the years and Endless Wonder is an album to listen to if you are searching for a new, experimental music.

Review | Music

Taylor Swift Takes on 80s Pop

By FARIAH SIDDIQUI CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Taylor Swift has officially embraced her pop sound with her fifth album 1989...and she’s not here to make friends. Fun, punchy, angsty and downright poignant at times, 1989 is a dramatic shift from Swift’s fairytale adolescence to her roaring 20s. We have left behind the chaste days of “screaming and fighting and kissing in the rain” at 2am to sexier territory where “his hands are in my hair, his clothes

are in my room.” Strangely, the three best songs (“Wonderland”, “You Are In Love”, “New Romantics”) of the album are only available in the exclusive Target edition of 1989.

While few Taylor Swift fan were born before 1992, 1989 takes us back to a bygone era of ’80s synth-pop and echoes, such as in “Out of the Woods”. Taylor Swift has always been one of the great polarizing figures of our generation—you either hate her or love her. Although I have been wax-

ing poetic about on the album’s success, 1989 is far from perfect.

With cringe-worthy tracks like “Bad Blood,” perplexing lyrics like “you’re still all over me like a wine-stained dress I can’t wear anymore,” and uninspiring flops like “I Wish You Would,” Swift exposes herself to criticism. However, she more than redeems herself with toe-tappers like “Blank Space,” the Lana del Rey-esque “Wildest Dreams” and “Clean” (or, as I affectionately call it, “the rehab song”).

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CULTURE

Page 12

The Merry, But Fleeting, Holiday Romance

By NICOLE HORTON CULTURE EDITOR

“All I want for Christmas is you...” or not? The holiday season will soon be upon us. It is time for nights sitting by the fire with hot chocolate, decorating and creating your own winter wonderland and spending time with family, friends and colleagues at holiday parties.

For many singles, it is also a time to seek out and develop a relationship.

However, many holiday romances are temporary relationships that come in with hot apple cider and fade away like a New Years’ resolution to frequent the gym. George Moufarrej, a leading relationship expert and author of the New York Times bestseller Sexual Euphoria, can offer insight as to what exactly a “holiday romance,” is how to spot one and why it is difficult for singles during the holiday season.

Some relationships will be solidified during the holiday season and become long-lasting, bringing an end to the are-we-or-aren’t-we dating ambiguity. After all, according to a spokesperson from Bing.com, the search engine saw searches for terms like “diamond” and “engagement ring” spiked by nearly 340 percent during late October and early Nov. in 2009.

“If a person is in a relationship, he’s feeling happy and carefree and relaxed because of the holiday season,” said Moufarrej. “There’s a big possibility that he will want to take the relationship to the next level.”

Moufarrej says that this carefree, joyful mindset is the basis of a holiday romance.

“This causes a person to be attracted to a large number of people, including some people that they would not be attracted to in a normal state of mind,” said Moufarrej.

In addition to yearning for someone to get into the holiday spirit

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Couples get caught up in the holidays.

with and spend the night cuddling during a snowstorm, single people may also feel pressured to bring a significant other to a holiday party to impress family and friends, or at least not be the only single person there. After all, we can all think of that aunt or uncle who pesters you about your romantic life, or a cousin or friend who is one half of the “perfect couple.”

“If the person deep down knows he’s just using you for a holiday romance, he might be nervous and uneasy about introducing you to friends and relatives,” said Moufarrej. “You can tell from his body language, such as stuttering, repeating some words and confusion in speech. Also in his body language, he might be gesturing with his hands too much. He might fidget in his place or if he’s standing he might be moving on his legs.”

Moufarrej says that one of the main indications that a person is looking for a holiday fling instead of starting a long-term relationship is when the person you’re seeing shies away from defining the relationship or avoids discussing it if the other raises the topic. Another sign is when the pair does not have much in common. If the conversa-

Culture Shock | Natalie Sturgeon

The Eradication of ‘Like’ Everyone has words that they use as fillers in their sentences. These filler words are used to catch your breath and develop a thought more. Examples such as ‘um’ and ‘you know?’ are commonly used for this purpose, but the big one is the word ‘like.’

‘Like’ has become the chief filler word for people of our generation and the use of it is not accurate by any means. I do not mean to say that I don’t use ‘like’ on a regular basis because it’s basically every other word for me. I noticed that the use of this prominent filler word is specific to a certain generation, starting with us.

It is incredibly hard to formulate sentences without ‘like,’ even in a professional setting. If a speech is not written down and memorized, there will be nothing to prevent a person from using the dreaded filler word. In interviews and internships when talking to other professionals, a conversation with other professionals obviously will not be scripted, so the use of ‘like’ can be almost free flowing.

Considering that no professional uses ‘like’ to articulate his or her thoughts, the use of the word could definitely

be seen as unprofessional.

This fact is worrisome, but the more dangerous thing about these filler words is that they are almost impossible to get out of your speech.

When talking to a professor or talking in class, the word ‘like’ ruins credibility because the person sounds as if he or she is talking to a friend instead of talking about an assignment or giving a presentation. That lack of separation could be the death of a professional appearance nowadays.

This brings us to the real problem with the word. Most people in our generation cannot finish a sentence without using the word ‘like.’

To investigate this a bit more, I attempted to eradicate the word ‘like’ from my speech for an entire day. If I said it, I put a small tally mark on my wrist. I can safely say that I did not make it through any class without saying ‘like’.

My advice to studnets is to try my experiment. See if you can go a day, or a class, without saying ‘like’ to complete a sentence. The old adage is true in this situation, practice does make perfect.

tion is lacking, it is difficult to form an enduring connection.

“When this holiday state of mind ends, the attraction that this person developed to a person that they aren’t compatible with goes away,” said Moufarrej.

Moufarrej says that most of these holiday romances generally end two to four weeks after the New Year, once both people get back to their day-to-day routine.

Aside from holiday romance, Moufarrej can offer general advice for young adults’ relationships.

He cites a lack of communication as the one major reason why relationships end; this comprises ideas, feelings and more intimate matters.

“One important relationship tip I talk about in my book Sexual Euphoria is communication,” said Moufarrej. “Communication is a very important thing that couples should do so problems don’t arise.

Another important topic that I talk about is that the couple should continue being romantic. As the newness of the relationship wears off, the romance dies and they start taking each other for granted.

They should keep the romance alive by doing romantic things to each other: kissing, cuddling, hugging during day-to-day activities.”

Learning how to distinguish a holiday romance from a new, serious relationship requires observation and intuition that people sometimes try to ignore. If the New Year brings an end to a fleeting holiday romance, do not forget that Valentine’s Day is only a heartbeat away.

November 5, 2014

Review | Book

Sci-Fi, With A Twist

By MACKENZIE GENTRY CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Boy meets girl, girl loves boy, boy uses his mystical Pan powers to overcome an evil half-elf’s plot to kill girl and helps her return to her natural state as an Elvin princess.

That’s how the story goes, right? At least it is in Candace Beck Moesta’s latest novel, Soul Shift. An intricate story tracing the lives of mystical creatures in classical fantasy worlds, Soul Shift puts a new twist on traditional science fiction as its characters wind in and out of their ornate mystical realms and our modern day human world. The very language of the book, proper and formal similar to the dialog in a Lord of the Rings movie, paints the familiar image of a classic fairy-tale while remaining set in today’s modern time.

Speaking of the plot, the storyline is separated into three main sections, each with a new kink for the protagonist Claire. Her fate is tied to a spiteful half-elf with a Napoleon complex named Ayyn. He is nasty and seeks power and immortality at all costs, including rape, murder and as many spells as his evil little heart desires. Claire’s background is equally troubling. Her parents were neglectful, admittedly favoring her late brother over her. Claire herself is not a human at all, but a kidnapped Elvin princess. Her teenagegirl side shows when she falls in love with her magical forest guardian.

Though the novel is entertaining and enchanting, a few of its concepts and details could prove to be a bit controversial and dampen the whole magical-elf-world expe-

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rience. Murder, torture and rape are obvious themes of the book. A few events are particularly disturbing—like Claire’s pretend father’s attempted rape on his supposed-tobe daughter. Also, a romantic sibling relationship and an overwhelmingly patriarchal society add to potential problems for prospective readers.

However, the issues of the novel are largely influenced by its targeted approach. Soul Shift is supposed to be an old-fashioned fairy tale with modern day twists. Therefore, it is not surprising to see events and societal structures that are native to the old-world in which the story draws its roots.

In all, Soul Shift is a marvelous adventure recommended for any fan of science-fiction or fantasy. It explores unique issues in a new light, and breaks traditional barriers in the world of modern fiction. Dangerous love, magic galore and fierce combat; what more could a reader ask for?

Editor’s Pick | Fast Food

Hold the Snobbery, Pass the Fries

By KATIE NOLAN COPY CHIEF

I have a dirty secret: I love fast food. I love everything about it. I love drive-thrus, I love the crinkle of the wrappers and, most of all, I love the taste. Taco Bell is my absolute favorite. I used to be addicted to their Mexican pizzas, but now I’m a fan of the quesarito.

For those of you who are not familiar with the concept, it is a burrito rolled inside of a quesadilla. I also am addicted to KFC mashed potatoes and McDonalds’ chicken snack wraps.

My feelings about Chick-Fil-A deserve an article to themselves, and I could write sonnets to its annual peach milkshakes. Sitting in the Chick-Fil-A drive-thru only to realize it is Sunday constitutes a special and specific kind of disappointment for me. While I am a fan of the more “high brow” forms of fast food, such as Qdoba, Panera and Chipotle, sometimes these places do not fit the bill for me. There are times when all I crave is artificial cheese and a 99 cent menu.

Back home in Louisville, Kentucky, fast food is a way of life.

Yum Brands is headquartered in Louisville, Papa John used to live in my neighborhood and, yes, we do have a lot of KFCs. On moving to New York, I realized that

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McDonald’s will always remain a beloved place for comfort food.

my passion for fast food was not as socially acceptable as it was back home. There just are not as many fast food restaurants in the Northeast as there are back home, and people tend to give you funny looks if you start talking about how you want curly fries from Arby’s but want to also stop by Wendy’s and get a frosty for the curly fries. I have long tried to understand how fast food has not really caught on in the city. People are busy, fast food is great and I just don’t get it. These days, I have come to terms with the fact that people are just snobby about it.

Eating fast food is seen as plebian, or just plain gross.

I’ve lived in New York for almost four years, and I love a lot of things about it, but the snobbery is one thing I absolutely hate.

Saying you like fast food up here

is akin to telling people you have a drug habit. Actually, it’s worse than having a drug habit, because at least a drug habit could be cool.

There are only two Taco Bells in Manhattan. Instead, the borough is full of artisanal food trucks that make their own fries seasoned with truffle oil. Manhattan is the only place where a restaurant that specializes in comfort food like mac-and-cheese requires a reservation. I don’t want a gourmet, gastronomical spin on a hamburger; sometimes I just want a Big Mac. I don’t see what is wrong with that.

Yes, fast food can be gross if you think about it too much, and it is obviously not good for you, but I sometimes crave food that cannot be gentrified. For everyone that doesn’t understand this, more waffle fries for me.

CULTURE

November 5, 2014

Page 13

Andrew Jackson Draws Blood And Applause

By LIAM PARIS CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Fordham Experimental Theater’s Blackbox is a tricky space to maneuver. It is small, the light board is from the 1800s and the audience can get tired of being cramped during a 20-minute improv set, let alone a five-act play.

Despite all of this, FET’s Production of “Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson” (written by Alex Timbers with music by Michael Friedman) not only conquered the tight, dark space, but went above and beyond with what the musical should be: a screw-the-establishment poppunk ballad led by one of history’s most controversial presidents.

Dealing with the issues of space, Director James Demetriades, FCRH ’15, turned the set into something bizarre yet appropriate: Pollock-esque splatters on the walls and newspapers recounting the stunning moments in Jackson’s life added to the show’s excitement and audacity. For example, an additional platform protruding out into the audience seemed unnecessary and a little clunky, but the piece was justified the minute Jackson leapt onto it and stuck out his tongue like a true rock

SAMUEL JOSEPH/THE RAM

Elle Crane, FCRH ‘16, along with the rest of the cast, gives a striking performance of “Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson.”

star. Choreographer Matt Mayer, FCRH ’17, was able to adapt to the space, making the dances energetic and powerful with minimal foot movement (though they still accomplished a flip on stage). Oddly placed, the orchestra was fantastic with musical director Ricky Borde-

Around Town | Anna Creatura

What: Grand Central Terminal Neighborhood: 89 E 42nd St. When: Everyday Grand Central Station is one of New York City’s most recognizable and most visited landmarks.

However, most people who visit only get to see a small portion of what makes up this extensive terminal. With 44 platforms, over 60 tracks and a basement spanning 49 acres, there is more to Grand Central Station than meets the eye.

Grand Central is the hub of New York City, serving over a million passengers daily and attracting millions more tourists annually.

Many know stories about Grand Central—how its ceiling mural was painted upside down, how a small hole was made in the ceiling to fit a rocket and how one brick was left blackened during its restoration—but Grand Central Station has many more untold stories.

A section of Grand Central that you cannot find on any map or blueprint is the power station that keeps the whole thing running. Known as M42, the location of this ten-story deep facility is of the utmost secrecy and for good reason. During World War II, this power station was a key target for Hitler, who hoped to disrupt the movement of troops and weapons. The power station is one of the least accessible parts of Grand Central Station and is still one of the more closely guarded areas in the terminal.

One of Grand Central Station’s most talked-about secrets is the hidden train line located underneath the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel.

Initially built to transport freight, this now-abandoned train line is thought to have been used to

transport Franklin Delano Roosevelt in and out of the city during his presidency to hide his polio from the public. After his death, the track was used for various other presidents and was the site of a famous party thrown by Andy Warhol in the ’50s. The track is even referenced in the most recent Amazing Spiderman as the location of Peter Parker’s father’s secret hideout. The history of the track is hazy at best, and it is rumored that the track is kept running to this day when the current president is in town, just in case he needs a quick, safe getaway. On your next trip from Grand Central to Fordham on the Metro North, look to your right as you leave the station and you just may catch a glimpse of the famous track 61.

One of the less elusive secrets of Grand Central is the Vanderbilt Tennis Court, located on the fourth floor of the terminal. The court is ridiculously expensive to book, with reservations required more than a week in advance, but this unusual tennis court is an enigma simply because of its location.

While you cannot exactly explore these hidden and secret areas, there is another side to Grand Central that is much more accessible. The terminal is full of delicious places to eat, explore and shop, including the Oyster Bar, an annex of the New York Transit Museum and the possibly-haunted Campbell Apartments.

Grand Central station is beautiful, historically rich and an adventure waiting for any who are willing to explore its depths.

lon, FCRH ’15 and opinion editor of the Fordham Ram, leading on drums (his energetic “yeah’s” may have been my favorite part ), Katie Dolan, FCRH ’18, assisting musical direction on the piano and Pat McCarthy, GSB ’15, looking as cool as possible on guitar, the band was as alive as the rest of the cast.

Now, the cast was by far the most integral part to a gritty, minimalist show like BBAJ. Despite the gender swap, Elle Crane, FCRH ’16, was a fantastic, angsty and in-your-face-yettortured-soul president, fully

embodying the character and really bringing life into the show through both her mannerisms and defiantly strong solos. Andrew Jackson’s personal demons and public struggles create obstacles for his presidency. Crane accurately depicted all of his internal turmoil.

Sally Beriont, FCRH ’17, played Jackson’s wife, Rachel, and accomplished the role with a strange duality of both over-exaggeration and genuine emotion that she wrapped up nicely with a beautiful voice. Speaking of beautiful voices, Sarah Hill, FCRH

’17, and Tara Minogue’s, GSB ’15, rendition of “Ten Little Indians” brought the right amount of chills while remaining a catchy tune: as the women sang on stage, their presence reminded us all of the horrific events inflicted on the natives. Funny guys Nick Motlenski, FCRH ’16, as James Madison and Phillip Reilly, FCRH ’15, as John Quincy Adams were the perfect light-hearted foils to the sometimes too-gritty rest of the cast.

New to the Fordham theatre scene, Monica Fafaul, FCRH ’18, and Biddy Bacos, FCRH ’18, played a variety of parts with grace and energy, holding their own with upper classman. Ensemble Christopher Pedro, FCRH ’15, Matt Conrado, GSB ’17 and Gavin Barba, FCRH ’17, kept the jovial sense alive with certain characters and history lessons, but also rocked the mic when the time came. Their ensemble was one of the most professional I have ever seen. Mary Kate Glenn, FCRH ’17, (as the Indian chief Black Fox) took the play to serious places when she needed to, and gave an incredible performance.

Finally, Michelle Corr, FCRH ’17, showed off her fantastic range of characters and beautiful voice playing both a mid-western narrator and an angel.

“Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson” has been the coolest show to be put on campus this semester.

It was serious at moments, but was never afraid to take it all back and flip off the audience a second later.

Review | Film

Gyllenhaal’s Dark Side Is Shown Again

By JORDAN SIMON STAFF WRITER

If there is one thing at which Jake Gyllenhaal is great, it is his ability to play emotionally-disturbed characters with ease. He proved this in Donnie Darkko and he does it again in his latest film, Nightcrawler.

Dan Gilroy makes his directorial debut in this crime thriller which chronicles the life of Lou Bloom (portrayed

by Gyllenhaal) a man living in Los Angeles driven to make a name and living for himself, at any the cost. Seen stealing scrap from a construction site for fast cash, Bloom’s wayward lifestyle comes to a screeching halt when he encounters a bunch of cameramen filming a car wreck.

Inciting a great deal of intrigue on Bloom’s end, he buys a camcorder and radio scanner and begins filming a series of crime related incidents taking place around the Los Angeles area.

It does not take too long for Bloom’s brazen footage to earn the attention of Nina Romina (Rene Russo, Thor), a powerhungry news editor at a failing TV station who offers him his first break into the world of video journalism. Bloom’s foot-

SCREEN RELISH FLICKR

Nightcrawler stars Jake Gyllenhaal, Rene Russo and Riz Ahmed.

age eventually results in a ratings boost for Nina’s network. However, as Bloom experiences his first taste of success, his propensity for committing acts of malice becomes all-too-clear.

Bloom, along with his assistant Rick, (Riz Ahmed, The Reluctant Fundamentalist) scavenge the streets of Los Angeles for crime, going as far as breaking into a home to film a reported home invasion and filming a dead body.

In a separate instance, Lou blackmails Nina into a romantic relationship with him.

In the vein of Taxi Driver’s Travis Bickle, Gyllenhaal’s portrait of a mentally-disturbed sociopath is

a stark departure from the comparatively level-headed protagonists we have seen him play as of late in films such as Source Code, End of Watch and Prisoners.

In Nightcrawler, Gyllenhaal’s hair is slicked back, his cheeks are sunken and his frame is emaciated. His performance is compelling and likely to earn muchdeserved recognition come Oscar season. The same can be said for Rene Russo, whose show-stealing performance as a relentless news editor should guarantee her a Best Supporting Actress nod.

Nightcrawler showcases these great actors and a compelling story.

CULTURE

Page 14

November 5, 2014

Who’s That Kid? | Sarah Lyons

Student Embraces the Spooky Side of Life

By KATIE MEYER NEWS EDITOR

Sarah Lyons has seen a ghost.

Or, at least, something like a ghost. It happened when she was in high school. She was driving with her mom on a lonely highway on a January night when they passed a car, the only other one on the road. From the passenger seat, Sarah looked in the rearview mirror. Her mom did the same.

There was no car there.

Sarah, who is from Wellfleet, Cape Cod (“a small town towards the end of the hook of the Cape,” she said), has always had an interest in the paranormal, ever since she was a kid.

“I’m not really sure where it comes from,” she said. “Stephen King has this great line—whenever he goes and does interviews, people always ask him ‘Why do you write horror?’” And he says, ‘I feel like they’re always trying to ask you what messed you up? Like why are you into this? What went wrong?’”

“And I don’t think that anything went wrong with me,” she laughed. “I think it’s just some-

COURTESY OF SARAH LYONS

Sarah is fascinated by paranormal activities and horror.

thing I’ve always been interested in. I guess I loved Halloween a

little too much as a kid and I just wanted it to be all year.”

Over the years, she has incorporated her interest in the paranormal into a larger life philosophy.

“I think it’s not just about being interested in ghosts and things like that. I think it’s about being open to different possibilities in general, and different cultures and experiences,” she explained.

“It’s a certain sort of arrogance in our culture that we think we know exactly how reality works, that we know exactly how the world works. It’s not true, and it’s not scientific either.”

Her interest in the mysterious workings of the world led Sarah to become president of Fordham’s Paranormal Society up until last year.

Although she stepped down this year because she’s too busy for the commitment, she says it was a great way to find like-minded people.

“A group of weirdoes who found each other,” she said.

That “weirdo” label is something that Sarah wears with pride, although she admits it took a while to get to the point where

she was comfortable with it.

“One of the things I’ve always experienced was that people kind of look at me whenever I walk past. And that’s been that way for a very long time,” she said. “So I figured at one point in my life, if they’re going to look at me…no way that I dress is going to make them look at me more or less than they already do, so why not just dress the way that I want to?”

“I think I’m weird but approachable,” she said.

In addition to her paranormal interests, Sarah is also the secretary of the Pride Alliance.

She hopes to somehow combine her interests when she graduates Fordham this spring. Ideally, she would like to work as a writer for TV. “That’s the dream anyway,” she said.

But she’s open to pretty much anything. “I think on the spooky side, I want to work for TV because I want to tell the whole world ghost stories,” she said.

“But on the social side I really just want to keep helping people in everything I do.”

Letters | Ask Emma Dear Emma, My best friend and I recently got into a fight. We bicker sometimes but we have never fought and gone days without speaking to each other. She’s abroad currently and it’s been tough on our friendship. Recently she has also been hanging out with a girl that I don’t get along with. She knows it’s awkward for me so she tries not to talk about her to me, but that’s exactly the problem. Now she doesn’t talk to me about anything anymore! She spends all her time with this girl, so she could never tell me about anything she does during her time abroad and it’s really frustrating. I brought it up to her that this was bothering me, and she just got very defensive and yelled at me. We haven’t spoken in a week, but I see that she’s been posting snapchats with this other girl and tweeting at her. She is coming home soon and I don’t want to be in a fight with her, but I also don’t want to fight over her.

Friend-less Dear Friend-less, My initial advice would be to reach out to her one more time. Make sure she gets the message that you understand her new friendship means a lot to her, but that your relationship with her means a lot to you. The two friendships can co-exist, but that requires efforts from both parties. If you can’t reconcile with this other girl, and your friend isn’t willing to put in the effort when you get home, then you’re just going to have to try and accept it. Clearly the friendship is worth the effort to you, and if it was worth it to her, she would make sure you don’t feel neglected. If she doesn’t make the effort, she’s not as good of a friend as you thought she was anyway. It’s sad, but you did try your best, and you can’t make somebody do something they don’t want to. Definitely give it one last attempt, but try not to have any hard feelings because sometimes friends just drift apart.

Emma

Dear Emma, It’s my first year here at Fordham and midterm week really freaked me out. My workload wasn’t nearly as heavy in high school and I don’t think I was prepared enough. I studied hours for my exams and worked on my papers as much as I could, but I don’t think I had enough time to thoroughly look over everything. I’m nervous about my grades. Help!

Need a 3.0 Dear 3.0, Unlike high school, college requires a lot of “outside class” work. In high school, you spent more time in the classroom and less outside doing homework. In college, a lot of the work is up to you. Since you receive the syllabus at the beginning of the class, you can see when your midterms are and when your papers are due. If you think time management is an issue for you, simply start working on your things early! At the beginning of the semester, outline each chapter for each class. Start your papers early and go to the writing center before they’re due. A little more effort during the semester will go a long way when it’s midterm week. Good luck and don’t forget to save all of your review sheets for finals!

Emma

Have a question for Emma?

Send them to fordhamramaskemma@gmail.com

Steyn’s Essay Collection Details Marriage of Culture and Politics

By MEGAN BRONNER STAFF WRITER

Conservative political commentator Mark Steyn released a new collection of essays, The Undocumented Mark Steyn: Don’t Say You Weren’t Warned, in which he argues that the real battleground for American is not through politics, but culture. His argument is that the direction that America is heading in is controlled by culture rather than politics. According to Stein, liberals currently have the upper hand in controlling the country because America’s culture is liberal, not because a democrat is president. This is because liberals understand that culture is where they need to have the greatest impact; if they control the culture then they control the country, even if a Republican is in office.

When considering the recent

midterm elections, Mark Steyn argues that it will not matter and never mattered what political party ruled the nation. Instead the liberal influences in entertainment and in the education system are deciding the future of America. Overall, change in America and in the world is propelled by cultural trends.

A quote that adequately sums up Steyn’s argument is, “If the culture’s liberal, if the schools are liberal, if the churches are liberal, if the hip, groovy business elite is liberal, if the guys who make the movies and the pop songs are liberal, then electing a guy with an “R” after his name isn’t going to make a lot of difference.”

Even if you identify as a Republican, it is nearly impossible not to be influenced by America’s liberal culture.

In particular, as college students our lives are completely dominat-

ed by culture. We are most concerned with TV shows, movies, clothing styles, books, celebrity gossip and music, all of which are usually liberally charged. Younger generations, this case our own, are in general more susceptible to culture influencing our ideas and beliefs. An example of the way culture can influence politics can be found in the popular television show “Modern Family.” Last season, “Modern Family” depicted Mitchelle and Cameron’s wedding, and realistically portrays a gay relationship. After viewing the show, people with one perspective on same-sex marriage may change their minds. A cultural phenomenon may influence how people view a political issue.

Republicans tend to fall behind in the cultural sphere because conservative ideas are not typically portrayed in the entertainment industry, at least

not in a positive light. Steyn says that presidents are also in danger of falling behind cultural development. This is based on the fact that no matter what political party, Republican or Democrat, presidents and politicians do not accomplish things in office as quickly as culture progresses. The fact of the matter is that celebrities, teachers, family members and Tinder matches are going to influence someone’s dayto-day life much more than legislation.

This is not to say that American politics are completely unnecessary; rather, it is through influencing politics that culture can change society, or show that politics is lagging behind culture. For example, states only legalized same-sex marriage after having a cultural push for it. Because culture changes much more rapidly, laws tend to change once the culture of America has evolved or gone in a more socially

liberal direction, instead of culture evolving after laws have been made.

Overall, culture influences America more than politics. This is because culture is embedded in society and will always have an influence on people. Rather than focusing on problems that are happening in America now, politicians should start thinking about problems America will have in the future.

Take America’s fast-food-obsessed culture as an example. It is more important to think about how many people will be obese 20 years from now versus how many Americans are obese now. Since vast cultural changes in America happen quickly, but elected officials make promises that take longer than their terms to fulfill, hopefully, politicians will look at culture as a means to helping America’s future.

November 5, 2014

SPORTS

Page 15

The Fordham Ram

Water Polo Closes Out O t Season S With Wit 13-15 Record

By ANTHONY ALI STAFF WRITER

The Rams went 2-2 on the weekend in their last four regular season matches as they sought to rebound from a stretch that saw them win only one match out of their last eight.

On Saturday, Fordham defeated MIT, 14-11, before earning a 11-9 victory over Connecticut College in the afternoon session. On Sunday, the Rams fell short against No. 19 Harvard, losing 11-7. In its second match of the day, Fordham failed to hold on to an early lead against No. 13 Brown, losing 10-8 in overtime.

In their first match of the weekend, the Rams trailed the Engineers 7-5 at the half, with a last minute goal from junior Patrick Lenihan pulling the Fordham within two goals. Lenihan’s goal was the first of four unanswered goals from the Rams, three of which were converted from MIT turnovers. Sophomore R.J. Simmons scored the first two of these goals at the beginning of the third quarter to make things even at 7-7, with junior Andrew Gonzalez netting the go-ahead goal with a little over four minutes left in the quarter.

Unfazed, the Engineers netted one of their own to tie the game, leaving each team with eight goals apiece.

The Rams responded by scoring three more goals in a row to close the game off with a final score of 11-8.

Leading the Rams in goals was Simmons, with a career-high tying five. Rounding out the scoring was Gonzalez, who also tied his career high of goals with four. Lenihan netted two goals of his own, while junior Davis DeFontes netted one goal and tied his career high in assists with four. Freshman Ethan Vandeventer and senior Eric Minowitz capped

CHRISTIAN WILOEJO/THE RAM

The Rams, a No. 5 seed, will take on fourth-seeded Iona College in the CWPA Northern Division Championships this weekend in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

off the scoring with one apiece. In goal, senior Noah LeBeau made nine saves.

In game two on Saturday, the Rams trailed Connecticut College 2-1 after the first quarter. A wild second quarter saw the game go into halftime with the score at 6-4, in favor of Fordham. After the Rams scored another four goals in the third quarter, the lead ballooned to five with the Rams winning at 10-5. The Camels would make the game close, but were unable to surmount the lead with the final score at 11-9.

For Fordham, the lead scorer was once again Simmons, who matched his five goal output from the previous game. Vandeventer supplemented that with three goals of his own, while Gonzalez, junior Bobby Wurtz and freshman Cameron Shewchuck each bagged one. In net, LeBeau

made a total of 16 stops.

Following up the two victories, the Rams took on 19th-ranked Harvard to open Sunday, losing 11-7.

With the game tied at three after the first period, the Crimson netted four in a row to gain what would be a permanent lead. Fordham converted a pair of man-up chances to make the score 7-5, but Harvard recovered their three-goal lead with a goal at the death of the second quarter.

The Crimson went on to outscore the Rams 3-2 to make the final tally 11-7. Gonzalez scored the most goals for Fordham, with two. Simmons netted a goal to go along with four steals and three assists. Vandeventer, Wurtz, Minowitz and junior Landon Kern scored one each for the Rams, while LeBeau blocked a penalty in goal, stopping eight shots in total.

In their final game of the weekend, the Rams were unable to further expand their early lead, as they fell to Brown, 10-8 in overtime. Scoring two man-up goals in the first quarter, the Rams repeated the feat in the second quarter to give themselves a 5-2 lead. Brown netted the first two goals of the second half to bring themselves within one, but a pair of goals from Minowitz kept the lead at three going into the final quarter.

With the Rams’ lead still intact with four minutes left, the Bears showed exactly how they got their lofty ranking by scoring on three consecutive possessions to even the tally at 7-7. With neither team able to break the deadlock, the game headed into overtime.

Brown, firing on all cylinders, scored twice in the first period of overtime to make it 9-7. Gonzalez

was able to pull one back and bring the Rams within one goal. The Bears went on to score an empty net goal as the clock expired to finish the game with the score at 10-8. The Rams were led in scoring by Minowitz, who netted four goals to tie his career high. Gonzalez and Simmons each finished with two goals. LeBeau tied his season high in goal, making 16 saves while snagging two steals.

The string of results leaves the Rams at 13-15 on for the regular season, matching their regular season record from last season. The results also mean that the Rams are now 4-8 in the CWPA Northern Division, making them the fifth seed for the Northern Division Championships.

Held at MIT in Cambridge, Massachusetts, the Championships will pit the Rams against the fourth seed, Iona, on Nov. 8, at 9:30 a.m.

Rams Finish 8-9-1 in Clinton’s First Season

By DREW CASEY STAFF WRITER

The Fordham women’s soccer team concluded its season this past Friday with a 2-1 win over St. Bonaventure in Olean, New York.

Entering the rainy night match, the team could not qualify for the postseason, but was aware that it could spoil St. Bonaventure’s chances at making the conference tournament. Additionally, the squad desperately wanted to finish the season on a high note.

“I think our players put more pressure on themselves, knowing it was their last game of the season,” first-year head coach Jessica Clinton said. “They wanted to win. They wanted to send the seniors off with a win.”

The added motivation did not seem to play a major role in the game until the second half though. Fordham was outshot 8-5 in the first 45 minutes, and Lauren Hill’s goal in the 43rd minute gave the Bonnies a 1-0 halftime lead in front of their home crowd.

After settling down at halftime and returning to their game in the second half, the Rams found success. Freshman midfielder Clare Paoletta tied the game at one in the

NEIL TENNANT/THE RAM

Clare Paoletta scored the first two goals of Fordham career en route to being named A-10 Rookie of the Week.

69th minute, firing a shot off the left post and into the back of the net from the edge of the box. Paoletta, a Falls Church, Virginia native, controlled a cross-field pass from freshman defender Rachel Collage before registering her first career collegiate

goal.

Paoletta and the Rams did not waste much time before tallying another score. In the 81st minute, Paoletta was the beneficiary of another long distance pass. After corralling the ball just outside the box,

the recent Georgetown Visitation graduate beat her defender and calmly rocketed the ball past the goalie on the short side.

On Monday, the Atlantic 10 named Paoletta Rookie of the Week.

“Clare really did burst on the

scene for us,” Clinton said. “Clare has really stepped up as of late with injuries happening the past set of games. She has been able to step in and take care of business.”

In addition to Paoletta’s impressive play, senior goalkeeper Ally White was stellar in goal. In her final game as a Ram, White made 10 saves, tying her career-high. The Diablo, California native appeared in 18 games this season and finished with a 1.09 goals against average.

“Ally White was outstanding on Friday night,” Clinton said. “It was a great night for her, and I am proud and happy that she was able to finish her career with that game. She kept us in the game and put us in a position to win.”

With Friday night’s victory, the Rams finished the season at 8-9-1 with a 2-5-1 mark in the Atlantic 10.

Senior midfielder Jessica Widmann led the team in both major offensive scoring categories with four goals and four assists.

The team will take the next two months off to recover from the season before starting back up again in January. In the winter and spring, the coaching staff will shift its focus to the development of each individual player. The 2015 season will kick off in August.

Winter Preview 2014 - 2015

WINTER PREVIEW

Page 2

November 5, 2014

Rams Hoping to Exceed Expectations

SAMUEL JOSEPH/THE RAM

The Rams hope Jon Severe improves in his sophomore campaign.

By MAX PRINZ SPORTS EDITOR

The college basketball season hasn’t actually kicked off yet, but people are already counting the Fordham Rams out.

In the annual preseason Atlantic 10 Conference poll released three weeks ago, the league’s coaches and media members picked Fordham to finish last in the conference.

Head coach Tom Pecora enters his fifth year as head coach at Rose Hill with a 34-82 record. Last season, Pecora’s team finished the year at the bottom of the A-10 totem pole after going 10-21.

Still, there is reason for optimism in the Bronx. The 2014 season had a few shining moments, perhaps the brightest of which was the play of Jon Severe.

The now sophomore guard enters his second season at Fordham after scoring 17 points per game as a freshman, good for fourth in the conference. He set the school’s freshman scoring record with 536 points and earned Met Rookie of the Year honors.

Severe, who was named New York State’s Mr. Basketball as a high school senior, also made the A-10’s All-Rookie Team, despite shooting just 33 percent from the floor and showing his inexperience often.

“Look, it’s a struggle for every college player that comes in,” Pecora told assembled media at A-10 media day. “I think when you try to make plays to win games as a 21 or 22-year-old senior, those plays are much different than the plays an 18-year-old freshman tries to make to win a game.”

With a year of tough A-10 competition under his belt, the expectations for Severe are even higher this season. A preseason All A-10 Conference Third Team member, the Rams will need consistent production and leadership from Severe if they are to confound expectations.

“There’s going to be greater options for him, and that’s going to create space, and that’s what offense is all about,” Pecora said.

“Once we get into the flow of of-

fense and there’s more than one option, I think that’s a good thing for everyone, especially for Jon.” Climbing out of the bottom of the conference will be no easy task, especially with the loss of last season’s leader and point guard, Branden Frazier. Frazier, the leading scorer a year ago for the Rams, was a cornerstone all year. The Brooklyn native played all 40 minutes 11 times for the Rams last season and finished the season averaging a whopping 36.8 minutes per game.

“Branden Frazier has got a place in my heart forever,” Pecora said.

“He made so many sacrifices and did so much during the process at Fordham. The only regret I have is we didn’t turn it around while he was there.”

While this season’s Rams may not have as much backcourt experience, there will be a great deal of added size on the interior. Senior Ryan Canty and junior Ryan Rhoomes will be joined down low by redshirt freshman Manny Suarez and three true freshmen in Dekeba Battee-Aston, Christian Sengfelder and the highly-touted Erich Paschall.

After a year of struggling to rebound amid four-guard lineups, the Rams can put up more of a fight on the inside this season.

There is even more hope to be found in Paschall. The 6-6 swingman is the second highly-touted prospect landed by Pecora in as many years.

Paschall was named Westchester County’s Mr. Basketball as a junior at Dobbs Ferry High School, just the fourth junior ever to receive the honor. After transferring to St. Thomas More Prep School for his senior season, Paschall led the Chancellors to the National Prep School championship game and NEPSAC AAA Player of the Year.

“Yeah, Paschall’s real, he can really play,” Pecora said. “We talked to him a lot about going somewhere where you’re going to have an impact right away. I believe he can play just about anywhere in

the country, as most of the best players in this conference could, so it’s going to be great to coach him and he’s going to make me look like I know what I’m doing.”

CBS Sports’ Jon Rothstein named him one of 20 under-theradar freshmen saying, “The 6-6 forward was the 2014 New England Prep Player of the Year and is a nightmare match-up as an undersized four-man. Expect Paschall to put up gaudy numbers in Year One.” Another young Ram with potential to put up strong numbers is Nemanja Zarkovic, a freshman out of Canada. The 6-foot 3-inch, 185 pound point guard, who attended Collège Jean-De-Brébeuf in Montreal, a school founded by the Jesuits in 1928. Zarkovic, who Hoopstars Canada ranked sixth among Canadian high school players, led the team to the provincial championship last April, scoring 34 points in the championship game win over Champlain Lennoxville.

Zarkovic appears to be the replacement to Frazier and will likely see the lion’s share of minutes at point guard opposite Severe.

“Nemanja probably shoots it better right now, doesn’t have as much style to his game or moxie maybe as Branden had early on, but I think he’s going to be a bigtime contributor right away,” Pecora said.

Though the roster slants young, the Rams do have two veterans of a tough A-10 conference in Canty and Bryan Smith. Smith, who played a great deal of forward last season, will likely be able to return to his more natural guard position this year. Another Brooklyn native, Smith started 28 games for the Rams as a junior and could again be a common face in the starting lineup in his final season.

To prove the doubters wrong, the Rams will have to play a strong non-conference schedule

2014-2015 Schedule

Fordham Men’s Basketball Nov. 14 16 20 23 29 Dec. 1 10 14 22 28 31 Jan. 4 7 10 14 17 22 28 Feb. 1 4 7 11 15 18 21 25 28 Mar. 4 7

New York Institute of Technology @ Penn State @ University of Maryland University of Massachusetts Lowell University of Maryland Eastern Shore Siena College Monmouth University @ St. John’s University Madison Square Garden N Manhattan College Barclays Center Howard University South Carolina State University VCU @ University of Rhode Island University of Dayton @ Saint Joseph’s University @ La Salle University George Washington University @ University of Rhode Island @ University of Dayton University of Massachusetts Saint Louis University @ University of Richmond Saint Joseph’s University @ George Mason University @ Davidson College La Salle University @ University of Massachusetts Duquesne University @ St. Bonaventure University

before the more daunting A-10 play comes around in January. The Rams will welcome VCU, George Washington University and the University of Dayton,—the first, second and third-ranked teams respectively in the A-10 preseason poll, to Rose Hill Gym this year.

“I think when you look at January 1, you need to be 7-4, 8-3, 9-2 if you’re going to have a chance to go play in the postseason because you’re not going to in a league like this, it’s going to be rare for teams

8:00 5:00 7:30 6:00 4:00 7:00 7:00 1:30 6:00 6:00 12:00 1:00 7:00 7:00 7:00 2:00 7:00 7:00 2:00 7:00 4:00 7:00 2:30 7:00 7:00 7:00 4:00 7:00 4:00

to win 12 games,” Pecora said.

Fordham will also play games in the two biggest basketball arenas in New York this season. The Rams will again play St. John’s at Madison Square Garden on Dec. 14 and this year’s rivalry game against Manhattan College, the annual “Battle of the Bronx,” will be played at Barclays Center on Dec. 22.

The Rams open their season next Friday night, Nov. 14, at home against NYIT at 8 p.m. in the Rose Hill Gym.

SAMUEL JOSEPH/THE RAM

Bryan Smith will see a return to the guard position and more of a leadership role as a senior this season.

WINTER PREVIEW

November 5, 2014

Swimming Set to Make A Splash

Page 3

By DREW CASEY STAFF WRITER

Although the Fordham swimming and diving team began its season in late October, a large majority of its season still remains. The women’s team is currently 2-1, while the men’s team is 1-2.

Coming off a very successful 7-4 season and a second place finish at the Atlantic 10 Championship last year, the women’s team is looking to have a similar season this year.

It recognizes that a first place finish at A-10’s will be difficult, especially with the dominance of the Richmond Spiders over the past 13 seasons, but it has still set very high goals.

“We were very excited about our second place finish last year at A-10s, but our goal for this year is definitely to compete against Richmond for first place,” senior captain Savannah Coe said.

Luckily for the team, only two members graduated last year. However, replacing Kara Field and Shannon Jones will not be an easy task.

Five freshmen swimmers and three freshmen divers have joined the ranks of the team and will all likely contribute to success this season.

“We have a very talented group of freshmen this year and they will definitely help the team this year,” senior captain Frances Warren said. “We gained multiple divers and that is an area we have been weak in, so I’m excited to see what they can bring to the team.”

On top of these additions, the Rams will look to many returning

JOSH KIM/THE RAM

The men’s (1-2) and women’s (2-1) swimming teams have already made their first waves of the season. Both teams were victorious in a match against Fairfield.

members to perform at an even higher level than last year. Some swimmers that are expected to lead the team include Megan Polaha, Kalena Laurent, Chandler Lulley and Shannon Lulley.

The women’s team has 10 regular season meets remaining this season.

Nine of these 10 meets will take place at Rose Hill and three of them are against Atlantic 10 foes. This year’s conference championship is set to begin on Feb. 18 in Geneva, Ohio.

“To finish one spot higher [at A-10’s], I think we need to stay focused and positive throughout the season,” Warren said. “Our season is almost six months long so at some point it feels like it is just dragging on, but I believe if we stay focused and continue to put the work in, it

will pay off for us in February.”

Additionally, coach Steve Potsklan believes that if the women’s team improves across the board, then it will put itself in a very good position to bring the A-10 Championship to Fordham.

The men’s side of the team is looking to improve upon last year’s seventh place finish at A-10’s in a big way. The Rams have a slightly different set of goals in line, and have put last year behind them and are ready to improve quickly.

“Finishing seventh wasn’t exactly what we hoped for, but I know we are already in a much better position this year,” senior captain Brandon Strong said. “We have been training really hard this year and I have no doubt that when we show up to A-10’s we

will be ready to go.”

A major factor in the team’s development this season will be the large freshman contingent—11 of the team’s 29 members have recently begun their college career. Almost a majority on the squad, they will need to contribute quickly in order for the team to be successful.

“The large freshman class has helped fulfill many needed roles on the team,” senior captain Zach Jacobsen said. “They are excited and ready to work hard. In addition, the big number of freshman helps by taking some weight off of returning swimmers who often have overloaded schedules at meets.”

These freshmen have a tough task ahead of them, and they will also have to help the returning members

of the team replace the talents of six swimmers who graduated last year.

The most notable of the six was Shintaro Noguchi, who was named Team MVP and who holds multiple school records.

Coach Potsklan believes that the men’s team is much stronger this year because of the talented freshman class, and wants to see the team finish one or two spots higher in the conference.

Steve Sholdra, Joe Mercurio, Patrick Militti and Thomas Shetler are expected to be the major returning contributors to the team.

Both the women’s and men’s teams are next in action against Boston University this Saturday, Nov. 8, at 1 p.m. in the Colonel Francis B. Messmore Aquatics Center at Rose Hill.

starting to do some faster work on the track.”

By far, the biggest loss for the team this year will be David Fajoyomi, a star high-jumper who finished 15th in NCAA Nationals for the spring season last year and won the Atlantic 10 high jump competition.

“David leaving is going to be our largest setback,” Green said. “Sean Collins also graduated, and he could contribute in anything from the high hurdles to the 800m so that’s a big hole to fill.”

Collins also left big shoes to fill in the relay competition, as he contributed to impressive finishes for the 4x400 team as well. Returning relay runners include Green, as well as senior and fellow captain Lester Taylor. Taylor will be very effective in the 500m, 800m, 1000m and other middle-distance and relay races as well. Fajoyomi, Collins and fellow graduate Sam Houston all leave holes in the sprint and field portions of competition for Fordham. Senior Austin Ruiz will return as Fordham’s top thrower in the weight throw and shot put. Fordham will also have a dedicated pole vaulter this year, something absent in the team last year for the men. “We do have a pole vaulter coming in, Ryan Riviere, who we expect to contribute right away,” Green said.

The women’s squad is also supported by a strong freshman squad, a few of whom have contributed already on the cross country course.

Among these freshmen are Stephanie Leo, Brynna Harum and Shea Williams. All together, the team has added on 15 freshman girls who are

ready to compete in the winter, one of head coach Tom Dewey’s largest classes.

In distance, the women have lost two top runners and leaders in Anisa Arsenault and Christina Vivinetto.

Fordham will have to match their times in order to remain competitive in the mile, 3000m and 5000m races. Fortunately, Fordham has a core group of upperclassmen to rely on in these races. Senior captain Kristen Stuart believes they can fill the holes graduation inevitably caused.

“The upperclassmen — mostly Melissa Higgins, Mara Lieberman, Danielle Rowe and myself — are ready to step up to the plate and work hard this year to place higher in our individual races as well as relay,” Stuart said.

Fordham’s top returner this winter will be redshirt senior Titi Fagade. Fagade, who had one year of eligibility remaining for winter track, will be returning to add on to the numerous accolades she has accumulated as an athlete at Fordham.

With school records in the 200m, 500m, 800m, and as member in the 4x800 team and anchor of the 4x400 team, Fagade will be one of Fordham’s key contributors the in team competition.

Stuart sees great potential in the middle distance and relay squads this year.

“Our 4x800 relay team won indoor ECACs last year,” she said.

“We hope to win both the winter and spring ECACs 4x800 races. We have a great recruiting class, mainly of 400 and 800 runners so there are multiple options for creating strong relay teams in the 4x400, 4x800 and Distance Medley Relay.”

The loss of graduate Averie Sheppard is a hole in a number of sprint competitions, but a number of freshmen hope to strengthen that area of competition. Senior Caitlin Hart will return along with sophomore Hailey Serrano and freshman Jenn Rodjenski as throwers. Overall, the women’s squad believes a head start on the season will lead to better results.

“In previous years, we mostly went on long runs to get a good endurance base from Sept-Nov,” Stuart said. “But, this year we are doing short distance interval training earlier. We started workouts in early October. I expect the early workouts to give us more strength, which will ideally make us faster and better.”

With many new freshmen, a new training regimen and expectations set high, the winter season will kick off on Dec. 5 at the Christmas Classic held in Fordham’s Lombardi Center.

Track and Field Hopes To Make Strides Indoors

By BRYAN KIEL STAFF WRITER

With the cross country season winding down and temperatures dropping, the Rams’ winter track and field team will head indoors for the 2014-2015 winter track season.

While both the men and women’s squads have lost a few key runners to graduation, many freshmen have joined the teams who are ready to contribute.

The men look to improve on a seventh overall finish at the Atlantic 10 Championships last year, while the women hope their relay teams will push them ahead of the 10th place finish from last year’s A-10 Championships.

The men’s squad looks somewhat different this year, with noticeable gains from a number of distance and middle distance runners. This includes freshmen Nik O’Brien, Thomas Slattery, Brian Cook, Michael Campbell, Louis Santelli and Fritz Heinrich. All five have proven themselves in cross country, where they have contributed to a number of team wins, including a team victory at the Metropolitan Championships. These freshmen will bolster a strong distance team that already includes top runners from last year, such as senior Jon Annelli and juniors Quincy O’Connor and Mike Turi.

“The main focus for mid-distance and for the sprinters has been to form a good base of distance during the early fall,” senior captain Dan Green said. “Now that we are closer to the indoor season, we’ve been

JOSHUA KIM/THE RAM

A mix of freshmen and veteran runners gives the Rams hope for this season.

WINTER PREVIEW

Page 4

November 5, 2014

Women Look to Build on Historic Season

By MATT ROSENFELD SPORTS EDITOR

The old adage goes, “It’s easier to get to the top than it is to stay there.” For the longest time, Fordham’s women’s basketball team was challenging that notion. The Rams had gone without a winning season from 1995 to 2012. Now, however, winning ways are back at the Rose Hill Gym. Fordham is the defending Atlantic 10 champion and will truly get to test the old adage of whether it is tougher to get to the top or stay there.

This team will have to defend its championship without two of its key players from last year, guards Erin Rooney and Abigail Corning. Rooney and Corning’s contributions will surely be missed.

The two seniors were Fordham’s top two in scoring, assists and rebounding during last year’s championship run. That does not even begin to mention the leadership that they brought to the team.

“Every team is so different,” head coach Stephanie Gaitley said. “Obviously we lost a lot. Not only did we lose statistical value, but we lost great leadership. So now, kids that deferred to leadership are now learning new roles of having to be leaders. It’s a rollercoaster right now, as it typically is [early in the season] waiting to see who is going to step up.”

Of course, there are new players ready to fill those shoes, however big they may be. That being said, not everybody believes Fordham will be the same team this year.

They were picked to finish fifth in the Atlantic 10 in the preseason polls.

The seniors on the 2014-2015 version of the Rams know they have a tough act to follow, but are

THE RAM ARCHIVES

Emily Tapio will have an expanded leadership role in her senior year.

ready for the challenge.

“As a senior this year, everything is new,” forward Emily Tapio said in an interview with 1495 Sports. “We lost some of our great leaders last year, so there are a little bit of nerves, but it’s a lot of excitement as well. Coming off of winning the A-10 championship last year and being ranked fifth [in the conference], we have something to prove.”

Tapio is one of three returning starters for the Rams. She started every game last year, averaging nine points and six rebounds in 28 minutes.

Another returning starter for the defending A-10 champions is

junior forward Samantha Clark.

A native of Neptune, New Jersey, Clark was Fordham’s first top-100 recruit in history and has not disappointed since her arrival in the Bronx. She was named to the Atlantic 10 All-Rookie Team in her freshman campaign and followed that up with a sophomore season that saw her start every game.

Heading into her junior year, she was named third team All-Atlantic 10. Now an upperclassman, Clark is ready to take on a bigger role for the team.

“We had some awesome leaders in the beginning,” Clark told 1495 Sports. “My freshman and sophomore years, I could take a back

seat and listen to them. Now, as a junior, I have to step up and be a leader this time.”

“She is emerging,” Gaitley said about Clark. “I think she realizes this is her responsibility to step up both vocally and physically. If last year she took two steps forward and one step back, this year she’s taking three steps forward and one step back.”

A six-foot-two-inch presence inside, Clark can also shoot the ball, making 34 three-pointers in 106 attempts last season.

Speaking of shooting the ball, the lone returning starter in the backcourt for the Rams, sophomore Hannah Missry, can do just that.

Last season, Missry shot 36 percent from deep, making 83 three-pointers, just 10 short of the school record. Unfortunately, Missry is dealing with a foot injury that will cause her to miss the beginning of the year.

With just three starters returning, one of whom will be missing time early on, there will be a lot of minutes to be had.

Luckily for the Rams, they have the depth to fill those minutes.

Sophomores Danielle Burns and Danielle Padovano, who were two of the top three in minutes off of the bench last year, will see more time and contribute in more important minutes.

Four freshmen have been welcomed to the team. Aaliyah Jones, a point guard from Brooklyn, was ranked the 24th best guard in the class of 2014 and was another big recruiting haul for coach Gaitley.

Asnate Fomina and Britt Zappeii add to the European contingency on the team, hailing from Latvia and the Netherlands, respectively.

The freshman who has most

stood out thus far is G’mrice Davis, a six-foot-two-inch forward from Philadelphia. The player the team affectionately calls “G” has turned heads in her first year with the team. “[Davis] is one of the more specially talented kids I’ve ever coached,” Gaitley said. “She’s an unbelievable athlete.”

One addition who is not a freshman for the Rams is graduate student Tiffany Ruffin. Following in line with Marah Strickland in 2012-2013 and Mary Nwachukwu last season, Ruffin is playing out her last year of eligibility here in the Bronx. Ruffin played three seasons at Boston College and looks to add some experience to an overall younger squad.

“It will be hard to keep [Ruffin] off the court because she plays such great defense,” Gaitley said.

“She’s such a ball hawk on the defensive end and I think she’s gaining confidence every week.”

There is no doubt that this year’s iteration of the Rams will look much different than last year’s team on the offensive end.

On defense, though, do not expect much to change. Gaitley has always preached a defense-first philosophy, and with the team looking to replace its top two scorers, that certainly will not change.

“The team understands our standards now,” Gaitley said. “The kids understand that we are built through defense. I try to get them in the mentality and to understand that I want them more angry about your person getting an easy shot than if you miss a layup.”

The Rams will start their A-10 championship defense on Saturday, Nov. 8, against Holy Family University at 2 p.m. in Rose Hill Gym.

2014-2015 Schedule

Fordham Women’s Basketball

Nov. 8 14 16 18 21 25 28 30 Dec. 5 7 9 14 29 30 Jan. 4 8 11 15 18 21 24 28 31 Feb. 5 8 15 18 21 25 Mar. 1

Holy Family University @ Iona College @ Syracuse Mount St. Mary’s Hofstra Delaware T University of the Incarnate Word T Drake Seton Hall @ Temple CCSU Manhattan T Savannah State T Princeton/Harvard Richmond @ La Salle University @ St. Bonaventure Saint Joseph’s VCU University of Massachusetts Saint Louis @ Davidson Duquesne St. Bonaventure @ Saint Joseph’s @ Rhode Island Dayton @ George Washington @ George Mason Davidson

2:00 11:30am 2:00 7:00 7:00 7:00 1:00 UTSA Thanksgiving 3:30 Classic 7:00 2:00 7:00 2:00 1:00 Fordham TBD Holiday Classic 3:30 7:00 4:00 7:00 2:00 12:00 4:00 7:00 2:00 7:00 2:00 2:00 7:00 2:00 7:00 2:00

SAMUEL JOSEPH/THE RAM

The sharpshooting Hannah Missry made 83 three-pointers last season, just 10 shy of the school record.

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November 5, 2014

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November 5, 2014

It’s A Maddon World

By MATTHEW MICHAELS STAFF WRITER

Before the World Series had even finished, major news was spreading around the league.

The first major transaction of the offseason did not even involve a player. Rays’ manager Joe Maddon opted out of his contract and signed with the Cubs briefly after.

Maddon is well-regarded by his peers as an unorthodox situational manager who maximizes his players’ abilities. He took a dying franchise and made it a respectable contender. The Devil Rays had an abysmal eight years before Maddon took the reins in 2006.

His first two seasons in Tampa Bay were miserable as the team showed little improvement with consecutive 101 and 96 loss seasons. Hopes were understandably low for the 2008 Rays but Maddon led the team to an unexpected pennant in the team’s first ever winning season. Tampa Bay reached the playoffs three more times in the next five seasons.

Trouble started when the Rays struggled in the playoff race this season and focused on selling at the trade deadline. Tampa Bay swapped star pitcher David Price for Nick Franklin, Drew Smyly and a prospect. As the season came to a close, Executive Vice President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Andrew Friedman decided to leave the Rays and join the Dodgers as President of Baseball Operations.

Friedman had built up the Rays after previously serving as an analyst for Bear Stearns.

With Friedman gone and Maddon arguing with management over his salary, the 60-year-old

opted-out of his current contract.

There was some speculation that Maddon would follow his former boss to Los Angeles, but the Dodgers were not willing to part with Don Mattingly. Instead, the Chicago Cubs fired manager Rick Renteria, who still had two years left on his contract, to accommodate Maddon.

The Rays may be able to hire a capable, if not great, manager, but it will be difficult to replace Maddon and the impact he had on the young, low-payroll team.

He managed and won the most games out of the four managers in franchise history. Once again, the Rays were not able to hold onto their talent because of salary constraints.

Maddon is a great fit for the Cubs. They are a young team looking to progress quickly from a rebuilding stage and a 73 win 2014 season. The main difference between the Cubs and the Rays is the issue of payroll. Chicago has money to spend and ought to play a large role in the postseason. He twice won Manager of the Year, and now has more assets with which to work.

The Rays missed out by not giving in to Maddon’s demands.

He is a terrific manager and his departure is a huge loss for the team. The Cubs may finally find some permanence in their leadership along with Theo Epstein and Jed Hoyer.

Players are given most of the credit it for a team’s ability. However, managers deserve their share of praise and few in the majors have warranted it more than Joe Maddon. His move from Tampa Bay to Chicago will drastically change next year’s outlook for both teams.

SPORTS

Page 17

Varsity Scores & Stats Football Colgate 0 6 0 7 13 Fordham 13 6 8 10 37 (COL) B. Mooney 1 TD (FOR) T. Jones Jr. 2 TD

Volleyball Fordham La Salle (FOR) B. O’ Neil 18 kills (LAS) J. Whelan 16 kills

Men’s Soccer Fordham 2 Dayton 1 GOALS: Loebe (FOR) 46’, Haupt (DAY) 63’, Kelly (FOR) 71’

Fordham 0 Duquesne 3 (FOR) G. Mueller 10 digs (DUQ) A. Love 14 kills

Women’s Soccer Fordham St. Bonaventure GOALS: Hill (SBU) 43’, Paoletta (FOR) 69’, Paoletta (FOR) 81’

2 1

2 3

Water Polo Fordham St. Francis

7 11

MIT Fordham

11 14

Connecticut College Fordham

9 11

Harvard Fordham

11 7

Brown Fordham

10 8

Men’s Cross Country A-10 Championship 10th Q. O’ Connor 13th- 24:56.2 Women’s Cross Country A-10 Championship 11th B. Tevnan

20th- 18:27.3

Athletes of the Week Chase Edmonds

Clare Paoletta

Freshman

Freshman

Football

Soccer

Edmonds has been put on the 2014 Walter Payton Award Watch List, which goes to the most outstanding offensive FCS player. He ranks second in FCS all-purpose yards.

Paoletta was named Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Week for the first time in her career. She scored her first two career goals in a 2-1 victory over St. Bonaventure this past Friday.

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 • Phil Jackson was awarded the Johnny Bach Award at the 2014 Men’s Basketball TipOff Dinner. This honor is presented each year to the individual who has had a substantial and lasting impact on the sport of basketball and who best emulates Bach’s, FCRH ’48, drive and passion for excellence. Jackson is an 11-time NBA champion head coach and two time NBA champion as a player. He is also currently president of the New York Knicks.

• Fordham announced on Tuesday that it will offer four-year athletic scholarships to all 15 sports that have scholarship student athletes, starting with the class of 2019, replacing the former one-year renewable scholarships.

• The squash team competed at the Hudson Valley Individual Tournament at Vassar College, where two Rams picked up individual titles this past weekend. Paul Monaghan won the B Division and John Lennon won the C Division. Monaghan defeated Vassar’s Ryan Kurtzman and Timothy Veit and Fordham teammate Alex LaVersa in straight sets. Lennon defeated Vassar’s Isabelle Bertram in four sets, Noah Kulick in straight sets and Fordham teammate Ross Garlick in four sets. Squash’s next competition is down in Annapolis, Maryland this weekend at the Navy Round Robin. Their first match is against Navy on Friday, Nov. 7 at 7 p.m.

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

Joe Maddon hopes to be the manager to break the dreaded Cubs’ curse.

SPORTS

Page 18

Tara Cangialosi

November 5, 2014

Volleyball Drops Two on the Road

Matt Rosenfeld

They Could Have Been Royals

Let’s Go, Fordham

A seven-game World Series is never short on drama.

Stellar heroics, like a clutch hit or a seemingly impossible grab in the outfield are expected, while the slightest blunder could weigh on a team for its entire offseason as a reminder of what could have been.

That’s what almost happened to the San Francisco Giants last Wednesday night.

Down 3-2 with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning, the Royals’ Alex Gordon sliced what looked to be a single into the outfield.

Misplayed by the Giants’ Gregor Blanco, the ball skirted under his glove and to the wall. Juan Perez unintentionally kicked the ball before picking it up, further delaying its return to the infield.

When all was said and done, Gordon had a stand-up triple, and Royals fans were alive again.

But as quick as it had come, Kansas City’s glimmer of hope was extinguished.

The home crowd at Kauffman Stadium, so electrified by its team’s nearly-perfect playoff run, was silenced.

Kansas City had come closer to winning a world championship than anyone had thought possible a month ago, let alone in April.

They were 11-4 in the postseason—the best possible record a team could have without actually winning the World Series.

They took San Francisco, chock full of talent and experience on the World Series stage, to seven games.

But when the same pitcher, San Fran’s Madison Bumgarner, takes the mound for a third time in the series and throws just as impeccably as his previous starts, the guy deserves some credit.

The ace was dominant, finishing the series with a 0.43 ERA in his 21 innings of work.

He unequivocally deserved the title of World Series MVP, and the accolades that go along with winning a championship.

The Giants organization really does have something to celebrate.

Winning three of the last five world championships is not exactly easy to do.

But one cannot help but wonder if things could have ended differently.

What would have happened if Alex Gordon got out of the batter’s box more quickly upon contact with the ball, increasing his speed as he rounded the bases?

Just like the Giants’ major blunder in the field could have cost them the game, Gordon’s lack of speed out of the box did potentially cost the Royals the game.

Gordon, running for the tie, would have impacted Buster Posey.

The game, however, cannot be measured on this type of a hypothetical situation. Credit must be given where credit is deserved, based on what actually happened.

So hats off to you, Bumgarner and San Fran. Add Kansas City to your win column.

The calendar reads November and basketball has returned. The NBA has just finished its first full week of games and that means one thing: college basketball is dangerously close to starting. More importantly, Fordham basketball will be back before you know it and I, for one, am very excited for the upcoming season.

While the men’s team has been disappointing in previous years, there is reason to be eager to see the team take the court. There is no doubt that the loss of leading scorer Branden Frazier will hurt, but second leading scorer, sophomore Jon Severe, is ready to take the reins and show why he was such a sought-after recruit.

In addition to Severe, head coach Tom Pecora’s squad boasts junior Mandell Thomas. As the team’s third leading scorer last year, Thomas showed he can contribute and will hopefully take another step in his development this season.

The most important person to keep your eye on, though, is freshman Eric Paschall. The six-footsix-inch guard from Dobbs Ferry, New York received offers from Virginia Commonwealth, West Virginia and Providence, but decided to come to the Bronx where he will have a huge impact on the Rams.

As for women’s basketball, Fordham is coming off an Atlantic 10 championship and a trip to the NCAA Tournament. How can you not be excited for their next act?

Having lost Abigail Corning and Erin Rooney’s senior backcourt, head coach Stephanie Gaitley had to replace the great talent that led the team to the A-10 title.

But it is doubtful that will stop the Rams from making hay in the conference again.

Junior forward Samantha Clark was named third team All-Atlantic 10 in the preseason. Clark was a highly-touted recruit when she signed to Fordham, and she has become progressively better as she has matured. Clark averaged nine points and five rebounds last season, and I expect those numbers to go up as she accepts a bigger role on the team as an upper classman.

Senior Emily Tapio is also one to look out for. Another starter on last year’s championship team, Tapio will be one of the many leaders on the team while looking to take on a bigger role this season.

Add in sophomores Hannah Missry, who I don’t think has ever missed a three in her life, Danielle Burns, a hard-nosed forward who works her tail off in the paint, and a freshmen class that is expected to make an early impact, and I wouldn’t be surprised if we saw Fordham back in the NCAA Tournament.

Surely, I’m getting ahead of myself, but there is a lot to look forward to in Fordham basketball, so let’s get the games started.

SAMUEL JOSEPH/THE RAM

Fordham hopes to pick up its third win of the season in its match against Rhode Island on Saturday up in Kingston.

By ANTHONY PUCIK ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR

The 2-21 (2-7) Rams headed into the Halloween weekend looking to move up in the Atlantic 10 conference standings. Their first conference match was on the road against La Salle, 9-17 (2-7), on Halloween night, Oct. 31. Fordham shut out the Explorers earlier in the month in the Rose Hill Gym, but this match proved to be much more difficult for them.

La Salle ended up taking the first set on its home turf 25-15, but the second set proved to be much more competitive. The score was 16-15 Rams, and a 6-2 run extended Fordham’s lead to five. La Salle scored four in a row to cut the lead back to one, but Fordham would hang on and take the second set 25-22 to tie the score. The Explorers once again were able to handle Fordham in the third set, winning convincingly 25-14.

In the fourth set, La Salle looked to put the game away and jumped out 12-4 lead. Fordham cut the lead down to two, but La Salle scored three points in a row to go back

up by five, 22-17. But, eight unanswered points by Fordham gave them the fourth set and tied the game at two apiece. In the fifth and final set, La Salle scored nine of the first 10 points and went on to take the set 15-6, and the game. Junior Brianna O’Neil led the Rams with 18 kills, while junior Abigail Konovodoff added 37 assists and freshman Grace Muller had 23 digs.

Fordham head coach Gini Ullery did not think La Salle played much differently than the last time the two teams met. “The difference was execution on our part,” she said. “We had moments of solid performance and energy but just not enough to pull out a win in that fifth set.”

The now 2-22 (2-8) Rams travelled to Pittsburgh to take on 14-9 (7-3) Duquesne University on Sunday, Nov. 2, a team that swept the Rams at Rose Hill in early October.

In the first set, the Dukes jumped out to a 10-5 lead and took the set 25-13. Fordham scored the first four points of the second set, but Duquesne scored seven straight to go ahead 7-4. Duquesne scored 11 of the next 17 points in the set and

went on to win 25-15 to take a commanding two sets to none lead.

The Dukes took the lead once again in the third set 7-3. An 8-5 run by Fordham brought the Rams within one point of tying, but Duquesne scored six unanswered points to pad its lead and eventually went on to take the set 25-18 and sweep Fordham for the second time this season. O’Neil led the way with nine kills once again for the Rams, while Konovodoff put up 22 assists and Mueller contributed 10 digs.

Despite the loss, which leaves Fordham with a 2-23 (2-9) record, coach Ullery pointed out two other freshmen, Molly Oshinski and Sarah Skelton, along with Mueller, whom she thought played well against Duquesne. “Duquesne is a solid team that doesn’t make errors,” she said. “We got better touches on balls and pursued and we need to continue to [finish] those opportunities.”

Fordham’s next chance to cash in on its opportunities is on Saturday, Nov. 8, when the Rams travel to Rhode Island to take on another A-10 Rams team at 5 p.m.

Cross Country Struggles at A-10s

By BRYAN KIEL STAFF WRITER

Fordham continued its championship season this past Saturday at the Atlantic 10 Conference Championships in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Coming off a win in the Metropolitan Championship, Fordham looked to continue its strong season with a high finish in the conference championship. Unfortunately, the Rams fell from the top of the competition, with a 10th overall finish out of 14 teams from the men’s squad and an 11th overall finish out of 14 for the women.

The women placed just one Ram, senior Brianna Tevnan, in the top 50 who came in 20th with a time of 18:27 in the 5K race.

Fellow senior Mara Lieberman, sophomore Arianna Bottalico, freshman Brynna Harum, senior Sarah Glockenmeier and sophomore Brianne Roche were all able

to crack the 20 minute mark with places of 55, 60, 66, 71 and 72 respectively.

With cold weather and a new course to run, Fordham was not in its ideal setting to finish with multiple personal records or record-breaking runs. “I think we all struggled with the course because it was not what we were used to,” Roche said.

“There were narrow trails and downhills in the beginning, uphills at the end. No one ran badly, but we just didn’t perform well overall.”

The men were in the same boat as the women’s squad, with the added losses of senior captain Jon Annelli and freshman standout Brian Cook. Junior Quincy O’Connor, coming off a National Athlete of the Week accolade from the USTFCCCA, also became the fourth Ram to be given All-Atlantic 10 Honors in cross country af-

ter a 13th overall finish with a time of 24:56 in the 8K race. O’Connor follows Annelli who was the third Ram last year to earn the award.

Freshman Thomas Slattery and junior Mike Turi were the next two runners across, taking 26th and 27th overall with times of 25:29 and 25:30, respectively.

The meet is not the last stop for the cross country team, however.

With two more championship races at Van Cortlandt Park, Fordham will try to replicate its success at the Metropolitan Championship held last month. “[The A-10 Championship] was a little bit disappointing for a championship race,” Roche said. “But we have Regionals and ECACs left at our home course VCP, so I’m confident that this team will finish the season strongly.”

NCAA Regionals will be held on Nov. 14 at 10 a.m. at Van Cortlandt Park.

SPORTS

November 5, 2014

Page 19

Ryan Moore: Golf’s Next Rising Star?

By SAM BELDEN STAFF WRITER

On Sunday, American Ryan Moore shot a closing 67 and defended his title at the PGA Tour’s CIMB Classic, the fourth event of the 2014-15 season. The UNLV product reeled off three birdies in the final five holes to take the event.

“It was incredible to finish the way I did coming down those last few holes,” said Moore, 31. “I like to tell myself all the time that ‘I am a closer. Let’s just do what we can, hit good shots and let’s close this thing’ and I was able to do that.”

This win means that for the second consecutive season, Moore was victorious at the CIMB. He is now the first person to win twice at the tournament, which is held at Malaysia’s Kuala Lumpur Golf and Country Club. Once again, his season is off to a hot start.

By all standards, this was an impressive win. Moore beat out three quality players: Sergio Garcia, Gary Woodland and Kevin Na tied for second, ending up three strokes behind the victor. Each one of them had a chance to win it when the tournament entered its final phase, but Moore was dynamite down the stretch and held them off en route to his fourth career PGA Tour victory. With each strong finish, he gets closer and closer to turning into the bona fide star that he as once destined to become.

Back in the early part of this century, Moore was one of the best amateur players that the game had ever seen. He ended up with six wins as an amateur, including

two U.S. Amateurs and an NCAA Division I Championship. After turning professional, he wasted no time reaching the PGA Tour, but he could not quite deliver on the promise that he showed, grinding away but only playing the part of an average player. Over the past few years, however, he has finally started to get things going. He now has three wins in the past four seasons and has played in the last nine major championships. While he has never been ranked among the elite golfers, he is certainly a part of the sport’s upper class. After Sunday’s win, he is ranked at No. 27 in the world.

As Moore continues his journey toward his full potential, he is serving as an example for his peers on the PGA Tour. He has come a long way from the last of his U.S. Amateur titles in 2004, and despite some astronomical expectations, has earned a reputation has a solid and hardworking golfer.

These characteristics have paid dividends; the one-time journeyman is now a holder of multiple Tour titles and has played his way into the sport’s inner circle.

Success is relative. For every Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy, there is a David Gosset and Stephen Fox—two talented amateurs that never developed the game to stick around on the PGA Tour. Moore has not been able to become a major champion, but through perseverance and accuracy off the tee, he has found a middle ground and earned the respect of his peers. He should be confident after his win at the CIMB Classic; in this new season, it seems that the sky is the limit for him.

By MAX PRINZ SPORTS EDITOR

As a generally shy person, I don’t have an easy time maintaining confidence. That’s just one of the many ways in which Brooklyn Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov and I are different.

Prokhorov was in town Monday night for the Nets’ home opener against the Oklahoma City Thunder. Any time the Russian billionaire is in town, the Nets game becomes an event, with last night being no exception.

Prokhorov held a press conference last night to address the sticky, abrupt departure of last year’s head coach, Jason Kidd. Kidd, who became the first rookie head coach to guide a team past the first round of the playoffs, suddenly left the team this past summer amid reports of a power struggle.

Kidd reportedly asked for more decision-making power in personnel decisions, something that has been the job of general manager Billy King. Prokhorov apparently did not take kindly to Kidd’s power grab.

“I think there is a nice proverb in English: Don’t let the door hit you where the good Lord has split you,” Prokhorov said at his press conference, according to ESPN. “So I think that each side, we did what we thought was the best and I like what we have now.”

Prokhorov showed no disappointment in losing his head coach.

“I think we shouldn’t get mad,” he added. “I think we should get even. And we will see it on the court.”

While this Everest-high level of confidence is exciting, I can’t help feeling that it is more than a bit unwarranted.

To be clear, Prokhorov has been a terrific owner for the Nets. He’s been wildly entertaining and his willingness to spend ridiculous amounts of money is a great thing for the team.

It’s just that Prokhorov hasn’t really won anything yet.

Yes, the Nets made the playoffs last year. Congrats, you made it out of the Eastern Conference. I’m sure

the 76ers and their 19 wins were especially challenging.

True, the Nets made it out of the first round. They beat a talented Raptors team in an entertaining series, I won’t deny that. How’d that Heat series go, though?

Ever since his arrival, Prokhorov has talked of championships.

It doesn’t feel like the Nets are very close to one yet.

Not only are the Nets faux-contenders, they’re spending record amounts of money on what looks like another second round team.

Last season, Prokhorov and the Nets paid a record $90 million in luxury tax. The team’s salary and luxury tax bill topped out at more than $197 million. According to Grantland’s Zach Lowe, the Nets were $144 million in the red last season. Prokhorov’s reaction?

“It’s not a big deal,” Prokhorov said when asked about the $144 million figure. “Because I personally compensate this money from my pocket.”

Though the Russian remains unbothered by spending money, this year’s team remains unlikely to reach those same financial records. In an apparent move toward balance, the Nets chose to let Paul

Pierce leave for Washington this past offseason and replace with the unproven Bojan Bogdanovic.

However, this year’s team is also unlikely to reach the second round of the playoffs again. The Nets are a team that is aging fast. Many were surprised when Kevin Garnett returned for one more season. Brook Lopez and Deron Williams have yet to live up to the expectations of their large contracts. They have also dealt with various injuries and have struggled to stay on the court in their time in Brooklyn.

Upon his arrival five years ago, Prokhorov promised that he would either bring a championship to Brooklyn by the 2015 season, or get married.

“Just between you and me, I haven’t sent research for a new wife you know,” Prokhorov joked last night. “I stay committed to the championship.”

This is the last season for him to deliver that title. The clock is running out fast. Instead of championship ones, it might be time for Prokhorov to start looking for wedding rings.

Self-confidence is good. But the Nets, and Prokhorov, are in need of a little self-awareness.

COURTESY OF FLICKR

Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov is one of the most interesting owners in the NBA.

Upcoming Varsity Schedule Home games in CAPS Football

COURTESY OF FLICKR

Ryan Moore has four professional wins in his seven years on the Pro Tour.

Thursday Nov. 6

Friday Nov. 7

Saturday Nov. 8

Sunday Nov. 9

at Bucknell 6:30 p.m.

Women’s Basketball

HOLY FAMILY UNIV. 2 p.m.

Squash

at Navy Round Robin Annapolis, Maryland

Swimming

BOSTON UNIV. 1 p.m.

Water Polo

at CWPA Northern Division Championship Cambridge, Massachusetts

Volleyball

at URI 5 p.m.

Men’s Soccer

DUQUESNE 7 p.m.

Monday Nov. 10

Tuesday Nov. 11

Wednesday Nov. 12

SPORTS

Page 20

November 5, 2014

The Fordham Ram

Rams Move Closer to Patriot League Title, Defeat Colgate, 37-13

By MAX PRINZ SPORTS EDITOR

Fordham football put itself on the inside track to a Patriot League title on a wet, chilly Saturday at Jack Coffey Field, defeating Colgate 37-13 for its seventh straight victory.

Despite a number of sloppy plays in the wet conditions, the Rams took care of business on their home field, putting up 459 yards of total offense and making momentum-shifting plays on both defense and special teams.

Senior quarterback Peter Maetztold started in place of Mike Nebrich, who had his appendix removed Wednesday night. Maetzold completed 27 of 38 passes for 279 yards and three touchdowns in a very efficient performance.

Head coach Joe Moorhead praised his entire team after the game, highlighting its resiliency in the face of a midweek quarterback change.

“I couldn’t be more proud of this team,” Moorhead said. “We do not accept nor give excuses, and we do not flinch.”

Maetzold said his preparation during the week played an important role in his success on Saturday.

“You accept your position on the team, but when your number is called you want to perform your best,” Maetzold said. “Coach Moorhead does a great job preparing not only the starters, but the backups as well.”

Freshman running back Chase Edmonds struggled in the first half against the Raiders, but still

SAMUEL JOSEPH/ THE RAM

Senior quarterback Peter Maetzold, playing in place of usual starter Mike Nebrich, led the Rams to a win on Saturday.

managed to pace the Fordham offense. He turned in another 100yard performance, his eighth of the year, rushing for 114 yards on 25 carries and two scores. He was named to the Walter Payton Award watchlist on Tuesday, joining his teammate Nebrich.

The Rams also received a boost from their special teams when, in

the first quarter, senior Brett Biestek broke through the Colgate offensive line on fourth down to block the Raiders’ first punting attempt. Biestek’s classmate Levon Williams scooped up the ball and took it to the one yard line to set up the Rams’ first touchdown.

Maetzold found senior Tebucky Jones after a play-action fake just

two plays later to put the Rams on the board first. Jones and the rest of the receiving corps did not miss a beat, despite catching passes from a less familiar quarterback.

“Not just the receivers, but the whole team had confidence in Peter,” Jones said. “We just wanted to go out, work hard and do our jobs, and we knew Peter would put the

ball where it needed to be.”

After the Rams forced a Colgate turnover on downs on the possession following the touchdown, the Fordham offense came back out and scored its second straight touchdown. Maetzold capped a five-play 69-yard drive by leading Jones with a gorgeous pass for a 31-yard score.

The Rams got another impact play from their defense to start the second half when Ian Williams made his second interception of the season. Maetzold then led the Rams down the field for another touchdown after the turnover, this one a 14-yard pass to senior Brian Wetzel. With less than five minutes gone in the second half, the Rams held a 25-6 advantage.

The Fordham defense played even stronger in the second half, only allowing Colgate to score in the final two minutes when substitutes were in. Raiders’ quarterback Bret Mooney had a miserable day. He was picked off three times and completed just five of his 18 passes for 73 yards.

With the win, the Rams improve to 8-1 on the year and 4-0 in the Patriot League. The team can clinch a Patriot League championship with a win Friday, Nov. 7, at Bucknell, something Moorhead says would be very special for the team and this year’s senior class.

“We came in here and there was a long way to go,” Moorhead said.

“For us to be able to come in at the point where these guys were and get to a 6-5 and then get to where we are now, I think it’ll bring good closure.”

Men’s Soccer Win Away From A-10 Tournament

By TARA CANGIALOSI WEB EDITOR

With only two games left in its regular season, the Fordham men’s soccer team knew that getting a positive result on Sunday, Nov. 2 at Dayton would be crucial to its hopes of making the Atlantic 10 Conference Tournament in two weeks.

Luckily for the Rams, they got just that, as they defeated the Flyers 2-1 at Baujan Field in Dayton, Ohio.

The first half proved to be a challenge, as neither team could put the ball in the back of the net despite combining for 10 shots.

The Rams also had additional chances in their five corner kick attempts, but failed to convert.

The momentum swung in Fordham’s favor at the start of the second half.

“We knew we had to come out with a lot of energy from the start of the second half and win all of our individual battles on the field,” junior Ryan Walsh said. “We were able to push the ball up the field really well and be dangerous in the final third.”

Within the first minute, graduate student Aleksandar Mastilovic rushed down the sideline on a fast break. He centered the ball as he neared the end line where fellow German-native, freshman Jannik Loebe, was there to finish it inside

NEIL TENNANT/ THE RAM

The Rams must win their final regular season match against Duquesne to qualify for the A-10 tournament.

the near post for his second goal of the season.

“I am happy that I assisted Jannik and could help the team,” Mastilovic said. “In the second half, we were better at being more efficient in front of the goal.”

After the Rams’ goal, Dayton was eager to tie the game.In the 63rd minute, the Flyers’ Amass Amankona found James Haupt on a cross from the sideline. Haupt rocketed the shot past a diving Sean Brailey to score his fifth goal of the season, and tie the game at one.

The Rams, however, took the lead eight minutes later and never looked back.

Senior Ollie Kelly scored his first goal this year off of an assist from Walsh. The two combined for a play that ended with Kelly’s near post finisher that put Fordham ahead 2-1.

“I’m more of a defensive player, so it was really nice to make a significant play on the offensive side of the team, especially because we have been struggling to score [as] of late,” Kelly said.

Moments after his assist, Walsh came up with a big play on the defensive end. He hustled back on defense and made a save on a play by Dayton’s Lalas Abubakar to protect Fordham’s one-goal lead.

Despite having four more penalty kicks by the game’s end, the Flyers could not register another score, and the Rams locked in the 2-1 victory.

Fordham improved to 6-8-2 on the year and 3-3-1 in the A-10, while Dayton fell to 6-5-5 on the season and 2-2-2 in conference play.

“The team did a great job [of] connecting on several passes to get the ball down the field and into the opponent’s 18 yard box,” Walsh said of the team’s offense as a whole.

The win was a vital one for the Rams, who have been on the border of not qualifying for the A-10 tournament that will be held at VCU’s home field, Sports Backers Stadium, on Nov. 13-16.

The win puts the Rams in sixth place in the A-10, behind Rhode Island, VCU, Saint Louis, George Mason and Davidson.

The team’s last game of the season is critical, as the Rams will face the Dusquesne Dukes, who are just one place lower in the standings with a 3-3 conference record.

A win will ensure the Rams a spot in the tournament, which accepts the eight teams with the best records in the conference.

“I think if we get into the A-10 tournament, we would have to [give] ourselves a serious chance of going all the way,” Kelly said. “We’ve got a deep squad, and with the prospect of playing three games in five days, [it] will be a huge plus for us [to] keep our players fresh and less fatigued.”

The Rams will take on Duquesne on Nov. 7 at 7 p.m. on Jack Coffey Field in their final home and regular season match of the season.