Volume 96 issue 22

The Fordham Ram Serving The Fordham University Community Since 1918 Volume 96, Issue 22

FordhamRam.com

December 3, 2014

CARE-ing a Priority for USG, Admin

By AMINA BHATTI STAFF WRITER

On Thursday, Nov. 20, the Campus Assault and Relationship Education program (CARE) held a meeting to address the handling of sexual assault and misconduct on campus. Sexual assault has been heavily featured in the media in recent years, sparking dialogue between students and administrators.

The forum was hosted in Faber Hall by the United Student Government (USG) of Rose Hill.

The speakers were Christopher Rodgers, assistant vice president and dean of students at Rose Hill, and Kimberly Russell, assistant dean of students and director of residential life, also from Rose Hill.

While the CARE program deals with all forms of assault and misconduct, the main focus of the meeting was sexual assault and misconduct. Rodgers began the SEE CARE, PAGE 3

MICHAEL REZIN/TTHE RAM

Deja Vu All Over Again, Fordham Defeats Pioneers Fordham to Face Top-Seeded UNH in Second Round

By MAX PRINZ SPORTS EDITOR

History, it seems, has a way of repeating itself.

For the second consecutive year, Fordham defeated the Sa-

cred Heart Pioneers in the first round of the FCS Playoffs.

The Rams topped the Pioneers 44-22 in this year’s contest and advance to play the University of New Hampshire in the second round next week.

SAGES: ‘Human Rights are Universal’

LAURA SANICOLA/THE RAM

Vying for policy change, students gathered on Manhattan sidewalks in protest.

By LAURA SANICOLA ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR

Incensed by Fordham University’s policy that denies students access to and prescriptions for contraceptives on campus, dozens of student and community activists took to the streets of Manhattan on Thursday, Nov. 20 in a rally organized by Women Organized to Resist and Defend (WORD.) The rally was co-hosted by the Coalition of Students for Sex and Gender Equity and Safety (SAGES), a

new student organization that claims to have distributed thousands of condoms in dormitories and at university events in direct violation of university policy.

Originally an anonymous coalition, SAGES became public earlier this month after the group’s founders gathered outside the Cuniffe House to deliver official grievances in the form of a petition to Rev. Joseph M. McShane, S.J., president of the university. As of Nov. 20, McShane has yet to address the SAGES petition, which prompted SAGES to hold the

rally.

“We are here to send a message to the Fordham administration that we are united…that we have the power to make change within our institution,” said Wilmarie Cintron-Muniz, FCRH ’15, a SAGES representative.

As the temperatures dropped into the 30s, demonstrators arrived on the sidewalks of 60th Street and Columbus Avenue at 4 p.m. wielding signs and chanting for the university to address issues such as safe housing options for transgendered and gender non-conforming students, non-gendered guest policies and the right to obtain contraceptives, birth control and sexual health advice on campus.

It went uninterrupted by Fordham administration or the police presence that accompanied it.

“Human rights are universal, this is nothing controversial,” protestors shouted in unison.

At 5:30 p.m., students marched in front of the Time Warner Building on 58th Street between 8th and 9th avenues. Among the supporters were representatives from New York Civil Liberties Union, NARAL ProChoice New York, Planned Parenthood and students attending City College of New York.

A representative from WORD, identified to the crowd as Ellie, was among the first to address the crowd of students, reaffirming their mission to incite change.

“Fordham students are doing the right thing in demanding that the university take action to change its policies and put the students’ wellbeing in SEE SAGES, PAGE 2

“We held [Sacred Heart] down and had to fight for every inch,” head coach Joe Moorhead said after the game. “They made us earn it.”

The Rams used quick starts at the beginning of the first and sec-

ond halves to propel themselves to a victory. Fordham got out to a 14-point lead in the first five minutes of the first quarter and scored 10 unanswered points after the halftime break. The offense SEE FOOTBALL, PAGE 20

Womens’ Club Soccer Leaves Mark on Nationals

By KELLY KULTYS EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

“Honestly I was doubtful; I don’t know if we’re good enough,” admitted Erica DePalma, FCRH ’15, one of the captains of the women’s club soccer team.

It was the end of October and the team was faced with a tough choice just before they began their regionals, the final competition of its regular season. The club soccer team put together an impressive 12-2 year and earned themselves enough points in the power rankings to qualify for Nationals.

Jackie Gawne, FCRH ’15, president of the club soccer team, however, challenged her co-captain’s disbelief. “[Deciding to go] was mainly because of Jackie’s passion for it because a lot of us were hesitant, but she was like, ‘No we’re doing this’,” DePalma said. “We have the ability to do this.”

“The first time I knew we were in it to win it and we were going to go places was our second game against Lehigh and Lehigh was up 3-2 and we ended up winning 4-3,” Gawne recalled. “I thought then ‘this team is a fighter.’”

Gawne was right. The team was good enough to compete on the national stage. They were able to earn a wild card spot into the quarterfinals, despite an early loss to Virginia Tech. Once in the quarterfinals, the team came together and took down

San Diego State 3-1 before falling to Michigan, the national champion, 3-0 in the semifinals.

Their success shocked many, even their opponents in Nationals. “‘It’s so nice to see fresh faces,’ the teams at Nationals told us this, because it’s always the same four every year,” Gawne said. “We were the wild card and they were like, ‘We’ve never heard of you before, congrats for getting here’.”

DePalma echoed her thoughts: “We were the last school left in our region. We were a tiny school competing with the University of Michigan.”

The two smiled as they remembered the trip from a few weeks back, comparing it to the ups-and-downs of their high school playing days.

But for Gawne and DePalma, as well as fellow senior captain Maggie SEE SOCCER, PAGE 2

in this issue

OpinionPage 7 Historic Cafe Unfortunately Forced to Close

Culture Page 11 The Blend’s Transformation from Cafe to Bar

Sports

Page 20

Men’s Basketball Snaps Four Game Losing Streak

NEWS

Page 2

SECURITY BRIEFS Nov. 21 189 & Belmont 7:25 p.m.

A student reported to Public Safety that he had been the victim of a robbery. After hanging up his phone, the student was approached by 10 individuals, roughly 16-18 years of age.

Several of these individuals demanded the student’s phone and wallet. After taking some money, they returned his wallet and fled. NYPD was contacted. They canvassed the area and were able to apprehend and arrest three positively-identified suspects.

Nov. 22 Walsh Library 12:20 p.m.

A student notified Public Safety that $20 had been stolen from her wallet when she was studying in the library. She left her desk to use the restroom, and when she returned she noticed that her wallet, which was on her desk, was open and had been moved. A male student was seen walking quickly away from her desk, and later ran from the library and onto Fordham Rd. Nov. 23 Howl at the Moon 12:30 a.m.

Public Safety was contacted after a student reported that her coat was missing after she had stored it behind the bar of Howl at the Moon. She entered the bar around midnight and placed her coat behind the bar. When she returned to pick it up roughly an hour later, she discovered that it was gone. The student’s ID card was also in the pocket of the coat. Public Safety contacted NYPD, who filed a complaint with Howl at the Moon for the larceny.

Dec. 1 Southern Blvd.

12:30 a.m.

After parking his car on Southern Boulevard around 6 p.m., a student returned seven hours later and found it had been broken into. The student reported that spare change and a pie were missing. NYPD has been notified and is investigating, though they are not optimistic about prospects of recovering the missing pie.

—Compiled by Michael Cavanaugh, Assistant News Editor

December 3, 2014

Women’s Club Soccer has Cinderella Season FROM SOCCER, PAGE 1

Abella, FCRH’15, the journey on the road to get to nationals was not an easy path. For starters, they had to come up with $13,000 to get their players to Nationals, held this year in Memphis, Tennessee.

“We all were like we’re either doing this 100 percent or we’re not doing this at all,” DePalma said.

The team was able to fundraise a majority of the money, with about half coming from the support of players’ parents and families. Other efforts, like a t-shirt sale, helped bring them close to their goal, though they are still in the process of getting the last bit of money from the university.

“It’s almost disappointing because how do you win a sportsmanship award, finish seveth overall in the nation, third in your open division and not get recognized,” Gawne said.

For Gawne and her team, this is just one of the ongoing problems for a club team that has been in existence for only five years. The first season, a year prior to when the captain began at Fordham, the team was created and underwent its probationary period in which it was allowed to play games to work its way into the league, but none counted. The club soccer team officially began in 2011 and has hit some bumps along the way. Gawne recalled the team having a solid season in her sophomore year before it unraveled a bit.

“Our junior year it was just bad. We didn’t make it to regionals. We didn’t win that many games,” Gawne said.

“The leadership just kind of fell apart,” DePalma added.

That was one of the driving forces that made Gawne and DePalma want to take the team in a better direction this year. The other, according to DePalma was the “freshmen girls that had raw talent and the desire to play.”

Gawne said the veterans on the team “knew that they were the future” and wanted to welcome them in properly.

“I know as a freshman I considered transferring, and club soccer was my home,” Gawne recalled. “This is what kept me here and I wanted to make sure the girls who came on as freshmen, we wanted to make them feel like they have a base.”

DePalma said that he team even encountered a similar situation this year as their top scorer Lauren Regan, FCRH 18, found herself in the same spot as Gawne was a few years prior.

Her teammates were thrilled she stayed, as she became a main reason for their success.

“Key players do that — they bring a team together, which is something people aren’t aware of. We are a team, but there’s definitely people...people that lift you up, and [Reagan’s] one of them,” DePalma said.

Despite this shift in attitude and their success, many at the university did not believe the national-qualifying team was for real. They had to convince those, such as Michael Roberts, the assistant athletic director for club and intramural sports, that they could be taken seriously.

“Mike Roberts told us ‘you proved

me wrong,’” Gawne said. “He was hesitant because we never really gave him a reason to believe in us in years past.”

But this year Gawne, DePalma and Abella devised a path for success.

They worked around their players’ busy schedules and created a three day a week practice schedule with two days mandatory to give their team members some flexibility. The team competed and traveled primarily on the weekends, squeezing in a few weekend round-robin tournaments as well. But, according to the captains, the pretty demanding schedule ultimately helped bring the team closer.

“Playing a sport, especially soccer for us, you forget about everything, like when you’re playing you’re thinking about the game, and I think a lot of us needed that,” DePalma said.

However, with the fall season drawing to a close, Gawne hopes her organization will be remembered for more than just a Cinderella run at nationals.

“I’m proud of what we built,” she said. “It’s a club that allows you to do whatever you want - you can be in Satin Dolls, you can have an internship at a major network, you can be an environmental scientist. It’s teaching women that they can have it all — not just one or the other.”

COURTESY OF WOMEN’S CLUB SOCCER TEAM

Women’s club soccer made it to the quarterfinals before falling to Michigan.

Students Take Complaints to Manhattan Streets FROM SAGES, PAGE 1

front of its own conviction,” Ellie said.

The university’s policy stems from Catholic doctrine, which dictates that all life is sacred from the moment of conception to death. The use of birth control or condoms is not condoned, nor is partaking in pre-marital sex.

This is not the first time that the University’s policy on contraceptives has gained public attention. A 2012 Los Angeles Times article entitled “Birth control hard to come by at Fordham University” followed the struggles of a female student at Fordham University School of Law who was trying to obtain contraceptives for medical purposes.

Impassioned activists and the founder of SAGES, Rachel Field, FCRH ’15, cited her own health difficulties as what caused her to join the fight against Fordham’s policy “I had ovarian cysts and Fordham’s policies sent me to the hospital, and

that’s the truth,” Field said. “I am here in front of the Time Warner building because we don’t have free speech on campus. And, there is a reason why we don’t have free speech: so that we don’t make change.”

Brittany Pinson, OSSS ’16, finds the lack of access to female health care inconvenient as well. “Not being from here, it took me forever to get health care since I can’t even get my birth control from Fordham, I have to go to Inwood to see an OB/GYN,” Pinson said.

Pinson is hopeful that rallies like this will catch the attention of administrators. “Hopefully the administration does hear this message, but these students are going to have to keep having [rallies]” said Pinson. “There’s power in numbers, that’s how you get your message heard.”

Maria DeCasper, FCLC ’17, has a more ambivalent stance toward the SAGES message.

“I don’t really care if Fordham allows distribution of condoms on campus,” said DeCasper. “I think its students’ individual responsibilities.

Walgreens is right across the street, and students can get contraceptives and condoms there.”

Activists at the rally cited statistics, such as the results of an analysis by the Guttmacher Institute finding that 99 percent of all women of reproductive age who have ever had sex — including 98 percent of Catholic women — have used contraception other than natural family planning.

DeCasper sees no issue with Fordham upholding its condom stance as a Catholic university. “It’s not like condoms are not allowed on campus,” she said.

Nor does she find Residential Life at Fordham’s Lincoln Center campus to be unaccommodating to transgendered students. “I had transgendered friends who were able to switch

rooms if they felt uncomfortable,” said DeCasper. “We have a good relationship with our administration here at Lincoln Center and I think that Residential Life is as accommodating as they can be.”

Despite hecklers passing by the Time Warner Building, the rally continued until 6:30 p.m.

Katharine Bodde, a member of the New York Civil Liberties Union policy council, summed up SAGES’ message as she addressed the crowd.

“Fordham University opens its doors to students of all backgrounds and faiths and it should allow those students to make personal healthcare decisions that are best for them and their futures,” said Bodde.

“The ability to decide when and whether to have a child is critical to a women’s ability to participate equally in our economic social and political institutions. We have to trust women to be able to make that decision.”

This Week at Fordham Friday Dec. 5

Friday Dec. 5

Saturday Dec. 6

Saturday Dec. 6

Treble in the b-sides

Fordham Ramblers Fall Concert

Satin Dolls Fall Concert

Twelfth Night

Fordham Prep Auditorium 8 p.m.

Collin’s Auditorium 8 p.m.

Collin’s Auditorium 7 p.m.

The b-sides, an acapella group, will be holding a “spooky and mysterious” concert this Friday. Scenes are written by award-winning playwright Jonathan O’Neill, FCRH ‘15 and will feature Expresions Dance Alliance. The concert includes songs

by Beyoncé, Sia and the Jackson 5.

Fordham Prep Auditorium 9 p.m.

The Satin Dolls, Fordham’s all-female The Theatrical Outreach Program ina capella group, will be performing vites students to the opening night of their fall conert entitled “Oops! We Shakespeare’s play “Twelfth Night.”

Did it Again.... Now That’s What I The show is directed by Ricky BorCall Dolls.” The Dolls, will be perdelon, FCRH ‘15, and Opinion Ediforming songs from the 90’s and early tor for The Ram, and will also run on ‘00’s including Britney Spears, Nelly Sunday, Dec. 7, at 7 p.m. in the ColFurtado and Kanye West. lin’s Auditorium.

For more campus events, visit FordhamRam.com

The Ramblers, Fordham’s all-male acapella group, will be holding their fall concert, “Ramblers of the Lost Ark” this Friday at the Fordham Prep Theater. Expression Dance Alliance and Fordham Flava will be performming.

Tuesday Dec. 9 How the Rams Stole Christmas 2nd Floor McGinley Ballroom 10 p.m. — 1 a.m.

The Senior Week Committee has announced that the third senior night of the semester will be themed “How the Rams Stole Christmas.” This event is for seniors at FCRH and GSB only. Seniors over 21 years old must pay $3 per drink.

NEWS

December 3, 2014

Page 3

FORDHAM IN THE BRONX

Lying Low on an Empty Campus, Students Stay Over Break

JEFF COLTIN/THE RAM

While most students made a highly anticpated trip home for Thanksgiving, some saw campus in a different light.

By JEFF COLTIN BRONX CORRESPONDENT

The day before Thanksgiving, snow dusted Edward’s Parade.

Each blade of grass was tipped white. Not a single boot print ruined the even coat — there was

nobody there to disturb it.

“Pretty much totally empty.

It’s like a ghost town,” said Eric Ospina, FCRH ’15, on campus that day. Ospina was on campus Wednesday working the front desk at WFUV in the basement of Keating Hall. He has taken lonely

shifts like this one before — his family lives in Yonkers, just across the Westchester County border, so traveling home is pretty easy.

In fact, Ospina’s father was planning to drive through the snow to pick him up when his shift ended.

No classes were being held that

day, and most campus employees got the day off, so one does not expect to see many people around Rose Hill walking to work.

“I saw two people, besides the security guard, and I was actually very surprised to see them,” Ospina said. “That was my first thought, ‘what is anybody doing on campus right now?’”

Ospina’s own answer to that question could well have been, “not much.” The headquarters of WFUV is usually a hub of activity with dozens of staff and student workers walking in and out nearly around the clock. But that day, Ospina stood watch over an empty foyer.

Outside of Rose Hill’s gates, the snow was not settling so peacefully. Gypsy cabs jockeyed for customers looking for a way out of the weather and into a warm leather seat. Best Deli’s door stood open, peddlers inside impervious to the elements.

But still, the sidewalks of Fordham Road seemed emptier than usual. Bronxites stayed inside for the snow and Fordham students spread out across the country — en route to El Paso, laid over in Lancaster, settled in Seattle.

Not all students had begun their travels. Chris Pierre, FCRH ’15, braved the walk from his off-campus apartment into the snow. The streets may have been less crowded, but Pierre said the

neighborhood is never dead.

“The Bronx is still kicking! Still stuff going on, still people on our apartment steps having a good time, drinking and doing whatever it is they do.”

Pierre had just returned from a trip to the Ram Fit Center in McGinley’s basement, one of the few campus amenities open the day before Thanksgiving. The walk there was “ghostly,” he said — strange to not see a soul walking around. But, as these things often go, it seemed everybody on campus was gathered exactly where Pierre did not want them.

“I wasn’t able to use freeweights because the 10 people that were in the gym were all in that area. And that area is very small.”

Princess Chunkwuneke, FCRH ’15, avoided campus hubs entirely on Wednesday. She spent her day cooking and just hanging out in her Salice apartment. She was counting down the hours before catching a bus to Rhode Island that night to spend the holiday at a friend’s house. But, that doesn’t mean she didn’t savor a walk across the peaceful campus.

“I’m more of a quiet town type of girl, so it worked for me,” Chunkwuneke said. “I know some people like it when it’s crazy, but I think you can better appreciate the nature of Fordham when there are not that many people.”

CARE Meeting Gives Students Space to Discuss Topical Concerns FROM CARE, PAGE 1

presentation with a few case studies portraying scenarios of sexual assault cases that could arise, including situations in which the victim is taken advantage of when intoxicated, in which both the victim and the assailant are intoxicated and where the victim is assaulted when walking home alone at night.

In 2013, 14 sexual offense reports were filed at Fordham University, 10 of them at Rose Hill. Three of these reports were moved forward to investigation by the dean of students. Rodgers mentioned that these reports included incidents of off-campus sexual harassment and unwanted touching.

Depending on the nature and severity of the assault case, and often at the discretion of the student reporting the assault, the case may or may not be reported immediately to municipal and federal authorities, Rodgers explained.

However, he pointed out that “all [cases] are mandatory reports at the end of the year when we report our statistics to the Department of Education.”

According to the deans, whether or not a student reports assault, it is imperative for campus security authorities to report a crime, or what they believe may be a tantamount to a crime to higher authorities. Members of the campus security authorities include university administration and health services, Public Safety

staff, resident and commuter assistants, resident directors and faculty “pertaining to sexual misconduct,” according to the CARE presentation. If a student reports sexual assault to any member of campus security authorities, then it must be reported to the proper authorities. Meetings with a clinical counselor at Fordham’s Counseling and Psychological Services or a pastoral counselor in Campus Ministry are recommended and confidential.

Rodgers further explained that, rather than referring to the parties involved as “victim” and “perpetrator,” the individual who files case of assault is referred to as the “complainant,” and the individual whom the complaint is filed against is known as the “respondent.” This allows for more objectivity in an investigation where facts are still being gathered.

However, especially in cases where there is not much physical evidence or many outside witnesses to an assault, Fordham uses a standard of investigation known as “preponderance of evidence,” which, as Rodgers explained, “essentially means that, more likely than not, there was a violation [of the complainant’s rights].”

In addition, Rodgers discussed how the Fordham administration makes an effort “as much as we possibly can, within the limits of law and regulation, [to allow] the complainant [to] decide how to proceed in the process.” The respondent is also given a support

system and the chance to appeal in the case. Both the complainant and respondent are given an administrative support person, who “serve(s) as a resource... making sure that [campus authorities] are always there to share with [the parties involved] that they have are options at every single point [of the process],” according to Russell, who is an administrative support person herself. “We are here from now till the very end of this process, and even after that, [for help and support].”

After their presentation, the deans opened up the floor for questions from students in the audience, who had the chance to remain anonymous by writing their questions on flash cards and handing them to the front to be answered. One such question asked about “victim-blaming,” which involves implying that the complainant is partly responsible for the assault.

“Officers are trained not to ask questions like ‘what were you wearing?’, which is out of context…and which would lead the complainant to have feelings of guilt about their own agency in any given incident,” Rodgers said.

“That does not mean that that doesn’t happen,” Russell added.

However, both agreed that certain questions may have to be asked in order to understand the situation and shed light on the investigation.

“We certainly don’t [allow] questions of ethical and moral judgment,” Dean Rodgers stated.

CHRISTIAN WILOEJO/THE RAM

Fordham deans attempted to clarify how Fordham treats sexual assault cases.

“One’s tendency to be sexually active or not…is completely irrelevant to whether, on a given night, something specific that was wrong happened to the person.”

A sexual assault case proceeding typically follows the Title IX

Student Conduct Process, which Rodger and Russell discussed in detail at the meeting. The process is also outlined on page 16 of the CARE brochure, the link for which is provided on the CARE page of fordham.edu.

NEWS

Page 4

December 3, 2014

News Briefs & Bites • According to Donna Lehmann, director of online communications, Fordham will officially launch its new website Thursday, Dec. 4. The change will officially be made at 2 a.m. EST. The email stated that on campus, the change in website will be “almost immediate,” but it may take up to 24 hours before the entire Internet sees our new location. This announcement follows last month’s preview, in which students were allowed to

email their feedback regarding the new layout. The web addresses will be directed to the new site, but the old pages will still be available at legacy.fordham.edu. A mass email sent to the Fordham community stated that when the new site launches, the links on the test website will no longer function properly. The website will still be hybrid of both old and new websites, and many areas of the website will become avail-

able gradually throughout the spring semester.

• The Sexual Misconduct Task Force and Women’s empowerment co-sponsored an event Tuesday on consent and bystander intervention. The event, held in Campbell Commons, aimed to clarify several consent-related questions for interested students. These included “what is consent?” “when is is not given?” “what does harrassment look like?”

and “what can you do to intervene if you see [harassment] happening?” according to the event’s Facebook page.

Through this effort, the organizing groups want to promote a culture in which consent is highly valued, both at Fordham and beyond.

• Fordham trustee Armando Nuñez, GSB ’82, has been named one of the top 25 Latinos in entertainment by The Hollywood Reporter. Slated at No. 7

on this list, Nuñez joins highprofile names such as Jennifer Lopez, Shakira and Pitbull. Nuñez, president and CEO of CBS Global Distribution Group, oversees domestic distribution and various other international operations for CBS Corporation. In 2012, Nuñez co-hosted a Fordham-centric event that honored Fordham alumnus and iconic sportscaster Vin Scully, FCRH ’49, on Entertainment Tonight.

CASEY CHUN/THE RAM

4.5 Minutes For 4.5 Hours

Fordham students gathered outside of Dealy Hall the morning of Tuesday, Dec. 2, to protest the recent case decision in Ferguson. Students sat in solidarity with other protesters around the nation for four and a half minutes to commemorate the four and a half hours Michael Brown lay uncovered in the street in Ferguson, Missouri.

As Snow Falls, Spring Weekend Planning is Already Underway

By MICHAEL CAVANAUGH ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR

With Spring Weekend 2015 just a few months away, Campus Activities Board (CAB) has sent out its annual Spring Weekend Artist survey email blast. Students are invited to fill out the brief survey, which consists of questions regarding genre and artist preference.

In addition, the survey includes a list of potential artists encompassing a wide range of genres, and asks students to check off whether they would approve, disapprove or feel indifferent toward having the artist perform on Spring Weekend.

Notable artists listed include Timeflies, Cash Cash, Lee Brice and the Goo Goo Dolls — names that would likely elicit positive feedback from a majority of the Fordham community.

Still, many students do not understand all the steps that the CAB concert chairs have to go through to book artists like 3LAU, Jay Sean, White Panda, Cold War Kids and Grouplove to the Rose Hill campus.

“There are many people involved in the Saturday concert for spring weekend,” said Alexandra Rainone, GSB ’16, one of the co-chairs in charge of putting together artist proposals. “My co-chair Matthew Krause [GSB ‘15] and I are in charge of creating artist proposals that include every single song the artist has created, highlighted sections of the song that could be seen as controversial and biographical information about the band. After the proposal is

submitted, Shannon Driscoll, Dean Alanna Nolan and Dean Rodgers all must review and approve the packet.”

The approved proposal is then sent to an agent who communicates the university’s offer to the artists.

“As you can tell, this is a very intensive and lengthy process,” Rainone remarked, mentioning that the actual process of hiring an artist may take anywhere from 2-6 weeks.

“However, it's the best way to ensure the artists we bring to campus are not only ones the students want, but also one that reflects Fordham's values.”

It is also possible that, after a packet is approved and the agent is in the process of contacting the artist, that artist will be booked by another school. If this occurs, Rainone and Krause have to go through again and come up with another proposal.

“Matt and I prepare packets in our free time to ensure we have one ready when an artist who is being approved gets booked by another school or event,” said Rainone.

However, many students are open about the difference in quality between the acts that are listed annually in the survey and those who ultimately perform in March.

“It just seems like Fordham is appealing to a small portion of the school, as opposed to getting an artist that is relevant in popular culture,” said Paul Mascali, GSB ’15.

Similar sentiments are echoed by Mark Attanasio, GSB ’15, who expresses negative feelings about past spring weekend performances.

“I’ve been disappointed by the spring weekend artist choices. Aside from Grouplove, they’ve been extremely mediocre,” said Attanasio.

“They should allocate a higher budget to the mainline artists.”

Some students, such as Mascali, wonder whether the survey is actually taken into account when choosing an artist.

“Cold War Kids and Grouplove?” said Mascali, citing previous headline performances. “I would be shocked if more than 25 percent of the student body has even listened to either of them. I just don’t know if they even really take [the survey] that much into account. It would be interesting if they released the results of the survey as a whole to show why they picked the artist they did.”

Rainone is often stopped by students like Attanasio and Mascali with questions about the likelihood

of particular artists coming to campus.

“If it was up to me, I would love to bring the highest rated artist from the concert survey to campus,” said Rainone. “However, I have to do my best to work with each artist’s price and availability and that means Fordham’s first choice isn’t always available.”

Rainone goes on to say that, in general, the artists that are listed in the survey are realistic options and are within CAB’s price range. That being said, many of the artists listed are also popular choices for other schools who have the same spring weekend dates, and, as such, these acts are booked much earlier.

Regardless of whether one of the artists listed in the survey ultimately performs on the Rose Hill campus come April, however, Rainone believes that the results of the survey

are no less valuable.

“The more students who respond, the more likely Matt and I are to choose an artist who appeals to the majority of our campus,” said Rainone. “We love seeing what the students want because it makes our job easier and allows us to get a snapshot of the music tastes of our campus.”

Despite some criticism from the student body, Rainone and Krause love the work they do. Their job begins early in the summer before the academic year, during which they create packets in anticipation of the results of the fall survey, and does not end until the artists’ performances conclude.

“Overall, Matt and I love all the chaos this job entails,” Rainone remarked, “In the end, it means putting on an annual event that many Fordham students see as one of their favorite memories.”

SAMUEL JOSEPH/THE RAM

Past Spring Weekend performances have included artists such as Cartel, Cold War Kids, Jay Sean and White Panda.

NEWS

December 3, 2014

Page 5

With New Format, Debate Tackles ISIS, Energy Alternatives

CHRISTIAN WILOEJO/THE RAM

The university’s two political groups engaged with three different topics during a debate in Flom Auditorium.

By JOE VITALE MANAGING EDITOR

The university’s two political groups, the College Republicans and the College Democrats, debated last week on a number of issues that have divided the country and brought into question America’s role as a trendsetter on major issues.

The debate, which took place in Flom Auditorium, considered the war against the so-called Islamic State, the construction of the Keystone XL Pipeline and the economic and environmental costs of fracking.

With nearly fifty students in attendance, the event was “powered” by the Fordham Political Review.

In an attempt to experiment with the traditional debate format, the first topic engaged four students and asked them to weigh possible courses of action against the so-called Islamic State, a terrorist group seeking statehood in the Middle East, which has claimed responsibility for an assemblage of brutal actions, including the beheading of two American journalists.

In a round-table format, the four students were dually moderated by Fr. Anderson, S.J., associate chair of the department of African and African American Studies, and Aaron DeVera, FCRH ’16, an executive editor of the Fordham Political Review.

The moderators asked panelists to address a number of questions regarding a “boots-on-the-ground” approach to stopping ISIS. Adam Hamilton, considered the Democratic position on the topic.

"The only way to end ISIS is intervene," he charged. "In order to stop this us must have concentrate effort. we need to remove them from power."

Rob Gray, FCRH ’17, representing the anti-interventionist platform, considered America’s past with the Middle East. "Any limited intervention will be ineffective," he said. "And any large amount of troops will be costly."

Some of the panelists, including Gray, considered America's involvement in Afghanistan and Iraq as warning signs of the dangers of becoming entangled with the war-torn region.

"We are being asked to spend resources and lives we cannot afford: This is [a war] we should not ask our sons and daughters to fight,” he added.

Joe Moreski was also one of the panelists who advocated for a libertarian approach. “I am advocating for the U.S. to step forward and create something called a security assistance team,” Moreski said, adding that he would support some embedded forces on the ground.

Making use of twenty-first century technology, DeVera fielded questions via Twitter using the hashtag “#FordhamDebates.”

One Twitter user posed a question about the role of moderate Muslim countries — such as Turkey — in the future fight against ISIS. "Turkey can be a very good ally, but it can also be a very bad ally," maintained Carl in response to the question. "You need to have the

moderate countries come together, and this diplomatic effort can only be led by the united states," he added, advocating for a strengthened American voice on the issue. Given the nature of the round-table, no one perspective dominated another, making a decisive winner difficult to determine.

Following the debate, Anderson stressed the need to continue the debate over America’s foreign policy, especially its involvement in the Middle East. Calling it a quagmire, Anderson told The Fordham Ram how questions about ISIS and conflict in Syria "shadow how we stumbled into Vietnam,” and should prompt questions about America’s role in the international community.

The latter two issues, which were more domestically focused, assumed a traditional debate format.

The first topic asked the two debaters to consider the construction of the Keystone XL Pipeline, a proposed 1,179-mile extension of the Keystone Pipeline, about half of which is already built.

The extension, which would diagonally bisect three western states and connect the pipeline to the Gulf Coast, is currently under review by the State Department. The future of the pipeline, however, remains unclear.

Both debaters who tackled the topic, Hans Leuders, FCRH ’16, of the Democrats, and Thomas Fink, FCRH ’16 of the Republicans, mirrored their respective party’s arguments for building, or, rather, not building the pipeline.

Not only would mining the sands be energy inefficient, Leuders noted, there would be, a great deal of dangerous materials released, including greenhouse gasses.

"Economically, it's a cheap fix," he admitted. "But why should we doom our futures to invest in a dying industry?"

Fink said Leuders was presenting a false dichotomy. "There's a middleground,” he said. Constructing the pipeline, he said, does not mean that America cannot invest in alternative energy sources.

"We can have both," Fink added.

Fink noted that TransCanada, the company leading the pipeline, “will remove this oil no matter what.”

Of all TransCanada’s options (shipping it abroad, moving it by train and using the pipeline) Fink maintained processing it on U.S. soil was the safest way of doing so.

"It can go out of the country, it can go by train cars or it can go through a pipeline to the gulf,” he said, “where we can process this as cleanly as possible.”

Leuters pivoted to the extreme situation: He asked Fink to consider the possibility of a spill, one that could threaten the lives of innocent Americans and pose serious ecological harms to the surrounding areas.

"It only takes one spill. Do we remember the Gulf spill, or the Kalamazoo spill? It takes one gigantic problem," he warned.

The last topic concerned hydraulic fracturing, better known as fracking.

Fracking was described as the extraction technique allowing for suitable extraction of natural gases through the cracks.

Tom Palumbo, FCRH ’17, of the Democrats, argued that the destructive effects of fracking are not worth the temporary economic benefits.

"What you are doing with fracking is destroying the area," Palumbo said.

"It destroys the shale and eventually you can only do that for so long."

"Most wells can only be fracked 18 times and then it is gone. This is not a sustainable practice," he added.

Tom Samuelson, FCRH ’16 of the Republicans, shifted the focus to job creation: "It will support more than 600,000 jobs, where the average wage is twice the national average," he said.

Samuelson, however, was keen on beefing up the need to frack responsibly. Adding that the ecological concerns of environmentalists can be minimized with further efforts to do so with caution.

Samuelson noted vertical drilling, monitoring of seismic "sweet spots" and other solutions that help clean up the process. "There are ton of people unemployed," he said. "Fracking, if done properly, can provide a lot of jobs, and it's helping the economy and helping the American people."

Palumbo disagreed: "All of damages are just not going to be able to be fixed in the future, and the benefits are not worth the cost."

"When it's your backyard, your ecosystem and your drinking water," he closed, "fracking is not worth the risk."

Along with being a traditional event that engages the two clubs and varying political perspectives, the debate was also seen as an experiment in debate formatting and the use of social media in engaging audiences.

“It certainly opens up more opportunities," said Leuters on the use of round-table debates. "Panels divided by policy have much more colorful arguments and add more information."

Michael Bilotti, FCRH ’15 and president of the Democrats, added that it was a first experiment, and that the groups are hoping for feedback.

"The biggest reason is that we are trying to change perception," he said following the debate. "There are areas that we agree and do not agree, but we enjoy doing these events.”

“We want to provide new ways to intake news in a captivating manner while providing professional analysis and accuracy,” noted DeVera, who moderated the panel on ISIS. “Audience interaction can determine how interesting a debate is, and that's the dimension we want to work on for future events and guest speakers on campus.”

Jennifer Minerva, FCRH ’16, vice president of the College Republicans, commended all of the debaters and noted that the debates could have gone to either side. ”It wasn't pure mudslinging like previous debates," she said. "Both sides gave cogent arguments which made it difficult to choose a winner.”

Cardboard Pope is Flat Out Gone; Campus Ministry Awaits Return

By JOE VITALE MANAGING EDITOR

A life-sized cardboard cutout of Pope Francis, the first Jesuit pope and the first pope from the Americas, was stolen from Campus Ministry’s office in the McGinley Center during Thanksgiving Break, according to the Campus Ministry.

The theft of the cutout was first reported on Monday, when members of Campus Ministry returned from the long weekend and noticed that the cutout was no longer in its usual place outside the office.

Students were alerted of the incident from a Facebook post by Fr. Phil Florio, S.J., director of Campus Ministry at Fordham.

“We need your help: the life-size Pope Francis cardboard cut-out that has become a beloved addition to our Campus Ministry promotions on campus has gone missing from the front of our office in McGinley,” Flo-

rio said in the post.

Florio added that Public Safety is aware of the situation and that it will be reviewing security cameras “with great attention.” Because the cutout belongs to Campus Ministry, it is considered university property, which can lead to more serious action if a member of the community does not come forward.

The cutout of Pope Francis was acquired by Campus Ministry — for a meager $45 — in August and has been used to promote numerous events, such as the Mass of the Holy Spirit and Ignatian Week.

“Campus Ministry is not gimmicky,” said Fr. Phil Florio, S.J., the director of Campus Ministry, noting that, to some, using a cutout of the Holy Father could come off as too cheeky. “But it is one gimmick we though we could have a little fun with.”

For many, the cardboard figure is a reminder of the Jesuit tradition that

has come to have great influence in the Vatican following the pope’s becoming the pontiff. A confirmed visit to New York City — and, possibly, to Fordham — has all but increased his popularity in the community.

As for his cutout, Florio, acting out of compassion rather than suspicion, suggested that it may not have been taken but “simply borrowed.” If a member of the community were to return the cutout, Campus Ministry would be willing to “kindly forgive and forget.”

In light of the rather curious situation, many, including Florio, have used the opportunity to act with good humor considering the circumstances.

In a post on Tuesday evening, Florio noted that the cutout had been missing for a full 24 hours.

“Given this: I don’t know who you are. I don’t know what you want. If you’re looking for ransom, I can tell you I don’t have money but what I do

JOE VITALE/THE RAM

A cardboard cutout of Pope Francis has been taken from Campus Ministry.

have are a very particular set of skills,” Florio, in reference to Taken, said.

“Skills I have acquired over a very long career. If you return our cutout now, that will be the end of it. We will not look for you. We will not pursue

you. “ If not, Florio is asking the theif to buy them a new cutout.

“Which,” he noted, “is impossible because today we learned that they are sold out.”

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PHOTO

Volume 96 in Review

December 3, 2014

December 3, 2014

OPINION

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The Fordham Ram

Losing the Matzoh Balls of Midtown

By RICHARD BORDELON OPINION EDITOR

For the average New Yorker, going to Times Square is a nuisance.

Each day, hordes of tourists walk slowly through the square at the intersection of Seventh Avenue and Broadway, cheerfully snapping pictures of brightly-lit billboards with their iPhone cameras.

The businesses and restaurants that surround the square are chain restaurants serving bland, often uninteresting food.

This, however, was not always the case. Times Square was not always a tourist’s paradise. The founding of the Times Square Business Improvement District (BID), now called the Times Square Alliance, began the “Disney-fication” of the square in 1992, as the BID sought to make it a showcase for New York.

Amid the changes in the theatre district, few small businesses have persevered and succeeded in remaining open as rents rise higher and higher. Cafe Edison had done so since 1980, until early November. Cafe Edison, part of Hotel Edison on 47th Street, was told by its landlord that the hotel would not renew its lease for 2015. The cafe is to be replaced by a “whitetablecloth” restaurant as part of the hotel’s renovation project.

This eviction is just another ex-

JOSH AMES / FLICKR

Cafe Edison, famous for its down-to-earth food and atmosphere, is being forced to close by its landord, Hotel Edison.

ample of how Times Square and the Theatre District is slowly losing its characteristically “New York” atmosphere.

The cafe, which is famous for its Jewish-style diner food, is located in the former grand ballroom of Hotel Edison. The dining room itself is half elegant dining room, half old-time diner. The combination of these two seemingly separate worlds makes the restaurant

even more uniquely “New York.”

Broadway producers rub elbows with tourists amid vinyl booths and a long lunch counter.

Much of the surrounding community is up in arms over the announced eviction, members of the Broadway theatre community in particular. The cafe has hosted playwrights, actors, ushers, designers and many other theatre people for years; it was even the

inspiration for Neil Simon’s 45 Seconds from Broadway. Producers and playwrights have made landmark Broadway deals at the diner. August Wilson even wrote parts of three of his plays on napkins from Cafe Edison.

The theatre community has not taken the closing lightly. Actors and actresses, along with many members of the Broadway community, have scheduled protests

to contest the closing of the restaurant.

“It’s one of the only places left with any ethnicity,” actress Jackie Hoffman, currently appearing in On the Town on Broadway, told Gothamist. “It’s not so much a part of New York history, it’s what New York is, it’s what New York represents.”

It is certainly a shame that such establishments are disappearing from the landscape of midtown Manhattan. At first, the chain restaurants and stores were limited to Times Square itself.

However, more and more are spreading into the heart of the Theatre District, between Seventh and Eighth Avenues. For example, popular chain Buffalo Wild Wings just opened a restaurant down the street from Cafe Edison next to the Ethel Barrymore Theatre. Such institutions lack a “New York” identity and only detract from the kind of unique atmosphere created by the Broadway theatre itself.

Cafe Edison holds a place in the history of the city. By evicting it, the Hotel Edison has chosen to completely ignore the history and legacy of the people who have graced the stools of this cafe.

Richard Bordelon, FCRH ’15, is a history and political science double major from New Orleans.

In Fight Between School and State, Students Are Victims

By ANDREW SANTIS STAFF WRITER

First, some good news for us college students: according to College Board, the increased tuition and fee prices for public and private nonprofit institutions between 2013-2014 and 2014-2015 are lower than the average annual increases in over 30 years.

And now for the bad news: college tuition and fees are gradually going up.

For our University of California (U.C.) counterparts, whose tuition rates have been the same for the past three years, this news was irrelevant to them.

Until now.

Last month, the U.C. Board of Regents voted in favor of U.C. President Janet Napolitano’s proposition to increase tuition by five percent for each of the next five years.

This means a California resident’s undergraduate tuition and fees (not including room and board) would increase to as much as $15,564 in the 2019-20 academic year from the current $12,192, while an out-of-state student would have to pay around $45,000 a year in 2019 compared to $35,000 this year.

Welcome to the club, U.C. students.

The main reason for the tuition increase is inadequate state funding for the university.

Although I have a strong feeling that Napolitano’s “necessary”

proposal was more of a tactic to pressure California Governor Jerry Brown’s administration to allocate funds for U.C., she does have a point.

State budgets for higher education all over the U.S. were drastically cut as a result of the recession that started in 2007.

At public institutions, like the University of California, total state fiscal support declined by 16 percent from $90.5 billion in 2007 to $76.2 billion in 2013 according to College Board’s “Trends in College Pricing 2014.”

Education experts argue that the decline in state funding is the primary reason for tuition inflation in recent years.

If states are not going to allocate enough money for colleges and universities, higher education institutions are forced to find another source for funds. Raising tuition on a yearly basis is the easiest way. There is also fundraising and alumni contributions.

Accepting more out-of-state and international students who pay higher or full tuition is another approach. This method is controversial, however.

A recent article in The Wall Street Journal sheds light on schools decreasing enrollment of qualified in-state students for nonresident students just because the latter pays more.

No matter how you look at it, students and their families are the victims in this whole ordeal.

Some students will take out hefty

JOHN MORGAN / FLICKR

The University of California has sparked controversy by cutting state funding despite increasing the cost of tuition.

loans to cover tuition expenses and will graduate with a mountain of student loan debt.

Low-income students will be discouraged by a college’s price tag and thus automatically overlook the school for a school that is more affordable.

If one were to pinpoint the root of this problem, one would have to blame state governments. Were it not for budget cuts, it is very much possible that tuition at pub-

lic state colleges would not be ballooning at the rate that it is. There is a demand for high-quality (which is not synonymous with outrageously expensive) education as demonstrated by increasing enrollment every year. A college degree is still a worthwhile investment, despite how expensive it may be.

Students deserve to benefit from being educated at some of the best institutions in the world.

They should not be deprived of an education because cost is an issue.

Let us hope that the trend of slower tuition increases continues so that America’s colleges and universities can become affordable for talented and intelligent future generations.

Andrew Santis, GSB ’16, is a marketing major from Queens, New York.

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R

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

FordhamRam.com Advertising: (718) 817-4379 Executive: (718) 817-4380 Fax: (718) 817-4319 theram@fordham.edu Fordham University - Station 37 Box B Bronx, NY 10458

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

Opinions Policy The Fordham Ram appreciates submissions to fordhamramletters@ gmail.com. Commentaries are printed on a space available basis. The Fordham Ram reserves the right to reject any submission for any reason, without notice. Submissions become the exclusive property of The Fordham Ram. The Fordham Ram reserves the right to edit any submissions. The opinions in The Fordham Ram’s editorials are those of the editorial board; those expressed in articles, letters, commentaries, cartoons or graphics are those of the individual author.

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

OPINION

December 3, 2014

From the Desk | Kelly Kultys

65 Unforgettable Tuesdays I’ve spent 65 Tuesdays in The Ram office. Since the second semester of my freshman year 65 Tuesdays have been put toward producing the weekly newspaper.

I don’t know Tuesdays without The Fordham Ram. I don’t think I realized way back, when I was just three mere months into my college career, what I would be signing up for when I told the editor-in-chief at the time, Nick Carroll, FCRH ’12, that I would gladly accept the position of assistant news editor, even though I was crushed that I didn’t get offered assistant sports editor.

I certainly didn’t think that taking the position would mean giving up Sunday nights, Monday nights and Tuesday nights to spend locked in the depths of McGinley. I didn’t think it would mean consuming more coffee than what’s probably safe in the twelve-hour span from 5 p.m. to 5 a.m. I didn’t think it would mean learning the ins and outs of journalism on the fly while interviewing students, faculty and administrators. And, I most certainly didn’t think I would walk away from the position with a family.

It’s really funny, actually, how that happens when all of you are stuck in the same space multiple times a week. You grow to love and care for these people as if you were friends for your entire life.

In reality, you might be closer to them than some of the friends you have known for much longer, because of the many hours spent confined together.

I know for certain that I had

never taken spontaneous trips to Best Deli to get dinner at 11:30 p.m., and ended up having a heart to heart with many of my other friends. I’ve never willingly gone out of my way to spend extra time with people I had just seen for 12 hours straight until I became a member of The Fordham Ram. It may have taken my Tuesday nights, but it’s given me so much more.

To my entire Volume 96 staff, I can’t express how much I love each and every one of you. We’re an eclectic group, that’s for sure, ranging from our football manager/sports editor to our band leading opinion editor to our pre-med assistant copy chief to our Ireland-bound photo editor.

I don’t know if any of us would have crossed paths without The Fordham Ram, but you’ve made an incredibly deep impression on my life.

To my fellow seniors—Max, Katie N., Mike, Matt and Ricky— we made it. Matt and Ricky, it’s felt like ages since the three of us began in the print shop as measly assistants. To Max and Katie N., who joined our family in Volume 95 and to Mike who joined us this year, we’re all feeling the loss of leaving our home of these last few years. It’s one of the first goodbyes on our road to the inevitable date in May. To Connor Ryan, my mentor and former Ram staffer, we may have had some differences this year, but you were the first one who taught me what it takes to be a good journalist, and for that I will be forever grateful.

To my parents, because without them, this run at The Fordham Ram would have never been possible, thank you for always helping me and encouraging me to strive for my dreams.

To Katie M., Laura, Anthony, Amanda, Nicole, Christian and Chip, I hope you take what you learned from Volume 96 and carry it forward to Volume 97.

To Joe, there are so many reasons I could say thank you. You have been my rock for this last volume — the person I go to when something is wrong with the issue, the person I go to for ideas, advice, suggestions, the person that can take my crazed 3 a.m. state over a misprinted headline and turn it into a joke, the person who had to deal with sitting next to me for the last 22 Tuesdays. I can’t tell you how proud I am of you and how thrilled I am that you will be the next editor-inchief of The Fordham Ram. You and Katie M. will be tremendous leaders of Volume 97, I have no doubt in my mind.

Change is a part of life, and one that I am slowly growing to accept, however, throughout my years at Fordham, The Fordham Ram has been the one constant.

During that time, I’ve gained friends, I’ve lost friends, I’ve changed residence halls, I’ve declared a major and a minor, I’ve earned almost 100 credits, I’ve celebrated three birthdays and I’ve held three different positions on this newspaper. So much has changed in my life over that time, but the one thing that remained was that every Tuesday when 5

p.m. rolled around, I would be headed to McGinley, to my home in B-52 and B-48.

That won’t be the case for me and my fellow seniors come next semester, our final semester here at Fordham, probably the time when we will experience the most change.

It’ll be sad at first when that time rolls around and I will no longer have to grab my keys and head over. I won’t have to worry about having cash to pay for takeout or my charger because I know I will last longer in the office than my phone.

I don’t know what I’m going to do with my Tuesdays, since it’s something I haven’t had to think about in a long time. What I do know is, as I type these few words, I leave The Fordham Ram with more than I ever could have imagined.

And, while I don’t know what I’m going to do with my Tuesdays, I’m certain I’ll keep my Wednesdays open to see my favorite people.

Editorial | Campus Life

Apathy Out, Activism In Looking back on the 96th volume of The Fordham Ram, which we began in January, there was not a single, defining story that stood out among the rest as the highlight of the volume. What became clear as we flipped through old issues, however, was an exciting trend on campus — an upswing in student activism and engagement with issues both on and off campus.

Throughout the year, when students were met with changes on campus of which they disapproved, they voiced their opinions and forced administrators to listen. This was especially apparent with the closing of the old gym, which was met with outrage from the student body.

Working through United Student Government (USG), students demanded accommodations to meet the high demand in the wake of the old gym’s closing, with which the administration complied by providing more equipment. Students also voiced their disapproval with Sodexo over the chicken tender downgrade, causing the company to return the five and fries to mealswipe status.

Open discussion around serious student life issues, which had previously received little atten-

tion, also became prevalent this year as well. Women’s Empowerment, which gained more traction as well as official club status this year, teamed up with USG to call upon Dean Rodgers to answer questions about the university’s handling of sexual assault cases and to discuss the prevalence of sexual violence on campus. Students for Sex and Gender Equality and Safety (SAGES) opened a dialogue about the availability of contraception on campus with its condom drops during homecoming weekend and its protests on both the Rose Hill and Lincoln Center campuses. The administration has been open to discussing these issues, and has brought issues of its own to the table.

Rodgers, for example, opened the discussion of binge drinking culture on campus, saying, “We’re going to lose somebody.”

Other groups, such as Fordham Students Against Inequality and Racism (FAIR), which aims to address issues of racism and discrimination on campus, have started with sustained and serious dialogue, and will likely be calling for discussion with the administration soon.

This spirit of activism has begun to reshape conversation around hot button issues on

campus, and students have begun discussing and organizing around off-campus justice issues as well. Students for Environmental Awareness and Justice brought dozens of students to the People’s Climate March earlier this semester to join hundreds of thousands of protesters demanding environmental justice for all. A community organizing group within the Dorothy Day Center teamed up with several departments and student groups to hold a vigil for victims of police brutality on the McGinley lawn this fall, and the Stay Woke: Write Yourself In event invited students to write about their personal experiences of racism.

Meanwhile, the College Democrats Republicans have emphasized their amicable relations and worked as partners to encourage student involvement in politics. Keeping with tradition, the groups invited thought and dialogue provoking speakers to campus — Ezra Klein for the Democrats and Kimberly Strassel for the Republicans. They have also coprogrammed with other groups and offices on campus to host new events such as the ASILI/ College Republican discussion of race and politics and Fr. Greg Boyle’s presentation on Homeboy

Industries’ gang ministry. The Fordham Political Review gained popularity this year, and politically-active students on campus created a petition to host a gubernatorial debate at Fordham further illustrating an increase from prior years in political activity and interest on campus.

We at The Fordham Ram are excited about the growing trend of activism on campus. Conversations that did not take place in the past are finally beginning to happen among students, between students and the administration and between students and the greater community.

We applaud the actions that students have taken to improve our school, and we hope that some of the meaningful discussions that are occurring will soon turn into actions. We anticipate that this action around student life, justice and political issues will continue into our next volume, and we look forward to reporting on these discussions, protests, petitions and events every step of the way.

Editorial Policy The Fordham Ram’s editorials are selected on a weekly basis and are meant to reflect the editorial board’s view on a particular issue.

OPINION

December 3, 2014

Page 9

Kaitlyn Lyngaas

Danielle Figueroa

Taking Back The Media

Catcalling: Not A Compliment Last month, a video of a woman walking down the streets of New York City went viral. Why? Because in the time span of the 10 hours she walked, she received over 100 comments, whistles and stares.

Although the video itself was only two minutes long, the point was pretty clear.

Many women (the exact percentage varies, but available statistics estimate 90 percent to 99 percent) — no matter who they are, how they are dressed or what they look like — can hardly walk down a city street minding their own business, without being talked to or gawked at by complete strangers in an incredibly demeaning way.

This isn’t to say that all men catcall women on the street.

However, the men that do it don’t understand why women usually ignore them or are sometimes offended by their “compliments.” They don’t understand why their actions are wholly rude and inappropriate.

For one thing, it is not at all flattering to be whistled at or to be the target of a crude remark.

It’s embarrassing, alienating, dehumanizing, invasive and actually pretty scary.

People constantly tell women on the street to “smile more” or “take the compliment,” but how is hounding us going to do anything but make us feel uncomfortable?

Again, that’s not to say that men who catcall women are all “predators” or threatening individuals, but how else are we supposed to feel when someone we don’t know starts following or staring us down like they’ve never seen a woman before?

The motives of these kinds of actions can also be unclear. It’s also necessary, however, to acknowledge whether the other person is actually well-intentioned, complimenting us in a way that does not feel powerful, scary or controlling.

And, of course, that needs to be well-received on the woman’s behalf.

There are certain actions that more likely elicit a positive response. “Excuse me, I think you’re beautiful” has a much better chance of receiving a “thank you” or another positive acknowledgement than a lick of the lips or whistle does.

Unfortunately many people still do not understand the distinctions between catcalls and compliments and between harassment and a comment on a woman’s appearance.

It is completely dependent on to how the person receives the interaction.

But, it’s important for both men and women to understand their roles in these issues, and to realize that if someone’s “compliments,” are not received as such, they are most probably missing the mark completely.

COURTESY OF FLICKR

Students should not be discouraged from applying to a college that has a very low acceptance rate.

Acceptance Rates Are Overrated

By JOSEPH VITALE MANAGING EDITOR

When the U.S. News and World Report publishes its national university rankings each year, the numbers have the tendency to be regarded as arbitrary. It is not entirely convincing, many contend, to distill vast swaths of information into such tidy lists.

But, for many, a quick data analysis demonstrates that top universities share a great deal that make them more desirable. One factor that is never overlooked is a school’s acceptance rate. There are elite institutions such as Harvard, Princeton and Stanford, that boast incredibly low acceptance rates. Stanford, at number one, admitted just 5.7 percent of applicants last year. Yale, tied for fourth, and Harvard, which ranked second, admitted less than 7 percent of those who applied.

In recent years, this figure has become one of the most crucial factors in determining a school’s ranking, and acceptance rates have come to serve as an indicator of exclusivity.

If it is too high, schools appear lacking in rigor and are dismissed as mediocre. If too low, a school can appear beyond the grasp of applicants who would be considered moderately competitive.

But, it is the extremely low acceptance rates that have the largest effect on prospective students’ mentalities.

Due to a university’s apparent elitism, low acceptance rates entice thousands of aspiring students from across the country to hedge their bets by submitting an application. With even more applicants applying and no increased class sizes, this furthers low acceptance rates.

What results is a vicious cycle.

The fact that more students are applying to more schools is hardly newsworthy. One out of every four seniors, according to College Board, submitted seven or more applications last year. According to the National Association of College Admission Council, 25 percent of students who enrolled in college in 2010 applied to more than seven schools.

Just a year before, that number was 23 percent.

Similarly telling are the numbers being reported by colleges. In 2010, 73 percent of colleges and universities experienced an increase in applications from the previous year, with

Fordham’s undergraduate program being among this large percentage.

One of the factors explaining why more colleges are receiving applications is the Common Application.

Since its initiation 35 years ago, the Common App has provided a streamlined platform for students to submit their applications to the more than 500 schools associated with the service. Its stated purpose is to promote “equity, access, and integrity,” and data shows that the Common App has been more than successful in helping students cast wider nets.

But, in blooming undergraduate programs across the country, the same number of students are submitting way more applications for the same number of spots, requiring competitive universities to reject more and more students each year.

Apply to Stanford, and there is a 95 percent chance you receive a rejection. Submit an application to Washington University in St. Louis and the number hovers in the 70 percent range. Throw your hat into the ring at Fordham and there is more than 50 percent chance you are rejected.

Completing the vicious cycle, students are reacting by applying to more schools. Doing so, logic would suggest, increases one’s odds of acceptance, though it ultimately furthers the cycle as, each year, more and more students apply to the nation’s elite schools.

Along with fostering such a cycle of low acceptance rates, the gauge has encouraged more moderatelyrated colleges to boost the number of students who apply to their schools in order to appear more competitive.

The quickest — and most economical — way to do this is by massmarketing themselves in order to encourage more and more students to apply. Across the country, colleges are contributing to this cycle more fiercely than ever. They are constructing multi-million dollar arts centers and athletic facilities, expanding residence halls and providing amenities (poolside service, anyone?) like never before.

Colleges are also making the application process more streamlined in an effort to catch the attention of more students.

In his column in The New York Times, Frank Bruni recently considered Swarthmore College, a small liberal arts college, which recently simplified the application process

for potential students. Just a year ago, Bruni noted, Swarthmore applicants were required to write two 500-word essays as a supplement to the essay required by the Common Application. But, the requirements were followed by a dip in the number of applications it received. In order to reverse the trend — that is, lower its acceptance rate — the college scaled down the requirement to one supplemental essay, of only 250 words.

“Swarthmore is hardly alone in its desire to eliminate impediments to a bounty of applicants,” Bruni notes.

“Over the last decade, many elite colleges have adjusted their applications in ways that remove disincentives and maximize the odds that the number of students jockeying to get in remains robust — or, even better, grows larger.”

He has a point. Colleges often find that generating interest in their schools boosts their application number and lowers their acceptance rate, thus increasing its exclusivity.

This only adds to the hunger of students to graduate from universities renowned for their ultra-low acceptance rates.

So, if the number is a result of students applying to more schools and colleges making it easier to do so, does a school’s acceptance rate truly matter?

Most likely not. Most data point out the fact that because more students are applying does not necessarily mean more highly-qualified students are applying. Additionally, more students are submitting application to more schools than ever, forcing college’s to increase their number of acceptances in anticipation of lower yield rates. And lastly, an acceptance-rate is a number that colleges can easily inflate by simplifying its application requirements, offering free applications and so forth.

One should not be disuaded from applying to a school that has a low acceptance rate. Similarly, there is little reason to believe that applying to a school with an average acceptance makes it any less prestigious. Like any other number (say, retention rates and starting salaries) acceptance rates are simply another number to consider, not fuss over. As for tuition rates, that is a different story.

Joseph Vitale, FCRH ’16, is a political science and urban studies double major from Staten Island, New York.

We, as people of America and citizens of the world, are facing a gross injustice — one that many are unaware of and that many remain ignorant of.

Our media has become so obsessed with capitalizing on trends and half-truths that it has lost sight of its intended purpose: to provide factual information about what is going on in our country and in our world.

Sometimes what is newsworthy (e.g. the attack on the Mexican consulate in Austin) is not trendy.

More often, what is trendy (e.g. the continued search for missing flight MH370) is not newsworthy.

It all comes down to one thing: ratings, ratings, ratings. If no one wants to read about unpopular issues, the media isn’t going to focus on it.

Sure, Fox News could admit that the Obama administration did nothing wrong in Benghazi. But, as talk radio host Brian Joyce says, “Why tell you that, when it’s so much easier to pedal in lies, myths and misinformation?”

And sure, CNN could have just said that there were no updates on the missing airplane. But, why do that when MH370 coverage seems to attract viewers?

Thus we face a number of problems with the media as we know it today: its inability to admit when it is wrong, its reliance on speculation and hysteria and its insistence on making something out of nothing.

That is where we stand. How we got there, on the other hand, is a different story.

The media functions in this way because we have allowed it to do this. As consumers of information, we have become complacent.

We have stopped questioning what is presented to us, taking everything we see on The O’Reilly Factor or The Daily Show at face value. We seek out news that fits with our personal bias rather than news that has no bias and relies on facts. We have grown so reliant on the opinions that the media feeds us that we have stopped forming our own opinions.

This needs to change.

A well-informed and rational civil society is the key to progress.

When we have multiple voices in our ears telling us that Obama’s immigration legislation is “unconstitutional” and “unprecedented,” it is hard not to believe it, however untrue it may be.

The media has done a lot of damage by working to even further polarize the already divergent ideals of right and left-wing politics.

It is time that we, as consumers, take ownership of our media.

Explore different sources. Do your homework. Ask questions. Think for yourself.

Do not allow yourself to be lied to anymore. Instead, actively seek out the truth.

It is only when we stop accepting things as they are that they have room to change.

OPINION

Page 10

December 3, 2014

Letters and Comments SAGES and Catholic Doctrine To the Editor: Regarding: “The Unaddressed Elephant in the Room: SAGES Demonstrates Lack of Understanding of Catholic Doctrine” (op-ed, Nov. 19) I would like to thank The Ram for your discussion of SAGES’ demands in the Nov. 19 article “SAGES Demonstrates Lack of Understanding of Catholic Doctrine.” I agree that Fordham needs to foster a healthier environment around sex, including better services at the health center, and appreciate the call to include all of SAGES demands in our discussions, not just the most controversial.

I was deeply disturbed by MaryKate Glenn’s statement that “my opinions on birth control do not matter. SAGES’ opinions on birth control do not matter.

The majority of the student body’s opinions do not matter.” Fordham, as a university, literally exists for its students. That means that student opinions and student needs have the most power on campus and should be the first consideration when the administration decides policy. SAGES is fully aware of Catholic doctrine, and have addressed this issue multiple times in their literature. They are also aware that Fordham University is a separate institution from the Catholic church that chooses to follow church doctrine. Fordham currently recognizes and offers services for its lesbian, gay and bisexual students, a break from the Church that has greatly increased the quality of life for the whole community. As the administration has not been excommunicated, it is reasonable to believe that the Catholic Church will not break ties with Fordham over doctrine that the overwhelming majority of Catholics do not follow.

Throwing up our hands and resigning ourselves to blindly adhere to discriminatory doctrine that puts our bodies at risk never has been and never will be an effective way to enact change. Institutional change happens when those at the top of the hierarchy re-

spond to the voices of the majority that the institution exists to serve, an idea that applies both to Fordham and the Catholic church. Fordham must listen to the voices of its students if it wishes to retain its legitimacy as a university and effectively serve its student body Sincerely, Corina Minden-Birkenmaier FCRH ’17

To the Editor: Not sure how you can really call yourself a feminist when you’re critiquing the methods and principles of a group that actively promotes women’s rights, gender equality, etc. and then say no one at this school has an opinion that matters? I really think you should rethink those final words. You claim to be a feminist but are using language that directly harms its very ideals.

- sperosw, posted on fordhamram.com

To the Editor: Thank you. I don’t understand why SAGES can’t realize this. Get over it, girls, a Catholic school will never give you condoms. The day they do is the day they are no longer a Catholic school.

- KG, posted on fordhamram.com

Football Wins Patriot League To the Editor: Regarding “Fordham Undefeated in Patriot League: Rams Defeat Hoyas 52-7 at Home” (Sports, Nov. 15) I too am thrilled about the strides we’ve made in the past two years, and ecstatic about Fordham’s prominence in D1 FCS football. But we are not Notre Dame, and don’t want to be. The crowd rituals will

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come when the crows get consistently bigger, which will happen when the press coverage of what we have achieved grows. I understand the lack of coverage from the NY Times – they are on a crusade against football in general, among other things – but why aren’t there any articles in the other NY papers about a football power that exists within NYC limits? Quite the anomaly, and something that I think ought to be pressed by the SID. Seriously, a national football power in the Bronx? Isn’t that news????

- tom, posted on fordhamram.com

To the Editor: As a 2001 alum, the past few years in Fordham football have stunned me in the happiest way possible. AD Roach hiring coach Moorhead may have been the best athletic decision we’ve made since restarting the program in the 70s. I am incredibly proud to be a Ram. That said, I hope our athletic director also starts work on really developing the gameday experience. I was at the Georgetown game on Saturday and went to both the Georgetown game and Holy Cross game last year.

Here’s the thing — as fans, we have No Idea What We’re Doing! We’re lucky if we know the fight song! Compared to my experience in grad school at Notre Dame we are incredibly disorganized, have no intimidation factor and in general have no idea how to pay attention.

I don’t know if we need better pep rallies and promotions on campus or what — consistent performance from the band and cheerleaders would probably help, too — but that “12th man” effect can make a huge difference, especially (obviously) on defense.

When we go to the playoffs, I want the Fordham faithful to put the fear of God into its opposition. We can do this! We just need some fan commitment and athletic department leadership.

Hail, men (and women!) of Fordham, hail!

-starkruzr, posted on fordhamram.com

THANK YOU FOR READING - VOLUME 96

Don’t Forget to Recycle The Ram

December 3, 2014

CULTURE

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The Fordham Ram

Cafe Undergoes Changes, Rejoins Fordham Nightlife

By MICHAEL CHARBONEAU STAFF WRITER

On a Thursday night in October, the heavy steel security doors rolled up on a long-shuttered Fordham Road storefront. Behind those doors, a transformation took place: The Blend Cafe, the coffee shop that closed suddenly in May 2013, is once again open for business, this time as a fullfledged bar.

Prior to the closure, The Blend, owned by Fordham alumni Bill and Suzann Fleming, had been a popular hangout for Fordham students, who stopped in for its fresh coffee and comfortable couches. It hosted many concerts and fundraisers as well, and from the outside at least, it seemed to fulfill the role of student gathering space that the Flemings envisioned.

“I loved it,” said Gaby Gutierrez, FCRH ’15. “It was a really cool space because it served so many different purposes.”

Behind the counter, however, things were not so rosy. Bill Fleming explains that stores like Dunkin’ Donuts and 7-Eleven began to draw away customers, and the competition became fierce.

Fleming looked to create another source of income by refashioning the cafe as a nightlife establishment, and soon The Blend started serving alcohol.

“It was basically a money issue,” Fleming said.

However, with the new hours and offerings came new problems.

The cafe’s capacity was limited to 74 people, and on weekends it would quickly become overfilled with students. In addition, the cafe needed a cabaret license in

order to allow people to dance.

“We were happy that it was working well, but it needed to be upgraded,” Fleming said. “The way it was going was that it was illegal.”

After the NYPD issued a ticket for license violations, the Flemings decided to bring The Blend into line with the law. They closed the cafe in the spring of 2013 and began the long application process for the license, along with the remodeling it required.

The Blend that opened this fall is the fruit of that labor. Anyone who remembers the quaint coffee shop will notice that the new Blend looks totally different: the coffee machines and display cases for food are gone, along with the entire wall that separated the front of the cafe from the lounge in the back. It now has a completely open floor plan, with a long bar commanding the room from one side, and even an outdoor patio.

With its new cabaret license, The Blend has reinvented itself as Fordham’s newest bar, and is now open on Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights.

“So instead of 74 people gathering to have cocktails and discuss, we now can have 376 people come in, drink and dance,” Fleming said.

If The Blend’s transformation is surprising, the mystery surrounding its closure and unpublicized reopening is even more so. Jeff Coltin, FCRH ’15, columnist for The Ram, visited the bar on the first night it reopened, but found out about it only by chance.

“I just heard from a friend,” he said. “I was shocked.”

He says he was especially surprised since he had asked The Blend on Facebook and Twitter if

CASEY CHUN/THE RAM

After closing to renovate and receive a cabaret license, The Blend is looking to become a Fordham nightlife hotspot.

they would reopen, but they avoided his question in their responses.

“They were being very dodgy on social media,” said Coltin.

Fleming says the mystery was intentional. He and his wife closed the cafe suddenly in order to avoid more fines from the police, and they thought a secretive reopening would allow them to reestablish their business more easily.

Now that word has spread, The Blend has begun to draw crowds regularly. Looking ahead, Fleming

plans to market the bar as a TriBar alternative, and hopefully attract students who are dissatisfied with the small size of those more wellknown establishments. To do so, he says he wants to make The Blend into a space for concerts, fundraisers and other student events, much like it was in its first incarnation.

“We want to add to the nightlife,” he said. “Now if you want to use the space, we’re able to have you come in, you can use the

space as you want.”

For now, though, Fleming is mainly concerned with building up the bar’s reputation as a nightlife spot. The struggles of the past few years have shown him that running a successful business is no easy feat, but this latest reinvention of The Blend may prove to be a winning formula. As for the students who miss The Blend’s old book-friendly atmosphere, he has one piece of advice: “Go to the library.”

TV Binge Guide: ‘Castle’

By NICOLE FIORICA personal struggles dealing with her mother’s unsolved murder give her a interesting backstory that spills into the show’s most compelling plotlines. However, Castle’s antics and wittiness do bring out Beckett’s more lighthearted side, which juxtaposes her professional demeanor.

STAFF WRITER

Genre: Dramedy/Crime Drama Seasons/Episodes: 7/136 Avg Episode Length: 43 minutes Available on: Amazon Instant Video What it’s about: When a killer begins replicating the murders in his novels, bestselling mystery writer Rick Castle (Nathan Fillion) serves as an adviser to the NYPD homicide unit led by Detective Kate Beckett (Stana Katic). Even after they solve the case, Castle gets permission to shadow the team in order to help him write his next book series. Much to Beckett’s dismay, she has become the primary inspiration for his new protagonist, and real-life feelings start to develop between her and Castle.

Over seven seasons, Nathan Fillion and Stana Katic developed stellar chemistry.

Why it’s so good: Ultimately, fans of the show watch for Castle and Beckett’s amazing chemistry, which is equal parts comedy and drama.

Rick Castle’s antics and efforts as a novelist are always fun to watch, but he is still a well-developed character as a writer and a family man who must navigate his own

COURTESY OF FLICKR

problems while taking care of his daughter and dealing with the antics of his fame-obsessed mother.

Beckett, likewise, is more than just another pretty face, and her

Why you should binge it: Castle is seven seasons long and counting, which makes it an ideal choice if you are looking for a lengthy show to devour. As mentioned before, a large part of what makes Castle such a great show is watching the relationship between Castle and Beckett develop, but you’ll have to watch through a lot of [will they/won’t they] tension to get to that point.

The sheer desire of wanting it to happen will prompt you to watch faster.

Standouts: Castle is a fun dramedy, but the best episodes are the ones that break away into more highstakes plotlines. Some of the best arcs to follow involve Beckett’s

desire to catch her mother’s killer, an unsolved mystery from years ago. Episodes that epitomize this story are Season 3’s “Knockdown” and “Knockout.” Additional fanfavorite episodes include season four’s “Always,” when Beckett is put on trial for murder and Castle must decide how far he is willing to go to help her and Season 5’s “Still,” in which Beckett and Castle rehash their relationship as Beckett stands on a bomb detonator.

Potential Pitfalls At the end of the day, “Castle” is still a cop drama, so the ins and outs of each season may seem a little bit slow, with a few standout episodes amidst a string of formulaic one-episode plot arcs.

For this reason, it is not such a tragedy that season one is a very short 10 episodes. If police shows like “Law and Order” are your thing, then “Castle” is definitely a {show for you. But, if you need a cliffhanger at the end of every episode in order to keep your attention hooked, getting into “Castle” may be a little bit of a struggle.

CULTURE

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December 3, 2014

Editor’s Pick | Last Week Tonight

Oliver’s Twist on Comedic Journalsim

By LAURA SANICOLA ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR

It has been weeks since British comedian John Oliver has graced audiences with his hilarity on HBO, signing off from a successful first season of his new show by shooting salmon from cannons onto the sets of various television programs. Although season two of “Last Week Tonight With John Oliver” will not air until February, I find myself among the millions streaming his old segments on YouTube, applauding what I consider to be a milestone in late night political satire television. Armed with a charmingly crooked smile, clever quips and a wealth of statistics and research, Oliver called our attention to bit pieces of news using a unique mix of investigative journalism and stand up comedy in a new and refreshing way.

When I first learned of the premise of “Last Week Tonight,” I had to ask myself: Does the world need another comedy show poking fun at right wing antics and government stupidity? Surely Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert and the cast of “SNL” spend an adequate amount of my week debunking political backtalk and calling out public figures using the post-modern irony that makes for the satire that makes us feel super smart and politically aware. Yet, Oliver’s methodology is somewhat different than that of his counterparts and arguably more effective at informing audiences with evidence coupled with humor. He has tackled the in-

effectiveness of state legislatures and our inability to discern what even goes on in our state capitols. He has briefed us on the way the lottery system exploits those already living below the poverty line with the guise of helping fund education. He has relayed the false marketing behind beauty pageant programs that claim to offer millions of dollars in scholarships. He has us seething that the process of creating visas for translators who have endangered their lives and families to help American causes creates only a handful of annual visas.

He has done all this humorously and passionately with a patriotic fervor that initially catches one by surprise when hearing arguments articulated in a thick British accent.

Oliver’s success at reaching the public in a matter of months has been the most impressive effect of Oliver’s relatively new campaign. He not only has been able to introduce relatively ‘dull’ topics such as the war on net neutrality, in a smart, engaging manner, but after advocating that people take advantage of the Federal Communication Commission’s initial open commenting period to express their desire for a free internet, the government server crashed. This caused the FCC to tweet heavy traffic as the cause of their technical difficulties.

As a journalist and a longtime Comedy Central fan myself, I appreciate the breadth of research Oliver uses to promote a public awareness of relevant, if not hot, topics in a com-

Playlist | Rosemary Derocher

Christmas Sing-Alongs Christmas season is in full swing now, for the eager enthusiasts who, like me, broke out the Christmas playlists on Nov. 1 as well as the more patient souls who like to give Thanksgiving its full due. In honor of my favorite time of the year, I’ve put together a list of some of my favorite Christmas songs, including different versions of classics as well as some lesser-known songs.

“O Holy Night,” Sufjan Stevens, Songs for Christmas, Vols. 1-5: Sufjan Stevens explores the song from multiple angles, shifting from a simple, delicate arrangement into one sweeping chorus and back out again with grace. There is banjo, abundant harmony and a twinkling glockenspiel — what more could anyone want? Stevens’s version of “O Holy Night” gives it the grandiosity the song is due without getting overwhelming and bombastic.

“It Feels Like Christmas,” The Muppet Christmas Carol: This is my favorite song from my favorite Christmas movie, and for good reason. While “It Feels Like Christmas” is not a traditional Christmas song, it has plenty of jingle bells and joy to give it the right feel. Every lyric of the song is very important, but I’ll bring it down to one line: “Wherever you find love, it feels like Christmas.”

“O Come All Ye Faithful,” Art Garfunkel, The Singer: Art Garfunkel’s slow acoustic take on “O Come All Ye Faithful” is incredibly beautiful. Whenever it comes up on shuffle, I find myself pausing to sit still and listen to it. It’s simply angelic.

“Sleigh Ride,” Boston Pops Orchestra, I’ll Be Home for Christmas: The Pops’ version of “Sleigh Ride” is one of the most quintessential Christmas recordings ever to exist.

From the moment it starts with the jingle bells to the high point when the brass comes in at full tilt, everything is Christmas. This is the version of “Sleigh Ride” you’ve been looking for.

This is instant Christmas.

“Last Christmas,” Ariana Grande, Christmas Kisses: Ariana Grande’s 2013 cover of “Last Christmas” is just as catchy and super groovy as her more popular songs. It’s a bit more upbeat than the original, leaving it with an attitude of hope that rises above the despondency. There is also a fantastic key change, carried by Grande’s soaring voice.

“We Need A Little Christmas,” Angela Lansbury, Mame: I first heard this song in A Muppet Family Christmas, but I’ve decided one Muppet song is enough for this playlist.

The original version from the 1966 musical Mame is better anyway. Angela Lansbury perfectly captures a slightly manic sense of desperation and mixes it with a bit of love for the Christmas season. All in all, a great pick for Club Lib at two in the morning!

This is just a cubic inch off of the iceberg of Christmas music that is available in this world. Go out there and explore, and you’re sure to find something that really tickles your fancy — or at least keeps you afloat during finals season. Good luck, everyone!

COURTESY OF APIMAGES

British Comedian, John Oliver started by subbing for John Stewart.

prehensive way. Yes, one of his most popular YouTube clips argues that pumpkin spice lattes taste like how candles taste, not how they smell.

Yes, his absurdities include spoofing “Sesame Street” to raise awareness for prison culture today. Despite the obvious comedic effect intended by his show, each 15 minute argument

leaves me feeling more educated than when I walk out of several of my college classes — another op-ed for another time. “Last Week Tonight” does not yet have an exclusively leftist stigma attached to it, which has allowed moderate ideologues such as myself to tune in not because we feel our liberalism requires us to agree

with him, but because we are genuinely interested in what he has to say.

There is also something remarkable about his segments that I have coined “the Oliver effect” (and I am aware that this will not catch on). After watching him unfold an issue from a logical starting point and highlight the way in which FIFA has morally derailed or how public opinion on the police force in Ferguson has been misrepresented, by the segment’s end, I feel like viewers and I have collectively progressed in our understanding and can proceed to make some sort of change in our mentality, if not an active change, in the political system. It is going to take a lot more than a comedian weaving current effects and funny gimmicks in a half hour segment on HBO for any sort of political change to occur; the power to create change lies solely within the capacity of the viewer. But, in an age where it takes journalism affronted by puppets and salmon cannons to attract viewers long enough to think about real, hard-pressing issues that affect U.S. society today, then by all means, let there be puppets. Let there be salmon cannons. Let there be John Oliver.

Review | Movie Preview

Theater Classic Hits the Big Screen

By NICOLE HORTON CULTURE EDITOR

Into the Woods, the movie version of Stephen Sondheim’s Tony awardwinning musical, premieres on Christmas Day. Previews have shown tantalizing scenes of Meryl Streep, Anna Kendrick and Chris Pine dressed in fantastic costumes, while at the same time providing a glimpse of the score. A witch plots to teach important lessons to various characters of popular children’s stories including Little Red Riding Hood, Cinderella, Jack and the Beanstalk and Rapunzel.

The film features a star-studded cast, including Meryl Streep as The Witch, Johnny Depp as The Wolf, Anna Kendrick as Cinderella, Christine Baranski as Cinderella’s stepmother, Chris Pine as Cinderella’s Prince and Emily Blunt as The Baker’s Wife. The cast faces the challenge of delivering a modern adaptation of an iconic musical and timeless stories that many people grew up hearing.

“Rob Marshall brings a modern sensibility to all of these characters,” Anna Kendrick told The Fordham Ram, among other university newspaper outlets. “Since these stories belong to the ages, it makes sense that we update them. I think modern women have a tendency to overthink everything and not go with their gut.

She’s doing that the entire piece until something that she really has to reckon with happens. Suddenly it’s very clear for her what has to happen.”

Kendrick goes on to describe how women need to ask if a man understands what she is saying, even in her character’s case when he appears to be Prince Charming. Sometimes that means choosing the unknown over security.

“It’s based on the stories that parents have told their children for generations, so there’s the element where it’s pure fantasy and exciting for kids,”

COURTESY OF WIKIPEDIA

Into the Woods has a star-studded cast, with Meryl Streep as the witch.

said Kendrick. “For parents, we have to be careful what we tell our children; children take lessons to heart.

It’s our responsibility to prepare them for the reality of the world, which is really the second half of the film.”

Chris Pine delved into what it was like taking a known, often reprised, role and making it his own. “For my part, everyone in this film goes through these wonderfully complex journeys. My prince is way more two dimensional than that; he’s wonderfully self-absorbed. I had some fun bringing levity to the picture. There’s a bit of buffoon in the prince, and Cinderella gives him a chance to connect with her.”

Pine also mentioned that a month of rehearsal before filming helped the cast get to meet one another, get on the same page and form a sense of community. Pine’s co-stars have had a great deal of experience in the divisive genre of movie musicals,

such as Meryl Streep and Christine Baranski who starred in Mamma Mia, and Johnny Depp who helmed Sweeny Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street. In addition, Anna Kendrick starred in the movie Pitch Perfect, which featured a capella renditions of infectious pop hits.

“I had a lot of fun learning the ins and outs of the technique of the genre,” said Chris Pine. “I had a lot of incredibly talented people who have worked in this medium before, from Anna [Kendrick] to Meryl [Streep] to Christine [Baranski], so I had a lot of help around me.”

Nevertheless, Kendrick described the unique challenge that this film brought her despite her previous experience singing on camera. “It was a lot harder. We’re singing pop music in Pitch Perfect and Sondheim in this.

I was petrified and excited. It was an unbelievable challenge. It was just a dream come true.”

CULTURE

December 3, 2014

Page 13

Gift Exchange Ideas on a Budget

By AMANDA GIGLIO ASSISTANT CULTURE EDITOR

Living on a college student’s budget during the holiday season can be difficult. Not only do you need to find reasonably priced presents for your parents and the rest of your family back home, but you also have the challenge of finding gifts for your friends at school.

This is where dreaded Secret Santa comes in.

If you are anything like me you understand my anxiety when it comes to buying presents; it is tough enough finding a gift that fits your friend’s personality perfectly, but now you have to do so within the two weeks leading up to finals and in the price range allotted.

However, with some serious introspection and the help of Pinterest, I was able to find the perfect gift for my friends, and you can too.

Price limit of $10: The lower the price the easier it is to find a gift, right? Anyone can take the easy way out and buy a gift card. If your price range is within $10, the best way to go is simple. You can find tons of Christmas themed gifts at any store. Put together a little bag of holiday scents, from hand sanitizers to mini lotions and candles.

Buy a cute stuffed reindeer or some candies and treats; no one can go wrong with candies and treats!

COURTESY OF FLICKR

Buying the perfect Secret Santa gift can be stressful, but with some creativity the best gifts can be created..

Since it is around finals time, you can gift a funky mug with some hot cocoa or k-cups in it for your late night study buddy. Also, phone accessories like cases, stands and stickers are always welcomed.

Price limit of $20: Prices are always elevated during the holiday season, but you can still find some great steals for amazing presents.

Tiny indoor plants are becoming

more popular, and they are perfect for residence halls. Succulents or easy to maintain plants are the best way to go, and you can always decorate a pot to put the plants in. If you want to give something a little quirkier, you can find little grow-your-own coffee plants on Amazon. Etsy is a unique place to find jewelry or accessories for girls and posters or wallets for guys.

Other options include fun calendars for the new year and simple games to play while at school, such as Bananagrams or Catchphrase.

If your friend loves movies, get him or her a double feature movie pack and some popcorn for a night-in. If your friend is a booklover, find a book that he or she can have fun reading over the winter break as a break from academic

journals and excerpts. Journals and list-organizers are perfect for any disorganized college student, while mini crock pots are perfect for the newbie cook in your friend group. For your health-crazed friends, buy a gift card to Whole Foods. If you are willing to go all out, maybe buy them workout attire or a Soulcycle class.

For theater-lovers, offer to take them to a show in the city. You can get student rush tickets which are relatively cheap. For the hipster, go thrift shopping to find a unique and exciting gift.

If you are involved in a big gift exchange and your Secret Santa happens to be someone you are not very familiar with, mugs, socks, scarves and other winter themed gifts that are not gender-specific are appropriate. School supplies and Fordham apparel are always a popular gift choice as well. Manhattan always has much to offer as well. All of the holiday markets around the city host a range of gifts for every type of person.

If all else fails, D.I.Y. and homebaked treats are a way to show your love. Your Secret Santa will know that you put a lot of effort into your gift and appreciate the thought.

Gift exchanges are difficult, but with some thought and creativity, you can create fun presents for everyone at a reasonable price.

Review | Movie Preview

Top Comics Collaborate for Top Five

By NICOLE HORTON CULTURE EDITOR

Chris Rock wrote, directed and starred in the upcoming movie Top Five, in which a comedian tries to make it as a serious actor while his reality-TV star fiancé talks him into broadcasting their wedding on her reality television show.

This comedy appears poised to bring unceasing laughter because in addition to himself, Rock recruits his fellow comedians, some of whom are friends, including Kevin Hart, Tracy Morgan, J.B. Smoove, Whoopie Goldberg, Jerry Seinfeld, Cedric the Entertainer and Leslie Jones. The movie premieres Dec. 12, giving it an opportune box office time because it is prior to the much-anticipated Christmas releases and several weeks after the sequel of the successful comedy Horrible Bosses.

“We just, you know — we reminded ourselves of old jokes that we used to tell and we’ll be in the moment and joke around with the scene,” J.B. Smoove said to The Fordham Ram and other college newspaper outlets about acting alongside Chris Rock. “And, you know, it makes the scene easy to translate also because you know when you’re playing a character opposite Chris and he knows you already and you’re playing his friend in the movie, and you’re his friend for real, it comes off real.”

Smoove compares comics and reality stars to salesmen because they have to “sell” themselves as well as a product, such as their characters or jokes. “So, I think those reality characters and you know — and I think comedians, in general, when we’re on stage, we have to sell our-

COURTESY OF WIKIPEDIA

Written and directed by Chris Rock, Top Five stars amazing comedians for a heartfelt comedy.

selves first. Then, we’ll show you our goods, you know — what’s my personality, you know, what am I attaching my personality to, what style of comedy am I attaching this personality to.”

In this movie, Andre (Rock) and his fiancée, Erica Long (Gabrielle Union), venture into the popular world of reality television. In

the trailer, Erica tells Andre to kiss her in front of paparazzi and says, “If it’s not on camera, it doesn’t exist.” Perhaps this is meant to be a statement about how reality shows force emotion for the camera and may take away from a serious acting career or relationship.

In this movie, Smoove feels that Rock plays a different type of role

than ever before, drawing parallels from his life as he wrote the script and created his character.

He references comedic actors Jim Carrey and Steve Carell who have taken on more serious roles.

“Although everyone wanted to see this character that he played all these years, other funny characters that he played — the ‘bad’ charac-

ter, I think what happens is, you know, not only did he slowly get away from that, he felt like he needed to do something more serious.”

For Smoove, he felt that this role pushed him to change his approach and enabled him to show range. “In this movie, I’m actually really, really acting more like as an actor as opposed to the over the top J.B. There are moments of funny J.B. in there, over the top J.B., but in this particular movie, I think he cast me in this movie because it allowed him to be the comedian in this movie. It allowed him to be Andre Allen.”

In addition to discussing Top Five and working with his friend Chris Rock, Smoove offered some advice to college students who are looking to get into movies and comedy.

“You know, improv class is an amazing thing to do,” recommended Smoove. “I think anyone who wants to be a writer, anyone who wants to be in front of the camera, behind the camera, it helps you communicate with people better. It helps you to adjust your dialogue, adjust yourself, you know, be in the moment, a lot freer — you know, a lot freer when you know you’re in control of things.”

Along with improv, Smoove suggests learning from every standup routine or any good or bad experience as a comedian.

“You know, and even when I started doing standup, you know whether I did good or I did bad that night, I learned something every time I got on that stage. I learned either what to do, what works for me or I learned what didn’t work for me,” said Smoove.

CULTURE

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Who’s That Kid? | Tommy Bannon

Letters | Ask Emma

A Story that Shows the Power of Fordham

By MATT ROSENFELD SPORTS EDITOR

It feels like there are a million finance majors here at Fordham.

In Business Week’s latest business school rankings, Gabelli placed 38th, not bad by any means, but certainly not elite. Tommy Bannon is a story that proves that sometimes rankings are not all they are cracked up to be.

Hailing from Lawrenceville, NJ, Tommy had a multitude of options coming out of college, but chose Fordham for a reason that many of us here in the Bronx will find very familiar.

“I knew I wanted to be near a major city,” Tommy said, reminiscing on his college choice. “I wanted a good business program, but I also wanted a campus. I didn’t like NYU because it was all city. I needed both: the city and a campus.”

But, it wasn’t just the combination of the city and a beautiful campus that brought Tommy up here from the center of New Jersey. The main reason was the Fordham community, something that the rankings cannot measure.

“When I visited [Fordham], I liked the people way better than I did at NYU. It felt a little pretentious [at NYU]. I didn’t see myself having a good time with the people there. I loved the people at Fordham.”

It can be easy to get lost in the seemingly endless line of finance majors in Gabelli, but Tommy was able to stand out. As we all know, almost everybody’s goal at the end of college is to get a good job, and Bannon’s resume was able to accomplish just that.

In the summer between sophomore and junior year, Tommy dipped his toe into the working world, landing an internship at Yankee Stadium with Legends, the food and concessions provider.

December 3, 2014

Dear Emma, I caught my friend in a lie this past week, and ever since, I can’t look at her the same way. I accepted her apology because I just didn’t want to deal with it anymore, but now I’m having second thoughts. She went behind my back and said something to one of our friends about me and claimed that she didn’t mean any harm by it, but it was sneaky. I’m not the type to engage in conflict, but I just don’t trust her the way I did before. Should I say something?

— Betrayed Dear Betrayed, Sometimes in friendships, and relationships as well, people show their true colors. At the same time, sometimes people make mistakes.

You need to decide for yourself whether this was a one-time mistake or a possible recurring habit of hers. If it was a mistake, you should just give it time and some space and trust will come back on its own. If she is just not a good friend, it’s best that you distance yourself. Obviously you were really hurt by what she did, so regardless, I think you should take some time on your own away from her. You’re right for not wanting to be bothered by drama like this and you shouldn’t let it bother you. This will help you to better see who to trust and who not to.

— Emma

Dear Emma, I have to get my friend a gift for Secret Santa but I’m probably the least close with her in my friend group. I really don’t know much about her at all, and I don’t know the first thing to get her. What are some ideas that everybody likes?

— Bad Santa COURTESY OF TOMMY BANNON

Tommy visits a famous church in Barcelona while studying abroad.

“Working at Legends, even though it wasn’t the field I wanted to be in, taught me so much that helped me going forward. The long hours, reporting to managers, being responsible for projects, it really showed me a lot.”

Going forward for Tommy meant working at a major bank.

With the experience he gained at Legends, along with a stellar academic junior year, Citi Bank came calling. He landed a coveted internship at Citigroup, one of the toughest jobs to land in the financial industry.

“I was ecstatic,” Tommy said about landing the job. “Those jobs usually go to Ivy League students or people with serious connections. When I got the call that said I had got the internship, it just felt like all my work paid off.”

It did pay off. After a summer with the prestigious bank, Tommy landed a full time job with Citi, another accomplishment that seemed so far off when he visited Fordham all the way back in the spring of 2010.

Now that he’s secured a good job out of college, Tommy is just focused on enjoying his last months at Fordham, which these days include copious amounts of Mario Kart, taking care of his apartment pet, a guinea pig named Waffles, and making sure he graduates come May. “I feel like I got the best of both worlds in my choice with Fordham,” Tommy said. “I had tremendous professors, great work experience and met people that will be with me for the rest of my life.”

Dear Bad Santa, Everybody can appreciate a bottle of wine for Christmas. Gift cards are always safe. If you ever find yourself in a store with your friend, observe what she picks up and what she comments on. Ask a friend outside the secret Santa group who knows her well. A scarf with gloves, make up or maybe a prank present. Something funny is always appreciated. You can figure it out!

— Emma

Dear Emma, Is it wrong for me to like somebody who used to like my best friend?

She never liked him back, but I still feel like it’s kind of awkward. He liked her and now he likes me. Should I still like him?

— Second Choice Dear Second Choice, First of all, you can’t help who you like. Second of all, if your friend didn’t like him back then she won’t be hurt by it! You should go for it.

Just be careful. His old feelings for your friend might come back, or she might realize she has feelings for him by seeing him with you. Don’t let this make you paranoid.

— Emma Have a question for Emma? Contact fordhamramaskemma@gmail.com

Dining Out | DeGrezia Ristorante

By NICOLE HORTON CULTURE EDITOR

DeGrezia Ristorante, located at 231 E 50th St. in Manhattan, is an upscale, old-school Italian restaurant nestled away in Midtown East. It is approximately an eightminute walk from Grand Central Terminal, so it is a convenient location for Fordham students. As I arrived with a group to celebrate a friend’s birthday, we entered through a lower-level entrance.

Soft lighting, candles and muchneeded heat greeted us as we were seated.

As we settled in, we noticed that the restaurant was quiet and intimate, with classical Italian music playing at a low volume, not overly lively or noisy. It is a great choice for a night out with friends or a date when you just want to talk and not have to shout over music or other patrons.

My friends and I noted that the staff was very friendly and accommodating throughout our meal.

Italian Offerings With Fine Service We decided to forego appetizers because we wanted to order pasta dishes followed by dessert. For appetizers, you can choose from a variety of antipasti, salads and soups.

You also have the option of ordering a pasta dish as an appetizer, which can be a nice way for everyone in the group to have a taste.

I ordered the Risotto Pescatora — rice cooked in a seafood stew of shrimps, clams, calamari, crab meat and lobster broth, along with bits of tomato and parsley. It was a delicious mixture that any seafood lover or Italian food connoisseur would whole-heartedly recommend. My friends ordered dishes such as Gnocchi al Gorgonzola and Capellini con Aragosta. Like my selection, the capellini, angel hair pasta with a lobster sauce and fresh lobster meat, is a delicious splurge since seafood is generally one of the most expensive selections on the menu.

As I mentioned before, skipping appetizers is a way to ensure you are

not full for your entree, and it is a good way to budget during a night out. Another friend remarked that the gnocchi in a creamy gorgonzola cheese sauce with a hint of fresh rosemary topped with sweet pears seemed like it would not mesh well together, but appreciated the unique combination.

After finishing our main course, we appreciated that our waiter did not rush to give us the check. We took a break before ordering dessert to celebrate my friend’s birthday.

Our waiter brought over a flourless chocolate cake topped with whipped cream, strawberries and chocolate sauce that was large enough for everyone to have a nice taste. Although “flourless” sounds potentially disastrous, the cake resembled a light chocolate mousse.

Our time at DeGrezia Ristorante proved to be a memorable, yet low-key night with delicious food and excellent service.

COURTESY OF FLICKR

Located at 50th St. and 2nd Avenue in Midtown, DeGrezia is a hidden gem.

CULTURE

December 3, 2014

Page 15

Surprise Music Releases, Newest Trend to Combat Hackers

COURTESY OF FLICKR

Artists are starting to take a cue from Beyoncé, who released a surprise album to avoid leaked tracks.

By MACKENZIE GENTRY STAFF WRITER

On Dec. 13, 2013, the world changed forever. Over the shrill scream of girls, blaring radios and showers of sparkling magic, one message rang clear: Beyoncé had released a surprise album, a revolutionary first for the music industry that is proving now to be a trend.

The act was directed to combat the ever-increasing influence of internet hackers on the music industry. According to an analyti-

cal study conducted by the Institute for Policy Innovation, piracy of online music is responsible for $12.5 billion in economic losses each year. Even more disturbing is the personal harm caused by illegal downloading and distribution of online music. Last year, over 71,000 jobs were lost due to piracy and internet hackers. Not only is this black market business hurting musicians, but it also impacts others who work in the industry.

Given this, it is not surprising that artists are increasingly attempting to combat piracy. Beyoncé’s surprise release of her al-

bum Beyoncé is just one example of an innovative way to dodge the hackers. In addition, it generated quite a bit of press attention and publicity recognition.

However, Queen B’s radical move received some negative feedback from other outlets in the music world. Target released a public statement condemning Beyoncé’s “reckless” actions. The store refused to sell her surprise album because it supposedly disrupted the traditional economy of the music trade.

Yet in the grand scheme of things, Beyoncé’s actions were

geared primarily to help the music industry, not hurt it. Large retail stores like Target and Wal-Mart might suffer in response to new distribution techniques, but the main purpose of surprise releases and other such ideas is to ultimately combat hackers that could impact the music industry on a much more dangerous scale.

Queen B is not the only musical idol opting for new ways to release music and fight the hackers. Rihanna is the next pop star rumored to be prepping a surprise album. “Degrassi” star turned hiphop god Drake is also taking part in the movement. In preparation for his upcoming album, following 2013’s Nothing Was The Same, Drake pre-posted three digital tracks: “6 God,” “Heat of the Moment” and “How Bout Now,” on his music label OVO’s SoundCloud. The release of the songs came as a surprise not only to Drake’s fans, but the entire music industry.

Drake’s decision to share the music before the album’s official release was largely to refute any hacking attempts. Drake explained on Twitter, “That wasn’t an EP. Just three songs that I knew some hackers had. But enjoy!

Back to this album.”

By doing this, Drake allowed his fans access to the music they wanted without having to go to illegal piracy and digital music downloading sites to get it. This quick move also enabled him to

maintain artistic control of his music. Also, just as in Beyoncé’s case, Drake received a massive amount of publicity for the surprise release which benefitted the overall sale of the album.

The latest surprise release is most likely familiar to a large population of the world, i.e. everyone with an iPhone. Pop band U2 broke the musical barriers with the digital release of its most recent album, Songs of Innocence. Originally, the band made a deal with iTunes to provide a free download of the album to all Apple customers. However, the plan backfired when a glitch in the system automatically downloaded the entire album to nearly all Apple devices.

U2’s newest hits were nestled in the palms of half a billion people.

The release generated more negative attention than positive, as claims of privacy infringement arose. To make matters worse, there seemed to be no feasible way to get the album off, if you didn’t want it in your iTunes library. In sum, U2 may have successfully won the war against potential music hackers, but they failed miserably in the PR sector.

In a world dominated by digital media and online activity, the entertainment business is struggling to create ways to combat hackers and piracy. However, surprise album releases are, for the most part, working splendidly to protect the financial and social standings of the entire music industry.

Winter Break Reading: Not Your Professor’s Assignments

By MEGAN BRONNER STAFF WRITER

Throughout the semester, students stay up late reading sleepinducing texts assigned by their professors. However, winter break provides the opportunity to catch up on some pleasure reading in between semesters. If it has been a while since you have read a book for enjoyment, this list offers some page-turners and easy reads to help you get back into reading.

Books-Turned-Movies — Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn Gone Girl was recently adapted into a Hollywood hit, but that does not mean you should skip out on reading the book. This fiction-thriller is a relatively quick read, and you will not want to put it down, perhaps giving you the perfect excuse to avoid certain family members.

When Amy Dunne, a Missouri housewife, disappears from her home, her husband is subsequently accused of murder by the community. Its many twists and turns will leave you surprised and speechless.

— The Best of Me by Nicholas Sparks If you missed it, Nicholas Spark’s lastest romance-novel-turned-movie premiered in mid-October, starring James Marsden and Michelle

Monaghan. Although many would say that this story pales in comparison to The Notebook, it is still an ideal choice if you would like to curl up by the fireplace with a romance novel.

Thrillers — The Dinner by Herman Koch I read this thriller novel last winter break and got through it relatively fast. This novel takes place at a dinner between two brothers and their wives regarding a horrifying incident involving children. In the end, each character is not whom you initially expected his or her to be, and this work leaves you wondering about the lengths you are willing to go for the ones you love.

— In Cold Blood by Truman Capote This piece of non-fiction is a notable classic of the 20th century.

Truman Capote reconstructs the savage murders of the Clutter family and the investigation that led to the capture, trial and execution of their killers. In Cold Blood will captivate you, and could very well cause you to become a little bit obsessed with the killings of the Clutter family.

Seriously, once you start this book, you will not be able to put it down.

Bestsellers — The Secret History by Donna

Tartt Yet another gripping read, this novel tells the story of a college student, Richard Papen, who is allowed into an elite group of Greek scholars, made up of fellow students. As Richard becomes closer to this group, he learns a terrifying secret of what binds them all together.

— Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? by Mindy Kaling Quite a few female comedians, including Lena Dunham, Tina Fey, Amy Pohler and Chelsea Handler, have recently written books. Kaling’s easy read will let you escape for a few hours during the day. Her realistic and humorous observations on romance, friendships and Hollywood will surely leave you laughing, maybe even to the point of tears.

Classics — This Side of Paradise by F. Scott Fitzgerald This novel is well-suited for someone interested in reading a classic by one of the most influential authors ever. Although overshadowed by The Great Gatsby’s fame, Fitzgerald’s first novel, This Side of Paradise is what helped his rise to prominence.

This semi-autobiographical novel comments on lives and morality of post-World War I youth, and the theme of love warped by greed and status-seeking.

COURTESY OF FLICKR/KATE HISCOCK

Both modern and classic novels are excellent choices for leisurely reading over break.

— One Hundred Years of Solitude

by Gabriel Garcia Marquez Critically-acclaimed and beloved by many readers around the world One Hundred Years of Solitude is one of those books that you must read before you die. The novel tells the story of the rise and fall of the mythical town of Macondo through the history of one of its families. The universal themes of love, lust, war, revolution, riches, poverty, youth and senility dominate the novel, which serves as a commentary on human life. This novel is more of a challenging and serious read, but

nonetheless will leave you thinking about life, death and mankind.

— Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen Austen’s classic novels divulge romance in eighteenth-century England. This novel comically tells us about the non-traditional courtship between Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy.

If you are a male reading this you will want to become Mr. Darcy, and if you are a female reading this you will want to find Mr. Darcy. I also suggest immediately viewing the Hollywood adaption of this novel upon finishing.

Page 16

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SPORTS

Page 17

The Fordham Ram

Women’s Basketball Improves to 4-3

By MATT ROSENFELD SPORTS EDITOR

After defeating Hofstra and Delaware, the Fordham women’s basketball team traveled to San Antonio to take part in the UTSA Thanksgiving Classic. The Rams were able to beat Incarnate Word 74-42 before losing to Drake 62-56 in the championship game of the four team tournament.

Fordham came into the Classic riding a three game win streak, collecting wins over Mount St. Mary’s, Hofstra and Delaware, the last of which came on the road. The team’s success was buoyed by the stout defense that Fordham has been known for these past few years. The Rams held all three of their opponents to under 50 points.

“We learned a lot from the Iona game,” head coach Stephanie Gaitley said of the defense. “We got on our heels in that game and [Iona] put numbers up quick. The kids finally understood that if we want to be successful this season, we needed to have everything dictated through our defense.”

Fordham cruised past Incarnate Word in its opener in the Thanksgiving Classic, never trailing the entire game. The Rams jumped out to an early 9-2 lead behind five points from junior forward Samantha Clark and four points from graduate student Tiffany Ruffin.

From there, the defending Atlantic 10 champions continued to jump on the Cardinals from San Antonio. The lead would expand to 23 points in the first half at its peak, when Fordham went up 36-13 after

a three from sophomore Hannah Missry with just under four minutes remaining in the first.

And while the offense lit up the scoreboard early on, the defense was the one that flexed its muscles, holding Incarnate Word to just 25 percent shooting from the field and 19 points in the first half.

There was no letting their foot off the pedal in the second half, as the Rams simply would not let their opponent close the gap. After going into half with a 17 point lead, Fordham did not allow Incarnate Word to cut the deficit to less than 15 points for the rest of the game. The lead ballooned to 30 with 3:36 left in the game, and Fordham would see its lead stay above 30, with the final score 74-42.

In the deciding victory, Fordham set new season highs in rebounds, blocks and assists, with 44, five and 18 respectively. Every player dressed for the game scored, with Missry leading the team with 16 points and Clark just behind her, scoring 15 to go along with her 12 rebounds. Freshman Asnate Fomina was the other Ram to reach double digits in scoring. She had 11 points in the contest.

“We shot well, everybody got in the scoring book and we won convincingly,” Gaitley said. “But, everything is kick-started through our defense.”

Fordham’s reward for beating Incarnate Word was a matchup with the Drake Bulldogs in the championship of the UTSA Thanksgiving Classic. Drake was able to defeat the host Texas-San Antonio Roadrunners 69-61 in its opening game

DREW DIPANE/THE RAM

Fordham split their two games over the Thanksgiving break in San Antonio, Texas.

of the tournament.

Drake would prove to be too much for Fordham, ending the Rams’ four-game win streak in a tightly contested game in the Convocation Center in San Antonio.

The two teams would go back and forth on runs in the first half.

Drake continuously went up by four points over Fordham, only to see the Rams surge back. The Bulldogs led 10-6 five minutes into the game when Fordham ripped off a 7-0 run behind buckets from senior Emily Tapio, sophomore Alina Gjerkes and Ruffin.

Drake extended its lead to six late in the first half, but a late offensive surge led by Clark, Tapio and Missry had the Rams leading 29-28 at half.

Fordham and Drake traded bas-

kets early in the second half, fighting each other to a tie at 38 when the Bulldogs went on a 7-0 run in the span of a minute and 20 seconds that forced Fordham to take a timeout. Showing their classic resiliency, the Rams countered with a 7-0 run of their own to tie the game at 45 with just over nine minutes remaining.

After gaining a three point lead though, Fordham’s offense went cold in the final five minutes of the game. What was a 50-47 lead for the Rams became a 59-50 lead for the Bulldogs with a minute to go.

The deficit proved too much for Fordham, with the final being 6256.

“It’s hard, because when a team plays zone, you can’t dictate who gets your shots,” Gaitley said. “You

can try and set up for people, but you’ve got to hope different people step up and hope you get second shots on the boards. We went cold in the last four minutes, but that wasn’t the issue. We fell asleep defensively, and that’s what got us.”

Fordham also struggled with turnovers, which has been the theme in its losses this season. The Rams gave up 17 points off of their 15 turnovers against Drake.

Missry again led the team in points, scoring 17 points including five three pointers. Tapio, Ruffin and Clark each pitched in 10 points of their own in the loss.

The 1-1 trip to San Antonio brings Fordham’s record to 4-3 on the season. The Rams host Seton Hall on Friday, Dec. 5 at 7 p.m. in Rose Hill Gym.

Men’s Cross Country Victorious at IC4A Championship

By BRYAN KIEL STAFF WRITER

The cross country team wrapped up its season on Nov. 22 at the ECAC/IC4A Championship meet at Van Cortlandt Park. The race, which featured Division I teams throughout the Northeast, consisted of three sections: the coaches race, the university division championships and the ECAC and IC4A Championships. Four Rams competed in the women’s coaches race, while the rest of the women’s squad ran in the ECAC university division championship, finishing seventh out of 18 teams. The men’s squad ran in the IC4A university division, and placed first out of 16 teams for the second straight year.

The first race of the day was the women’s coaches race. While Fordham did not field a full team to compete for points, four Rams still ran in the 5K race. Freshman Julia Champagne led the Rams with a time of 20:38, coming in ninth overall. Junior Tara Cangialosi was just one second behind in 10th place, while junior Melanie Notarstefano came in 12th with a time of 20:44. Sophomore Josephine Jacob-Dolan had a strong showing as well, placing 22nd overall and breaking her own record with a time of 21:24.

COURTESY OF SHANNA HEANEY

Cross country earned its second straight IC4A Championship last weekend.

The rest of Fordham’s women ran in the ECAC university division championships. Of a squad of 10 runners, senior Brianna Tevnan again led the team with a time of 18:32, good for eighth overall.

Tevnan was followed by sophomore Arianna Bottalico, who ran a season-best 19:10 and came in 31st place. Bottalico continued to drop

her time after coming back from injury earlier in the season. Freshman Brynna Harum finished her strong rookie cross country season with a time of 19:24, senior Mara Lieberman finished the season with a time of 19:33 and sophomore Brianne Roche finished with a time of 19:39.

While the Rams finished in the

top half of competing teams, the team overall had mixed results.

“Myself and a few other girls felt pretty strong and were able to work hard through the hills and all the way down the home stretch,” said Roche. “But, some girls were also feeling tired from the long season and weren’t as prepared for the back hills, since we haven’t raced them since Mets over a month ago.”

Bottalico noted the importance of the race to the many senior runners. “Cross country is a very long season but we all pushed through this last race and gave it our all,” she said. “It was an emotional day, as we have a lot of seniors graduating this year.”

Seniors who competed in this race include Tevnan, Lieberman, Danielle Drummond, Jillian Brooks and co-captains Melissa Higgins and Sarah Glockenmeier.

This will be the end of their cross country seasons, but the two can look forward to two more seasons of track during the indoor and outdoor track seasons.

The men’s team competed in its portion of the meet, the IC4A University Division Championship.

Fordham has had strong history in this race, with a win last year and two previous individual winners in current senior Jon Annelli and 2011 graduate Julian Saad. With

Annelli out due to injury, junior Mike Turi led the Rams to their second straight victory in the last meet of the season. He joined Annelli and Saad as the third individual champion from Fordham in four years, coming in with a time of 25:46 in the 8K race.

Fellow junior Quincy O’Connor and freshman Thomas Slattery joined Turi in the top 10, coming in third and fourth with times of 2:52 and 2:54, respectively. Freshman Nik O’Brien came in 15th overall with a time of 26:22, and sophomore Jake Duckworth came in 29th with a time of 26:47. By placing three runners in the top five, Fordham set itself up for a team win against the likes of Marist College, Monmouth University and Fairfield University.

The end of this season marks preparation for the winter season.

From a cross country perspective, the men’s team will be in an even better position than they are this year. Annelli, the only senior in the top six, will have one more year of eligibility left, as he sat out the majority of the season due to injury.

Tevnan, Bottalico, Roche, Harum, and injured sophomore Shanna Heaney will also return for the women. The indoor season, however, starts Dec. 5 when Fordham hosts the Christmas classic.

SPORTS

Page 18

Leighton Schneider Welcome Back, Martin Martin Brodeur is back in the NHL after signing with the St. Louis Blues on Tuesday. He was brought into St. Louis last week on a professional tryout after their starter Brian Elliot was put on injured reserve. The only other goalie on the roster is rookie Jake Allen, who has played only 26 games in his career. The Blues are currently tied for first place with the Nashville Predators in the Central Division with 34 points.

Brodeur, the all-time winningest goaltender in NHL history, was released by the New Jersey Devils this summer after the team signed back-up Cory Schneider to a seven-year, $42 million contract extension, a move that even the most die-hard Devils fans accepted. Several teams had been interested in Brodeur during the summer and early stages of the season, but none had a spot on their roster until now.

Brodeur holds numerous NHL records for goalies including most wins (688), shutouts (124), games played (1,259) and goals scored by a goaltender. He needs just 12 wins to become the first goaltender to win 700 career games. He is also the only goalie to win 600 career games. There is no doubt in my mind that he will succeed in St. Louis. It may take a couple of times in goal to get the speed of the game back, but, once that happens, Brodeur will be able to win games for the Blues and help keep them in first place.

One thing that will be interesting to see is what will happen when Elliot returns from the IR. Will Brodeur be cut or traded, or will Allen be sent down to the American Hockey League, the minor league of the NHL? This will have contract implications for Brodeur, as he will earn a $125,000 bonus if he is on an NHL roster, any NHL roster, on Feb. 1. The Blues will have several weeks before they have to make that decision.

As a hockey fan, I am excited at the possibility of watching Brodeur play at least one more time.

The Blues have three road games in the next four days, including on Long Island against the Islanders, and Brodeur is expected to play in at least one of those games. If you are a fan of hockey and Brodeur plays against the Islanders, you should try to go to the game. This could be the last time he comes to any of the three New York City-area teams this season if he stays with the Blues for the remainder of the season, and the game features a matchup between two of the top teams in the NHL. Brodeur and the Blues are a perfect fit. He will get to play and he will be able to counsel Jake Allen, which will benefit him in the long run. I hope he gets the 12 wins he needs to get to 700 and helps the Blues get to the playoffs.

December 3, 2014

Varsity Scores & Stats Football Sacred Heart 9 7 6 0 22 Fordham 14 10 10 10 44 (SHU) T. Dube 98 yds, 2 TDs (FOR) I. Williams 2 INTs Men’s Basketball UMES 32 40 72 Fordham 26 40 66 (UMES) M. Myers 20 pts (FOR) E. Paschall 25 pts Siena 23 44 67 Fordham 30 39 69 (SIE) M. Wright 31 pts (FOR) E. Paschall 19 pts Women’s Basketball Fordham 25 24 49 Delaware 21 23 44 (FOR) E. Tapio 18 pts (DEL) C. Green 12 pts, 8 reb

Fordham 36 38 74 Incarnate Word 19 23 42 (FOR) S. Clark 15 pts, 12 reb (IW) M. Merritt 10 pts

Fordham 29 27 56 Drake 28 34 62 (FOR) H. Missry 17 pts (DRA) L. Wendell 14 pts Men’s Cross Country IC4A Championship M. Turi

6th

1650 m freestyle S. Sholdra 3rd-15:28 Women’s Swimming Bucknell Invitational 2nd 1650 m freestyle M. Zarriello 3rd-17:02

1st

1st-25:46

Women’s Cross Country ECAC Championship 7th J. Champagne

Men’s Swimming Bucknell Invitational

Water Polo Fordham George Washington

8 11

Fordham Wash. & Jeff.

9 7

Fordham MIT

9 8

9th-20:38

Athletes of the Week Eric Paschall

Hannah Missry

Freshman

Sophomore

Basketball

Basketball

Paschall started the week with a 25 point effort against UMES and followed it up with 19 points versus Siena, helping Fordham to a two point victory against Siena.

Missry had a strong couple of showings over the past week, scoring more than 15 points on two occasions and adding five rebounds against Drake on Sunday.

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 • This Saturday, Fordham Athletics is giving students the opportunity to ride a bus up to Durham to watch the Rams take on the University of New Hampshire Wildcats in the second round of the FCS playoffs. Advanced payment and sign-up are required.

Each student may reserve up to two spots. The cost is $20. The buses will depart on Saturday at 7:30 a.m. from the side of the Rose Hill Gym by football gates A and B. • Fordham basketball recently announced that guard Jon Severe will be taking a leave of absence from the team, saying that he will use the time “to address personal issues.” Last season, Severe averaged 17.3 points per game for the Rams, set a new Fordham freshman scoring record and was named to the Atlantic 10 All-Rookie team.

• Last Wednesday, Fordham football players Brett Biestek and Dan Light were named to the Academic All-Patriot League Team. This is Biestek’s second and Light’s third time receiving the honor. Biestek was also named the 2014 Patriot League Football Scholar Athlete of the Year. He has maintained a 3.83 GPA in grad school, while Light, a business administration major, maintains a 3.36.

Follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/theram_sports

Matt Rosenfeld The Case for Baylor The College Football Playoff is already successful.

With one week to play in the season, there are three teams that seem to control their own destiny in regard to the playoffs.

If Alabama, Oregon and Florida State win, they’re in. Honestly, the prospects of any of those three teams meeting has me excited for the playoffs already. However, before we get there, we have to determine the last team in the playoff. Ohio State, TCU and Baylor are the three teams that can still lay claim to that fourth and final spot.

Ohio State is probably the best team of the bunch, but an early season loss to a mediocre Virginia Tech team at home seriously hampered Ohio State’s chances at the Playoff. It also didn’t help that the Buckeyes’ starting quarterback J.T. Barrett broke his ankle on Saturday against rival Michigan.

Ohio State could make a statement by beating Wisconsin in the Big 10 Championship game on Saturday, but I don’t see that happening. Even if it does, it won’t be impressive enough to jump the two teams from the Big 12.

TCU is the team that currently sits in fourth in the Playoff standings, so if the season ended today, they’d be in. The Horned Frogs’ resume is impressive. They’re sitting pretty at 10-1, with their only loss being a 61-58 shootout at Baylor. Quarterback Trevone Boykin is playing out of his mind, having thrown for over 3,200 yards, rushed for almost 600 yards and accounted for 34 touchdowns. TCU’s last game is against a terrible Iowa State team, so it would be shocking to see the Horned Frogs lose.

It’s tough to argue that TCU should be jumped if they win this weekend, but I genuinely believe Baylor should be the fourth and final team in the Playoff. The Bears are also sitting at 10-1, with their lone loss being at mediocre West Virginia. And, while that loss may be worse than TCU’s, Baylor holds the head-to-head victory over TCU. Not that head-to-head wins should be the be-all-endall decision maker, but with two teams as close as Baylor and TCU, it has to be heavily considered.

Baylor has a chance to prove itself worthy of a playoff spot this Saturday when it hosts 12th ranked Kansas State. An impressive win over K-State might be enough for the committee to jump the Bears over TCU come Sunday, when the final playoff selections are made.

Of course, both Baylor and TCU could find themselves in the Playoff if Florida State, Alabama or Oregon slip up this weekend.

But, if those three win out and it comes down to Baylor, TCU and Ohio State, give me Baylor. Give me future NFL quarterback Bryce Petty and the high-flying Bears’ offense. If it were up to me, Baylor, you win Saturday, and you’re in.

SPORTS

December 3, 2014

Page 19

Women Swim to Second Place at Bucknell Invitational

By MAX PRINZ

By DREW CASEY STAFF WRITER

Prior to the Thanksgiving break, the Fordham swimming and diving team competed in the three-day Bucknell Invitational in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania. The women’s team finished second, while the men’s team placed sixth.

The meet mirrored the Atlantic 10 Championship with a preliminary and final format, and was the biggest test both teams have faced during the young season.

The women’s team concluded the three days of competition with 1,097.5 points, finishing only behind Bucknell’s 1,631 points.

“We were definitely happy with everyone’s performances,” senior captain Savannah Coe said. “A lot of teams come into this invitational fully tapered, which puts us at an automatic disadvantage since we don’t do a full taper for the meet.”

Tapering refers to limiting physical activity and practice in the days leading up to a meet. Not being fully tapered is a disadvantage because the team is not as wellrested as the competition.

Despite this, the Fordham women’s team had six swimmers finish in the top three in individual events. Junior Chandler Lulley was the top finisher, winning the 100-yard freestyle on Sunday in 51.23. Her twin sister, Shannon Lulley, was second in the 100yard freestyle and took third in the 100-butterfly on Saturday.

Sophomore Megan Polaha placed second in the 200-yard butterfly and was third in the 400yard individual medley, while senior Kelly Carroll touched third in both the 100-yard breaststroke and 200-yard individual medley.

Sophomore Kalena Laurent, who placed third in the 200-yard butterfly, and senior Megan Zar-

riello, who finished third in the 1,650-yard freestyle, rounded out the top finishers for the Rams.

Additionally, the women’s team placed in the top three of four relay events. The 400-yard medley relay team won Friday night’s final to close out the first day of competition. The following day, both the 200-yard medley relay team and 800-yard freestyle relay team touched second. On Sunday, the 400-yard freestyle relay team took third place.

Overall, the meet was a great preview of the conference championship for the women’s team.

“It is always good to have a run through of the events that we all plan on swimming at A-10s to see what our best options are,” Coe said.

The men’s team did not fare as well, with only two swimmers placing in the top three throughout the weekend. Junior Steve Sholdra led the way, placing near the top in three events. Sholdra was second in the 200-yard butterfly, and touched third in both the 400-yard individual medley and 1,650-yard freestyle. Freshman Christopher Viera finished third in the 200-yard butterfly.

“The Bucknell Invite weekend is always tough and tiring, considering we are at our peak of training and getting close to the Thanksgiving holiday,” senior captain Brandon Strong said.

The Fordham swimming and diving team is back in action against Manhattan on Wednesday, Dec. 3; at the Colonel Francis B. Messmore Aquatics Center at 6 p.m.

Following the meet and the conclusion of the academic semester, the swimmers and divers will return home to train on their own for a short time. They will then embark on an intensive training trip to Barbados.

SPORTS EDITOR

Last season, the Dallas Mavericks finished the year with a 49-33 record and qualified for the playoffs as the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference. The only problem was that that record would have made the Mavs the No. 3 seed in the much weaker Eastern Conference.

Things have not improved this year. Entering play Tuesday night, the depleted Indiana Pacers were in the No. 8 seed spot in the Eastern Conference with a sub-.500 record.

Meanwhile, in the wild, wild West, the No. 8 slot belongs to the Phoenix Suns, a very fun team.

The time has come. The NBA needs to do something about the complete lack of balance between its two conferences.

The imbalance of good and bad teams between the East and West has gotten out of hand. The West has three teams, Sacramento, Denver and New Orleans, whose conference affiliation keeps them out of the playoff picture despite records that are superior to that of the Pacers.

The fact that Sacramento and New Orleans could be kept out of the playoffs is terrible. The Kings and Pelicans each have a fantastic young player enjoying a breakout season. DeMarcus Cousins and Anthony Davis are bonafide All-Stars ready for the bigger stage of playoff basketball. The league’s conference system is broken and is missing out on a chance for higher quality basketball in the postseason.

We haven’t even talked about the Oklahoma City Thunder yet. The Thunder, last year’s No. 2 seed out West, lost their two superstars to injury at the start of the year and are currently the owners of a 5-12 record. Kevin Durant rejoined Russell Westbrook in the starting lineup Tuesday night, but it may have come too late.

Assuming the West remains as competitive as last season (a very reasonable assumption) the Thunder would have to go 44-21 over the rest of the season to reach the mark of last year’s eight seed — an incredibly difficult task.

The league will have a serious problem if the Thunder, with two

of the NBA’s brightest stars, miss the playoffs because they play in the Western Conference and that scenario is all too likely.

Last Wednesday, Mark Cuban, the outspoken owner of the Mavericks, became the first owner to call on the league to address the unbalanced conferences. Cuban suggested a conference realignment where eight teams, including his Mavericks, change conferences. In his plan the Mavs, San Antonio Spurs, Houston Rockets and New Orleans Pelicans would move to the Eastern Conference. The Chicago Bulls, Indiana Pacers, Detroit Pistons and Milwaukee Bucks would move to the West.

“It’s not like it’d be the first time we’ve ever realigned,” Cuban said, according to ESPN.com. “It’s happened many times before, so there’s precedent and I just think it shakes things up and makes things interesting.”

Cuban’s suggestion is a good one.

The teams he would have move West are all a similar distance from Portland, the team farthest west, and keeps the geography of the two conferences fairly similar.

Realignment, however, is not the change the league needs. The league needs to abandon its conference system and have its 30 teams vie for a spot in the 16-team playoff,

regardless of conference.

“It just changes things up and it changes the thought process of a lot of teams,” Cuban said of his plan. “It makes both conferences very competitive, at least for the short term and I think, based on the history of the teams, for the long term as well.”

In the short term, Cuban is definitely correct. While he may be correct about the long term too, there is no way to be sure.

Why stop with realignment if the league may have to do it again in a few years? What if a few teams fall apart and shift the balance of power again? Better to remove the conferences now and create the best possible playoff.

In his latest batch of NBA Power Rankings released Monday, Marc Stein ranked all 30 NBA teams.

Stein’s top seven teams all play in the Western Conference. His ninthbest Western team, which in theory would miss the playoffs, sits a full two spots ahead of the eighth-best Eastern team.

Yes, the season is still young.

However, every team in the East has more time and chances to figure things out simply because they play in a lesser conference.

The NBA’s conferences are all out of whack and the time has come for the league to do something about it.

COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA

Anthony Davis’ breakout season has Pelicans fans hoping for the postseason.

Upcoming Varsity Schedule Home games in CAPS

Thursday Dec. 4

Friday Dec. 5

Saturday Dec. 6

Sunday Dec. 7

Monday Dec. 8

Tuesday Dec. 9

at New Hampshire 1 p.m.

Football Men’s Basketball

CHRISTIAN WILOEJO/THE RAM

The Bucknell Invitational geared Fordham up for the A-10 championship meet.

MONMOUTH 7 p.m.

Women’s Basketball

SETON HALL 7 p.m.

Indoor Track

Christmas Classic 3 p.m.

Squash Swimming

Wednesday Dec. 10

at Temple 2 p.m.

VASSAR 1:30 p.m.

at C. Conn St. 7 p.m.

SPORTS

Page 20

December 3, 2014

The Fordham Ram

Rams Advance to Second Round of FCS Playoffs FROM FOOTBALL, PAGE 1

struggled at times against a strong Pioneer defense, but those starts kept the Rams in control of the game throughout.

“We talk all the time about starting fast and finishing strong,” Moorhead said. “We sputtered a bit and got it going again, but that’s in concert with what they do defensively. A lot of plays you’re going to get zeros or ones or negatives, but, at the same time, some of the gambles they take are going to give you an opportunity to make some big plays.”

Fordham was the first to putpoints up on the scoreboard by capitalizing on a Sacred Heart turnover.

The Rams scored a touchdown less than three minutes into the game when senior quarterback Mike Nebrich capped a four-play 30-yard drive, finding senior Tebucky Jones for a one-yard score.

After the Rams’ defense forced a quick Sacred Heart three-and-out, Nebrich connected with senior Brian Wetzel for a 50-yard touchdown. At the 10:22 mark of the first quarter, the Rams held a twotouchdown lead.

Then the Pioneers’ offense began to wake up and undermine the Fordham defense. The Pioneers answered Fordham’s second touchdown with a drive that led to a field goal and then followed that up with their first touchdown, a 10-yard reception by Tyler Dube.

MICHAEL REZIN/THE RAM

Senior quarterback Mike Nebrich threw four touchdowns vs. Sacred Heart.

Dube caught another touchdown before the half ended to poke another hole in the Fordham defense, but the Rams’ offense responded. Nebrich led an eight-play drive before the end of the half that ended with his third touchdown pass of the day, this one a 14-yard connection with Wetzel.

The Rams went into the halftime break with a 24-16 lead, lower than they might have liked, but the score before the buzzer gave them all the momentum.

Fordham maintained its control of the game in the second half, scoring 10 unanswered points on its first two drives to take a 34-16 lead. Sacred Heart stayed in the game for a while, but the Rams outscored the Pioneers 20-7 in the second half to seal their victory.

One key to the second half was the defensive adjustments Fordham made to contain Dube. The talented Pioneers’ receiver had six catches for 93 yards and two touchdowns in the first half, but was held to just five yards and a lone reception in the second.

“We’re not going to tell our kids things are fine when they’re not,” Moorhead said. “There was some things we did in the first half that were unacceptable. I thought we did a good job identifying the issues, getting them corrected and putting a plan together to do better in the second half.”

The Rams’ quick-strike, big-play ability was another key for the of-

fense, which had scoring plays of 26, 50 and 97 yards.

Nebrich was far from perfect on the day, throwing a pair of interceptions, but his 423 passing yards and four touchdowns played a huge role in the Rams’ win. His strong play was certainly a good sign after a difficult, injury-filled month.

“It was important for me from a mental standpoint,” Nebrich said.

“This is the best I’ve felt coming out of a game in a while.”

Another Fordham star was senior defensive back Ian Williams, who racked up seven tackles, five pass breakups and a pair of interceptions.

“I just want to thank our coaches for putting us in the right position,” Williams said. “They made the right calls and put me in a place where I could make a play.”

It was Williams who was assigned to cover Dube for most of the second half, and the veteran Ram always seemed to be in the way of Pioneer pass attempts.

“It was a battle out there today and that’s what we come out for,” Williams said. “To come out victorious is a great feeling.”

Nebrich echoed Williams’ feelings, calling the win satisfying.

“It was a very a satisfying win for us,” Nebrich said. “We’ve got a lot of stuff to clean up for New Hampshire, but we’ll be ready.”

The Rams will meet No. 1 seed UNH this Saturday at 1 p.m. in Durham, New Hampshire.

Rams Hold Off Siena, Snap Four-Game Skid

By MAX PRINZ SPORTS EDITOR

Entering play Monday night, the Fordham men’s basketball team was caught in a downward spiral.

The team had lost four straight contests and one of its most important contributors, sophomore guard Jon Severe, had recently taken a leave of absence from the team.

The Rams managed to find the surface Monday night, holding off the Siena Saints for a thrilling 69-67 victory.

The win was particularly important for the Rams, who were very disappointing in a pair of home losses to UMass Lowell and the University of Maryland Eastern Shore. The bounce-back effort greatly satisfied head coach Tom Pecora.

“I thought we did a good job playing with great intensity for the majority of the 40 minutes,” Pecora said after the game. “I’m very proud of them. That was a good win.”

The team’s youth was startlingly obvious at times against Siena. The Rams struggled to open the game, falling behind 13-5 in the first five minutes following a number of defensive lapses.

Pecora and the Rams managed to regroup following a timeout and the Rams went on a run. Fordham held Siena scoreless for almost eight full minutes, scoring 18 unanswered points to regain the lead.

At the half, Fordham held a 30-23 lead, buoyed by nine points from freshman Eric Paschall and a whop-

ping 12 rebounds from junior Ryan Rhoomes.

The Rams kept their momentum going in the second half, pushing the lead as high as 13 points at the 13:45 mark of the second half.

Siena, however, refused to back down. Led by point guard Marquis Wright, who scored a career-high 31 points, the Saints clawed their way back into the game. Just 10 minutes removed from being down 13, the Saints trailed 63-61 with just under three minutes remaining.

The Rams executed down the stretch to hold off the Saints’ comeback and win the game. Pecora had his team, leading by three points, foul in the game’s final seconds, refusing to give Siena a chance to tie the game from behind the big line.

“There’s a guy last year who did a study on [fouling instead of giving up the three-pointer] and he converted me,” Pecora said. “So that’s something we practice and that we do.”

Despite executing the foul strategy, the Rams were unable to make their free throws and put Siena away. With just nine seconds remaining and the Rams ahead by two, redshirt freshman Antoine Anderson missed his second free throw attempt and Siena grabbed the rebound.

The Saints ran on the fast break and managed to get a good look at the basket, but Paschall made yet another highlight play, blocking the shot at the rim before the horn sounded to seal a Fordham victory.

DREW DIPANE/THE RAM

Freshman Eric Paschall had 19 points and the game-winning block in the final seconds in the Rams’ win over Siena.

The block was another outstanding effort from the young Paschall and was given the No. 3 spot on Sportscenter’s Top 10.

“It sure looked like that shot was going to tie the game,” Pecora said. “[Paschall’s] a big-time athlete and he’s got a great future. I love that he has no fear. He’s not afraid of fouling somebody and he can go up and make a play like that.”

In addition to Paschall’s scoring and highlight rejection, the Rams were keyed by a strong performance from Rhoomes. Rhoomes was dominant down low, grabbing 17

rebounds and blocking five shots.

Rhoomes said afterward that coaches had stressed his need to rebound.

“We wanted to get a win big, more than they did,” Rhoomes said.

“I knew I had to step up and I did tonight.”

While Rhoomes provided the veteran leadership, the Rams also got solid production from their underclassmen. For the majority of the game, Fordham had three freshmen on the court at the same time. The trio that logged the most minutes, Anderson, Paschall and Christian Sengfelder combined to score 40 of

the Rams’ 69 points.

“We need our veterans to lead the way for our freshmen,” Pecora said.

“I thought the freshman were fearless. The veterans were too, but I expect that from our veterans.”

The Siena win was a huge victory for the Rams. The four-game losing streak, in addition to the absence of Severe, was threatening to end the season before it really even started.

Now out of the slump, the Rams get a nice break before their next matchup, which comes on Wednesday, Dec. 10, against Monmouth University.