Volume 96 issue 22

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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


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