Volume 97 issue 19

The Fordham Ram Serving The Fordham dh University Community Since 1918 Volume 97, Issue 19

FordhamRam.com

November 4, 2015

Teach-In Targets Race Relations

By LAURA SANICOLA NEWS EDITOR

CASEY CHUN/THE FORDHAM RAM

Junot Diaz, the Pulitzer Prize-winning author, spoke at Rose Hill this week, answering student questions about racial identity, higher education and more.

In Intimate Appearance, Acclaimed Author Muses on Race, Identity and Education

By JOE VITALE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

When author Junot Diaz visited Fordham’s two campuses in 2009, his talks were sponsored by the creative writing program and his remarks focused mainly on his most recent novel, the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel “The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao.” He talked about his writing process, his inspiration and the historical

aspects of his novels.

Six years later, Diaz again visited Fordham’s campus, but this time with a decidedly different focus.

At an event sponsored by El Grito de Lares and Academia Hispania, and co-sponsored by the Office of Multicultural Affairs, he discussed the challenges of race and identity in an increasingly complex world.

During the event, titled “‘You Are Not Dominican’: Race, Identity and Diaspora,” Diaz, with an aura

of informality and undercutting humor, spoke mainly about personal identity, the pressures of higher education and structural supremacy in our culture.

The acclaimed author of the two short story collections “Drown” and “This Is How You Lose Her,” opened with no prepared texts, choosing instead to field questions from the crowd.

He began with a survey of the students, expressing curiosity in

Top Speechwriter Speaks in Keating

By KACIE CANDELA CONTRIBUTING WRITER

The College Democrats hosted speaker Jon Favreau, President Obama’s former speechwriter, at an event last Monday night in Keating First.

Favreau discussed how he became a speechwriter, five things he learned from President Obama, what is wrong with how politicians communicate with the public and how that is slowly changing.

Favreau attended the College of the Holy Cross, and was hired by the 2004 John Kerry presidential campaign upon graduation. He was eventually promoted to deputy director of speechwriting. When Secretary of State Kerry lost the presidential race in 2004, Favreau withdrew from politics, cynical and broke. A few months later he received a call from Robert Gibbs offering him the position of thenSenator Obama’s speechwriter.

Upon hiring Favreau, he reports Obama said, “I still don’t think I need a speech writer, but you seem nice enough, so let’s give it a whirl.”

Rather than discuss partisan issues, Favreau instead focused on his admiration for President Obama and what he learned from his former boss. The first lesson: the story is more important than the words.

“If you don’t take the time to

their ethnic and geographic backgrounds. Diaz was curious, mainly, about those similar to him, searching for students from New Jersey and students of Dominican and African descent.

When few students raised their hands to say they were of African descent, he responded with visible exasperation. “Five folks of African descent,” he said to the room of nearly 50 students. UsSEE DIAZ, PAGE 7

Course on Bronx Approved

By CAILIN MCKENNA ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR

way around.

Favreau discussed the importance of using words and phrases that everyday people understand.

In his current business, Fenway Strategies, Favreau consults and writes speeches for celebrities, Fortune 500 CEO and non-profit leaders. He shared his experience working with corporate speechwriters, who oftentimes do not

In the midst of Spring course registration, several Fordham students already have their eyes set on a course set to debut in Fall 2016.

In the Fall, the university will offer a course about the cultural history and diversity of the Bronx.

The course, The Bronx: Immigration, Race and Culture, will be offered by the African and African American Studies department.

“As a Jesuit university that preaches cura personalis, and a predominately white one in a neighborhood of color, I found it ridiculous that we do not have a single course on the Bronx, our community that we, more often than not, act as disrespectful, invasive, loud gentrifiers,” said Madelyn Murphy, FCRH ’17, a student who was instrumental in the creation and development of the course.

Following several racial bias incidents on campus over the past few years, Fordham students have chosen to combat social and racial injustice through education.

“In light of all the recent hate

SEE FAVREAU, PAGE 3

SEE BRONX COURSE, PAGE 5

SAM JOSEPH/THE FORDHAM RAM

Favreau was a speechwriter for President Obama from 2009 to 2013.

focus on the story you want to tell, no amount of fancy rhetoric, snappy sound bites or slogans will save your speech,” said Favreau.

The Obama campaign’s slogan “Yes We Can” is accredited to Favreau, who said that he believes it sums up the creed of the American people. However, he noted that the campaign started with the story of a people, and the slogan became a manifestation of that —not the other

For a brief period in time, the Rose Hill and Lincoln Center campuses linked to accomplish a common goal: engaging in a seven hour long dialogue about racial justice and how it relates to the Fordham community. The racial justice teach-in, held by the Undoing Racism Collective, linked the campuses — literally — via Skype on Thursday, Oct. 29, during the event’s keynote address.

In Keating First, co-keynote speaker Dr. Mark Chapman addressed over one hundred Fordham students and many others over Skype at Lincoln Center about the state of racism in America.

“Even in 2015 there seems to still be a stubborn refusal in a large section of this country to truthfully acknowledge the degree to which white supremacy continues to shape the policies, the economics, the institutions of our society from our schools to our criminal justice system to our entertainment industry and just about everything in between,” Chapman said.

At Lincoln Center, Dr. Angela O’Connell gave her keynote adSEE FAVREAU, PAGE 3 dress on addressing racism from the standpoint of racial privilege.

“We are stuck in a phase where we reject the need for healing out of those we fear we’ve harmed,” she said. “We find ourselves in the repetitive loop of history and responding at best with inequality sustaining charity.”

The Undoing Racism Collective is comprised of a myriad of staff, students, faculty and administration from Fordham University that have undertaken the Undoing Racism training provided by the People’s Institute of Survival and Beyond. The group meets monthly to discuss how to put their training in practice.

The teach-in, which simultaneously took place at the Rose Hill and Lincoln Center campuses, featured five sessions.

They included the History and Groundwork of Racism, Internalized Inferiority and Superiority, SEE TEACH-IN, PAGE 2

in this issue

Opinion

Page 9

By Refusing to Run, Biden Saved His Reputation

Culture

Page 13

The Downfall of James Bond

Sports Page 24 Fordham Falls to Colgate

NEWS

Page 2

PUBLIC SAFETY BRIEFS October 23 12 a.m.

Loyola Hall A male and female student removed one of the twelve rocking chairs from the porch of Loyola Hall. The students then took the chair behind JMH and passed it over the fence off campus to East 191 Street by Hoffman Avenue. Public Safety’s investigation identified the individuals involved. The students admitted to taking the chairs and agreed to return them. The students also claimed they took the chair with the purpose of making a video and they had every intention of returning the chair when they were done.

The chair was returned to the porch of Loyola Hall and incident was referred to the Dean of Students.

November 2 8:45 p.m.

Alumni Court South A student left her room to go to the bathroom and closed her door behind her. However, the student did not lock the door fully. The student went to the bathroom and returned to the room about ten minutes later. Upon returning, the door was open. The student had some things on the bed and lying about the room. After searching, she realized the only thing missing was a prescription from her bag. Public Safety is now investigating.

November 4,2015

Journal From Abroad

French-Belgian Border Eases Exchange of Food and Culture

By LUCY KOEHLER CONTRIBUTING WRITER

LILLE, FRANCE — It can be hard to understand the regional personalities of a new country before you experience them firsthand. In America, we have the North and the South, each with its own distinct reputation and stereotype. The situation is strikingly similar in France.

Lille, is located in Nord-Pasde-Calais, a region of northern France along the Belgian border.

There are pretty much three distinct regions in France: the North, the South and Paris. Now, anyone from the latter two will tell you that the North is distinctly lacking in culture. One of the most successful movies in France ever is Bienvenue Chez les Ch’tis (Welcome to the Ch’ti). The film pokes fun at Northern stereotypes about smelly cheeses, prolific beer drinking and Flemish influence. While these are plus ou moins vrai (more or less true), they are also some of the most charming parts of the North.

The food scene in Lille is quite heavily centered around cheese and beer. I was duly warned by

the nearby fromagier (cheese shop owner) that my locally produced Maroilles variety would be strong.

That was a fairly generous understatement. When I opened the wrapping and had to take a few stumbling steps back, I realized they really are not messing around here in the North.

As for drinks, Lille benefits greatly from its proximity to Belgium and my campus is just four and half miles away from the border. We have Belgian dubels, tripels and lambics in all the restaurants.

A far cry from Natural Light or Keystone Ice, these beers have distinct flavors and dark colors. They are almost always sold in bottles instead of cans, and are, as a rule, always served in glasses of a particular shape designed just for that variety.

The similarities between NordPas-de-Calais and Belgium extend far beyond just the food. I have professors who commute from Belgium to teach, and the closest major airport is in Brussels.

Although most of the region across the border primarily speaks Flemish, most Belgians are fluent in French, Flemish and English. It leads to a distinctly Belgian accent!

It also leads to a Ch’ti accent that lots of Southern Frenchmen would say is unintelligible. One perk of crossing the border into Belgium is that the Belgians are typically much friendlier and more willing to speak English than the French.

Since they are fluent in at least two languages, they are happy to speak any of them with foreigners. Also, another Flemish influence that permeates the border is its architecture. The very Flemish stepped gables are everywhere in both Lille and Belgium. They make the cities a bit more charming and remind the residents of the area’s history.

The Ch’ti proudly defends its culture. My local classmates are quick to defend all the fun cultural events and opportunities in the North, and I think they have good reason to! Nord-Pas-de-Calais has a unique culture that the rest of France would appreciate more if they got to know it. I think it has been very interesting to come as a foreigner and learn about what cultural stereotypes look like in different countries. Despite the chilly Nord-Pas-de-Calais weather, there has been plenty to learn and experience. At the very least, we can use the beer to warm us up!

November 1 3 a.m.

The Blend Cafe A student was in the Blend Cafe located on East Fordham Road.

While there, someone took her wallet. The wallet contained her iPhone 5, credit card and Fordham ID. The phone was dead at the time; however, it was later recharged and located by the Find My Phone app.

The phone had somehow made its way to Tuckahoe, New York. The student then deactivated her phone.

November 1 3 a.m.

Howl at the Moon A student reported that someone took her iPhone 6 from her jacket pocket. The Find My Phone app showed the phone’s location to be around Pelham Parkway and Wallace Avenue around 5 a.m. A canvas of that area was conducted with no results. The complainant filed a complaint with the NYPD. The NYPD are now investigating.

LUCY KOEHLER FOR THE FORDHAM RAM

—Compiled by Erin Shanahan, Assistant News Editor

Due to its location on the Belgian border, the city of Lille’s achitecture is heavily influenced by its Belgian neighbors.

This Week at Fordham Saturday Nov. 7 Awkward RAMily Photos Coffey Baseball Field 12 p.m.

Campus Activities Board’s Comedy Committee will be hosting a photo shoot for Family Weekend.

Stop by to get hilarious, wacky photos with your family members or friends!

Sunday Nov. 8 Choir Fall Concert University Church 3 p.m.

Fordham University Women’s Choir and the Fordham University Choir will perform their fall concert for students and their families.

Sunday Nov. 8 Family Weekend’s Mass University Church 11 a.m.

As a part of Family Weekend, there will be a celebration of the Eucharist in the University Church for students and their families to attend.

For more campus events, visit FordhamRam.com

Monday Nov. 9 True Cost Movie Showing Keating 3rd 7 p.m.

Students for Fair Trade will cohost a moving showing of True Cost with Fordham Cinevents!

This movie is about the clothing industry, and the impact that we have as buyers on the world.

Dialogue Focuses on Race FROM TEACH-IN, PAGE 1

Intersectionality and Social Justice at Fordham, Religion and the Movements for Racial Justice and Microaggressions and Becoming an AntiRacist Institution. Approximately 350 people registered to attend the event, according to Dr. Jeannine Hill-Fletcher, a member of the collective and an organizer of the teachin.

The teach-in was planned after Rev. Joseph M. McShane, S.J., president of the university, issued a Call to Dialogue on Race Relations in March 2015, preceding the racial bias incident that occurred in Martyrs’ Court Lalande earlier this year.

According to Hill-Fletcher, it was founded in 2007 after members of the Dorothy Day Center and Campus Ministry felt that anti-racial training would be helpful in their work.

The speakers at the teach-in promoted keeping the conversation about racial interactions at Fordham at the forefront of key areas of Fordahm life, including hiring practices and admissions. Chapman addressed at length how diversity takes a back seat to more profitable enterprises in higher education.

“When there is the will of the institution to perform better on the playing field we will look for the best coach and play them a million dollars,” he said. “But when it comes to matters of inclusion and diversity there is a reluctance to translate that to concrete action.”

He encouraged the student body to expect more than just talk from administration about creating Fordham into an anti-racial institution.

“Until there is a very clear message sent from the top that we want a more diverse faculty and a more diverse student body and we are putting the resources behind this in order to make it happen, until that happens we are just having a thereputic conversation,” he said.

The address resonated well with Jimmy von Albade, FCRH ’17, who attended the session on Religion and Movements for Racial Justice.

“I thought what was really meaningful and important was how Dr. Chapman and Dr. O’Connell emphasized that those with more privilege can use that privilege to benefit others,” von Albade said. “It’s not enough to simply acknowledge the existence of privilege; you have the duty to leverage your own advantages in order to work towards racial justice for all.”

Hill-Fletcher told The Fordham Ram that the Collective intends to bring the dialogue generated at the teach-in to their next monthly meeting on Nov. 16th to discuss how Fordham could potentially form concrete action in the future.

“If our aim was to provide a context in which we could share some sense of history some elements of analysis and some common language to continue this work with a broader group from within Fordham then it was definitely a success,” said Hill-Fletcher.

“The success will continue to be measured by how much we continue this anti-racist work not as isolated individuals as a collective as a movement.”

NEWS

November 4, 2015

Page 3

Alta Gracia Speaks at Fair Trade Club Event

By LILY VESEL CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Hanoi Soa and Elba Nurys Olivo, employees at Alta Gracia, the only garment company in the developing world independently certified for paying its workers a living wage, spoke about their experiences working in a fair-trade environment before a group of Fordham students in the John Mulcahy Hall auditorium on Fordham’s Rose Hill campus.

This speaking event was organized by Fordham’s Students for Fair Trade Club. According to Kinza Mian, an executive board member, its mission is to “educate community about what fair trade means and why it should be important to them.”

Soa and Olivo are on a mission to promote the fair trade workplace model. They speak at schools across the state to gather support for a work environment that allows its workers to live with dignity.

Alta Gracia was founded in 2010, supplying universities such as Fordham with college apparel. It opened shortly after a garment sweatshop factory called BJ&B closed in the same community of Villa Altagracia in the Dominican Republic.

The company provides health care, insurance and retirement pensions for its 144 current employees.

Along with these resources, it provides a safe and caring work environment for its workers.

Elaborating on what makes the fair trade work environment at Alta Gracia so special, Soa explained that Alta Gracia pays its workers about three times more than the Dominican minimum wage of $160 per month for garment workers.

“The heart of Alta Gracia’s mission

is to give its workers the opportunity to live a life of dignity,” Soa said.

“Through caring about its workers and their well-being, Alta Gracia provides them with this.”

Soa highlighted the necessity for implementing fair trade work environments in the Dominican Republic.

“The cost of living in the DR is about $450 a month for a family of four,” he said, “so Dominican workers are receiving three times less than what is necessary to afford their cost of living.”

According to Soa, workers who have not signed a contract earn even less, sometimes being forced to survive on $50 a month, 10 times less than what is needed to afford the cost of living.

“Misery is a powerful enemy of human dignity,” he said. “We need people to be self-sufficient, to have the resources to take care of their most basic needs.”

For Soa, mistreatment in the sweatshop factory environment is personal.

He retold his own personal history working for a factory of 600 people that only had two bathrooms.

“The line was sometimes so long that I had decide whether to get water or go to the bathroom because my 15 minute break was not enough to do both,” he said. “At Alta Gracia, we don’t have to wait for breaks to get water or use the bathroom,” he added.

Responding to a student’s question about how Alta Gracia can compete with other sweatshops while still providing for their workers, Soa had a ready answer. “Alta Gracia is not charity,” he clarified, “it’s a model and sustainable business that has sustained for five years.”

ZACK MIKLOS/ THE FORDHAM RAM

Students gathered in John Mulcahy Hall auditorium to learn about the fair trade company, Alta Garcia.

“We’ve gone through phase one, demonstrating that it is possible to implement such a model,” he added.

He explained how organizations such as Students Against Sweatshops are pushing to implement a “sweatfree bookstore program.” The idea behind this mission is to get bookstores on college campuses to source at least 30 percent of its products from Alta Gracia or other fair trade factories.

Olivo offered personal anecdotes of her experiences in the BJ&B sweatshop work environment. She contrasted them with her experience at Alta Gracia, where she has been

working since 2010.

“My job is related to sewing sleeves and working on wrists of sweaters and the colors of t-shirts,” she said in Spanish, Soa translating to English for her. “Thanks to the pay I receive now at Alta Gracia, I’ve been given the opportunity to provide my family with food, education, and medical insurance.”

She explained how she could not provide for her family while working at BJ&B, where she was paid the equivalent of around $120 a month.

Illustrating to what extent BJ&B abused its workers, she described an incident where known toxic chemi-

cals used to seal the factory ceilings while the workers were at work, caused the pregnant employees to have to be rushed to the hospital.

For Kinza, hearing first-hand from workers about how a fair trade environment has had the ultimate affect.

“Hearing about the experiences of people from Alta Gracia personifies everything that you read in the paper — everything that you see in a textbook,” he said. “It is real, it affects real people and when you see those people, it grounds you in a way that simply studying fair trade or other such concepts never will.”

College Democrats Host Obama Speechwriter Jon Favreau FROM FAVREAU, PAGE 1

realize that “industry jargon” can detract from a speech.

He was in the unique position of getting to know President Obama’s sense of humor. He described times during Obama’s administration when the president used humor to overcome a controversy, such as when Donald Trump demanded proof of his U.S. birth certificate. While media attention forced the President to produce a copy of his birth certificate, at the White House Correspondents Dinner, Obama also showed a clip of his “actual birth”: a clip from The Lion King. Favreau drew his fourth lesson from Obama’s response: take your job seriously, but not yourself.

Favreau focused on the importance of honesty and authenticity in storytelling. On inauthenticity in politics, he said, “A lot of this isn’t necessarily malicious lies, it’s just language that’s been so sanded down and sanitized in focus groups, that it has become meaningless.”

Favreau accredits the rise of spin media to the fear of taking risks; in politics, committing a gaffe that receives extended media attention could mean the end of a campaign or a career.

When asked how we can change the culture of spin media, Favreau proposed that we “vote with our

feet.” While our worst instincts tend toward gossip, we have to stop looking and stop clicking, so news agencies will realize that what they put out is not what we want. He recognized that even non-partisan cable news channels such as CNN still report on “garbage” in order to “keep people scared.”

While Favreau acknowledged that Donald Trump contributes negatively to spin culture, he also offered the perspective that Trump benefits politics by making other politicians, who are afraid of the gaffe, appear phony. Favreau believes that politicians are moving towards increased authenticity because, “when people communicate to us from a position of power or authority, you’re less likely to believe them when they’re not talking to you like a normal person.”

Ultimately, he feels that increased authenticity will help political discourse.

His fifth and final lesson is that storytelling is about maintaining idealism. Favreau insisted that cynicism is a choice, and that people ultimately believe in an upward trajectory. He advised the audience to stay inspired by people who are making a difference. Real change takes time and little successes are important.

Current Fordham students resonated with Favreau’s approach and message. Elizabeth Doty, FCRH

’19, agreed that honesty in writing is essential, because “If you mask your beliefs, you’re hiding from yourself.”

Margaret Rosenblatt, FCRH ’19, liked that Favreau advised speakers not to take themselves seriously.

“People don’t like to listen to knowit-alls,” she said.

College Democrats President, Thomas Palumbo, said that they chose Favreau because they wanted

a speaker with a direct connection to the Obama administration.

With an election year soon upon us, Palumbo hoped that Favreau, who worked on two presidential campaigns, could contrast the ’07 message with today. It cost approximately $19,000 for Favreau to speak at Fordham, which according to Palumbo, is standard.

This semester, the College Democrats have focused on matching

students with campaign internship opportunities with Ritchie Torres, the Council member for the 15th District of the New York City Council and the first openly gay candidate to serve a legislative office in the Bronx.Other campaigns have included that of Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders. The club is also preparing for its debate against the College Republicans, which will happen in two weeks.

COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA

Jon Favreau, a former speechwriter for President Obama, spoke on Monday in Keating for a College Democrats event.

NEWS

Page 4

November 4, 2015

Fordham In The Bronx

Photography and White Flight in the South Bronx

By MICHAEL DOBUSKI BRONX CORRESPONDENT

In 2011, the United States was responsible for the deportation of over 400,000 migrants, according to a new exhibit at the Bronx Documentary Center in the South Bronx named “Via PanAm: The Pursuit of Happiness.”

The Documentary Center is a remarkably simple space located in a storefront of an old building on the corner of 149th Street and Cortland Avenue. It is advertised to the outside world by only some modest lettering on the windows detailing the center’s name and hours. The atmosphere is cozy with its unvarnished floors and ornate, if slightly out-of-place, wooden columns. The exhibit is relatively small and personal, only filling the one room the venue has for displays. Kadir Van Lohuizen, the exhibit’s creator, said that he hopes the photographs included in the exhibit reflect the complexities of the migrant experience, whether those experiences come from the tundras of northern Alaska, the island region of Guna Yala in Panama or the neglected reservations of the Canadian First Nations people. It also features a video that, while I was there, was

playing a piece about armed conflicts in Columbia to an audience of empty folding chairs. “Via PanAm” mixes stark black and white photography with pictures full of saturated color, and is a combination of landscapes, staged shots and candid moments. Intentional or not, the exhibit and the venue in which it is displayed parallel the surrounding community. Despite several convincing signs of turnaround, the South Bronx is still one of the poorest neighborhoods in New York City and the United States, with one in two residents living below the poverty line. The NYPD considers the precincts within the South Bronx to be major “impact zones,” given the high rate of violent crime, gang activity and prostitution.

But you knew that. What might be less well-known is how the area became what it is today.

By the end of the Second World War, the Jewish population in the Bronx had grown to such a degree that they accounted for nearly half the residents in the borough: the largest demographic in the region by far. However, the 1960s brought one of the largest resettlements that New York City has ever seen, with over 500,000 of the original 600,000 Jewish

residents moving away from the Bronx in favor of greener suburbs like Westchester or Rockland, New York. The borough’s 700 synagogues dwindled to just 34.

The reason for this “white flight,” as the migration was dubbed by the newspapers at the time, is difficult to narrow down.

Factors such as the deteriorating quality of homes, racial change brought on by the erection of various public housing communities and a discriminatory public attitude in addition to federal money being funneled into illfated construction projects rather than to the emerging drug-related street crime problem all culminated in the Bronx’s housing crisis of the 1970s. New York City itself almost went bankrupt. However, to look at the history of the South Bronx solely through the lens of its economic troubles is to miss the point.

The second half of the 20th century also saw an influx of people moving to the South Bronx, who brought with them their own food, music and sense of community. It was during this time that R&B and doo-wop music were formed, which influenced the creation of hip-hop, rap and American salsa. Artists, politicians, sci-

MICHAEL DOBUSKI/ THE FORDHAM RAM

The Bronx Documentary Center is featuring a photography exhibit about the emigration from the Bronx in the 1960s.

CASEY CHUN/THE FORDHAM RAM

Director Discusses Impact of War

On the evening of Tuesday, Nov. 3, the department of modern languages and literature hosted a screening of the film Of Men and War.. The film follows the story of veterans suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Following the film, there was a Q&A session with director Laurent Becue-Renard moderated

by Audrey Evrard, a professor of modern languages and literatures. The film will be released nationwide on Friday, Nov. 6. entists and writers of all kinds saw their origins in the Bronx during this time, as well as a small, but important population of photographers.

While the Bronx Documentary Center’s latest exhibition shows the plight of migrants around the world to those within the Bronx, an online photography project called “Faces of Addiction” shows the struggle of the Bronx’s most troubled citizens to those from around the world. The project’s photographer Christopher Arnade began his career at Johns Hopkins in 1992, where he received his PhD in physics. He then spent the next 20 years of his life as a Wall Street trader until, in 2012, he quit his job in favor of his passion: photography. Arnade’s “Faces of Addiction” series highlights the hardships faced by those living in Hunt’s Point, the poorest neighborhood in New York City.

It is located in the South Bronx.

Arnade’s pictures tell the stories of its residents from a recovered heroin addict helping his friend through the same excruciating process to frustrated workers fed up with living at the ragged edge of society. Perhaps his most moving character is Beauty, a prostitute from Oklahoma who lived in the Bronx and is now a prisoner on Rikers Island. “Faces of Addiction” is grittier and less kitschy than its natural comparison, Humans of New York, and consists of over 250 individual photos.

Arnade has since undertaken similar projects in other parts of the country. Both the Bronx Documentary Center and “Faces of Addiction” serve to underline the far reaching influence of migration, which is an issue more relevant now than ever. It is also a large part of what makes the Bronx the place it is today.

“Via PanAm” is free to visit and runs until Dec. 13.

Campus Briefs & Bites Journalists Honored at WFUV Gala

RHA Holds Trick-or-Treat Trot

Alum Gather for Discussion on Arts

Acclaimed Poet Named New Reid Writer

Fordham’s WFUV honored talk show host Charlie Rose and hockey announcer Michael ‘Doc’ Emrick during the “On the Record: a Celebration of Achievement in News and Sports Broadcasting” event on Nov. 2. Rose, anchor of the PBS evening news, received the Charles Osgood Award for Excellence in Broadcast Journalism named after the legendary broadcaster and WFUV alumnus Charles Osgood, FCRH ‘54. In addition to his Emmy Award and Peabody Prize, Rose was awarded an honorary degree when he spoke at the university’s 2008 commencement ceremony.

Two-time Emmy award winner Emrick received the Vin Scully Lifetime Achievement Award in Sports Broadcasting. Television anchor and journalist Jane Pauley moderated a discussion with the two honorees as well as two communications.

The gala supported WFUV as a source of public media for more than 65 years.

Trick-or-Treat Trot charity 5K run brought Fordham students together this past Friday, Oct. 30, at 5:30 p.m. Runners were encouraged to wear costumes and donate to the B+ Foundation. The B+ foundation helps to fund research and support families of kids with pediatric cancer nationwide. In addition to the 5K run, RHA hosted a pumpkin patch, raffles, fall foods and novelty personalized water bottles. All proceeds from the event were directly donated to the B+ foundation. RHA will be sponsoring many other events this year in order to raise money for this organization. Specifically, RHA hopes to raise $50,000 by Feb. 27, the date of the Fordham Dance Marathon. In addition to RHA, the event was co-sponsored by CAB, USG, CSS, ACT, FlipSide and the Fordham Bookstore.

Fordham alumni gathered on Thursday, Oct. 29, to discuss the year’s most talked about show on Broadway, Hamilton. The event was part of a series known as FACE, or Fordham Alumni Cultural and Entertainment. Recently, Fordham’s Office of Alumni Relations has been offering a variety of cultural events to alumni with the focus on a Fordham connection. This specific event was no different as the playwright’s wife, Vaness Nadal, LAW ’10, attended the event to give her perspective on the show’s growing popularity. Additionally, two of the shows dancers, Seth Stewart and Ephraim M. Sykes, FCLC ’07, were participants in the Ailey/Fordham BFA Program. At the event, Nadal discussed the creation of the play and her own experiences with the story. The play puts a spin on American history and the role of Alexander Hamilton in the founding of the country. While the play is set in 18th century America, all of the characters are played by actors of ethnic backgrounds.

Acclaimed poet and professor Claudia Rankine has been named the Reid Writer in 2016.

Through the Reid Family Writers of Color Reading Series, several celebrated writers have been brought to Fordham for readings and masterclasses. Claudia Rankine is a National Book Critic’s Circle award winner. She was awarded this honor for her most recent book “Citizen,” in 2015. Citizen deals with injustices in America. Specifically the book explores ‘post-racial’ America and highlights the injustices that ensue when the concept of justice is forgotten. The New York Times said, “But Rankine wants us to know that no American citizen is ever really free of race and racism. The potential to say a racist thing or think a racist thought resides in all of us like an unearthed mine from a forgotten war. ” Rankine will be honored at The Reid Family Writers of Color Reading on Friday, April 15, 2016.

— Compiled by Cailin McKenna and Erin Shanahan, Assistant News Editors

NEWS

November 4, 2015

Page 5

Bronx Course Focuses on Cultural History of the Borough FROM BRONX COURSE, PAGE 1

crimes on campus this semester, this course is the first step [in] helping Fordham students know and appreciate their community and people who are different from them,” said Danielle Rowe, FCRH ’16 and co-president of ASILI: The Black Alliance.

Rowe also wanted to find a way to emphasize the uniqueness of the Bronx and its rich cultural history. “I think it’s essential that students at this university know about the rich and culturally diverse community...they will call home for [four] years,” she said.

“There are so many things to do here besides going to the zoo, and the people and history here [are] so amazing, it’d be almost sinful for students to not learn about it.”

Murphy and Rowe approached Dr. Mark Naison, a professor of African and African American studies, about the creation of a course focused on the Bronx’s history and identity. “I wanted to see a course in the curriculum where there could be homage paid to this amazing community so often we don’t take the time to explore and discover the greatness, diversity, history and magic of this place,” Murphy said.

Naison echoed the students’ sentiments, expressing a desire to create in creating a course about the rich history of the Bronx and the cultural figures that have used the borough as an inspirational landscape. “The incentive to create it came from several students

I have taught or who work as research assistants for the Bronx African American History Project,” he said. “[These students] convinced me that Fordham needed such a course immediately in the light of racial incidents that had taken place on campus.”

Murphy, a social justice leader at the Dorothy Day Center, discussed the desire for a class on the Bronx and worked with other students to develop the topics they would like to learn about. “We then took those ideas, compiled a syllabus, and a course was born,” she said.

This course focuses on the role of immigration and migration in shaping Bronx communities from the 1930s to the present. During this period, the Bronx underwent a demographic shift as the borough received a large migration of African Americans, West Indians and Puerto Ricans who moved into predominantly Jewish, Irish and Italian neighborhoods.

Through the use of novels by Bronx-based writers, and pieces composed by Bronx musicians, the course will provide a counternarrative to the misconceptions about the role of race in increasing crime rates, racial conflict and neighborhood deterioration. According to the course description, it will utilize “new research to show how the mixture of cultures in Bronx communities inspired unmatched musical creativity.”

The course’s main focus is to eliminate the negative miscon-

ceptions of the Bronx as a place of racial conflict and violence. “The Bronx has its issues as a poor urban area, but it also was the birth place of hip-hop and is rich with a various blend of cultures and stories,” said Murphy.

The Bronx African American History Project, to which Naison and his students have contributed, is already publicizing the role of the Bronx in music and literature throughout the last century.

“During the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s, a few South Bronx neighborhoods produced more varieties of popular music than any place in the United States, with the possible exception of Treme in New Orleans,” said Naison.

The course will also take advantage of its ability to use the Bronx as a classroom. Many community leaders and educators in the Bronx who helped Naison design of the course will also be guest lecturers throughout the semester. Students will go on walking tours of Bronx neighborhoods and attend events at local schools and cultural centers.

While the course is still pending approval as a Pluralism and Eloquentia Perfecta 3 course, according to the Rose Hill Dean’s office, Naison hopes that the course can become a part of the core curriculum as well as an integral part of New Student Orientation so students can learn about the culture and communities that compose the identity of the Bronx.

“I would love to see a course

CASEY CHUN/ THE FORDHAM RAM

Dr. Mark Naison, a professor of African and African American studies, developed a course about the Bronx with students.

on the Bronx as part of the core curriculum on the Rose Hill campus,” said Naison. “The Bronx should be treated as a rich cultural resource for our students, not

a place to be looked down on or feared because its residents come from different racial or eco-nomic backgrounds than the majority of Fordham students.”

OMA Deepens and Widens its Campus Outreach

By AMINA BHATTI STAFF WRITER

The Office of Multicultural Affairs (OMA) is entrenching itself in racial relations at Fordham. Director Juan Carlos Matos said that OMA’s latest project is to bring a race-relations program to Ford-

ham.

“Sometimes, the work that Multicultural Affairs does with other cultures isn’t highlighted because our work is spread out across the board rather than in a specific program,” he explained.

He hopes to launch a pilot of the race-relations program next year,

as the office is currently conducting research both on and off campus to collect data about what the Fordham community could expect out of such a program.

According to Matos, the idea originated when the Computing Sciences Society wanted Matos to respond to the biases formed

COURTESY OF OFFICE OF MULTICULTURAL AFFAIRS

The Office of Multicultural Affairs has partnered with other groups on campus to increase programming and outreach.

in the general field of technology, particularly against people of color.

By having a race relations program, such biases, as well as the dynamics of race on campus and in society, can be addressed. Matos pointed out that especially with the “[racially charged] climate” of today, such a program would be an important implement in addressing race.

Recent biased incidents on campus have led OMA to work toward having more dialogue, particularly “Deeper Dialogues” on race; “Deeper Dialogues” are discussions which the OMA hosts during the spring semester once a week, over three weeks on a particular topic. As a response to a racial incident that occurred on Fordham’s campus in 2012, Fordham University has implemented sessions on civility and inclusion in Freshman Core Programming. “Because we have new students entering Fordham each year,” Matos said, “we will always have the challenge of educating them… [and] assimilating them to the Fordham community”.

“What drew me to work with Multicultural Affairs… is that everyone has a story to tell and something to bring to the table,” Matos said. Whether it is a club based on collective interest in science fiction, or an LGBT support group wishing to address bias and diversity, Fordham students from all walks of life are welcome to discuss their experiences and work with OMA. Tri M. Lam, GSB ’18 and a diversity peer-leader at OMA, describes

his experience with his work: “The reason that I love OMA so much is because of the enormous openness that it provides, for both the volunteers and student bodies. With that being said, I know that I can freely and candidly express my concerns, fears or opinions to others without being criticized or confidentiality being compromised. To me, and I can say to OMA as a whole, trust is everything.”

Matos has hit many milestones as director of OMA. This is the first academic year under his leadership that OMA has been fully staffed, complete with two full-time administrators and three part-time graduate interns, as well as student workers on both campuses. With this staff, Matos said, “we can focus on more projects and be in more places at once.”

Racial and ethnic diversity, of course, have also been topics that the OMA has dealt with in various ways. “We have done movie screenings with cultural clubs and collaborated with them in bringing speakers to campus,” Matos said. OMA has also co-sponsored programs with such clubs in bringing food for cultural events. Just recently, Matos mentioned, OMA worked with the German Club of Fordham to do a movie screening.

According to the Fordham’s Office of Multicultural Affairs website, OMA seeks to honor the individuality of students at Fordham University. In doing so, OMA invariably tries to develop a hospitable climate for diversity that results from students’ unique backgrounds.

NEWS

Page 6

CASEY CHUN/ THE FORDHAM RAM

Fordham’s guest policies largely differ from those of other Jesuit universities like Georgetown and Santa Clara.

Fordham Stricter on Guest Policies than Jesuit Counterparts, Students Say

By YASMIN MERCHANT STAFF WRITER

Fordham University’s Jesuit and Catholic ideologies affect more than just the curriculum.

Policies throughout campus, on anything from programming to health services, reflect these principles. And nowhere, perhaps, are students more aware of this Jesuit impact than in residential life.

The Office of Residential Life is in charge of the guest policy, which allows undergraduate residents to host up to two overnight guests of the same sex for two nights within a seven-day period.

Overnight guests of the opposite

sex are prohibited. Even if a student wants to have an oppositesex family member as an overnight guest, permission must be granted in advance by the building Resident Director.

Dean of Students Christopher Rodgers provided some explanation on on the guest pass policy, saying, “While students ought mainly to be focused on their studies even in the residence halls, they may, of course, have guests visit from time to time where they live on campus.”

“The guest pass policy works well to allow these guests,” he added. “But students sometimes have questions about the policy prohibiting overnight visitors of the opposite sex: a rule we pre-

dictably find wildly popular with parents but perhaps less-so with students.”

Though Jesuit universities are all, by definition, guided by the same principles, their guest policies, and how strictly they are enforced, differ, according to some students.

Boston College, the College of the Holy Cross and Fairfield University, for example, have guest policies similar to Fordham’s, but some students said not all of them strictly enforce the policies.

Alexandria Catherall is a student at the College of the Holy Cross where, although the policy states that only guests of the same sex are allowed, “there isn't anyone who is walking around

November 4, 2015 knocking on doors making sure that is the case.”

“I believe that's because the school trusts students to make responsible decisions regarding policies about guests,” she said.

Former Holy Cross student Naomi Gaspard remembered the guest policy being more concerned about the safety of guests on campus.

“They would prefer that you register them as a guest so that if something happened (we had to go on lockdown, or someone is looking for them), we know that the guest is accounted for,” she said in an email. “For the most part people are not always registering their guests and the staff didn't seem to care if there were overnight guests of the opposite gender — they had bigger things to worry about.”

The situation is similar at Boston College. "I don't agree with the policy,” said Boston College student Pavel Gorelov, “but it doesn't really matter since no one enforces it anyways. There are no inspections of dorm rooms or apartments at nighttime to ensure that there are no guests sleeping over, so it's a rule entirely in theory and not in practice.”

Rodgers acknowledges that other institutions have fewer restrictions. However, he said, Fordham believes that the limitation on overnight guests is a good balance for students to maintain some level of independence while respecting the privacy of roommates and the overall safety of the community.

“This community standard is also very much in line with the values the university holds dear: encouraging the kind of respect one should show one's self and others in relationships,” Rogers said. “This is especially impor-

tant in light of recent national concerns over student consumption of alcohol and sexual misconduct.”

Georgetown University and Santa Clara University’s policies differ from other Jesuit universities. Though Santa Clara does have rules against cohabitation in residence halls, the policy does not differentiate between guests of the same sex and opposite sex.

The policy reads “Guests of residents are permitted to stay overnight in the residence halls. Any guest who intends to stay longer than three consecutive nights or for more than a total of seven nights each academic year must obtain prior written permission from Residence Life staff.”

Georgetown student Catherine Moley agreed with her school’s guest policy. “I think it would ridiculous if a girl could not bring a boy into her room. We are all adults and should have the right to bring whoever we want into our rooms,” she said.

Georgetown student Alexandra Moran said that residents must sign in guests if they don't live in the building “but they do not care about the gender of your guest.” She also agreed with her school’s policy, “especially because I'm paying room and board so I should get to decide who I have over.”

Rodgers points out that roommates and parents are also paying for the room. “The majority of complaints brought to staff have little to do with the minor restrictions imposed by these rules,” Rogers said. “But you had better believe we do hear instead about problems between room and suitemates when students fail to show proper respect for one another when it comes to visitors and guests.”

Business School to Remodel Integrated Projects

By ASHLEY KATUSA STAFF WRITER

In response to student feedback from the Summer of 2015, the Gabelli School of Business has restructured its Integrated Projects, or IPs. In previous years, Career Exploration IP was assigned in the Spring of sophomore year. However, by this time, many students had already declared their majors, according to Greer Jason, assistant dean of freshman at the Gabelli School of Business. Consequently, the Career Exploration IP is being transitioned to freshman year, where it is more appropriate to learn these skills. Furthermore, many students found it difficult to retain course material due to breaks between weeks in the semester.

To remedy this, Gabelli is implementing a new course structure, so that there are 10 straight class sessions — instead of giving weeks off during the semester, students will end the semester early. Greer finds that students focus on final exams without having to worry as much about IP responsibilities.

Other changes due to student feedback include Gabelli-offered resume and cover letter instruc-

tion before the Career Fair on campus and the inclusion of industry recruiters in the Personal and Professional Development Panel. For Lincoln Center students, Lisa Green, undergraduate core curriculum manager of Gabelli, and Father Vincent, assistant dean and program advisor of Gabelli, helped create a career fair that which retains the basic principles experienced during the Rose Hill fair but includes Lincoln Center academic interests.

Students can expect to see some of these changes implemented in the 2015-2016 school year, and the rest of the changes implemented in the 2016-2017 school year.

Integrated Projects were added to the Gabelli curriculum in 2009.

These projects, which include Career Exploration, a consulting project and analytics and leadership, help students explore their strengths and navigate would-be difficult decisions about their futures.

“I think the Integrated Project is a great way to practically apply academic principles learned in the classroom to real life situations,” said Caroline Rizzo, GSB ’18.

“It is an interesting teaching technique that truly allows the students to see how all aspects of the curriculum work together

cohesively in a business setting,” Matthew Schiller, GSB ’18, said.

Schiller explained that IPs were helpful in analyzing the issues in a team. “It's nice to get feedback in a group setting like I do in Integrated Projects,” he said.

In the past several years, Hughes Hall received a $38 million facelift becoming a technological hub.

Inside is a trading room with 15 Bloomberg terminals, video conference rooms, a student lounge

outfitted with iMacs, classrooms with recording equipment which enables students to re-watch lectures along with many other amenities. Hughes also houses the Gabelli-specific Personal and Professional Development Center, which works with Career Services to provide students with a highly tailored, industry-focused experience to help them excel in their desired field.

Lerzan Aksoy, associate dean of

undergraduate studies for Gabelli, explained that these changes are “a way to help students think early on about what they want to do.”

“You don’t really know what you want to do when you come to school,” she added. “It’s nice to get exposure. That’s really the only way you can figure out what you like and what you don’t like — expose yourself to as many things as you can.”

RAM ARCHIVES

The Gabelli School of Business’ Integrated Projects will undergo a remodel in the coming years.

NEWS

November 4, 2015

Page 7

Pulitzer Prize Winning Author Speaks at Rose Hill FROM DIAZ, PAGE 1

ing an expletive, he asked what was “going on with recruitment here,” which was met with applause from the audience.

Diaz, a professor of creative writing at Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the fiction editor at Boston Review, proceeded to take audience questions about education, identity, social media and his heritage.

Referring to the group of students as “gang” and speaking with the same potency found in his expletive-riddled writing, Diaz spoke at length about identity and the perception that it is formulaic and singular.

“We have become deeply addicted to these forms,” he said, speaking about strict cultural, national and gender identities that pervade the modern world.

“We are looking for excuses to reject people.”

Diaz, who said he identifies with his Dominican heritage and his African heritage, reminded the audience that he was equally critical of both. Instead of using knowledge and technology to become “deep allies,” he suggested that opposing ethnic groups have chosen to become “competitors.”

Rina Hernandez, president of El Grito de Lares, organized the event, and was in touch with the author in order to coordinate the event.

Hernandez said she was looking to bring an engaging and popular speaker and to create “a welcoming space to have the Fordham community engage in a relevant, much-needed discussion (regarding race, identity, community, perceptions, activism, etc).”

Citing “deep, meaningful exchanges between Junot and the attendees,” she said the event achieved these goals.

The event also offered Dominican food, including picadera (finger foods) like carne frita (beef ), queso frito (fried cheese) and tostones (fried green plantain).

One of Diaz’s biggest focuses was on the pressures that today’s college students face. He noted that when he was a college student at Rutger’s 25 years ago, he was not seen as a “customer,” but someone with more freedom.

“I had four years to surround myself in the arts and with artists and think about what it is like being a person,” he said. Speaking to higher education more broadly,

he continued: “It was less about making money but ‘what the hell do I really care about.’”

"Mr. Diaz is one of few professors to have addressed the issue of university being turned into a business that profits from the students who have more recently become its “customers,” said Erin Ward, GSB ’18, who was present for the event. “It was refreshing to hear the acknowledgment of this unspoken practice and to understand that it is up to us to change our experience and allow ourselves the time to grow as individuals in an institute that seems to constantly look at us as an investment rather than individuals."

Diaz, in answering audience questions, was quick to connect his talking points with some of the characters in his own work, namely the title character in “The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao.” The “big joke” of the novel, he explained, was that the protagonist constantly experiences rejection.

Using words that cannot be printed in The Fordham Ram, he used the opportunity to disparage the “scripts” that other peo-

ple write for us, and that many try to conform to over their lifetimes.

“Many of us are not friends to ourselves,” he continued. “We want to fit in a neater box, a cuter box. It’s not worth it.”

“Freedom,” he said, “is not cutting pieces of yourself off.”

Ramon Cabral, FCRH ’14, who is the former president of El Grito de Lares, suggested that the event was an opportunity for students to expose themselves to an author of color.

"I think that American readers are not as exposed to different authors of different perspectives as I believe they should be. In an ever increasing diverse population, one of the ways that Americans can try and identify with them is by seeing things through their perspective,” Cabral said.

“An initial step,” Cabral suggested, “is to read authors of color, or females, or of the LGBTQ community because they give an insight to some of the struggles of that community, but also to go further and actually engage with these communities with an open mind and an open heart."

Alyssa Melendez, FCRH ’16, who is the treasurer of Academia

Hispana, said the event helped her better understand her college experience.

"As a senior it made me reflect on my journey and how much I struggled to find myself and what I wanted to pursue,” Melendez said. “Mr. Diaz said that the difference between a student and customer is that students are not meant to be made to feel comfortable, because in order to grow there has to be moments of discomfort. Once I realized that it was OK to embrace the uncomfortable feeling of the unknown, I became a student rather than a customer.”

Diaz, who was born in Santo Domingo, recently made headlines when he was criticized by the Dominican Republic’s consul in New York and stripped of an Order of Merit medal. The reaction followed outspoken criticism of the Dominican Republic immigration policies.

Though Diaz was not asked about the criticism during his talk at Fordham, he decried the “simplistic” and constructed ideas of identity, saying: “People criticize the Dominican government, then they say you are anti-Dominican.”

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November 4, 2015

Don’t Forget to Recycle

The Ram

November 4, 2015

OPINION

Page 9

The Fordham Ram

Refusing Candidancy Preserves Biden’s Reputation

By MARIA DECAPSER CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Few people were surprised when Vice President Joe Biden announced that he would not be running for president in 2016. The announcement came after the first democratic debate, at which point it was clear that any new candidate simply did not have enough time to mount a campaign in time for the Democratic primaries. When the vice president failed to enter the race in time for the first debate, some voters were disappointed, and media outlets everywhere were questioning if this was the right decision for Joe Biden.

Indeed, compared to his last two bids for the Democratic nomination, Biden had the highest approval rating and, seemingly, the best chances of winning he ever had. Despite living though a horrible family tragedy, the loss of son Beau Biden to brain cancer in May, Biden made statements about the possibility of a campaign, and famously said that another bid for the White House was his son’s dying wish.

This is why many Americans were confused when the vice president cited his son’s death as a contributing factor to his decision to end his presidential campaign.

However, in the weeks after the announcement, it became clear that citing his family life as the reason behind his decision was a graceful way for Joe Biden to de-

finitively exit the race for the White House.

In the end, Biden made the most logical choice. Despite enjoying the high approval ratings (in the state of New Hampshire, Biden was leading as late as Oct. 1 with a 78 percent approval rating), the chances of the vice president securing the Democratic nomination, much less the White House, were slim.

While successful as vice president, Biden was unprepared for the stress and scrutiny that comes with running for President. Although Biden has enjoyed a long career in public office, Biden had his fair share of controversies.

His 1988 campaign for office was highly successful until accusations of plagiarism in speeches, and even academic work, came to light.

Biden attempted to blame some of the instances of plagiarism on his aides; however, his campaign still suffered irreparable damage and he withdrew before the primaries.

During his tenure as a senator, Biden amassed some controversy over gender rights. While serving as chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Biden became embroiled in scandal during Clarence Thomas’ confirmation hearing. Biden greatly favored Clarence Thomas for the Supreme Court position. When the nominee was accused of sexual harassment by Dr. Anita Hill, Thomas’ former employee, Biden dismissed the accusations. He asked Hill confusing

COURTESY OF FLICKR

After months of waffling, Vice President Joe Biden, above, decided not to pursue the Democratic presidential nomination.

and convoluted questions, which even reporters could not understand, and famously refused to call on Dr. Hill’s key witnesses. Biden’s conduct enraged many Americans and made headline news in 1991.

His track record on gender rights was further marred by his vote on a constitutional amendment that would repeal Roe v. Wade.

Joe Biden’s history was not particularly relevant when he was running for the position of vice president alongside a young and healthy President Obama. Since Thomas’ chances of becoming president

while in office were slim, the campaign focused on presenting Biden as a moral and moderate advisor, who nevertheless appealed to the conservative Democrats whose votes were needed in order to secure Obama’s victory.

However, Biden would face a much higher level of scrutiny if he were to enter the 2016 race for the White House. The decisionmaking power that comes with the Oval Office necessitates a high level of scrutiny to an official’s career, which could have had a devastating effect on Biden’s legacy.

By not running for president, Biden managed to preserve his reputation while maintaining a great amount of power. His opinion on Democratic candidates is sure to have an effect on the election.

As it is, Biden’s possible endorsement of Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) has already increased the amount of media attention for Sanders, which is surely going to affect the senator’s chances at securing the Democratic nomination.

Maria Decasper, FCRH ’17, is a philsophy major from Miami, Florida.

Target Disability Ad Advocates Inclusive Media

COURTESY OF TARGET

This Halloween advertisement from Target featured a child with a physical disabilitiy modeling an Elsa costume.

By EMILY SULLIVAN CONTRIBUTING WRITER

In an unprecedented advertisement for a large American retailer, Target included a child with a physical disability in its Halloween catalog. The featured child is a young girl who models a costume of the Disney film Frozen’s Princess Elsa and uses supportive arm braces. She is the only one with a visible physical disability in a catalog that features children of all body types and races.

This appears to be the first instance of a major American chain store hiring a child with a visible

physical disability for a major advertisement campaign. Disability is not always physical, however, and may be manifested as intellectual, cognitive, sensory and mental, among other forms. It should be conceptualized as a multidimensional experience for the person involved because of the many levels on which ableism operates on. It is no secret that there is very little representation of people with disabilities in the media, and that the representation that does exist preys on inaccurate, offensive stereotypes.

Media coverage most often employs sensationalistic and pitiful depictions of persons with disabilities

(think Rainman) and rarely shows preferences for the human side of disability, like a little girl who is excited to wear an Elsa costume to go trick-or-treating. Certain pervasive tropes present in the media, such as the pitiful innocent (Tiny Tim and Forrest Gump) and the magically healed (Dr. Strangelove — implying you can “will off ” a disability once you become “pure” is obviously incredibly problematic) present disability as a lesser existence deserving of pity and spectacle.

Why are these stereotypes so prevailing? Harmful tropes can persist in a culture for many reasons: constant and mass reinforcement

from media, the organization and categorization of people committed by groups and individuals and the tendency of society to “other” those who do not fit neatly into their specific categories. These things all allow ableism and its ugly stereotypes to continue. In order to combat these tropes and stereotypes, one can employ the medium that promotes them: mass media.

Using person-first language about people with disabilities (i.e, a person with a disability rather than a disabled person) and including characters with disabilities that do not rely on cheap tropes are simple means of being more inclusive, yet many writers and media forms fail to employ them.

Inclusion and representation within mass media is powerful. Disability occurs in a variety of ways, and is often resigned to physical appearances. Creating complex and authentic portraits of persons with physical disabilities is imperative.

When one in five Americans are estimated to have a mental disorder, it is equally imperative to create a representation of people with mental disorders that does not rely on cheap and harmful writing.

Increasing the amount of people with disabilities in the media work sphere and encouraging cooperation between media outlets and their representative organizations are two ways these means can be

achieved.

Target’s simple inclusion of a child who seems eager to trick or treat with the rest of her friends is a small one, but one that seems to have yet to occur in advertisements of any other major American retailers. When children of all abilities see these advertisements, it reinforces a positive and more accurate description of disability that does not insinuate pity or revulsion.

This inclusion is a step in the right direction, but there are leaps to be made in combating depictions of disability throughout the media, and in combating ableism in general. In one of the most viral reactions to the Target catalog, Jen Spickenagel Kroll, a mother of a girl with a physical disability, wrote “My daughter (with arm crutches and prosthetic legs) is going to FLIP when she sees this! Including children with special needs into advertising makes them less of a spectacle to the general public when they venture out into the real world. Normalizing disabilities in children is priceless.” I agree with Ms. Krolls’s sentiment — inclusion of people with different abilities is imperative. Let us applaud Target’s inclusiveness, and call on every other form of media for more accurate inclusion of disability.

Emily Sullivan, FCRH ’17, is a psychology major from Wall, New Jersey.

OPINION

Page 10

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

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November 4, 2015

From the Desk | Sydney Keen

Donate to Charities, Not Corporations As anyone with any social media accounts is well aware, most months on our calendar are commemorative. As October came to an end this weekend, so did Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

Zealous supporters untied their pink ribbons and stowed their pink t-shirts and scarves. October also marked Domestic Violence Awareness Month, during which illustrations of purple hearts and supportive social media posts overwhelmed my Facebook newsfeed, as I am sure they did for many others.

As with most other large-scale movements, the true message behind the pink and purple accessories has been lost on many: the pink ribbons, after all, are only that — pink ribbons. During the month of October, entire aisles of stores are devoted to pink products: hats, scarves, bracelets, office supplies, chewing gum, Kleenex, hair curlers and water bottles all adorned with the small, recognizable pink ribbons bring in quite a profit.

That revenue, however, is not necessarily directly tied to any foundation. The money you are spending on a pink travel mug may only be going to the producer of the mug: lots of companies have a cap on the amount of mon-

ey they donate to a beneficiary regardless of how much of a product they sell.

While pinning a satin ribbon onto your jacket or backpack is likely done with good intentions, it is important to identify the needs of a movement in order to be an effective participant.

Nearly 12 percent of women will develop invasive breast cancer in the United States over the course of their lifetimes. Through federal and private funding, the U.S. spends at least $1 billion on breast cancer research annually.

About 25 percent of women and 14 percent of men will experience domestic violence during their lifetimes, according to the National Domestic Violence Hotline.

Domestic violence is a pattern of abusive, coercive behaviors that a person uses to control his or her current or former partner. Many people in abusive relationships, however, find that it is not easy to simply walk away from their bad situations. There are often many other extenuating circumstances and this is sometimes forgotten.

Financial abuse happens in 98 percent of all domestic violence cases. The Allstate Foundation’s Purple Purse website explains, “Financial abuse prevents victims from acquiring, using or main-

taining financial resources. Financial abuse is just as effective in controlling a victim as a lock and key.”

The common denominator in combating both breast cancer and domestic violence, along with the topics of many other foundations and organizations, is simple: money. The Breast Cancer Research Foundation provides necessary funds for necessary research of breast cancer’s causes. Giving victims of domestic violence and financial abuse true opportunities for safety and security means offering financial support and empowerment through organizations like the Purple Purse Foundation.

Being an informed supporter is crucial. Purchasing apparel or paraphernalia adorned with a pink ribbon does not mean your money is necessarily going to the right place. In fact, your dollars may support corporations that are doing far more harm than good to the cause.

Last year, Breast Cancer Action, a national breast cancer awareness organization, publicly took issue with “pinkwashing” — corporations’ rebranding of products that have been found to contain cancer-causing ingredients. The pink ribbon can be placed on any product and is not regulated by

any agency and, thus, purchasing products with the pink ribbon does not guarantee that your money will ever reach the proper beneficiary. Both Swiffer and Cover Girl have marketed pinkribbon products that contained dangerous ingredients linked to the development of cancer.

Rather than purchasing commemorative pink or purple products, consider giving directly to a research or aid foundation. Any foundation big or small will echo that any donation matters. When you are compelled to show your solidarity with an organization by purchasing a product marketed toward garnering profit for the corporation, donate that money directly to an organization that you see as being essential to the cause you are supporting.

Editorial | Race Issues

Another Halloween, Another Crop of Racist Costumes Despite increased racial and cultural sensitivity among college students, cultural appropriation still plagues campuses when Halloween approaches.

Although many people justify racist costumes by insisting that it is all in good fun and that they do not mean any harm, wearing a race or culture as a costume can have severe consequences by helping to perpetuate harmful and sometimes inaccurate stereotypes.

Many fraternities and sororities often come under fire and controversy for group costumes that consist of a racist element, most commonly blackface. For example, this year UCLA’s Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity and Alpha Phi sorority held a “Kanye Western” party where members wore baggy clothes and smeared charcoal on their faces.

College students are not the only perpetrators of racist cos-

tumes. A teacher in Georgia almost was fired for dressing as Kanye West and painting his skin completely brown.

Celebrites are often perpetrators of offensive costumes as well, and often receive a lot of media coverage and attention during the holiday.

This past Halloween, Kylie Jenner wore an Eskimo costume and Nicky Hilton went in stereotypical Native American garb.

Despite receiving constant exposure to lessons about cultural sensitivity, college students still appear in culturally offensive costumes every year. There have been several awareness campaigns to prevent these kinds of Halloween outfits.

One such campaign from Ohio University shows students of different backgrounds holding up pictures of white people wearing mass-produced costumes that supposedly represent their

culture: an Asian student shows a woman in a geisha costume, a Latino student shows a man in a sombrero riding a donkey and a Muslim student shows a picture of a man wearing a headscarf with bombs strapped to his chest. Under these images are the phrases “We’re a culture, not a costume” and “You wear the costume for one night. I wear the stigma for life.”

These well-intentioned campaigns help to encourage tolerance and cultural sensitivity to more and more students every year.

But still, some slip through the cracks. The costumes worn by some students are outright offensive and harmful to different races and cultures.

As people continue to dress up as Muslim men, complete with pretend bombs, Islamaphobia becomes more accepted and entrenched in our society. When

college students wear blackface, baggy clothes and chains, they diminish black students into a tired trope.

Costumes may seem harmless because they are worn once a year on Halloween. But they have consequences that can affect society’s perception of different cultural groups.

We are students in New York City, one of the most diverse cities in the entire world. We can pay homage to cultures that are not our own by visiting restaurants and stores that sell authentic goods from their country of origin. We can watch films and shows from other countries and see works of art that reflect the values of other cultures.

There are clear ways to appreciate other cultures that do not involve appropriation. Hopefully next Halloween, there will be fewer instances of stereotyped costumes and blackface.

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OPINION

November 4, 2015

Page 11

Testing Antagonizes the School System

By JACLYN WEINER STAFF WRITER

The Obama administration has called for a decrease in the amount of standardized test taking in schools around the country. It is long overdue for this topic to be addressed in a serious manner. The administration has admitted that supporting certain policies, such as the No Child Left Behind Act and Race to the Top program, has had unforeseen consequences that have contributed to the problem of over-testing, especially in elementary and secondary education. The Obama administration is now trying to counteract the already-concerning issue to which it in-advertently contributed.

“I still have no question that we need to check at least once a year to make sure our kids are on track or identify areas where they need support,” said Arne Duncan, the secretary of education, in a statement.

“But I can’t tell you how many conversations I’m in with educators who are understandably stressed and concerned about an overemphasis on testing in some places and how much time testing and test prep are taking from instruction.”

A survey from the Council of the Great City Schools, an organization of the nation’s largest urban public school systems, found that about 112 mandatory standardized tests, on average, are taken by students attending the nation’s big city schools between pre-kindergarten and high school graduation. Students are tested most aggressively in eighth grade.

The survey showed that 2.3 percent of school hours were taken up by standardized testing, which is about 20 to 25 hours per year. The Obama administration supports a limit of no more than two percent of class time being taken up by standardized tests.

The Assessment of Educational Progress, the largest continuing and nationally representative assessment

COURTESY OF FLICKR

Standardized tests have contributed to more stress among young students.

of what American students know and how they perform in core subjects, has also found that there is no evidence of standardized testing improving academic performance.

Supporting evidence has contributed to the Obama administration’s support of the reduction of standardized testing, but they are in no way advocates of getting rid of standardized testing all together. The Obama administration acknowledges that testing plays an important role in education, especially when determining what subjects are troublesome for students.

“Today, as a parent, I want to know how my child is doing in school, and I want my teacher to know that, too,” President Obama states. “As president, I want to hold all of us accountable for making sure every child, everywhere, is learning what he or she needs to be successful. That’s why I believe that in moderation, smart, strategic tests can help us measure our kids’ progress in school, can help them learn.”

Although the support of the overtesting in schools is important and well-intended, it comes into question

how much of an impact the Obama administration will truly have. Many state and school districts mandate standardized testing, not the federal government. Additionally, though the issue of the amount of standardized testing is an important matter, the Obama administration may have missed the mark. The more prevalent issue is the detrimental effects of high-stakes testing.

The Obama administration’s support of the decrease of standardized tests is mostly on low-stakes testing.

A low-stake test is an exam that concentrates on determining in which academic areas students are excelling, and which areas students could use more help. These tests also aim to improve academic instruction and identify students with learning disabilities.

High-stake testing has much more far-reaching and severe consequences to students, teachers, schools and districts alike. Students who receive poor scores on high-stakes tests can be held back a grade or not be allowed to graduate. There are many reasons that students may perform poorly on exams, and many of them

have nothing to do with the overall competence of the students. The American Test Anxiety Association found that 16 to 20 percent of students suffer from test anxiety, which can severely affect the outcome of exam scores. Others are simply poor test-takers, which makes it difficult to determine whether or not students grasp the material presented.

Poorly-funded schools also tend to have lower test scores. Without the proper resources, it is difficult for students to achieve academically.

Other students whose first language is not English are also at a great disadvantage. The effects of high-stake testing have also been shown to result in more students dropping out of school due to being held back, feelings of lack of self-worth or the stunting of academic achievement.

High-stakes testing is often used to evaluate teachers. The tests may be used to determine whether or not a teacher’s methods are effective or not. This has, in many cases, affected hiring, firing and tenure of teachers.

Test scores also majorly affect schools and districts. No matter the cause of low scoring, consequences can be major. Public rating of schools may go down, staff members are often removed, school administrators can be fired and schools have even been shut down due to poor highstake test scores.

The Obama administration is trying to take steps in the right direction when it comes to the issues surrounding the overabundance of standardized tests, but more important issues are being overlooked. The problems that result from standardized testing goes further than overtesting. High-stake tests and their negative effects need to be added to the conversation in order solutions to be found.

Jaclyn Weiner, FCRH ’18, is a communications and media studies major from Wantagh, New York.

Grantland’s End Impairs Sports Journalism

By MATTHEW MICHAELS STAFF WRITER

On Oct. 30, ESPN abruptly announced that it was immediately discontinuing services of “Grantland,” one of a few websites the sports conglomerate owns. In its four year run, “Grantland” published terrific long-form articles, cultural observations about television shows, movies and more in addition to bread-and-butter, sports reporting.

Founder and Editor-in-chief Bill Simmons was pushed out of his role earlier this year after a long and glorious, if not contentious, career with ESPN. The basketball mastermind created the idea for the wildly successful film series “30 for 30” and was behind some terrific writing and podcasts.

Simmons has since found a home at HBO, but many of his former colleagues may not be so luck, and may struggle to find writing jobs that pay them a competitive salary they deserve for their talent. “Grantland” gave these writers, whose content was unique and enjoyable, a wonder-

ful home.

In their statement announcing the suspension of the site, ESPN wrote, “after careful consideration, we have decided to direct our time and energy going forward to projects that we believe will have a broader and more significant impact across our enterprise.”

This is corporate jargon for “Grantland was not earning enough in ad revenue and the executives of Disney and ESPN want to see profits now.”

It is sad to see a site with quality writing from dedicated authors shut down. As a writer for The Fordham Ram, I expect myself and my colleagues to write to a certain standard. In a paper like ours, there is no selling out and pieces are written not for the sole purpose of generating as many readers as possible. That pursuit of audience is irresponsible, and the pursuit of profits has confused the primary purpose of journalism.

“Grantland” is by far not the only part affected by Disney’s acquisition of “The Worldwide Leader in Sports.” ESPN, once a well-respected model of print and

television journalism, has deteriorated into a corporate monster running on “Buzzfeed”-style, clickbait headlines. “SportsCenter,” the station’s iconic news show, focuses on athletes’ lifestyles as celebrities and rumors instead of game plans and roster changes. “SportsCenter” and the other shows on ESPN’s various channels have shifted from “60 Minutes” to “TMZ.” A true sports fan will find their coverage disgusting and insulting to the audience’s intelligence.

“FiveThirtyEight,” a statistical analysis blog created by Nate Silver, has also felt the change since ESPN purchased it in 2013. Originally created as a prediction tool for the 2008 election, “538” was adept at answering interesting questions in layman’s terms with an engaging style.

The categories of politics, economics, science, life and sports appealed to everybody and the stats based answers made for insightful discussions into current topics.

A change in content has been noticeable over the last few months on “538.”

Articles about the presidential nominations are pandering and lacking in meaningful statistical analysis. Excellent journalism is being replaced by dull articles aimed at the lowest common denominator.

The effort to produce interesting analysis has given way to an effort to increase the number of visitors to the website at the expense of quality information.

We must not accept this fate of real journalism lying down.

As a public, it is our duty to be informed and to demand stories about actual news and not about Kardashian-esque athletes. We have the right to be able to read news from a source that will seek to inform first, rather than entertain.

Companies like Disney should not be involved in “Grantland,” and I am sad to see it go. As a writer myself, I am furious with corporate decision making. All readers deserve better.

Matthew Michaels, GSB ’17, is a marketing major from Hightstown, New Jersey.

Kathryn Wolper Goldman Sachs Goes Green As one of Wall Street’s most powerful and profitable firms, Goldman Sachs has the power to affect trends through investment.

Recognizing this power, the firm has recently committed itself to ethical investing by way of a revamped environmental policy, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Goldman’s website states that its goal is to allocate $150 billion in capital for clean energy by 2025.

This new environmental policy marks an encouraging amplification of the scale of concern for the environment. Personal regard for the environmental impact of one’s choices can only accomplish so much in the fight against climate change, and the politicization of the issue means that government measures — at least in the U.S. — to regulate energy do not reach far enough. Political disagreement about both the legitimacy of the human role in climate change and how much responsibility individual nations should take on in passing environmental regulations bring about frustrating stalemates.

The commitment to ethical investment and research into clean energy by Goldman Sachs sets a precedent for other large investment companies. Investment companies have shown themselves to have political sway.

While this influence is sometimes the object of strong resentment, Goldman Sachs has acknowledged its own power to promote ethical investment and worthwhile dialogues about climate.

Goldman Sachs, as one of the largest and most successful firms, can protect itself against the financial risks associated with ethical investing. If clean energy technologies do not take off as expected, Goldman is large enough to absorb the risk. While the trend of ethical investing may take off as a result of Goldman’s probable success, the hard reality is that many smaller companies can not afford risky investments, however ethical.

Although such risk-taking may not inspire companies of all sizes to invest similarly, it sends a message about corporate responsibility. Furthermore, the measure may help reverse the stigma about unethical corporations focused solely on maximizing profit. If successful, Goldman’s new environmental policy will be a leading example of how ethical investing pays off.

Ideally, Goldman Sachs will find continued success. The company’s initiative can serve as an example of how ethics and profit can coexist. When big companies are rewarded for the strides they take toward being ethical, there is a ripple effect on smaller companies. Energy companies with a focus on green energy may find incentive to succeed because of the prospect of investment by Goldman Sachs. Money talks, and Goldman Sachs is saying all the right things.

OPINION

Page 12

November 4, 2015

You Are (Ignorant of) What You Eat

COURTESY OF FLICKR

Evidence on the detriments of red meat is often ignored by lawmakers in favor of protecting corporate interests.

By MARGARITA ARTOGLOU OPINION EDITOR

Meat trade groups have already jumped into action in response to the World Health Organization (WHO) study which asserted that meat causes cancer. Representatives for the different groups that protect the interests of meat producers have called the science behind the study “shoddy.” They insist that no one really knows what causes cancer, and that the WHO manipulated the data to get a desired result. There is no evidence to support that former claim.

There is, however, plenty of evidence that supports the idea that, at the very least, processed and red meats are not recommended for everyday consumption.

Still, it comes as no surprise that meat corporations are already speaking out strongly against the study.

Food industries have a history of maneuvering their way out of trouble when new science finds that what they are dishing out is unhealthy for consumers. Specifically, the food industry is adept at getting the government to ignore whatever health information science is espousing.

Even in the shadiest of circumstances, industries have been able to wiggle their way out of government intervention. Despite a plethora of scientific studies that challenge the traditional diet recommendations, policies that actually regulate food companies are scarce, and politicians tend to shy away from releasing radically different health guidelines.

This is not to say that all politicians do not care for the health of their constituents. The fact is, they often face barriers in the form of food industries that blockade their efforts to make America healthy.

Take Michelle Obama, for example. The main issue she has chosen

to combat as first lady is childhood obesity. If you follow a timeline of Obama’s efforts, you will see that she began her war on obesity by focusing on food recommendations. She especially condemned processed food companies for targeting children in their ads. A task-force was called to create guidelines for marketing junk food to kids. Lobbyists from Nestlé, Kellogg’s and General Mills put that effort to rest. Obama eventually turned her efforts toward getting kids to be more active. A noble cause, for sure, and it is true that exercise is good for your health. But if you are exercising for an hour and eating junk food the rest of the day, you will not see great weight-loss results.

Maybe you have seen the CocaCola advertisements from a couple of years ago that insist that all calories are created equal. Thus, if you are active, you can drink as much Coke as you want without worrying about the consequences. The ads imply that the reason America’s kids are suffering from obesity is not because they drink too many sugary drinks; it is because they are lazy and should go outside and ride their bikes.

This logic is completely flawed.

Coca-Cola contains an alarming amount of sugar. The amount of calories in the bottle does not matter as much as the amount of sugar, which has been linked to most of the dietrelated diseases we hear about most often, like diabetes, heart disease and liver damage, all caused by or linked to obesity (which is becoming increasingly common in young children). But Coca-Cola “funds” scientific studies — which conveniently conclude that there is not sufficient evidence to link soda consumption and any of these illnesses. Sure.

Unfortunately, exercise is con-

stantly used as an escape route for these companies. They claim that their products are not to blame.

Rather, your lifestyle is. In actuality, exercise, while beneficial, only accounts for a fraction of weight-loss.

The rest depends on your diet.

Even if someone decides that they are going to ignore alluring food commercials and stick to a healthy diet, there is a huge chance that they will be misinformed. The federal government purports to be a good source of general diet recommendations, but these companies have a presence in Washington as well.

In 2012, Reuters reported that food companies had spent $175 million on lobbying during the first three years of the Obama administration, more than double what they had spent during the last three years of the Bush administration (probably in direct response to the first lady’s initial efforts).

Food companies have been manipulating lawmakers for a long time.

Back in 1977, Congress tried to pass new guidelines that recommended reducing the consumption of meat, dairy and other foods high in cholesterol. The affected food industries banded together and the guidelines were changed so, instead, Americans were advised to reduce their fat consumption. Most processed food companies then began offering fat-free or reduced fat versions of their products, which were even higher in sugar — the toxic culprit of so many health issues — in order to make them taste just as good as the originals. People think they are making a healthy choice when they go for the fat-free potato chips or cookies, when they are really doing themselves a disservice.

Earlier in October, a group of politicians was tasked with making sci-

entifically-based recommendations for an ideal diet written by a panel of academic researchers into official nutrition guidelines. The panel raised concerns about the sustainability of our food, especially meat. Representatives from states where cattle are raised were especially vocal. Rather than try to provide counterevidence, these politicians cried that inquiries about sustainability are politically charged rather than science-based.

Others questioned the legitimacy of dietary guidelines at all.

Representative Mike Rogers (RAL) who represents areas where cattle production is abundant asked, “Why don’t you just say not to eat over a certain caloric level? Why would there be a category of things not to eat?” Sound familiar?

These lawmakers are protecting corporate interests rather than those of the American people, at the expense of the American people’s health. They are making sure that people are unaware of such necessary information so that they can continue to peddle hamburgers to people who believe they are feeding their families a nutritious source of protein.

At first this might seem like a small issue. It is only food, after all.

But we put food into our bodies continuously throughout the day.

Diet is one of the largest factors in our health. So it is pretty crucial to understand how your body reacts to food. The government has taken on the responsibility of educating the public on exactly this — but, as has been determined, they do a terrible job.

I find this outrageous. People are putting terrible things into their bodies — their children’s bodies — and they do not know the consequences because greedy executives influence the government. Some may say that people should take responsibility for their own diets and do research of their own, but there is something fundamentally wrong with that. People should be able to take government recommendations at face value without having to worry about whether or not they are getting the full story. I truly hope the government makes a genuine effort to address the WHO study and alter dietary guidelines. The average American should not have to delve into scientific studies to figure out what to eat.

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

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Michael Byrne Is Amazon Evil?

Amazon is trying to win us back. The massive online retailer received harsh criticism over the summer pertaining to its treatment of employees and lack of benefits.

A New York Times article, published in August, started the firestorm by accusing the company of “conducting a little-known experiment in how far it can push white-collar workers, redrawing the boundaries of what is acceptable” and included several anecdotes of mistreated workers.

Amazon recently announced that they would now offer employees maternity leave for up to 20 weeks and paternity leave for six weeks.

On Tuesday, it also opened the doors of a new physical location, called Amazon Books, in Seattle.

Yes, that is right, the company whose entire platform is allowing people to order almost any product — from books to electronics to “Canned Unicorn Meat” — without leaving your couch is now selling books from an actual store. Amazon Books will only carry about 5,000 titles, a relatively small number for a bookstore.

In 2011, the satirical news source, The Onion, published an article titled “Netflix Switches Over To Convenient New Physical Locations.”

Amazon has apparently taken the comedic piece as sound business advice.

Why would Amazon go against its entire business model by opening a brick-and-mortar store? It might not be a dumb move for them. A single, small retail location, especially in a city where smaller physical locations thrive presents little risk for such a large corporation. If it is an imagebuilding project in response to the backlash they recently faced, it might work.

Or it might not.

It is a complete insult to small book retailers for Amazon to pull this move. The corporation built its foundation on the graveyards of independent booksellers, and now for it to turn around and create its own physical location is borderline egotistical.

Not only do Seattle bookstores have to compete against the behemoth retailer in its online manifestation, but they also have to fight for customers against Amazon’s physical location.

Do not get me wrong, the benefits Amazon has introduced after being publicly censured are a real improvement in the company’s culture.

The United States is in the minority of countries that do not provide maternity leave, and it is good to see Amazon moving forward, even if it did take some prodding.

But it all just seems like a Machiavellian improvement where they are doing the right thing for the wrong reason. The whole event seems like a facade to restore a public image.

November 4, 2015

CULTURE

Page 13

The Fordham Ram

The Downfall of Bond (James Bond)

By ELIZABETH SMISLOVA STAFF WRITER

Though he is a British secret agent, one of the most defining American film figures is James Bond. His character exudes manly swagger, womanizing allure and the epitome of class. He likes his martinis “shaken, not stirred” and never ceases to come out on top. But is Bond, the man every woman wants and every man wants to be, compatible with the incredible promotion of diversity pervading popular culture for this new generation?

Bond graces the silver screen once again in the latest Bond installation Spectre, starring Daniel Craig as Bond and Monica Bellucci (beautiful, of course, as all Bond girls are) as Lucia Sciarra.

The film’s release date in the United States is set for Nov. 6, 2015. It is the most expensive Bond movie produced with a whopping estimated $300 million dollar budget. It has received a score of 7.9 out of 10 on Imdb, demonstrating that the majority of viewers are still swooned by the spell Bond alone can cast on an audience.

The movie, however, has received some negative press because of its star actor, Craig, who spoke out against his character, asserting that James Bond has nothing to teach. Craig said to Time in early October he would, “rather slash [his] wrists” than

Daniel Craig criticized his character, James Bond, leading up to the film’s premiere.

do another James Bond film after Spectre.

He went on to say, “Let’s not forget that he’s actually a misogynist…A lot of women are drawn to him chiefly because he embodies a certain kind of danger and never sticks around for too long.”

Craig’s statement might seem

exaggerated, considering he is only playing the role of Bond and not adopting it himself. However, his personal abhorrence of Bond’s actions raises questions about the film industry and the power actors have to influence society when taking on the role of particular characters.

Additionally, Sir Roger Moore, who played Bond in seven movies during the ’70s and early ’80s, has received criticism for his remark that Bond can never be played by someone who is black, female or gay.

He reportedly said, “That wasn’t what Ian Fleming wrote.

It’s not about being homophobic, or racist, it’s about being true to the character.”

Piers Morgan agrees with Moore, commenting that, “Bond’s fifty-year brand has been built on a clear, definable platform of him being a ruthless, womanizing assassin. And it’s been one of the most enduring, successful brands in the history of cinema.”

Morgan remarked that Bond’s appeal comes from his timeless character while “all about us changes and evolves.” The journalist and television star believes that film should be separate from the people who sit eagerly with their popcorn.

The distinction between the two groups seems a bit archaic in the midst of such progress, but Morgan does make an interesting case with his comparison of a gay James Bond to George Michael, who “duped” his audiences when he came out: “Then his record sales fell off a cliff. It wasn’t his sexuality that was the problem.

It was the fact that he’d misled millions of adoring female fans for years into thinking he was a straight guy who wanted to bed

them.” He finishes off the article by stating that the only thing to change about Bond is his skin color.

Morgan is not the only faithful fan of the classic Bond — according to BBC, Spectre was chosen as the annual Royal Film Performance. On the other hand, Charles Moore of The Telegraph reported that writer Paul Johnson said of Ian Fleming’s novel that created the character of James Bond: “[the novel contains] the sadism of a schoolboy bully, the mechanical two-dimensional sex longings of a frustrated adolescent, and the crude snob-cravings of a suburban adult.” Moore commented that he does not see the third component Johnson describes, thus making Bond, “look like a security guard, not a man who moves easily at the highest levels of society.”

This alteration of such a prominent character does not emulate the timelessness Morgan sees in Bond; Bond’s character, in a way, regresses while society advances.

Moore concludes, “that Bond, for all his bad behaviour, is a member of the Establishment, a fact that adds to his aura of power.”

Whether or not James Bond is still the epitome of a gentleman, he has certainly influenced popular culture. Spectre is coming out and regardless of what the audience thinks of the legend himself, they know him to be Bond — James Bond.

App-etizing Your Phone: The Best Apps for Foodies

By ALYSSA OPDYKE STAFF WRITER

Living in New York and in such close proximity to Arthur Avenue, it is hard not to: take advantage of all the great food and drink this city has to offer while not going embarrassingly broke.

Fortunately, there are a number of apps to put into context why there is a $1.31 balance on your TD Bank statement a week after you deposited your paycheck. The best part? They are all free!

Vivino I will admit this is probably the app for which I am most excited, and one Fordham Ram culture editor editor, Nicole, has shown me.

Vivino is an app for winos and wine newbies alike. The user experience is simple: take a picture of the label of the wine you are considering purchasing, and Vivino will present a list of customer reviews, the average price of the wine and the capability to save and review wines.

However, the best part of the app is the newly released wine and candy match chart, pairing 14 popular candies with wine recommendations. (If you are curious, Reese’s peanut butter cups go best with a light or bold red, and candy corn is a perfect pair with a sweet white,

rich white or sparkling wine.) The app is available for iOS, Android and Windows.

OpenTable Your friends now have no excuses for not making brunch plans with you. OpenTable allows you to make reservations at most restaurants in the city. It also recommends restaurants near your current location. Simply choose a restaurant, select a desired date, time and the number of people with whom you are planning to go head first into mimosas and Bloody Marys. Sunday morning has been solved. The app is available for iOS, Android and Windows.

Foodgawker Love looking at pictures of “food porn” on Pinterest or Facebook, but hate being interrupted by pictures of babies and wedding planning for an event that is years away? Look no further. Think of Foodgawker as Pinterest solely for food, where you can browse beautiful pictures as well as find, save and add notes to the recipes attached. Staring at food when you are supposed to be doing work has never been more simplified. The app is available for iOS only.

Fooducate In an aisle at Compare or Modern and have no idea what food

will or will not slowly kill you? Fear not! As a religious user of this app, I can attest that it is fully worth the storage space it takes up on your phone. Using Fooducate, you can scan nearly any product’s barcode, and you are shown a letter grade based on its nutritional value and ingredients. What is even better is that it recommends healthier alternatives to your selected product, and often includes coupons and other savings on food. The app is available for iOS and Android.

Amount Are you like me and got a 67 percent on your basic measurements test in sixth grade? While I will never forget that grade, I will always forget measurements, and Amount makes that ok! Conveniently convert measurements with the tap of a finger, both in metric and imperial units. Sure, you could ask Siri to do the same, but you can avoid the embarrassment of verbally asking a software smarter than you know how to convert tablespoons to teaspoons. You will never have to hate your 12 year old self again. The app is available for iOS. Mixologist Admit it: you are sick of hard cider and all of Beer Cave’s finest selections by now and, yes, you secretly love playing bartender.

COURTESY OF TWITTER

OpenTable is just one food app that makes dining and making plans simpler.

All you need to do is tell Mixologist what ingredients you have on hand, and it will show a list of drink recipes with those selected ingredients. Plus, you will actually know how to order something at TriBar besides a Woo Woo or Jack and Coke! The app is available for iOS and Android.

Matchbook I often find myself walking by a bunch of fun and trendy bars in the city during my lunch break, and I fantasize of day drinking and eating for the rest of the after-

noon instead of logging news clips for four more hours. Fortunately, Matchbook helps me indulge in my daydreams and weekends by allowing me to save the names of bars and restaurants in which I am interested in. When I am out looking for a place to eat, drink and socialize, I can find all of my saved locations on a map of the city, and find which is closest to me. Daydreaming has never been more productive!

Eat, drink and download responsibly, my foodie friends.

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CULTURE

Page 16

November 4, 2015

Editor’s Pick | Fordham at Sunrise

Dining Out | Allison Russo

Capturing Campus in a New Light

The Best Bagels in Town In the bagel capital of the world, you have to go out of your way to find a bad bagel in New York City.

That being said, some stand out more than others and these are the ones that should be sought out.

Here are some of the most delicious and unique bagels I have found within the five boroughs.

ZACH MIKLOS/ THE FORDHAM RAM

Keating Hall is the subject of many photos, but there is somthing different about the building in the morning.

By ZACK MIKLOS ASSISTANT PHOTO EDITOR

As the leaves change colors, sprinkling Fordham University’s Rose Hill campus with bright reds, oranges and yellows, I cannot help but admire the beauty that autumn brings to the university. My walk to class is typically halted by a diligent pack of maintenance workers trying to keep up with the piles of leaves that continuously fill the roads and walkways. There is a satisfying sense of warmth and energy that fills the air, which inspires me to take more scenic routes as I travel across campus. Initially, I thought Rose Hill could not possibly look any more striking, but I was happily mistaken. It can.

One day, I felt an urge to take my DSLR camera and capture the stillness of daybreak. I got out of bed that morning with no real plan of which kind of photos I would take or where I would go. I decided I would start by taking a shot of Keating Hall. I zipped up my wool jacket and began walking to Edward’s Parade. It was very

early and faint rings of light were just beginning to become visible on the horizon. I sat on one of the benches along Eddie’s and waited for the perfect shot.

In a matter of minutes, the campus was engulfed in a blanket of pink.

The clouds were light and fragile.

As time gracefully passed by, purples and blues started making their way into the sky. Other than a light breeze that gingerly blew through my hair, the campus was still. There were no maintenance workers, no leaf-blowers, no interruptions. The only sound I could hear was the chirp of a few birds in the distance. Keating looked majestic. I walked to the center of Eddie’s, took a few shots and proceeded to find a more interesting angle.

As I moved slowly through the cold dew-covered grass, I was confronted with a very different feeling than the energetic, hustle-and-bustle of daytime. It was not a warming feeling, either, but something entirely different. I felt at peace.

This was Rose Hill’s most beautiful

moment.

There is something special about stillness and daybreak at Fordham highlighted this for me. With no movement, no loud noises and, most of all, no social pressure, all worry and other distractions escaped my mind. It was just me and Rose Hill.

I could not help but think about how much control I allowed other people to have on how I perceived the world.

Fordham looked very different not only because the sunrise illuminated the campus in a beautiful way, but also because of the absence of other people.

I highly recommend experiencing this first hand. Fordham looks, feels and sounds very different at this time of day. Sunrise puts the university against a unique, breathtaking backdrop and with no distractions or interruptions you can appreciate it more. It has caused me to fall in love with the university once more and has made me thankful that life brought me here. I hope that one day you, too, can experience this same feeling.

1. Bagelsmith – Williamsburg This Brooklyn spot earned a place on the list not only because of its insane bagels, but because it’s open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. So whether you’re on your way home from a warehouse party at 2 a.m. or en route to Brooklyn Flea on a Sunday morning, you can stop in at Bagelsmith for a snack.

What to order: Everything bagel with scallion cream cheese.

How to get there: Take the 4 train to Union Square, then switch to the L and get off at Bedford.

2. The Bagel Store – Williamsburg This straight-forwardly named bakery has recently become Instagram famous for its magical rainbow bagels. It also is the original creators of the “cragel,” a croissantbagel hybrid. The Bagel Store has crazy homemade cream cheese flavors including Funfetti, Nutella and bacon and cheddar, along with all of the regular New York standards.

What to order: Rainbow bagel with Funfetti cream cheese or a cinnamon cragel with cannoli cream cheese.

How to get there: Take the 4 train to Union Square and then the L to Bedford.

3. Absolute Bagels – Upper West Side Because this is one of the most popular bagel spots in town, don’t be surprised if there’s a line around the block when you get here. Meet up with your friends from Columbia or take a stroll down to the Museum of Natural History after stopping in for a brunch-time ba-

gel. Make sure you have cash for this no-frills dive, and stick to a basic variation of bagel and cream cheese—its pastries and coffee are subpar.

What to order: Salt bagel with jalapeno cream cheese or lox spread.

How to get there: Take the B train to 110th Street and walk over to Broadway.

4. Ess-a-Bagel – Gramercy and Midtown East Limited seating inside this NYC staple means their bagels are best enjoyed in Central Park on a sunny day. Ess-a-Bagel is a little pricier than the other bakeries on the list, but I’ve yet to meet anyone who regretted spending money here. They have some pretty unique cream cheese flavors like Oreo and Pumpkin, and are famous for the Nova lox/scallion cream cheese combo that costs approximately $10.

What to order: 9-grain bagel with apple cinnamon cream cheese.

How to get there: Take the 4 train to 59th Street (Midtown location) 5. Murray’s Bagels – Greenwich Village Murray’s has gotten a lot of flack in the past (from me, at least) about their bagel-toasting policy. I like my bagels to be borderline burnt, regardless of how fresh they are.

Until last summer, they refused to toast bagels for customers, but they are now willing to accommodate. This is a great breakfast spot because they have delicious coffee and freshly-squeezed juices in addition to their perfectly chewy bagels.

Fun fact: Murray’s was opened by a former Vice President of Merrill Lynch, proving that you don’t need a finance degree to become an NYC legend.

What to order: Cinnamon raisin bagel with maple raisin walnut cream cheese.

How to get there: Take the D train to West 4th Street.

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Interested?

Submit your portfolio to us! theram@fordham.edu

CULTURE

November, 4 2015

Page 17

Is Body Positivity Inclusive in the Fashion World?

By NICOLE HORTON CULTURE EDITOR

The idea of celebrating a range of women’s body types, and having representation in the fashion and media spheres, has picked up speed in the past few years. Women’s magazines like Vogue, V, Elle and Glamour have featured “plus-size” models. This year Sports Illustrated had its first plus-size model for the swimsuit edition, when Robyn Lawley modeled a bikini from her own swimsuit line. “America’s Next Top Model” has had plus-size contestants that went on to sign with Wilhelmina modeling agency and have successful careers.

However, former plus-size model Katie Willcox has recently spoken out about how her career and earnings plummeted when she lost weight.

When Willcox dropped from a size 14 to a 10 or 12, which was considered healthy for her five-footnine-inch frame, she was no longer considered big enough for plus-size modeling.

Willcox told the New York Post, “[My earnings] went from $150,000 to about $25,000.”

“I was losing all my clients because everyone was saying, ‘Oh, you’re too

small now, we want you fuller,’ “ she told People. “I was shocked because I thought I looked great. I was like, why am I not valued when I look my best and I feel my best?”

This proposes a problematic question: does this mean you can only be a model if you fit into size zero, two or 14 and larger?

Willcox went on to say how she tried to lose additional weight to become a catalog model, but found that her mental well-being took a toll. She went on to form Healthy is the New Skinny, which is a lifestyle brand and social media community focused on health and confidence instead of size.

Recently, runway models have faced more criticism for not being diverse enough in terms of weight and curves.

In comparison to print publications and advertising, runway fashion appears to be the most difficult area to diversify. At New York Fashion Week, Victoria Beckham faced criticism from fans and the press for models that were deemed too thin. Others advocated on her behalf, saying her models were just as thin as other brands, and referencing the criticism that Beckham has endured for her naturally skinny frame.

Popular supermodel Gigi Hadid fought back against social media critics

COURTESY OF INSTAGRAM

Willcox is one of the plus-size models that received criticism for her weight.

who said that she was not meant for the runway. She took to Instagram to say, “I represent a body image that wasn’t accepted in highfashion before...Yes, I have abs, I have a butt, I have thighs, but I’m not asking for special treatment.

I’m fitting into my sample sizes.”

Review | Movie

An Raw Take On A True Story

By BAILEY HOSFELT CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Patricia Ridden’s The 33 boasts an international cast led by Antonio Banderas, Juliette Binoche and Rodrigo Santoro to tell the true story of the San Jose mine that collapsed in August of 2010, leaving 33 miners trapped 200 stories below ground for 69 days. Based on the drama that captured the attention of the entire world and adapted into a screenplay

by Craig Borten (Dallas Buyers Club), Mikko Alanne and Michael Thomas, the film takes viewers on an emotional journey of survival.

Wasting no time with lengthy character development, the first scene celebrating the retirement of an old-time miner (Gustavo Angarita) briefly introduces the storylines of the miners who receive the most prominent screen time. Banderas’ character, Mario, is a devoted father who asks to work on his day off to better provide for his wife and daughter. Alex (Mario Casas) is a young father-to-be who rejects his elders’ constant persuasion to leave the mines to work in an auto body shop because it is safer.

As the group of 33 men began to descend into the mine, the outcast of the group — a Bolivian newcomer (Tenoch Huerta) — foreshadows their eventual confinement when he asks “Is this the only way in?” to which someone responds, “Only way in, only way out.”

Shot on location in two working Colombian mines, the film mimics the desolation of the Atacama Desert and the vast space below. The screenplay further juxtaposes the extreme turmoil unfolding both above and below ground. Maria Segovia (Juliette Binoche) serves as the tenacious ringleader of the families who refuse to accept any form of government complacency while Banderas’ character, nicknamed “Super Mario,” is the level-headed leader responsible for ra-

This criticism of Hadid shows that the public can applaud body positive, feel-good campaigns, while still having rigid expectations for the idea of a quintessential “supermodel.”

In some cases, embracing plus-size models and natural beauty is merely a business model for fashion and lifestyle brands that are looking to increase sales while not truly living up to the standard.

For example, Dove is owned by Unilever, which also owns Axe. Dove’s “Campaign for Real Beauty” was deemed an uplifting advertisement and overall brand message. In comparison, Axe once ran a shower gel advertisement that read across the

page, “The cleaner you are, the dirtier you get.” The man on the left is taking a shower, and seems to be promised the girl on the right, who is spraying whipped cream all over her shirtless chest. Additionally, none of the Axe advertisements feature any women that could be found in Dove’s campaign — only scantily clad size zero or two models. Consequently, Unilever looked to appeal to its differing markets rather than having one cohesive message or standard.

Aerie proposed a similar initiative to Dove when it launched its “Real campaign,” which featured unretouched models, looking to “challenge supermodel standards.” Like Dove, the models in the campaign were well-received until Emma Roberts was featured as a spokesperson.

Some women took to social media saying that choosing Roberts, who fits into sample sizes, goes against the entire message of the campaign.

Meanwhile, Roberts said that she was excited about what the campaign represented, and to see the Photoshop-free photos.

This shows that the idea of “real beauty” is still not inclusive because women of different sizes cannot be integrated to represent a brand without questioning its authenticity. There have certainly been some positive advancements, especially in print publications and advertising, to represent these ideas even if they are not dominant. Nevertheless, these new ideas in mainstream media and the fashion industry have produced conflicting messages for a very critical public sphere.

Front Row | Claire Del Sorbo

Quinn’s Ethnically Diverse New York

The 33 is based on a true story, taking the audience on an emotional ride.

tioning three days of food between 33 men trapped beneath a rock two times the size of the Empire State Building.

Laurence Golborne (Rodrigo Santoro), Chile’s Chief of Mining, is put to the ultimate challenge when he must serve as the liaison between the miners, families, engineers and his boss, the Chilean President. He works tirelessly with the chief engineer on the operation (Gabriel Byrne) and the American drill expert (James Brolin) who are searching for a way to defy the one percent chance of locating the miners and bring them to safety.

Riggens incorporates real news footage from the three-month crisis to emphasize that the whole world really was watching throughout all rescue attempts. The audience will likely share a sense of frustration after watching problematic drills perpetually setback the process of locating the trapped

miners. But as the men began to reach their mental and psychical limits, the rescuers finally struck gold and discovered their location.

Food, clothing, medical supplies and a videocamera to monitor the miners’ statuses were sent underground as the engineers quickly constructed a capsule big enough to hold one person and rescue all 33 men that had not seen their families or the light in 69 days.

Ultimately, The 33 brings a highly suspenseful event to cinematic culmination and highlights how the miners, their families and the rescuers never lost their sense of hope despite all odds against them.

Make sure to bring your Kleenex to the theater starting Nov. 13 because the soundtrack and storyline will surely bring a tear to even the toughest eye.

Recently, I ventured out to the East Village to go see “Colin Quinn: The New York Story” at the Cherry Lane Theater. I purchased a ticket because I am a huge “Seinfeld” fan and the show is directed by Jerry Seinfeld.

I was also familiar with star Colin Quinn beforehand from the “Weekend Update” sketches on “Saturday Night Live,” and as Amy Schumer’s dad in Trainwreck.

Colin Quinn: The New York Story is a one-man show. It is less a play, and more of a stand-up routine. It is a satirical monologue, written by Quinn himself, on the cultural and social eccentricities that make New Yorkers exactly who they are. In the process, he reveals some uncomfortable truths about living in New York, which New Yorkers themselves agree with, proudly or shamefully. Quinn, who is from Park Slope, Brooklyn, analyzes and critiques the different people and cultures that came from their respective countries to settle here, and suggests that they all contribute something to the “New York” attitude.

The Dutch brought abruptness and foul mouths, the British brought the snobby demeanor, the Italians brought the deeply-opinionated nature, the Germans brought “good deli meat” and “rude-polite” attitude and so on. As the show concludes, he declares the quintessential New York personality “dead,” which he blames on technology and political correct-

ness.

Since the play comments on the many ethnicities of New York coming together to form one signature attitude, its comedic essence rests on stereotypical ethnic jokes. Talking about the Irish, he refers to their community as “a parish, some Irish people and a bar.” Discussing the Jews, he points out that “most of them have not recovered from the boat trip here.” His jokes elicited two types of reactions from the audience: either uproarious laughter or a gasp. Quinn’s irreverent, off-color humor is an acquired taste.

It could possibly offend more sensitive audiences.

Nowadays, ethnic jokes have received bad raps, with reason. Not only are they old-fashioned but, the past 12 months have made everybody more sensitive to the alreadytouchy topic of race. The point Colin Quinn tries to make is that New York is inherently and collectively a multicultural community, regardless of the neighborhood. The bland, colorless personality we have adopted is how we deal with race. We respect it by pretending it does not exist at all.

Quinn’s use of off-color humor to prove his point is bit complicated.

Colorblindness to race does not help anyone, though it is completely possible to appreciate different races and ethnicities without resorting to racial stereotypes and mocking them. But if Quinn had done it any differently, it may have not been as popular a show.

CULTURE

Page 18

November 4, 2015

Who’s That Kid? | Jackie Ramos

The Ramantic

A Day in the Life: Crew, Biology and English

Relationships & Senior Year Most seniors have registered for their second semester at this point.

If it hasn’t hit you yet, it will soon. Their careers as Fordham University undergraduate students will soon be over.

It will be no time until 100 nights, then senior week, then graduation.

The relationships that developed and grew here at Fordham are probably some of the most important.

So what can seniors do to continue building and then preserve those relationships for their futures?

First, live up the time you have left.

You are only going to be here for one more semester, but this does not mean you should give up on making new friends or strengthening existing relationships. Just because you are leaving Fordham does not mean you will never see these people again.

Continue to be friendly and make plans with the people you make connections with. Furthermore, do your best to not let friendships that you have enjoyed over the years fade out.

Make definite plans for friend outings in the next year.

Start planning now. Determine which of your friends will be attending homecoming and the various other 175th anniversary events. Ask your friends if any of them are interested in trips over the summer, during Christmas week or simple weekend outings. Staying connected in today’s age is easier than ever before, just as travel is.

It is essential to keep in touch, and planning events can help you get the face-time you had every day during your time at Fordham. Once you no longer go to class on the same campus or eat together at Cosi every Thursday plans may be harder to make, so make them now.

Do things you wouldn’t have done as an underclassman because you might not get another chance.

I’m not telling you to grab the face of the guy you’ve been crushing on for four years on a whim! But taking some risks that you wouldn’t have in the past might not be bad idea. If that means sharing feelings you wouldn’t have shared before, spending more time with your friends than you would have in the past, or finally messaging the pretty girl who you had theology with freshman year and asking her on a date, do it!

You aren’t going to have that chance for much longer. If you leave Fordham wondering what would have happened if you had tried something with one person or another, you will have to wonder forever!

COURTESY OF ELLIE BRUCKNER

Jackie enjoys a break from crew and classes at the New York Botanical Gardens.

By ELLIE BRUCKNER DIGITAL EDITOR

Every morning at 5:30, when the sun still has a few hours before it decides to rise, Jackie Ramos is already out of bed and headed to drive a van full of sleepy athletes to the Harlem River. She spends all of her mornings, nearly year round, at the Peter J. Sharp Boat House with the rest of the crew team. Jackie’s role on the team, however, is different from your image of a crew team member. She is the coxswain.

“It’s a weird thing I do,” Jackie said.

“I get into a tiny, skinny boat that I can barely squeeze my hips into, and I steer this boat that’s as long as a school bus while yelling at people.”

For those unfamiliar with crew, the boats are made up of either four or eight rowers who provide the power for the boat, while one coxswain sits in the back of the boat. The coxswain is in charge of knowing the course, steering the boat and motivating all members of the team to perform to

the best of their abilities.

Jackie has that talent. Coming into her freshman year she “fell into” the varsity eight coxswain position.

From there, her boats finished first in every fall season regatta, including the Head of the Charles, the biggest regatta in the world. The Charles is by far her favorite regatta and she has gone back twice, finishing third and fifth in her sophomore and junior year respectively. The hardest thing about the sport for her, which is also her favorite aspect, is the challenge to motivate her teammates.

“Earning the trust and respect of every single person in that boat is really tough, especially when they’re rowing and you’re sitting there,” Jackie said. “But when the boat clicks, and I can see their efforts and mine working together, it’s all worth it.”

In addition to helping her team, she is actively involved in helping the Fordham and Bronx community.

As a Fordham Athletics tutor, she brings her ability to motivate to an academic setting. As a pre-med stu-

dent, she tutors a variety of athletes who are also on this difficult tract.

Additionally, she has recently become very involved with Part of the Solution. This restaurant-style soup kitchen, located on Webster Avenue, has created a new interest for her in the homeless community.

“It’s really opened my eyes to this network of people who need help, and who are so grateful for the services that POTS provides. I feel like it has made me grow and become a better person,” said Jackie.

While Jackie juggles her athletic career with her service at Fordham, she is also actively pursuing her dream of becoming a Physicians Assistant. Recently, she has begun volunteering at Weil Cornell Hospital in Manhattan, a branch of New York Presbyterian Hospital. She will be working to complete at least 300 volunteer hours, starting in their post-surgical unit, to apply to a PA graduate program after graduating Fordham. Although this may seem like a daunting task, Ramos is excited for the opportunity.

“Preparing for my PA program will allow me to give my privilege of being able to go to this amazing school, allowing me to become more educated and open minded, to others,” Jackie said.

If she were to give one piece of advice to the Fordham community, it would be to pursue what you love.

As a pre-med student, Jackie has a rigorous course load with a heavy focus on science. Although science has always interested her and she came to school declared as a biology major, she recently added an English major. Her desire to understand people through her love of literature motivated her to work towards this double major.

When asked about how difficult she thought this would be, Jackie said, “Why go to a liberal arts college if you’re not going to study what you love?”

Review | Book

In New Novel, Sparks Goes Down a Different Road

By NICOLE HORTON CULTURE EDITOR

Nicholas Sparks’ latest novel “See Me” tells the story of a couple (no surprise there, right?) trying to overcome their differing backgrounds and life choices. Colin Hancock is trying to start over after being released from jail by going to college to become a teacher.

He goes to therapy and channels his bad temper into MMA fights.

Maria Sanchez is a Duke-educated lawyer with hardworking Mexican immigrant parents who fueled her ambition. Maria tries to avoid the quintessential cute meet when Colin offers to help her change a flat tire. However, she warms up to Colin when her sister, who goes to school with him, tells her more about him.

It is great to see a strong, educated lead female character like Maria in one of Sparks’ novels. Even Colin, who at first glimpse mirrors the cliche of the slightly banged up bad boy, shows how someone’s bad experiences can bring purpose into his life.

As the two begin to date, Sparks does a fantastic job of showing the scenic beauty of Wilmington, North Carolina, as they enjoy water sports and sunset walks by the lake.

You may want to read it now before the long New York winter commences, or you will be crying about how cold and lonely you are. The meaning in their first kiss, which of course is more than just a kiss, is classic Sparks.

“See Me” is much different from Sparks’ works like “The Note-

book” and “A Walk to Remember,” in that it can be categorized as a romantic thriller. However, it is similar to “Safe Haven,” even in its small town North Carolina setting.

Amid Colin and Maria’s growing romance, which pushes both of their boundaries, Maria continues to receive threatening notes and creepy signs from a stalker. It felt at times that the plot was juggling two very different stories, but there were also moments where they blended together.

All in all, “See Me” offers Nicholas Sparks’ fans the swoon-worthy romance that they’ve come to expect, along with a surprising dose of suspense. “See Me” will probably not be one of Sparks’ most popular books, but it offers his fans another good read that deviates from the expected.

November 4, 2015

SPORTS

Page 19

The Fordham Ram

Men’s Soccer Recognizes Seven Seniors

By TARA CANGIALOSI STAFF WRITER

The Fordham men’s soccer team clinched its second-straight Atlantic 10 Championship berth this weekend after tying the University of Dayton 1-1 on Halloween.

The tie brings Fordham’s overall record to 6-6-2 and 4-2-1 in conference games — good for fifth place in the standings. Dayton holds onto its top spot in the standings at 10-4-3 overall and 5-0-2 in conference play.

The A-10 berth came on a fitting evening, as the Rams also celebrated Senior Night.

Prior to the start of the game, the team honored its seven seniors for their four-year dedication to the program. Kyle Bitterman, Ryan Cupolo, Tom Granot, Greg McNamara, Tomas Penfold, Ryan Walsh and red-shirt senior Andres Penfold each received a framed photograph of their playing time in a Fordham jersey.

Even though Fordham had several starting defenders out due to injury, other players took their place and held Dayton’s explosive offense to only one goal.

“We had a lot of guys step up and have really great performances,” Cupolo, the team’s captain, said. “That’s exactly what we needed, [and] it’s great to see that we have the depth to be able to do that.”

Fordham got its goal in the sixth minute on a brilliant combination play. Walsh broke up a pass between Dayton defenders near the top of the eighteen. He then

COURTESY OF FORDHAM ATHLETICS

The Fordham men’s soccer program honored its seven senior players on Saturday prior to the team’s game with Dayton.

slid the ball through to an oncoming Janos Loebe. The freshman skillfully touched the ball through another Dayton defender’s legs and past goalkeeper Justin Saliba for his fifth goal of the season, putting the Rams up 1-0.

“We high-pressed, and [ Janos] took a great touch and slipped it in right past the keeper,” Walsh said. “It felt great to contribute in my last game here on our home field.”

Fordham contained the Flyers’ offense for the majority of the game, with the defense putting on a particularly spectacular performance.

Of the team’s starting defensive line, Matthew Lewis was the only usual starter who was able to

play. McNamara and sophomores Kyle Losi, Vincenzo Zuccala and Patrick Thees all stepped up and were relentless in catching up to Dayton’s dynamic center midfielders and speedy forwards.

Freshman keeper Dan Miklos — taking the place of the recently concussed Rashid Nuhu – saw his fair share of action throughout the game. The Flyers let off a total of 31 shots to Fordham’s 9, with the young goalie grabbing seven total saves.

“I just did my part for the team,” Miklos said. “I was just thinking ‘I’m not going to let this guy score’ and ‘I have to do anything I can to keep the ball out of the goal.’”

These players picked up the intensity level in a critical game.

With Nuhu, sophomore Chris Bazzinni, junior Andy Hickey and graduate student Lars Zimmerman all out, these players’ outstanding performances are what held Fordham in the game.

Though the defense was rock solid for nearly 90 minutes, Dayton broke through in the 81st minute. The Flyers’ Anthony Keene took a corner kick from the right side that Maik Schoonderwoerd flicked on. Lala Abubakar collected the ball and sent it past Miklos from six yards out to tie the game at one a piece.

“It was disappointing that we conceded late,” Cupolo admitted.

But the Rams did not waver after the goal and were steadfast on defense for the remainder of the

game and into the two 10 minute overtime periods.

Dayton’s best opportunity came just three minutes into the first overtime period, when Amas Amankona had a breakaway right to goal. Miklos smartly came out and dove at the ball to block the shot attempt, keeping the score knotted at zero.

The game ended in a tie minutes later, with both teams clinching spots in the A-10 Championship.

Though the game did not end in the result Fordham wanted, it was the epitome of a team effort.

Every player that saw time on the field contributed and helped quell Dayton’s strong attack.

“It was awesome,” McNamara said. “It was a huge game for us and it was good to see a lot of guys who hadn’t played a ton of minutes get out there and hold off a team as good as Dayton was.”

The Rams are next in action when they travel to the University of Massachusetts-Amherst on Nov. 7th to take on the Minutemen. It will be the last game of the season before the A-10 Championship begins on Nov. 12 in Fairfax, Virginia.

In last year’s conference tournament, the Rams shocked the Atlantic 10. As the sixth team to qualify for the postseason, the Rams took down third-seeded VCU on penalty kicks and second-seeded Saint Louis 2-1 on consecutive days before defeating top-seeded Rhode Island 1-0. The team went to the NCAA Tournament and fell to 20th ranked Dartmouth 2-1.

Cross Country Competes in Richmond

By ALEXANDRIA SEDLAK STAFF WRITER

This past Saturday, the Fordham men’s and women’s cross country teams travelled to Richmond, Virginia to compete in the Atlantic 10 Championships at Pole Green Park. Fordham performed well at the Halloween event. Seven women runners set new personal bests, while the men’s team finished seventh overall, and one runner received a prestigious title.

The women’s team had several runners finish in the top 100, as well as seven new personal records. Freshman Laurel Fisher, who finished with a time of 20:05.1, set a personal record for herself at the meet. Senior Rachel Picard also set a personal best with a time of 18:39.9, putting her in fifty-sixth place. In front of her was sophomore Stephanie Leo with a time of 18:35.8, also a personal best, placing her in 50th. Classmate Brynna Harum, another runner with a personal record at this meet, finished just one spot ahead of Leo, with a time around 18:35.8. Freshman Angelina Grebe came in 44th with a time of 18:29.2. Another personal record was achieved by freshman Kate McCormack, who

COURTESY OF SHANNA HEANEY

The men’s cross country squad finished seventh at the Atlantic 10 Championship, while the women finished 10th.

finished in 41st place with a time of 18:27.2. The runner who led the way for the female Rams was senior Brianna Tevnan, whose career-best time of 18:09.8 gave her a 13th place finish. This time was not only a personal best, but

it was also the second fastest time among all Fordham runners for the entire season.

The men’s team also had positive results for this meet, as they came in seventh out of 14 programs and averaged a time of

25:21.96, granting them 167 points. A good number of the men’s runners finished in the top 50. Graduate student Jonathan Annelli came in 47th with a time of 25:39.1. In front of him was sophomore Nik O’Brien, who

came in 45th in 25:34. Senior Mike Turi finished in 36th with a time of 25:23.1. Senior Quincy O’Connor finished in 29th with a time of 25:17.4. It was sophomore Thomas Slattery who led the way for Fordham with a 10th place finish and time of 24:56.2, which was a career-best time for him. This time was more than twenty seconds faster than his previous best time and the second fastest finish on the team this year. Slattery’s run earned him A-10 All-Conference honors.

“This was a meet that we really set our sights on,” said Slattery.

“As an individual, I ran a negative split race, which allowed me to move up after each mile. My legs felt completely smooth as they floated over the 5 mile course.

Our top guy did not have the day he wanted, so I’m humbled to have had the opportunity during the race to fill that gap as best as I could. The season is not over, and we are fortunate to have the time to both adapt and adjust ourselves to the upcoming races.”

The teams return to action in less than two weeks on Friday, Nov. 13, in Boston. They are training for and will be competing in the NCAA Northeast Regionals, scheduled to be held in the city’s Franklin Park.

Page 20

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SPORTS Varsity Scores & Stats

November 4, 2015

Matthew Michaels

Terry Collins’ Fateful Decision “I let my heart get in the way of my gut,” Terry Collins announced to the media following Game Five of the World Series. He took responsibility after the New York Mets were eliminated by the Kansas City Royals, but he never mentioned his brain. He probably should have mentioned it because his mind was in absentia when he made the decision that ultimately cut the remaining string the Mets were holding onto.

The Mets were already down three games to one and winning three straight against the Royals would have been nigh on impossible. However, Collin’s decision in Game 5 was a major turning point worth studying.

Up 2-0 going into the ninth inning, Collins could have stayed with pitcher Matt Harvey to finish off his dominant start or tab closer Jeurys Familia, who had already blown two saves in the series after blowing no opportunities since July. Collins and pitching coach Dan Warthen decided to take Harvey out after eight innings and 102 pitches. With the Citi Field crowd chanting “We want Harvey,” the ace was able to convince the coaches to change their minds.

Harvey had only allowed four hits and had struck out nine while mowing down the Royals with ease, but Collins should have known better. He walked the first hitter in the ninth, Lorenzo Cain, and even though it was painfully obvious that Harvey was gassed, Collins let him face Eric Hosmer. The last batter of Matt Harvey’s 2015 season doubled to score Cain and the tying run was on second base with no outs. At this point, Collins turned to Familia to finish the Royals off.

In classic Kansas City fashion, the Royals managed to tie the score and send the game to extra innings. The two clubs dueled until the Royals exploded for five runs in the 12th inning.

The Times’ “Through the Order Penalty” simply states that with every turn through the order a lineup has against a starting pitcher, their offensive performance will be better.

A noticeable decline in pitching performance happens between the second and third time through the order, but there is a significant change the fourth time through as well. It was totally expected that Harvey would struggle in his fourth time through the order compared to the previous three times. Collins failed to account for this principle and his decision cost the game.

Familia was called into a sticky situation and although he pitched well, he could not strand the runner that Harvey had left him. With the way he pitched, it is safe to assume that had Familia had the full inning, he would have picked up the save.

Harvey had also pitched 216 innings this season including the playoffs, a record for a season following Tommy John surgery.

Many are claiming that Collins made the correct decision and would have been second guessed either way, but had he put Familia in to blow the lead, the decision would at least have been logical. Collins was persuaded by emotion, costing the Mets the game. Mets fans can find solace in the fact that it would have been improbable for them to win Games 6 and 7 in Kansas City.

Football Fordham 3 6 0 20 29 Colgate 14 10 0 7 31 (FOR) Anderson 34-49, 4 TD (COL) Melville 112 yds, 2 TD Water Polo Fordham Conn

10 8

Fordham MIT

12 6

Fordham Harvard

7 12

Fordham Brown

6 11

Men’s Cross Country A-10 Championships 7th

Women’s Cross Country A-10 Championships 10th Volleyball Saint Louis Fordham (SLU) Rygelski 13 K (FOR) Fronk 25 ast

3 0

Dayton Fordham (DAY) Giardina 17 ast (FOR) Delsing 9 digs

3 0

Rowing Fall Metro Championships Varsity 8 1st Princeton Chase Lightweight 4

1st

Men’s Soccer Dayton Fordham GOALS: Loebe (FOR) 6’, Abubakar (DAY) 81’

George Mason Fordham GOALS: Myers (GM) 46’, Blunck (FOR) 90’

Brianna Blunck

Freshman

Junior

Football

Soccer Blunck’s weekend was one to remember. Going up against George Mason, she scored a goal in the game’s final minute to tie things up and help send Fordham to this year’s Atlantic 10 Championship.

Each week, The Fordham Ram’s Sports editors honor one male athlete and one female athlete for their on-field performances as their “Athletes of the Week.”

News & Notes • Loebe Named A-10 Rookie

• Espina-Esquivel Breaks School Diving Record

Janos Loebe was named Atlantic 10 Men’s Soccer Rookie of the Week. In Fordham’s lone game of the week, Loebe scored the only goal for the Rams, putting them in front of Dayton for the majority of the game. He now has 15 points this season. It was Loebe’s second time winning the award in 2015.

Last Friday, sophomore Wendy Espina-Esquivel broke her own school record in the one-meter dive at Fordham’s meet against Army West Point. Espina-Esquivel turned in a score of 286.65 points, bettering her previous mark of 280.20. A recent transfer from the University of Nevada-Reno, Espina-Esquivel has been a force for the Rams so far, winning every event in which she has participated. The team will next compete on Saturday against the Boston University Terriers.

• Slattery Earns All-

Conference Honors After turning in a career best 8K time at the Atlantic 10 Championships, men’s cross country sophomore Thomas Slattery was named A-10 AllConference. His mark of 24:56.2 beat his previous mark by more than 20 seconds and was good enough for 10th place in the meet.

It was Fordham’s best result on a day when the team wound up finishing seventh out of the 14 schools. Next, the team will head to Boston’s Franklin Part for NCAA Northeast Regionals on Nov. 13.

•

1 1

1 1

Women’s Swimming Army West Point 160 Fordham 139

Austin Longi

of the Week On Monday, freshman

Jack McLoone

Women’s Soccer Davidson 0 Fordham 2 GOALS: Maksuti (FOR) 34’, Leen (FOR) 45’

Athletes of the Week

This wide receiver was quarterback Kevin Anderson’s main target in Saturday’s game at Colgate. Longi made 10 catches for 107 yards and two touchdowns, good enough for Patriot League Rookie of the Week honors.

Page 21

Two Named to CoSIDA Academic All-District Team Last week, men’s soccer’s Jannik Loebe and women’s soccer’s Jessica Widmann were named to the College Sports Information Directors of America Academic All-District Men’s and Women’s Soccer Teams. The honor is given to student-athletes who excel both on the field and in the classroom. Widmann is the first Fordham woman to win the honor since 2010, while Loebe is the first man to do it since 1998.

– Compiled by Sam Belden

The NFL’s Selective Activism The NFL wants you to think that they care about breast cancer awareness. And honestly, I’m sure that they do — as long as it fits into their game plan.

The NFL has incredibly strict uniform regulations. Every player must wear the same color cleats, with the team getting a choice between black and white. This becomes an issue when players like Martellus Bennett need special cleats that only come in one color and consequently get fined for trying to protect themselves.

But where these rules most come into play is when players try and support causes through their accessories and uniform. This has become an extremely hot topic this year, and has exposed the hypocrisy of the NFL. It started with DeAngelo Williams.

Williams’ mother died of breast cancer in 2014, and since then Williams has dyed his dreadlocks pink in honor of his mother. This season, he requested the NFL’s permission to be able to wear pink all season. This did not seem like an unreasonable request, given that the NFL is a league that seems to fully support breast cancer awareness, at least in its designated month of October. But this is not a reasonable league, and the NFL flat out said no. He’s welcome to wear league-approved pink apparel in October, and that’s it. Because why would the NFL support a cause, or let its players support a cause, when they receive no benefit?

Williams still managed to break uniform code in October, by wearing eye black that said “We Will Find a Cure.” This breaks the NFL’s rule of “no personal messages on eyeblack,” which first appeared when Tim Tebow was wearing John 3:16 on his in college. Williams’ eyeblack didn’t fall under the allowed activism that the NFL supports, even during breast cancer awareness month, so he was fined $5,757.

Another Steelers player also recently landed in the news due to his eyeblack. Cameron Heyward, a defensive lineman, had been wearing “Ironhead” on his, the nickname of his father, who also played in the NFL. Heyward’s father died of cancer. But once again, the NFL would not have it.

And yet another Steeler, William Gay, tried to promote a cause through his dress. Gay’s mother was killed by her boyfriend in a domestic violence dispute, and Gay wore purple cleats, the color of domestic violence support, and was therefore fined. This was yet another hypocritical action by the league, since Gay appears in the NFL’s domestic violence promos. But God forbid a player tries to convey a single message outside of the league-sponsored action.

The NFL wants you to believe they are a force for positive change, with their large influence and captive audience. And yet you only see them support causes when it’s either profitable for them (breast cancer awareness) or a form of damage control (domestic violence PSAs). Now, I understand the NFL has these rules in place to ostensibly prevent players from selling the rights to their eyeblack and other parts to sponsors.

But there is clearly a divide here.

Williams, Heyward and Gay don’t benefit from supporting their respective causes. In fact, they, and many others, have already paid a price for their actions.

SPORTS

Page 22

Drew Casey Fordham Fall Sports Recap If you look at an athletic schedule, the end is near for many fall sports at Fordham.

But “near” is a relative term when it comes to the end, especially this season. Fordham Women’s Soccer, Men’s Soccer, Football and Water Polo began their seasons in lateAugust or early-September and are looking to continue their season past their final regular season games.

The first team of the year that will look to extend its end date will be the women’s soccer program when it take part in the Atlantic 10 Championship in Davidson, North Carolina this week. Led by graduate student Jessica Widmann, redshirt-senior Kristina Maksuti and a talented defensive core, the team finished the regular season 12-61 and will play VCU on Thursday at 1:30 p.m in the quarterfinals of the conference tournament. Under second-year head coach Jessica Clinton, the team will be making its first appearance in the postseason tournament since 2009.

Men’s Soccer looks to defend its Atlantic 10 title next week, when the tournament commences in Fairfax, Virginia. The Rams, as the final team to qualify last season, know that they can make a run again this year behind the offensive success of the Loebe brothers. The team is currently 6-6-4 overall and 4-2-1 in the Atlantic 10 with one regular season match remaining.

Fordham’s seeding will depend on the league’s remaining games as the squad can finish anywhere between second and seventh.

It looked like Fordham Football would be able to move through the Patriot League with relative ease and grab the conference’s automatic bid into the NCAA FCS Championship. However, with a heartbreaking 31-29 loss to Colgate over the weekend, that is no longer the case. In order to get an automatic postseason berth, the team will likely need to win its final two regular season games and get some help from around the Patriot League in the conference’s final three weeks of play. If Fordham does not finish first in the seven-team Patriot League, it is questionable as to whether Fordham will receive one of 13 at-large berths into the postseason.

As for Fordham Water Polo, the team looks to advance through this weekend’s CWPA Northern Division Championship into the 2015 CWPA Championship. The Rams enter the tournament, held at Brown as the fourth seed of seven teams. The team will need to finish in the top three at this weekend’s competition or count on one of four at-large bids. The squad enters play at 16-13 and 5-7 in the CWPA and has a definite opportunity to advance.

While the end is near for some, it is a long way off for others as Fordham basketball kicks off in the “near” future. The Jeff Neubauer era begins on Saturday, Nov. 14, at the University of Texas at Arlington, while Women’s Basketball plays its first game of the season on Sunday, Nov. 15 ,at Penn State.

It is a good time to be a Ram.

November 4, 2015

Pat Costello

Senior Profile | Pedro Alonso

By TOM TERZULLI STAFF WRITER

Pedro Alonso is the longest tenured member of the Fordham men’s tennis team. Alonso has been a spark for the Rams in the early stages of their season with strong performances in Fordham’s first two contests. He posted both a doubles and singles point for the Rams in their 5-2 victory over Siena on Sept. 19. A day later, he continued his successful weekend contributing a singles point in Fordham’s 5-2 victory over Rider in Lawrenceville, New Jersey.

Alonso and the Men’s Tennis team will next be in action Jan. 30 at St. Peter’s in Jersey City, New Jersey.

The Fordham Ram: Coming off a tough 3-13 season last year, what is the team’s mindset going into this year?

Pedro Alonso: Coming from last season the mindset was definitely to work really hard because we knew we needed to improve our results a lot. The attitude has been excellent from everyone, we came with a positive mindset and just thinking of becoming better every day, which sometimes is tough coming from a tough season as last year.

TFR: What role has coach Mike Sowter played in your development as well as the development of the team?

PA: Coach Sowter has been a huge improvement for the team and also for me personally. He is an incredibly great coach in all aspects and he has been able to motivate everyone on the team and make everyone work hard to become better. I am definitely much happier and motivated since Coach Sowter is here, and he has been able to drastically change the

The European Vanguard

COURTESY OF FORDHAM ATHLETICS

Alonso has posted points in doubles and singles in the early season.

team’s attitude and mindset.

TFR: Being the oldest member on a young team, how important is it for you to take a leadership role?

PA: After being in the team for over two years now, I see things from a different perspective and I just try to help the team in any way I can. But overall we have a great team and everyone in the end helps everyone.

TFR: What made you choose Fordham way back during the recruiting process?

PA: Coming from Spain, I chose Fordham mainly because it had a really good tennis program with many good players, and because I wanted to study finance, so Fordham being in New York was perfect for me.

TFR: How has your experience changed in the program through the years?

PA: My experience in the team has been absolutely different every year, none of my teammates from my first year and a half are here anymore, and every year (or even every semester) has just been hugely different. Since the turnover of team members was very high over the past years, the team dynamics changed hugely each time. Coach Sowter coming last semester was the biggest change I’ve experience, also it has been a change for the better. The difference between having Sowter and our last coach Mickey is huge.

TFR: What is the one goal you have for this team going forward?

PA: For this year, my goal is to have a winning record and end up having a great result in the A-10s. I think the team is going in the right direction and that by keeping the hard work we will be very successful over the next years.

Espina-Esquivel Breaks Diving Record

By GREGORY WAGNER STAFF WRITER

This past Friday, the women’s swim team was downed by the Army West Point Black Knights at the Col. Francis B. Messmore Aquatic Center with a score of 160-139.

The team was once again led by junior Megan Polaha. Polaha ended the day with three individual victories as she finished first in the 200-yd butterfly, the 100-yd butterfly and the 200-yd individual medley.

Seniors Shannon and Chandler Lulley also had good days in the pool as they both worked their ways to first place finishes. Shannon finished first in the 50-yd freestyle, while Chandler won the 100-yd freestyle. Both Shannon and Chandler were also a part of the winning 200-yd medley relay team and the 400-yd freestyle relay team.

Yet, the highlight of the night came when sophomore diver Wendy Espina-Esquivel, a transfer from Nevada, marked her name into the Fordham diving record-book. In the one-meter dive, Wendy posted a score of 286.65 points breaking her previous record of 280.20 points set just a week ago. EspinaEsquivel also finished first in the three-meter dive.

The Rams ended up winning nine of the 16 events.

However, despite winning nine events and the efforts of Polaha,

the Lulleys and Espina-Esquivel, the Rams were unable to capture the victory against the Black Knights.

Following her record-breaking performances, Espina-Esquivel was still not satisfied.

“While it feels good [to be breaking records], I want to keep breaking them,” she said.

Espina-Esquivel’s ambition and desire for improvement stems further than just the collegiate diving board as she is “expecting to go to the Olympic Games.”

Although disappointed about the close loss to the Army West Point Black Knights, Espina-Esquivel was happy with the fight that the Rams put up.

“I think that the team did well last week,” Espina-Esquivel said, “West Point is a tough rival, and we knew it would be tough competition.”

The women’s team, now 3-1, will take to the pool again on Saturday, Nov. 7, when it makes the trip up to Boston to compete against Boston University.

JOSHUA KIM/THE FORDHAM RAM

Wendy Espina-Esquivel re-broke her own diving record this weekend.

Knicks rookie Kristaps Porzingis is attempting to stop a trend. The Latvian-born power forward was drafted by the Knicks earlier this year, and is attempting to break the streak of poor European talent drafted in the lottery. The recent influx of European players has flooded the market with below-average talent, creating a bad reputation for Europeans in their entirety. It is easy to forget how good these players truly were in Europe because they do not perform well here, but there was one man who broke the mold; one who was so good that he defied all traditional perceptions of European basketball players and was a vanguard for the European invasion. That player was Drazen Petrovic.

The Croatian-born shooting guard was an amazing talent for his Spanish and Yugoslavian club teams, posting an 112-point performance, and was a major reason for Yugoslavia winning two Olympic medals. Europe knew that he was an incredible talent, but it would not mean anything until he proved himself in the best basketball league in the world, the NBA. Petrovic was drafted by the Portland Trailblazers in 1986, but didn’t come to America until 1989. He struggled in an already loaded backcourt before he even touched down in the States. Hall of Famer Clyde Drexler and All-Star Terry Porter made it difficult for Petrovic to wiggle into the lineup. He saw very limited playing time and was eventually dealt to the New Jersey Nets in a three team deal.

With his career hanging in the balance, Petrovic knew that his tenure with the Nets was extremely important, and he had to make the most of it. In the ’91-’92 season, his first full season with the Nets, Petrovic averaged over 20 points a game, and was eventually named team MVP. He had become a staple in their offense, but was also revered for his hardnosed, gritty defense.

Petro’s best game, and defining moment, came against the Michael Jordan-led Bulls. While most players would back down to the legend, Basketball’s Amadeus was ready to show him up. He hit three’s from all over the court, and went right at MJ. When it was all said and done, Petro had gotten 26 points and league wide respect.

Petrovic elevated his game again the next season, averaging over 22 points a game, and shooting an out-of-this-world 45 percent from behind the arc. He made All-NBA Third team, but was snubbed from the All-Star game. He was a Top 13 scorer in the league, but was the only one to not make an All-Star team.

The 1992-93 season would be the last time Petro would touch the court. He was killed in a tragic car accident on the german Autobahn.

He was 28-years-old.

Petro’s impact on the game will never be forgotten. He was the first great European player, and opened the door for people such as Dirk Nowitzki and Porzingis. His number three hangs high above the Barclays Center floor and a token of appreciation for what he did for not only the Nets, but for the game of basketball.

SPORTS

Novebmer 4, 2015

Page 23

Volleyball Drops Two to A-10’s Best

By DEVIN ADAMS STAFF WRITER

Fordham Volleyball returned home to the Bronx this weekend to face a pair of tough Atlantic 10 opponents. The Rams kicked off the weekend on Friday, Oct. 30, with a match against Saint Louis University, which is currently second in the conference standings.

The first set opened up with back and forth scoring by both teams before the Rams rode a five-point scoring streak fueled by three aces from sophomore Grace Muller. The team held an early 8-5 lead. Saint Louis fought back in the set before tying the first frame at 16. The Rams then fell behind and were unable to regain the lead, dropping the first set 25-22. The second set was tied at two when the offense for Saint Louis exploded to go on an eight point scoring streak to lead 10-2.

Fordham kept fighting, but was unable to overcome the deficit, and dropped the second set 25-13 to Saint Louis.

The Rams came out determined in the third set, trading points with the Billikens and taking an early 9-7 lead. The Rams later held an 18-16 lead in the set, but the Saint Louis offense again took control and went on a five point scoring streak to go ahead 21-18. Fordham was again unable to overcome the deficit and lost the set 25-23, concluding the match after being swept 3-0.

Freshman Breanna Jones led the team with 10 kills, while Muller

led the team with three aces and junior Kristen Ostach added four blocks. Sophomore Emily Fronk led with 25 assists and senior Brennan Delsing had a team-high 12 digs.

The tough opposition continued for the Rams who played the league-leading University of Dayton Flyers on Saturday, Oct. 31, in the Rose Hill Gym. The first set began and the Flyers jumped out to a quick 11-5 lead on the Rams.

Fordham did not fade in the set, though. The Rams got within two, trailing 20-18, before the Flyers put the set away, winning the frame 25-19.

The Rams came out fighting in the second set, but again riding several scoring streaks, the Flyers took the second set 25-15 over the Rams. Fordham came out focused in the third set, jumping out to an early 5-1 lead. After answering with a scoring streak of their own, the Flyers tied the set at eight.

Unfortunately for the Rams, the Flyers offense dominated the rest of the third set, taking it 2511 over the Rams and taking the match 3-0. Freshman Olivia LaPorta led the team with five kills and two aces, freshman Natalie Martinez added two blocks, Fronk led with 17 assists and Delsing added nine digs.

The Rams’ next opponent is the University of Rhode Island at the Rose Hill Gym on Saturday, Nov. 7. This match will be the last home contest of the season for the Rams.

By ANTHONY PUCIK SPORTS EDITOR

While most eyes were set on Queens to watch the Mets and Royals in the World Series, there was an already crowned king adding another jewel to his crown.

It was not close, not by a long shot, but did you really have any doubt? American Pharoah won the Breeders’ Cup by six and a half lengths in the last race of his career this past Saturday at Keeneland in Lexington, Kentucky. The threeyear-old Triple Crown winner ran the one and a quarter mile track in 2:00.07, breaking the track record by over five seconds. The win also earned the horse the Grand Slam for winning the Belmont Stakes, Preakness Stakes, Kentucky Derby and Breeders’ in one year — the only horse to ever achieve that feat.

There has not been a Triple Crown winner since Affirmed in 1978, and while many have come close, American Pharoah was the one to succeed. I remember attending the Kentucky Derby two summers ago with WFUV. Victor Espinoza was wearing the same blue and yellow jockey outfit we have become accustomed to seeing, but he was riding California Chrome, who, at the time, was the latest Triple Crown hopeful. There was anxious anticipation around the track throughout the entire day. Would he pull it off ? Would we have to wait yet another year to see a potential Triple Crown winner? The result was disheartening.

Chrome came in a dead heat for fourth and was injured in the race after being stepped on at the start.

So racing fans around the country waited again for the chance to see a Triple Crown winner. This past year, Espinoza got back on the horse again (no pun intended) and ran with American Pharoah. The colt won the Derby by a length and the Preakness by seven. Now it was time for the big test — the one-and-a-half mile long Belmont Stakes, where many Triple Crown hopefuls have fallen. Out of the gate, Pharoah did not have the best start, but he was pushed out to the front by Espinoza and was in the lead at the first turn. When Pharaoh and Espinoza were still

in the lead at the halfway point, people started to realize that this might be the year. And indeed it was, as Pharoah pulled away down the stretch and won by five-and-ahalf lengths in dominating fashion.

Pharoah has only lost twice in his sparkling career, once by just three-quarters of a length, and critics were wondering if he had peaked. Pharoah put them to shame this past weekend, becoming the first ever Grand Slam winner. So now the important question: is he the greatest of all-time?

Well, he is certainly the greatest I have ever seen. I have which plenty of horses try to win the Triple Crown after winning the Derby and Preakness in dramatic fashion, but there was something about the Belmont — the length, the prestige, the pressure — that would make even the most dominant horses look pedestrian. Pharoah was different. Even at the start of the race, I had the feeling that there was no way he could be defeated. The slow start did not matter; he forced himself to the front and looked like he had more left in the tank as he crossed the finish line.

He could certainly be considered better than the now secondto-last Triple Crown winner Affirmed, who fought off Alydar in each race in order to win the Crown back in 1978. Whirlaway (1941) and Assault (1946) had more convincing wins at the Derby, but Assault barely won the Preakness and Whirlaway only won the Belmont by two-and-ahalf lengths. Of course I have never seen any of these horses run, but it seems like Pharoah has the advantage on these three examples.

However, it will be tough to say he was better than Secretariat. Then again, it is hard to compete with a horse that had a thirty-one-length victory at the Belmont and a heart two times the normal size.

He might not be the greatest ever, but American Pharoah is the only Grand Slam winner in horse racing history. Regardless of what you think about American Pharoah you should appreciate what you have witnessed from this horse this past year, because you never know when you will get the chance to see it again.

COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA

American Pharoah is the first horse in history to ever win the Grand Slam.

Varsity Calendar HOME AWAY

Saturday Nov. 7 Bucknell 1 p.m.

Men’s Soccer

U Mass 12 p.m.

Volleyball Squash

The team has only one contest left in the Rose Hill Gym this season.

Friday Nov. 6

Football

Women’s Soccer

ZACH MIKLOS: THE FORDHAM RAM

Thursday Nov. 5

Sunday Nov. 8

VCU 1:30 p.m.

Rhode Island 5 p.m.

Navy Round Robin

Swimming

Boston College 1:30 p.m.

Water Polo

MIT 9:30 a.m.

Brown 2 p.m.

Monday Nov. 9

Tuesday Nov. 10

Wednesday Nov. 11

SPORTS

Page 24

November 4, 2015

The Fordham Ram

Football Falls to Colgate in Hamilton 31-29

By SAM BELDEN ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR

On Saturday, Fordham Football suffered a 31-29 loss to the Colgate University Raiders. After quickly falling behind, Fordham’s offense came alive toward the end of the contest, scoring three touchdowns before its critical two-point conversion attempt was thwarted. It was the Rams’ second loss of the season and first in Patriot League play.

Despite losing junior wide receiver Robbie Cantelli to an injury in the first quarter, junior quarterback Kevin Anderson had a banner day, hitting 34 of his 49 targets, throwing for 378 passing yards and four touchdown passes. Freshman receivers Austin Longi and Corey Caddle stepped up to combine for 169 yards in Cantelli’s absence, which will last for the remainder of the season.

“We have a very high standard for QB play here,” said head coach Joe Moorhead. “Kevin has done an excellent job picking up where Michael [Nebrich, FCRH ’15] left off, from both a production standpoint and leading our team to wins.”

However, Anderson was unable to lead the Rams to victory on Saturday. Colgate’s feisty offense and strong defense against the run allowed it to hold strong for a home win.

“We were very disappointed to lose a game of this magnitude,” said Moorhead. “The margin of error when playing against a team like

ZACK MIKLOS/ THE FORDHAM RAM

Trailing 31-16 with under one minute remaining in regulation, the Rams mounted a major comeback, but fell just short.

Colgate is extremely small.”

The Raiders jumped out to an early lead, scoring on their first drive of the game. After the team opted to go for it on fourth down, quarterback Jake Melville connected with a receiver for a 25-yd touchdown pass. On the next drive of the game, Fordham marched downfield, allowing junior kicker Makay Redd to knock it in for a field goal.

However, Colgate’s offense was relentless. After a good kick return, the team worked quickly, allowing Melville to make the two-yd run for another touchdown.

Fordham positioned itself for another field goal attempt at the beginning of the second quarter, but Redd’s kick was blocked. Seven

plays later, Colgate crossed into the end zone for its third touchdown of the half. Once again, Melville was the star of the drive, completing a pass for 38 yards and rushing for 21 more.

On the next drive, the Rams scored their first touchdown of the game when Caddle caught a 27-yd pass for the score. It ended on a sour note, however — Redd missed his PAT attempt, a mistake that would come back to haunt the Rams by the game’s end. Still, they succeeded in finally putting a dent in Colgate’s lead. The Raiders made a field goal to end the first half, putting the score at 24-9 at the midway point.

After a scoreless third quarter, Fordham finally began to make its

charge. Anderson found Longi in the end zone for his second touchdown pass of the game, bringing the Rams to within one score of the lead. However, another Colgate touchdown from running back James Holland brought things right back to where they started.

With just three minutes to erase a 15-point deficit, the Rams got busy. Once again, Anderson found Longi in the end zone, reducing Colgate’s lead by six (seven after a successful PAT from Redd). With just 27 seconds left in the game, Fordham successfully recovered its onside kick. After a pair of unsuccessful attempts, Anderson connected with Caddle for his fourth touchdown pass of the day, bringing the score to 31-29. Needing a

two-point conversion to tie the game, Fordham was unsuccessful as Anderson’s pass was batted down before reaching the end zone.

While Fordham’s passing game was certainly up to standard, Colgate was effective at containing the Rams’ biggest offensive weapon, sophomore running back Chase Edmonds. Coming off of a 347-yd game against Lehigh, Edmonds ran for just 51 on Saturday, his worst performance of the season so far.

Even so, last season’s FCS Offensive Rookie of the Year has 1,444 rushing yards and 23 total touchdowns in 2015.

Similarly, Redd had a tough day at the office. While it is unfair to trace a team’s loss to one person, there is no denying that his missed PAT effectively forced the Rams to attempt a two-point conversion following their final touchdown — an attempt that was unsuccessful.

Still, Moorhead was quick to defend his players. “There were a few plays in all three phases of the game that we needed to make, in order to win, and failed to execute,” he said.

“Ultimately, it’s my responsibility to [en]sure we get it done. This loss falls squarely on my shoulders.”

This Patriot League loss is Fordham’s first since falling to Lafayette in 2013. Colgate is now the only Patriot League team that has maintained a perfect record in conference play this season.

Next week, the Rams will host Bucknell in their penultimate game of the regular season.

Women’s Soccer Heads to A-10 Tournament

By LEIGHTON SCHNEIDER STAFF WRITER

The Fordham Women’s Soccer team controlled its own destiny going into the final week of the season.

They needed to win one game to guarantee themselves a spot in the Atlantic-10 Championship at Davidson University this upcoming week. On Thursday night, the Rams clinched their first A-10 Championship berth since 2009 when they beat the Davidson Wildcats 2-0.

They followed that performance up with a 1-1 tie against the George Mason Patriots on Senior Day on Sunday.

Fordham was strong in all facets of the game against the Wildcats, limiting them to only one shot on goal while scoring two goals themselves. With the shutout, the Rams set the team single season shutout record with 10 and Megan Fitzgerald tied the single-season goalkeeper shutout record with eight.

Head coach Jessica Clinton told The Fordham Ram the team’s defense puts the offense in a position to succeed and that could lead to a championship.

“Defense wins championships,” said Clinton. “Their job is to keep the ball out of the back of the net and as long as we can do that, our offense is put into a great position to lead us in that direction.”

Red-shirt senior forward Kristina

COURTESY OF FORDHAM ATHLETICS

Junior Brianna Blunck scored her first career goal on Sunday in the 90th minute to force overtime against George Mason.

Maksuti opened the scoring in the 34th minute on a long strike from 25 yards out. Maksuti got the ball from graduate student midfielder Jessica Widmann, and then brought the ball around her body as a defender was closing in and took one dribble before unleashing a shot that went just under the crossbar. It was her seventh goal of the year.

Freshman forward Caitlin Leen made it 2-0 just seconds before the first half ended. Junior defender Brianna Blunck took a corner kick from

the right side of the field and sent a beautiful ball into the middle of the six-yard box. Davidson goalkeeper Alex Carpenter lost control of the ball and after several failed clearances by the Wildcats, Leen put the ball into the net for her first career goal.

Clinton knows that having scoring depth will be key if the team wants to make a deep run in the A-10s.

“Heading into the A-10s, we know Widmann is marked,” said coach Clinton. “We know Davidson was trying to take care of her today, so we are going to need other players to

score. If we do it by committee that’s the best part.”

With a spot in the A-10 Championship already guaranteed, Sunday’s game against George Mason was for seeding. The Rams knew they could get as high as third with a win and a Virginia Commonwealth loss or tie, or as low as fifth with a loss or tie and a St. Joseph’s win.

For the third straight game, a Fordham player scored her first career goal. This time it was Blunck, who was moved up to midfield in a tactical switch. Blunck scored with

just 25 seconds remaining in the game to tie George Mason at one.

“It was a heart-stopper,” said Clinton. “It gave us a heart attack on the sideline, but we’ll take it.”

After a scoreless first half that saw Fordham dominate the possession, the Patriots scored in the opening 30 seconds of the second half.

George Mason had a throw-in on the left side of the field. The ball went to the feet of Alex Myers who then shot it just inside the right post of the goal.

Despite a furious charge in the second half in hopes of tying the game up, Fordham could not find the equalizer until the final moments of the game. The play started with Widmann having the ball with her back to the net. She kicked the ball over her shoulder into the box where Blunck, who was wide open, shot it into the right side of the net.

The game went into overtime, but neither team could find the back of the net.

Fordham will be the fifth seed in the A-10 Championship, which starts on Thursday in North Carolina. They will face off against VCU at 1:30, who is the fourth seed. If Fordham wins, it will face the winner of George Washington, the one seed, and George Mason, the eight seed.

The Rams finished off the season with a 12-6-1 overall record and a 6-3-1 record in the Atlantic 10. This will be the team’s seventh trip to the championship.