Fordham Observer - Issue 6

Observer the

APRIL 16, 2015 VOLUME XXXIV, ISSUE 6

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USG Elections Elicit Low Turnout

Photo Feature

By TYLER MARTINS Editor-in-Chief

In what was a competitive student government election, Leighton Magoon, Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) ’17, has won the race for United Student Government (USG) President, according to the USG Elections Committee, on Thursday, April 9.

Though there were two contested executive board elections, voter turnout remained low across the board. Only 12.6 percent of the undergraduate class at Fordham Lincoln Center cast their vote in the race, according to the USG Elections Committee. Roughly, only 188 students participated in this election.

Though turnout was up 5.57 percent compared to last year’s USG Election, during which only 7 percent of eligible students voted, turnout was up less than 1 percent from the 2013 USG Elections, in which there was a contested election for certain executive board positions. There were no competitive elections last year.

By class, the Class of 2017 came out the strongest, with a turnout of 20 percent (83 out of 415 students who were eligible). By comparison, only 11 percent of the Class of 2016 voted (48 out of 437 students who were eligible).

The FCLC Class of 2018 had a voter turnout of 8.17 percent (45 students out of 551), while 13.3 percent of the Gabelli School of Business at Lincoln Center (GSBLC) Class of 2018 logged onto OrgSync to cast their vote (12 out of 90 students).

“Every year is always a struggle getting voters. We are up from last year, which is good, but with competitive elections, the Elections Committee had hoped for higher turnout,” Louise Lingat, president of USG, chair of the USG Elections Committee and FCLC ’15, said.

“I am more than excited to take the helm of USG President for the upcoming academic year,” Magoon see #RAMTHEVOTE pg. 5

PHOTO BY BRIKEND BEHRAMI /THE OBSERVER

The Observer photographers captured landmarks of New York. Above is an old railway dock in Riverside Park. For more, see centerfold.

CAB & USG Announce End of Year “Bash”

By TYLER MARTINS Editor-in-Chief

Campus Activities Board (CAB) and United Student Government (USG) have announced that “The Bash” will replace “Under the Tent”-which was cancelled due to lack of funding--at Fordham Lincoln Center, according to Laura Paone, President of CAB, Chair of “The Bash” Planning Committee and Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) ’16.

“The Bash” is scheduled to take place on Wednesday, April 29 at 7 p.m. in the Atrium, which coincides with the last day of programming.

“Marking the last day of programming is important because it allows students to take a break, de-stress from finals and celebrate all their

hard work during the past academic year,” Paone said.

According to Christina Frankovic, assistant director of programming and advisor to The Bash Planning Committee, The Bash is “a great way to bring the community together one last time before we break for summer. For seniors, it will be their last event on campus for all Fordham undergraduate students and it’s just sort of a festive way to cap off the academic year.”

Some students may be wondering what exactly “The Bash” entails, but according to Paone, “The Bash” isn’t a huge departure from “Under the Tent.” “You can expect lots of dancing and great food and more importantly, camaraderie,” she said.

“The Bash” is more of an identity for the end of the year event,

not so much a theme. “In the future, the event [will not be] dictated by a particular theme every year,” Molly Hellauer, Vice President-Elect of CAB and FCLC ’16 and a member of the planning committee, said. “We hope that students will just look forward to ‘The Bash’ every year.”

For Paone, “it’s been helpful to have part of the picture ready to go, borrowing aspects from ‘Under the Tent.’ It’s also been really great to be a part of starting something new.”

Unlike Under the Tent, The Bash is less formal, according to Frankovic. “We changed the direction a little bit to go into something that is a little more casual, a little more focused on just students having a good time, dancing, right before finals,” Frankovic said.

Another notable difference is that

“The Bash” is free admission to all Fordham Lincoln Center and up to two guests, according to Paone. “So we’re saving you money because you don’t have to buy a new outfit and pay for admission!”

The planning committee, chaired

by Paone, is made up of representatives from USG and CAB. “The committee has been working really hard to make sure that ‘The Bash’ is an event that Fordham students won’t forget in years to come,” Paone said.

“We really hope students come and dance the stress of finals away.”

“I am really excited,” Frankovic said. “The committee has worked really hard to come up with a new identity and I think they have gone in a direction that the students will really be happy.”

Inside

FEATURES

SPORTS

ARTS & CULTURE

Post-Graduation Plans

Mayweather vs. Pacquiao

Vagina Monologues

What’s next for Class ‘15?

Who Will Win?

Revolution Begins in the Body

A Larger Trend of Dishonesty

Page 14

PAGE 15

PAGE 12

PAGE 7

THE STUDENT VOICE OF FORDHAM LINCOLN CENTER

OPINIONS

Clinton Email Scandal

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News

April 16, 2015 THE OBSERVER

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REMEMBERING CASEY FELDMAN

Distracted Driving Awareness Month

By JUSTIN REBOLLO Asst. News Co-Editor

April is officially National Distracted Driving Awareness Month, and distracted driving is an issue that is pertinent in New York City.

“New York State still holds the dubious distinction of having the worst record in the nation for pedestrian fatalities,” Tri-state Transportation Campaign Policy Coordinator Nadine Lemon said in a Daily News article from May 2015.

Distracted driving resulted in 3,154 deaths in 2013, according to the National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration (NTSA).

New York City, specifically Manhattan, has a particularly bad record when it comes to pedestrian safety, with 2.1 deaths for every 100,000 people, compared to 1.88 citywide.

The borough averages 34 pedestrians killed every year, according to a Daily News article.

The Lincoln Square Bow Tie Intersection, where Columbus Avenue crosses Broadway and 65th Street, which is a block away from Fordham College at Lincoln Center, is “one of the borough’s most dangerous, according to crash data from 2008 to 2012, placing itself in the top 5 percent of Manhattan intersections due to the high number of people killed or injured in traffic,” as reported in a previous article covering the intersection in The Observer. Recently changes to the intersection, under

EMILY TIBERIO/THE OBSERVER

The Observer Newsroom, featured above, is dedicated to Casey Feldman, former News Editor.

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, will strive to make it safer for pedestrians.

The CDC categorizes three different types of distracted driving.

Visual distraction is when a person takes their eyes off of the road.

Manual distraction is when a driver

takes their hands off the wheel of their vehicle. Cognitive distraction is when a driver is not thinking of driving while behind the wheel. All of these can lead to a tragic accident which can rob anyone of a daughter, friend, sister.

April 6, 2015 marks what

would’ve been former Observer News Editor, Casey Feldman’s FCLC ’10, 27th birthday. Before her senior year at FCLC, Feldman was struck by a distracted motorist on July 17, 2009 while walking across a crosswalk during daylight hours on her way to a summer job as a waitress in

Ocean City, N.J. Feldman’s calling was journalism. She anchored for her high school’s news program, wrote for her high school paper and was a lead critic for Springfield High School for the Greater Philadelphia Region Cappies.

At Fordham College Lincoln Center, she majored in communication and media studies and became a part of The Observer. At the newspaper, she quickly moved through the ranks, getting bylines as a freshman and then becoming the news editor as a junior. Feldman was recognized for her writing skill when she was named a finalist for the 2009 Chandler Award for Student Writer of the Year in Religion.

“Casey Feldman, who would have turned 27... was one of the most talented and self-starting journalism students I’ve ever had,” Elizabeth Stone Ph.D., advisor for The Observer and professor of English, posted on her Facebook.

Her parents Joel Feldman and Dianne Anderson created End Distracted Driving Organization (ENDDD) and the Casey Feldman Network to advocate against distracted driving. The organization’s mission “is to preserve life and promote safety on a large scale through advocacy, education and action,” and it is the group’s “hope that we can prevent families and friends from suffering the loss of a loved one because of distracted driving.”

LC Expands Brand Dining Experience with BONMi “ ...a Bánh Mi is a Vietnamese take on a

French baguette sandwich with various spices, meats, and vegetables.”

–

BUDDY GILLEPSIE, BONMi founder

ADRIANA GALLINA/THE OBSERVER

Rose Hill food brand presence outweighs Lincoln Center’s food brand options.

By ALEX MERRITT Staff Writer

The dining options available to faculty and students continue to expand at Fordham at Lincoln Center, with the introduction of BONMi, the campus’ first retail dining location.

BONMi, which began its soft opening following the Easter break, officially opened on Tuesday, April 14.

BONMi, which offers a buildyour-own take on popular Vietnamese dishes such as the Bánh Mi sandwich, as explained by restaurant founder Buddy Gillepsie, a Bánh Mi is a Vietnamese take on a French baguette sandwich with various spices, meats and vegetables.

Menu pricing, according to Gillepsie, varies based on fillings chosen for an entrée, but depends largely on the meat chosen, ranging from $9.00 for chicken to $10.50 for beef.

On the genesis of BONMi, Gillepsie shared that “the company that I worked for, they were looking for something new and different. My boss and I … once a week [stopped] off at a little Vietnamese Bánh Mi shop. We loved the flavor combinations of Southeast Asian cuisine, so … that’s where the spark came from.”

Gillepsie explained that BONMi was conceived as a means to make Vietnamese food more accessible in major American cities. “We saw this as a way to bring an up and coming cuisine into the limelight. Kind of like, I don’t want to say Chipotle,

MARIA KOVOROS/THE OBSERVER

BONMi features a chalk wall where customers can make their mark.

but how the burrito was [made accessible] to everyone.” “[Sodexo] came to us during a transitional period … it seemed to be an effort to offer the students a

healthier cuisine,” Gillepsie said.

Students responded positively at George Washington University, the first Sodexo BONMi partnering school, leading to BONMi opening

in other universities. Commenting on the success of BONMi, Gillepsie noted, “I believe the younger generation is more adventurous in eating.”

Other locations can be found across universities in San Francisco, Salt Lake City, and New Jersey.

BONMi came to Fordham after Sodexo approached Gillepsie about the once vacant retail space in the law school. “[Sodexo] asked me if I wanted to check it out. We looked at it … and we gave them the plans, made some modifications. They did a wonderful job and it looks fantastic, I love it.”

Student response, thus far, has been mostly positive from Gillepsie’s perspective. “[Tables] fill up nightly at dinner and the majority [of feedback] is about how delicious it is and they love the flavor profile.

I think it’s a lot different than your traditional sandwich.”

“I really like it. I think the vibe … of the place is really cool. I thought the food was really good,” Anna Strauss, FCLC ’18, said. Sophie Scott, FCLC ’18, shared a similar sentiment, “I think it’s really great.

I’m really excited to see that Fordham … is beginning to offer the Lincoln Center students more food options.”

BONMi has also been expanding student palettes. “I went never having tried Vietnamese food before, you could have asked what Vietnamese food was and I wouldn’t have been able to tell you,” Scott said.

Still, BONMi isn’t without it’s criticisms. Ben Conlin, FCLC ’17 felt that “it doesn’t give you enough

bang for your buck. It’s expensive and therefore not a viable option.”

Others, like Strauss, agree. “It’s a little pricey for what you get, but I enjoy it.”

Located on the first floor of the law school building, BONMi is accessible only from a storefront entrance on 62nd Street, just past the undergraduate dining hall.

The 2014-2015 academic year has been a big one for FCLC dining expansions, BONMi being one of four new dining options which include the Schmeltzer Dining Hall located on the second floor of the law school building. Jazzman’s Cafe, located on the sixth floor of the law school; and the undergraduate dining hall, located on the first floor of the law school. Additionally, the Ram Cafe has undergone substantial renovations, such as a revamping of the Cafe’s layout and a new system allowing students to purchase food by the ounce.

Though improvements are being made, many students, such as Scott, still want more. She said, “I hope that [Sodexo] continue[s] to do similar partnerships in the future and bring us more food options … where we could use our declining balance dollars.” Strauss envies the dining options available at Rose Hill. “I love Cosi, and you know, Starbucks coffee is better than [Sodexo] coffee.”

The number of options available at Lincoln Center is now comparable to those offered at Fordham College at Rose Hill (FCRH). Although, FCRH does feature more brands outside of Sodexo.

www.fordhamobserver.com

THE OBSERVER April 16, 2015

Comp Sci/Math Double Awaits Approval

By CONNOR MANNION Asst. News Co-Editor

A special joint double major of computer science and mathematics is planned to be presented to the Arts and Sciences Council of Fordham University on April 30. According to David Swinarski, professor of mathematics and a proponent of the new joint double major, the proposal has already been approved by both Rose Hill and Lincoln Center’s College Councils. Robert Moniot Ph.D., associate professor of computer & information science and associate dean of Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC), explained the process of creating a new joint double major and some of the proposed details of a joint major in computer science and mathematics.

OBSV: What is the approval process

for a new major?

MONIOT: For the major to be fully approved, it will have to pass a vote of approval from the Council of Arts

Just one week after President of Fordham University Rev. Joseph M. McShane, S.J. condemned sexual assault on campus, the University released an anonymous survey to students via email to learn more about the climate of sexual assault on campus. Students received the link at 5

PHOTO BY PAYTON VINCELETTE/THE OBSERVER

No new funding is needed for proposed major as the classes and professors required already exist separately.

and Sciences at Fordham, then finally be approved by the state of New York. The way it works now though, students in the major have taken classes that already are planned to count either count for the math and computer science major, or they don’t count but are frequently taken.

OBSV: So students will not have to wait for the major to be approved to take the classes necessary to complete the major?

MONIOT: No, it will be similar to

the neuroscience major when it was

approved. Students will be taking the classes necessary and then be subsumed into the major when it is officially approved. If they do not have the major approved by the time they graduate, it can be worked that they have a math or computer science major with a minor in math or computer science … since the minors don’t have to be state-approved, we can work with them on that.

OBSV: What are the real world applications for this major?

MONIOT: The investment firms

downtown on Wall Street are looking for people with skills both in math and in computer science. A background in math along with computer science, helps with engineering, financial modelling. It’s not just about science; people can make some money from these combined parts. If approved at the Arts and Science Council, according to Moniot, “it will need to go to New York State for further approval … we need state approval to move forward with new majors.”

p.m. on Monday, April 6. The survey will be open until May 14.

The University’s working group focused on Title IX issues on campus began working on the survey in the summer of 2014. Title IX is legislation passed in 1972 that prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in schools that receive federal funding.

The working group includes Dean of Students at Fordham College at Lin-

coln Center (FCLC), Keith Eldredge, Dean of Students at Fordham College at Rose Hill (FCRH), Chris Rodgers, Director of the Office of Institutional Equity and Compliance Anasastia Coleman J.D., Associate Vice President of Public Safety John Carroll, Deputy Emergency Manager Patricia Upton and Associate Vice President of Student Affairs Michele Burris.

“One of the main goals is to gage

how prevalent [campus assault] is here,” Eldredge said. “We only know the incidents that our reported to us.”

“We’ve been talking about the idea for years,” Eldredge said. After the White House released their Not Alone report which suggests Universities begin a climate survey which looked to pass mandatory surveys in 2016, “that was the final impetus to say, ‘Let’s do this now,’” he said.

Law Library to Renew Ban on April 27

By CONNOR MANNION Asst. News Co-Editor

Fordham undergraduate students and graduate schools will need to prepare for a deficiency of study space on the Lincoln Center campus, according to Linda LoSchiavo, director of University Libraries. On April 27, the T.J. and Nancy Maloney Law School Library is set to again restrict access to only law students for law finals.

However, the Fordham University Office of Library Services has reserved additional study space for the undergraduate and graduate student population. LoSchiavo said, “We knew the ban was coming this time, so we were able to prepare and plan a little better.”

The added study space includes Law School Room 02-1A and PL100 in Lowenstein, both of which which will be designated Quinn study annexes

by Thursday, April 30. However, according to LoSchiavo, this still does not address the ongoing problems of study space on campus. “I think that this really shows that Lowenstein needs more space for study, even with the advanced notice and preparation … there is a finite amount of space on campus.” According to Carrie Johnson, assistant dean for communications at the Fordham Law School (LAW), Schmeltzer Dining Hall will also be designated study space after the Sodexo cafeteria closes.

According to the American Bar Association required 509 report, 2014

Going Global The Observer is launching an international column to update students on global events with expert commentary from professors.

Tweet us what you think. @ ford h a mo b s e r ve r.

Sexual Assault Climate Survey Made Live

By ADRIANA GALLINA News Editor

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By GUNAR OLSEN Staff Writer

OBSV: So why the push for this new joint major? What prompted this?

MONIOT: Advisors and faculty within the computer science departments noticed students were attempting to double major, which is difficult because they are both good-sized majors. But for students they felt like it was a good match, and [faculty] saw a demand for a joint double major that would be more feasible in terms of preparation. In this way, students could take a grouping of classes that would prepare students for their later careers.

News

PHOTO BY MARIA KOVOROS/THE OBSERVER

Non-Law students will see this study space again in fall of 2015.

to 2015 academic enrollment of Fordham Law School is 1,209. According to the Office of Enrollment Services, enrollment for Fordham at Lincoln Center is 7,656 undergraduate and graduate students.

Maloney Library accommodates approximately 715 patrons, according to the the office of communications and public relations for the Fordham Law School. According to Beth Jarrett, reference librarian for the Office of University Libraries, “the space of the library, even with the new seats brought in, stands at approximately 300 seats.”

Maloney Library administration

does not share administrative faculty with the Office of University Libraries. “The law school has a completely separate administration with its own administration, staff, budget, policies and procedures. Some of this is mandated by the ABA,” LoSchiavo said.

As director of University Libraries, LoSchiavo oversees Quinn Library, Rose Hill’s Walsh Library and the library at Fordham Westchester.

Likewise, there are several policies in place during finals that are not in place for the undergraduate and graduate libraries, such as delivery of free breakfast food during the law finals period, according to Cecilia

Gomes-Acebo Yueste, Fordham Law School (LAW) ’15. “Some law firms sponsor breakfasts in the library, and they bring in free bagels and muffins and coffee; usually it was every single day during finals period last semester.”

Despite the separation of administration between the libraries, it has not stopped other academic departments from voicing their concerns for the lack of space the restriction creates on campus. On Dec. 12, 2014, the Faculty Senate of Fordham University held a vote at Fordham College at Rose Hill’s (FCRH) Walsh Library on what would be the faculty response to the ban of all undergraduate and graduate students from the Maloney Law Library for the entirety of the LAW finals. In a unanimous vote of 15-0-0, the Faculty Senate voted to demand the Law Library immediately open access to all students and faculty of Fordham University.

This is a largely ceremonial motion, as the Fordham Law School has a separate academic administration from the graduate and undergraduate programs.

Despite the lack of space, law students will have access to Quinn Library during finals. LoSchiavo said, “Quinn is a general collection for law students; their more specific field books are housed in Maloney.”

According to the Office of University Libraries, 140,711 of Law books are shelved in Quinn library.

Nigerian Presidential Election Muhammadu Buhari has become the first opposition candidate to win a presidential election in Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country, unseating President Goodluck Jonathan by 2.7 million votes. One of Nigeria’s military rulers, Buhari, 72, first came to power in a military coup in 1984.

Many voters were drawn to his hardhandedness in a country marked by corruption and an Islamist insurgency by Boko Haram, both targets of much of Buhari’s aggressive rhetoric.

“If he acts on his military approach to end the insurgency, Nigeria will plunge into violence and political instability. There is no military solution to Boko Haram. Buhari must address the socio-economic causes of the insurgency to advance democratic values and foster economic development,” Amir H. Idris, professor and chair of African and African American Studies, said.

Palestine Now Member of ICC As of April 1, Palestine has become an official member of the International Criminal Court (ICC). In January, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas acceded to the 1998 Rome Statute, which created the court, after the United States and Israel blocked a U.N. Security Council measure calling for an end to the Israeli occupation and the creation of a Palestinian state. Palestine has given the ICC jurisdiction over incidents beginning in June 2014, a month before Israel launched its 51-day assault on the Gaza Strip killing more than 2,200 Palestinians, including nearly 1,500 civilians, opening the door to prosecute Israeli war crimes. Fatou Bensouda, the ICC’s chief prosecutor, opened a preliminary examination in January. The Israeli military is conducting several already in an attempt to stymie external efforts to hold the military accountable for war crimes. “[Palestinian ICC membership] could mean prosecution not only of Israelis, but also Palestinians - including groups like Hamas. As the ICC’s preliminary examinations typically last months or years, it may be a whole year before we see how the ICC will proceed,” Karen Corrie, adjunct professor of political science and former trial lawyer for the Office of the Prosecutor at the ICC, said.

Obama Imposes Sanctions on Venezuelan Leaders In March, the White House imposed sanctions on seven Venezuelan senior officials, citing human rights violations and corruption. As a legal requirement to justify the sanctions, President Obama declared Venezuela “unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security,” but has since rescinded this classification. 33 Latin American and Caribbean countries issued support for President Nicolás Maduro and rejected the US sanctions, claiming they are a threat to Venezuelan sovereignty and aren’t actually about human rights given U.S. support of repressive regimes across the world and its long-time attempt to overthrow the democratically elected government in Venezuela. “Regardless of what one can think of the wisdom of Maduro’s policies, it is hard to see how Venezuela -- a country in the middle of a deep economic crisis, high inflation and high crime rates -- can represent such a threat to the most powerful country in the world,” Hector Lindo-Fuentes, professor and associate chair of history, said.

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News

April 16, 2015 THE OBSERVER

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Fall 2016 Brings Old Law Building New Purpose

By ANA FOTA Staff Writer

While the new law school building and McKeon residence hall are almost a full academic year old, construction is underway on the old law building, commonly referred to by faculty as 140, due to its address of 140 West 62nd St. The repurposed 140 building is set to open in Fall 2016 and will mostly serve as a student center, with places of interest for undergraduates.

Due to its location in Manhattan, the Lincoln Center Campus has a prevalent space issue. A master plan has been developed with the purpose of resolving this problem over the span of 30 years, designed by the Space Planning committee. The plan was set in motion in 2015, with the McKeon building being the first establishment to be added to the campus. Vice President Brian Byrne, who is in charge of the committee, said, “We want to build a campus here, not a collection of schools.” The space on campus is shared between the two undergraduate colleges, Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) and Gabelli School of Business at Lincoln Center (GSBLC) and the four graduate schools: the Graduate School of Education (GSE), Graduate School of Social Work (GSS), Graduate School of Business (GSB), and the Fordham Law School.

The repurposed building will serve as a hub for the new undergraduate Gabelli School of Business, as the 11 classrooms can fit up to 65 people each, which is the size of the average Gabelli class, thus providing an economic solution, because the classrooms will not need remodeling.

The new Quinn library will be moved there and will span over three floors, providing space for students to study.

It will be open to all students.

The garden level of the building will be a student affairs space, with designated centers for some of the biggest clubs on campus, including the United Student Government

PHOTO BY EMILY TIBERIO/THE OBSERVER

Construction of the Old Law Building will be completed by Fall 2016.

(USG), Campus Activities Board (CAB), and The Fordham Observer.

Several student affairs offices will also move there, including the Career Planning and Placement Center, Health Center and Counseling Center. Keith Eldredge, dean of students at Lincoln Center, whose office will move into the building, believes having all offices pertaining to student life concentrated into one build-

ing will facilitate involvement. “In a sense, it’s going to be a one-stop shop for all the student needs outside of the classroom,” he said.

Eldredge explains the process of redesigning the campus as a “domino effect, with the new law school building being the first domino to fall.”

Everything from the 140 building was moved into McKeon, while the old building will primarily be used

as an undergraduate student affairs and class space. Because several offices that are currently found in the Leon Lowenstein building will move there, the vacant spaces will be used for FCLC classes. Another goal of redesigning the campus is to bring in all offices located in various spaces across the city, that have been used by the University.

Fordham is still looking for a

sponsor for the building. In the mean time,“you can call it old law, people know it better as that,” Byrne said.

Recently the university has also acquired was used to be the College Board building, on Columbus Avenue. No further information about the building is known at this point.

Measuring Fordham’s Return on Investment

By ANA FOTA Staff Writer

Parents and students alike wonder about the importance of a college degree in the job market, as bachelor’s degrees become more common. According to PayScale’s Return on Investment (ROI) ranking, Fordham University is in the top 14 percent, with a total fouryear cost of $239,700, including tuition and living expenses, and a 20-year net ROI of $453,300. While it may seem, according to PayScale ,that Fordham is Bargain College, it was also ranked number 7 in Forbes magazine’s top entitled “America’s Most Expensive Colleges” in 2012.

The ROI scale takes into account the full cost of tuition and living expenses, without financial aid, the average student loans and the average starting salary of graduates.

Out of 1223 considered colleges, Fordham is ranked number 146.

The scale was created to better understand the value of college education in the job market. According to The College Board, although an average 80 percent of financial need is met at the University, Fordham students graduate with an average of $29,320 in loans, right below the national average of $30,000, according to the 2015 PayScale ROI report.

The typical early career salary of the Fordham graduate is of $50,200,

according to the PayScale report.

Michael Madden, FCLC alumnus ’13 and a former communication and media studies major, believes that the school’s location accounts for several opportunities that he has been presented with.

“My whole experience at Lincoln Center, being in the heart of Manhattan and having so many opportunities at my fingertips, I kind of took it upon myself to branch out,” he said.

When asked about the opportunities the University has to offer, Madden said that how the students take advantage of them is equally important. “I think it depends a lot on what you as a student put into

it, all the hard work and the long nights,” he stated. “If you put all of that in you will get much more in return.”

Madden now works as a producer for FiOS1 News.

Jesuit universities do not rank high across the board. St. Joseph’s University of Philadelphia, another private Jesuit university, is ranked 785, with a total 4-year cost of $211,900 and a 20 year ROI of $177,900. Loyola University of Maryland has a total 4-year cost of $222,800 and a 20-year ROI of $550,200, according to the ROI scale.

The number one spot on the scale is held by Harvey Mudd Col-

lege, a small, 4-year, private college of engineering and liberal arts, from California, with a reported typical early career salary of $75,600. The college’s total 4 year cost is $237,700, very close to Fordham’s, while its 20 Year Net ROI is $985,300. Although Fordham’s spot in the PayScale report solidifies its status as a Bargain College, it still remains one of the most expensive colleges in the United States. Fordham is also at the top of the scale when it comes to private research universities in the United States.

The typical early career salary of the Fordham graduate is of $50,200, according to the PayScale report.

Alumni Bring Internship & Career Advice to FCLC

By CONNOR MANNION Asst. News Co-Editor

Alumni in the media industry tipped off students about how to dress, prepare for interviews and prepare for a media career on Monday, April 13 in the 12th floor Lowenstein lounge. The panel was co-sponsored by the department of communication and media studies and the office of Career Services.

Brian Rose, professor of communication and media studies, mediated the event and had taught all the alumni previously in his internship seminar. “We’ve had so many sensational graduates of the internship program … I used to always have them come to my class, but their experiences are so useful, I felt it should be shared with the whole school,” he said.

Panelists included alumni employed at Good Housekeeping Magazine, Marvel Entertainment, “Saturday Night Live” and NBC News.

They were all previously employed as interns at their current companies before being hired following their internships, according to Rose, who teaches the internship seminar Monday nights every semester. One piece of advice given was “to not seem like you are fishing for a job,” Christina Frasca, Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) ’11, said.

“You have to make yourself stand out though, straddle the line between helpful and annoying.”

Rose commented on the importance of standing out, he said, “The sad truth is that you are one of 10,000 interns coming through that door, and your real job is to not be intern 10,001.”

PHOTO BY EMILY TIBERIO/THE OBSERVER

Panel consisted of eight alumni from Prof. Brian Rose’s Intern Seminar.

Adriana Perez, FCLC ’11 and a producer for “Saturday Night Live,” said, “Even when you are working

for the media where it feels very relaxed and casual, you still have to keep a level of professionalism …

don’t like invite them out to drinks after the internship ends, but keep in touch with email and social media.”

The 130 students present attended the with event, which ended by allowing students to network with the panelists. Isabella Ayers, FCLC ’17 said, “[the alumni] all have these really extensive backgrounds, but they are all down to earth and friendly.” But some of the alumni themselves attributed their experience to just working with Rose. Bry Prevatt, FCLC ’12, said, “Professor Rose bent the rules, he helped me extend my internship to a year with Marvel.” This bending of the rules also got her “dream job of working at Disney.”

At the time I got the internship, I didn’t know that Marvel had been bought out by Disney [in 2010],”

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#RAMTHEVOTE

Magoon Wins Race for USG President #RAMTHEVOTE FROM PAGE 1

PHOTO BY TYLER MARTINS/THE OBSERVER

Leighton Magoon, USG President & FCLC ’17

PHOTO BY TYLER MARTINS/THE OBSERVER

Amanda Ritchie, USG Vice President of Operations & FCLC ’16

said. “I look forward to furthering all of the great progress USG has made the past two years and further growing our membership of both FCLC and GSBLC students.” Magoon has served as Treasurer of USG and Student Activities Budget Committee (SABC) Chair for the past academic year and belongs to the Dorothy Day Center for Social Justice (DDCSJ) as a Social Justice Leader (SJL).

Magoon defeated his opponent Jacob Azrilyant, Vice President of Operations of USG and FCLC ’16.

“I wish Leighton the best of luck as USG President, and thank him for a positive campaign run,” Azrilyant said. “The train does not stop here, and I’ll still be involved in making Fordham a better place. Thank you to everyone!

Executive and Senate for USG 2015/2016: President Leighton Magoon, FCLC ’17 Vice President of Operations Amanda Ritchie, FCLC ’16 Treasurer Abraham “Alec” Padron, GSBLC ’18 Secretary Rory Hanrahan, FCLC ’18

PHOTO COURTESY OF RORY HANRAHAN VIA FACEBOOK

Rory Hanrahan, USG Secretary & FCLC ’18

PHOTO COURTESY OF ALEC PADRON VIA FACEBOOK

Abraham Padron, USG Treasurer, Chairperson of SABC & GSBLC ’18

Sophomore Senators for FCLC: Matthew McCarthy, FCLC ’18, Eliza Putnam, FCLC ’18 Sophomore Sen. for GSBLC: Dominic Umbro, GSBLC ’18

FORDHAM DAILY

Let Them In: Collins Will Get Elevator by 2019

By JOHN BANNAZO Fordham Daily

Following years of fierce student advocacy and stalled developments blamed on budgetary constraints, school officials said Collins Hall — the home to Rose Hill’s theater groups and Philosophy Department, and one of the few spaces on campus inaccessible to those who are handicapped — will finally be getting an elevator.

The project will cost about $4 million and construction is expected to begin within three to four years, officials confirmed for Fordham Daily.

Marco Valera, vice president for Facilities Management, said that the installation of an elevator within Collins will require significant renovation to the building, given its age and layout.

“There’s very little free open space where you can create a shaft for an elevator,” he said.

(There is also a separate project in the works to install an elevator in Cunniffe House, the administration building at Rose Hill, which is also currently inaccessible, Valera said.)

Collins does not currently have a handicapped accessible entrance, and as such it does not comply with federal standards set forth by the Americans with Disabilities Act. But because of its age — it was built in 1904 — it is legally exempt from the regulations.

In spite of this loophole, the accessibility of Collins has been a hot button issue at Rose Hill in recent years. In January of 2013, three United Student Government (USG) representatives drafted a resolution asking administrators to “prioritize the renovation of Collins Hall.

A year later, USG put a human face on the accessibility issue: Emily Rochotte, Gabelli School of Business

Rose Hill (GSBRH) ’14, who was then USG’s vice president of student life, publicly discussed a heartbreaking encounter she had while assisting with a Fordham admissions event.

Rochotte said she had to tell a wheelchair-bound prospective student that she could not be actively involved in theater at Fordham because performances took place in Collins — a space with only stairs, and lots of them.

It is because of anecdotes like this that the universal accessibility of Collins is of particular concern to the three theatre groups on campus: The Mimes and Mummers, Fordham Experimental Theater (FET) and the Theatrical Outreach Program (TOP).

All three groups have the majority of their performances in Collins, which houses both a large auditorium and a smaller Blackbox theater.

Many performers in these groups told Fordham Daily they have been affected by the building’s lack of accessibility.

When Rachel Sternlicht, Fordham College at Rose Hill ( FCRH) ’17, was performing in the TOP production of Oedipus Rex in the fall of 2013, she was expecting to see a close family friend and her mother in the audience. But when the duo arrived at Collins, the woman’s mother, who uses a walker, could not get up the stairs to the building’s entrance.

They missed the performance.

“I didn’t know that they didn’t make it until after the show, when I saw all of the missed calls asking if there was any way to get into the building,” Sternlicht, an active TOP member and current outreach chair, said. “It was really disappointing.”

Sarah Skrobala, FCRH ’15 and executive vice president of USG, has been a champion of the Collins ac-

cessibility effort since assisting with the 2013 petition.

Despite the good news of an elevator installation, Skrobala wants to ensure that handicapped students can see theatrical performances while Collins exists in its current form.

Skrobala told Fordham Daily she wants to organize a performance showcase for the end of the semester, in which the theater troupes would perform excerpts from their productions in a handicapped accessible location — where people like Sternlicht’s friend could see them.

While executive board members of each group think this is an admirable idea, they do not think it should be a permanent solution.

“It would harm our shows if we can’t be in our space,” said Sarah Hill, FCRH ’17 and vice president of the Mimes and Mummers. “I don’t really think it solves anything.”

Hill and the Mimes are not just thinking about handicapped audience members. They hire professional directors for their productions, and given Collins’ physical limitations the Mimes cannot assume the risk of hiring physically disabled directors until an elevator is installed.

“We don’t ask ‘Are you handicapped’ on the application form, but I dread the day one of our directors comes to Collins and can’t physically get in the building,” Hill said.

“If we can’t hire them because of that, that’s terrible discrimination and not something we want to be responsible for.”

Campus theater groups also cannot currently use physically disabled students as cast or crew members.

AJ Golio, FCRH ’16 and president of FET, was contacted last semester by a handicapped student who wanted to get involved in the club, and as in Rochotte’s case he had to tell her

that this was impossible.

“Denying a student the ability to participate in the extracurriculars they would like to participate in is a pretty grievous offense, and shouldn’t be overlooked,” Golio said.

The three theater groups will need to find an alternative location for their shows while Collins is being renovated. One location they all agree would be perfect is Flom Auditorium, a handicapped accessible theater in the basement of Walsh library.

“It’s a very lovely space that sits empty for the vast majority of the day,” said Jane Skapek, FCRH ’16 and president of TOP. But in a bit of cruel irony, the theater groups are barred from using the only performance space on campus that is currently handicapped accessible.

Library Director Linda LoSchiavo said the policy on Flom stemmed from negative experiences in the past.

“Theater or musical events which have taken place in Flom have resulted in some degree of damage to the equipment,” LoSchiavo told Fordham Daily. “I understand and empathize that there is a shortage of space for entertainment events on campus.”

“Flom Auditorium is not a solution,” she added.

Some of the theater groups have developed their own solutions to the inaccessibility problem while they wait for Collins construction to begin. For example, TOP’s April production of Macbeth will be performed on the steps of Keating Hall.

It remains to be seen, however, how other campus performances will bridge the accessibility gap between now and when Collins is renovated. Connor Ryan contributed reporting.

Voter Turnout Takes Big Hit in Rose Hill USG Election

By CONNOR RYAN Fordham Daily

Students at Rose Hill avoided the United Student Government (USG) poll this year.

Only 579 students voted in last week’s election — down from 958 last year and 701 the year before, according to voting statistics from the Office of Student Leadership and Club Development (OSL&CD).

Two of the nine executive board positions were contested, and five senate seats remain completely unfilled.

Daniel Stroie, a sophomore, defeated sitting student government rep Thomas Roemer by nine votes to become USG’s next Vice President of Finance, sources said last week.

TJ Strazzeri, a freshman, defeated Eugene Kim and was elected Vice President of Communications.

Juniors Ashley Domagola and Nicholas Sawicki ran unopposed and will become USG’s next executive president and executive vice president, respectively.

They earned 477 of the total 579 votes cast.

Opinions

Rachel Shmulevich — Opinions Editor rshmulevich@fordham.edu

STAFF EDITORIAL

PROGRESS TAKES TIME & EFFORT

L

et’s face it: We at Fordham at Lincoln Center are just not involved in the happenings on campus. Even though there are many changes we’d like to see at Fordham-whether it’s more class variety or better food--we don’t engage in such discussions to effect change. Half of our student population is composed of commuters and most of us have jobs, internships and other obligations outside of these four walls. In the midst of trying to make changes in the real world, we forget about the changes that need to be made at home.

Despite competitive elections for United Student Government (USG), a student organization that has such an integral role in implementing changes to provide more resources to students, very few students actually voted on April 8 and April 9. Only 12.6 percent of the undergraduate population voted for these USG elections, amounting to only 188 students. Our Rose Hill counterpart seems like it has similar problems they had

579 students attend the virtual polls, a 16 percent participation rate.

Scrolling through various social media platforms, it is clear that Fordham’s CARE

“We cannot make progress from the outside looking in.” gets a lot of hate. We’ve read countless criticisms about Fordham’s sexist language, Fordham’s revictimization of survivors, frustration caused by the lack of female security supervisors on Fordham at Lincoln Center’s campus for immediate assault reporting - the list goes on.

At the Campus Assault Relationship Education panel hosted by Dean of Students Keith Eldredge and Director of Residential Life at Lincoln Center Jenifer Campbell on Wednesday, March 11, fewer than 10 students showed up

out of the 255 people invited to the event’s Facebook page and the 40 who RSVP’ed.

We hope the current Sexual Assault Climate survey put out by Student Affairs gets more engagement than the CARE event. It’s crucial for students to voice their own experiences with sexual assault and how safe they feel on campus because it is only then that the administration can take initiative. We have to meet them halfway.

We know how active the Fordham Lincoln Center community is. We know how involved our student population is, going on Global Outreach (GO!) projects, participating in events on campus sponsored by the many of cultural clubs that host incredible panel discussions on a variety of social issues, work with the Dorothy Day Center for Social Justice (DDCSJ). Fordham students care, and they care deeply.

It is important that we take part in a wider variety of discourses because we cannot make progress from the outside looking in.

ONLINE @ FORDHAMOBSERVER.COM

“Agamemnon”

How Do You Use Tinder?

April 16, 2015 THE OBSERVER

Observer the

Editor-in-Chief Tyler Martins Managing Editor Kamrun Nesa News Editor Adriana Gallina Asst. News Co-Editors Justin Rebollo Connor Mannion Opinions Editor Rachel Shmulevich Asst. Opinions Co-Editors Tyler Burdick Alexa McMenamin Arts & Culture Editor Ramona Venturanza Asst. Arts & Culture Editors Joseph Rametta Loulou Chryssides Features Editor Alanna Kilkeary Asst. Features Editor Hansi Weedagama Literary Co-Editors Meredith Summers Mark Lee Asst. Literary Editor Nina Bergbauer Sports Editor Dylan Penza Copy Editor Meredith Summers Asst. Copy Editor Terry Zang Layout Editor Jennifer McNary Asst. Layout Editor Elodie Huston Layout Staff Jackson Landry Cornelia Azariah Kate Axford Payton Vincelette Photo Editor Jessica Hanley Asst. Photo Editors Jess Luszczyk Ben Moore Online Editor Ben Moore Business Manager Victoria Leon Faculty Advisor Prof. Elizabeth Stone

Zach Fike Hodges, FCLC’15, performs a monologue as the Watchmen from the Fordham Theatre Program’s production of the Greek play “Agamemnon,” which runs April 8-10, and April 16-18.

Tinder, the 2-year-old photo based dating app, has become widely popular in a very short time. Hear how Fordham students feel about Tinder.

CLUB SPOTLIGHT

Faculty Layout Advisor Kim Moy Faculty Photo Advisor Amelia Hennighausen Faculty Multimedia Advisor Roopa Vasudevan Faculty Literary Advisor Amy Benson PUBLIC NOTICE

Black Student Alliance

No part of The Observer may be reprinted or reproduced without the expressed written consent of The Observer board. The Observer is published on alternate Thursdays during the academic year.

Printed by Five Star Printing Flushing, N.Y

To reach an editor by e-mail, visit www.fordhamobserver.com

POLICIES AND PROCEDURES

“Black Student Alliance (BSA) is thrilled to be chosen as the Club of the Month! BSA’s mission is to give students at Fordham a safe and comfortable place to dialogue at about various topics and issues relating to the black community, such as Black History Month or police brutality and the events in Ferguson and Staten Island, as well as raise awareness of these issues within the wider Fordham community. In addition to that, we have fun too! BSA has hosted an amazing 90s House Party, eaten soul food at Sylvia’s and danced the night away at Motown the musical. We’re always looking for more people to join us and all are welcome!” - Zann Ballsun-Simms, BSA Public Relations Officer

• Letters to the Editor should be typed and sent to The Observer, Fordham University, 113 West 60th Street, Room 408, New York, NY 10023, or e-mailed to fordhamobserver@gmail.com. Length should not exceed 200 words. All letters must be signed and include contact information, official titles, and year of graduation (if applicable) for verification.

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• The Editorial is the opinion held by a majority of The Observer’s editorial board. The Editorial does not reflect the views held by Fordham University.

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THE OBSERVER April 16, 2015

Opinions

7

Who Gets To Be a Terrorist?

AREEG ABDELHAMID Staff Writer

Our definition of “terrorist” is unclear, even though it’s always used to describe a Muslim who commits a crime: especially after 9/11. However, when Andreas Lubitz intentionally crashed Germanwings Flight 9525 and killed all 150 passengers onboard, including himself, on March 24, he was not labeled as a terrorist.

In fact, the media went out of their way to avoid labeling him as such.

After French and German prosecutors confirmed that Lubitz deliberately crashed the plane, there was speculation over whether or not he had ties to terrorist organizations, and some sources, like televangelist Pat Robertson, even fabricated his conversion to Islam. There was a different approach to describing Lubitz; a New York Times article headline labeled Lubitz as a man “Who Loved to Fly, [and] Ended Up on a Mysterious and Deadly course,” as though this was not a planned suicidal adventure that took the lives of so many innocent people. It presents him as a loving man whose battle with mental illness meant that he didn’t need to be, and couldn’t be, blamed. I can bet that had it been a Muslim man who committed that same act, they would throw in the word “Jihadi,” and definitely the word “terror,” to make him seem like a barbaric animal and abuse religious contexts.

Here the question becomes “what is a terrorist?” There isn’t a universal definition for terrorism and therefore it remains a subjective term geared towards people of certain racial and religious backgrounds. For example, when the Newtown school shooting took place, the shooter, Adam Lanza, was labeled as a mentally ill man who committed a random act of murder, with his disability as the main justification for the killing. But

PHOTO COURTESY ULIEN TACK/ ABACA PRESS VIA TNS

Rescue helicopters fly over the French Alps after the crash of Airbus A320.

how does that not make the horror that he committed a terrorist attack?

I feel as though it’s impossible to have an objective definition of “terrorism.” The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) uses the term terrorism both in relation to international and domestic terrorism, both of which have similar descriptions.

The characteristic that the FBI uses to describe terrorism is, “the unlawful use of force or violence against persons or property to intimidate or coerce a government, the civilian

population, or any segment thereof, in furtherance of political or social objectives.” So does that make what Lubitz did an act of terrorism? Yes, it does. In Lubitz’s case, the media, government officials and French and German prosecutors painted him as a mentally incapable man who hid his doctor’s note. People who knew him always said he was calm and a good person who kept to himself and they couldn’t fathom the fact that he would do something as tragic as this.

But he did, and he even planned it, as

he had researched suicide methods and information on cockpit security.

He involved “the civilian population” in his plan, and certainly used violence against them in the furthering of his objectives, whatever they might have been.

Yet, according to USA Today, the FBI “found no connection of anyone aboard [the plane] to terrorism.” According to the media, Lubitz is not guilty of being a terrorist. Or maybe his skin color just makes him ineligible for the distinction.

If he had the mental capacity to plan his crime, then he should be held accountable. Why are we so afraid, then, to label a guilty white German man as a terrorist? Perhaps it will destroy the societal expectation of who gets to be charged with a terrorist attack. Will it ever change?

It’s not clear that it will anytime soon, but it is clear that it is time for us to stop forcing an exclusive association between Islam and acts of terrorism.

Clinton Email Scandal Shows A Larger Trend Of Dishonesty CATHERINE ATHERTON Staff Writer

The Clintons have been associated with a long history of political scandals, thus I was hardly surprised that they had found themselves tangled up in yet another one. News was released in February that Hillary Clinton refused to use a regulated state.gov email address, had gone against the Federal Regulations Act while she was serving as U.S. Secretary of State. This lack of transparency is not only a classic act by the Clintons, but could be dangerous considering the important information pertaining to national security and foreign relations received by Clinton while she was Secretary of State.

The Federal Regulations Act was set up in order to increase transparency within the government and keep records of all important information. Although President Barack Obama, Secretary of State John Kerry and hundreds of Congressmen have complied with the act, the Clintons decided to play by their own rules. Although Clinton encouraged officials in the State Department to use government emails in 2011, she did not lead by example, using only a private email address, with a private domain, in her own private home. Storing top secret information on a private server is a threat to national security; it is much easier for foreign or domestic entities to hack into private email accounts.

The primary concern of Clinton’s email scandal is emails related to the 2012 attack on a U.S. consul-

ate in Benghazi, Libya, which resulted in the death of four Americans, including a U.S. ambassador.

While Clinton handed over 300 emails to a special House Committee that was set up to investigate the scandal, (and as she is the arbiter of which emails are considered private and which are important to the investigation,) it is suspected that she may not have handed over everything. It is worrisome that top secret information regarding the attack is stored on a personal server that the government does not have access to and cannot make record of.

Hillary Clinton loves to be in control and has continued to exert control over her own federal investigation. After turning over 30,000 emails for investigation, Clinton revealed that she had deleted 32,000 emails that were private or personal—which seems like a slippery slope. It’s a bad idea to let the person being investigated control the investigation; it stands to reason that they’re only looking out for their own best interests. One reason for deleting 32,000 emails may regard the many foreigners and countries that made donations to the Clinton Foundation while Clinton was Secretary of State. Some of the donors include Germany, Algeria, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, just to name a few. While the Clinton Foundation does participate in philanthropy, it is also linked to Clinton Inc., which has been gearing up for Hillary Clinton’s campaign in the 2016 presidential election.

Although it is illegal for foreign governments and individuals to give money to U.S. political candidates (to avoid outside influence over national leaders), Hillary Clinton

PHOTO COURTESY NIU XIAOLEI-XINHUA/ SIPA USA VIA TNS

Former US Secretary of State and presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton addresses the email scandal.

found a backdoor to accept millions of dollars in donations. While Clinton claims that the donations are going to charitable efforts within the Clinton Foundation, these monetary gifts have also given donors an opportunity to gain favor with Clinton. Some of these donations came from countries with complicated military, economic and diplomatic relations with the U.S. such as Kuwait, Qatar and Oman, making for a particularly problematic situation.

This scandal is worrisome considering that Hillary Clinton is the favored democratic nomination for

the 2016 Presidential Election. In a press conference, Clinton merely brushed off the issue of her email scandal, stating that it was for “matters of convenience,” a response that 74 percent of Democrats found dishonest. While Clinton may not have done anything illegal by using her own email address, it is clear that trends of dishonesty and scandal continue to surround the Clinton family.

The Clintons have continually demonstrated their unequivocal desire to break the rules and have on several accounts chosen their

own gains over the benefits of the nation. It is clear our nation needs a strong and trustworthy leader now more than ever. As the White House works vigorously to combat ISIS, form nuclear resolutions with Iran and strengthen immigration policies, the last thing the nation needs is another political scandal serving as a distraction from far more pertinent issues. The Clintons have gained the nation’s forgiveness time and time again and continued to prove to us why we shouldn’t have granted it in the first place—let’s not make the same mistake in 2016.

8

Photo

April 16, 2015 THE OBSERVER

www.fordhamobserver.com

LANDMARKS OF NEW YORK CITY The Observer photographers documented some of the famous buildings and architecture of New York City.

PHOTO BY JUSTIN REBOLLO/THE OBSERVER

The triumphal arch plaza at the entrance to Manhattan Bridge.

PHOTO BY PAULA MADERO/THE OBSERVER

New York Public Library, 476 Fifth Ave.

PHOTO BY MICHELLE QUINN/THE OBSERVER

New York by Frank Gehry building, 8 Spruce St.

PHOTO BY PAYTON VINCELETTE/THE OBSERVER

Stained glass windows at St. Patrick’s Cathedral, 50th and 51st street on Fifth Ave.

www.fordhamobserver.com

THE OBSERVER April 16, 2015

Photo

9

LANDMARKS OF NEW YORK CITY

PHOTO BY JESS LUSZCZYK/THE OBSERVER

DeVinne Press Building, 393-399 Lafayette St.

PHOTO BY EMILY TIBERIO/THE OBSERVER

Engine 23 Building, 215 W. 58th St.

PHOTO BY JESS LUSZCZYK/THE OBSERVER

Cooper Union Foundation Building, 7 E. 7th St.

PHOTO BY BRIKEND BEHRAMI/THE OBSERVER

Main Concourse at Grand Central Station, 89 E. 42nd St. at Park Avenue.

PHOTO BY EMILY TIBERIO/THE OBSERVER

PHOTO BY BEN MOORE/THE OBSERVER

Hayden Planetarium, 81 Central Park West.

Hearst Building, 300 W. 57th St.

10

Opinions

April 16, 2015 THE OBSERVER

www.fordhamobserver.com

Controversial Figures Deserve Dedications Too TYLER BURDICK Asst. Opinions Editor

There is a building in the campus of the University of North Carolina (UNC) that is called “Saunders Hall.” It is named after William Saunders, elected as North Carolina’s secretary of state in 1879, during which time he compiled the state’s colonial records into a 10-volume set. But students at UNC have vehemently called for the striking of his name from the hall, for while some may remember him fondly, others choose to remember him as a darker figure; a Confederate colonel and later organizer of the Ku-Klux-Klan. What can be learned from this? Can we honor someone for the good in his life while ignoring the bad, or do misdeeds cancel out good deeds?

We must recall that one of the most controversial figures in American history happens to have his name plastered on the circle that lies but one avenue over from Fordham Lincoln Center, and in addition to this, we celebrate a federal holiday each year in his honor.

The renown of Christopher Columbus comes largely from his achievement of bringing the existence of the “New World” to the attention of the largest colonizing powers in Europe at the time. This act was integral in the creation of the America we know today, but what people often forget is that Columbus’s actions resulted in the forced relocations of the indigenous peoples living there at the time and in many cases, by way of unintentionally introducing harmful European-

PHOTO BY PAYTON VINCELETTE/THE OBSERVER

Controversial Christopher Columbus has a statue in Columbus Circle.

based diseases, caused their deaths as well.

However, this does not mean that we should stop remembering the deeds of Christopher Columbus, nor should we forget about the actions of other equally controversial figures in history. It is perfectly fine to acknowledge the good done by these figures, but it must be with an awareness that moral perspectives change over time. The lens of the present must be in constant dialogue with the lens of the past.

The University of North Carolina features another controversial dedication: a statue of a Confederate soldier known as “Silent Sam.” The soldier is named as such because, while he carries a rifle in his hands, he does not carry the ammunition to fire the rifle, thus rendering him “silent.” Granted, the Civil War was one of the darkest points in our nation’s history, but it does not behoove us to maintain the grudges between brothers that ignited the war in the first place.

Still, many choose to see “Silent Sam” as a symbol of racial oppression, and it is for this reason that protestors chose this exact spot after the officers infamously accused of police brutality against Rodney King were acquitted in 2012.

But when placed in historical context, the Confederacy’s views towards African Americans would not have been perceived as “racist” or “wrong.” In fact, if we used the modern day definition of “racism” then we would have to admonish many of our own founding fathers such as George Washington and Thomas Jefferson. Again, this does not mean that we must blacken the names of these men.

[M]oral perspectives change over time. The lens of the present must be in constant dialogue with the lens of the past.

In August of 2014, I took a road trip down south to Florida. It took about two days, so I needed to rent a hotel room in Richmond, Va. While I was there, I made it a point to visit the Museum of the Confederacy. There, I saw all kinds of artifacts from the war like uniforms, weapons, flags, clothing, rations and living accommodations, among others. I’m only the third generation of my family to live here in America, and none of my ancestors ever fought in the Civil War, so I had no genealogical reason to be at that museum. But I chose to visit because I understand that we put things in historical context for the express purpose of creating a learning experience. It is important to remember where we came from in order to know where we must go.

It is not right to exclusively reserve hate for those that serve as our teachers.

So I would look at people like William Saunders and Christopher Columbus and describe them as such; they are men. Men whose triumphs are worth honoring, and men whose failings are worth learning from. In a way, we are them and they are us; above all, they are worth remembering.

Arts & Culture

Arts & Culture Editor Ramona Venturanza — ramonaventuranza@gmail.com

April 16, 2015 THE OBSERVER

Ailey Students Perform Pieces by Prominent Choreographers

JUSTIN REBOLLO/THE OBSERVER

Ailey students perform dances of Kanji Segawa, Stefanie Batten Bland, Jacinta Vlach and Norbert De La Cruz III for the Ailey/Fordham B.F.A., in Dance Benefit Concert.

By MICHAELENE KARLEN Staff Writer

Dancers from each year in the Ailey/Fordham B.F.A. program will grace the stage with the intricate and artistic choreography created by renowned artists. On Monday, April 20, students will perform the contemporary dances of Kanji Segawa, Stefanie Batten Bland, Jacinta Vlach and Norbert De La Cruz III for the Ailey/Fordham B.F.A. in Dance Benefit Concert. The Benefit Concert will include four pieces, highlighting dancers from each year in the Ailey/ Fordham B.F.A. in Dance program in order to create scholarship opportunities such as the Denise Jefferson Scholarship.

The freshmen will be performing an excerpt from “Scorching Bay”

by Segawa. From Kanagawa, Japan, Segawa has been a company member for the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater since 2011; prior to that, he had also been a dancer with Ailey II, as well as a student at The Ailey School. The piece he created for the freshman class is a contemporary style piece.

“When I heard we were working with Kanji Segawa from the first company, I was immediately intimidated and nervous, but what I didn’t expect was the support and acceptance I felt from him and all my peers at the end of the whole process,” Claudia Rodriguez, Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) ’18, said.

Rodriguez agreed that it was a great way to be introduced into the Ailey/Fordham B.F.A. program to get to know a company member and work with her new family/peers. “I love Kanji and I love my classmates,” Rodriguez said.

The sophomores will be performing “Ode” by Batten Bland; she is the founder and artistic director of her own contemporary company. Within Alvin Ailey she choreographs for Ailey II and the B.F.A. program, and additionally served as a New Directions Choreography Lab Fellow.

Batten Bland also choreographed a contemporary piece for the Ailey students.

“Working on ‘Ode’ was an extremely difficult process. It was difficult to express the movement in

a way that was human rather than artificial,” Sydney Thornell, FCLC ’17, said.

The piece was about the choreographer’s brother who committed suicide last summer. “The experience [working with Batten Bland] was truly enlightening. [She] taught us to understand and listen to one another. She helped us connect with one another rather than simply dance next to each other. I’m so grateful for everything she taught us,” Sammy Altenau, FCLC ’17, said.

The juniors will be performing new work by Vlach, who is the Founder and Artistic Director of Liberation Dance Theater and is also an Ailey School alumnus.

“It was a great experience for me to work with a choreographer whose style was very different from what I’m used to. It was a valuable experience to stretch my boundaries, but it was also difficult for me to get comfortable in new dance territory,” Hannah Newman, FCLC ’16, said.

Vlach’s piece is house style; it is about a love triangle in which the real lesson is learning to love yourself first. “Working with Vlach this se-

mester has truly been an experience like none other. Her unique movement vocabulary combines a variety of dance styles that felt exhilarating for not only the body, but also for the soul,” Gabriel Hyman, FCLC ’16, said.

This dance takes place at a party on the town and is very upbeat and dynamic. “It was fun to be in a piece where the character was just as important as the movement,” Kacey Katzenmeyer, FCLC ’16, said.

Lastly, the seniors will be performing “Cryptic Seeds” by De La Cruz III, who is a Freelance Choreographer that has worked with Ailey Students before as a New Directions choreographer.

“Working with Norbert De La Cruz III was such an amazing and inspiring experience. He always pushes us to be our absolute best and is such a positive light in our senior year!” Brooke Naylor, FCLC ’15, said.

Some of the seniors described this piece to be “Norbert technique,” but all silliness aside, it is technically a contemporary piece. “What I love about being a part of Norbert’s piece is that it is a true culmination of our

four years in the Ailey/Fordham B.F.A. program – all of us dancing together, sharing the necessity and essence of our art with the audience,” Kristen Stuart, FCLC ’15, said.

The senior class gets the chance to work with various guest artists, but it is clear that De La Cruz III is one that is near and dear to their hearts.

“Norbert has truly taken our class on a journey. He has facilitated a growth in the senior class that cannot be described,” Polly Haas, FCLC ’15, said.

This is a great chance for the dancers in this program to work with renowned choreographers and perform for an audience of familiar faces, who all give scholarship opportunities to students within the program.

IF YOU GO

2015 Benefit Concert WHEN: Monday, April 20, 6 p.m.

WHERE: Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater - 405 W. 55th St. MORE INFO: Contact Rodger Van Allen (212) 636-6562 www.fordham.edu/bfa

The Comma Interrobang

Threading

By NINA BERGBAUER Asst. Literary Editor

A plaid high school uniform skirt. An old Drexel sweatshirt. Ex-boyfriend’s sweater. Another ex-boyfriend’s sweater. These are just a few of the many items I own which have fallen victim to a strange, strange fate. For as long as I can remember, I’ve practiced a habit that a friend once named “threading.” Put simply, I rip thread out of various items of clothing and rub said thread between my fingers, gaining some sort of inexplicable release from the process. For years and years I’ve been doing this, slowly but surely unraveling and mangling several items in my closet as a result and even having to throw some – okay, many – away. Friends who know me well know better than to lend me a sweater if they hope to get it back in one piece.

I’m the first to admit, it’s a weird habit. And, barring some bullshit Freudian explanation about tactile fixations, I’ve never been able to fully explain, even to myself, how it

started or why I do it. Nor have I ever met anyone else who shares my habit. For this reason I’ve always been extremely embarrassed about it, about having to bring an old t-shirt to the library to “thread” while I study so I don’t leave at the end of the day with my own shirt half missing. I know it’s by definition destructive, and I know it’s impractical. But is it really something to be ashamed of?

I think about these basically harmless habits or vices – nail-biting, gum chewing, finger-drumming – and I think about the way we’re often shamed for having them. Of course there are more destructive vices and substances that can drive one toward addiction and dependence, but I’m not talking about that stuff. It’s the smaller, idiosyncratic habits that inexplicably make us feel shame – for not being perfect, for not being able to sit still, for needing or desiring some sort of physical release. I know I turn to “thread-

ing” whenever I’m stressed, because it’s soothing. The fabric is a mediator between my anxiety and whatever I’m trying to face or focus on at the moment. Embedded in all these clothing items I’ve semi-destroyed are memories of SATprep, emotional issues, seemingly hopeless situations, and yes, several dried tears. Yet somehow, though the fabric and seams on these items have unraveled and been destroyed, I’ve remained in tact. And as a perfectionist myself, I think these pieces of destroyed clothing are important reminders that success and happiness – if they’re even possible goals to begin with – come at the cost of a little wear and tear, and that’s okay. I know graduating from college usually implies some level of maturation, and in a way it’s the perfect time for me to wean myself off this weird habit. But I don’t think I’m going to. After all, what would finals be without another ruined sweater?

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THE OBSERVER April 16, 2015

Arts & Culture

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‘The Vagina Monologues’: A Play of Female Empowerment

By RAMONA VENTURANZA Arts & Culture Editor

Since 2003, the message behind Eve Ensler’s “The Vagina Monologues” has continued to garner longstanding support from a variety of groups at Fordham at Lincoln Center. Especially this year, when sexual assault is an increasingly evident issue in colleges and universities, the play’s director, Chris Hennessy, Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) ’15, and assistant director, Leigh Honigman, FCLC ’17, hope to address this concern even more at Fordham. From April 17-19 in Franny’s Space, the student production of “The Vagina Monologues” will play a greater role in signifying female empowerment through the vagina.

Once a student learns about the monologues’ goal and message, it is hard to turn away from the production’s presence. For Hennessy, the idea of this student production is what initially drew him to Fordham.

“I remember I was here on an accepted students day. I was here all by myself, and I picked up a copy of The Observer. The front page story was about ‘The Vagina Monologues’ and how it was banned here. I picked up a copy, and I poured over it on the ride home to Jersey. After I finished it, I made the decision that I had to come to Fordham,” Hennessy said.

For many, the play succeeds in aligning with many of their values and aspiring goals. “I’ve always been interested in theater; I am a theater minor, and I major in psychology. Specifically, I am very interested in women’s issues,” Honigman said. “Seeing this production and the call for it seemed like a natural thing to fit - I knew I wanted to get involved.”

EMILY TIBERIO/THE OBSERVER

Above are some of the participants in “The Vagina Monologues” which runs from April 17-19.

The message on female empowerment is the main reason why students choose to participate in “The Vagina Monologues.”

Hennessy said, “From the play, I noticed that there were people who are passionate about making the world a better place and that I could be a part of that. When I made that decision myself, I figured that when I was a senior, that ‘The Vagina Monologues’ would be allowed and it wouldn’t be a big deal - that’s not necessarily the case.”

In March 2012, Keith Eldredge, dean of students at FCLC, had spoken about “The Vagina Monologues” with The Observer. According to Eldredge, “‘The Vagina Monologues’ is not supported by administrative units of the University, including the departments in the division of Student Affairs.”

However, FCLC Counseling Services

attends the production to help students cope with the final monologue, saying, “As administrators, we are very concerned about sexual violence and pleased that we were able to collaborate on this initiative.”

Although Office of Student Leadership and Community Development (OSLCD) and the administration disapproved the production, multiple departments at Fordham, such as the women’s studies, the communication and media studies and the English departments, have continued to support “The Vagina Monologues” over the years.

Beginning this year, Fordham Theatre department has gotten on board; they helped this student production find a new practice and performance space. “Before, we were in South Lounge every year; it’s a nice space for certain things, but not for ‘The Vagina

Monologues’, the South Lounge has a glass wall, which doesn’t provide the intimate feeling of the production,” Hennessy said. “We are very excited to be in Franny’s Space this year; [the space] is more at a caliber to show a student production.”

Because of the play’s poignant effect on students, both Honigman and Hennessy agree that the entire Fordham community will eventually come to terms with the play one day. “I think that it is difficult to merge religion with certain aspects of culture today,” Honigman said. “On the Jesuits and their ideals - I think they are adapting much more to the idea of ‘The Vagina Monologues.’”

Hennessy said, “Every year, the performances [of “The Vagina Monologues”] sell out; people get transformed by the show. I’ve had people who came up to me after the perfor-

mance with tears in their eyes, saying, ‘Thank you so much - this is the first time I accepted that I was sexually assaulted as a child. I don’t know how long it would have taken until I’ve seen the show.’ With power experiences like that, it is really hard to say that it won’t change.”

Furthermore, at least eight Catholic colleges and universities will be hosting performances of “The Vagina Monologues” or have student groups putting on the play in 2015, according to an update from the Cardinal Newman Society last February. This year, six out of the eight Catholic higher education institutions are affiliated with the Jesuits. Along with Fordham, “The Vagina Monologues” will be shown at Boston College, DePaul University, Georgetown University, Loyola University Chicago and more.

“I think that says something about the fact that Jesuits are more progressive than the average Catholic. I really appreciate that about Fordham and about Fordham and the student body.

Overall, I think we are not just a progressive place but a incredibly loving place. We are capable of expressing that love in different ways, such as supporting women after sexual assault,” Hennessy said.

The unique and powerful message of “The Vagina Monologues” will continue to strike a chord with students at Fordham. “The play is so powerful - there are not a lot of plays right now that exist solely to support women as a community,” Honigman said. “There is an overwhelming support and love in each production, and everyone is there for each other. All this positivity and support is really important - that’s my favorite aspect of the show.”

Student Addresses Gender Inequality in ‘The Womanifesto’

By JOSEPH RAMETTA Asst. Arts & Culture Co-Editor

There are over 3 billion women in the world. Each woman, regardless of race or ethnicity, has to face the struggle of gender inequality. SaVonne Anderson, a new media and digital design student at Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) ’17, prepares to release her book this May, “The Womanifesto”: a series of essays written by Anderson about female inequality, sexual harassment and personal experiences growing up with these issues.

It wasn’t until college that she found a passion for writing. Anderson said, “It was spontaneous, I knew I was always good with writing, but college really allowed me to get immersed into these type of issues. Especially being a black woman and in New York City, I saw racial and gen-

der issues happening all around me.”

In addition to her city experiences, social media sites, such as Facebook and Twitter, became another big inspiration. “I started following pages on Twitter and Facebook of feminists, social activists and organizers. I learned a lot from these people, including Feminista Jones, Jamilah Lemieux and Goldie Taylor, who spoke about the struggles of women, black people and black women,” Anderson said.

The book’s subtitle, “Woman’s Proud and Public Declaration of Her Humanity, Freedom and Experience,” describes multiple messages.

Anderson said, “Humanity, freedom and experience are three pieces of life that women are often robbed of.

We are people with desires and passions for ourselves outside of being wives and mothers and caregivers.”

Anderson also added, “We have the ability to choose what we want

PAULA MADERO/THE OBSERVER

SaVonne Anderson’s, FCLC ’17, “The Womanifesto” is out in May.

to do with our lives and with our bodies without the permission of men and society. We don’t have to be silenced and have the right to talk about what we go through.”

The book also explores Anderson’s personal struggles growing up as a woman. “The book puts a focus on my perspective of gender inequality and how my personal experiences growing up with these struggles can be related to other women like myself,” Anderson said.

The book identifies the inequalities between men and women. Each of the essays connects to a personal experience in her life but at the same time gives a broader message to women. The essays explain how all women, regardless of their career goals, should not be afraid to be and do what they want to do. “We have to love and accept ourselves for who we are. I want all women to strive to be the best they can be and not be

discouraged by patriarchal norms,” she said.

Even though the essays focus on women, the content and messages speak to everyone. Anderson said, “It comes down to society realizing that women and men are equal.

My goal is not to bash men for the power they have, but to show them the benefits of a world where women are their equals. It is not just about setting new rules for people to abide by, but setting a new mindset where everyone is seen as valuable.”

Anderson believes that it is important to notice and acknowledge female power figures. “We must find a way to view women with power the same way we look at men with power.

Both men and women, regardless of status, must be treated with the same respect,” she said. Regardless of race or gender, equality and respect must be balanced among all people.

Exploring Music, Language and Faith: Final POL Reading of the Semester

By SRI STEWART Staff Writer

The subjective experience of poetry can be powerful. With references to music, language and faith in poetry, writers want the reader or listener to feel something. This is what poets, former English Professor at Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) Willie Perdomo, and a student of the Graduate Schools of Arts and Sciences at Fordham at Lincoln Center (GSAS’16), Jordan Windholz hope to achieve at Fordham at Lincoln Center’s final Poets Out Loud event on Monday, April 20.

Perdomo will be presenting poems from “The Essential Hits of Shorty Bon Bon,” which was a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award in Poetry; “Where a Nickel Costs a Dime,” a finalist for the Poetry Society of America Norma Farber First Book Award; “Postcards from El Barrio” and more. His themes include music, love, apprenticeship, death and how people communicate

these themes with more than one voice. He notes that to learn is often a communal experience. “Shorty didn’t learn how to play his music by himself; he played with other musicians. His sense of spirituality and history also helped him learn. He knew how to listen,” Perdomo said, regarding his book.

In addition, Perdomo is one of the leaders of Latin poetry. He is what some people would refer to as a Nuyorican. Born and raised in East Harlem, New York, he drew plenty of influence from the neighborhood that was a combination of black and Puerto Rican cultures. “When I think of New York City, I think of one giant sensory explosion … that explosion came in a bilingual, musical and spiritual manifestation,” Perdomo said.

Perdomo noted that language and music served as his first inspirations. Growing up, he heard people speaking English and Spanish: the language then coincided with the music. “It was a combination of

Spanish and English … of salsa and hip-hop,” he said.

Perdomo also cited his neighborhood’s celebrations as an influence.

Some involved chanting, praying and drum playing to celebrate saints on their feast days. However, Perdomo said he could not contextualize the music until he was older. Music shaped his sense of celebration, dream world and communication.

He noticed that if one could not verbalize their feelings, he or she did it through music and told it as a story.

“I started to think about music as a narrative vehicle,” Perdomo said.

Differing from Perdomo, Windholz, a graduate student in Renaissance Literature, approaches poetry from a faith and religious perspective. He will be opening for Perdomo with readings from his first book, “Other Psalms.” “[‘Other Psalms’] is a contemporary take on devotional poetics or the history of devotional poems addressed to the divine,” he said. “[Poets such as John Donne and

George Herbert] write to a God who is either invisible or doesn’t exist to a certain extent. It explores what faith looks like in the absence of faith,” Windholz said.

According to Windholz, these poets wrote in the apathetic tradition. All description of the divine was in a negative sense, so that one could only describe God in all that God is not. “I think I take [poetry] a step further through exploring what faith might look like in the absence of God and what it might be to pursue a kind of faith that nonetheless acknowledges God’s absence,” Windholz said.

Windholz’s themes play on the relationship between faith and doubt. He explores how parables and psalms assist people in their journey to seek or create faith or even address their faithlessness. “It’s very much interested in music and lyric … certainly in the power of absence or how absence can feel like a very powerful presence,” Windholz said. He also notes that most of his writing comes

out of his interest in language and the sounds of words.

Although their approaches differ, Perdomo and Windholz hope to achieve the same goal: they want their readers and listeners take in the poetry for their own interpretation and pleasure.

“That’s up to the reader. I count on the readers’ attention and curiosity,” Perdomo said. “You don’t have to reduce a poem to meaning; you can simply experience it,” Windholz said.

The event will close with some students of Fordham’s youth outreach program reading their own work. Fordham brings together high school students from underserved communities and nonprofit groups to expose them to poetry and receive feedback on their own work. They meet up once a month before a Poets Out Loud event to learn about what the poets will be reading and discuss their poetry. The final Poets Out Loud event allows the students to present their work to the public.

Features

Features Editor Alanna Kilkeary—alannamartine@gmail.com

April 16, 2015 THE OBSERVER

MXN Mag: Your New Fashion Hub Move over Condé Nast, these Fordham students are taking over!

“We want to showcase talents with different perspectives, photographing and reporting on them as a team.”

By JESSE CARLUCCI Staff Writer

While sitting down with Marissa Marcinelli, Fordham College Rose Hill (FCRH) ’17, and Nick Delieto, Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) ‘17, the owners of MXN magazine, Marcinelli commented on how “New York of a moment” we were sharing in the Flame Diner. Though we didn’t order anything, busy schedules called for us to meet in the Flame to conduct our discussion of MXN magazine. Before getting kicked out by a grumpy waiter, we were able to identify the key components of this student-run magazine, in order to flesh it out from competition.

MXN, whose name was inspired by both Marcinelli and Delieto’s first initials and their ability to multiply each others’ potential, “is our collaboration and a medium where Marissa and I can put our ideas and styles together to make something that is tangible and feasible,” the two explained, bouncing off one another’s word, as BFFs do.

Delieto operates as the photographer, while Marcinelli writes the blog posts and takes notes during events and interviews with artists. They both operate social media as one, which dovetails their two styles perfectly. Their collaboration operates as a medium to document NY style, as they look to cover fashion events in which they attend, and artists they find inspirational, whether these artists are musicians, rappers, painters, models, fashionistas, skaters or any other creative forms of persons.

It all started back during winter break, when Marcinelli was doomed with an excruciatingly long road trip and figured “I want to make a collaborative and so I bought a domain right there on my phone. Delieto was totally on board and once the domain

PHOTO BY JESSE CARLUCCI/THE OBSERVER

MxN co-founders, Marissa Marcinelli, FCRH ’17 and Nick Delieto, FCLC ’17, pose together.

was bought, we knew we just had to do it, so Delieto proceeded to set up our website! It took a little while to think of a concrete mission,” they admitted, but once they did, “our Instagram was created and here we are now,” the young creatives marvelled. Their Instagram (@mxnmagazine) consists of beautiful pictures of past fashion shows, NYC landscapes and profiled artists with carefully selected captions that engage their audience, which currently con-

sists of about 500 followers.

Spring fashion week was their first coverage this year, as they attempted to photograph and blog their experience in order to keep up with the etiquette of fashion week blogging. When asked how the most recent fashion week went, Delieto remarked, “It was a lot, to say the least. Imagine trying to learn how to ride a bike without training wheels or running without knowing how to walk. That was our fashion

week.” While it was overwhelming at first, there was “a lot of forward momentum, we had five shows a day to go to, and when one opportunity was over, another one was waiting,” the two best friends reminisced. Their fashion week experience, which teetered between quick chats with supermodels like Cara Delevingne before runway shows and backstage selfies with supermodel Tilda Lindstam, tested their friendship like never before. “We learned a

lot about working together, we did cool things together, but when a photography opportunity would come up for me, Marissa would have to respect that and vice-versa,” Delieto recollected.

Their ability to work as a team was tested and improved this fashion week, as they were able to learn that supporting one another was key to their collaboration succeeding. “We learned a lot about work and play and each other,” the two agreed.

Though fashion week initially brought traffic to their blog, they still have big plans in store between seasons. “We are open to a lot of possibilities and would love to do profiles on different artists and on the youth culture in general,” Delieto stated right before the waiter came to scold us for sitting at a table without ordering. “We want to showcase talents with different perspectives, photographing and reporting on them, as a team,” Marcinelli chimed in before our meeting was terminated.

They are only operating in an online medium, but would love to someday publish a physical copy of content.

Delieto and Marcinelli’s collaboration of MXN has allowed them not only a creative outlet to report on fashion events and profile artists, but has also allowed them to learn how to work with one another, not only as best friends, but as business partners.

Behind the Scenes: The New Media & Digital Design Major

By RAMONA VENTURANZA Arts and Culture Editor

Surrounded by the fast-paced, competitive job market in the music industry, I always felt pressed to get internships. After applying to a couple, I made an interesting observation: most of these companies require technical skills in web and digital design. In to order have the “edge” over competing applicants, I decided to add another major to my academic career at Fordham at Lincoln Center: New Media and Digital Design (NMDD).

NMDD was initially thought of as a straightforward, visual arts program that utilized digital applications. However, after much discussion amongst faculty, committees and the administration, the vision of NMDD started to shift. “A number of people involved were thinking of incorporating aesthetic concerns in some of the larger cultural, social concerns connected in new media and the many changes [new media] is bringing to the workplace and careers,” Amy Aronson, associate professor of communication and media studies and program director of NMDD, said.

According to Aronson, the major took approximately one year to get approved by the Fordham faculty committees and New York State.

“Original meetings were in the fall; the final proposal was approved by various councils within Fordham.

In the spring, it went to the state for the approval, and [NMDD] got approved in the summer,” she said.

“It was quickly approved, which is a

great thing; we were very fortunate that it didn’t take a long time.”

After the major was approved last summer, NMDD was able to officially launch in September. 37 students, including myself, registered for NMDD over the course of the academic year. The major currently has 37 majors and four minors. I already major in communication and media studies with a concentration in journalism - I think that double majoring in NMDD accompanies journalism well; the major utilizes popular digital applications, such as Adobe Premiere and Photoshop, which are useful skills to have in this new age of journalism.

The major is dynamic, in that the courses are scattered throughout five different departments at Fordham: communication and media studies, English, computer science, visual arts and the Gabelli School of Business. This is what made the program so appealing for me - I have the ability to try out graphic and digital design, without necessarily being a visual arts major. This major gives me some wiggle room to improve my writing, analytical and design skills.

Because the major can go in many directions, there are three different concentrations in NMDD: the information track, which is more of digital journalism and cross into digital marketing and information design; the art, text and design track, which has more visual arts courses, with a focus on web and mobile design, animation and video; and the commerce track, which involves elements in the Gabelli School of Busi-

PHOTO BY EMILY TIBERIO/THE OBSERVER

A look inside the Visual Arts Complex, where NMDD classes take place.

ness, such as entrepreneurship and marketing.

When declaring the major, I chose to go into the art, text and design track of the major. The visual arts classes within this track, which include visual thinking, digital photography, film and digital design, will equip me with the skills necessary to customize my company’s web presence.

The one intro course of NMDD, Explorations in Digital Design, shows new majors how to conceptualize how design works in the larger scheme of things. “That intro course

redefines design in larger aesthetics, but also involves strategic and organizational applications,” Aronson said.

Furthermore, this introductory class allows my classmates and me to build and digitally design our own application or website that addresses a local social concern in New York City. I am in the process of constructing an interactive map, which pinpoints affordable apartments for recent college graduates; this application is meant to address thelac of affordable housing in New York.

After its first official year, NMDD is set to launch four new courses; the Data Visualization and Professional Social Media courses will be introduced this fall, and Designing Smart Cities and the Internship Seminar will be introduced next spring. “NMDD is a little different than the other majors at Fordham; the classes are more applied and pre-professional. We don’t really have any theory classes and history classes; it is not analytical in that way. It’s more into strategy, and you learn how to build and create things,” Aronson said.

Moving forward, Aronson hopes that the NMDD program will stay responsive to the changes in the work field and the independent interests of students. “The advantage of starting new: [NMDD] is kind of a made up, interdisciplinary thing with pieces and strands from these various departments that were developed by Fordham faculty. This allows us to stay agile and stay open and keep trying to evolve in different directions to serve the interests and needs of our students going forward,” Aronson said.

Furthermore, Aronson hopes that students will explore their own interests by majoring in NMDD. “I expect that many of the students will create their own customized track - you could go a million different ways with it,” she said.

For 37 students (and more to come), they are tailoring their own personal career path with NMDD. For me, I plan on utilizing my design and web skills in a career in the music business.

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Features

April 16, 2015 THE OBSERVER

www.fordhamobserver.com

What Graduates Are Planning (Or Lack Thereof) Graduation is quickly approaching for members of the Class of 2015; where are they headed?

By KAYLA OGLE Staff Writer

For many upcoming graduates, it’s the dreaded question at most family gatherings or parties: what are your plans after you get your degree? After spending four years working towards graduation, they now are faced with what they’re going to do once they leave. The flood of options becomes clear: graduate school, taking a year off to figure things out, travel, join a volunteer program or if you’re lucky enough, get a job in your respective field.

According to Bloomberg Business, in 2014, the unemployment rate for college graduates between the ages of 22 to 27 was 5.6 percent, leaving many upcoming graduates nervous about what the future holds for them.

“I might have a panic attack, cause what am I doing with my life?!” Oona Murley, an upcoming Fordham College Lincoln Center (FCLC) ‘15, exclaimed, when asked about life beyond college. “But my plans after graduation are to return home for a brief visit and then to travel around Europe with some friends from high school.” Murley is originally from Fort Ross, Calif. and after her travels, she plans to move back to New York City full time. “I plan on getting a job with the likes of the New York Public Library. I’m also considering writing a book. Pipe dreams, you know?” she said with a chuckle.

When asked how she feels about life after college, Murley got a thoughtful look on her face before answering, “I’m equal parts confident and terrified about life after

“I’m equal parts confident and terrified about life after Fordham.”

Fordham. I’ve never been a big fan of the unknown, but regardless, the prospects are all very exciting.”

Another member of the graduating class, Morgan Henson, FCLC ’15, from Lakewood, Wash., is another senior that, though nervous, is excited about the opportunities that graduating has to offer. “I’m sure something will come up, but right now it’s just a little nervewracking to have a plan A, B, C and D.” And Henson certainly has a number of plans, including grad school (though not in the immediate future) and joining the Navy.

His main plan, as of now, is to apply to the School of Russian and Asian Studies in Moscow.

“My first plan is to hopefully go to Russia through a program I applied to. I want to be a diplomat in Russia, so learning about the culture, language and people will be good for me,” Henson explained.

The program would require him to take Russian-specific history and politics classes, as well as an intensive language course; he would be there for at least a year.

Henson is also thankful for the education he has received at Fordham. “Fordham isn’t necessarily known for history, but I think that

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY BRIKEND BEHRAMI/THE OBSERVER

A cap and gown awaits graduates this May!

many of the professors in our program prepared me for a life in the professional sector and I’m grateful for that,” he said. Leaving the comfort of this university behind will be difficult, but the fact that so many seniors have been pleased with their time here shows that Fordham has prepared them all, no matter the outcome.

Shannon Edly, FCLC ’15, a political science major, is most likely going to head home to New Jersey until things get sorted out. She said, “My goal is to be working on a 2016 campaign, I’m just not sure whose campaign that will be yet!”she said.

And Maria Coluccio, FCLC ’15, who double majored in Natural Science and English, says that as of right now, she’s got “nothing big” planned. “I plan on taking some time off before applying to medical school, and in the fall, I’ll be continuing Fordham’s MA program in Ethics & Society,” Coluccio said.

Both of these seniors are hopeful about their options and continuing their education past Fordham.

“The education I have received here [at Fordham] has been truly amazing and I’m so grateful for it,” Edly said. “Fordham has a reputation of excellence and I know that it speaks volumes about me as a person to be a graduate of this university.”

Graduates are now facing job opportunities, traveling, living in other countries, continuing their education or trying to figure out their degrees. Regardless, with the four years of education that Fordham has provided, that leap into the “real world” is one that graduates will handle with stride.

Sports

Sports Editor Dylan Penza - dpenza@fordham.edu

April 16, 2015 THE OBSERVER

The Rise of UFC into Mainstream Culture

By DYLAN PENZA Sports Editor

There is no doubt that mixed martial arts and the preeminent league for MMA competition, the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), have soared in popularity over the last decade, but how has it supplanted boxing as America’s favorite combat sport?

A few weeks ago, I was watching SportsCenter when a breaking news update logo flashed on the screen.

Normally, this is used on the program for important events like a possible no hitter in baseball or a star player declaring for the NBA draft.

However, this time, the announcement was that Brock Lesnar would not return to the UFC and would instead continue to professionally wrestle in the WWE. This seemed strange to me because although I know that Lesnar is a popular celebrity, his decision to not leave wrestling seemed strange to showcase as a gigantic, breaking news story. However, upon further contemplation, it soon became apparent that this was such an important story not only be-

cause of Lesnar’s popularity, but also because of the popularity and mainstream appeal of the UFC. Since its inception in 1993, UFC has catered to a market and fanbase that has grown from niche to exponentially popular. At UFC 184, according to venuestoday.com, the company nearly sold out the Staples Center in Los Angeles, with an estimated 16,577 in attendance and a gross sales of $2,675,560. The show also sold somewhere between 650,000-700,000 in Pay-Per-Views.

With the event costing $60 dollars in high definition, UFC has clearly made a huge amount of profit for their organization. However, what has catapulted the league into mainstream acceptance, ESPN coverage and a popularity possibly rivaling boxing can be most accredited to one thing: the production of superstars within the organization, specifically Ronda Rousey and the aforementioned Lesnar.

Lesnar joining the UFC in 2008 and his winning of the organizations Heavyweight Championship gave the company a legitimacy and mainstream interest it never had before,

PHOTO COURTESY OF MIGUEL DISCART VIA FLICKR

Brock Lesnar’s MMA career has ended, but his impact on UFC has not.

despite the presence of in-house stars such as Randy Couture, Quinton “Rampage” Jackson and Georges StPierre. Lesnar only won five matches in the UFC and lost three before diverticulitis ended his mixed martial arts career. However, his presence put UFC on the radar of many who wouldn’t have otherwise watched.

However, it has been Rousey who has truly given UFC prominence over similar events such as boxing.

Ronda Rousey is simply the biggest star that UFC has right now and her appeal is clear. Not only is she the most dominant athlete in her sport (she is currently undefeated), but she is also arguably the most popular fe-

male athlete on the planet, with only Venus and Serena Williams in tennis really standing in opposition. She is a star in her sport and also a mainstream celebrity with appearances not only on the Tonight Show and Jimmy Kimmel Live, but in film roles such as “The Expendables 3” and the latest “Fast and Furious” movie.

Rousey’s rise has not only helped the UFC sell Pay-Per-Views and merchandise, but has paved the way for it to house the most famous fighter in the world besides Floyd Mayweather.

A few days after Lesnar’s announcement, I saw on ESPN.com that Ronda Rousey appeared at Wrestlemania with Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. Now, even with Johnson’s superstar status, it was a bit surprising for a sports website to cover professional wrestling because while its performers are athletic, it is not necessarily competitive or a sport.

However, when one looks at the rise of UFC and of Rousey’s superstardom, the reason for ESPN covering her appearance at the event becomes clear. Rousey, like Lesnar before her, is legitimizing UFC, one fight or television appearance at a time.

Mayweather vs. Pacquiao: Who Will Come Out On Top? POINT

COUNTERPOINT

Mayweather Will Remain Undefeated THOMAS O’CALLAGHAN Staff Writer

Billed as “The Fight of The Century,” undefeated Floyd Mayweather will take on eight-time welterweight world champion Manny Pacquiao on May 2 in Las Vegas. While boxing’s popularity has waned in the onset of the 21st century, Pacquiao and Mayweather are, without a doubt, the most popular boxers on the scene, making this fight one of the most anticipated bouts in decades. Pacquiao is a fan favorite, but it remains to be seen if his grit and toughness can overcome the physicality of the undefeated Mayweather.

While these two multiple time champions are extremely evenly matched, Mayweather does hold an advantage over the Congressman from the Philippines. Mayweather is taller and has a longer reach than Pacquiao, which gives him a clear edge. This means that Mayweather can move more freely around the ring, as his reach allows him to engage Pacquiao without needing to be too close. Mayweather’s height advantage also allows for him to punch downward, unlike Pacquiao’s difficult task of hitting upward. May-

Pacquiao Will Finally Shut Mayweather Up

weather also has the ability to keep his hands up and dance out of trouble, which makes him incredibly difficult to knock down.

Mayweather is a fast fighter, with the ability to hit and move without needing to spend much time setting his feet. Pacquiao on the other hand, has been dealing with a nagging leg injury that might make it difficult for him to get much force behind his punches. Pacquiao employs an unorthodox footwork style to begin with, so any kind of leg ailment might disrupt Pacquiao’s rhythm. Both fighters are known for exerting their will on the opponent, but if Pacquiao is not at 100 percent, it might be all that Mayweather needs to secure the victory.

While this is a bout between two of the premiere figures in boxing today, Mayweather has a distinct advantage over the slight underdog Pacquiao. Height, reach and physical conditioning are all in Mayweather’s favor, which makes a victory for the undefeated fighter likely. Keeping up with Mayweather could perhaps wear Pacquiao down, which opens up the opportunity for Floyd to finish him off. These two are both durable and similar in ability, so there is almost no doubt that this fight will go the distance. However, I believe that Floyd Mayweather will remain undefeated.

DAN FERRARA Staff Writer

It has been brewing for several years, but the fight of the 21st century is finally confirmed and quickly approaching. On May 2 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Floyd Mayweather will take on Manny Pacquiao with three title belts on the line, after years of ducking him and dodging the fight.

Will Mayweather, the defensive wizard, be able to duck and dodge Pacquiao’s quick flurries of punches? That remains to be seen.

As of right now, “Money” Mayweather is a perfect 47-0 for his career. He’ll look to put his money where his mouth is and finally beat Pacquiao after years of suspicion that he was scared to fight him and potentially tarnish his remarkable undefeated tally.

Combined, the two boxers have totaled 111 matches in their careers, and only 64 have been decided by knockout. At just a 57.6 percent combined rate, expect this fight to go the distance and for Pacquiao to win by decision.

He’ll need to use his quickness and brain to

outsmart Mayweather, and although his 57-5-2 record isn’t as impeccable as that of his opponent, he should still be able to avoid a knockout and win the judge’s decision if he’s aggressive.

It’s hard to not root for Pacquiao, who is an elected Congress official in the Philippines and a player-coach for the Kia Carnival in the Philippines Basketball Association. He’s basically 5 feet 6 inches of kindness, whereas Mayweather’s bravado, cockiness and arrogance get old really quickly. His act of showing everyone how much money he has and proclaiming his greatness is wearing thin. It’s finally time for him to put a number in the loss column and surrender both the World Boxing Council and World Boxing Association championship belts to the Pac-Man. This fight may have been better if it took place in 2010, but it will still be a remarkable event for a dying sport which can use all the hype and excitement it can get. Although boxing is on the decline and the reported pay-perview price to watch the fight in high-definition is $99, expect this championship bout to garner a lot of interest and money. It could be just what the sport needs to gain new followers and stop losing ground to new fighting dynamo UFC.

Off On the Wrong Foot: How Durant’s Foot Injury Could Affect His Legacy

By ARTUR BALANOVSKIY Staff Writer

Some of the most dangerous ailments that can affect an athlete, especially one in the NBA, are foot injuries. An injury to a player’s foot is an injury to their base, their balance and their ability to withstand the impact of the constant running and jumping. Careers of players like Bill Walton and Rasheed Wallace were, in effect, ended due to foot injuries. Other players like Grant Hill and current Brooklyn Nets Center Brook Lopez have been plagued by injuries for years, missing large chunks of seasons and preventing them from reaching the potential.

And this is now the concern surrounding Kevin Durant after being diagnosed with a Jones fracture, a form of bone breakage in his foot.

Kevin Durant has been to the NBA Finals, won the Rookie of the Year Award, the MVP Award, an Olympic Gold Medal and four scoring championships. He is regu-

larly referred to as the second best basketball player in the world, behind only LeBron James. But after shutting it down for the rest of the season, many fans and analysts are left worried about his career. At 26 years old, Durant has yet to reach his peak. But the Jones fracture may have left his best years behind him.

The lack of blood flow to the fractured area, which is the outermost bone in the foot, makes it a difficult injury to fully recover from. If it does not heal properly, which is not an uncommon occurrence, Durant will be at constant risk of re-injuring his foot, losing his versatility and leaping ability and will likely see a sharp decline in his statistics.

That said, Durant may very well fully recover and return to being the immensely talented forward he was, but he needs to allow his foot to heal properly.

As for the Oklahoma City Thunder (OKC), they must let Durant take as long as he needs to heal.

With Serge Ibaka out as well, the

COURT. OF GEORGE BRIDGES VIA TNS

Kevin Durant’s career is at stake

Thunder are destined for a first round exit against Golden State, if they even make the playoffs altogether. Although Russell West-

brook is spitting out triple doubles left and right, this season is a lost one for OKC. That said, a healthy Durant next season, with all the new players the Thunder have acquired, makes for a team with a legitimate chance at the championship. Without Durant, they are left with a huge hole in his position.

Although they had a strong run with him sidelined earlier in the season, OKC could not sustain the momentum. Their team depends on their superstar, and if his future is in question, so are any championship hopes they have. While Durant is still in Oklahoma City, before he can test the free agency, they need to pray Durant comes back 100 percent so they can make a real run for the Finals.

If there is concern for Durant’s future, there is concern for the NBA as a whole. No, the NBA would not shut down if Durant retired today.

But they would lose one of their biggest stars. There are only so many stars most casual fans could name,

especially the young stars of the future. Anthony Davis, Blake Griffin, Kyrie Irving, Damian Lillard, Kevin Durant. James has reached his prime, and although he is still probably the best player in the world, he is only likely to decline from here.

Durant is on track to take that top spot- make multiple MVP runs lead his team through the NBA Playoffs and win championships. Durant’s legacy is as potentially important and great as any other player in the league, but that legacy may reach a stunning halt if he cannot fully recover from this fracture.

If Durant retired today, would he be a Hall of Famer? He just might be, as his accomplishments have been astounding. But if he continues to play and improve, he could be remembered among the greats of the NBA like Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to name a few. That is the legacy Durant’s Jones fracture threatens; that is the legacy the NBA is fearful of losing.

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THE OBSERVER April 16, 2015

Sports

16

New York Jets First Round Draft Primer 2015

offense. The three effective threats on the outside would also open up the running game. Chris Ivory, who split time with Chris Johnson last year, will be the full time starter in the backfield and will benefit greatly from the much-improved receiving corps.

Kevin White would start opposite Brandon Marshall in offensive coordinator Chan Gailey’s spread attack. At WVU, White thrived in the spread offense and had 109 receptions for 1,447 yards and 10 touchdowns in just his senior year. He is an effective route runner with big play potential and is the perfect complement to Marshall and Decker in the Jets’ spread offense.

By MATTHEW MCCARTHY Staff Writer

The New York Jets played an embarrassing 17 weeks of football last season. After finishing 4-12, changes were made including both the Head Coach and General Manager being fired and the signing of high-profile free agent Darrelle Revis. However, The Jets hold the sixth overall pick in the 2015 NFL Draft and have a lot of holes to fill.

Their issues on the field expanded across almost every position last year. Offensively, Geno Smith had a disastrous season, which led to him eventually being benched for Michael Vick. His options at receiver were limited, with only one receiver even eclipsing 500 yards. The Jets weren’t much better defensively as they ranked ninth in points allowed in the league. Despite having a very talented defensive line, the linebackers need improvement heading into the 2015 season.

New York should first look toward upgrading their quarterback to Oregon’s Marcus Mariota. If he is unable to be selected, they should bolster either their receiving corps or their linebackers. The best options at these positions are Kevin White and Vic Beasley, respectively.

MARCUS MARIOTA (QUARTERBACK, OREGON)

Geno Smith is not the answer at quarterback, but neither is Ryan Fitzpatrick. Heading into the 2015 draft, the Jets do not have a definitive starter at the most important position in football. With Jameis Winston expected to be selected first overall, University of Oregon Quarterback Marcus Mariota should be New York’s top target no matter the cost.

The team will likely need to trade

VIC BEASLEY (DEFENSIVE END/ OUTSIDE LINEBACKER, CLEMSON)

PHOTO COURTESY OF WALLY SKALIJ/ LOS ANGELES TIMES VIA TNS

Marcus Mariota may be one of the best players in the draft, but will he be available for the Jets to select?

up for the rights to take the former Ducks star, however; Jets GM Mike Maccagnan seemed open to the idea of swapping picks. During a conference call with season ticket holders, he confessed trading up is a possibility. “Sitting at six is a very good spot to be in,” Maccagnan said. “It does allow us the potential to move up in the draft because we’re not far from the first pick.”

Adding the Oregon signal caller would make New York a contender in an improved AFC East. The Jets have already built a strong team by adding superstars Darrelle Revis and Brandon Marshall. Their offense would become even more explosive with

the mobile quarterback throwing to Marshall and Eric Decker.

Combining a potent attack with their ever-improving defense led

by Revis and Quinton Coples, New York could transition from the 4-12 team they were in 2014 into a legitimate playoff contender. To overtake the defending Super Bowl champion New England Patriots in the AFC East, the Jets need an improvement at the quarterback position, and they should use the sixth pick on Marcus Mariota to fill that role.

KEVIN WHITE (WIDE RECEIVER, WEST VIRGINIA)

If the Jets are unable to draft Mariota, New York will look to boost

their offense at the wide receiver position. West Virginia University’s (WVU) Kevin White is arguably the top receiver in this year’s class with the highest ceiling of any of the incoming wideouts. Despite having Brandon Marshall and Eric Decker as go-to options for whomever they have starting under center, neither are long-term solutions. White is a franchise player with the potential to become one of the top receivers in the league as he develops in a pro-style offense.

Drafting the former Mountaineer would allow Decker to move to his natural slot position and instantly transform the Jets into a pass-first

The Jets have completely overhauled their defense this offseason.

New Head Coach Todd Bowles will implement a blitz-heavy defense that is sure to capitalize on the speed and power of Sheldon Richardson and Muhammad Wilkerson up front. The addition of cornerbacks Darrelle Revis and Antonio Cromartie should secure the back end of a defense that gave up the third most passing touchdowns in 2014. Drafting Clemson’s Vic Beasley will add dominant element to their remaining weakness, an ineffective linebacking corps.

The Tigers’ all-time sack leader was the ACC Defensive Player of the Year last season and one of the best edge rusher in college football. While the Jets were able to put pressure on quarterbacks, adding a dynamic outside rusher would allow Bowles to do even more with his defense. Beasley is a future franchise all-star who can immediately start at outside linebacker for the Jets.

How the Mets Stack Up Without Wheeler

By MARCELA ALVAREZ Staff Writer

While the Yankees were preparing for life after Derek Jeter and the San Francisco Giants were still celebrating their World Series win, the Mets were distraught due to the season ending injury of their rising star pitcher, Zack Wheeler.

During the 2014 season, Wheeler became one of the stars of the Met’s pitching staff. With Matt Harvey out for the season due to Tommy John surgery, Wheeler stepped up as their ace pitcher.

While 2014 was only his second season playing in MLB, he pitched 185 and 1/3 innings and also had the third highest fastball velocity in the majors according to SB Nation.

Wheeler’s injury came as a surprise to the Mets. In September 2014, Wheeler had an MRI due to discomfort in his elbow; however, the MRI came back clean, which is why he continued pitching throughout the rest of the season. The team had nothing to worry about until his ligament damage was too extensive and he had to undergo Tommy John surgery on March 25, 2015. While it was in the Mets’ power to put Wheeler back into the rotation after his MRI came back clean, many including Grant Brisbee of SB Nation, think that the Mets should have put Wheeler on the Disabled List as to not overwork him, which he believes led to his ligament damage. For the 2015 season, the Mets staff was hopeful to further hone Wheeler’s pitching skill to make him a true asset to the team.

To add to the list of injuries, Jenrry Mejia, the Met’s closer, was unable to close the Opening Day game due to pain in his elbow. The MRI, showed that he has inflammation, which will be treated with a corti-

sone shot and not a torn ligament.

Mets fans and staff were concerned due to their last closer, Bobby Parnell, needing Tommy John surgery after Opening Day in 2014.

The real question is whether the Mets can overcome these injuries to continue winning games. When Richard Justice, a reporter for MLB, was asked whether or not the Mets can contend without Wheeler, he responded, “Absolutely. Let’s not get silly.” One of the reasons that Justice might have had that response is that Matt Harvey, the ace pitcher for the Mets, is finally returning after having Tommy John surgery as well. In the 2013-2014 offseason, after having undergone rehab for his partially-torn ulnar collateral ligament, Harvey decided to have Tommy John surgery and missed all of the 2014 season. During the 2013 season, Harvey had an impressive 2.27 Earned Run Average (ERA) and pitched in the AllStar Game. The entire Mets franchise is very excited to have him back and hopeful that his pitching game will continue to lead the team to win more games. Manager Terry Collins is particularly looking forward to having Harvey back as is seen by his comment in Newsday, “We’re just glad that Matt’s back because again I think that’s why we were able to say what we did at the end of last year. That we think we’re going to compete when you’ve got a No. 1 starter.”

Clearly there is nothing to worry about when it comes to the Mets’ pitching staff even if there are a few of its members out due to injuries.

With the promising improvement of their defense and offense and the return of Harvey, the Mets are in a prime position to be World Series contenders.