Fordham Observer Issue 10

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Observer the

OCTOBER 4, 2012 VOLUME XXXI, ISSUE 10

www.fordhamobserver.com

Student Arrested for Politcal Graffiti

Photo Spotlight

By SALMA ELMEHDAWI Literary Editor

Emmanuel Pardilla, Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) ’14, was one of four people arrested last week for allegedly vandalizing a controversial ad that implies Muslims are “savages.” According to the New York Post, Pardilla along with three others—Leena Widdi, Sherry Wolf and Kenneth Cruz—was caught “obscuring an ad” at the 49th Street station on the N/Q/R line and charged with violating local law and unlawful posting of an advertisement. Pardilla received a summons and is to appear in court on Nov. 2. Sherry Wolf described what happened the night of the arrest to Mondoweiss.net, saying “Yesterday evening four of us—Palestinian, Jewish, Black and Brown, a multicultural united front against hate—were arrested immediately after posting a couple of signs correcting the racist subway ad in the 49th St. station… We were all held in jail for about seven hours, released in the middle of the night tired and hungry but proud to have participated with others around the city challenging these poisonous ads.” Pardilla, a Latino student from the South Bronx, is currently pursuing a double major in history and political science with a minor in African and African American studies at Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) and credits his activism for helping him choose his majors. He has a long history of civic engagement, involvement in grassroots organizations and local activism. According to Pardilla, he became “politicized” at the age of 16 after being stopped and frisked on his way to school. “As a colored youth living in the South Bronx, being stopped and frisked, being criminalized by the police, you don’t do anything, but they stop you,” Pardilla said. see ACTIVIST pg. 5

Inside

AYER CHAN/THE OBSERVER

Steve DiBenedetto’s painting hangs in the “Rockslide Sky” exhibit which is now being featured in both the Center Gallery and the Lipani Gallery at Fordham College at Lincoln Center. Curated by Carleen Sheehan, the exhibit displays artwork from various artists and is inspired by a Robert Bolaño story entitled “Gomez Palacio.” A reception will be held on Thursday, Oct. 4 to officially open the gallery to the public.

Students Discuss What It Means To Be a Minority By NINA GUIDICE Asst. Blog Editor

According to the Office of Institutional Research at FCLC, 33.9 percent of students identify as a minority, with Hispanic and Latino students making up the largest minority group at 15.4 percent for Fall 2011. Compared to other universities around the country, or even to Fordham College at Rose Hill (FCRH), Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) is home to students and faculty of nearly every identification of race, religion, ethnicity and sexuality. Ethnically and racially, FCLC is the most diverse campus excluding the School of Professional and Continuing Studies, which is spread out over the three Fordham campuses. FCLC is home to 52.3 percent white, 15.4 percent Hispanic, 13 percent Asian, .2 percent American Indian and/or

Alaskan Native and 5.2 percent black or African Americans. According to the associate vice president of Institutional Research, Donald Gillespie, 6.1 percent of FCLC students identified as international. The Chronicle of Higher Education recently published its yearly Almanac of Higher Education detailing the demographics, which presents 36 percent of the national college population as those who identified themselves as minorities, compared to the 37 percent in New York State. Fordham uses the Common Application for students seeking to enroll. The question regarding race and ethnicity is designed to group students into quantifiable categories, first asking the student whether they consider themselves to be Hispanic or Latino. Regardless of their answer to that question, the applicant is then asked to identify themselves

as being one out of five categories: American Indian or Alaskan Native, Asian, Black or African American, Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander, or White (including Middle Eastern). There is no slot for “Other.” By forcing students to choose to identify themselves by predefined categories, the application neglects to take into account those of mixed heritage, as well as those who would choose to identify themselves outside of the five categories if given the chance. Those who identified as a minority had different reasons for doing so. “In this world, people of color are not the minority. However, for the census numbers and institutional research I am black and/or mixed,” Lawrence Sealy, FCLC ’13, said. “I identified as a minority in case there was some sort of extra money or scholarship that is associated with being a minority.”

LITERARY

FEATURES

L.I.E.S

Musicians in Manhattan Women’s Soccer is Even Jarflower

SPORTS

The meaning of love in the eyes of a Various performers make music at poet and rapper. Columbus Circle. PAGE 16 PAGE 15

The women’s soccer team now has six wins for the season. PAGE 18

ARTS & CULTURE

Jeffrey Cipriano, FCLC ’14, said that he identifies as a minority due to his sexuality. “I’m openly gay,” Cipriano said. Paulina Carvajal, FCLC ’16, said, “I am a minority because there are so many diverse groups of people here at Fordham. At Fordham it seems like no one is really judgmental.” Erica Freedman, FCLC ’14, said she identifies as a minority student for religious reasons. “I identify as a minority student both on campus at Fordham as well as off-campus. As a young Jewish woman I am and have always been considered a minority in a predominantly neo-Christian society,” Freedman said. “I guess I do (identify as a minority),” Niam Miah, FCLC ’16, said. “I mean, in Manhattan, I don’t see many other people that look like me or my culture, but see MINORITY pg. 3

OPINIONS

Elitist Education

Fordham student’s band performs at Webster Hall.

A decent education is becoming increasingly expensive.

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THE STUDENT VOICE OF FORDHAM COLLEGE AT LINCOLN CENTER


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