Observer the
MARCH 28, 2013 VOLUME XXXII, ISSUE 4
www.fordhamobserver.com
Students Critique Ram Café Changes
Photo Spotlight
By RAMONA VENTURANZA Staff Writer
On Thursday, March 21, the Commuter Students Association (CSA), Resident Hall Association (RHA) and United Students Government (USG) hosted their first Dining Services Open Forum in the Student Lounge at Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC). The forum’s goal was to allow students to voice their feedback, preferences and concerns regarding the Ram Café’s dining service. The Melissa Gazal, FCLC ’15 and president of CSA, Aisha Blake, FCLC ’13 and president of RHA, and Alexa Rodriguez, FCLC ’13 and president of USG, are members of the Student Engagement Committee. Their role consists of gathering student opinions and suggestions on how to improve the quality of service at FCLC. According to Rodriguez, the two sessions of the Dining Services Open Forum were meant to receive students’ general take on the dining service. “Overall, we [the Students Engagement Committee] would like to hear what students want to see changed when dining at Fordham,” she said. A mix of commuter and resident FCLC students participated in voicing their concerns at the forum. Many remarks addressed the problems students had with the service and quality of food offered by Red Mango, Energy Kitchen and Sodexo at the Ram Café. Students were generally satisfied with the food offered and sold at Energy Kitchen. Participants at the forum agreed that the selection at Energy Kitchen is an improvement from food offered by the Ram Café before. Likewise, when the committee asked students whether they would like to continue seeing Red Mango, all agreed that the frozen yogurt vendor should stay. see CAFÉ pg. 3
AYER CHAN /THE OBSERVER
While the city skies reveal their spring colors, students at Fordham College at Lincoln Center can finally witness the near completion of the new law school building. The building is set to open in 2014, where incoming undergraduates will live in neighborhood style dorms.
New Departments Support “Vagina Monologues” By GABRIELA MENDEZ-NOVOA News Editor
“The Vagina Monologues,” an Eve Ensler play organized and produced by Fordham students in order to raise awareness of violence against women, has received funding from academic departments this year that have not financially supported the play in previous years. According to Amy Bucknam, Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) ’14 and president of ISIS, FCLC’s feminist club that produces the play, the departments of theology and history have added their support to “The Vagina Monologues” this year. Bucknam said it was an exciting surprise to get additional support from different academic departments for the play, set to take place in April, since it has faced oposition
from Fordham as a Jesuit institution in the past. “ISIS members put on the production every year, and it’s not funded by the Office of Student Leadership and Community Development (OSLCD), Student Affairs or the Student Activities Budget Committee (SABC). They only approve our budgets,” Bucknam said. “The Vagina Monologues” is a production directed and written by Ensler, an activist and playwright. The university’s administration has disapproved of “The Vagina Monologue’s” adult themes and sexual content as clashing with Fordham’s Jesuit mission. Because of this, OSLCD has been banned from having any connection to the show. ISIS organizes the production, but the club is not publically affiliated with the show. Bucknam said that the women’s studies department has always
been one sponsor for the production, and students send letters to departments for more. “This year we got more help from them than I ever experienced before,” she said. Regarding the department contributions, Bucknam said, “It shows a lot. We’re so proud to have all this support, especially from theology, but also from the history and English departments.” Associate Chair of History at FCLC Doron Ben-Atar described the play’s role as an important symbol on campus and said that he was involved in providing funding for the production. “It was a natural fit for me since I teach the history of sexuality and I was the first advisor to the gay students organization at FCLC,” Ben-Atar said. “When the administration refused funding for ‘The Vagina Monologues,’ we moved in the history department to sponsor the event, together with
English.” He added that the history department’s support for the play is unanimous. According to Ben-Atar, the play is important because “it stands for the equality of feminine desire and at the same time raises our voice against the prevalence of gendered violence against women.” He added that productions at Fordham with messages like the ones in “The Vagina Monologues” hold significance because “they have given a room for young students who have been abused to raise their voice about it and give support to abused young women.” According to Anne Hoffman, associate chair of English at FCLC, the English department has supported “The Vagina Monologues” as long as the university has dissee MONOLOGUES pg. 2
Inside
FEATURES
SPORTS
ARTS & CULTURE
OPINIONS
Global Outreach
Women’s Basketball
Nighthawk Cinema
Abortion Laws
Students reflect on their GO! projects.
Rams cruise to WNIT round of 16.
Chewing and viewing in Brooklyn.
Strict abortion laws hinder women’s rights.
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THE STUDENT VOICE OF FORDHAM COLLEGE AT LINCOLN CENTER