Issue 4 - The Observer

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MARCH 13, 2014 VOLUME XXXIII, ISSUE 4

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Bed Bugs Found in McMahon

Photo Feature

By TYLER MARTINS Arts & Culture Co-Editor

Two apartments in McMahon Hall at Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) have been treated for bed bugs, Dean of Students Keith Eldredge confirmed on Tuesday, March 11.

It is the University’s policy to not inform all residents of McMahon when cases of bed bugs have been confirmed. “There is really not something different that folks need to do with the bed bugs so I think that’s probably why we haven’t done a big alert,” Eldredge said.

“We’ll treat that room aggressively, we’ll put monitors in surrounding areas, just in case, and there is not a process right now where we would notify the whole building,” Eldredge said.

Precautions to prevent the sprinkler system from being discharged have been put in place while thermal treatment is being conducted, according to Eldredge.

The flooding in McMahon Hall that occurred Sunday, Feb. 9 was a result of the sprinkler system that was discharged by the thermal treatment occurring on the 9th floor. “We’ve had—I don’t have an exact number—numerous thermal treatments for bed bugs over the years,” Eldredge said.

“There was a mistake with the way they covered a sprinkler head and something got knocked loose or wasn’t attached, so that resulted in the sprinkler being activated.”

Apartments affected by the sprinkler discharge incident included 9M, 9L, 9A, 8M, 7M, 4M and 3M, according to an email from the Office of Residential Life to students who had to be relocated to the Hudson Hotel from Thursday, Feb. 20 to Monday, Feb. 24.

According to Eldredge, standard procedure when the University receives reports from students about possible bed bugs is to have an exterminator examine the apartment to confirm the existence of bed bugs before a treatsee BED BUGS pg. 2

KIRSTIN BUNKLEY/THE OBSERVER

The animals of New York City were the subjects of this issue’s photo feature.

Weighing the Costs: On- and Off-Campus

By ADRIANA GALLINA Staff Writer

Between the 40-times rent rule and gentrification, New York City living expenses are always a topic of discussion. But how does McMahon Hall fare against the cost of living off campus?

McMahon’s housing rates for the 2013-2014 academic school were $16,600 for a single, $14,210 for a double or $10,170 for a triple only offered to freshmen. Considering students are only paying to stay during the academic year, the cheapest option offered to upperclassmen boils down to about $1,578 per month for nine months.

The Director of the Office of Residential Life, Jenifer Campbell, said, “We are still in the process of getting approvals from administration, but we are expecting a 3 percent housing rate increase for the next academic year.”

This would mean that the cheapest option for upperclassmen living in McMahon, a double, would cost approximately $1,626 a month for nine months.

“Our prices are based on the costs associated with operating the facility; it’s not just an arbitrary number,” Campbell said. “Costs are factored relative to what it costs to operate the building including associated costs of staff, security,

RAs, RFMs and RHA,” she continued.

Campbell sees the 3 percent increase as an accomplishment. “In the past, rates increased about 5 to 6 percent, so the University has been cognizant of trying to keep the costs down as much as possible, so the 3 percent is the base minimum that they could increase to at this point,” Campbell said.

At what point do the rate increases stop? That answer was undeterminable.

Gabriella Giunta, the president of Commuting Students’ Association and FCLC ’14, chose to live at home rather than McMahon residency. “It’s definitely a different ex-

perience but the good thing about Lincoln Center is that it is split pretty evenly, 50/50, commuter and residence students. There are a lot of different programs that help commuters students make this place their home,” she said. “[Cost] definitely is a factor,” contributing to the amount of commuter students at Lincoln Center, Giunta said. “It’s not cheap to live in the dorms. But it is essentially an apartment in the Upper West Side... but it’s a lot,” she continued.

According to Apartments.com, a two-bedroom apartment on West 164th Street can cost as little as see HOUSING pg. 3

Inside

FEATURES

SPORTS

ARTS & CULTURE

OPINIONS

I Pity the Jewel

Women’s Basketball

Trapezing Through Life

Solitary Confinement

Women’s Basketball wins A-10

One student juggles more than classes.

Difference between abuse and punishment?

PAGE 16

PAGE 10

PAGE 5

You’ll get a job with Jewel’s tips.

PAGE 13

THE STUDENT VOICE OF FORDHAM COLLEGE AT LINCOLN CENTER

2

News

News Editors Noha Mahmoud — nmahmoud2@fordham.edu Ramona Venturanza — rventuranza@fordham.edu

March 13, 2014 THE OBSERVER

Students and Professors Weigh In On Diversity

By GUNAR OLSEN Staff Writer

A recent study in the Chronicle of Higher Education found that the nation’s most selective colleges have become much more diverse during the past 20 years. Students, faculty and admissions reflected on the role of racial diversity at Fordham.

According to Patricia Peek, director of undergraduate admission, Fordham does not use quotas to admit students of different ethnicities or races. “It’s a holistic application.

Everything about a student’s application is reviewed,” she said.

As of fall 2013, according to Peek, the racial composition of Fordham is as follows: 13.8 percent Hispanic, 4.1 percent black (onethird of the national percentage), 8.9 percent Asian (almost double the national percentage), 3.3 percent mixed race, and 61.4 percent white.

Students and faculty agree that having a diverse community at Fordham requires both racial diversity and class diversity.

Nadia Pinder, Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) ’14, wishes Fordham would target

both racial and economic diversity.

“America is based on racist capitalism,” Pinder, said. “You can add class to it, but you can’t ignore race.

You can’t say class will fix it because it won’t.”

After more than 40 years at Fordham, Mark Naison, professor of African American studies, has seen less class diversity than race diversity. “Fordham has become an upper-middle class haven,” he said.

Naison worries that Fordham does not do enough to promote class diversity. “Fordham is the Bronx college of gentrification,” he said. “This school leaves a lot of people behind, and you can see those people outside the gates at Rose Hill, and it seems that those gates are getting higher and higher.”

Amir H. Idris, chair and professor of African American studies, thinks that Fordham needs a clear policy geared toward diversifying the campus. “We cannot separate [race and class]. We need to look at them as two important ingredients in our effort to improve diversity on campus,” he said.

Baraa Elhariry, FCLC ’14, a Middle East studies major, echoed Idris. “If you target race, and you

don’t target class, and you don’t talk about class, you’re missing the forest for the trees…Targeting class diversity would help facilitate racial diversity,” he said.

Responding to the race-class connection, Peek said, “We are currently, for the most part, need-blind in the admission process,” meaning that Fordham accepts students without considering what financial need they have.

Peek said, “We never look at a student in a vacuum. We look at a student in the context of what opportunities were afforded that student.”

Some professors worry that as a result of the new dorm building at Lincoln Center, the percentage of commuter students will decline which might affect the racial and class diversity of the school as well.

Irma Watkins-Owens, professor of African American studies, said of the new dorm, “As we become more residential, obviously it’s more expensive, which goes back to the problem of economic diversity.”

Owens is unsure by how much, but she knows that “one of the initial impacts of [the creation of McMahon Hall] was a decline in diversity.” She hopes that this trend does

not repeat itself with the new dorm.

Idris agreed: “That is a very serious problem. I would not be happy to see the number of commuting students reduced as a result of the new building.”

However, Peek sees the new dorm as an opportunity for everyone. “We see the residence hall as an opportunity for more students, diverse students, all students to have more opportunities for residential housing. But we still want the commuting student population to remain representative,” Peek said.

Despite their criticisms, students and faculty have seen improvements in diversity on campus.

Clara E. Rodriguez, professor of sociology, said, “I do see that my classes are more racially diverse than they were when I first started teaching.”

“In my view, Fordham is doing excellent work so far. We may see the outcome of this kind of concerted effort in a few years,” Idris said of diversity on campus.

Pinder said, “For me the most important part was that college is the place where you see racial diversity in a big way.”

For Elhariry, the diversity at

Fordham has opened his eyes to a lot more than he used to know.

“When I first came here, I didn’t know there was going to be a Middle Eastern Students Association; so when I heard about it, I got really excited,” he said. Elhariry is glad that he has made friends with minorities in ethnicity, gender identity and sexual orientation.

ROSE HILL & LINCOLN CENTER POPULATION % Hispanic (Any Race) 13.8 2 or More Races 3.3 Non-Resident Alien 5.6 Black 4.1 Am Ind/AK Native .1 Asian 8.9 Hawaiin/Pacif Islander .1 White 61.4 Unknown 2.8 Total 100.0

New ID Policy Implemented in McMahon

By RAMONA VENTURANZA News Co-Editor

As of Feb. 6, security guards at the front desk of McMahon Hall at Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) no longer requires commuters or guests to relinquish their IDs at the security desk. However, commuters and guests will still have to show their ID and be signed out by their host resident in McMahon Hall.

“Before this new policy, residents were required to sign their guests and commuters [into McMahon Hall]. Commuters would, then, have to give their IDs to the security guard at the entrance before they entered the dorms,” President of United Student Government (USG) Louise Lingat, FCLC ’15, said.

However, reactions from students had prompted FCLC’s USG to change this policy and work with the Office of Residential Life to reach a new ID policy.

“Many thought that even though they are students at FCLC, commuters couldn’t easily get into McMahon as easily as resident, especially because of the ID process,” Lingat said.

Secretary of USG, Shery Arce, FCLC ’16, said, “For many commut-

ANGELA LUIS/THE OBSERVER

Commuters and guests no longer required to leave IDs at security desk.

ers, giving in their IDs was inconvenient and made them feel like they couldn’t be trusted.”

In regards to security, Jenifer Campbell, director of ResLife, said that residents and commuters are still expected to abide by the rules of signing in and out of McMahon.

“It is still a requirement for all commuters and outside visitors to be signed in by a resident; for security reasons, commuters or guests are ex-

pected to be with their host [resident] until they are signed out,” Campbell said. “Residents will get fined if they don’t sign out their guests.”

“This will benefit commuter students because they can be signed in as a guest, and still be able to leave and re-enter the building,” Arce said.

“It’s less of a hassle for everyone.”

The easier way of entering the dorms is meant to better the relationship between commuters and

residents, according to Lingat. “We want the commuters to easily enter the dorms with this new policy; this would help create a more friendlier and welcoming environment at Fordham,” she said. “By doing something like this, we can hopefully bridge the gap between commuters and residents.”

Students are pleased with the feasibility of allowing commuters into the dorms. “I think the new ID policy is awesome,” Nate Coffey, FCLC ’16, resident in McMahon Hall said.

“It allows for significantly more mobility between the two communities [residents and commuters].”

However, some students think that the new ID policy in McMahon should be stricter. President of the Residence Hall Association (RHA), Elizabeth Birnbaum, FCLC ’15, said that this new ID policy could pose as a possible threat to students. “[The ID policy] can call in problems and unknown threats in the dorms. The new policy could also cause confusion for security, for commuters can easily come and go through McMahon,” she said. “I think [the new policy] should be a little bit stricter.”

Chelsea Landman, FCLC ’16, resident at McMahon Hall, agreed with Birnbaum, saying that this new

policy allows too much flexibility.

“I think it would be easier for commuters and guests to sneak into the dorms because they can say they are already signed in,” she said.

Furthermore, even with the new policy in place, students point out that there will still be issues with allowing commuters into the dorms.

“While I appreciate the steps to make commuters feel more welcome in the dorms, it doesn’t change the difficulty of signing them in,” Elizabeth Heyman, FCLC ’16, said.

“With the exception of the IDs, nonresident students are still treated like ordinary guests and have to comply with the same strict set of visitation rules as everyone else,” Heyman said. “I think the administration should continue with this momentum and allow a way for commuters to stay overnight in the dorms without needing permission too far in advance.”

Overall, residents are happy with having commuters in McMahon, according to Birnbaum. “Residents love having the commuters in the dorms; we are fine with commuters coming in and using the lounges.

And if [the new policy] makes it easier for commuters, then it is fine,” she said.

Bed Bugs Confirmed in McMahon BED BUGS FROM PAGE 1

ment can be administered.

“So we will respond to all of them and put down the traps, bring in the dog, do different things to try to assess because we can’t really do a full treatment unless we have confirmation,” Eldredge said. Students are sent to the Health Center or their own physician if they report bites.

“We probably get a report a week that someone suspects bed bugs and almost all of the time it is some other kind of bug bite, it’s a reaction to a laundry detergent switch or an allergic reaction to something people ate, or something else,” Eldredge said. “[Doctors] can look and say something, ‘That’s a bug bite,’ versus some other kind of medical reaction, an allergic reaction or a rash. But they can’t say that that is a bug bite.”

Jeff Zhang, FCLC ’17 and a stu-

dent in apartment 4H of McMahon Hall, said that at around 10:00 p.m. on Sunday, March 9 one of his roommates found a bed bug in his room.

A member of ResLife stopped by the apartment the following morning.

“He found one and he killed it and we looked for more,” Andrew Lanser, FCLC ’17 and a 4H resident, said. A dog was brought by the apartment around 4:30 p.m. on Monday, March 10 to detect the presence of bed bugs, according to Sam Denholtz, FCLC ’17 and 4H resident. After confirming the presence of bed bugs in their apartment, the members of 4H were then moved to 4A, the vacant apartment reserved for faculty-in-residence, at around 6:00 p.m.

The living room in the vacant apartment was converted into a bedroom to properly accommodate all of the students relocated from the apartment with the bed bug incident.

The members of the apartment were instructed to do laundry, bring clean clothes and only take the essentials and that their stay in 4A would last about two or three days. In total, seven people were moved from 4H to 4A. Though bed bugs are known for travelling between apartments in New York, this is not the case in McMahon Hall due to its construction, Eldredge said. “It is a different style of architecture, with the cement slabs that are used for the floors and the types of cinder block walls in a lot of the areas that makes it much, much more difficult for the bugs to travel then it would in different types of facilities.

“We have had situations where somebody gets bed bugs in an apartment, and we find it in another apartment. It’s because these people are friends and are going back and forth with each other sometimes,” Eldredge

Standard procedure is to have an exterminator examine the apartment to confirm the existence of bed bugs before a treatment. said.

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), bed bugs “are small, flat, parasitic insects that feed solely on the blood of people and animals while they sleep.

Bed bugs are reddish-brown in color, wingless, range from 1mm to 7mm (roughly the size of Lincoln’s head on a penny), and can live several

months without a blood meal.”

Bed bugs are able to travel over 100 feet in a night, “but tend to live within 8 feet of where people sleep.” Bed bugs are not commonly known to spread disease.

According to the CDC, the telltale signs of a bed bug infestation is bite marks on the face, neck, arms, hands or other body parts, contracted while sleeping. “These bite marks may take as long as 14 days to develop in some people so it is important to look for other clues when determining if bed bugs have infested an area.

These signs include: the bed bugs’ exoskeletons after molting; bed bugs in the fold of mattresses and sheets; rusty–colored blood spots due to their blood-filled fecal material that they excrete on the mattress or nearby furniture; and a sweet musty odor.”

With additional reporting by Ian McKenna.

www.fordhamobserver.com

THE OBSERVER March 13, 2014

News

3

Is the Higher Price Tag of McMahon Worth It? HOUSING FROM PAGE 1

$1,950. Splitting the rent between four roommates, the same living quality as a double in McMahon, students would be looking at personal monthly cost of $488.

Lizbeth Sanchez FCLC ’14 saves a minimum of $6,000 a year living in an apartment in Washington Heights. “It’s a pretty big difference,” she said.

Sanchez decided to move off campus after her junior year for two main reasons: “First, it’s way cheaper than living in McMahon and there’s more freedom living off campus,” she said.

“As an adult in the city, McMahon is to stifling,” Sanchez said, specifically referencing the guest policy which requires an acquisition of a guest pass 24 hours prior to when the same-sex guest visits.

“There are tradeoffs in either setting,” Campbell acknowledged.

“I think sometimes if you are talking about the regulations and policies associated with living in a campus community, it is different than living in your own apartment.

“I often state the fact that if I don’t have some level of rules and regulations as it relates to living in the residence halls, we would have anarchy,” she said.

Campbell explained that the number one benefit from living on campus is the convenience in terms of proximity to classes. Living in McMahon “allows students to develop meaningful contact as they develop and cultivate friendships based on the fact that they are living together and studying together in a close setting,” Campbell said.

Anna Michael FCLC ’17 thinks the convenience of McMahon is worth it; she is only minutes away from class or theatre rehearsals.

“You don’t even have to walk outside to get to all of your Fordham

related obligations,” she said Sanchez does not feel that moving off-campus made her isolated from her social circle nor academic experiences. “It’s not that hard to head down to Lincoln Center to attend anything,” she said.

However, her most difficult experience with moving off campus was, “adjusting to the fact that I couldn’t wake up five minutes before class started to get to it. You can’t just roll out of bed and you have to be prepared to be at school until sometimes 11 at night.”

Security is often an issue raised when students live off campus.

However, Sanchez does not find this to be an issue.

“Personally, I feel really safe.

I’ve never had any issues and had no reservations about living here.

I’m from Miami, so I am not put off by living in a hispanic community. Everyone is friendly and everyone looks out for people. Like any neighborhood, just don’t be an idiot,” she said.

Caitlin Tango, a licensed real estate salesperson at Crosstown Apartments, said, “Statistically, Washington Heights is one of the safest neighborhood in Manhattan.”

According to DNA info’s Crime and Safety Report, the Heights falls only behind the Upper East Side, Upper West Side and Inwood in crimes per capita, ranking as the fourth safest neighborhood in all of Manhattan.

Students that are looking to save money by moving off-campus need to be aware of a few fees, like, broker’s fees, application’s fees, and security deposits.

“The standard agent fee is 15 percent of the annual rent, but most companies will give a student discount for around 12 percent,” Tango said.

No fee apartments are another option. “Essentially, this is when the landlord pays the broker because the landlord needs to rent.

This happens more often with luxury apartments. Sometimes, if the landlord pays the fee it’s because they can’t get it rented—a bad sign —or it is built into the rent price,” she said.

Tango recommends students or parents who have the time to look for apartments to search for rentals listed by owner to avoid this added 12-15 percent fee.

“There is also a fee for submitting an application to a landlord.

These can vary from $25 to $250, but people should expect to pay an average of $100-$125,” she said.

Other costs to keep in mind if looking to move off campus: Students should also expect to pay one to two months rent upfront, as well as a security deposit, which is generally also the cost of a months rent.

Utilities are generally included, which cover heat and water bills.

Sometimes, heat is run by electricity. This is something potential tenets want to ask landlords in advance because it will increase winter electric bills.

According to Tango, heat in the winter is around $65 for a one bedroom apartment and around $80 in the summer; you can add an extra $20 per additional room to estimate the cost. Internet can cost as low as $29 a month.

Fordham does offer some assistance to students looking for off campus housing.

“The Office of Student Leadership and Community maintains a list of individuals looking for roommates, they allow you to post that you are looking for apartments and they have some information their in terms of listings,” Campbell said.

TYLER MARTINS/THE OBSERVER.

Students find cheaper apartments outside of McMahon.

Snow Days Affect Semester Schedule

By RAMONA VENTURANZA News Co-Editor

Due to inclement weather, Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) had to cancel four days of classes this spring semester. However, some students and professors criticized the University for canceling too many class days.

According to Associate Vice President of Safety and Security John Carroll, Fordham was closed necessarily due to the snowy weather conditions. “[Security] had to check the safety of the campus and how safe it would be [for students and faculty] to travel,” he said.

“At the middle of the night, [security] checked on the current condition of each of the campuses and whether it was safe for students to travel around,” Carroll said. “[Security] also checked the street conditions, where we contacted the New York City Emergency Management Office. We also followed the news media and television stations on the weather conditions. It is important for us to pay attention to all possibilities.”

The school closings prompted Fordham to change a couple of reading days, May 2 and May 5, into class days. The current first day of finals, May 6, was also switched into a reading day.

According to Dean of FCLC, Rev. Robert R. Grimes, S.J., Fordham reacted to the snow days the same way as when classes were canceled for five days due to Hurricane Sandy in the fall 2013 semester.

“Basically, when we saw that Fordham was closed for four days, it seems to work pretty well with the semester of Sandy; we did the same thing [as the semester with Sandy], but with a couple of minor adjustments,” Grimes said.

JESSICA HANLEY/THE OBSERVER

Students and professors react to the four snow days.

“I spoke to a couple of students, and they were fine with the switch,” Grimes said. “I think people would have been much happier with [the extra classes] than if we took days out of spring break; another thing we could

have done is take away days from Easter break.”

According to students, many of the snow days were unnecessary. “I think for my commute, personally, a lot of [the snow days] were unneces-

sary. But I can see how, with many people commuting from so many different places, it could be a hard decision to make,” Emily Stone, FCLC ’16, said. “We probably had too many snow days.”

“I think most of the MTA trains were running perfectly fine, and half of the students at Lincoln Center don’t even commute” Ana Maria Glavan, FCLC ’16, said.

Moreover, students criticized Fordham for having more snow days than many of the other New York City colleges and universities. “Compared to other New York City schools like Columbia University and New York University, if they stay open, then I don’t understand why [Fordham] we couldn’t,” Amanda Blackhorn, FCLC ’16, said.

In addition, some students were unhappy that the University decided to replace the reading days with class days.

“The consequence of closing the school for four days is taking away the reading days,” Blackhorn said.

“It’s weird- [the school schedules] goes from class then straight into finals. The whole point of having reading days is for [students] to prepare for finals.”

“All of our finals are around the same time. Now our finals dates are closer together, and we’re going to have less time to prepare for them,” Glavan said.

However, some thought that swapping the reading and class days were fair. “I would like to make up some of the lost class time the snow days took away,” Stone said.

“I think it is unfortunate that [Fordham] had to close as they did.

I think it is understandable. Remember, this is a university that is dependent on intercampus transportation, and there is a huge commuter population,” Daniel Ott, assistant professor of art history and music, said.

“We had a terrible winter, and this is what happens.”

Opinions

Rachel Shmulevich — Opinions Editor rshmulevich@fordham.edu

STAFF EDITORIAL

F

increased risk, and while everyone should have been taking precautions through every step of the mumps crisis, it would’ve helped to be kept up to date. In fact, it seems almost like a right, not just the right of tuition-paying students but also as people who are in close contact with potential contagions.

As explained by Dean Eldredge, it is typically customary to refrain from

Flooding in February.

Mumps in March.

Bed bugs before break. alerting the entirety of the resident population when a case of bed bugs is confirmed in McMahon. But why? He explained that we are fortunate to have such a construction that limits the movement of bed bugs.

But with two confirmed cases, does anybody besides us on The Observer feel like an announcement should be made? McMahon is a big building, but

Observer the

TRANSPARENCY IS KEY IN THE NAME OF PUBLIC SAFETY looding in February. Mumps in March. Bed bugs before break.

Fordham just can’t seem to catch a break. But what really irks us at The Observer is that Fordham can’t take a break from their emergency procedures to let us know what’s going on.

As reported on March 4, the New York Department of Health released the findings from their involvement at Fordham, stating that there were 27 total cases, when the general Fordham public was only notified of 13 of these cases. While Dean of Students Keith Eldredge said that the Administration was simply following the suggestion of the Department of Health, we think that transparency with respect to such a serious situation is important for everyone. While it may have been an inbox clogger, regular updates on the spread of the mumps were something we were entitled to. Maybe it is our naïve inference, but a lack of updates equates the disappearance of the problem, something that obviously was not the case.

Increased cases mean

March 13, 2014 THE OBSERVER

it isn’t quite big enough for us to not worry about the presence of bed bugs somewhere in the building.

And, from Facebook comments and Tweets, we’ve gathered that there are some students who feel the same way about, as one user put it, the “shadow government” in place at Fordham.

In response to the report of 27 confirmed mumps cases one student said: “This is getting a little out of hand! And I am disappointed that the university hasn’t even directly provided students with the updated information. I believe it’s our right to be updated especially since our health is involved.”

Another student on Facebook: “I was surprised we hadn’t gotten any emails saying there were more cases, thanks a bunch Fordham.”

We agree with these students. There is just something wrong about letting us live ignorantly in the face of very serious, very real issues, especially issues, like the mumps, that put us in harm’s way, circumstances that could jeopardize our health.

Fordham College at Lincoln Center 113 West 60th Street Room 408 New York, New York 10023 Tel: (212) 636-6015 Fax: (212) 636-7047

Editor-in-Chief Ian McKenna Managing Editor Tayler Bennett News Co-Editors Noha Mahmoud Ramona Venturanza Opinions Editor Rachel Shmulevich Asst. Opinions Co-Editors Kamrun Nesa Marina Recio Arts & Culture Co-Editors Ludovica Martella Andrew Milne Tyler Martins Features Co-Editors Brigitte Ayaz Paulina Tam Literary Co-Editors Emily Tudisco Mark Lee Asst. Literary Editor Meredith Summers Sports Editor Jennifer Khedaroo Asst. Sports Editor Conrad Zajkowski Copy Editor Kamrun Nesa Layout Editor Tayler Bennett Asst. Layout Editor Jenny McNary Layout Staff Gabrielle Montes Photo Editor Sarah Howard Asst. Photo Editor Angela Luis Multimedia Producers Tavy Wu Business Manager Amanda Fimbers Blog Editors Dyan Mae Cortez Asst. Blog Editor Amalia Vavala

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THE OBSERVER March 13, 2014

Opinions

5

When Punishment Becomes Torture Limiting Solitary Confinement in New York Prisons MARINA RECIO Asst. Opinions Co-Editor

Minors and pregnant women will no longer be submitted to solitary confinement as a form of punishment in New York State prisons, in accordance with a new policy enacted Feb. 19. My first question upon learning this was: why exactly were minors and pregnant women ever allowed to be in solitary confinement? While I am not sure I can answer that, I certainly believe that this decision will not only make prisons more humane places, but it is also a step towards having a prison system that actually fulfills its role of making New York a safer place. This change, the result of a lawsuit filed by the New York Civil Liberties Union, secures New York’s position as the state with the largest prison system in the nation to forego solitary confinement for juveniles.

Now let’s be clear: punishment is an integral part of our prisons.

Those convicted serve the sentence given to them by a legal system, whose job it is to determine guilt and appropriate punishment. It is not the prison staff’s job to deal out justice arbitrarily and determine who is allowed the right to have social contact and who isn’t. The result of solitary confinement as a disciplinary tool for the prison staff to implement at their discretion is that it is incredibly overused in many prison systems, sometimes as punishment for breaking minor jail rules. In an extreme case, an NPR article cites an inmate who revealed he was given extra time in solitary confinement when he “ate an apple incorrectly.” Solitary confinement isn’t reserved for those who commit violent acts; it is widely used for a variety of reasons, ranging from gang membership to ignoring commands and “need for protection.”

It is time to shift the focus from punishment to correction for the sake of everyone; it is more important to make sure inmates leave prison as better citizens than to make sure that prisoners get what we (or rather, the prison staff) feel they deserve. It is simple: causing further damage to

CDOGSIMMONS VIA WIKICOMMONS

The undeserved cruelty of solitary confinement that prisoners face in U.S. prisons is by no means conducive to rehabilitation.

prisoners benefits no one. Instead, it makes high-risk individuals more dangerous to themselves and others.

Solitary confinement is considered a disciplinary tool in prisons, however, there is enough evidence to claim that it is comparable to torture.

As cited in a New Yorker article by Atul Gawande, John McCain stated from his experience as a prisoner of war (POW) during the Vietnam War that torture “crushes your spirit and weakens your resistance more effectively than any other form of mistreatment.” Let’s not forget that this is a man who was physically tortured and denied medical treatment for two broken arms and a broken

leg. This view of solitary confinement is common among POWs from the Vietnam War, who, in a study, reported finding “social isolation to be as torturous and agonizing as any physical abuse they suffered.”

The effects of prolonged social isolation have been studied for decades, and they suggest that psychological damage is among the long-term consequences. A 1992 study on POWs from the former Yugoslavia revealed that the most severe brain abnormalities still apparent months after being released were found in prisoners who either suffered severe head trauma or were subject to solitary confinement.

With these studies in mind, it is

worrisome that an estimated 80,000 prisoners are in solitary confinement in the U.S. today. These are men and women that will be released into society, and causing them such damage robs them of their mental health and the chance to lead a normal life after prison. Prisons are effectively extending their punishment way beyond prisoners’ sentences, which makes them more of a threat to society than when they arrived to prison in the first place. This is a dangerous cycle that needs to be broken. The money allocated to these expensive units for isolation could instead be used for initiatives that seek to reduce recidivism (relapse into criminal behavior),

like education and rehabilitation programs.

The government’s job is to protect its citizens no matter what side of the prison walls they are found in. Causing psychological damage to inmates is simply inexcusable, especially when there is no substantial evidence to suggest that practices like solitary confinement are beneficial to anyone.

Our logic when it comes to prison policies should be guided only by what truly benefits our society as a whole, and that is to make inmates better citizens who are less likely to commit crimes again upon their release.

Are Americans Ignorant?

ALEXANDER PARTRIDGE Contributing Writer

Does the Earth revolve around the sun or vice versa? This may seem like a pretty ridiculous question to ask anyone above the age of 5, but a National Science Foundation (NSF) survey conducted in 2012 found that an alarmingly high percentage of American adults couldn’t answer this correctly. In fact, according to the study, about 26 percent of Americans think that the Sun revolves around the Earth. I repeat: More than onefourth of those surveyed apparently have knowledge of astronomy predating the Copernican revolution. In the same survey, only 48 percent said that they believe human beings have changed through evolution. How did this happen? Who is to blame?

There has been a lot of fingerpointing at technology. Material on the Internet, especially on social media platforms, has been inundated by words such as “YOLO” and “swag,” which have subsequently permeated into spoken language. There is also that video of a certain scantily clad young woman swinging on a wrecking ball that has more than 550 million YouTube views, showing that all this online material can range from

KARA JAGDEO/THE OBSERVER

superfluous to downright absurd.

With all of these cyber stimuli that do not seem to serve any meaningful purpose at all, yet take up so much of the millennials’ time, I ask: Have we gone too far? Is the Internet turning our brains into mush? Fox News star host Bill O’Reilly certainly thinks so, pinpointing the Web as one of the main culprits, stating that “[t]he Internet has created a generation of

self-absorbed, addicted, distracted and ignorant people.” Pretty harsh words, but if you look at what is “trending” on Twitter or at some of the hashtags that people spend a lot of their time putting up on Instagram, you might agree. Perhaps we have climbed hashtag mountain, never to look back.

According to a study by the Pew Research Center for the People and

the Press, however, technology is not at fault here. The longitudinal study that goes from 1987 to 2007 came to this conclusion: “On average, today’s citizens are about as able to name their leaders, and are about as aware of major news events, as was the public nearly 20 years ago.”

The Internet may not be the culprit.

Even with all of this pointless stuff posted online, there is a wealth of valuable information available at our fingertips—if anything, we should be better informed because of all of this innovation. Just as tasteless music videos and tacky slang words are within a moment’s reach, so is an immense amount of useful information.

I do believe that too many Americans are ignorant, but while technology plays a certain role, the causes and solutions of this growing unintelligence are not clear-cut.

Wealth inequality, a huge problem in America, boils down to education inequality. Public schools are meant to provide equal education but fail at doing so in many areas. I grew up in the suburbs of Washington D.C., where the quality of one’s public school directly correlates with the income level of the area one inhabits, where some public schools resemble competitive private academies ,while others are merely a place to hang out with your friends. In places with only poor-quality public schooling,

wealthier parents often opt out of schooling their children there and send them to private institutions instead.

Another reality that contributes to American ignorance is that we travel the world much less than those from other comparable nations.

There is a lot to be learned even during a short time abroad, and according to CNN, only about 30 percent of US citizens have passports (compared to 60 percent in Canada and 75 percent in the UK). Americans, with disproportionately less vacation time, are more often confined to the workplace instead of out learning about the world.

One way to help the dire situation we’ve found ourselves in would be to pay American teachers a bit more. They are not being adequately compensated for the work that they do, and this is keeping many bright young people from choosing this career path. Public schools in high and low-income areas should be monitored, and the government should step in to make sure they have the same standards, so that everyone can receive a top-notch education.

If the government and businesses leaders stop taking advantage of U.S. workers and offer more vacation time, maybe we could travel abroad more. Also, learn a foreign language for goodness sake—that makes you smarter.

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Opinions

March 13, 2014 THE OBSERVER

www.fordhamobserver.com

Don’t Let the Congressial Budget Office Deceive You GUNAR OLSEN Staff Writer

Out of all the natural rights given to each man and woman, healthcare and a living wage make the top two. So when politicians and political groups try to take those away, it’s important for us to remember that these are rights we deserve—not privileges we’ve earned.

In February, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) found that the Affordable Care Act (ACA), also known as Obamacare, will reduce the number of full-time jobs by 2.5 million by 2024. In another study, the CBO reported that raising the minimum wage to $10.10 an hour would increase unemployment by 0.3 percent, costing the economy 500,000 jobs. Not surprisingly, conservative politicians took advantage of the CBO’s findings.

Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal called Obamacare a “job-killer,” and House Speaker John Boehner said that he preferred suicide to a “clean” rise in the minimum wage, calling it “bad policy.”

Neither claim is true, however.

Obamacare is not a job-killer.

According to the CBO, “the estimated reduction [of jobs] stems almost entirely from a net decline in the amount of labor that workers choose to supply, rather than from a net drop in businesses’ demand for labor.”

The key word there is “choose.”

Because the ACA puts an end to “job lock”—the unwillingness of an employee to voluntarily leave a job because doing so will result in the loss of healthcare—people can now safely leave their job without losing health insurance. Elderly people with serious health conditions who work just to get decent health coverage no longer have to worry about losing insurance if they retire. New mothers who return to work sooner

KIRSTIN BUNKLEY/THE OBSERVER

Groups like the CBO cannot be allowed to justify taking away healthcare and a living wage from American citizens.

than they would like to can now stay at home longer to raise their family without losing healthcare.

Because the ACA extends Medicare to people earning up to 138 percent of the poverty line, lowwage workers can now spend money on goods and services other than healthcare. This extra spending creates new jobs. Moreover, as more Americans obtain health insurance, there must be more healthcare workers to account for millions more patients, thus, raising the demand for labor in the healthcare field.

The CBO’s report on minimum wage does not match the consensus view of economists that raising the minimum wage has little to no negative impact on employment.

Instead of performing its own empirical study on the employment effects of a minimum-wage

hike, the CBO did a meta-analysis, looking only at existing studies and compiling the data.

Contrary to this highly flawed study, a minimum-wage increase actually helps the economy by creating jobs. Not only did the CBO report that an increase would lift 900,000 Americans out of poverty, it also found that increasing the minimum wage would boost wages for 25 million Americans, adding $31 billion to the paychecks of the working poor. Low-wage workers would have more money to spend, and their extra expenses would create jobs. To quote Princeton economist and New York Times columnist Paul Krugman: “My spending is your income, and your spending is my income.”

Although employers of minimum wage workers would have to pay their employees more, the pric-

es of their products would not rise significantly. According to Robert Reich, former secretary of labor for President Bill Clinton, “such a wage increase is more likely to come out of profits than be passed on in higher prices because most employers of low-wage workers are in intense competition for customers.”

With corporate profits at their highest in history, companies can absorb increased costs without reducing payroll or charging their customers exorbitant prices.

Raising the minimum wage is also a civil rights issue. Representing 42 percent of minimum wage earners, minorities—who, on average, earn less than white people—would be the majority of those lifted out of poverty. Furthermore, because women make up two-thirds of minimum wage earners, an increase in minimum wage

would help to close the gender wage gap. It would especially help women of color—who are overrepresented among female minimum-wage earners—because they, on average, earn even less than white women.

Both the ACA and the proposals to raise the minimum wage are economic polices designed to help the marginalized individuals of our society. Of course, actions aimed at improving the lives of millions of Americans have trade-offs. But when the positive effects of those policies outweigh any nominally negative consequences, we must pursue them with deliberate speed.

Every single human being has a right to healthcare and a living wage. No one working full-time should be in poverty. We take a giant step closer to a just society by implementing these policies.

Internships: Valuable Experience or Exploitation?

GABRIELLE SAMBOY Staff Writer

It is not every day that a college student gets to experience being around his or her dream job. In a recent New York Times article, titled “For Interns, All Work and No Payoff” by Alex William, William argues that internships rarely lead to any kind of job in the long run.

During most of our college career, professors, mentors and parents are constantly telling us that we must apply to internships. Now, most college students apply to college internships to put their foot in the door and also to help them understand the types of careers they are most interested in. But internships are usually unpaid, which often leaves the paid internships to college graduates or those who are better qualified.

As a student attending Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) in the heart of the city and in the middle of the competition capital, there are plenty of internships to apply to, and many offer academic credit as a form of compensation. Aside from earning more credits, the majority of New York City’s college students apply to and participate in internships in order to build their resumes. However, at what cost should we accept unpaid internships? Many companies have been known to

exploit their interns by not giving them any form of compensation and either piling heavy workload on them or treating them like “go-fors”.

I don’t think internships are worth the exploitation if interns are not even gaining the necessary information and mentoring they sought out when they first applied.

I think that one of the many reasons that students get involved in internships is to gain some sort of experience and knowledge. The last thing anyone wants to be is the ‘coffee guy’ or ‘coffee girl:’ everyone wants to make a great impression, and most of us are either ambitious and never say no to what our supervisors ask of us, or we’re too timid to say that something is outside of our internship duties. While there is a rare chance that one might actually be doing work related to the field they are interested in, in many cases unpaid interns do the work of a paid employee and don’t get rewarded for it. As a result, many internship programs have begun to face problems. Condé Nast, for instance, had to completely get rid of their unpaid internship program after facing lawsuits from interns. Other companies like Hearst Corporation and the Boston Globe struggled with similar issues.

In addition, Allison Cleary, a professor at Saint Michael’s College, in an article in The Burlington Press, a publication which has eliminated internships in favor of

freelance opportunities, fights for internships, saying that students would gain a lot of experience from unpaid internships if companies are cooperative and students actually get a chance to do more than just menial tasks. I agree with Allison Cleary; internships are important for us college students as they give us an insight into what we can picture ourselves doing in the future.

Unpaid internships are not worth the hassle or the exploitation of interns if the place of employment is not doing right by their interns.

However, just because unpaid internship programs at companies like Condé Nast and Hearst have been called out for having terrible working conditions, doesn’t mean that all unpaid internships don’t lead anywhere. The Burlington Press goes on to say that “the federal Fair Labor Standards Act sets out a six-part test to determine whether an internship can be unpaid.” Most companies have now been notified to act accordingly and offer some form of compensation, so working conditions for unpaid interns have improved. Unpaid interns will now not only be able to gain valuable experience but also work their way up to a paid internship and, possibly, a job.

Bottom line is that we can’t criticize one program for the faults of another, and internships—whether paid or unpaid—are undoubtedly important.

VICTORIA VON ANCKEN/THE OBSERVER

Unpaid internships can be problematic, but they still offer unparalleled work experience.

Arts & Culture

Arts & Culture Co-Editors Ludovica Martella — ludovica.martella@gmail.com Andrew Milne — amilne@fordham.edu Tyler Martins — t.martins216@gmail.com March 13, 2014 THE OBSERVER

New Year, Same Challenges for “The Vagina Monologues”

By JOHN GUERIN Staff Writer

“The Vagina Monologues,” written by Eve Ensler, is an episodic play of candid monologues which explore feminism, sexual violence, the female body and the power of female sexuality. With financial assistance from the Women’s Studies department, but without funding from the Office of Student Leadership and Community Development (OSLCD), a group of Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) students are going to perform the production in April.

Since as early as 2003, “The Vagina Monologues” has been rejected as a school-sponsored club event. Because the production is not affiliated with OSLCD, any administrative offices or student clubs, participating students rely on academic departments for financial assistance and university support. The clubs have their own separate budgets. Without the approval from OSLCD directly, the show’s management is riddled with issues and restrictions that sponsored club events don’t have to deal with.

“The hardest part is reserving rehearsal space,” Wallis Monday, FCLC’ 16, a member of the show’s production team said. “I don’t care about Fordham’s opposition anymore. These issues are just something we’ve gotten used to. It’s no longer a passionate struggle. We’ve accepted this is just something we have to go through to put on the show,” Monday said.

Funding for the performance goes to various production needs, which are relatively cheap. Acquiring the rights to the play is done with a $75 deposit to “V-Day,” Ensler’s foundation to end violence against women.

Props and costumes are minimal; students work together to scrounge up materials by themselves. Most of the money goes to buying items sold at the production itself and for advertisement. Proceeds from sales made

KIRSTIN BUNKLEY/THE OBSERVER

Students audition to perform in “The Vagina Monologues,” by Eve Ensler. at the show are donated to women’s position to underage drinking and empowerment and anti-rape foun- some consider this episode as condations. Last year, the production doning statutory rape.

Monday, an English and art hisraised $1,530 for GEMS, an organization that supports survivors of sex tory major, drew a parallel to bookbanning and added that a university trafficking.

The most potent source of ad- should not have incentive to oppose ministrative opposition is traced any topic of conversation. She pointed to a monologue entitled “The Little to other works of literature she read at Coochie Snorcher That Could,” in Fordham which deals with similarly which a 16-year-old woman gets scandalous or taboo subjects.

Nadia Pinder, FCLC ’14, who has drunk and subsequently has sex with an older woman. Grounds for rejec- participated in “The Vagina Monotion have centered on Fordham’s op- logues” since freshman year, was

the performer of “The Little Coochie Snorcher That Could” in her first production, a character that Ensler based on an interview with a homeless woman recounting her sexual awakening in the 1960s. Pinder said that grounds for using the scene’s underage drinking to argue against the production as a whole were “petty.”

“The Theatre [Program] performs ‘inappropriate’ productions all the time. In the last play I saw at Fordham, there was a lynching scene. The school sponsors the production but, of course, does not condone lynching.

‘The Little Coochie Snorcher’ is just a front for Fordham to oppose ‘The Vagina Monologues’ and keep it off the radar,” Pinder said.

“The Vagina Monologues” received attention last year when the theology department donated money to the production, a landmark action that directly challenged Fordham’s ethical objection to the production.

The passion has simmered, Pinder added, and sees no dramatic change in sight. “Violence against women, unlike something like marriage equality, is not a national issue. Fordham doesn’t like to be first to make a big change, so unless there is cultural pressure to accept the production, there probably won’t be any advances in producing the show.”

This issue is not new at Fordham, but with each year of administrative difficulties, the effects are felt on a more personal level. “It’s sad to know that your school doesn’t support a production that is so cathartic for many students involved who are survivors of sexual violence or have been affected by sexual violence. Fordham’s reputation seems to be more important,” Pinder said.

Keith Eldredge, dean of students at FCLC, has spoken about “The Vagina Monologues” extensively with The Observer. In March 2012, he told The Observer that “‘The ‘Vagina Monologues’ is not supported by the administrative units of the Univer-

sity, including the departments in the division of Student Affairs.” However, he did assist in having FCLC Counseling Services attend the production to help students cope after the emotional final monologue, adding, “as administrators, we are very concerned about sexual violence and pleased that we were able to collaborate on this initiative.” Students involved with the production intend to host FCLC Counseling Services again this year.

The leaders of “The Vagina Monologues” have reached a level of mutual respect with the administration in this situation. “We understand that the administration has to defend us no matter what, and we appreciate staff members who support our goals but may not agree with how we achieve them,” Pinder added.

Kirstin Bunkley, FCLC ’15, is performing “The Little Coochie Snorcher” in the 2014 production, having performed the same monologue last year. She stressed the importance of having “The Vagina Monologues” performed in college for student audiences. “When I saw ‘The Vagina Monologues’ my freshman year, my eyes were opened to the horrors of sexual violence. Watching the show and learning about feminism and sexuality is no different than taking a philosophy course and learning about Plato. College is the time to learn about the real world before we enter it. This is one of few environments to feel comfortable and ask questions about these topics,” Bunkley said.

IF YOU GO

“The Vagina Monologues” WHEN: April 11, 12 and 13 WHERE: South Lounge, Fordham College at Lincoln Center PRICE: $8 MORE INFO: All proceeds go directly toward women’s rights charities.

The Comma Interrobang The Big Apple

By SAM STOKES Staff Writer Folks. Here’s a fun fact: Biblical texts make no direct allusion to any specific type of fruit, apple or otherwise, in the sections pertaining to the Edenic myth. You know, Eve, Adam, Forbidden Fruit, Genesis (not the band) - not one Granny Smith or Macintosh to be found.

In reality, the Latin phrase ‘Bonum et Malum,’ meaning roughly ‘of good and evil,’ looks like a form of malus, Latin for apple. It was just a little piece of language, a metonymic association, widespread poetic intuition way back when. Really, the faculty for a bad pun came to create one of the world’s most famous, loaded symbols. Witzelsucht. Eisegesis. “Orange you glad I didn’t say bodily shame? Haha, no but seriously…bodily shame.”

I went vegetarian recently. The justification I gave over the first few weeks was one that I cribbed from a shamefully enthusiastic Tumblr: I could not imagine actually killing a cow. After the first month, I could have raised a cow, named him Charles and waved goodbye while he got loaded onto the truck. Luckily, I lived in The Big Apple, which made it easier. Or so everyone told me. Oh, like all the readily available pizza, I responded, and they shook their heads, judging. No. They meant the

fact that this city is privileged with hundreds of vegetarian and vegan service industry options. This, though great in many ways, also cultivates a scene that is…the worst.

So much of being a vegetarian in New York seems to be about saying that you’re a vegetarian, hinting that you’re a vegetarian, putting on multiple scarves and then making, like, super earnest eye contact.

It’s something I believe in—don’t get me wrong. I’m still a vegetarian. (Damn you, Charles! With those deep, brown eyes!) And this type of inter-critique might not be crucial when the vapid vegetarian is a relatively small voice compared to the alternative conversation of catch-all ‘hipster’ bashing and affected bacon-worship. But still, it is a specific type of jerk-move to take a cause and rework its narrative to make a convenient lil’ label for oneself. Long discussions over leafy greens and satisfied looks to the server ultimately seem a little funny when all it is, at the end of the day, is a dietary option.

A whole lot of something out of nothing. I guess it is just too appealing to talk talk talk about the food we eat as a way to talk about ourselves and not much else.

See how fun The Comma is?

Submit your stuff. observercomma@gmail.com

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Arts & Culture

March 13, 2014 THE OBSERVER

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PHOTO COURTESY OF LAUREN PLUMLEY

Lauren Plumley, FCLC ’16, is a former gymnast-turned-circus performer. Her speciality is the trapeze, seen here, as the flyer who soars through the air and into the arms of the catcher.

Flying Through the Air with The Greatest of Ease

By ANDREW MILNE Arts & Culture Co-Editor

In 2012, Lauren Plumley, Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) ’16, ran off and joined the circus. It’s not quite as angsty as it seems—she wasn’t kidnapped by clowns or lured by an enigmatic but captivating ringmaster. Wanting a change of pace and a chance to get more formal training, Plumley took a year off school, left Hofstra University and joined Circomedia in Bristol, England. A year later, Plumley is back in New York, but the circus is very much still a part of who she is.

“It’s my life,” Plumley said.

Once a nationally-ranked gymnast, Plumley soon found herself retired after a back injury mid-adolescence. “I stopped when I was like 15, because it just hurt everywhere.

So doing flying trapeze essentially was the same idea and it’s the same feeling and it didn’t hurt. For me, that was incredible,” Plumley said, explaining the origins of her interest in circus performance. “I was a competitive gymnast growing up so I went to a summer camp that has a really large circus program attached to it, so the skills transfer over really well,” Plumley said.

Realizing that gymnastics was no longer a viable option and that her love of physical performance ran strong, she became more serious about circus performing, specifically trapeze. “It was the first thing that I experienced that was similar enough to gymnastics but it didn’t come with the pain that gymnastics had,” she said. Trapeze, which is mostly aerial, relieves the impact that gymnastics has on the joints, while keeping athletic and artistic expression intact.

Falling more and more in love with circus performing as the year went on, Plumley began to feel the pull of the trapeze calling her back during her freshman year at Hofstra University. “I decided I wanted to do a short-term professional training program, and they had one that I was really interested in in Bristol,” Plumley explained. Plumley packed her bags for Bristol and enrolled at Circomedia, “an internationally respected centre of excellence for Contemporary Circus and Physical Theatre,” according to its website.

A fully integrated circus education is what Plumley got. “It was difficult, like full days of classes, so everything from like juggling and unicycling to acrobalance, partner

balance, various aerials including flying trapeze and double trapeze, all of it. And physical theatre, which is acting with your body, kind of,” she added.

Plumley learned a lot about herself in her year in England, even finding romance among the ropes.

Her first catcher, the anchor for the trapeze act who literally scoops up the flyer—the other artist who is airborne—out of the air, Jono Ayres, is now her boyfriend.

Another lesson Plumley learned was her preference for contemporary circus rather than traditional.

“Traditional is what you think of with like Barnum and Bailey, Ringling Brothers, all that three-ring nonsense, with the ring master and the elephants and the horses and the clowns and all of that nonsense.

Contemporary circus really tries to incorporate theater and movement in with the circus discipline, so it’s much less about like flash and more about telling a story,” Plumley said.

A significant amount of popular circuses today lean more towards contemporary style, including Cirque du Soleil, Les 7 Doigts de la Main, and even aspects of La Soirée and Pippin, two shows currently playing

in New York have a modern circus feel.

The main difference between traditional and contemporary is the emphasis modern circus performers put on telling a story through their act rather than relying on flash.

“There was another piece that I was a part of that a friend of mine put me in, and basically, it was a story based on a play about a girl and her friends and their life and this girl basically dives into a pool and there’s no water in the pool and she dies,” Plumley said, explaining how trapeze can tell a narrative. “We told the story just using movement and the aerials and stuff to tell the story about the girl and her friends.”

After her sojourn across the pond, Plumley decided to come back to New York, choosing Fordham primarily for its location. “I chose Fordham because it is sort of the epicenter of a lot of the circus in New York City, because there’s circus on the East Side, circus below us, there’s circus in Queens.” Plumley takes five classes at FCLC, does 17 training class hours a week at Circus Warehouse and also teaches classes at Trapeze School New York. “A typical day, usually I get up and do whatever

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classes I have at Fordham that day, and then I do anywhere from one to five classes per day at Circus Warehouse, so that’s my personal training,” Plumley said. “I have ballet, contortion and fly. I come back, do homework if I decide to do my homework, bed, repeat. In between that, whatever shifts I work for Trapeze School New York.” Like most circus performers, Plumley is a master of balance, both in the air and on the ground. Plumley hopes to perform trapeze for now, but hopes to open up her own school someday, and is currently majoring in economics to achieve that goal.

Plumley credits running away to the circus as teaching her discipline, responsibility and self-reliance.

“When you’re 30 feet in the air and you’re about to do a drop, you better know what you’re doing and you better be comfortable doing it because you can’t doubt yourself in that moment,” Plumley said. She takes lessons she learns from the circus and applies them to real life, like trusting the people she works with, committing fully and having confidence in herself.

“It helped me grow up” Plumley said.

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Arts & Culture

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PHOTOS COURTESY GERRY GOODSTEIN/FORDHAM THEATRE PROGRAM

Jeff Barry, FCLC ’02, starred as Romeo in the mainstage production of the Shakespeare classic “Romeo and Juliet,” in his final semester at Fordham.

Former Romeo Fights His Way on Broadway

By TYLER MARTINS Arts & Culture Co-Editor

How often do you sit in McMahon Hall and talk about the future?

How often do you talk about being successful with your roommates: either getting cast in a big Broadway show, writing a New York Times bestselling book or landing a writing gig on Comedy Central?

Jeff Barry, Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) ’02, remembers sitting around in 14F, talking about making it big on Broadway.

Little did Barry know that he’d be making his Broadway debut surrounded by his roommates and college friends. “That was just the kind of thing that we would dream and just kind of joke about. The fact that it came to fruition is just awesome,” Barry said.

Barry made his Broadway debut in “A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder” in November 2013, where he joined two of his former college roommates in the industry: producer John Johnson, FCLC ’02 and projection designer Aaron Rhyne, FCLC ’02.

But Barry didn’t make his

Broadway debut as a performer; instead, it came the way of fight direction. “It’s funny how something like that happens,” Barry said. “You need a strong broad skillset, and the fact that’s how my Broadway debut came is great. It’s all part of the journey for me.”

Stage combat was a skill that Barry had a natural affinity for, and had begun practicing early in high school. “As an actor, it’s a great skill to have,” Barry said. “It was something that I really had contact with really early on, and it just took naturally. So when I got to Fordham, there were some shows that had a bunch of combat in them.”

A fight director, Barry said, helps show the story in the best way possible. The role of a fight director is to go through the script and highlight any incident of violence.

“An incident of violence may be a slap, it could be a push, it could be a fall, it could be a full on fight or some gun work or swords or any type of weaponry,” Barry said.

From then on, the fight director stages the violence in a way that the actors can perform repeatedly without sustaining injuries.

“A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder” had played regionally before making its way to Broadway when Barry joined the creative team as the fight director. “I have been doing some fight direction work and stunt coordinating in film and television for a few years now,” Barry said, when Johnson approached him about joining the show when it moved to New York.

“I took a look at what they needed and we were able to make it happen.”

Barry’s film and television credits include series like CBS’s “Guiding Light.” He has directed and acted in independent films such as “How We Got Away With It” and the upcoming “Bridesburg.”

“New York is a great place for independent films, and I’ve been able to make some relationships in that world and get called in to work on stuff,” Barry said.

The difference between stage and screen when it comes to fight direction is all about the camera. “The most important thing, as you’re directing fight for film or television, is to have a good relationship with the camera. You have to know

where the camera is,” Barry said.

“On stage, the audience is in a set position, whether it’s a proscenium, whether its in the round—you know where they are. In film and television, the camera moves.” Ultimately, it’s all about making sure no one gets hurt. “So we really have to create that illusion.”

A native of upstate New York, Barry transferred from Green Mountain College for his junior and senior year. His transition from the small Vermont school to FCLC was seamless. “You’re a new guy, you didn’t have two years of relationships. I just felt everybody welcomed me with open arms,” Barry said. “I had so much support and learned so much from the classes and the teachers.”

What drew him to Fordham was the ability to perform. Performing every semester in a mainstage production, he received his acceptance to Yale School of Drama while starring as Romeo in the mainstage production of the classic Shakespeare play.

“A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder” will always have a special place in Barry’s heart: a

Broadway debut surrounded by former roommates and friends. “14F is a place of folklore—when we left, a group of our friends who were also in the theatre department took over the apartment. There were a lot of great parties and a lot of great friendships and relationships that got made out there,” Barry said.

“When you’re doing crew and shop, and you’re in acting class, we all have ambitions and we joke about them and dream about them when we’re at school,” Barry said.

“Not too long after, 10 or 12 years or so, to be able to come together is a really special thing. “ Barry continues to work as an actor, both in films and on stage, with fight directing and stunt coordinating on the side. “I’m still culling my acting career and all that—this is a complement to that pursuit,” he said. For a performer, it’s not enough to just act anymore.

“You have to be willing to have a skillset that incorporates many aspects of a craft. There used to be a time when people just did theater or just did film or just did television. That’s over now.”

A Different Perception of Modern Art: Degenerate Art Exhibit Comes to NY

By LUDOVICA MARTELLA Arts & Culture Co-Editor

On Thursday, March 13, the Neue Galerie, a museum dedicated to early 20th German and Austrian art and design, will present “Degenerate Art: The Attack on Modern Art in Nazi Germany, 1937,” the first exhibition brought to the United States, on what in Nazi Germany was considered “degenerate art.”

‘Degenerate’ commonly refers to something that has lost either physical or moral qualities considered normal, in most cases. It was modern art that was defined as such.

“It’s more or less everything that we have at the Metropolitan Musuem of Art (MoMA): Picasso, Degas and everything that we would consider today innocuous work,” Jo Anna Isaak, professor of art history and John L. Marion Chair in Art History since 2009, described when asked about “degenerate” art.

Isaak specializes in 20th century art, focusing on the history of modernism, the art of the Soviet Union, feminist practice and critique and the intersection of art and ecological concerns.

“When [the Nazis] were quantifying works of art as degenerate they were including Picassos and particularly cubist work and every-

thing moving towards abstraction,” Isaak said. The works displayed in the exhibition are mainly part of German expressionism. “There is nothing about them that would be objectionable to an audience today.

It was just the very fact that they were modernist works. They were beyond the pale in terms of their avant-gardness and that seemed to be worrisome to a controlling regime,” as Germany came under the Weimar government of the 1920s.

The term “degenerate” was adopted by the National Socialists against modern art.

“Degenerate Art: The Attack on Modern Art in Nazi Germany, 1937” will not feature the works of Picasso or Degas but will concentrate only on German artists, which makes the display even more controversial and interesting, considering the fragility of freedom of expression that characterized Germany under the Nazis. The work of some of the artists included in the exhibit have political affiliations but others are “so innocent,” Isaak explained when reading the list of artists from Neue’s announcement of the art display. Artists include Oskar Kokoschka, Ewald Mataré and Paul Klee.

The works that will be displayed are survivors. During the early half

of the 20th century, many works were banned from museums and private collections and were put into one main collection. After that collection traveled for three years in Germany and Austria, most of the works were destroyed and lost.

“Some people were rescuing them,” Isaak confirmed. That is how today some of them have survived.

As Isaak explained, Adolf Hitler was actually an art fanatic, especially classical art. He did not ban these works because he hated them.

He encouraged the preservation of art that would stress the purity of the Aryan race and the power of Germany or on works that were from the Renaissance period. “As long as they had an historical affiliation they were safe,” Isaak said.

“Anything else was considered as suspect.”

IF YOU GO

Degenerate Art: The Attack on Modern Art in Nazi Germany, 1937 WHEN: March 13 until June 30 WHERE: 1048 5th Avenue, New York, NY 10028 MORE INFO: www.neuegalerie.org COURTESY NEUE GALERIE

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ANIMALS OF NEW YORK

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ANIMALS OF NEW YORK

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Features Co-Editors Paulina Tam —paulinatam01@gmail.com Brigitte Ayaz —brigitteayaz@gmail.com

March 13, 2014 THE OBSERVER

Things To Do Before You Graduate FCLC

By JULIET ALTMANN Staff Writer

We all know what a bucket list is; it’s a compilation of everything we want to do in our lives. Seeing that we are college students and are still in the prime of our youth, the concept of rushing to check things off the list before time runs out is a bit premature. With this in mind, The Observer asked a few students about their experiences in New York and what their fellow peers should ensure to do before leaving.

Central Park

Blue’s Dancing

“Actually walk around Central Park in the late afternoon or evening. Most people have been to one, maybe two parts of the park, but come spring, if you truly walk 10 or 20 streets in the park, you’ll find a movie screening or a concert, guaranteed.”

“The organization is called Friday Night Blues, but the location changes every week depending on what space is available. It is a fantastically fun, social dance/lesson that invokes classical Jazz Age Manhattan in a modern atmosphere.”

-Gabe Yayac, FCLC ’16

Katz’s Delicatessen

-Matthew Tiemstra, FCLC ’16

Off-Broadway Show

“If you can find a good Off-Broadway show, something tucked away in some weird office building space, I guarantee it will change your perspective on theater.”

“Get a pastrami sandwich at Katz’s Deli downtown.

That’s all you’ll ever need.”

-Sawyer Martoglio, FCLC ’17

Evan Kaloudis, FCLC ’14

Biking along the West Side Parkway

“One Saturday in March of my freshman year, my friend and I took our bikes over to the West Side Parkway and biked all the way down Manhattan, around the southern point, then saw the Brooklyn Bridge and decided to bike across that. We got to the other side and there’s a diner right where the bike path ends. We had brunch and then biked back, taking Broadway to Fordham.”

-Kieran Newton, FCLC ’16

Small Music Venues

“Going to a really small music venue is a very unique experience. There are huge places here in New York but there are also so many smaller places where you can get a really intimate experience with your favorite artist who you won’t find anywhere else. I once saw the bands Shark and Mean Creek at Pianos. I also saw Porches and Oberhofer at Baby’s All Right”

Fine Dining

“Go to a ridiculously overpriced and fancy restaurant, even if all you buy is an appetizer to split between three people. Being in Manhattan, it’s especially fascinating to experience how the ‘other half’ lives (they have bathroom attendants).

Prepare for the odd judgmental look or comment though.

-Jose Gamo, FCLC ’16

Good Morning America Summer Concert Series

“You wake up at 5 a.m., stand around in lines and even though everyone smells like burning garbage from sweating on the queue for so long, it’s worth it when you can jam out within feet of your favorite artists.

It’s become a tradition for my friends, siblings and I.”

-Kyle Davis, FCLC ’15

Broadway

-Andrew Lanser, FCLC ’17

The Standard

“I remember the first time I went to the Standard Hotel. My native New Yorker friend took me there. It was stunning views all around. They have an amazing crêpe bar at the top. There is a really fun crowd and the rooftop parties attract a lot of millennials.”

-Jose Gamo, FCLC ’16

Lincoln Center

“As a FCLC student, I have a special place in my heart for Lincoln Center. I highly recommend going there at night with friends. The lights, bulletins and fountain are absolutely gorgeous.”

-Matthew Tiemstra, FCLC ’16

Washington Square Park

“Everyone should check out Washington Square Park on the weekend at least once. It’s always packed with people and music, especially in the center. Sometimes there’s even a man who plays piano.

It is also always abundant with NYU students, which makes it unique. It’s their stomping ground and as Fordham students it’s interesting to experience another university’s locale.”

-Jenny Park, FCLC ’15

The Ramble and Lake

“Explore the Ramble and Lake in Central Park. There are hidden waterfalls and streams. During the spring it’s really pretty.”

-Andrew Lanser, FCLC ’17

-Alex Partridge, FCLC ’15

Chinatown

“Dim sum in Chinatown is awesome. They have vegetarian options, non-vegetarian and everything else. Go with a group so that you can taste a bunch of little things. Also, try to go with someone who’s been there before so they can show you the ropes.”

-Brianna Carr, FCLC ’17

“Going and seeing Broadway shows is an once in a lifetime experience.

I remember going to see ‘How To Succeed in Business Without Really Trying’ and I not only got to meet Daniel Radcliffe, but I also got a tour of backstage and saw all the props and costumes. All you have to do is ask after the show! The security people are usually really nice.”

-Sawyer Martoglio, FCLC ’17

Museums

“Going to a museum by yourself for an extended period of time is a great experience. Taking the time to look at and absorb every single thing on display is much more cathartic than ripping through every exhibit in an hour.”

Freedom Tunnel

“I think that one of the places people should definitely go before they leave New York is the Freedom Tunnel. It may be illegal, but if you like graffiti and street art it’s worth it. Just be careful getting there!”

-Ellie Kelly, FCLC ’17

Brooklyn Bridge

“Walk the Brooklyn Bridge. It gives you a perspective outside of Manhattan. It also makes you realize how small you are in comparison to the skyscrapers.

-Ian Bond, FCLC ’17

ICONS COURTESY OF THE NOUN PROJECT. PARK DESIGNED BY ROMA; DANCING DESIGNED BY MURALI KRISHNA; THE BIG PICTURE DESIGNED BY MATT BROOKS; SANDWICH DESIGNED BY CRIS DOBBINS; THEATER DESIGNED BY ASIER BILBO; FOUNTAIN DESIGNED BY LUIZA PEIXE; BICYCLER DESIGNED BY RANDALL BARRIGA; MUSIC DESIGNED BY CHRISTOPHER HOLM-HANSEN; SLEEP DESIGNED BY DONBLC 123; WAITER DESIGNED

BY SCOTT LEWIS; BUILDING DESIGNED BY LIL SQUID; WATERFALL DESIGNED BY PAULO VOLKOVA; STAGE DESIGNED BY JUAN PABLO BRAVO; STEAM BASKET DESIGNED BY STEPHANIE WAUTERS; GRAFITTI ZONE DESIGNED BY ICONATHON; THEATER DESIGNED BY DIEGO NAIVE; BRIDGE DESIGNED BY YI CHEN

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I PITY THE JEWEL

Job Search 2014: A Foolproof Guide to Success Forever JEWEL GALBRAITH Staff Writer

It is the year 2014, and like every other year in American history, young people are looking for jobs.

The constant pursuit of employment may not have changed, but, today, the job search process is not as straightforward as it was for our parents’ generation in the ’60s and ’70s. Back then, a young person on the search for work would simply ride her horse to the back of the local general store, where an elderly soothsayer would use a calligraphy pen to write out her career path for her on a scroll of parchment. But we live in the Internet age, and things are moving and changing and evolving and morphing and growing and so on.

With the World Wide Web in mind, I’ve compiled some of the tip-top top tips for modern day job searching. When you are ready to unleash the fire-breathing, Craigslist-using, three-headed success-dragon inside you, read on.

Students at this Lincoln Center career fair should stop wasting their time and just listen to Jewel’s advice.

1. Network If there is one quote that encapsulates the collective consciousness of today’s employers, public and private, large and small, it is this one: “Online portfolios! LinkedIn profiles! Professional Instagram accounts! I wanna click on more things! Clicky clicky clicky!”

That’s right—from Fortune 500s to nonprofits, companies today are thirsty for online networking, and only you can provide them with the Gatorade that is your online presence. The best thing you can do

for your future is work hard in the present, in the sense of signing up for as many social media platforms as you have time to update. Don’t stop at Twitter. Don’t stop at your high school drama club “News and Events” page. Don’t stop at your sweet, sweet Google+profile. Take the process into your own hands and invent a new app that displays picture-résumés, or takes pictures of résumés, or Photoshops your résumé into your Facebook profile picture.

Whatever it takes to keep those clicky clickers clicking.

MARIA FISCHER/THE OBSERVER

2. Send emails Every time you are up for an interview, a job or even a promotion, it is important to consider that your success is directly dependent on the volume of emails related to the job that you send and receive. There are several different types of emails you should be sending throughout the job search process. There are emails just to remind people that you exist: these include thank-you emails to be sent after interviews and preemptive thank you emails to be sent before interviews. There are advice emails, which you can send to previous

employers, current employers, strong female role models and advice columnists. There is even room to send “just saying hi” emails to your aunts, uncles and old piano teachers. Don’t discount the value of these casual correspondences. Remember, you never know who is going to give you your next job. It is best, in fact, to respond to the mass mailings you get from Amazon and American Eagle as well. Spam mailers deserve your time and attention, too. Because seriously, you never know.

3. Look for work in the tech industry The tech industry tip is the Holy Grail of modern job search tips. According to most major news outlets and my parents, there is no downside to a job in the tech industry. Tech jobs are growing, tech jobs are highpaying. Tech jobs are how the science and math departments market themselves at every semester’s major fair. Tech jobs are one-way tickets to living the power-nerd lifestyle of Mark Zuckerberg, which seems cool and alluring even considering the surrounding legal drama. The only difficulty when it comes to tech jobs is that it is unclear as to what they are or where you might find one.

I imagine you would have to have special skills. Programming? Excel?

It could be anything. Based on the graphics I always see next to the tech job statistics in the newspaper, it has to do with lots of algorithms written on a whiteboard. Going forward, my strategy will be to hope that I know a tech job when I see one, and then once I see one to grab onto it and never, ever let it go. If I have to wither away and die with my cold, bony arms wrapped around my tech job, so be it. Such is the nature of the tech industry, or so I assume. *** I hope, having finished these tips, that you’re on your way to your first tech job or, as a last resort, some other non-tech job. If that hasn’t happened for you yet, don’t worry: like I said, these tips are foolproof. They guarantee future job fulfillment. Just implement them to the best of your abilities, keep refreshing your inbox, and wait. One day, all of us will be Mark Zuckerberg. All of us.

Why wait until Fall? Think Summer, Think Fordham.

• Finish the language requirement • Work on pre-med prerequisites • Wrap up your minor Choose from 200 courses available this summer.

Learn more at fordham.edu/summer.

eeo/aa

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WORD OF MOUTH

ROSANNA CORRADO/THE OBSERVER

A burger at P.J. Clarke’s a little bit too pricey for you? Try its spin-off, Clarke’s Standard. For less than $10, get a juicy burger, french fries and a fountain soda.

The New Burger Standard: Thick, Juicy, Filling and Cheap ROSANNA CORRADO Staff Writer

The burger was fresh off the griddle. Instead of the usual premade, frozen patty that comes with bargain-price burgers, this patty was thick and hand-formed. As I bit into it, meat juice dripped down my chin.

The fresh, soft bun, red tomato slices, green lettuce and a generous helping of Clarke’s Standard Sauce elevated the burger further. The Standard Sauce tasted like an acidic mayobased concoction, whose secretive recipe rivals legendary burger sauces like the Big Mac sauce or Shake Shack sauce. I quickly realized that this is the best cheap burger in the entire city. And it is only two blocks away from Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC).

Enter Clarke’s Standard, a P.J. Clarke’s spinoff, located one avenue

away. Clarke’s Standard offers highquality foo at affordable prices in a casual atmosphere in which one can choose to indulge in a quick burger or take their food to go. Seeing as it is a block away, most Fordham students are familiar with P.J. Clarke’s, one of Manhattan’s best burger joints—a personal favorite of mine.

The prices, however, are beyond what an average college student is willing to pay for a burger and fries, thus limiting their clientele. The restaurant has solved this problem by introducing a chain of Clarke’s Standard locations throughout the city, thus making their burgers available to everyone. While one can choose a burger from the creative menu, which includes unique burger creations like one featuring charred green chilies and melted American cheese, I would recommend maximizing value with quantity by ordering one of Clarke’s Combos. With four combo choices that are all under

$10, diners can satisfy their hunger while not having to empty their wallets. There is the butcher’s combo, which consists of Clarke’s Standard cheeseburger, regular or sweet potato fries and a regular size fountain soda.

There is also a turkey burger combo in case you are not in the mood for a classic beef burger. For those who don’t want burgers at all, there is a combo that includes Clarke’s jumbo New York hot dog and a BBQ chicken sandwich.

I decided to order the butcher’s combo, which was a fantastic price for the quality. For $9.90 I got the delicious Clarke’s Standard cheeseburger, crispy, sweet potato fries that had smooth mashed potato-like innards, and a regular fountain soda that helped wash it all down. The burgers are served in cute retro cardboard burger boxes and was awesome; I find there is nothing more satisfying or comforting than a cheeseburger during midterms week. The waffle sweet

potato fries had the right amount of grease on them and were the perfect complement to my burger. While the burgers are the real gem of the menu, Clarke’s Standard also offers sweets in the form of delicious homemade ice creams in flavors like wild strawberry and salted caramel. The ice cream is sold in little Dixie cups that are the perfect individual serving.

I got the current special, which was cinnamon donut ice cream. The ice cream was rich with a fresh vanilla flavor. The large cinnamon donut chunks that were mixed in added textural contrast and tasted like a cake version of a cinnamon bun.

Additionally, if you don’t want to wait to have your ice cream after your meal, Clarke’s uses their homemade ice cream to make fresh to order milkshakes.

Overall, Clarke’s Standard offers the best quality burger around the Fordham Lincoln Center Campus.

You get the same world famous P.J

Clarke’s burger for a lower price that accommodates students’ budgets.

It is more convenient and better tasting than other neighborhood competitors like Shake Shack. The burger patty is thicker than the ones at Shake Shack (I find them to be on the thinner side) and has a delicious clean Angus beef taste. Also, the buns are a little on the heftier side and absorb the meat juice better than the soft potato rolls many burger places use, which get soggy quickly. I highly recommend going to Clarke’s Standard and tasting the best cheap burger close to FCLC; your wallet and stomach will thank you for it.

IF YOU GO

Clarke’s Standard Price: $$ Where: 977 8 th Ave Between 57th and 58 th Street

Sports

Sports Editor Jennifer Khedaroo — jkhedaroo@fordham.edu

March 13, 2014 THE OBSERVER

The Brooklyn Nets and Jason Collins’ Name for Fame Game

By DYLAN PENZA Staff Writer

There is no doubt that the recent second signing of Jason Collins to the Brooklyn Nets is a momentous day in the history of LGBTQ life in America, but does the team want his image or his actual skills?

If the Brooklyn Nets have been successful at one thing since their move to the Barclays Center, it’s their ability to generate hype. I remember seeing the Blueprint of Success billboard featuring Jay-Z and Mikhail Prokhorov casting a shadow over Madison Square Gardem. I remember going to the Hova concert where they unleashed the black and white uniforms. Most of all, as a Knicks fan, I remember being jealous of the lucky Nets fans with their cool owners and sweet color scheme and whatnot.

All of this may be great for marketing to and growing a fan base, but the Nets might be going too far in their constant quest to be talked about. Nets’ General Manager Billy King has created a precedent of going for big splashy names in order to gain headlines instead of wins.

This is exemplified by the trades and free agent signings King has presided over. Firstly, he mortgaged off his team’s future by trading multiple draft picks and assets in exchange for Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Jason Terry. While all three players have won a championship, they are clearly past their primes and not worth the large salaries Brooklyn has taken on to acquire them. Pierce has looked like a shell of his former self averaging only 13.5 points a game. Garnett, while still full of fire and leadership, is too injury riddled to be relied on for long stretches of games. Terry isn’t

even on the team anymore as he has been traded to the Siberia of the NBA, known as Sacramento.

The team’s former acquisitions have not been literal or metaphorical slam dunks either. Deron Williams, once thought of as the teams cornerstone and the second best point guard in the league, has struggled to remain healthy. This year, even when he can play, he has been ineffective and benched in favor of backup Shaun Livingston. Joe Johnson may be an All Star this year, but he is not worth the more than 20 million dollar salary he is earning this season. Brook Lopez, the grown-in-house center that King signed to a hearty extension, has been plagued by injury again and will miss the remainder of the season.

Perhaps the most egregious example of the Nets’ choosing fame over qualification is the man who patrols the sidelines as head coach. Jason Kidd is one of the greatest pure point guards in NBA history and the most iconic player ever to don a Nets jersey.

He led the team to multiple Eastern Conference finals and is firmly established in the team’s lore. So it is perfectly reasonable for the organization to find him a position after he has retired from playing. However, giving someone with no prior coaching experience the reigns to a championship or bust team such as Brooklyn was not perfectly reasonable. Instead of an established, George Karl-type leading the team, Kidd spent his first few months growing a beard, spilling soda and looking like a deer in headlights when forced to think of a play to run or set up a rotation. But, to be fair, it was a very popular choice among fans to hire him. Clearly, the Nets would rather accumulate press as opposed to the right men to win a

championship, which brings us back to Collins.

Jason Collins has been exceptional in his role as a third string center for the Nets. As a player, he has earned not only another 10-day contract, but a guaranteed one for the duration of the season. He has brought tenacity and focus on the defensive end, allowing for more rest for the older players on the squad. However, it’s difficult to doubt that his name recognition is one of the main reasons the Nets decided to sign him over other free agents.

Tyrus Thomas, Antawn Jamison and Marcus Camby are just a few frontcourt players without teams that could have been signed as opposed to Collins. One could argue that despite their advanced ages, Camby and Jamison are better offensive players with playoff experience. Another could argue that Thomas has the ability to be a productive NBA player in the right system. Thomas’ potential and inability to live up to expectations reminds me of another of the Nets’ reclamation projects Andray Blatche.

While the differences between all these players is marginal at best, not every backup center signing becomes breaking news on SportsCenter. Also, not every player outsells Lebron James in jersey sales. Collins has done both.

While I do believe that Jason Collins’ playing is a wonderful advancement for the NBA and North American sports in general, it is hard to ignore that the team that signed him might have less-than-stellar motivations. The idea that perhaps the Nets are exploiting Collins’ sexuality to increase fandom or ticket sales is not incomprehensible, especially for a team so focused on being talked about.

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Is Jason Collins’ new extended contract due to talent or is it just a ploy?

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Women’s Basketball Wins A-10 for the First Time in Fordham History

By JENNIFER KHEDAROO Sports Editor

On March 9, the Fordham women’s basketball team made history.

The team pulled through and defeated the University of Dayton, 63-51, to claim their first Atlantic 10 (A-10) title in school history.

Fordham participated in the A-10 Championship tournament from March 7 to March 9 in Richmond, VA. First, the team defeated Duquesne University in a low scoring game of 45-41. The following day, Fordham kicked up its offense while the defense held down St. Bonaventure University for a 73-32 win.

The final game, against the University of Dayton, got off to a rough start. Head Coach Stephanie Gaitley had a slogan for the team prior to the game, especially since they were facing a team they had lost to during the season. Dayton beat Fordham 73-64 on Jan. 19. It was only one of seven Fordham losses this year. “After we lost to Dayton the last time, we met as a team and talked about playing with a purpose and having a chip on our shoulder. We had something to prove. Our slogan before the game was ‘play with a chip to win the ’ship,’” she said.

Dayton started off the game with a 10-4 run and managed to hold Fordham off for most of the first half. It wasn’t until three minutes before halftime when Fordham took their first lead of the game. Abigail Corning, Fordham College at Rose Hill (FCRH) ‘14, stole Dayton’s ball around midcourt and completed a jump shot to give Fordham the 2927 lead.

Although Dayton regained the lead, Corning and her teammates were not counting themselves out just yet. With seven minutes left to play, Fordham saw themselves up 56-47. Even though the offense didn’t score a single point for the next four minutes, the defense made sure Dayton wouldn’t tie. Dayton ended up scoring just 51 points while Fordham’s offense revved up to give

COURTESY A-10 CONFERENCE

After falling just short last season, Fordham has won its first ever A-10 Championship.

them a final of 63 points.

Earlier on in the season, Corning spoke about the team’s chances this year. “The Atlantic 10, on the whole is really strong this year; we don’t take anybody lightly,” Corning said.

“We just come out and try to play our game every single time, no matter which team we’re facing.”

“I just want to finish my senior year strong, and bring out the best in my teammates and leave with no

regrets,” Corning said. “And I want to carry my team as much as I can into the conference tournament and hopefully get to the championship.”

After the win, Corning thanked her family, friends and the Fordham community. But she held a special place for her teammates and coaches. “We share a bond that will last forever and I am so happy to have memories with each and every one of you. Without your fight and hard

work beside me, I would not have become the player I am today,” Corning wrote on Facebook. “And to my coaches, the countless hours spent in the gym with me working on my game and the belief you instilled in me as a player, to you I am truly appreciative and forever grateful.”

Gaitley also said she was feeling pure joy and even admitted to crying once the game was over. “It is such a terrific group of young ladies,” she

said. “These moments don’t come around that often and I just wanted to take it all in. It was a very surreal moment and still is.”

She isn’t ready to start thinking about next year just yet either.

“I don’t think past the present,” she said. “We have been going full speed since July and our foreign tour. We are going to enjoy the journey by maximizing the experience and making Fordham proud.”

Can Liverpool Place Within the Top Four?

By CONRAD ZAJKOWSKI Asst. Sports Editor

With 10 games left in the English Premier League (EPL), there is still uncertainty in who will finish first, let alone who will be in the top four. The final stretch will be a time of uncertainty for England’s top teams. However, no one else will have more uncertainty than a Liverpool Football Club (LFC) fan.

In fact, Liverpool is in the conversation for winning the title for the first time in more than 20 years . That has already exceeded all expectations at the start of the season.

Being in second place at this point of the year is beyond memories. Liverpool finished in seventh place a year ago, and they have been suffering from a five-year drought of the coveted Champions League.

For Liverpool, it’s all thanks to the EPL’s best striking duo of the year, Luis Suarez and Daniel Sturridge. Around the League, Suarez and Sturridge are now known as SAS, which is normally the abbreviation for striker and striker. This duo of strikers is necessary for a great team, and Liverpool hasn’t had such a pair since the 1980s.

Suarez is leading Europe’s Golden Boot race for most goals with Cristiano Ronaldo. Currently, he has 24 goals. Meanwhile, Sturridge is in fourth place with 18 goals, making Suarez and Sturridge the only two Premier League players in the top ten of Europe’s best scorers.

Liverpool is in first place in the

COURTESY PREMIER LEAGUE

Liverpool Football Club may be silencing their doubters at the end of this season.

league in terms of scoring. The team overall is leading with 73 goals in 28 games. However, Liverpool’s defense has been shaky. Allowing 38 goals makes them ninth in defense.

Currently, Chelsea FC has a seven point lead on Liverpool for first.

Even though Liverpool has one more game at hand to get closer to first place, the team still has a trying schedule ahead. Liverpool has

to play against Manchester United in Manchester, the weak champions who will try and save their season by being able to at least salvage a Champions League spot.

Liverpool also has to face Tottenham, who are six points or two wins away from Liverpool. Luckily they will play in Anfield, which isLiverpool’s home stadium. Liverpool ranks in the top two for the

EPL’s best home record.

Liverpool will also play matches against Chelsea and Manchester City who are in first and fourth.

Manchester City will be very important since they have 57 points, two fewer than Liverpool. But Manchester City has played two less games than Liverpool at this point, making it possible they could gain six points and lead Liverpool by

four points.

Because of that, Liverpool will have to beat Manchester City. That will result in three points and a worst case scenario of trailing by one point by the end of the season.

However, there’s no need to worry because it is unlikely that Manchester City will win 14 games to close the season. They have not exceeded the expectations of dominance set upon them at beginning of the season.

Manchester City are also in many cup competitions, particularly their Champions League match against Barcelona. There is the possibility that they can be worn down from extra competition. They might be too worn out against Liverpool, who are now concentrating solely on the Premier League.

Chelsea is also going to be tired for the same reasons. Luckily, Liverpool will play Chelsea for the last game of the season, which will surely decide the title race. If Liverpool can do well, which they should against other teams such as Sunderland, Norwich, West Ham and Cardiff City, they have a good shot at finishing within the top four at the very least.

However what fans want most is a title. Now that Liverpool is finally in striking distance of winning a championship in a year of chaotic change in the EPL, the fans will want one even more. Hopefully the players can live up to the expectations from Liverpool supporters.