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Q&A
February 3, 2011 Volume XXVIII, Issue 1
Photo Feature
Tunisia From Students’ Perspectives By Christina Frasca News Co-Editor
Meriam Sassi, Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) ’11 and Lindsay Novis, FCLC ’10, studied in Tunisia in 2009. Because of their experiences, they were able to become acquainted with life in Tunisia prior to the recent revolts by citizens demanding a coup of the Zine El Abidine Ben Ali regime. What started out as a peaceful protest quickly turned into a bloody revolution, leaving the future of the state indeterminable. Tunisians have ignited a domino effect among Arab nations, prompting revolts in neighboring Egypt and Jordan. The Observer: During your time
in Tunisia, did you think that something like this would happen now?
Meriam Sassi: We did know
that [Ben Ali] was no longer going to be in power relatively soon. [We] didn’t know a revolution of the people would bring it so soon. Can we imagine this happening a year ago? No, not in this way, but were there seeds planted? Yes.
Lindsay Novis: I never would
have thought when I was there that [the revolution] would be so soon. You always hope, but it really happened quite fast. The president was getting old so I think maybe everything just came together at the right time. When I was there, I remember talking to one of my teachers, asking “What do you think is going to happen when Ben Ali gets too old?” He thought he would nurture one of his lower officials. A lot of Tunisians two years ago didn’t see an end, but then this happened and it’s amazing. see TUNISIA pg. 4
Lucy Sutton/The Observer
New York Snowscapes
Central Park rests under a 15-inch blanket of snow during New York City’s snowiest January in its history.
Students Discuss Catholic Identity Conference Aims to Determine Why Church Lacks Youth Involvement By Helen Lee Staff Writer
Students and faculty gathered to examine the shrinking number of 20-somethings identifying with the Catholic Church during a two-day conference titled, “Lost? Twenty-Somethings and the Church.” The conference was held on Jan. 28 and 29, hosted by Fordham’s Francis and Ann Cur-
ran Center for American Catholic Studies, and examined “the lives of young adults and their relationship to the Catholic Church— or lack thereof.” James Davidson, professor emeritus of sociology at Purdue University, identified the amount of youth in the Church as a top concern, saying it is “hemorrhaging members” and lacking involvement. “They distinguish between the
Catholic faith, which they identify with, and the Catholic Church, which they are less attached to,” Davidson said. He suggested that social factors that encourage religious involvement, like marriage, have decreased since the first half of the 20th century. He also pointed out that Catholics in the early 1900s viewed the Church as a refuge. Rev. James Martin, S.J., cul-
Fordham Alum Takes Alternate Reality Gaming to the Next Level By matt surrusco Arts Co-Editor
The stereotypical online game enthusiast is viewed by most as a disengaged loner with little to offer the real world. But Jane McGonigal, Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) ’99 and former Observer news editor, sees potential where most see none. In her new book “Reality Is Broken: Why Games Make Us Better and How They Can Change the World,” McGonigal offers an innovative, arguably more accurate, conception of a gamer. When we play games, she said, “we rise to the occasion; we’re more optimistic; we’re more curious; we set higher goals for ourselves; we’re more
resilient in the face of failure; we’re more likely to cooperate with others to achieve a common goal.” As the director of game research and development at the Institute for the Future, a nonprofit think-tank based in Palo Alto, Cal., she should know. McGonigal, 33, counts herself among the ever-growing ranks of worldwide gamers, plus she develops alternate reality games (ARGs) for a living. As McGonigal wrote recently in the Wall Street Journal, “Collectively, we spend three billion hours a week gaming. In the United States, where there are 183 million active gamers, videogames took in about $15.5 billion last year.” In the op-ed, which
was adapted from “Reality Is Broken,” she argued that harnessing gamer strengths, including “blissful productivity,” “urgent optimism,” and “extreme cooperation,” has the potential to solve daunting social issues, from depression to global poverty. McGonigal, the featured lecturer at FCLC’s Industry Leadership Series on Feb. 2, has the utmost faith in the power of ARGs and the people who play them. As a life goal, she hopes to see a game designer win a Nobel Peace Prize. Working in a cuttingedge profession that joins social psychology and technology research with Silicon Valley commercial enterprise, see Gaming pg. 12
The Student Voice of Fordham College at Lincoln Center
ture editor of America Magazine, stressed the voluntary attitude among young people, saying, “20somethings may find [Catholicism] useful, but only to the extent that it makes them feel closer to God.” Others thought that shrinking numbers might be caused by a see Church pg. 4
Inside SPORTS
patriots no more? Fordham demoted in Patriot League due to athletic scholarships. u PAGE 26
LITERARY
love in new york Short fiction explores the complexities of infidelity.
u PAGE 25
ARTS
our Grammy Picks
An arts editor breaks down his list of who should vs. who will win.
u PAGE 16
2
News
February 3, 2010 The Observer
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Briefs METRO
Fordham Sells Vacant Lot for $125 Million On Feb. 1, Fordham sold a plot of its land for $125 million to Glenwood Management to construct residential high-rise buildings. The lot located at 49-55 Amsterdam Ave. was sold for $25 million more than its reported contract price as reported by Curbed.com. In November, the University took bids from a similar sale on another Amsterdam Avenue lot.
MTA Proposes Sliding Subway Doors To Prevent Accidents The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) of New York is planning to propose the addition of sliding mechanical doors on subway platforms to lower the number and prevent accidents from occurring, the New York Daily News reported. In 2009 alone, about 90 people were struck by trains according to transit statistics. NYC Transit has drafted a two-page list of requirements due back from manufacturers in March. The system will be similar to those established already in London, Paris and Tokyo. NATIONAL
Federal Judge Says Health Care is Unconstitutional The Huffington Post reported that U.S. District Judge, Henry E. Hudson, ruled President Barack Obama’s health care as a violation of the Constitution. Hudson believes the government cannot force Americans to purchase health insurance. Hudson will not allow the law to remain in effect and the case is likely to end up with the Supreme Court.
Severe Snowfall Hits More than 30 States On Feb. 1, 45-mile-per-hour winds in Kansas City and up to 30 inches of snow in Missouri hit the Midwest strong. According to CNN, more than 30 states were under some form of alert about blizzard warnings, which then extended to the eastern part of the U.S., including New York. The storm forced Dallas-Fort Worth Airport to temporarily close Tuesday morning and concerns have arisen for Super Bowl Sunday. International
Egypt’s Mubarak Will Not Run for Re-election According to the New York Times, President Hosni Mubarak of Egypt addressed on state television that he will not be returning to office for a new term this September. Mubarak’s decision on Feb. 1 came shortly after President Barack Obama advised him not to run for re-election and announced America’s withdrawal in supporting its most critical Arab ally. This resignation is a large part of the movement in Cairo’s Tahrir Square, but protestors continue to rally.
Jordanian King Fires Government On Feb. 1, King Abdullah II of Jordan replaced Prime Minister Samir Rifai with Marouf alBakhit, a former ambassador of Israel and Turkey. The New York Times reported that this came as a surprise decision since several Arab nations are facing the wave of riots, including a recent one hitting Jordan. The king announced that Bakhit will work “in line with the king’s version of comprehensive reform, modernization and development.”
Compiled by Laura Chang
illustration by Annemarie Gundel/The Observer
EarnMyDegree.com lists investment banking and software development as the top two highest-paying jobs.
Salary Doesn’t Influence Seniors’ Job Options By Stefanie wheeler Online Editor
EarnMyDegree.com released a report naming the top-paying jobs for recently graduated students, among which were network systems administrator, engineer, actuary, software developer and investment banker. The predicted annual salaries of all 10 range from $43,000 to $112,000. Although academic programming at Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) is not equipped to prepare students for all of these careers, some seniors said they remain confident that their career plans will not be influenced by the appeal of these lucrative occupations. According to EarnMyDegree. com, “Money might not be everything, but if you’re a struggling college student there’s a lot of appeal to making sure you’re in the
right position to put the days of two-digit bank balances and ramen noodles behind you as quickly as possible.” Zain Nadeem, FCLC ’11, said he agrees that the salaries for the top-paying jobs are in fact appealing, but he also stresses that monetary gain should not be the only contributing factor when seeking out a career. “I’m a philosophy major so I kind of knew that large monetary gains were not on my horizon.” Nadeem said. “In the end, it might sound cliché, but you have to do what you love, or something that sparks your interest, at least.” Ray Saada, FCLC ’11, also said that choosing a career can’t be based solely on financial compensation. Saada, a communication and media studies major hoping for a career in the music industry, said, “I think it’s sad if anyone is so pas-
sionless to just take any job that will pay well. I could drop out of school, go to school for accounting and make a lot of money.” Saada also pointed out that certain industries don’t guarantee great wages; individuals do. “It’s a common dichotomy having to choose between money and happiness, especially when choosing a career. If you’re passionate enough, you can find a way to make yourself uniquely indispensible so you can get a job.” Of the jobs EarnMyDegree.com listed as the highest paying, Saada said that none of the jobs are particularly appealing to him and that “they are vague, skill-based jobs.” Saada said he fears that the “tasks required for these jobs do not contribute to innovation.” Bernard Stratford, director of experiential education at Fordham, which enhances partnerships between students, alumni and em-
ployers, agreed with Saada that neither a particular industry nor a certain major are the sole determining factors for being a qualified candidate for a high paying job. Stratford said that FCLC is eliminated from the categories of nursing and engineering because the university does not offer programs relating to those fields. However, he said he was optimistic that FCLC students will have promising skill sets by the time they enter the job pool. “The students at FCLC typically, in my experience… have high level of interpersonal and intellectual skills as well as an awareness of entertainment, and those are all areas of the New York City job culture,” Stratford said. “The creative nature and the liberal arts skills acquired at Fordham, are all readily needed in the 21st knowledge based economy.”
Fordham Students Embark On 30-Day Stair Challenge As Health Initiative By Greg Fitzgerald Contributing Writer
The stairwell in the Leon Lowenstein building at Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) is rarely used aside from the occasional student running late for class, going to the second or third floor, or too impatient to wait for an empty elevator. However, Nicolette Harrington and Sofia Desenberg, FCLC ’13, joined forces to create an event on Facebook called the “30-Day Fordham Stair Challenge” to change taking the stairs from a last-resort method to a conscious choice to benefit health and fitness. Their goal is to take only the stairs to all classes and avoid the elevators from Jan. 18 to Feb. 18 in an effort to lose weight, according to the event information. As of Jan. 27, 114 students registered as “attending” on the event’s Facebook page. “A lot of people were saying they ‘would die’ from all the stairs, but it’s only two flights per floor, and the longer commutes to class have gotten people more active and exercising more without going to the gym,” Harrington said. According to Harrington, her inspiration to create the challenge came during a conversation with a friend who had lost several pant sizes by taking the stairs to and from class on a regular basis during her freshman year. Created over the winter break, the event was slated to start the first day of the spring semester, lasting for 30 days with a promised incentive for the person who loses the most weight. Students who originally signed up have followed through on the challenge, and they are already starting to reap the benefits. “I’ve lost three pounds already, in just two weeks,” Jake Leonen, FCLC ’11, said. “I plan to keep do-
Lucy Sutton/The Observer
From Jan. 18 to Feb. 18, students at FCLC pledge to skip the elevator in the Leon Lowenstein building, and instead use the stairs to get to and from class in order to stay in shape.
Students joined forces to change taking the stairs from a lastresort method to a conscious choice to benefit health and fitness. ing it even after the formal challenge is over. It gives me an excuse to put exercise in my daily schedule.” Leonen’s classes, which are on the ninth, fifth, and fourth floors, are not an impediment to his participation. Charlie Puente, FCLC ’12, said
the challenge is a way to re-establish a fitness plan from his freshman year. “At the beginning of freshman year, I took the stairs all the time. I fell out of the habit over the past few years, so I saw this as a challenge to start doing it again.” Some Fordham students are enthusiastic about the concept, but are unable to execute it regularly. Amelia Zaino, FCLC ’12, said he likes the idea, but isn’t able to take the stairs as much as she wants. “If I get to campus at 9:50 a.m. for a 10 a.m. class, I don’t have the time to walk up eight flights of stairs. I try to do it when I have the time, but I find myself taking the elevator a lot,” Zaino said. Others are unaware of the challenge. Jacqueline Sibille, FCLC ’12, was unaware of the event because of
the way she uses Facebook. “I usually just go on my Facebook and check my profile and quickly check my news feed,” Sibille said. “I wouldn’t have seen the event even if I was invited to it because I don’t check those things.” Sibille found the stair challenge “intriguing,” although she would not participate because she doesn’t “do things based on Facebook.” Renee White, FCLC ’12 and a new transfer student, was also unaware of the event. “It sounds like an interesting idea, but I wouldn’t do it. I’m always in too much of a rush. I have to take the elevator.” Some students plan on adopting taking the stairs as their primary route to class. Puente plans to continue the stair-climbing habit after the challenge ends. “It’s becoming
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The Observer February 3, 2010
Fordham Students Propose An On-Campus Cafeteria Alternative: A Food Pantry By Nicole Musa Staff Writer
With financial difficulties at their peak for many college students, food in their bellies is not a daily priority. A recent survey conducted at the University of California-Davis reported that almost 25 percent of undergrads “somewhat to very often” skipped meals to save money and another 25 percent “occasionally” skipped meals for the same reason. After funds are dispersed towards costly tuition, books and living expenses, it’s no surprise that students are skipping meals to save a dime. Several west coast universities have taken action to halt this nutrition negligence trend within the college community by incorporating food pantries on campus. These pantries are designed to allow all undergraduate students the opportunity to choose from a selection of donated, non-perishable foods that would fulfill a three-meals-per-day diet, according to an article from the Lexington Herald-Leader. As students of one of the country’s pricier universities in the heart of Manhattan, would Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) students want a similar type of oncampus food pantry? The incorporation of a campus food pantry may be in the near future for FCLC. Brandi D’Esposito, FCLC ’11 and president of United Student Government (USG), said she plans on proposing the incorporation of a food pantry at the next USG meeting to see if there is an interest. Several FCLC students feel that they are more than qualified for an on-campus food pantry. When asked if she skips meals at school due to finances, Sandra Huljev,
photo illustration by Laurene Francois /The Observer
Colleges have adopted food pantries for students who neglect mealtime.
Food pantries are designed to allow all students the opportunity to choose from a selection of donated food to fulfill their diets. FCLC ’12, said, “I just bring snacks from home, so I guess you could say I skip meals all the time. An on campus food pantry would be useful because whenever there are free food events on campus, I eat.”
Huljev isn’t the only FCLC student who attends campus events to eat free food as an alternative to pricey cafeteria food. “The cafeteria food here at Fordham is expensive for the quantity they give you, therefore I make it a point to eat before I get to campus because there really aren’t many affordable options,” Gerald Williams, FCLC ’11, said. “A food pantry would be nice to fall back on instead of grubbing food from occasional campus events.” Kelly Johnstone, FCLC ’11, said, “I’m a commuter so I usually cook most of my meals at home, but I would say that my friends sometimes go home to eat because they don’t have money to buy lunch at
school.”. According to USG, if incorporated, both commuter and students residing on campus would be able to use the food pantry’s amenities. According to D’Esposito, “Fordham often tries to bridge the gap between commuters and residents, and with commuters being so far from home, the pantry would be just as useful, if not more, for them. When asked if an on-campus food pantry is deserved amongst the FCLC community, Johnstone said, “[It] sounds great. We pay a lot of money to go to school at Fordham so it doesn’t seem like it’s a huge thing to ask for.” According to the Lexington Herald-Leader article, all food for the University of California-Davis pantry was donated from establishments such as Campbell’s Soup, Sprouts Market, the Davis Food CoOp and several campus organizations. At this time, it’s too early to say who would sponsor such a student resource at FCLC, though. “I’m sure if Fordham is able to fund the food pantry, they would,” D’Esposito said. “Based on previous conversations with Sodexo, and the pricing of their food, my guess is that they wouldn’t have the funds to sponsor a campus food pantry.” If Fordham officials approve the proposed food pantry, it may not appear on campus until construction of the new FCLC building is complete. “Lack of space is one of the bigger issues student affairs deals with here at Lincoln Center, so if the university did acquire a food pantry the new building being built behind the plaza would be most ideal,” D’Esposito said. “It will have some of our newer amenities and I’m sure there is still some unclaimed space.”
News
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Calendar THURSDAY, FEB. 3
Winter Ball Ticket Sales 11 a.m.- 3 p.m. Indoor Plaza
Biracial Beauty 12 p.m. - 1 p.m. LL 402
Bhangra Dance Lessons 6 p.m. - 7 p.m. Student Lounge SUNDAY, FEB. 6
Recyclemania Luau 7 p.m. Location TBA WEDNESDAY, FEB. 9
Malcolm Shabazz Mosque Outing 2:30 p.m. - 5 p.m. Malcolm Shabazz Mosque FRIDAY, FEB. 11
Senior Portraits 9 a.m - 5 p.m. Student Lounge TUESDAY, FEB. 14
Interracial Dating Forum 6:30 p.m. - 9 p.m. Student Lounge
Compiled by Christina Frasca
Crime saturday, jan. 5 A student reported at 7:30 a.m. that his property was missing from the Law library. The staff reported that the property was placed in a box on the floor and was possibly thrown away by the custodial staff. monday, jan. 21
USG Discusses Value Menu, Campus Identity By laura chang Asst. News Editor
A new cafeteria value menu implemented this semester was among the many topics discussed by Fordham College at Lincoln Center’s (FCLC) United Student Government (USG) during their first general meeting of the semester on Jan. 27. Other topics discussed included the ongoing financial aid coverage following complaints during the fall semester, the introduction of barcodes and value meals in the Lowenstein Café, as well as campus identity—the chance for FCLC to groom a more collegiate presence. Brandi D’Esposito, FCLC ’11 and president of USG, said, “This is going to be the semester of action. A lot of what we did last semester was necessary groundwork and now we are ready to move forward this semester.” D’Esposito explained that some of the plans for the cafeteria from the fall have successfully been implemented for this semester, particularly the value meal menus that started this week, as well as a cleaner salad dressing station. Christopher Chromey, FCLC ’12 and president pro tempore, discussed why USG decided to create value meals and said, “Students
At FCLC’s first USG meeting of the spring semester, the introduction of a new value menu in the cafeteria and strengthening campus identity were some of the current priorities. were sacrificing nutrition for value and paying more money for a more nutritional meal. We are essentially creating a more balanced plate for a cheaper price.” Since this menu is only a week old, and not visible to all students, some FCLC students said they did not know about the recent installment of a value menu. “I was not aware of the value meals, but I would definitely try the menu, especially the sandwich and soup combination because it seems like a very great deal,” Erika Fisher, FCLC ’14, said, “If there were more signs around, I think people would notice this more.” Andrew Lew, FCLC ’13, said, “I didn’t see it and I didn’t know it existed, but now that I know, I would definitely eat it.” “This cafeteria did not make [the value menu] clear and I hope they make a bigger sign for it,” Lew said. However, some students have found the menu and eaten from it. Jackie Mosteller, FCLC ’14, tried
the spinach salad on the value meal menu, and said, “I thought it tasted good and it was a lot more affordable than the salad bar because it is not weighed.” She said, “I am a vegetarian so I am glad to see that they are giving more vegetarian options.” Chromey said that USG will be having a food services meeting on Feb. 6, which will discuss ways to improve the visibility of the value meal menu in the cafeteria. In addition to the new menus, USG is currently trying to create a barcoding system in the cafeteria. Chromey said, “During the peak times when everyone is grabbing food in the cafeteria, there will be long lines with only four cashiers. Barcoding is an initiative to try to expedite the process.” Another topic USG discussed is providing a campus identity for FCLC. D’Esposito said, “We didn’t feel like Lincoln Center feels like a college and we wanted this campus to feel more a part of Fordham Univer-
sity. “Adding this sense of campus identity is something we are really excited for,” she said, “By changing the atmosphere and the aesthetics, it will then also change the mindset for students which is the first step in helping us feel more like we are in a college.” Chromey said that USG met with Peter Bundock, assistant vice president of facilities, to discuss ways to identify that our campus is indeed Fordham. “The first and fastest change that FCLC will notice is that we are placing Fordham flags around campus— flagpoles and lamp posts to liven up the school.” Chromey said. Oana Cerga, FCLC ’13, said, “Whenever I bring friends to visit the Lincoln Center campus, the first thing they see is the church and they think that is the main building of FCLC. I am glad this school is going to start feeling more like a college and less like a high school.” Chromey concluded and said, “If any students have any concerns, let USG know because we always want to hear what students think.” D’Esposito said, “Our USG meetings are open to all students at FCLC, and everyone is more than welcome to come to our general meetings every Thursday at 12:30 p.m. in LL504.”
At 8:20 a.m., a fire alarm in McMahon Hall sounded. The alarm was triggered by burning food on the stove. The NYFD responded. The area was ventilated and the alarm was reset. tuesday, jan. 22 Security was alerted at 12:20 p.m. that there was banging in the first floor men’s room in Lowenstein. They responded to find a male trapped inside due to a broken door handle. Facilities responded and fixed the door. The male was freed. wednesday, jan. 23 At 1:40 p.m., security and facilities responded to a gaseous smell on the sixth floor in McMahon Hall. The smell came from a burning glass pot of food in the apartment. The room was ventilated and the alarm was reset. thursday, jan. 24 A student reported at 2:20 p.m. that his coat, scarf and books had been taken from his locker on the fourth floor in Lowenstein. The student said he left his key in the door of the locker when he walked away from it. friday, jan. 25 At 6:30 p.m., security responded to an odor of smoke in the Lowenstein building. After investigation, they found a fire ablaze outside the building, not on the Fordham property. The smoke was being pulled in through the ventilation vents. Facilities turned off the fans and ventilated the building.
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February 3, 2010 The Observer
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Students Reflect on Tunisian Conflict Tunisia From PAGE 1 Observer: What kind of ruler would you say Ben-Ali was? Were any particular experiences you can recall as a testament to his character? MS: There are huge posters with
awkward poses and you get there and you’re like, “Who is this guy?” You have to be very careful. There was a big poster of [Ben Ali’s] arms out, so my friend started imitating him, but then the police stopped us. You weren’t able to really express yourself. We were shooting a 40-minute video of Ben Ali and his secret police and we were near his house. It was totally a joke, but my Arabic teacher said that after we watched it in class we would have to destroy it.
LN: The first thing you notice is that
there are big posters of the president everywhere. We were advised not to talk about him because there were policemen on every corner. You had to be careful about what you said. People wouldn’t openly criticize [Ben Ali] in public. In the home people would do it more. We came up with code names to talk about him. They have trucks that drive around and pick up boys on the street to recruit for the police and military. You don’t have a choice. When we’d be on the beach the boys would be really nervous. There was this anxious atmosphere. Policemen at every roundabout who just randomly stop cars to ask to see IDs, to show their presence, to show they’re watching. Observer: Who are the people spearheading the protests in Tunisia? MS: There is an age range of people
protesting. It’s people who have already graduated, like 25-28 years old. [They] make up 30 percent of the population. There’s such a strong drive within them. There’s strength in numbers. People are saying, “We want a real answer because we’ve come this far.”
raphael thelen/wikimedia commons
Tunisians raise their native flag to show they demand civil liberties. LN: A lot of the driving force was the younger generation. The youth have the most rigor and passion. Older people are unmotivated and apathetic to a seemingly endless rule. [The youth] haven’t lived it as long; there’s a lot more willingness to try to change things. Observer: Tunisia is one of many Muslim countries. What was it like being a girl in Tunisia? Are Tunisian women treated differently? MS: Upon independence, women’s
rights were written into the constitution. There are free abortions, free contraception and free gynecologists. Women are allowed to work, and the veil was banned for a while. There’s secular forward thinking. It’s the best place to be a woman in the Arab world. However, it doesn’t really change tradition. You have to be ready to accept [the rights]. There is still a discrepancy within the family between a son and daughter. When I stayed with a host family, the boys got their own studio apartment, but the girls and I had to share a room and a bed. I didn’t stay there very long. Tunisians don’t really like a Tunisian or
Arab girl walking with a foreign guy. I was walking with an American guy and I am an Arab girl and I ended up at the police station. You don’t have more rights as an American. LN: Many Americans have a stereotypical view that Muslim-majority countries are conservative. For the most part, it’s a very liberal country. The people are open, kind, well-educated. I saw everything from women fully clothed head-to-toe to girls in mini skirts. It really shows the range of people living there. There are conservative parts. You’re treated differently by the government because they rely so heavily on tourism. England, Spain, France, Italy—that’s the main chunk of their commerce. As a foreigner, you’re treated different than Tunisians. Observer: This revolution occurred during a booming digital age. What impact did social media have on the protests in Tunisia? MS: Facebook and Twitter were a
huge part of this. Everyone had this Facebook picture of the Tunisian flag, with the emblem in the middle without a red backdrop, but with
claude stemmelin/arafat krt/mct
Former president, Zine El Abudine Ben Ali (right), fled from the country following street demonstrations by Tunisian citizens on Jan. 14.
blood splatter. It was symbolic to show the violence that was happening. The New York Times reported 14 deaths, but if you think about how many people were hurt before, the numbers are different. Then there was the Tunisian flag, all black. In order to color it red, we had to earn it. Independence, revolution, unity— we had to earn back the liberty. Then there was also a saying [in a picture], “National mourning for the martyrs of freedom.” Attitudes are shifting to, “How are we going to rebuild Tunisia?” [The latest is a] flag with linked arms, to up morale. It showed different skin tones of the Tunisians, which is interesting because it is a very homogeneous country. LN: There was this explosion of red on my Facebook. Everyone was changing their picture to the Tunisian flag. Little by little, [my friends] got bolder with what they would post. Facebook is hard to monitor because it’s so vast and has so many little pathways. It snowballed and all of a sudden, people in the capitol were rioting. People were taking advantage of this chaos and looting. A lot of my Tunisian friends would post
warning messages on Facebook to be careful. The media was controlled by the state so there was no way to get truthful information. YouTube was banned when I was there. During the last days that Ben Ali was president, he tried to give it back to the people to appease them. But they wouldn’t have it. It’s really cool how they’re so focused on what they want and not getting distracted by everything else. Observer: What do you think is getting lost in the international coverage of the events in Tunisia? MS: There’s a very human side [to this revolution]. It’s not only the politics. People really are reminding us of what it’s really about. We are proud of who we are. The New York Times didn’t report on this until January. This was going on for a month. There are a lot of pictures of police hugging people in the streets. There’s a video on YouTube of five to six men in a pick-up truck cleaning up the neighborhood, shoveling dirt. The caption says, “There are still good men in Tunisia.”
Students Discuss Varying Opinions on Church Teaching church From PAGE 1
lack of knowledge. Tami Schmitz, assistant director of spirituality at Campus Ministry at the University of Notre Dame, asked, “How can we expect them to fully participate in something they know so little about?” Rev. Robert Beloin, director of the Catholic Center at Yale University, agreed, saying, “They’re almost illiterate in all things Catholic.” Joe Nuzzi, a pastoral associate at St. Francis of Assisi parish in Manhattan, agreed that “we are dealing with an un-catechized generation,” but also said that “people drift away from the Church because when they’re there, they’re not inspired.” Martin’s presentation identified social justice and community as concepts that draw young people, and teachings on homosexuality and the hierarchy as things that repel them. Speakers like Nuzzi and Davidson urged an emphasis on core issues of faith, rather than rigid guidelines, which Davidson called “peripheral.” Shmitz agreed with this, saying, “If we send them the message that only saints and the perfect are welcome at the table, there will be a few missing spots at the table of the Lord.” Among Fordham students, there were varied opinions about the positive offerings of the Catholic Church. Robert Najdek, Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) ’11, said that Catholicism “creates a brotherhood among different peoples.” For non-Catholic Mathew Rodriguez, FCLC ’11, the Jesuit “emphasis on social action, social justice and education” stands out.
lucy sutton/The Observer
Students and faculty met in Pope Auditorium for a two-day event to discuss youth involvement in the Church.
Alumnus Brent Nycz, FCLC ’09 and also a non-Catholic, said of the Church’s teachings on the Eucharist, “To be able to say that you are partaking from Jesus’s body and blood… is both a very powerful experience and also an experience that shouldn’t be taken lightly.” As for criticisms about the Church, students cited outdated teachings and a masculine bias as negative aspects of the Church. “That there seems to be no place for women or gays in the Church is huge. We’re talking about over 50
percent of the world that may not have a place in its pews,” Rodriguez said. Stephanie Torres, FCLC ’11, criticized the Church’s teachings on homosexuality. “I have seen too much judgment and hate come from members of the Catholic community. That is not something I want to be a part of.” Torres, a former Catholic, also mentioned the place of women in the Church, adding, “If Catholicism is for everyone, why can’t women become clergy members?”
Najdek, who no longer fully considers himself a Catholic, pointed to misplaced emphases from the Church, saying, “Kindness, charity, and understanding have to trump abstract moral teachings. The Church too often does not understand this and creates enemies because of it.” He also said that Catholicism is “too closed, too patriarchal, and… focuses too much on giving money to the Church and attending services.” Melissa Cidade, a speaker at the conference and a research assistant
at the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate at Georgetown University, suggested that there has been a shift in Catholic identity and in what people think it means to be a good Catholic. Students had varying opinions about this as well. Nycz said, “In order to call yourself a ‘good’ Catholic, you should most likely adhere to the teachings professed by the Catholic Church.” Torres wasn’t sure, but said, “A religion teacher in high school once told me that you could not be considered a good Catholic if you do not attend church every week.” Najdek said, “To be a good Catholic one has to continually look out for injustice in one’s own life, community and the world, and act on it.” Rodriguez responded similarly, saying, “Someone who is Catholic should advocate for that which Jesus would advocate for—a preferential option for the poor, an emphasis on community, etc.” The conference concluded with more questions than answers, but with an acknowledgement that the Catholic Church is losing active members and communication should be increased. Lisa Cataldo, assistant professor of pastoral counseling at Fordham university, encouraged young people to be open about their needs and objections, but cautioned at how difficult that can be, saying, “It costs the disapproval and perhaps rejection of those who want things to stay the same, and that’s costly and challenging.”
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News
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Lincoln Center Area Census Released By Kate McGee Contributing Writer
PHOTO ILLUSTRATION by kyle morrison /The Observer
Many college students suffering from depression cite the cause as part of the common pressures of college.
Studies Find Clinical Depression on the Rise Among College Students By Monique John Staff Writer
More than half of students surveyed at Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) said their mental health affects them academically at least weekly, according to Counseling and Psychological Services (CPS), making them typical of students nationwide who, according to a national survey, suffer more frequently from mental illness than students in previous years. Yael Nitkin-Kaner, staff psychologist and outreach coordinator of CPS, said, “On a recent survey of over 1,000 Fordham students, 56 percent said that a mental health issue impacted their academic performance frequently, at a rate of once a week or more.” The American Psychological Association (APA) website states that depression is “more than just stress. People with depression may experience a lack of interest and pleasure in daily activities, significant weight loss or gain, insomnia or excessive sleeping, lack of energy, inability to concentrate, feelings of worthlessness or excessive guilt and recurrent thoughts of death or suicide.” From studying the number of students on psychotropic medicines, the APA’s findings reveal that cases of depression and anxiety have increased over 10 percent in the past 10 years. One student suffering from the illness had his own explanation of depression. “It’s just this feeling of not being able to cope with daily life,” said the student, who requested to remain anonymous. “It’s a demoralizing feeling where you can’t cope to perform a task, even if you have complete desire to do so.” Six of the students interviewed at FCLC listed the competitive and de-
manding nature of college as factors that may aggravate mental illnesses. Others factors cited by students included stresses from living in McMahon, the financial burdens of tuition, extensive course requirements, and high expectations put on students by the administration and their parents. Lastly, the students said that anxieties over their futures could pose a serious problem for victims of depression. The anonymous student interviewed said, “Fordham and New York can be a very difficult place to live. [Fordham] is a very small community, and New York City is a very big community. “Both of them can be difficult to fit into, and that can really throw you off because you’re trying to fit into something very small and something large in the same place. And on the one hand, you feel like you can’t get help at school because it’s too small to feel safe and approachable and you can’t get help in the city because it’s too big and impersonal.” Chun Siu, FCLC ’12, mentioned another possible aggravator for depression in students. “I’ve noticed that many of my classmates are stressing out over their internships and trying to find a job, especially in this market. Even though many of our professors are telling us [otherwise], we know better. It’s not as easy as before.” Researchers of the APA described the growing trend of depression and anxiety among college students as a result of adolescents being more effectively treated for serious mental illnesses during their childhood, enabling them to go on to high school and even higher education. Yet students still carry their conditions of depression and anxiety with them throughout their college years. CPS at FCLC gives students who
may be suffering from mental or emotional distress the opportunity to seek guidance by offering 10 free counseling sessions. Nitkin-Kaner said, “Students come to CPS with a wide range of concerns, none of which are too big or too small to bring to our attention. The most common are depression and anxiety, which can be rooted in other problems such as family concerns, medical illness, loss of a loved one, lack of social support or community, an experience of sexual assault or substance abuse problems.” However, while some students noted that CPS has a friendly and helpful staff, others doubted whether or not CPS is equipped to handle this issue. Miriam Sahler, FCLC ’11, said, “I feel as though sometimes 10 sessions isn’t going to cut it when people have really deep issues [because] there are people who go to a therapist for years.” Jaimie Boyd, FCLC ’12, agreed and said, “If you have a serious mental problem, I would recommend professional [help] and paying for it.” Despite the challenges and aspects of Fordham’s environment that may be conducive to depression, the students believe that FCLC’s various programs and small campus size can possibly help students overcome issues with depression and anxiety. Boyd also noted that finding a supportive group of friends on campus can be hard, intensifying the problems students may have and increasing their chances of depression and anxiety. She said, “Finding your niche is hard. It takes a lot of test trials. So while you’re in those test trials, you may be getting down on yourself, thinking, ‘Okay, will I ever find the people that [are] good for me?’ But usually, if you keep trying, you’ll find it.”
A newly released survey found that Hispanics represent the largest minority population in the neighborhood surrounding Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) with 15 percent. The statistics come from the American Community Survey (ACS), a new survey conducted by the Census Bureau that officially began last year. Fordham University’s demographics run almost parallel to the demographics of the neighborhood. As of fall 2010, FCLC’s admissions statistics indicate that minorities make up 35.5 percent of the FCLC student population. Hispanics consist of 17.5 percent of the population, while blacks make almost six percent. Twelve percent of the population is Asian, and 0.3 percent is American-Indian or Alaskan. At the end of last year, the New York Times published an interactive map displaying the population of the country based on statistics gathered from the survey. According to the map, 6,297 residents live in the area surrounding FCLC. The neighborhood runs from 58th to 62nd Street and spans Central Park West to 10th Avenue. Based on
The neighborhood surrounding FCLC is 69 percent white, 3 percent black, 12 percent Asian and 2 percent other.
those numbers, the survey found the overall neighborhood population is 69 percent white, 3 percent black, 12 percent Asian and 2 percent other. The map created by the New York Times displays where each ethnic population lives in the specific neighborhood, based on its Census Tract number. While FCLC students who live in McMahon Hall are included in the regular census because they live in the halls for a majority of the year, they are not included in this sample for the survey. Yovi Roa, FCLC ’11, president of the Society of Latinos (SOL), said she’s not surprised by the low representation of ethnic minorities in the neighborhood, and said they are mostly located near the Amsterdam Housing project on 10th Avenue. “I volunteered at a community fair sponsored by the Amsterdam Houses and the resident make-up
was mostly Latinos and AfricanAmericans,” Roa said. She said her volunteer work and her experiences in the neighborhood have demonstrated that there is a small percentage of ethnic groups. Gab Lentini, FCLC ’14, said her apartment windows face west with a view of the Amsterdam Houses. She said diversity exists, to an extent. “I don’t think it’s large, but it is definitely diverse. There’s a good number of minorities, but it’s not overwhelming.” She said the neighborhood becomes more ethnically diverse as you walk west. Amy Wadyka, Gabelli School of Business (GSB) ’11, also said she saw a difference from street to street. Although she is a student at GSB, she lived in McMahon Hall this past summer. “It’s a diverse area, but it’s not evenly diverse,” Wadyka said. “If you were near Central Park there is much more of a Caucasian, older section of people. Towards the wate, it was more families and younger people, and that was more diverse. It was only a four-block difference, but it still made a huge impact on the different ethnic groups.” As the president of a minority cultural club on campus, Roa said it can be a challenge to create a dominant presence on campus. “Many of these students are commuting students and have hectic lives because they have jobs, internships or other responsibilities,” Roa said. According to the U.S. Census Bureau’s website, the ACS was created to provide neighborhoods nationwide with up-to-date information about their communities on a yearly basis. It could then be used to help local community services determine how to invest money into the community to better serve residents socially and economically. The survey looks at other factors besides race, including gender, income, families and education, among others. The Bureau’s website reveals that test surveys have been conducted during random years since 1996, but the program was officially launched in 2010. Instead of surveying each resident as the Census does, the ACS randomly selects three million households per year to participate. The sample used in the recent report is based on statistics from 2005 to 2009. The results from the decennial 2010 Census were released in December. Beyond the racial components, it also showed a population decrease so large that New York State lost two seats in the House of Representatives. However, New York City’s population increased three percent to approximately 9 million people.
University Implements Task Force to Boost Doctoral Rankings By faith heaphy Managing Editor
After several Fordham University Ph.D. programs missed the mark, ranking in the bottom half of the National Research Council (NRC)’s report of doctoral programs released in September, the University created a task force to address what the main problem seems to be: lack of research. “Research is essential to the university,” Rev. Joseph McShane, S.J., said. “It enriches classrooms and faculty. It affirms our identity as a university.” Due to this heightened need for greater research, Fordham provost Stephen Freedman created the University Task Force on Research Competitiveness, appointing law professor Joel Reidenberg as chair. According to Reidenberg the task force, which meets every two weeks,
is working on developing a universitywide approach to improving all units of research activity. Among the main responsibilities of the task force are to develop strategies for attaining university research goals and to align university resources with these goals. Comprised of faculty and administrators representing a cross-section of the university, the task force will submit a report to the provost at the end of the semester with suggestions on how the university can improve. “It’s really clear we are disappointed in the NRC results. It raised broader questions in the community—how can we build research strength?” Reidenberg asked a group of about 30 people in O’Keefe Commons on Jan. 20, during one of two forums held at both the Lincoln Center and Rose Hill campuses for faculty to brainstorm ideas and offer suggestions to the newly formed task force.
“We need to figure out what’s working and what’s not—assess what we’re doing well and what we need to work on,” Reidenberg said. Reidenberg said the task force is not concerned with evaluating particular doctoral programs against their NRC rankings—it’s about pushing a culture of research. One way the research reputation of a university is strengthened is through impressive faculty. A goal highlighted at the forum was to create a pool of money for an “opportunity hire”—adding a new faculty member that is respected in a certain field to strengthen the department. “We need to take advantage of the brutal economy,” Stephen Grimm, assistant professor of philosophy, said at the forum. “The people who are coming in now are really extraordinary— it’s always been a buyer’s market, but now it’s even more so.”
Another option discussed was giving faculty more time for independent work. For faculty members, committing to research while teaching is a major challenge that prevents them from making developments in their fields. Currently, the teaching load for Ph.D. professors is 3-2, which means teaching three classes one semester and two the other. “People who want to publish need time to publish,” Elaine Crane, professor of history, said at the forum. ““It’s very hard to publish with a 3-2 load, especially when faculty at comparable universities have a 2-2 or even 2-1 course load.” Because of the variety of doctoral programs Fordham has, mandating criteria such as publishing a certain number of books is not the intent of the task force. “We are looking at broader, crosscutting ideas and culture change,”
Reidenberg said. “The task force can’t get into a lot of detail in recommendations because often research competition will be discipline specific.” Additional suggestions discussed at the forum included stricter regulations on faculty tenure and a greater research collaboration between faculty and students. According to Reidenberg, a challenge the task force will face is resources: both the time of faculty members and financially. Though the task force has come about as a response to the NRC rankings, Fordham maintains that the grading criteria the NRC uses is often challenged by universities, “The NRC is working on five-year-old information. And in a lot of areas, things have changed,” said Bob Howe, director of communications at Fordham. “It gives us a place to start—where we are now and where we can change.”
Opinions
February 3, 2011 The Observer
STAFF EDITORIAL
the quiet generation speaks out
A
month after the class of 2011 began their freshman year, New York Times columnist Paul Krugman labeled us Generation Q—the quiet generation. Although the title hasn’t quite stuck, the sentiment has—today’s 20-somethings have been criticized from all ends of the political spectrum for our passive idealism, our lack of radicalism, our impulses to take to the Internet rather than to the streets when we see injustice. But in countries like Egypt, Tunisia, Yemen and Jordan, young people have transformed the Internet from a chaotic collection of soapboxes to a veritable means of dissent and defiance. Social media like Facebook, Twitter and YouTube have been among the primary purveyors of firsthand accounts of the uprisings in recent weeks, and the authoritarian governments have taken notice: in Tunisia, the now-ousted government blocked social networking sites and collected political activists’ login information; more recently, the Egyptian government cut the country off from the Internet completely. Thanks to these resourceful protesters, the Internet can no longer be relegated to a position of passivity—it is clear that demonstrating online can be just as powerful as demonstrating on the streets, especially in these recent protests where
Uprisings Abroad Spark Online Support Among College Students we’ve seen both. And because of this new, global protest, the revolution doesn’t stop at any country’s borders. With constant access to Al Jazeera live streams and footage straight from the protesters’ phones, young people all over the world have taken up the protests’ causes. We see this at Fordham, too. On Jan. 30, a group of students gathered to show their support for the Egyptian people at the demonstration in front of the U.N., and ever since the uprisings began, students’ newsfeeds have been overflowing with links to new information, symbolic profile pictures and statuses about solidarity. We can see this revolution without having to rely on the middle man of mainstream media. We are connected to it directly through our networks of friendships. This generation’s instinct to share their lives with the Internet has brought faraway struggles for freedom to the streets of New York, America, and the rest of the world. That’s not to say that physical acts of political demonstration are obsolete, or that online activist communities can replace
the power of real-life gatherings. But just as these demonstrations would not have had the same success without crowds of people making their presence and demands known, they would not have achieved the same level of international support without Facebook and YouTube. Some of us have personal connections to the uprisings like the students in Christina Frasca’s article, “Tunsia From Students’ Perspectives” on page one, but even more of us have developed shared interests and passions with the protesters since we’ve seen their humanity through the lens of the social networks we use everyday. Perhaps it is true that today’s 20-somethings are inextricably integrated into the culture of cyberspace, but that doesn’t mean we’re quiet. When we see our generation standing up for themselves abroad, we stand up with them, whether it is by taking to the streets, taking to our newsfeeds, taking to our college newspapers, or some combination of the above. We grew up in this culture of online expression and we’re not ready to write it off—we have seen the power of shared information, and so have those who’ve tried to stifle it. (Isn’t that right, Hosni Mubarak?) Gone are the days of revolutions that can be contained to a block, city or nation; it is all of our job to make sure they don’t come back.
Live From New York, It’s... Kind of Disappointing: The Pros and Cons of Seeing Your Favorite Shows Taped Live HARRY HUGGINS Opinions Editor
I’m standing in line on 11th Avenue on a 20-degree January afternoon. The wind is strong enough to be in a commercial for a sleek car, but it’s bearable since I’m about to see my first taping of “The Daily Show.” Once inside, security forces everyone to go through tougher screening than any airport I’ve been in this year. Assistants collect gum and assign seats based on hotness and a warm-up comedian makes jokes based solely on audience members’ hometowns. Then we are “treated” to a quick 30 minutes of watching Jon Stewart be funny at a camera. In the past four months, I’ve seen five TV shows taped live. I’ve found that most shows are like the “The Daily Show.” There’s a huge excitement leading to and during the taping, but afterward you realize that it was all basically the same show, just without commercials. People need to know more about what they’re getting before they spend hours trying to get tickets for this over-hyped experience. Long before that cold day, I got to see a Comedy Central taping of a pilot for comedian Reggie Watts’ show, which (completely understandably if you were there to see it) never aired. This was my first peek at how TV shows are filmed, and it wasn’t pretty. It’s not that it was a complete train wreck; the warm-up comedian was funny, and Watts’ audience asides between tapings kept us fresh as we watched the same scenes taped and re-taped. But the experience
Harry Huggins/The Observer
NBC is just one of a handful of networks that trick people into thinking watching a live taping of their favorite shows is actually more exciting than sitting at home and being able to get up and go to the toilet at any time.
did bring to life some of the things I’d known but didn’t want to think about. Before the show even started, they had us laugh at three different levels (amusing, funny and pantswettingly hilarious), and we went along with it. We just wanted to be part of TV. “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon” was much more entertaining, mostly because of The Roots. While we just waited awkwardly during breaks in “The Daily Show,” The Roots kept us grooving (I know how old that sounds) even when Fallon took a 20minute break to dry off after a sketch. Ashton Kutcher, the first guest that night, was fantastic during the show,
There’s a huge excitement leading to and during the taping, but afterward you realize that it was all basically the same show, just without commercials. but when the cameras turned off, he lost all his charm, which is a pretty good metaphor for TV in general. I guess it depends a lot on the show. Jon Stewart and company have had years of experience putting together their product, so they must have the production worked out to be as efficient as possible. This might
come across as cold and not that fun for the audience, but that’s just the nature of those shows. Sure they have a live audience to entertain, but more important is the audience at home, and they want the finished product, not a truly live show. Completely different is seeing a show that doesn’t have a studio
audience. As part of my internship at MSNBC, I get to watch their weekday opinion show “Morning Joe” every Wednesday. And by “watch,” I mean “catch small snippets of the show while I run around ensuring proper placement of our sponsor’s product, aka getting coffee from Starbucks.” Still, the show’s hosts are as real in the office as they are on set. Joe Scarborough continues his loud conversations whether or not the cameras are rolling, Willie Geist makes random pop culture jokes in his spare time and Mika Brzezinski... is always Mika. Seeing them interact with guests during commercials is a chance to see important people talk without putting up a front for cameras. “Morning Joe” doesn’t really need a studio audience, however, and the few spectators (interns and publicists) don’t take part in the show at all. Unlike Fallon and Stewart, who pump up the audience and use audience reaction in their shows, “Morning Joe” is really just a broadcasted round-table conversation. Sure it’s fun to watch them interact, but still, I could get the same thing on my HD TV while wearing my sweats and slippers. Looking back, it probably was worth the cold to see Jon Stewart ask the audience for advice after a difficult interview, or Jimmy Fallon running around the audience after the show high-fiving everyone, even in the middle-seaters (aka ugly people). Just know that if you do manage to get tickets for Stephen Colbert after one of his hippie fans dies trying to help birth a baby whale, you might have more fun just imagining what’s on the other side of that screen.
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Editor-in-Chief Liz Bowen Managing Editor Faith Heaphy News Co-Editors Nadine DeNinno Christina Frasca Asst. News Editor Laura Chang Opinions Editor Harry Huggins Asst. Opinions Editor Colleen Thornhill Arts and Culture Co-Editors Joseph Klarl Matt Surrusco Asst. Arts and Culture Co-Editors Katie Lockhart Mike Madden Features Co-Editors Beata Cherepakhina Mario Weddell Literary Editor Matt Petronzio Sports Editor Darryl Yu
Photo Illustration by Kyle Morrison/ The Observer
When every song on the radio tells you to drink and party the night away, how are you not supposed to belt some lyrics into that Budweiser bottle?
Jack and Pétron: A Musician’s New Best Friends
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COLLEEN THORNHILL Asst. Opinions Editor
Recently at my cousin’s wedding, the DJ blasted the song “Shots” by LMFAO featuring Lil Jon. Unless you haven’t been to a party in the past year, you probably know the one I’m talking about. It’s not hard to remember the lyrics, since the only word you have to remember is “shots” a million times over. As everyone on the club floor started dancing and screaming along, I couldn’t help noticing that my 12-year-old cousin knew every word and got into the song even more than I did. When he chanted the chorus and yelled out, “Jagerbombs! Lemondrops!” I tried not to pay too much attention. However, soon I became aware that all of my cousins, all of whom are younger than I am, were slamming their fists to the song. Most of them are barely teenagers, and there they were, shouting, “Now where my alcoholics? Let me see your hands up!” Needless to say, the image stuck in my head. Then, over winter break, I listened to the radio a fair amount since I was finally driving around in a car again. Because the end of 2010 was near, stations were playing
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countdowns of the year’s most popular songs. As “Like a G6,” “Bottoms Up” and “Tik Tok” played repeatedly, I realized that almost every other song focused on drinking and clubbing. According to the radio, the common theme of 2010 was alcohol, and if you didn’t sing about it, you weren’t ensured a club-worthy hit. Usually I don’t take lyrics too seriously, but after a while it became disconcerting. Isn’t there anything else worth writing a song about nowadays, or is partying the only thing we care about? Music and drinking have always been a popular combination, but I’ve noticed that in recent years, songs solely about drinking have become increasingly standard. Plus, after witnessing my cousins’ breakdown of “Shots,” it alarmed me to learn that it’s not just college students who listen to these songs. Middle schoolers probably know the difference between bourbon and whiskey better than I do now. I’m grateful that occasionally a song that has nothing to do with drinking comes out. That’s one of the reasons I don’t mind Bruno Mars. At least he, cheesy though he may be, croons a few love songs, while Katy Perry lets us know that to her we’re all a “Firework.” As painful as it sounds, I’d rather hear under-
Middle schoolers probably know the difference between bourbon and whiskey better than I do now.
age kids belt out Justin Bieber than proclaim how the sober girls around them are acting like they’re drunk. Before I go any further, I just want to say that I actually like most of these songs. (I’m contradicting myself, I know, but wait!) I’ve already downloaded half of them, and I’m like a walking Z100 radio station, much to my roommates’ dismay. My problem is that songs nowadays seem to have run out of topics besides drinking. Curious to see whether I was overreacting, I decided to look at the Billboard Hot 100 charts for the past few decades. Fifty years ago, Elvis Presley sang “Are You Lonesome Tonight?” while ten years later George Harrison sang “My Sweet Lord.” Neither songs are likely to get a party started, but both artists are still well known and their songs well played. They were trying to convey a message with their music as opposed to garnering the approval of a crowd of barely-there
drunk people. Must every song on the radio be about chugging Petrón and forgetting where you are on a Saturday night? I also know that it’s not as though we’re the only generation to embrace drinking. Back in 1978, “National Lampoon’s Animal House” told the story of a college fraternity whose only appeal was its inability to run out of beer. The year in which the film was based, 1962, had hits like “Roses Are Red (My Love)” and “Peppermint Twist,” proving that while drinking may have been popular in college culture, it wasn’t part of the mainstream. Fast forward to 2011 and drinking is the focus of the biggest mainstream songs, along with clubbing and hooking up. Just look at Enrique Iglesias’ latest single, “Tonight (I’m Loving You),” which, as anyone with an iTunes account or access to YouTube will tell you, has absolutely nothing to do with love and is actually a censored, extremely clean version of the real song. Little is left to the imagination because apparently we’re all too drunk to use our brains anyway. Let’s hope this trend fades soon, though, or else years from now we could all be starting our days by brushing our teeth with a bottle of Jack.
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Blizzard 2010: It’s Snow Big Deal? The Giant Disappointment That is New York Snow Removal RYAN MURPHY Contributing Writer
On Dec. 26, our beloved New York City was hammered with over 25 inches of snow as a storm originally projected to drop merely 6-8 inches escalated into a two-foot nightmare. Normally, the city’s response to snowstorms is fast and effective. Closed streets and sidewalks mean less tourism, less open stores and less money changing hands. Yet the city’s response to the storm was nothing short of abysmal. All of the boroughs lacked the required amount of snowplows and salt trucks needed to adequately clear all of the streets. However, some boroughs took the hit harder than others. Brooklyn remained buried for days as sanitation trucks could do little to clear the narrow streets. Downtown Manhattan became a ghost town full of abandoned cars, buses and emergency vehicles. Queens residents were forced to fend for themselves as most transit lines were shut down for days after the storm. Yet Staten Island, my hometown and the forgotten borough, arguably took the greatest hit of all. So what was my story? To be frank, it was one of sheer anger. Nothing is better than snow on Christmas. Conversely, nothing is worse than waking up the day after Christmas and having your neighborhood draw a striking resemblance to the Star Wars planet Hoth. I proclaimed loudly that weathermen are always guessing, they are liars and that we will get no more than 8-10 inches because the news would rather guess higher than lower. Well, after shoveling over 28 inches of sheer irony off my porch, my shovel broke. “Not to fear,” I thought, “I’ll
Sara Azoulay/ The Observer
Even with all the hot air that comes out of New Yorkers’ mouths, it would take a long time to melt this car free.
grab another!” Turns out our only other shovel is three feet tall; I’m 6’5”. After countless obscenities, moments of shooting back pain and overall disgust toward Mother Nature, the house was cleared and I could again return to sitting and doing nothing. During our most hectic times at school, we all claim, “I want to do nothing,” “I can’t wait to go home and just sleep,” “I hate being this busy!” Yet, we fail to realize that sleeping and doing nothing is great for about a day. After that, the house becomes a prison. Television loses its appeal. The words in books begin to blend
Nothing is worse than waking up the day after Christmas and having your neighborhood draw a striking resemblance to the Star Wars planet Hoth. together. Monopoly games turn into property law court cases. My three days could not have been more in tune with this scenario. As Monday rolled around, most of Staten Island still had not been plowed. We continued to hear horror
stories on the news of people stuck on the train for hours on end, stranded in their cars on bridges and even a death as medical services could not make their way down streets. Yet nobody was talking about us. My animosity towards the Sanitation Depart-
ment and, more importantly, Mayor Bloomberg, began to reach an all-time high. I respect the Sanitation Department, they deal with a lot of garbage day in and day out (pun intended), yet something was afoul. They were better at their jobs than this storm showed. Rumors of a conspiracy began to hit the Internet. And then, I saw the ugly truth for myself. After walking back from my girlfriend’s house nearly a mile away, I saw two Sanitation trucks making their way toward my block. A wave of relief began to ripple throughout my mind. Freedom. Only the snow wasn’t moving, it was still on the street. They Weren’t Plowing It. WHY ARE THE PLOWS UP?!?! The Sanitation Department was telling the Mayor to shove his recent department cutbacks and venting their frustrations through not plowing. I was angry. I understood why they did it, but I was angry. Yet the pure fury was released after Bloomberg’s major press conference. After arriving an hour late, not providing the news reporters or the city of his location throughout the storm and informing the city to relax and catch a Broadway play, I was surprised that people didn’t take to the streets to mob City Hall. Then I remembered, their streets aren’t plowed. Finally, on Dec. 28, salvation came. A plow finally cleared my street and brought freedom to the neighborhood. Acts of nature are not the fault of city officials, but the aftermath and clean-up are. Has the city learned anything from the storm? Have we? Fordham has; they offered a delay until 10 a.m. in anticipation of a storm. Bloomberg declared an emergency before a flake hit the floor. Fear is a powerful force, and so is Mother Nature. I’ll remember that next time around. Hopefully the city does, too.
Lessons from Tucson: Gun Control in Gotham City With our population density, I shudder when I think about the potential body count from a gunman loose in Manhattan.
Karthik Ganapathy Staff Writer
Maybe I haven’t been around long enough to develop a proper sense of historical perspective for what happened earlier this month, or maybe I haven’t lived through many days like it, but I will always remember Jan. 8. I had finished my morning run and was just getting ready to jump in the shower when my dad asked if I had heard the news. A congresswoman was shot (“someone named Giffords or Jiffords or something”) somewhere in Arizona. I remember laughing at him, convinced he had heard the story wrong. But just to check, I pulled out my phone. “REP. GABRIELLE GIFFORDS SHOT, 6 DEAD” glared back at me, and I remember my lighthearted smile fading, replaced by a blank stare of confused anguish. I devoured the article, but the details were few; people weren’t sure exactly what had happened. That whole day, one question dominated my thoughts: “will she survive?” Thankfully, she did. Two weeks later, as the dust is starting to settle and things in Washington are returning to normal, it’s worth reflecting on what that means for us as students and as a society. For the purpose of this article, I’m going to skip over Palin’s crosshairs metaphor and whether or not our political rhetoric is too incendiary, because cable news channels have said essentially everything there is to say about that. But as students in the most densely populated metropolis in the country, we should step back and consider the painful lessons
Bob Pepping/Contra Costa Times/KRT
After what happened in Arizona, there should be a greater effort to keep gun ownership more strictly regulated.
from Tucson. I cannot help but wonder how much worse that day would have been, how many more lives may have been lost if Rep. Nadler or Rep. Maloney were the
target. How many more parents, brothers and sisters would have been heartbroken if the shooter emptied a clip in a crowded New York subway car? With our
population density, I shudder when I think about the potential body count from a gunman loose in Manhattan. So does that mean we, as city-dwellers, subject to an acutely real threat, should ban guns altogether? For the issue of gun control, that question is far too often framed as a choice between two absolutes: “Guns are dangerous and should be banned, period,” or “the second amendment says we can have guns, and that’s that.” Personally, I believe the founding fathers wrote that amendment in a different time and place, in a society without police, where an armed citizenry really was necessary for the security of a free state. Also, a number of studies like those published by the Harvard School of Public Health and the New England Journal of Medicine suggest that keeping a gun in the home raises the risk of homicide and suicide by astonishing percentages. But I recognize that it’s not my place to choose for everyone, and that some people need a gun for peace of mind, buying one in the hope that they will never need to use it. I respect those people, and I understand their point: if criminals will have guns no matter what the law says, why shouldn’t law-abiding citizens
carry them too? Again, I disagree with the fundamental premise of that argument—that more guns make our society safer—but it’s a valid sentiment nonetheless. So where is the middle? How do we minimize the risk of future Tucson rampages while preserving that quintessentially American right to personal safety and piece of mind? If I had a comprehensive answer to that question, I could probably work for the President. But I think the place to start is to look for reasonable, common sense solutions that could prevent or ameliorate such heart wrenching tragedies. In this case, one such solution is at once both obvious and immensely helpful. Jared Loughner was carrying a Glock handgun the day of his rampage, and the gun was equipped with a high-capacity magazine capable of holding 33 bullets. When he emptied his clip on random victims outside the Tucson Safeway, the only reason he stopped firing was to reload, during which time he was tackled. I’ve been going over the idea in my head, and I cannot think of a circumstance where a normal citizen would need to fire off 33 bullets that quickly, without even a small gap of time to reload. Banning those highcapacity magazines minimizes the damage from tragedies like Tucson, while keeping our secondamendment rights intact. By itself, that solution is not a panacea, and it does not guarantee that in the future, fewer of our loved ones will be lost to senseless violence. But it is a step in the right direction and a symbol of our ability to learn and grow from tragedies like Tucson.
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The Observer February 3, 2011
POINT
It is fashionable, in our age of gold stickers and self-affirmation exercises, to condemn Valentine’s Day as a corporate ploy designed to rob us of our self-worth. Every February, I am faced Staff with this rhetoric, and every Writer February I concede to these crusaders of emotional wellness that, yes, this day does come with psychological hazards—if, that is, you take it very seriously. Of course Valentine’s Day is superficial. Because it is abused. Like all holidays are abused. Like all holidays are reduced to their
Of course Valentine’s Day is superficial. Because it is abused.
Valentine’s Day Evolves into Hallmark Day
Saint Valentine. The day has since been associated with romance. - Stores sell pink and red stuff in early January to trick customers into buying things they wouldn’t want in regular colors. - Expensive gifts do not validate a relationship. Neither do inexpensive gifts. - You are no more or less alone on Valentine’s Day than you are on any other day. Understanding this, few occasions put me in as good a mood as Valentine’s Day does. It is an excuse to make cupcakes on a Tuesday and to actually take time to color the frosting. Pencils with heart erasers, nervous teens carrying cheap flowers, Spider Man valentines exchanged between friends too young to understand how complicated the coming years will be—these are the images of a day with no purpose other than to inject some color into the otherwise snow-buried melatonin-haze that is February. I’ve never had a Valentine myself. Relationships aren’t my strong suit. I fantasize, I romanticize, and I am continually hit over the head with reality. But on Valentine’s Day, I go home alone, rent a good romance, open a bag of chocolate hearts, and am thoroughly content— happy because on this one day a year, if only superficially, the world lives up to my expectations.
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It’s Feb. 14 and a couple enjoys a romantic dinner at a restaurant that required a reservation six months in advance. The lovely lady of the evening opens up her present. Gasp! It’s a necklace with a card attached Asst. Photo to the box. She slowly opens Editor the card to find the words, “I love you. Happy Valentine’s Day!” The words $ aren’t hand written; instead they’re printed on a Hallmark card which includes a picture of a cute teddy bear with a heart on the front cover. Adorable! . . . or completely unoriginal? I hate to be the one who points this out, but a million other women in America own that same card and might have even gotten that very same necklace. Yes, that’s right, Saint Valentine, someone has taken over your holiday, and they go by the name “Hallmark.” Some people are terrible at expressing their true emotions so they turn to greeting cards. This Lisa mertins/the orange county register/MCT is a fine solution for SARA AZOULAY
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most hollow functions. Abused not only by those capitalizing on the shallowest aspects of such holidays, but also by people who place such authority on these aspects that they allow themselves to get hurt. Chances are, that person throwing the We Don’t Need Valentines to Feel Good about Ourselves party, was the person who, up until quite recently, believed very strongly that she needed a valentine to feel good about herself. Certainly, some people have misplaced their priorities. For those wayward souls, the facts: - There were several Christian martyrs named Valentine. No one is sure what they did. Nothing about any of them was romantic. - In the 1300s, Chaucer wrote a poem in which birds seek their mates on the Feast of
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CounterPOint
Valentine’s Day Is What You Make It CATHERINE DAVIS
Opinions
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birthdays or Christmas, but for the one holiday dedicated to expressing true and real emotions, there should be more effort. There’s nothing like a Hallmark greeting card to express how not unique your love is. I know, I’m probably one of the last remaining romantics in New York City (we’re a dying breed), but I want to see more love on Valentine’s Day and less gifts and greeting cards. Why can’t Valentine’s Day be a day to cozy up, watch movies, and dance/goof around with your significant other? Get comfortable and just enjoy each other’s company instead of wasting time buying cards that mean absolutely nothing. Or at the very least, release
I want to see more love on Valentine’s Day, and less gifts and greeting cards.
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the arts and crafts side of you and make a completely adorable card that your valentine will treasure forever. The holiday dedicated to love shouldn’t be dedicated to how many diamonds you received on a necklace, which is bound to cost your loved one a pretty penny. Because Valentine’s Day falls so close to the other major holidays, most wallets across the country probably fear the day and the expensive diamond jewelry it requires. Essentially, there’s only a month to recover from Christmas and New Years. There are already so many holidays focused on gift-giving; Valentine’s Day should be the day to take a break. Love should always be free, so enjoy this Valentine’s Day without worrying about Hallmark cards or expensive jewelry!
Walmart Wants to Rollback Decency in New York City Why We Should Try as Hard as Possible to Prevent Our Concrete Jungle from Becoming Small Town, U.S.A. If you think you’re safe in a city bursting with diversity and creativity, think again.
DIANa DENZA Staff Writer
Over the break, I had the unfortunate experience of catching an overpriced and overcrowded plane to Florida the day before Christmas Eve to visit relatives. It’s not that I didn’t want to see them, but the prospect of spending three weeks in a small southern town with an overabundance of churches and strip malls didn’t quite appeal to the staunch city girl in me. During the car ride home from the airport in Orlando, we passed countless Walmart super stores. At first, I thought we were driving in circles. The white exterior with the store name plastered up top in flashing blue letters seemed to close in on our tiny two-door Honda. For a native New Yorker accustomed to patronizing vintage shops and hole-in-the-wall boutiques, these monstrously huge stores made me dizzy. Any originality the town may have possessed was stifled by these towering behemoths that looked like carbon copies of each other. I could just envision every house on my block donning the same cheaply constructed photo frames on the living room walls and the same salmon bathroom rugs, all in the name of saving a few extra dollars. And if you think you’re safe in a city bursting with diversity and creativity, think again. Walmart has its sights set on infiltrating the greatest city in the world. According to the store’s New York City Web site, 71 percent of polled residents approve of Walmart opening its doors in the city. Walmart has been advertising itself with the catch phrase “Helping NYC Save Money
Photograph taken by Jared C. Benedict on 22 February 2004/FLICKR COMMONS
Remember in “Wall-E” how that giant chain “Buy ‘N Large” took over the world and ruined it for everyone?
and Live Better.” But have New Yorkers been duped by the promises of this mega store? My findings convince me that they have. While the cheap prices can give a bit of relief to the many cash-strapped city residents, these finds come with a hefty hidden cost we’ll have to pay for years to come. Besides sucking the beauty out of neighborhoods, Walmart has a history of abusing its associates, producing low quality merchandise using sweatshop labor and censoring musicians. For example, “Store-Wars: When Walmart Comes to Town,” a 2002 film aired on PBS and various sta-
tions across the country, reported that the average Walmart employee takes home a weekly wage that is not enough to survive on. And in this unwaveringly anti-union company, employees make 25 percent less than unionized workers after two years on the job. Since this places employees with families below the poverty line, guess who will have to subsidize their salaries? We, the taxpayers. An article published by The Seattle Times in 2006 reported that it cost the state of Washington over 12 million dollars per year to provide government benefits to poor Walmart workers. So the next time you’re wheeling
that silver shopping cart around and tossing in every sale item in sight, think of the sales associates who are struggling to provide for their families on a salary that can barely cover rent. And that overflowing cart will cost us all later in the form of tax dollars. It’s even harder to feel good about those cheap prices when a vast majority of the items sold in stores are produced in Third World sweatshops. According to a 2008 report by activist group SweatFree Communities, Walmart has purchased items made under extreme conditions in sweatshops in Bangladesh. When they say extreme, don’t think minimum wage
and a short lunch break. Workers were made to work 19-hour shifts and subjected to beatings when schedules weren’t being met, all for less than $20 a month. Walmart is the world’s largest CD retailer. With that comes a great deal of power. Groups from Nirvana to that band everyone forgets the name of create “sanitized” versions of their albums specifically for the mega store. For example, Nirvana had the packaging for In Utero reworked in 1994 when Walmart refused to sell the album because it featured human fetuses on the cover. The fetus art was replaced by flowers for copies sold in Walmart stores. And if these artists refuse, Walmart could simply refuse to sell their work. Off limits include lyrics dealing with sex, abortion and homosexuality. Albums with the explicit content label are automatically banned from shelves unless artists agree to create a clean version. In a largely progressiveminded city, how could we stand by as this store censors creative freedom? So who is really saving money? Who is really living better in the end? Walmart executives who profit off human ignorance and misery. Don’t be fooled: what shopping at Walmart will cost you later outweighs any benefits reaped right now. I’m willing and ready to keep clipping coupons for the sake of keeping New York Walmart free. I have four words for Walmart: not in my city.
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February 3, 2011 The Observer
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Answering Archbishop’s Anti-Abortion Calls A Statistical Look at the Numbers Behind Timothy Dolan’s Claims and How He Might Be Wrong David Hagmann Staff Writer
In December, New York City’s health department published the 2009 data on pregnancy outcomes, which included some figures for abortions that caused outrage among conservatives. Timothy Dolan, Archbishop of New York, lamented in a speech that in 2009, 41 percent of pregnancies resulted in abortions. This is double the national average, thus supposedly showing a failure of sex education offered in the city. But statistics can be misleading, and some distinctions need to be made. Ultimately, the data shows that educational efforts targeted at teens work well and efforts should be put elsewhere. First, any figure includes abortions performed for non-residents who came to the city to have an abortion. There is no reasonable policy the city can adopt to reduce those occurrences, so we have to exclude them from our consideration. Fortunately, the health department report includes plenty of raw data to work with. The first observation is that someone at the Archbishop’s office used data from the wrong table (which ended up being cited throughout the media), and the actual percentage is 38.7 percent— or a total of 87,273 abortions (or induced terminations, as the report calls them) out of 225,667 pregnancies. If we exclude nonresidents and those whose residency is unknown (i.e. people who came to the city to give birth or have an abortion), the total number of abortions drops to slightly below 80,000 and the percentage remains relatively unchanged at
Gary Porter/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel/MCT
Archbishop Timothy Dolan believes recent statistics reveal a disturbing pattern, but he should look closer.
38.5 percent. There is a clear and observable trend that shows a decrease in the number of abortions. A graph in the report shows a steady decline since 1990, though the actual figures are available only starting with the year 2000. Then, almost 94,500 abortions were performed. That number has decreased significantly for all age groups except for people over 40 and is now more than 7,000 less (a decrease of about eight percent). To rule out an alternative explanation (i.e. that people simply left the city), I should note that the population of the city increased by almost 400,000 people in that time. This is good evidence that we are on
If we want effective policy, we have to analyze the available data without trying to distort it to fit a preconceived agenda. the right track. Dolan further suggests that sex education is failing. If we want to look at the effects of sex education, we cannot merely look at the total number of abortions. Instead, we need to look at data by age group. In 2000, 601 pregnancies were terminated for mothers younger than 15, and 15,497 for women between the ages of 15 and 19. In 2009, those numbers dropped to 461 and 13,577 respectively (decreases of 23 percent and
12.4 percent respectively). Both decreases are much higher than the overall average, suggesting significant improvements for the age groups likely to benefit from sex education. It is, of course, unreasonable to look at people who were over 30 in 2000 and suggest their having more abortions now is due to failing school programs. With women over a certain age, abortions may be performed because the child would be born with a severe dis-
ability. It can be expected that such abortions will become more numerous as early screening techniques improve (and women choose to have children at a later age). Dolan calls for a reduction in the number of abortions, which I am sure we can all agree on. But if we want effective policy, we have to analyze the available data without trying to distort it to fit a preconceived agenda. The data does reveal causes for concern. Hispanics and African-Americans, for example, account for almost 80 percent of all abortions. Thus, any effort to significantly reduce abortions must consider targeting these communities specifically and further studying why there is such a disparity. The church continues to oppose the use of birth control, but the data shows that pregnancies are terminated early on: a third of all induced terminations occur before the sixth week of gestation, and 80 percent are performed in the first 10 weeks of the pregnancy. It seems therefore likely that there are not unforeseen challenges that arise late during the pregnancy, but that the pregnancies were never planned and are terminated as they are noticed. Consequently, promoting the use of birth control should prevent many of these pregnancies and thus reduce the need for abortions. Any such campaign would be more effective with the involvement of the clergy, especially in communities that strongly identify with the Catholic faith. However, that would require the Catholic Church to change its view on contraceptives—and despite the call to reduce the number of abortions, that seems unlikely to happen.
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Wednesday Feb. 9 at 2:30 p.m. Observer Office, room SL19 (Next to SORC)
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Arts & Culture
February 3, 2010 The Observer
Ahead of His Time
Edward Hopper and Contemporaries on Display at the Whitney By Joseph Klarl Arts and Culture Co-Editor
Young skyscrapers emerge out of the fog covering Manhattan’s early 20th century skyline as excerpts from Walt Whitman’s 1867 poem, “Mannahatta,” flash atop them in glorious black and white. “High growths of iron, slender, strong, light, splendidly uprising toward clear skies.” Projected on the wall of the Whitney Museum’s second floor gallery, “Manhatta,” Charles Sheeler and Paul Strand’s 1921 avant-garde film, inspired by Whitman’s poetry, introduces “Modern Life: Edward Hopper and His Time.” Appropriately, visitors see both the majesty and monstrosity of New York City’s architecture after the explosion of industry during this period, just as artist Edward Hopper and his contemporaries did. The work that follows highlights Hopper’s realist paintings and his singular vision in relation to his peers and their approaches to modernity. Though the exhibition covers the first 40 years of the 20th century, Hopper’s approach to his artwork remains generally unwavering, allowing for a lot of stunning paintings despite a gradual evolution in style. “Tugboat with Black Smokestack” (1908), one of the first works on display, quickly establishes Hopper’s relative pessimism regarding modern life compared to other artists of the time, and his penchant for eerie, foreboding scenes of everyday life. The painting’s featured tugboat near the harbor and its washed out shades of gray, blue, brown, red are overshadowed by the jet-black smokestack protruding from the boat’s roof and the smoke billowing out of it in droves, a harbinger of technology’s dramatic impact on land, sea and air. “Le Bistro” or “The Wine Shop” (1909), Hopper’s first painting conceived and executed entirely on his own, is set in Paris despite the artist’s later obsession with the minutiae of Americana. It established several recurring Hopper trademarks including its casual café setting, artificially strong use of shadows and rigid geo-
edward hopper/Courtesy of the whitney Museum of American art
Edward Hopper 1882-1967, New York Interior, ca. 1921. Oil on canvas, Overall: 24 1/4 × 29 1/4in. (61.6 × 74.3cm). Whitney Museum of American Art, New York; Josephine N. Hopper Bequest 70.1200. ©Heirs of Josephine N. Hopper, licensed by the Whitney Museum of American Art.
metric shapes. And it is particularly notable because, while inspired by several trips to the French capital, Hopper completely ignored the prevailing avant-garde trends of the time, set by figures like Picasso and Matisse, in favor of the Impressionists and Edgar Degas who had largely
edward hopper/Courtesy of the whitney Museum of American art
Edward Hopper 1882-1967, Self Portrait, 1925-1930. Oil on canvas, 25 1/4 × 20 5/8 in. (64.14 x 52.39 cm). Whitney Museum of American Art, New York; Josephine N. Hopper Bequest 70.1165. ©Heirs of Josephine N. Hopper, licensed by the Whitney Museum of American Art. Photograph by Robert E. Mates
fallen out of favor. From the beginning, Hopper was out of step with the art world. “Soir Bleu” (1914), a particularly strange Hopper painting depicts a melancholy, cigarette-smoking clown and others at a waterfront café. Hopper rejects French abstraction yet manages to create a surreal image from a preferred everyday scene, and the piece remains distinctively French. In this way, he both subverts and exceeds the public expectation of him. However, while Hopper was rebellious to suit his artistic vision, he closely watched his contemporaries, some of whom he followed and others whom he railed against. “The Haymarket, Sixth Avenue” (1907), by John Sloan, a member of the famous Ashcan School of artists who documented New York City at the time, is an early example of both the use of dramatic lighting to strengthen the mood of a city hotspot, and a voyeuristic perspective. Its depiction of the infamous club, and the artificial light of its entrance as the only light source in the darkness of night, is particularly Hopper-esque and surely influenced his work. Accompanying “The Haymarket” is a quote attributed to Sloan: “The fun of being a New York painter is that landmarks are torn down so rapidly that your canvasses become historical records almost before the paint on them is dry.” Hopper might agree with the observation of the changing city though we can assume he would question its “fun.” Particularly telling of the divergence in artistic method and opinion regarding industrialism as it continued to spread are two remarkable paintings included in the exhibition: Precisionist painter Charles Demuth’s “My Egypt” (1927) and Hopper’s “Early Sunday Morning” (1930).
Demuth depicts a large Pennsylvania grain elevator through stained-glasslike diagonal planes, with sunlight shining down toward it. In this way, he compares a concrete industrial necessity with both the ancient pyramids and a religious icon. To the lives of many Americans, perhaps its significance deemed the comparison apt, though “Early Sunday Morning” appears to contradict that view. The painting depicts a sleepy city street, storefront apartments of only two stories, waking up for the day under what appears to be a looming mono-
“ While Hopper was
rebellious to suit his artistic vision, he closely watched his contemporaries, some of whom he followed and others whom he railed against.” lith to the far right. The scene, complete with the iconic small-town barber pole, stands in the dawn’s long shadows. Here, modern progress is cast in the darkest of colors, not deified, and threatens to swallow, not save, that which came before it. Hopper’s final works in the exhibition evoke both the beauty of the country and the sadness of losing a more humble, old-fashioned way of life. “Railroad Sunset” (1929) and “Cape Cod Sunset” (1934) show quaint scenes of country life as the sun sets both literally and figuratively. While other artists of the time
found beauty in the complexity and promise of the future, Hopper seemed more cynical about its effects. “South Carolina Morning” (1955) appears to show the aftermath of the aforementioned sunset, as a disgruntled woman stands in a dingy doorway next to boarded windows, finding herself and the burnt, endless plains around her deserted. Here, Hopper’s alwaysdramatic use of lighting manifests itself as the morning sun, not to signify a new dawn but to highlight the aftermath of night. “Modern Life” sets out to contextualize the curious work of Edward Hopper and it does so magnificently, effectively placing him as a man both connected and disconnected to the events of his day. While he seemed obsessed with everyday scenes of American life, he reproduced them with a dark, foreboding edge, as if he were painting scenes from the past. And while he carefully followed the work of his peers and prevailing trends of the day, he quietly rebelled against them or, perhaps more cunningly, co-opted and perfected artistic technique. His creative lens was not the most popular but half a century later, it is the most provocative—a peep show of the changing world. IF YOU GO
Modern Life: Edward Hopper and His Time When: Through April 10 Where: The Whitney Museum of
American Art Price: General Admission: $18 Ages 18 and under: Free Ages 19-25: $12 Ages 62 and over: $12 Full-time students: $12 Pay-what-you-wish on Fridays 6-9 p.m. More Info: www.whitney.org
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February 3, 2011 The Observer
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Game Changer
Jane McGonigal, FCLC ’99, is Altering the Way (and Reason) We Play Games
Mcgonigal From PAGE 1
McGonigal’s transition into her field is no less than a forward-looking narrative of level-ups, game overs and discovering “START NEW GAME” menus. “That was a strange path with a lot of unexpected turns,” McGonigal said of the elapsed time since she graduated from FCLC. Her first job out of college was as an editor at a dot-com startup in Silicon Valley, “back when dot-coms were new.” With a BA in English and having studied journalism and writing, she said that the job made sense. “Jane was omnivorous with everything we had to offer,” taking courses in English, theatre and communication and media studies, said Brian Rose, professor of communication and media studies. “She even audited classes of mine and had useful suggestions about how to make them better,” Rose said. He still employs some of her suggestions in the classroom, like promoting greater student participation. “I have rarely seen a student work so hard and so well to push her fellow students to do their best work,” said professor of English Leonard Cassuto, who taught McGonigal in a seminar course. “Even as a student, Jane was an inspiring colleague, and her approach to gaming as a collaborative activity is, for me, traceable to her intellectual generosity.” A year and a half after she moved to California, the dot-com bubble burst. Knowing her job would not exist within six months, McGonigal returned to school to study theatre. “I had been working in the evenings off-Broadway in New York, trying to get stage-managing experience,” she said. Upon enrolling in a graduate theatre program at the University of California at Berkeley, McGonigal discovered the Go Game, a start-up company that planned to develop ARGs. “Your cell phone would give you game missions and you would actually use GPS, go to real places, meet up with real people and have a real
“ Your cell phone
would give you game missions and you would use GPS, go to real places, meet up with real people and have a real life adventure. Just like a video game but real.” Jane mcgonigal, FCLC ’99, author of “Reality Is Broken: Why Games Make Us Better and How They Can Change The World”
Courtesy of Bart Nagel
Jane McGonigal, FCLC ’99, is the director of game research and development at the Institute for the Future.
life adventure. Just like a video game but real,” she said. “I was like ‘Oh my God.’ You’re going to have actors, sets and props [engaging with the players in the real world platform]. You totally need a stage manager.” After getting hired to help run the games, McGonigal decided to pursue game research at Berkeley. “I had to convince my graduate program to let me study games because I was meant to be studying theatre,” she laughed. “They let me do my Ph.D. on game research even though no one else was doing research on it.” McGonigal invented her course of study, which would evolve into her professional career. Last year, she worked with applied
gaming company Natron Baxter to develop “Evoke” for the World Bank Institute. The ARG ran as a 10-week pilot challenging players with weekly missions that aimed to address global issues like poverty and climate change by teaching collaboration, entrepreneurship and other applicable realworld skills. According to McGonigal, the “crash course in changing the world” engaged almost 20,000 people from 130 countries via an online graphic novel and user blogs. “Evoke” resulted in the creation of more than 50 businesses, McGonigal said. “Now that a lot of people are hearing about this game and the success of the players who’ve started real companies, they’re like, ‘How do
we play?’” In response, the Internetbased game was reopened the week of Jan. 23 so that educators and community organizations around the world can play. Yet for decades, critics have warned of the evils of video and online games, citing social isolation, mood changes and game addiction. McGonigal acknowledged that recent studies have shown that playing games for over 21 hours per week can have negative side effects. But she maintained that up to that point “games are really powerful platforms for provoking positive emotions and building relationships.” McGonigal is “an articulate defender of something most people see almost no value in,” Rose said.
But the real big question, according to McGonigal, is, “What is it that we’re supposed to be doing with our lives?” People’s lives should be “full of happiness, meaning, social connections, purpose, I think. Positive psychologists think,” she said. “Games are a very good way to spark that desire and build the necessary skills to do that in real life.” Going forward, McGonigal said she is most interested in games that “partner online experience with real world action.” She wonders, “Why don’t our real-world actions power up our online avatars? Why doesn’t ‘Nike + running’ power my avatar in “World of Warcraft?” When I volunteer at an urban farm or community garden, why doesn’t it impact my “FarmVille” farm?” As technology and social media advance, and awareness of ARGs increases, it seems McGonigal’s questions will be answered, her ideas becoming game realities that help us work toward solving important social issues. “People think that gamers are totally escapist and they’re opting out. But it’s not true,” McGonigal said. “I’m very optimistic that people who are awesome at games will be awesome at solving real problems if they’re given a chance.”
Galleries Offer Arts Seniors a Platform to Display Work By Katie Lockhart Asst. Arts Editor
As senior visual arts majors at Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) prepare for graduation, the Center and Push Pin Galleries will provide an opportunity to display the culmination of the past four years of their work. In two-week intervals throughout the semester, the artwork of two selected students will occupy the Center Gallery and Push Pin Gallery, located at the foot of the Lowenstein plaza escalators and next to Franny’s Space, respectively. The process of displaying a student artist’s work is a lengthy one. According to Joseph Lawton, director of the visual arts department, the process starts with a seminar class in the fall and then students can apply for the exhibition. The entire department evaluates the student’s proposal during senior week, and once the evaluation is passed the student can be paired with another young artist, whose work compliments his or her own. The student then requests a faculty advisor who helps him or her on a regular basis until the exhibition. According to Ross McLaren, professor of visual arts, the location of the student’s art, whether featured in the Center or the Push Pin Gallery, is determined by how well the pieces work with the space. The Center Gallery is geared towards public shows while the Push Pin Gallery is a more informal space. Many different types and styles of
artwork will be shown in the galleries throughout the semester. “There will be visual arts pieces, paintings, architectural designs, sculptures and there will be a film projected on a loop or a film screening night inside the Visual Arts complex,” McLaren said. One artist, Mickey Velez, FCLC ’11 said, “I’m showing mostly black and white film strips on a loop. My theme is sort of space between dreams and reality. Portrayals of what I feel are my dreams.” According to Velez, she chose the student with whom she is paired because both of their exhibits involve psychedelic aspects. However, Velez’s gallery partner will be displaying brightly colored photography pieces in contrast with her black and white work. A major benefit for seniors displaying their artwork is the ability of showing friends, families, and colleagues everything they have learned and accomplished during their undergraduate education. “When there is an exhibition and a response, there is a feeling of completion and it puts the experience into context,” McLaren said. “The reception is a fun event for friends and family,” Lawton said. “Students can choose to hire a Sodexo bartender for about $150 but they also have to buy the wine and food, so most receptions end up being a sparkling water and cheese affair.” However, an exhibition isn’t just a party to celebrate the artists’ work; it is the result of months of preparation.
Tentative schedule for Senior Art Shows Center Gallery features Feb. 23- Mar. 8 Maria Gotay/Mickey Velez Mar. 21- Apr. 4 Brandon Cruz/Nicole Hauser Apr. 6- Apr. 20 Jacklyn Cunningham/ Vincent Straquadanio Apr. 25-May 8 Johanne Sterling/ Olga Muzician May 9- May 23 John Angles/ Megan Weissner Push Pin Gallery features Courtesy of brandon cruz
Senior visual art student Brandon Cruz’s work will be displayed in the Center Gallery this semester.
“It is sort of stressful. I work really slowly so it’s hard to finish on time but it is exciting and definitely worth it,” Megan Wiessner, FCRH ’11, said. Lawton feels that the senior shows are a great opportunity for students.
“Here is a spare room at a prominent university, located in midtown Manhattan, where students have the chance to put together an exhibit,” he said. “I would say it’s a highlight for students at Fordham.”
Eddy Segal Ashley Bullock Amelia Strohsnitter- Rosalind Foltz Two short films will also be featured by Sarah Sitzler and Brendan Banks in the Screening Room.
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History Back in Motion The Museum of the Moving Image Reopens After Major Renovations By Kyle Morrison Staff Writer
On Jan. 15 the Museum of the Moving Image (MOMI) in Astoria, Queens opened its doors again after closing for major renovations in 2008. Alongside the old displays that trace a century of cinema history are a series of new exhibits and renovated theater space that seek to honor the modern technology that’s transforming how we interact with film, television and digital media. The museum will also utilize its new 267-seat theater for six weeks of film screenings in a program entitled “Celebrating the Moving Image,” which opened with a restored 70mm version of Stanley Kubrick’s “2001: A Space Odyssey.” The renovations began with the museum’s exterior. Replacing the antique yellow sign that hung outside since 1988, neon pink lettering now adorns the entrance, a more appropriate façade for the revamped interior which looks a bit like the hallways of Kubrick’s “2001” spaceships. Parallel to the new main theater is the first exhibit, Japanese artist Chiho Aoshima’s “City Glow,” an incredible animation that spans the entirety of the left entrance wall much like moving graffiti art. Aoshima worked with New Zealand animator Bruce Ferguson to create a looped narrative that acts a lot like digital wallpaper. The viewer is led through a fluorescent metropolis where skyscrapers are covered in forest, and a fantasy world of Aoshima’s design pulsates with life. It doesn’t seem like a faraway reality when digital art pieces like City World will live in the homes of those wealthy enough to afford the technology. The second floor of the museum is devoted to the work of Martha Colburn, a Long Island filmmaker who photographed figurines in MOMI’s
Kyle Morrison/The Observer
The original Yoda puppet from “Star Wars” on display in one of MOMI’s memorabilia rooms.
memorabilia stock, the largest in the country, to put together a schizophrenic stop motion film titled “Dolls vs. Dictators.” “Dolls” draws from a series of collage panels Colburn created for MOMI’s reopening, in which she fuses political and pop imagery to create a world where the Power Rangers, Pee Wee Herman and Kim Jong-Il, among many others, are all vying for political control. The second floor further opens into an extensive series of rooms in which every evolution of “the moving image” is given its due. This expansion is massive, and the MOMI has gone to great lengths to make this part of the museum as interactive and accessible as possible. Visitors can play arcade classics from the ’50s or watch a baseball game on dozens of different monitors, as the sports editing process is broken down and explained in real time. In one area, museum guests can learn the basics behind stop-motion filmmaking and create their own animation from a
variety of props. Here, MOMI will also begin to host a series of educational programs, hosting 60,000 students a year, ranging from young children to high school seniors, in afterschool workshops and tours. Of course, much of the joy of visiting the MOMI can still be found between the new additions, where an incredible archive of props, costumes, drawing boards and antique equipment fill the gallery space. Pieces as modern as the prosthetics used in “Black Swan” are on display next to cult relics like “The Warriors” gang jackets. And every evolution of the television and film camera line the walls of another gallery room. The third and final floor is home to MOMI’s feature exhibit, a series of five pieces that test the boundary between the virtual world and our own. An anticipated sixth piece is expected to be installed soon by renowned video artist Bill Viola, who has created his first interactive art exhibition entitled “The Night Journey”
working with video game designers at Electronic Arts. Out of the five exhibits, “Into the Forest” was the one at which I and the other visitors seemed to spend the most time. Created by OpenEnded, a group comprised of Paul Keiser, Shelley Eskar and Marc Downie, “Into the Forest” utilizes motion tracking technology to place the viewer into a three-dimensional forest in which two children are playing hide-andseek. At a time when the notion of 3D technology is almost always associated with cheap thrills, “Into the Forest” was a stunning case for how it can be used to achieve just the opposite. The environment OpenEnded has created looks like a Monet, and it shifts and changes along with the children, as the viewer moves with the piece. “Cathedral,” a nine minute video loop by artist Marco Brambilia, layers over 150 hours of footage from a Montreal supermall, to create a kaleidoscope of consumerism that
reads like a religious tapestry. “Augmented Sculputure,” a 2007 piece by architect Pablo Valbuena experiments with applying a “virtual skin” over a physical body. Valbuena slowly runs a white video projection over a building structure that stands in the corner of the room. It doesn’t come across so much as a work of art as an exploration in possibility; like Aoshima’s piece, Valbuena leaves us questioning when the virtual world might seamlessly blend with our own. While the museum has undoubtedly done a successful job filling the expanded space they’ve been given, one inevitably wonders upon reaching its conclusion if too much of the $67 million renovation went to style and not substance. Rows of memorabilia are an invaluable draw for most visitors, but those looking to experience a large body of innovative new art will find the limited selection intriguing but ultimately unfulfilling. Furthermore, the history of the “moving image” presented is largely a mainstream one. While the museum is intent on showcasing avant-garde history through its film series, it gets little love on the walls and in the display cases. In the day of the “Avatar” audience, this is perhaps a ssmart but unfortunate concession. IF YOU GO
Museum of the Moving Image When: Tues.-Thurs. 10:30 a.m. to 5
p.m., Fri. 10:30 a.m. to 8 p.m., Sat.-Sun. 10:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. (closed Mon.) Where: 35th Avenue at 37th Street Astoria, NY 11106 Price: adults: $10, senior citizens and college students with valid ID: $7.50, children ages 3-18: $5 More Info: www.movingimage.us
Molimo Celebrates Black History Month African-American Culture Explored Through Club Discussion and Dialogue By Ariella Mastroianni Staff Writer
February is a special month of the year, not only because it hosts Valentine’s Day, but because it is dedicated to the celebration of black history. Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC)’s Molimo, a student organization dedicated to the study and appreciation of African, African-American and Caribbean culture, celebrates Black History Month to the fullest, with cultural events scheduled nearly every week. The February programming sponsored by Molimo ranges from an open-mic night on Feb. 3, featuring Rose Hill’s Hip Hop Coalition, a group for hip hop and slam poetry, a visit to the Malcolm Shabazz Mosque on Feb. 9 and a screening of Spike Lee’s “Bamboozled” on Feb. 28. The events are open to the Fordham community, as are Molimo’s weekly meetings held on Thursdays at 12 p.m. in room 402, where cultural discussions are held on a variety of topics relevant to the African-American community. For Molimo’s president Monique John, FCLC ’13, the events are created not only in celebration of Black History Month, but as a way to reach out and generate awareness of the richness of African-American culture. The discussions held during the weekly meetings are especially important, oftentimes covering controversial subjects, according to John.
“Historically, African-American culture has been denied,” John said. “This month we’re going to debate whether there should even be a single month dedicated to black history, or whether it should be celebrated all year round.” John, an African-American Studies minor, has been actively involved in Molimo since her
“ Historically,
African American culture has been denied. This month we’re going to debate whether there should even be a single month dedicated to Black history. ” Monique John FCLC ’13
freshman year. Her entire family is from Guyana, but her interest in the study of African-American culture was sparked during high school when she began taking ballet classes at the Dance Theater of Harlem. “The institution had such a strong history, and I thought to myself, ‘If I’m going to be a part of this, I have to be educated about it.’ Then, when I joined Molimo my freshman year, it worked out very
Laurene Francois/The Observer
Monique John, FCLC ’13, is the president of student club Molimo.
well for me because I made many close friends who shared the same passion and interest.” John also explained that the club is not exclusive to African-
Americans, but consists of a wellbalanced and diverse membership that equally participates in cultural discussions. For member Kalon Hayward, FCLC ’12, a theater
major and transfer student from Pace University, Molimo’s diversity is crucial to the club and their discussions, providing a unique quality that previous clubs he participated in lacked. “It’s important to hear from an outside perspective,” Hayward said. “It’s also great that it’s not called ‘The Black Student Organization.’ The fact that the club welcomes all ethnicities is exciting.” Forrest Van Dyke, FCLC ’12 and another dedicated member of Molimo, speaks from the “outside perspective,” Hayward mentions. Van Dyke comes from an English, Dutch and German background. “Even though I don’t participate in discussion from a deeply personal level, the issues addressed still pertain to some aspects of my life,” Van Dyke said, who helps teach reading and writing in the Knowledge Is Power Program (KIPP) at the Star Middle School in Harlem. “I think everyone could learn something from Molimo, regardless of your ethnicity.” In the future, John and other members of Molimo hope to continue the club’s legacy at Fordham by expanding this community of people who share a passion for creating awareness about black culture. But most importantly, they hope to ensure that the club lives up to its name, which in Swahili means “family.” For them, the family they have created is celebrated every month of the year, not just February.
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And the Grammy Goes To… An Assistant Arts Editor Predicts Winners and Losers for the Big Night By Mike Madden Asst. Arts Editor
Record of the Year
Best Long Form Music Video
Who Should Win : Cee Lo Green—
Who Should Win: “Under Great White Northern Lights”—The White Stripes
“Fuck You”
Who Will Win : Couldn’t Care Less
To say Cee Lo Green has written some of the catchiest songs of our generation would be an understatement. The short and stumpy sultan of retro R&B hasn’t disappointed yet. “Fuck You” is the kind of song whose production is perfectly effortless. Its sound pays homage to the pioneers of soul and R&B and updates it for a generation of people who might be unacquainted with those early icons, but still recognize a good song when they hear one. It’s memorable and easy to sing. I even heard a mother singing it to herself while pushing her toddler in a shopping cart and picking out ice cream. God, I wish I was that kid.
Who Will Win: “Under Great White Northern Lights”—The White Stripes
Jay L. Clendenin/ LA times/MCT, Nicolas Khaya/Krt/abaca press/mct, Jay L. Clendenin/LA Times/MCT, lionel hahn/ abaca press/mct
Lady Gaga, Eminem, Katy Perry and Rihanna are among the most-nominated artists this year.
Best Rock Album
Album of the Year
Who Should Win: Pearl Jam— “Backspacer”
Who Should Win: Arcade Fire—“The Suburbs” Who Will Win: Lady Gaga—“The Fame Monster”
Who Will Win: Muse—“The Resistance”
I’m going with Pearl Jam for Best Rock Album. And yes, I know what all you serious music lovers are saying. But Pearl Jam is undeniably one of the most consistent aging rock groups out there right now. We should be thankful for the fact that Eddie Vedder can still howl like the wolfman he is. I guarantee by the time you’re in your 30s, have a wife and kids, they’ll still be rocking out harder than ever. One album this year that surprised me was New Jersey’s Titus Andronicus and their Civil War-themed album, “The Monitor.” Following in the footsteps of Jersey patron saint Bruce Springsteen, the boys from Glen Rock have paid their dues with furious, raucous playing and passionate, fiery lyrics. Their album caught the attention and imagination of many music lovers, regarded by many as one of the best albums of 2010.
In the world of indie music Christendom, Arcade Fire are kind of a big deal. And I mean that as a compliment. “The Suburbs” has everything a good concept album should have: a gripping, attention-grabbing storyline with a beginning, middle and end. Unfortunately, it seems like Lady Gaga may steal this one. It seems like everything that woman touches turns to sh... I mean gold.
Best Recording Package Who Should Win: The Black Keys Who Will Win: The Black Keys
Best Recording Package, or best album art, goes to the minimalist, in-your-face brashness of Akron, Ohio’s The Black Keys. Their latest album, “Brothers,” takes the idea of the traditional album and throws it out the window. I’m not exaggerating when I say minimalist. The cover appears black with red and white text that reads, “This is an album by the Black Keys—The name of this album is Brothers.” The album art is not complex by any means, forgoing expert, high-level graphics.
Best Long Form Music Video or, in other words, music documentary, has to go to Emmet Malloy’s “Under Great White Northern Lights.” Malloy films the White Stripes while venturing on their tour throughout every province and territory of Canada, stretching as far the Eskimo communities of the North. Malloy’s poignant display of musical emotion between Jack and Meg shows a side of the duo the media has rarely ever seen. The concert footage is raw and the interviews with Jack and Meg are even rawer.
Best Pop Vocal Album
Best New Artist
Song of the Year
Who Should Win: “I Dreamed a Dream”—Susan Boyle
Who Should Win: Esperanza Spalding
Who Should Win: “Fuck You”—Cee Lo Green
Who Will Win: “The Fame Monster”—Lady Gaga
Who Will Win: Drake
Who Will Win:“Love The Way You Lie”—Eminem feat. Rhianna.
If Esperanza Spalding doesn’t win this Best New Artist category, the faith I have in society will drop dramatically. Before this, Spalding was just another “no name” that I had never heard of. But God, I’m glad that I did. Spalding is a beautiful, innovative jazz bassist and singer who constructs gorgeous, jazzinfused string arrangements with elements of world music. Her voice is fresh and sensuous; a nice change among names like Justin Bieber (I don’t even have to say anything), Florence and the Machine (amazing voice, used way too much in movies about self empowerment... cough, cough, “Eat Pray Love”) and Mumford & Sons (trying too hard to be folk). Many people may argue on this one with me, but I see nothing special about Drake. There is nothing original about him that I find noteworthy or worthy of admiration. The guy was on Noggin’s “Degrassi” for God’s sake.
Again, I stand by Cee Lo and his brilliant song “Fuck You” for a number of reasons. If you can listen to a song several times in a row and never get tired of it, you have a hit. If you can incorporate a curse word into a song numerous times and make it catchy without being cheesy, you have a hit. Lastly, if the name of your song is actually “Fuck You,” you should just be given the award by default.
Best Rap Album Who Should Win: The Roots—“How I Got Over” Who Will Win: Eminem—“Recovery”
In my eyes, the legendary Roots crew can do no wrong. ?uestlove could be limbless, stick two pencils in his mouth, and still sound like a God among Gods with a metronome for a brain. The Roots are the rap group everyone loves; they are easily accessible, poetic and actually PLAY their instruments. “How I Got Over” may not be the best album of their career, but it’s certainly one of the best this year. From “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon” to the house band for the “Rally to Restore Sanity,” I don’t see The Roots ending their victory run anytime soon.
For more music, art, theatre, dance, and all things cultural, check out our website at FORDHAMOBSERVER.COM
Susan Boyle has a gift from God: actual talent. Boyle is arguably one of the biggest things to hit contemporary music in a long time with a voice that isn’t all bells and whistles. Her voice isn’t melodramatic, overworked or demonstrative of the wagging figure technique when venturing up and down the scale (big thanks to Christina Aguilera for that one). On the complete opposite side of the spectrum, we have the constantly changing, emotionless Lady Gaga, a woman whose talent is shown more in her fashion sense than her songwriting and vocal deliverance. But, I give her some credit. Not everyone can pull off a head-to-toe meat dress.
IF YOU WATCH
53rd Annual Grammy Awards When: Sun., Feb. 13, 8 p.m. Where: CBS Television Network More Info: www.grammy.com
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Roger Ebert Revives An Imperfect “At the Movies” By James Miller Staff Writer
It breaks my heart to say anything close to “no” to Roger Ebert. Yes, I may disagree with him on a few movies, but to give even a mixed review to “Ebert Presents At the Movies,” his first television endeavor in over four years, feels like a shot to my own chest. Alas, though the new show is not hopeless, it proves problematic largely due to its unexciting hosts. This new program, broadcast on WLIW21 in New York, emerges five months after the original “At the Movies” ended on ABC. Ebert began that show with Gene Siskel in 1986 after 11 years of working together on public television. After Siskel’s death in 1999 and Ebert’s departure in 2006 due to cancer treatment, the show went through some unfortunate and sometimes gimmicky replacements (namely, the uninspired Ben Lyons and Ben Mankiewicz and the almost self-serious Michael Phillips and A.O. Scott) before ending for good. With his new program, Ebert returns to public television to revitalize the studiously yet lively type of reviewing he did with Siskel. Ebert chose Christy Lemire of the Associated Press and Ignatiy Vishnevetsky of Mubi.com as the show’s hosts. Both critics display experience and knowledge about cinema’s past and present. Lemire appears to be more casual while Vishnevetsky is somewhat of a scholar. When Vishnevetsky gives a movie “thumbs up,” he points out specific scenes and comparisons to past films and filmmaking techniques to explain why he liked the movie. (In the premiere episode, one of his praises about “The Green Hornet” was the cinematography’s similarity to optical processes from the 1970s.) Lemire explains her opinion as well, but her comments
Ebert Productions/LA Times/MCT
“At the Movies” co-hosts Ignatiy Vishnevetsky (left) and Christy Lemire (right) with Roger Ebert (center).
are broader, less formal and slightly repetitive. (She used “languid” as a major adjective two reviews in a row.) I don’t want to suggest one takes their role more seriously than the other because they both clearly love movies, but it does seem like the intellectual playing field is slightly imbalanced. The problem with these hosts is that neither one has a distinctly opposite personality yet. Siskel was a
Can’t play an instrument, paint a landscape, or make a feature film?
collected man while Ebert had the capacity to raise his voice if it seemed a movie he liked was being attacked. Any of their disagreements is two or three minutes of guaranteed humor amidst the discourse. The only emotion I can see in these new hosts is happiness to be on television. They should improve as they do more episodes and build a relationship. (Vishnevetsky is a last-minute re-
placement for Elvis Mitchell of the radio program “The Treatment.”) I hope they’ll reveal some more facets in time, because we certainly don’t want another pair as wan as Lyons and Mankiewicz. The reviews themselves can be less than engaging. The hosts often begin by summarizing the movie before offering any criticism. If there’s one thing I know as a writer, it’s that you
need a juicy opening to hook in an audience. Don’t start by describing the plot. Give us one succinct statement on the quality so we can be interested in hearing more. Ebert is better about it in his own segment, where he handpicks movies like “The Rite” and “My Dog Tulip,” but he also wastes time describing the film factually and not describing it emotionally. It’s a forgivable error for a beginning show, and the critics already started making their opinions clearer in the second episode, but they should remember to relay their general statement at the most opportune moment. The new “At the Movies” also promises specialized segments with guest correspondents. The first two episodes featured blogger Kim Morgan praising the 1949 classic “The Third Man” and essayist Kartina Richardson analyzing the bathroom as an important recurring setting in “Black Swan.” Segments like these run the risk of seeming random, so I hope their subjects will stay related to the overall episode or to current events in addition to being discussed for their own sake. So far, these pieces are interesting and recall some of the special episodes Siskel and Ebert did (like their salute to black and white and their analysis of great villains). Even with its faults, I wish “Ebert Presents At the Movies” the best of luck. I will continue watching to see if it will improve. This show is bringing back what the original “At the Movies” delivered: intelligent film discussion proffered by relatable people. The hosts this time around are not as entertaining as Siskel and Ebert were, but their potential cannot be abandoned after only two episodes. I trust Ebert very much, and if he likes these new critics, then I’ll wait and see if they will earn their seats in the balcony.
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PHOTO FEATURE Observer photographers brave the cold to capture the New York snowscape after the recent blizzard on January 27, 2011.
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Features
February 3, 2011 The Observer
The Future Figures of Black History Month By Beata Cherepakhina Features Co-Editor
With February comes Black History Month, an opportunity for Americans to reminisce about influential black figures and their impact on American history. In the last few years, several black icons have made significant marks on our lives, but who has really stood out and who is most likely to be remembered? We asked the Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) community their thoughts on what rising black figures they felt deserved special recognition. The most common answer, not surprisingly, was President Barack Obama. “No matter what situations President Obama faces during his presidency, he will always be remembered for his tremendous contribution to African-American history,” Danielle Mendez, FCLC ’14, said. “His inauguration was not only a declaration of a certain political direction for the country, but it was a time that African-Americans could reflect and witness how far we have come as a people. There was a time when African-Americans were not considered and treated as human beings; for one of us to rise to the highest position of power in the country is quite reassuring in our growth as a people.” Obama’s influence isn’t limited to the political realm; he’s also made an impact in the pop culture world. “[President Obama] has been able to transcend being a political figure into being that along with being somewhat of a celebrity in his own right,” Stephen Williams, FCLC ’12, added. “He’s so well respected among the pop culture elite and he doesn’t take that lightly. Most presidents would deem having allies in the pop world as negative or trivial, but he embraces the support he gets from the world of pop culture, as he knows the impact that it has on the country and the world.” And there’s no denying that President Obama will forever leave an impact on black history. “For young black children and
Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times/MCT Michael Tercha/Chicago Tribune/MCT
President Barack Obama and television personality Oprah Winfrey are two African-American figures who are sure to make a mark on history.
youth we are constantly told that we can be anything and do anything,” Chantal Freeman, FCLC ’13, said. “President Obama represents someone who worked hard and despite his critics made it to the highest office in our country. His success qualifies all that we are told.” President Obama isn’t the only Chicago native making an impact. Another famous Chicagoan, Oprah Winfrey, has also left an impression and become an inspiration not only stateside, but internationally as well. “For me Oprah is perhaps the most compelling,” Irma WatkinsOwens, associate professor of history, director of African-American studies at FCLC, said. She is a figure who often revisits her past as an abused child, perhaps only in partially successful attempts to transcend it. On the other hand, she has seemingly
transcended race and gender barriers to become one of the most powerful figures, man or woman, in her industry”. Freeman added, “She is the epitome of a strong black woman. Oprah is a humanitarian. She is forever giving of herself to her family, friends, fans and our worldwide community” But success does come with pressure and Oprah has experienced her fair share. “Oprah avoids direct, issue-oriented political commentary. This, in my view, is a political position that is partially responsible for her success,” Watkins-Owens said. “[Oprah’s] endorsement of Obama during his presidential run was one of the few times she faced real criticism. Already cultural critics are asking whether Oprah is truly a transcendent figure or if she’s walking the racial tight line
as so many “mainstream” African Americans have done.” Another person who has been exposed to both criticism and praise is Wyclef Jean. “Wyclef Jean will be remembered for his contributions to music, our country and the world, using his position as a musician and celebrity to bring awareness about different world issues like the earthquake in Haiti,” Mendez said. Watkins-Owens added, “HaitianAmerican Wyclef Jean has used his celebrity effectively and problematically. His public commitment to Haiti before and after the earthquake has been influential, but by any critical measure, his attempt to run for the president of the country was not a wise move. Most agree that fluency in Creole, intimate knowledge of the country and political experience are
the minimum qualifications to run for any office. Still, Wyclef’s sincere commitment to solving the problems of Haiti mirrors that of many others who form transnational black communities in the U.S.” Musicians Jay-Z, Alicia Keys, John Legend and Kanye West, director Spike Lee, and Reverend Mike Eric Dyson were also mentioned as black celebrities who are likely to make an impact for future generations. And so it seems that in recent years, whether musicians or politicians, black icons are working hard to leave their marks on history. No longer do we have Malcom X, MLK or Rosa Parks as the fallback AfricanAmerican heroes. Today we see influential leaders crossing all boundaries and becoming vital patches in the quilt work of America.
New Semester, New You: Viva La Resolution! By Diana Denza Staff Writer
Schedules are finalized, residents are back in the dorms and clubs are prepared for a brand new semester. And along with the new semester come a host of resolutions. I, for one, decided to begin with a bold change I’ve always been too terrified to attempt. On the first morning of the semester, I went to a salon and had my stylist cut off over a foot of the hair I’d been growing out for years. As I heard the scissors snip away the locks of hair, I knew I had made the right decision. Now, I have a chic bob and my long waves of hair are being donated to make wigs for cancer patients. I’ve never felt better. And I’m not the only one who wants to change this semester. Students at Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) are also making a resolution or two, from the academic to the unusual. For many students, this semester will be a time to focus on schoolwork after a fall semester of slacking off. “I want to concentrate on my studies this semester,” Sophie Stanish, FCLC ’12, said. “Last semester, I was involved in so many different things that I felt I didn’t do my very
“ This semester, I
want to transform the table from a junk food heaven to a healthy haven.” Kyela Crow, FCLC ’12
photo illustration by Luke cusumano/The Observer
FCLC students are resolving to make changes in the upcoming semester.
best in what really counted.” “I’d really like to get into graduate school,” Patricia Kriebel, FCLC ’11, said. “I’m a history major now, but I want to get my Masters Degree in Library and Information Science. I’m doing my best right now to avoid trashy tabloids and MTV.” Others try to figure out how their major works with their everyday lives. “I’m studying costume design,” Isabelle Simone, FCLC ’12, said. “I’d really like to incorporate some of my designs into my everyday wardrobe. My style is very quirky,
and I’d like to create pieces that women could wear on the street.” For those who are already making the grade, the dawn of the new semester means a chance to build up a killer resume. “This semester, I’m going to gain some experience with an internship,” Christina Celona, FCLC ’12, said. “Last semester, I wasn’t as involved as I could have been, and I want that to change. I’m hoping that this internship will prove my dedication to my major.” For a few, improved grades and internship hunts are secondary to
learning how to navigate this vibrant city. “I just transferred here,” Lauren Duzyk, FCLC ’12, said. “One goal I have is to try every ethnic restaurant close to campus. I’ve never eaten Thai food, so I think I’ll start with that. I’d also like to master the subway system by the end of the semester. I’ve only ridden the subway once, and that needs to change.” Even those who have been studying here for years find that there is even more to explore in a city of endless possibilities. “I’m a huge Harry Potter fan,” Annie Labus, FCLC ’11, said. “Luckily for me, New York hosts many Wizard Rock concerts based on characters and scenes from the Harry Potter books. Since it’s my last semester, I would really love to attend as many of these concerts as possible and make some lasting
memories.” Though our city never sleeps, some find that the bill for all their fun is ridiculously steep. “Going out to eat a few times a week really put a strain on my savings,” Jaclyn Bethany, FCLC ’12, said. “Combined with shopping trips to SoHo, it can be disastrous. My goal this semester is to keep a list of my expenses so I don’t go completely overboard.” And those of us who don’t eat out every night find that they would like to cook up a change in diet, whether it be cutting out specific foods or changing high-calorie snacking habits. “I’m going to attempt to be a vegetarian,” Jacqueline Mosteller, FCLC ’14, said. “Last semester, I attempted to cut meat out from my diet but failed. This semester, I’m ready to stick to this goal.” “My roommates and I have an amazing but completely unhealthy snack table,” Kyela Crow, FCLC ’12, said. “From chocolate and cookies to chips and candy, we have it all. This semester, I want to transform the table from a junk food heaven to a healthy haven.” Most students have high hopes for this semester. We’ll just have to wait and see who will brag about their success stories in May and who will fall back into their old ways.
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Technophiles Rejoice! 2011 Promises Shiny Gadgets By Michael O’Donnell Contributing Writer
Looking back, 2010 was a landmark year for technology—among other advances, the unveiling of tablet computer systems and the increased focus on the potential of 3D technology had many wondering what could possibly come next. Luckily, 2011 appears to be just as promising, as leading tech manufacturers plan to build on last year’s gadgets and introduce new, inventive technologies. The future is bright, and our continued advances in the field of technology have made, and will continue to make, our lives increasingly simpler, streamlined and digitalized. So without further ado, here are a couple of gadgets that consumers can look forward to in 2011. In 2011, tablet computers will continue to revolutionize the way people think about and experience their computers. Naturally, Apple will be leading the pack, as they plan to release the iPad 2 at some point during the second quarter of 2011. While Apple executives have kept relatively quiet in terms of confirming details, the rumor mill has begun to spin, and the word is that the iPad 2 will be thinner, lighter, and sleeker. It will offer a higher resolution screen, front and back cameras, enabling photography and face-to-face communication, which will undoubtedly become a popular application among iPad owners. Right now, the iPad 2 will likely be in the same price range as its predecessor, with a $500 base price. However, with success comes imitation, and Apple will have to withstand a number of competitors releasing their own tablet computers. The most intriguing is perhaps the BlackBerry Playbook, a stylish and smaller take on the tablet computer that will combine standard tablet functions with BlackBerry’s wellknown business features.
Lawrence K. Ho/Los Angeles Times/MCT
The Nintendo 3DS is one of several new advances in technology that promises 3-D imagery without glasses.
The tablet will be released at some point in March or April, providing direct competition to Apple’s iPad. Competition aside, one thing is clear: the tablet is the future of the computer, as more and more people begin throwing away their desktops and laptops and picking up a lightweight tablet. While tablet computers may be the technology of 2011, they are certainly
not the only things we should be looking forward to. Notably, 3D technology has evolved from a novelty to a staple of many home entertainment systems, and 2011 will continue this trend on several levels. One of the drawbacks of 3D technology has always been the annoyance of having to wear the special 3D glass-
es, giving many people headaches, and in some cases, nausea. However, going forward, this may no longer be a problem. Toshiba is already in the process of marketing a future, naked-eye television that will not require glasses to experience the 3D effect. The television, named The Rezga 20GL1, is only available in Japan at the moment, but will
likely find its way overseas by the end of the year. As one would expect, the price will be steep, running anywhere from $3,000 to $5,000. In addition to the television, 3D technology will also be making its way into video games, starting with the Nintendo 3DS. The 3DS is a glasses-free, hand-held gaming device that will have many of our favorite titles, including “Metal Gear Solid” and “Resident Evil.” Nintento’s 3DS is a big step, as it has paved the way for the future of video gaming. Microsoft and Sony have already begun considering 3D possibilities and will definitely be including 3D technology in their next generation systems. Another intriguing product is Lady Gaga’s Grey Label Camera Glasses. Yes, you read that correctly. Lady Gaga, the international pop and fashion superstar, has teamed with Polaroid to bring us a revolutionary new product: sunglasses embedded with a digital camera. Users will be able to snap pictures and movies directly from the glasses and upload them via a USB port in the earpiece. The intention of the glasses is to facilitate our photo-sharing and make it remarkably easy to document nearly every aspect of our lives. In a recent announcement, Lady Gaga spoke about the revolutionary nature of the glasses, claiming, “I brought my vision and love of fashion, technology and obsession with the future into all of my work with Polaroid.” Suffice to say, 2011 looks to be an exciting year. We are in the midst of a technological revolution, and 2011 should bring some new gadgets that embody that. Technology as we know it will continue to evolve and adapt, forcing its way into more and more aspects of our daily lives.
McMahon Hall Heartbreak Recovery Guide How to Get Over a Breakup When You Live in the Same Building as Your Ex By Alexandra MacLean Staff Writer
So you’ve been dating (insert name here) for the past (two, three, four) years and you just broke up. So what right? Life goes on and there are plenty of other fish in the sea. Except for one small issue. You both live in the dorms. This could mean at least two things: one, you probably have a lot of the same friends, and two, you’ll run into each other in the most awkward of times and situations. Think of the elevator rides where you’ll both stare blankly forward, the classes which you’ll have signed up for where you’ll both aim to blend into the walls, and the act of opening your door to see that special someone walk by, at which point you’ll either quickly retreat back to your room, pretending to have forgotten something, or smile politely while secretly yearning to stab said person in the heart. The reality of attending FCLC is that there are literally two buildings, so in order to avoid the inevitably awkward situations which are bound to occur in the following months, follow this simple dorm breakup guide.
1
Take the stairs at all costs... even if you live on the 20th floor
O.K., so this may sound harsh, but not only will you avoid your nemesis, you’ll also get some exercise, which will result in an amazing appearance and therefore elicit jealousy in your ex. And if you do bump into them in the stairwell, just dash by them like a bolt of lightning, either pretending that you didn’t see them or that you were in a massive rush to get down the next 18 flights of stairs so you could go to your amazing job, internship or class, because you’re just so much busier and more important than they are.
2
Suck up to your friends
This is the time to be extra nice to those friends who you feel may be likely to side with your ex. When parents split up, kids usually need to decide where to stay, while when relationships end, friends may also feel that they need to choose one side of the fence. So bake them some cookies, do their laundry for them, and basically deny all the terrible things that your ex may have told them about you. Of course you didn’t send hate mail to all the people they dated after you or threaten to graffiti their door with profanity.
3
Don’t drink and text
This is a definite no-no. Hidden aggression, phones and alcohol do not go hand-inhand. When at a party, bar or basically anywhere where alcohol is within reach, hide your phone! Or at least give it to a close friend. Drunken texts are not only embarrassing but also don’t make any sense. BU$#$T I STUKLL LOIve YoOP!! does not only come off as desperate, but also illiterate.
4
Get a job
So maybe you’ll be crying into the burger you’re flipping or chopping the onions with a little too much vigor, but at least this way your mind will be occupied and you won’t be thinking about your ex 24/7. Also, you won’t risk running into them in the dorms since you’ll be out reelin’ in the dough while they sit on their sorry, broke butt. Posting Facebook photos of you having oodles of fun with your burger buddies will say a couple of things. One, it will say, “Look, I’m so over you that I can have oodles of fun,” and two, “My burger buddies are so much cooler than you ever were.”
5
Eat chocolate
Dark chocolate actually makes you happy and you’ll burn it all off running up and down the stairs, running errands for your friends and slaving away at your new job. So there you have it, five postbreak-up strategies for those living in the dorms. The best strategy of all, however, is to remember these four words: it will get better.
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Gray Buildings, Gray Sidewalks and... Gray Hair? By Sunny Khahera Contributing Writer
New York City has long been thought of as the utopian environment for young people all across America. When most people think of New York, they think of bright lights, long avenues filled with designer stores, and above all else, the night life. Being the most populous city in the country, you would think that young people are migrating here by the masses. But that’s not the case at all. According to AM New York, “The Brookings analysis of Census data for 2007-09 shows that the New York/Northern New Jersey area lost a net 29,292 of 25-34 year olds in that two-year span.” Why the shift you ask? Well, as the country is facing one of its worst economic downturns in history, New York City, as you can imagine, is becoming an even more expensive place to live. If the word expensive doesn’t catch your attention, this finding in the New York Times from 2008 might just do the trick: “The average price of a Manhattan apartment in the first three months of this year was $1.7 million, up 33.5 percent from the same period last year, according to the real estate appraisal firm Miller Samuel Inc.” Students at our own Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) seem to have a similar opinion of the
disadvantages of the city outweighing the advantages. “I do love the city, there’s always something new going on but I can definitely see the lifestyle getting old,” Greg Cronin, FCLC ’14, said. “The size of New York makes it harder to have an actual sense of community. I don’t think there’s a true definition of what a New Yorker is.” Another factor that may be driving young people out of New York is the hardship of dating and starting a family in the city. “I like living here because of all the opportunities presented, but I can see how it’s harder for young people to meet others because of the plethora of options available for a, say, average weekend in the city,” Aaron Kraut, FCLC ’14 said. “It’s just something that makes it more difficult to find an environment that you’re comfortable in.” Cronin added, “It’s a great place to live in when you’re young, but unless you make a substantial amount of money, it’s going to be extremely tough for people that want to raise kids here.” And many students are taking future jobs and salaries into consideration when thinking about whether or not they plan to stay in the city. “I think that it is very much about the cost of housing in New York City. It costs much more to live in New York City than in other cities,” Clara Rodriquez, professor and associate
Anthony gong/The Observer
Census data has revealed that more young people are choosing to leave New York City.
chair of the department of sociology and anthropology at FCLC, said. Kraut, who had similar feelings, said, “I would love to live in either New York or Chicago because I hope to become a lawyer, and the most prestigious firms are located in both of those cities. Whether this sort of sentiment is shared by my peers remains up for debate, as the cost of living in New York City increases and the job opportunities decrease.” But all hope is not lost, as some
students at FCLC still see themselves sticking around in New York City, even after college. “I really like the city, it’s really international and being an international studies major myself, you can see why I like it so much. Everything is available here; it’s the most “melting pot” city in the “melting pot” country. It even caters to people with all levels of income, oh, and of course, Fordham’s here,” Ben Schaub FCLC ’14 said. “There are a lot of peo-
ple that enjoy the city; many of them are new to the city so experiencing it all for the first time is definitely exciting.” Much like the city they live in, the students of FCLC have many viewpoints. Some of them aren’t too fulfilled by the city while others couldn’t see themselves living anywhere else. But no matter what, being in New York City is an experience that isn’t available anywhere else; after all, it is the melting pot.
Ciao Da Firenze! Hello From Florence! Fordham Student Finds Passion Under the Tuscan Sun I wasn’t studying the history; I was living it. It was passion that I longed for, and in Florence, I found it.
By Vincenza Di Maggio Contributing Writer
“You mean you live in New York City and you come…[to Florence]?” I can’t tell you how many times my Italian classmates looked at me with raised eyebrows and facial expressions that showed their utter disbelief when they learned that I was a New Yorker choosing to spend my Spring 2010 semester studying in Florence. I thought, why wouldn’t I choose Florence? But as I reflected on it more, I realized… they had a point. I was already getting a first-class education at Fordham as an art history major. With the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the MoMA less than 20 minutes away, I was in the ideal location to study the subject I was so passionate about. In New York City, everything I could possibly want was at my fingertips. Naturally, I wondered why I felt that Italy, a country that is sometimes politically, economically and academically disorganized, could give me what New York City couldn’t. Of course, there was the obvious: I was accepted into Middlebury College’s School in Italy program. It is a credible institution with an intense language program that would allow me to take courses at the University of Florence. I wanted to perfect my Italian, and hearing, speaking, studying, writing and reading the language for six months would undoubtedly help me to do so. I study literature and art history at Fordham. Spending a semester in Florence, a city whose history of the Renaissance is deeply grounded in its art and architecture, would enrich my studies. In Florence, the history is embedded into the cobble-stoned streets. I studied in the same piazzas Dante Alighieri spent his days in, walked the same route home over the Ponte Vecchio as Cosimo de’Medici did in the 14th century, and as I passed Brunelleschi’s Duomo four times a day, every day, I admired it firsthand. I wasn’t studying the history; I was living it. It was passion that I longed for, and in Florence, I found it. All of that was true, but to be honest, my reasons for wanting to
Jackie Hutcherson/St. Louis Post-Dispatch/MCT
Florence is one of the many cities that offer Study Abroad programs.
Study Abroad Application Deadlines France: French Language in Paris February 15 Italy: Rome Athenaeum February 15 Spain February 15 United Kingdom February 15 study abroad ran even deeper then that. Every time my family and I vacationed in Italy, the scenery, the language, the smell and the warmth and friendliness of the people mesmerized me. My parents always told me, “It’s different when you actually live there.” Well, I wanted to see for myself. I wanted to know what it felt like to be Italian! For six months, I was an Italian student studying at L’Universita’ di Firenze. I met with friends in Piazza della Republica for gelato
on nights when we had nothing to do, witnessed student riots at the university, cheered with the “tifosi” (fans) at the Fiorentina-AC Milan soccer game, watched the women in their high-heeled shoes zip past me as they rode their bikes to work, and every morning I walked into the bar and pushed my way through the crowd of business men and women in their suits to order my “cornetto and caffé.” I suffered through bone-chillingly cold winters without heat, sweated through the
hot summer months without the luxury of air conditioning, learned to take five-minute showers (water supply is low and the cost is achingly high) without flooding the bathroom (most bathrooms in Italy don’t have shower curtains) and didn’t sleep for nights stressing over my Roman architecture oral exam. My professors told me that they wouldn’t be giving me special treatment because I was a foreign student; I had to study like every other Italian. And so, I spent a month studying in the library, on the bus, at my desk and in my bed, memorizing my art history textbook, stressing over the fact that my less-than-friendly professor could flip to any page in the book and with an impatient glance expect me to describe it in detail. I had never studied so much in my life. On Saturdays, I always found something to do. One day during my parents’ visit, we walked to the Santa Maria Novella train station, purchased three tickets, and in 20 minutes we found ourselves in the middle of the Carnevale parade of Viareggio, shaking the confetti out of our hair and admiring the gigantic, colorful and originally handcrafted floats. What a celebration! On any other Saturday I could hop on a train and in 45 minutes I could be standing in front of the tower of Pisa (I’d seen the infamously slanted landmark countless times in textbooks and on calendars, but here it was, right in front of my eyes—amazing!). Or in two hours I could find myself in the country side of Puglia. I was warmly welcomed into the home of close family friends, who made sure to cook my favorite dish of the region, “panzerotti,” fried pizza dough stuffed with mozzarella,
prosciutto and a touch of sauce. I enjoyed a completely different kind of culture from the one I found in the city. I walked through the “masserie” (farmhouses), tasted the most delicious melt-in-your-mouth cheese of the region, scamorza, and watched the women as they picked cherries from the trees. On Sunday mornings I woke up, had a quick breakfast, ran out the door and immediately felt that something was different: cars didn’t buzz through the streets, buses were few and far between, shops and restaurants were closed. As I walked past the open windows of people’s apartments, I could hear the whistles of the soccer game on the televisions, the pots clanking in the kitchen and could smell the sauce boiling on the stove. There was a sense of peace and serenity that blanketed the city. It was Sunday, and it truly was a day of rest. After just a few weeks of living in Florence, one of my classmates asked me if he could borrow my notes from a lesson he had missed. I told him I didn’t mind, but he might want to ask someone else since I’m a foreign student. He responded, “Non sei di Firenze?” (“You’re not from Florence?”). That made my day—no, my month. They stopped asking where I was from, and I no longer needed to explain that not everyone in New York City lives like Blair Waldorf. I blended in; I was one of them. The deadline for Study Abroad applications for next year is approaching in April. As I look back and remember the stress I felt planning my semester abroad, I know that another Fordham student is now asking herself the same questions: “Am I choosing the right program?” “Can I really spend five months away from home?” In the months leading up to my departure I was gripped by the nerveracking sensation that maybe I was making a mistake. Almost a year has passed since I boarded the plane to Italy and I can say with complete confidence that the six months I spent in Florence were more than just “study abroad.” They were, and still are, the most rewarding months of my life.
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New york challenged
Manly in Montreal: Drinking, Fighting and Public Urination Mario Weddell Staff Writer
Disclaimer to future potential employers: The following events may or may not be factual. They are by no means meant to be offensive. This is merely a documentation of events. A few days before the semester started, three friends and I jumped in a car and drove to Montreal. We trudged through the snowy streets, ate gooey poutine (it’s not as vulgar as it sounds, I swear. Fries, cheese and gravy.) and checked out the Montreal Museum of Fine Art. It was nice, in the way that a box of chocolate on Valentine’s Day is nice. But it lacked the passion of a mariachi serenade in a moonlit garden, or some lacy lingerie. So we hit the bars at night. Probably due to some wonderfully odd sense of Canadian humor, it was “Motown night” every night at a different bar, and it was perfect. One particular night we drank to make Hemingway proud, and decided to start a fight club on the sidewalk. It began as a sober joke, with us giggling on the way to the bar and whispering, “Hey, let’s fight those guys over there.” We were also fairly tame at the bar. But as our dance moves became more embarrassing and our wallets became lighter, our intentions became more Tyler Durden and we stepped outside. We left the bar much warmer than we had arrived, and decided to box each other in the driveway of a parking lot. I was supposed to fight my friend “Sonny” first. Sonny has a black belt in Tae Kwon Do. That’s a good thing to have, especially when you want to hurt someone. On the other hand, I had once played Whacka-Mole at Chuck E. Cheese’s. That
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Sonny, Rico and J.D. prepare to take on the marvels of Montreal—Motown nights and all.
is the extent of my violent abilities and is only good if you want to win enough tickets to get you a ladybugshaped eraser. Someone said, “Round One, fight!” and we put our fists up. I hit Sonny first, on the shoulder. He said, “I’ve been hit much harder by much larger men than you.” Immediately emasculated, I could do nothing but accept the barrage of fists that followed. I lost that round by unanimous decision, panting with laughter. A security guard appeared in the snow. He was not impressed by our manliness, but he was definitely confused by our stupidity. He asked us to leave, because he had called the police. It was an unconvincing lie, but we moved ten feet down the block, out of sight, yelling, “Je suis désolé, eh!” even though he had spoken to us in English. He disappeared into the stormy darkness, much like our sound judgment. My friend “Rico” wanted to fight Sonny next. Rico is roughly half a foot shorter and 50 pounds lighter than
Sonny. He is also more romantic. Ideally, he would have fought “J.D.,” the philosopher of our group, but J.D. had considered the conceivability argument of injury and came to the conclusion that fighting was indeed dumb. So Rico fought me instead, since I was half a foot taller than him but only 40 pounds (18 kilos at the time) heavier. We started Round Two. I hit Rico right away in the stomach, before he could say something poetic to make me feel wimpy, like Sonny had done. Rico put his hands in the air, said, “Okay. I’m done,” then walked down the block. He took five steps before he fell and hit his face on the wall. The combination of icy sidewalks, cold air, whiskey and getting the wind knocked out of him probably had something to do with it. When he stood up, blood was streaming down his face. He wiped it with his hand, then said, “Why’d you punch me in the nose?!” That worried us, so we summoned a cab, dropped J.D. off
and went to the hospital. The hospital was empty, but the lights were on and the doors were open. After wandering through three floors of deserted hospital, we realized that Canadian healthcare was cheap because patients were expected to treat themselves. Then we found the emergency room waiting area, where patients wearing SARS masks were wheezing and clutching at their hearts. There was a nurse in the reception office, but she refused to acknowledge us. An ambulance crew brought in a man on a stretcher. She refused to acknowledge him, too. At some point I noticed that my watch was broken. Bits of glass were tangled in my arm hair. Rico and Sonny both had bloody knuckles, so one of them probably owes me a new watch. When the nurse finally spoke to Rico, we were informed that it would cost $525 just to put him in the system, let alone examine his possibly broken nose or concussion. Only
Canadian citizens reap the benefits of Canadian medicine. We realized that Canadian healthcare is cheap because they trick Americans into punching each other and then paying huge emergency room fees. A security guard told us that we’d be better off going to a clinic in the morning. Rico mistook him for a paramedic, so he showed him his wounds and asked him what to do. The guard told us a strange story about some scars on his own back, then gave us directions to the clinic. I couldn’t breathe; Sonny had hit me pretty hard in the sternum, and I hadn’t noticed until then. I went blind and wandered over to the bathroom, where I woke up with Sonny supporting my weight on his shoulder and Rico curled up on the floor, asleep. We left the emergency room, walked through the ghost-pital once more and found the entrance. There was a copy machine in the corner. No one was watching. Sonny made a beeline for it, unbuckling his pants. I was upset; now was not the time for rearend Xeroxing. Rico had a concussion, and I could hardly breathe. Where was Sonny’s reason? Could he truly be so reckless and immature? He was acting like the kind of guy who would fight his friends in the street. We begged him to leave. “Hold on guys, I’m dying here. I really just need to do this, I meant to do it earlier and I can’t take it,” Sonny said. He approached the copy machine. Then he walked past it. He peed in the corner. I slapped myself on the forehead. Sonny let out a relieved sigh. Rico whispered to himself, “Peeing On A Hospital In Canada. What a great band name.” Everyone is healthy now, and Sonny regrets the urination, among other things.
URBAN EXPLORER
Uptown Local Provides a Guide for Making the Most of Harlem QUICK LIST By Malaya V. Saldaña Contributing Writer
Garish sunlight pours like a bucket of cold water through my bedroom window, from the hard edge of the Broadway Horizon, down 138th Street and beats unforgivingly upon my eyelids. Another morning in Harlem’s Hamilton Heights: the syncopation of car horns, the melodic hum of multi-lingual conversations and the keening chords from a neighbor’s viola. A neighborhood I now call home. Some say New York City has lost its grit, its color and edge. Not here. At Manhattan’s crown lies one of its greatest living cultural jewels. A culture that hasn’t been sold and compressed into T-shirts and proud plastic trinkets, this is still relative wilderness to the taming forces of gentrification. In this western Harlem, a mixture of the old guard residents and the new bobo (Bourgeoisie Bohemian) population co-exist. According to Wikipedia, Hamilton Heights is “bounded by 135th Street to the south, the Hudson river to the west, 155th to the north and Edgecomb Avenue to the east.” However, those who live here draw their own boundaries. Take a quick walkabout and it is apparent that this is an area that spans continents’ worth of cultures. The owners and employees at the local deli, Nadal’s One Deli, speak three languages: English, Arabic and Spanish. Geographically, I find that this distinct “Hamilton Heights” or “West-side’s Spanish Harlem” begins along 125th and Broadway in the south, 155th to the north; it
extends westward until the Hudson River and this distinct “West Spanish Harlem” begins to grow fainter around Covent Avenue to the east. To continue further east is an entirely unique facet of Harlem which harbors the most potent influences of the lingering echoes of the Harlem Renaissance. Remember the L.E.S. and Greenwich village during its high-points of creativity, where young drifters, starving artists, wistful musicians and rebellious philosophers created unique communities of idolized outcasts? This is West Harlem’s secret identity. While Greenwhich Village, SoHo and the L.E.S. are being bought out by real estate agents catering to the wealthy and fashionable “bohemians,” the legitmate underfed artists have moved into Harlem. The once-feared tip of Manhattan is beginning to be a haven for all those who still dream of an affordable New York. So discover this new land, where the official language is Spanglish and any series of multi-lingual fusion of phonetics; where New York City neighbors are still tolerant, if not enthusiastic about the occasional block party and loud music; and where you can get a sandwich for $2.50. Just make sure you do it safely—during the appropriate hours of day-light for real newbies or until 12 a.m. for others. I would also advise traveling with friends. It’s more fun that way anyway. And hey, if you ever need a guide, you know where to find me. xoxo Your Urban Explorer
Restaurants Most Authentic Flor de Broadway 3401 Broadway (between 138th Street & 139th Street) Attire: very casual
One of my best friends, who has lived in the Harlem area for his entire life, brought me here for a delicious Dominican breakfast. Del-ish-ous. As far as authenticity and taste goes, this one takes the cake. If you’re in the mood for a heavy breakfast I would try “Un Lunche de Mangu con Tres Golpe,” which consists of Mangu (comparable to mashed potatoes), fried white cheese, an egg and sausage, with their freshly squeezed orange jJuice.
atmosphere includes live DJs and people are open to spontaneous dance.
Entertainment & Art Theater Apollo Theatre 253 W. 125 Street
The Apollo is definitely one of the most historically vibrant theatre in all of Harlem. Not the center of culture and artistic birth it once was, the Apollo is great for its Amateur Nights, where talented, aspiring performers aim to impress the audience and become Apollo legends. The Amateur Nights started up on Jan. 26. Aim for seats in the front row or the lower balcony.
Best place to Bring family
Local Dance
Dinosaur BBQ 700 W. 125th St. (between 12th Avenue & W Riverside Drive) Attire: Casual
Club El Morroco
Located by the scenic Hudson River, Dinosaur BBQ’s claim-to-fame is its “Big Ass” pulled pork platter and BBQ ribs. Make reservations ahead of time if trying to get a big group weekend spot. Weekends feature live Blues until late and live music every night except Sunday. It will even make those “mainstream” cousins of yours comfortable. Best Drink with the “locals” or good steak La Parilla 3379 Broadway (between 137th Street & West 138th Street)
While the lunch specials here are a steal ($5.99-6.99 for an entrée with two sides and a drink). Come during “bar hours” for a full sense of the atmosphere. It is one of the best places to go for a more suave atmosphere, but it has just as much local energy as its counterparts. Try one of the really great steaks with tostones and green sauce. Sometimes the
Probably not the safest or swankiest night club in the city, but it’s a great place to dance merengue, bachata and salsa, and the drinks are cheap. Yet it is a pretty cool experience for the brave, adaptable or accustomed—an experience for sure. It’s also a good place for first-rate seats to girl fights, and if you like zebra print, this is definitely for you. Best Outdoor Hangout Riverside Park
It has everything: enchanting river views, a recreation center, basketball courts, a skating rink, playgrounds, running tracks and soccer fields. I would recommend the Harlem section of the park in every season but winter (unless you’re ice skating) and every hour except from 1 a.m.-6 a.m. (especially alone). It also has one of the best quietspots-per-tourist ratios in Manhattan.
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February 3, 2011 The Observer
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The Year of the Pie: A Little Slice of America By Sadia Noor Asst. Blog Editor
Brace yourselves for what may be the most un-American statement ever uttered—I absolutely hate pie. As far as desserts go, pie is the ultimate letdown. If you think about it, the so-called dessert food is simply a mess of goo, sugar and sometimes unidentifiable fruit held together by a dry, bland crust. How could it possibly compare to sugar heavyweights like cake, brownies and ice cream? That’s right, it can’t. But apparently, I may be alone in my burning pie vendetta. According to the food world and (randomly enough) NPR, 2011 is going to be the Year of the Pie. No, this isn’t one of those underground ninja movies—food connoisseurs and trendspotters alike are touting pie as the new king of the food world, toppling last year’s favorite: the cupcake. I find it hard to believe that pies have anything on the holy cupcake, but in the spirit of America, I’m willing to keep an open mind. After extensive research and consultation with various experts, here’s a list of places you can visit to find pies that have made converts of even the staunchest opponents. The “You May As Well Be on Vacation” Pie
Dub Pies NYC Presents The Pie Shop
The “Like Grandma’s Apple Pie, if Grandma was Paula Deen” Pie
Little Pie Company
211 Prospect Park West Brooklyn, NY 11215 Suggestion: Thai Chicken Curry Pie
424 West 43rd Street between 9th and 10th Avenues Suggestion: Sour Cream Apple Walnut Pie
Not all pies are created equal; take, for instance, Dub Pies’ Thai Chicken Curry Pie. Made from Thai green curry, coconut milk, mushrooms, chili and more, this pie is for the pie-lovers out there who want a little savory in their sweet lives. The exotic taste and unusual flavor combination will transport your taste buds to faraway lands where trees sway rhythmically and hair is always perfect for $5.75. The question is: are you willing to get out of the cocoon of the city and rough it in Brooklyn?
In my quest to find the perfect pie, I came across the story of a man who traveled by train from Connecticut just to purchase the sour cream apple walnut pie from NYC’s Little Pie Company. Is this the pie that launched a thousand commutes? It very well may be. Among all the other apple pies of the world, this one stands out due to its mouthwatering and rich combination of hand-sliced Granny Smith apples and fresh sour cream, topped off with brown sugar, cinnamon and walnut streusel.
The “Crack That Won’t Get You Arrested” Pie
Momofuku Milk Bar
The “So Close to Fordham, You Might Need a Restraining Order” Pie
15 West 56th Street Suggestion: Crack Pie
Magnolia Bakery
Other than its giggle-inducing name, the Momofuku Milk Bar has contributed something else to society: the aptly named crack Pie. While the pie itself does not contain any crack—which is either a plus or minus, depending on who you are—its taste is absolutely addictive. Take it from celebrities like Anderson Cooper and Martha Stewart, who have raved about the famed dessert all over the media. crack Pie tastes like a silky, buttery, pillowy blend of salty-and-sweet goodness. Containing butter, heavy cream, brown sugar, sugar, flour and absolutely no crack, the crack Pie will break your diet, but at the price of $5.25 per slice, it’s completely worth it. You can’t say you’ve had pie until you’ve had crack (Pie).
200 Columbus Avenue Suggestion: Any of their icebox pies Just a few blocks away from Fordham is Magnolia Bakery, a delightful dessert playground for adults. Magnolia offers two different categories of pie: the standard crust variety and their icebox pies. Truthfully, their icebox pies are the real draw here—from peanut butter to snickers, banana cream to blueberry jamboree—Magnolia puts a twist on the classic pie by creating a delicious treat made of crushed cookies and cream filling. The taste can best be described as your childhood dreams with a dash of complete fulfillment—yes, it’s that good. What’s more, you can pick up some mini pie goodness for three dollars.
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The Observer February 3, 2011
Features
23
Let’s Get Ready to Rummage: NYC’s Style Stores By Jessica Senat Staff Writer
Walking into the store, I immediately notice the huge red signs reading SALE! everywhere and feel a tingle of excitement. I can always count on H&M for the delicious sales and great bargains. Buy a blazer 50 percent off? Don’t mind if I do. Coming off a retail high in H&M, I head over to Forever 21. Although it lacks the bright red sale signs, there is never a shortage of cute accessories to choose from and the prices aren’t too bad either. One of the best or worst things for the average American consumer, depending on how you look at it, are the many brands and stores to choose from. From Forever 21’s hip and funky apparel to the ladylike, prim-andproper work attire of New York & Co., there’s something for everyone. So we took to the halls of our very own Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) to see which stores really have the best clothes, best prices and most importantly, the best sales.
Forever 21 vs. H&M Forever 21
H&M
Originally known as Fashion 21, the store opened in Los Angeles in its own building before finally opening chains in malls during the 1980s. Known for providing girls around the world with stylish clothes at affordable prices and cute trendy accessories to complete any look, Forever 21 is a great store to shop at when in need of a good outfit for a night out on the town. The stores offer different brands such as Heritage 1981, an all-American vintage brand with camel belts, ankle-grazing skirts, floral print button downs and geeky boyfriend jeans.
First established in Sweden in 1947 as a women’s store called “Hennes,” (Swedish for “hers”) by Erling Persson, the store name later amended to add “Maurtiz”(Swedish for “his”) after acquiring an inventory of men’s clothing. The company has opened over 1,000 stores around the world including Denmark, the U.K. and Switzerland. Although H&M does not sell individual brands within the store, they are widely known for their exclusive lines in collaboration with many iconic designers including Karl Lagerfeld, Stella McCartney and Jimmy Choo.
Average prices: Tops: $14.95-$29.95 Dresses: $19.95-$22.80 Bottoms: $12.80-$22.80 Accessories: $2.80-$10.80
Average Prices: Prices depend on which collection is in store at the time. In general, most clothes ranges from $15 to $30.
What FCLC says
“I love Forever 21’s
“To me, H&M has more
jewelry section; they have pieces at reasonable prices that would be expensive in other places.”
elegant clothes. Forever 21 has informal, ‘day’ clothes.” Gabriela Gill, FCLC ’14
Eunice KIM, FCLC ’14
Sara Azoulay/The Observer
Urban Outfitters vs. American Eagle Urban Outfitters
American Eagle Outfitters
Urban Outfitters started off as “The Free Peoples Store” in the 1970s in Philadelphia. They’re best known for their funky, retro clothing style, accessories and furniture. And if you’re looking for that vintage “Cosby” sweater, this is the place to shop.
American Eagle targets 15-25 yearold guys and girls. It now includes two additional collections: Aerie, which sells intimates and clothes for girls, and the recent 77kids which has extended the line to younger children and toddlers. Known for their laid back, beachcasual wear, T-shirts and warm sweatshirts with the famous AE logo. Average Prices: Tops: $15.50-$39.50 Bottoms: $39.50-$79.50 Dresses: $34.50-$44.50 Accessories: $9.50-$39.50
Average Prices: Tops: $29-$150 Bottoms: $24-$115 Dresses: $49-$248 Accessories: $24-$100
What FCLC says
“ Urban Outfitters
sales can be so great. 50 percent off every item. Things that would be $50 would be reduced to just $15.” BIANCA JEAN PIERRE, FCLC ’14
“American Eagle
sweatshirts are really comfortable and warm. It can be a bit pricey but they are great things [you can wear] for a long time.” POOJA VIJAY, FCLC ’14
The Verdict Vintage? Retro? Great sales? Urban Outfitters has more of a distinct style that everyone can identify with. You won’t have to worry about blending into the crowd with their stylish accessories.
The Verdict Quality over Quantity any day. Although Forever 21 has numerous brands and accessories to choose from, you just can’t beat H&M’s upper-scale style and chic designer labels for less.
New York & Co. vs. Express New York & Co.
Express
Founded in 1918, this retail store sells clothing for women of all sizes. It is a nationwide franchise, operating in 580 stores in 44 states. Though they offer casual wear, the store is especially great if you want to upgrade your work attire to super chic. Along with their clothing, they have tons of accessories to choose from such as their New York & Co. branded handbags that will last you a lifetime. New York & Co. do not usually sell individual brands. However, they do have a variety of clothing in each department.
First opened in 1980 in Columbus, Ohio as Limited Express, it eventually expanded into 550 stores in the U.S. It is now the sixth largest retail brand in the country. At first, the company was known predominantly for women’s clothing, but in 1985, Express began to sell clothes for men as well. Known for their edgy clothing for any occasion, Express has it all. Over the years, Express has created a brand for men named King of Prides and a denim label called Rerocks for both men and Women.
Average prices: Tops: $24.95-$39.95 Dresses: $56.95- $129.95 Bottoms: $39.95-$56.95 Accessories: $14.95-$24.95
Average Prices: Tops: $19.90-$49.90 Bottoms: $24.90-$118.90 Dresses: $39.90-$128.90 Accessories: $12.90-$69.90
What FCLC says
“I think both stores are
equal in quality. The main difference is the appeal: New York & Co. is more for the late 20s early 30s. ”
“Express seems to be
more high-fashion with better quality. ” katherine fabian, FCLC ’14
Maggie wilson, FCLC ’13
The Verdict It’s a tie! Both stores have fashionable clothes, great quality and great finds. It’s only a matter of what suits your style.
Nuri Vallbona / MCT
Literary
February 3, 2011 The Observer
Hurricane Katrina By Ella Ceron Contributing Writer
There are more monks in Bhutan, more monks than peace than soldiers than war. There is more of nothing left but rebuilding the city walls are made of concrete and shattered. Shattering picture frames and glass of memory and things put together that never went before they had always meant to be paired into in two. Bhutan has more monks of Bhutan has beaches and the umbrella was not opened was pink but then. And the rebuilding of the shattered, by what was war over what was not war.
A Dancing Feat
By J. Sebastian Rojas Contributing Writer
What are the tops of feet called? Yours are as smooth as a lathered bathtub And always navigate where my feet crawl. They are the definition of “snug,”
Illustration by Jason Whitley / MCT
Putting me to sleep with their heat, Even if my sheets are cold and torn, Old or bored, full of deceit, complete With thoughts of us being two soles worn Out. They are always the same, not knowing How to change, like wine stains or the chance That we never liked each other’s writing. Still my feet look for yours and do a dance Under these blue sheets. Now I lie to my feet, Dancing in these sheets, in order to sleep.
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The Observer February 3, 2011
Literary
By Margo Masi Contributing Writer
The lighting was dim and muzzled television sounds filled the space. Luke on the sofa, his brown hair slightly side-swept, fought a New York Times crossword puzzle. He was waiting for Erin to put down her things—a purse, an umbrella, a set of keys—waiting for her to take off her raincoat and give him his usual 6:00 p.m. kiss on the cheek. Then Luke, a columnist who did most of his work from home, would cook dinner. Erin would arrive at their Lower East Side apartment. She’d rant and he would, in turn, offer calming suggestions. They’d talk through dinner, have a few glasses of merlot and fall asleep to Late Night with Jay Leno. They had a practiced routine, like characters reading from a script. But tonight, Erin did none of the above. She lingered in the kitchen, poured herself a generous glass of red wine, and skipped the traditional welcome-home kiss. She threw herself onto a stool by the island and spun the glass by rolling the stem between her thumb and index finger. “Did you ever realize the smell of the city when it rains in the summer?” she asked. He looked up from 36-across. “I guess,” he said. “I’ve never really thought about it,” he said. “Fresh?” “Wrong, the opposite. The correct answer is stale. It smells like the Earth is just recycling stagnant water from street puddles and pouring it on me as I walk,” she said. She polished off the glass. “Like wet, hot, old garbage,” she confirmed. “That’s probably a fair observation. Why are we talking about rain? Personally, I find summer rain romantic. You don’t find moldy, wet, hot garbage romantic?” he joked. But there was no smile, not even a fading chance of a smile. “This isn’t about rain or summer, garbage or romance,” she said. “This is about the city: its smells, its buildings, its people, and its misguided expectations.” He cut her tirade short. “You didn’t have a problem with any of those things when we decided to move into this beautiful yet ridiculously overpriced apartment. In fact, you were all about it. You couldn’t have been any more about it. We could’ve lived in Jersey for one-third the price, but no; it had to be here.” She retrieved the dwindling Yellowtail bottle and placed it within arm’s reach. “Well, it’s different now. Things change. Now I know I can’t stay in a city that smells stale even then it rains, where on the clearest night I can’t see my favorite constellations,” she said. “I can’t stay in a city that never rests. This job, this city—I hate all of it.” He rose from the couch and stood directly in front of her. “Slow down, what’s going on?” he asked. “I know you so much better than you ever like to admit. So, what’s actually wrong?” She glanced away. The window was clouded with condensation. “Nothing. It just turns out that after eight years, I’m not a city girl.” “That’s bullshit. You love this city. You’re running away from something. From me? The person who would give up a limb to keep you? Yeah, that makes a lot of sense, Erin. How about you stop being ridiculous?” “It’s unreasonable, I know. I’m blaming this city for my mistakes. I just have to get away,” she said. “You know Poe’s ‘The Tell-Tale Heart?’” “Of course. I was an English major, remember?” “This city has become like that beating heart under the floorboards. It’s been haunting me ever since it happened, unnerving me.” “Since it happened?” he dared to ask. Maybe it was the wine, the weather, or just the right timing. “Ten months ago for four weeks…” she began. “Ten months ago for four weeks. Finish the sentence, Erin.” “For four weeks, I cheated on you. I had this thing with a guy. I didn’t tell anyone. I made a mistake and couldn’t find my way out of it, so I just kept it going for four weeks. I lied to you then and I lied to myself for ten months after it ended. I told myself maybe everything would be okay. Do you know how many days are in ten months? There’s no justifying this. I’m just…Sorry, I’m so sorry.” “Erin, do you know how many days are in seven years? We’ve been together seven years,” he said. “Don’t you realize it’s written all over your face when you have a bad day at work or a fight with your mom on the phone? Do you honestly believe that I wouldn’t know anything was going on?” For the first time since she’d arrived home, she looked into his eyes. “I’m saying I’ve known all along,” he continued. “I thought something was wrong and I brought dinner to your office one night. I got there just as you and he were leaving. I followed you twenty blocks uptown all the way to the stoop of his apartment building.” “How could you go all this time and not say something, not scream at me, not leave me?” “Because I needed to hear it from you,” he said. “I knew you’d tell me.” He stopped. “So, I just have one question for you.” She braced herself. “Okay.” “What’s the answer to 36-across? It’s driving me insane.”
The New Yorker didn’t like your poem? The Observer’s a lot less pretentious. Submit your creative writing to litsection.observer@gmail.com.
Lucy Sutton / The Observer
The Old Man with the Vulture Eye
25
Sports
February 3, 2011 The Observer
Patriot League Decides to Postpone Decision on Football Scholarships The postponement shows
By Darryl Yu Sports Editor
After having been part of the Patriot League for 21 years, Fordham’s future membership with the Division I league is now facing an uncertain future. With the league’s decision to postpone talks on football athletic scholarships till 2012, Fordham has to revaluate its football strategy. The main issue is that Fordham wants its football program to become more competitive. However, to become more competitive Fordham needs to attract better talent through athletic scholarships. The Patriot League doesn’t allow this; instead, the league believes in attracting players with a need-based financial aid system. Fordham offered 14 football scholarships prior to the start of the 2010 season. According to the New York Times’ interview with Fordham’s executive athletic director, Frank McLaughlin, Fordham was able to offer these scholarships without increasing its $4 million annual football budget. Nevertheless, since Fordham offered athletic scholarships and the other schools in the Patriot League did not, Fordham was demoted to an associate member of the Patriot League. Now that it is an associate member, Fordham’s matches against Patriot League opponents will not be counted in the league standings. Moreover the Rams will not be eligible for the league’s title or NCAA playoff bid. Since Fordham still had a two-year scheduling agreement with the Patriot League, the Rams continued to play in the Patriot League and finished off the 2010 season with a 5-6 overall record and a unofficial record of 3-3 against Patriot League opponents. With the introduction of athletic scholarships in Patriot League football, many people feel that the
that many schools within the Patriot League are uncertain of how to handle the issue of football scholarships.
courtesy of fordham sports
Because of football scholarships, the Rams became associate members of the Patriot League this season.
academic standards for student athletes will start to decline. The Patriot League’s mission, as stated on its website, is to “promote opportunities for students to compete in Division I intercollegiate athletics programs within a context that holds paramount the high academic standards and integrity of member institutions, and the academic and personal growth of student-athletes.” Many people feel that this mission of academic standards might be at risk of being forgotten if competitive scholarships are allowed in Patriot
League football. However, McLaughlin doesn’t see it like that. Instead he believes a balance could be reached between being a competitive football team and upholding high academic standards. “We have made a decision and we’re focused on being successful,” McLaughlin said in a New York Times article. “We’re committed as ever to fielding a competitive football team.” Fordham’s position is clear, however, as the postponement of the decision shows many schools within
the Patriot League are uncertain how to handle the issue of football scholarships. Schools within the Patriot League such as Lehigh and Lafayette want to know how much it will take to become competitive. According to the New York Times, Patriot League members spend from $1.4 million to more than $4.5 million annually and some are unwilling to spend more for extra talent. Not allowed to comment after the league’s decision, the Patriot League Council of Presidents issued a statement regarding football scholar-
ships. “We had discussions about the various financial aid models and recognized and evaluated the benefits as well as the potential costs associated with athletic merit aid for football,” the statement said. Nonetheless, one of the things the Patriot League Council of Presidents did agree on in their meeting was the continued stability of the Patriot League. “League presidents expressed their commitment to the stability and long-term positioning of the League,” the statement said. Looking to be more competitive in the future, Fordham’s football program stands at a crossroads. If the league decides not to allow football scholarships, McLaughlin has not ruled out leaving the Patriot League. “It’s a tremendous group of academic institutions, and we’re tremendously proud to be associated with them,” McLaughlin told the New York Times. “But we have a vision for where we want to go.” If Fordham does indeed decide to end its 21 year relationship with the Patriot League in the future, the league would be down to a minimum six teams needed to keep an automatic berth in the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs. For now the Fordham Rams will continue to be a part of the Patriot League. Only time will tell if this will be a longterm or short-term commitment.
Fordham’s Losing Streak Hits Nine After Loss to Bonnies By Max wollner Asst. Sports Editor
courtesy of fordham sports
Brenton Butler, FCRH ’11, was Fordham’s top scorer with 15 points.
The Fordham University men’s basketball team extended its losing streak to nine games after a 69-60 loss to the St. Bonaventure Bonnies before a sold out crowd at the Rose Hill Gymnasium on Jan. 29. With the loss, Fordham’s season record falls to 6-13 and 0-7 in the Atlantic 10 (A-10) while St. Bonaventure rises to 12-10 with a 3-4 A-10 record. The loss extends Fordham’s A-10 losing streak to 32 games since the 2009 season. “The good thing about today’s game was that we saw some life from our younger guys,” said Fordham head coach Tom Pecora. “Hopefully that’s something we can build off of. But it was a great atmosphere today with the building packed, and the Fordham student section was awesome. It’s a huge home court advantage when we have a crowd like that.” However, despite the overwhelming support at the game, the team’s performance at the free throw line cost them the contest. The Rams only managed nine free throw attempts the entire game, netting five of them, while St. Bonaventure attempted an astounding 41 free throws, making 26 of them. This 26-to-five spread was a key factor in the loss. The Rams were also called for 28 fouls during the game and three Fordham players fouled out including star guard Brenton Butler, Fordham College at Rose Hill (FCRH) ’11, Lamount Samuell, FCRH ’14, and
Chris Gaston, FCRH ’13, the 2010 A-10 Rookie of the Year. However, before fouling out, Butler finished with a team high of 15 points, and Gaston notched his second straight double-double. The double-double was Gaston’s A-10 leading 12th of the year. “[St. Bonaventure] were physical at the beginning and we weren’t,” Pecora said. “Chris is a good player, but he’s still a sophomore and I think he got rattled a bit.” The Rams struggled in the first half, shooting with 24.1 percent accuracy and they were only 3 for 11 (27.3 percent) shooting three pointers. St. Bonaventure shot with 48 percent accuracy and they were 3 for 4 (75 percent) shooting threes which allowed them to pull away 36-20 at the half. After halftime, the Rams ignited the home crowd by going on an impressive 18-3 run, allowing Fordham to come within one point 38-39 with 11:54 left to play. Twenty seconds later, St. Bonaventure’s Ogo Adegboye answered back sinking a layup while being fouled on the play, which eventually resulted in three points for the Bonnies. Gaston responded with a jumper and then blocked a shot from Bonnie forward Da’Quan Cook that Gaston converted into a layup to tie the game at 42-42. Following the tie, the Bonnies had three successful free throw attempts in less than a minute to give them a 45-42 lead, but a Marvin Dominique, FCRH ’14, steal and layup made it a one-point game with 9:21 remaining
and a score of 45-44. St. Bonaventure continued the scoring with a three-pointer to put the Bonnies up 48-44, but Lamount Samuell, FCRH ’14, cut the deficit in half with a basket of his own with 8:39 left. Then, a Michael Davenport shot started a 6-0 run for St. Bonaventure. Not to be outdone, the resilient Rams went on a 5-1 run of their own ending with a Butler three-pointer to make the game 55-51 with 4:42 left. However, that would be the closest the Rams would be to a possible victory. St. Bonaventure’s Andrew Nicholson, the game’s leading scorer with 25 points, was successful in a free throw attempt to make it 56-51; then his teammate Davenport added a threepointer to make it 59-51 with 1:44 remaining. The last 90 seconds of play were seemingly sluggish due to nine fouls between the two teams, including seven by Fordham that put the game out of reach as the Rams fell 69-60. “You can’t win if they shoot 41 free throws and we shoot nine,” Pecora said. In response to his team’s ninth straight loss, Pecora added, “I went in and told the kids I was proud of them. Think about it, these kids could be down right now, but they continue to compete. It’s a hard division, that’s the A-10, we have great teams.” Fordham’s next home game will be Feb. 5, at 1 p.m. in the Rose Hill Gymnasium.
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The Observer February 3, 2011
Hitting and Pitching Her Way to Victory Rams Senior Beckah Wiggins Looks to Build on Last Season’s Success By Brian Bruegge Staff Writer
Last season was a groundbreaking year for the Fordham softball team. After qualifying for their first ever NCAA tournament, the Rams hope to continue the success in the upcoming 2011 season. This preseason, Fordham is ranked 18 in the nation and prospects are looking good for the Rams. Among those leading the team forward this season is senior Beckah Wiggins, Fordham College at Rose Hill (FCRH) ’11. As one of the top players last year, she is sure to play a key role this spring. Last season Wiggins led the team with 60 RBIs, and she also had an impressive batting average of .328. Wiggins started playing softball at a very young age, following in the footsteps of her older sister (former Fordham softball player), Rachel Wiggins, FCRH ’07. Being around her sister and watching her practice sparked Wiggins’s own interest in softball, and so she began going to softball clinics and camps. Eventually she joined a travel team, and began playing competitively. In high school at New York’s Susquehanna Valley High, Wiggins’s talent earned her the honor of being named New York Softball Player of the Year as a junior. Pitching a no-hitter and two perfect games, she lead her high school to the 2006 New York state championship title.
At the same time, Wiggins’s older sister, Rachel, was pitching for the Rams, and from time to time, Beckah was able to visit the school and soon became familiar with it. When it was time for her to go to college, she choose Fordham. Rachel stopped playing for the Rams after the 2007 season, but the next year, Beckah stepped in, pitching in an impressive 40 games. Wiggins’s continued performance at Fordham has remained astounding, and as she has grown in her talent, the Fordham softball team has also reached new heights. Last season’s entry into the NCAA tournament was something never-before achieved by any member of the Fordham team. “We didn’t get very far [in the tournament], but it was just such an amazing achievement,” Wiggins said. The secret to last year’s success was the chemistry between teammates. This year, the team is looking to improve on its previous success. Wiggins believes that with hard work, the team’s chemistry will be just as strong as last season, and is optimistic coming into the new softball season. For Wiggins, the biggest challenge is “getting it all to work together,” but she is confident that the team will be able to succeed again this year. The new season begins on Feb. 12 in Clermont, Fl. for the Dot Richardson College Classic. Until then, Wiggins and the rest of the team have one more week to gear up for another promising year.
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Sports
28
Winter... Snow, Ice, Wind and Weird Sports? By Luiz Tassi Staff Writer
With New York in the troughs of one of the harshest winters in a while, Fordham students have been spending more and more time inside to avoid the slippery conditions. While most New Yorkers take to the winter outdoors for skiing or hockey, there are a few obscure cold weather sports that aren’t as popular, but can be just as fun. The city’s constant coat of snow and ice has opened up some opportunities for some of the less-than-traditional winter sports. Here are five sports that make for unusual winter fun:
Ice Sailing Also known as ice yachting, this sport is exactly what it sounds like. Sailing… on ice. Originally played around the Hudson River, today the sport is played mostly around the great lakes in Canada and Michigan. In ice sailing, sailors take small sail boats to frozen lakes. They re-outfit traditional sailboats with two long planks that run underneath the boat. At each end, the planks are equipped with soft metal runners that allow the boat to slide across the ice. Ships move on wind, and crews consist of four to six people whose jobs range from balancing the boat, steering the ship and controlling the wind intake and speed. The games are traditional races across courses of anywhere from 15 to 20 miles. The boats can travel extremely fast, reaching up to 70 miles per hour, and races take about an hour.
Ski Biking Think regular biking, but replace the wheels with skis and the ground with a snowy mountain. Ski bikers ride down a mountain similar to snowboarders and skiers on a special-made bike that is equipped with
Joshua Valcarcel/WIKIMEDIA COMMONS, JANET JENSON/TACOMA NEWS TRIBUNE/MCT
Here are just a handful of the sports you could be enjoying in this year’s sub-freezing temperatures.
two skis and bends in the middle to allow for easier landing and turning. While the sport can look very intimidating (kind of like the newest Winter X games event) and difficult, the lower center of gravity and three-point stance of the rider actually give more balance and maneuverability. While ski biking can be difficult for those new to mountain sports, skiers and snowboarders will be able to pick up ski biking easily and may find a new sport they enjoy.
Blade Running Of all the sports, blade running is the one most likely to cause death, which is also its main appeal. The non-Harrison Ford blade running is a sport where people ski or snowboard down a mountain. The catch is that instead of staying on the mountain, blade runners wear parachutes, go on steep mountains and jump off the edges in order to parachute through the
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air. The steeper the mountain, the more time spent flying through the air, avoiding trees and cliffs. Blade runners use the parachute to balance, and the skis to navigate and turn both while they’re on the ground and when they’re in the air. The sport has been gaining notoreity for its danger, with riders occasionally crashing into trees. “I definitely get the appeal of the sport,” Chun Siu, Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) ’12, said. “But I would be worried about the danger. I would want to make sure they make sure it’s safe before I try it.” Despite the sport’s inherent danger, it has been gaining popularity among the more extreme athletes, who have even taken to using hang gliders as opposed to parachutes to fly faster.
Shovel Racing As a broke college student, maybe you’re wondering where
you fit into all these winter sports. After all, most college students do not have access to a sailboat in Canada, a specially made ski bike, parachutes, hang gliders and trips to snow mountains. Well, then consider shovel racing. All you need is a large shovel (maybe the one you’ve been using to dig yourself out of the constant snow) and a snowy hill (over this winter, this is every hill). To play, go to the top of the nearest hill, sit on the shovel with the handle facing forward, and slide all the way down. The goal of the sport is to make it to the bottom in the shortest amount of time without falling off. While the sport may sound simple, there are more intricate competitions, where people win prizes for not only best times, but also most stylish shovels. Because the only rule of the competition is that the person must sit on the shovels and the shovel must be on the ground, people can build ex-
travagant shovels to maximize their flair and speed.
Polar Bear Swim By far the most popular and famous of the sports, the polar bear swim is a swim through the chilly ice floe that is winter rivers and beaches. Polar bears take to the beaches during the cold weather months from November to February and swim around in the water. Unlike some of the other sports, the polar bear plunge doesn’t inspire much enthusiasm at first. “It sounds crazy,” Umair Kajn, FCLC ’12, said, “people swimming around in chilly water.” But to do the polar bear swim is a test of toughness, one that will not only leave you chilled and tepid, but with a let-me-tell-youabout-this-one-time kind of story. Also, plungers have used the swims to develop awareness for various environmental issues, such as, most fittingly, climate change.
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