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ResLife announces gender-neural housing starting next fall
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The Student Voice of Fordham Lincoln Center
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March 10, 2020 THE OBSERVER
Lack of Student Involvement Causes Concerns at Town Hall By KATRINA LAMBERT Asst. News Editor
At the second town hall meeting of the year hosted by Fordham Lincoln Center’s United Student Government (USG), nine students gathered in a large room to discuss students’ lack of interest in club events, limited space for an influx of student clubs and the opening of a new Fordham facility. Struggles With Student Apathy The low attendance at the town hall meeting on Wednesday, Feb. 26, was reflective of the first issue, which was a concern for many of the meeting’s attendees. “All clubs struggle with membership and retention,” said Chair of Student Affairs Loreen Ruiz, Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) ’21. “I think it’s a product of just having fewer
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Uncovering Bloomberg’s History With Fordham
mentioned was having too many clubs and not enough space. “Lincoln Center is a pretty tiny space,” Komatireddy said. Komatireddy is a part of USG’s Operations Committee. She mentioned that an added challenge to her role this year, with the influx of new clubs, has been figuring out how each club will find space to hold their regular meetings and events. “You want clubs to be able to stand out and for students to come, and you want clubs to have a good amount of members. So for us, it’s about balancing that and making sure every club gets what they need,” she said. Beyond reserving rooms for club events, there are also graduate classes in the evening that hold hierarchy over club meetings, which adds an extra layer of difficulty for scheduling club events, Komatireddy said.
COURTESY OF CHRIS TAGGART/FORDHAM NEWS
McShane awarded Bloomberg with an honorary degree when the then-mayor spoke at Commencement in 2009. By JOE KOTTKE Asst. News Editor
people at this campus and having access to more immediate, non-academic opportunities that they choose to pursue, instead of being involved in clubs.” The issue of low student attendance at club meetings would not be apparent from the number of clubs that FCLC offers; this semester alone, Lincoln Center reached over 60 clubs by adding or reviving five new clubs. Chair of Operations Rachana Komatireddy, FCLC ’22, said she hopes that the more niche clubs that were recently revived or created will encourage more students to become involved with clubs and events around campus. President Pro Tempore Sajani Patel, FCLC ’22, had concerns that the high number of clubs offered on campus may be a hindrance to the visibility of club events happening on campus. When students are walking by the bulletin boards positioned around campus, “there is so much information on one thing, it is hard for people to even want to look at it,” she said. More Clubs Than Space Among concerns about visibility for clubs on campus, another issue the town hall attendees
Field Opens at Lincoln Center for Intramural Sports As a way to open up more accessible space to student clubs, USG received permission to utilize the property next to Fordham Lincoln Center on the corner of 10th Avenue and 61st Street. Chair of Facilities Robert Sundstrom, FCLC ’22, said that the field is going to be available starting after spring break for clubs to rent out. USG hopes that the field will provide a space for intramural sports to take place on Lincoln Center’s campus. Lincoln Center students involved in intramural sports have traditionally had to travel to the Rose Hill campus in order to participate in their sport since Lincoln Center doesn’t have the facilities to provide space for it. The acquired field is not very large and there are still some security measures that need to be addressed in order to allow it to become usable to students. “Right now, the main problem is the fence — it is not very high at all, so it’s difficult to imagine doing something like flag football, soccer, or kickball,” Sundstrom said.
to Fordham, contributing over $2,000,000 since 2015. In 2019 alone, the foundation donated $1,180,000. Howe said that the majority of the money is earmarked for financial aid. Andersen called Bloomberg a “money man” because his campaign was not a grassroots movement: “He doesn’t talk about policies and his campaign comprises of staff, not volunteers.” Alyssa Peralta, Fordham College at Lincoln Center ’23, worked as a canvasser on the Bloomberg campaign, along with two other Fordham students. Peralta said that they did it for the money: “It was a hustle. You get ten signatures per hour and then you get paid, it is not about whether you like him or not.” According to Peralta, she worked through Meridian Strategies, a political firm run by mainly college students, including Justin Chae, a student at New York University. Canvassers were paid $18 per hour. In total, Bloomberg spent over $650 billion on his campaign; in the aftermath of Super Tuesday, Bloomberg endorsed Biden on the belief that he can beat Trump in the fall.
Bloomberg’s Donations to Fordham These figures include premiums (gifts and costs such as attending the FUV Gala or a table at the Founder’s Award Dinner). 2,040,492
Donations (dollars)
KATRINA LAMBERT/THE OBSERVER
USG Vice President Robert Stryczek leads discussion about how to improve students’ experiences at Fordham.
After presidential candidates Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders dominated Super Tuesday, collectively winning over 1,100 delegates, former New York mayor Mike Bloomberg dropped out of the 2020 race. Bloomberg emerged as a viable option for moderate voters who hesitated to support Biden, Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar or former mayor Pete Buttigieg. In February, Bloomberg landed endorsements from New York Congressman Gregory Beeks and Georgia Congresswoman Lucy McBath. Fordham University embedded itself into Bloomberg’s campaign when California congressman Juan Vargas told The Financial Times that he endorsed Bloomberg after having a conversation with Fordham University President Rev. Joseph M. McShane, S.J., on Feb. 21. Vargas said that McShane “praised the candidate’s integrity.” “Father McShane and the university do not endorse nor comment upon candidates for political office, nor will the University comment on Father McShane’s private conversations,” Bob
Howe, assistant vice president for communications and special adviser to the president, said. Robin Andersen, a Fordham professor of communication and media studies, spoke with The Guardian about the unlikelihood of Bloomberg winning the democratic bid in February, prior to his forfeiting from the race. Andersen said it is a problem when leaders of important and large constituencies make decisions on their own. “I absolutely think it is a problem for the university. The most fundamental aspect of a university is the faculty and students. Presidents of universities shouldn’t endorse a candidate especially without consulting a larger school community,” Andersen said. According to Howe, McShane serves on the board of Bloomberg Philanthropies, a foundation with the intention to create change in public health, the environment, education, government innovation and the arts. With a net worth of over $60 billion, speculations were made that Bloomberg was attempting to “buy the presidency,” spending more than $300 million on advertisements in one month alone. According to Howe, the Bloomberg Foundation donates
1,180,000
214,742
365,000 155,000
750
2015
2016
2017
2018 Fiscal Year
125,000
2019
2020 YTD
Total
GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATION BY ESMÉ BLEECKER-ADAMS
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THE OBSERVER March 10, 2020
OMA Celebrates Women’s Herstory Month
Students celebrate Fordham women who have inspired them at an annual luncheon at Fordham Lincoln Center for the first event of Women’s Herstory month. By BENNETT REINHARDT Staff Writer
For the second year in a row, the Office of Multicultural Affairs (OMA) has organized a slate of events to honor and celebrate women as part of Women’s Herstory Month (WHM). However, due to the University’s postponement of on-campus events amid the coronavirus outbreak, future Women’s Herstory Month events will not take place as scheduled. Juan Carlos Matos, Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs for Diversity and Inclusion, suggested that parts of the programming could be rescheduled once the University returns to normal operations. WHM Programming at the Lincoln Center campus began on Thursday, March 5, with the annual Women’s Herstory Month Luncheon. OMA hosted a similar event at the Rose Hill campus on Friday, March 6. Shaya Morgan, a graduate intern at OMA, said in an that the luncheon “was dedicated to recognizing the outstanding women in the Fordham
community who contribute to the university at large, and the students’ lives.” In the meantime, OMA is determining how to proceed: “We are working with the Women’s Herstory Month student committees on both campuses to identify ways we can run social media campaigns instead of some events and explore the possibility of having one to two events via an electronic format like zoom,” Matos said via email. This year, OMA has sought to incorporate students in the organizing and planning processes. “College students play a vital role in articulating women’s history because they are some of the most passionate people on the planet. We see how students show up for social movements, programs, and other opportunities to have their voices heard,” Morgan said. This academic year, OMA started a Cultural Programming Coordinator (CPC) position, expanding the responsibilities previously held by Diversity Peer Leaders. Fordham students hold
the CPC positions and are responsible for playing a leadership role in programming during the cultural heritage month and, in addition, other relevant events during the academic year, Matos added. “The coordinator role was extremely appealing because I strongly believe in the work that OMA is doing. OMA does incredible cultural programming for Fordham at both Lincoln Center and Rose Hill,” wrote Mahbuba Hossain, Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) ’20 and the 2020 Women’s Herstory Month CPC. Hossain saw New York City as a laboratory for students to explore cultures and experiences different from their own: “As someone who grew up in New York City, cultural diversity is my norm. But there are plenty of students at Fordham who are new to the community and wish to learn more, which is why I think cultural programming is a great way to become more engaged,” she added. Twelve CPCs across both
a list of inactive clubs on a signup sheet in order to see if there was any interest from incoming students to revive them, which included the Feminist Alliance. In the past, the Feminist Alliance has hosted events such as Galentine’s Day and Feminist Open Mic. Other events included the “Women at Fordham Luncheons” and “Gender Roles and Sushi Rolls.” The events were hosted as part of Women’s History Month with the hope of broadening the feminist community at Fordham, according to Tatikola.
“I started my role in August and even then it (the Feminist Alliance) was pretty much in decline, in the sense that there wasn’t much of an eboard to keep it going,” President of USG Tina Thermadam, FCLC ’20, said. “As time goes on, it becomes hard to actually have an effective group of people that are able to keep it going and do all of the paperwork that we need them to submit,” Thermadam said. During the spring semester, USG sent out a newsletter containing information about the Feminist Alliance, encouraging any students interested to create a new E-Board and start the club again. According to Komatireddy, the Feminist Alliance moved back to active status a few days ago. The E-Board positions had been filled after the email was sent to students and Komatireddy was waiting for the final paperwork to be done before moving them back to active status. The new E-Board will be led by president Gabrielle Abrazaldor, FCLC ’23; and Vice President Riley Ng, FCLC ’22. Anita Kwok, FCLC ’22, will be taking on the role of secretary and Rhea Subramanian, FCLC ’22, will be the new treasurer. “We’ve done a couple revivals already this semester,” Thermadam said. “DEASL (Deaf Education and American Sign Language) comes to mind, as well as Chess Club.”
undergraduate campuses each serve with OMA’s graduate interns in their co-chair positions, Matos said. They serve as leaders of larger Cultural Programming Committees, filled with students of all backgrounds. Morgan is the staff advisor to this year’s Women’s Herstory Month Cultural Programming Committee. Cultural Programming Committees at Fordham came about after OMA sought to develop more robust cultural heritage programming in recent years. “In 2017-2018, OMA made a move from hosting stand-alone events that celebrated cultural months to planning a more full calendar of events for the entire month at both the Rose Hill and Lincoln Center campuses,” Matos said. “I believe that putting on programs that celebrate women and our experiences encourages students, faculty, and staff to engage in deeper conversations that surround the women/ women-identified experience and how to continue to break the barriers that we may face,” Mor-
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COURTESY OF SHAYA MORGAN
gan said. This year, Women’s Herstory Month occurs amid questions about the status of several cultural clubs and organizations around campus, including the Feminist Alliance organization. Despite the difficulties of galvanizing and sustaining student involvement in extracurricular activities at Fordham Lincoln Center (FLC), Hossain is confident in students’ interest in engaging with OMA’s programming. “At the Lincoln Center campus, I’ve received interest from students wanting to be involved with the different cultural committees, particularly the commuter students. I’ve noticed that cultural programming events tend to have a high turn out.” She believes that more awareness of the cultural heritage months would inspire more students to attend events: “I don’t think it’s because people aren’t interested. They just don’t know about it. With more promotion ahead of time, I think attendance can improve.”
Feminist Alliance Revived in Time for Women’s History Month By ALLIE STOFER Staff Writer
Since the start of the spring 2020 semester, the Feminist Alliance has been inactive on the Fordham Lincoln Center campus due to few people wanting to take on leadership positions. The former president of the Feminist Alliance, Maya Tatikola, Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) ’20, explained that the goal was to create a space for feminists to imagine their own perspective at Fordham and discuss issues in the world through an intersectional lens. “We did not have enough people running for positions for e-board,” Tatikola said. “Like a lot of clubs on Fordham Lincoln Center’s Campus, it can be difficult to commit to the responsibilities of an e-board position because of other jobs and obligations. We only had two e-board members (our) second semester, and it was difficult to delegate all of the tasks to both of us.” According to Rachana Komatireddy, FCLC ’22, chair of operations of the United Student Government (USG), e-board members struggling to keep up with coursework while in a leadership position is a common reason that clubs become inactive. Due to a high level of club inactivity at the beginning of the fall 2019 semester, the USG board put
A space for feminists to imagine their own perspectives at Fordham “Feminist Alliance not only fundraises for New York City organizations but also bring attention to feminist issues that impact and influence our world every day,” Taitikola said about the importance of the club. “Feminist Alliance created a growing space and encompassed a diverse group of people on this campus. I had been on the Feminist Alliance e-board since I was a Freshman up until this last semester, and I was able to meet a lot of wonderful people through it along the way.”
COURTESY OF CHELSEA ASHLEY
When members of the Feminist Alliance E-Board graduated, the club went on a brief hiatus due to a lack of student leadership.
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March 10, 2020 THE OBSERVER
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December 2014
The members of the Positive in 2015
Chris Hennessy, FCLC ’15, founds The Positive as a student-task force to advocate for gender rights on campus. The group conducts a survey among 414 students that shows 90% support gender-neutral bathrooms on campus and reach out to the admin in hope of introducing gender-inclusive bathrooms in Lowenstein.
JESS LUSZCYK/THE OBSERVER
January 2015 United Student Government partners with The Positive and Facilities to work within city and building codes toward implementing gender-neutral bathrooms on campus.
August 2015 Fordham introduces new gender-neutral signage for the Lowenstein third floor bathrooms.
February 28, 2016
The entrance to McKeon Hall in 2018
CONNOR MANNION/THE OBSERVER
An All Gender Restroom sign in 2018 COURTESY OF EMMA COPP
The rally for transgender rights in 2018 ZOEY LIU/THE OBSERVER
Fordham students organize a Trans Lives Matter protest on the Lowenstein Plaza to demand better protection of transgender students.
April 2018 Transgender student Aria Lozano writes an op-ed to The Observer accusing the Office of Residential Life and Fordham University of enforcing transphobic housing policies by forcing her to live with men in McKeon Hall. Faced with no alternative housing options, Lozano decided to transfer from Fordham after her first year.
July 2018 Fordham changes all single-occupancy bathrooms across the Lincoln Center campus to read “All-Gender Restrooms.”
October 31, 2018 FLC students stage a rally on the Lowenstein Plaza and deliver an open letter to the administration demanding the protection of transgender and gender-nonconforming students on campus after President Trump restricted the definition of gender to sex assigned at birth.
November 1, 2018
Five Years Later, Gender-Inclusive Housing Options Announced By MICHELLE AGARON AND SOPHIE PARTRIDGE-HICKS Staff Writer and News Editor After a five-year debate about the rights and safety of transgender and gender non-conforming students, Fordham College Lincon Center (FCLC) announced that it will offer gender-neutral housing to its residents for the upcoming 2020-21 academic year. In the past, Fordham has only offered rooming assignments based on sex assigned at birth, regardless of students’ gender identities. The Office of Residential Life (ResLife) claimed to work on a case-by-case basis with students who inquire about their gender identity. Most often, transgender students were offered a single room in McMahon Hall as an alternative to sharing rooms. Beginning in 2015, groups on campus including United Student Government (USG), Rainbow Alliance and The Positive pushed for inclusivity of all genders on campus by advocating for gender-neutral bathrooms, use of chosen names on official Fordham documents, and safe housing for gender-netural and transgender students. Now, in the 2020 room selection process, students will have the opportunity to select their preferred gender identity for the housing process instead of being forced to room based on sex assinged at birth. ResLife said they will reach out to students who indicate that they would like to discuss their gender identity, and work with them on a caseby-case basis. At a trans rights rally in 2018, student advocates accused Fordham of enforcing transphobic policies that isolate and put transgender and gender non-confirming students at risk. Many gender-neutral and transgender students have expressed the det-
rimental effects of having to live with someone of the opposite gender. Aria Lozano, even wrote an op-ed for The Observer in 2018, where she claimed that Fordham’s transphobic and bigoted policies made her feel like she had to transfer to another university. Keith Eldredge, assistant vice president and dean of students at Lincoln Center, said that he hoped the change would “make students feel more safe in their living environment.” Jenifer Campbell, senior director of ResLife at FCLC, said that the decision is a result of a greater number of students seeking additional options compared to the students in prior years. The Office of Student Affairs has been working with student leaders at USG, Residential Housing, Rainbow Alliance and the Positive since the Fall 2018 to discuss how Fordham could better provide gender-neutral options for students. “The student perspective was extremely important because their insight provided the experience of those who identify as a gender-nonconforming or transgender student,” said Campbell. Margaret Cohen, FCLC ’20, who is a member of The Positive and an advocate for gender-inclusive accommodations on campus, said that this change is a huge step forward for Fordham. “Non-binary folks are still going to be put in vulnerable situations in this process, which won’t be resolved until there is gender-neutral housing — meaning anyone of any gender can live with anyone of any gender. Fordham is not willing to make that choice at this time despite students’ persistence that it is the safest for students of all genders,” Cohen said. “I hope to see this enacted in coming years, as it is crucial to the safety of students in navigating the already confusing and stressful process of securing housing.”
Lu Aubin, FCLC ’23 — who identifies as genderqueer and uses she/her/ hers pronouns — said the change was a long time coming. “I think it’s an incredibly important advancement in the Fordham housing policy, especially since its past is so atrocious,” Aubin said. “I am hoping that the new policy will bring me a more comfortable living space at Fordham and trust it will make the responsibility of Fordham housing easier.” Another change in the housing application is a new question in the lifestyle question that will ask all students if they are comfortable living with a trans or gender non-confirming student. Eldredge explained that they placed, what he is referring to as the ‘“ally question,” in this section of the application process because they wanted to “normalize the question.” However, some have raised concerns that the new change is limited. Cohen clarified that the university has not yet achieved completely gender neutral housing. Lincoln Center housing can now be classified as gender-segregated, as opposed to sex-segregated, according to Cohen. Students who identify as non-binary will still face obstacles in the housing application process. Fordham is one of few Jesuit colleges to offer students more options in regard to gender neutral housing. As of April 2019, five Jesuit universities offered gender neutral housing options across the country. While there is no official Catholic doctrine on the status of transgender people, the Vatican did reject the transgender identity in a document titled “Male and Female, He Created Them,” in 2019. The Positive and other clubs have expressed that they have had to negotiate within the university’s Jesuit ideals in order to try and propose compromises.
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Jeffrey Grey confirms he received the letter and that he would follow up with staff and colleagues.
November 15, 2018 SAGES says that they have yet to see changes 15 days after the rally and post on Facebook “We are angry and we’d like you to support our plea for trans rights at Fordham, enacted through tangible policy change and substantive administrative action.”
November 28, 2018 Gray responds to the student clubs that sponsored the rally and states that transgender students are “fully members of the Fordham family as any other member of the community,” in an email.
March 2019 The Office of Residential Life, Dean Eldredge, The Positive and Rainbow Alliance form a task force to discuss how the university can support gender non-conforming and trans students’ housing options. Dean Eldredge states that “the university is not ready for gender-neutral housing for all students at this time.”
March 27, 2019 Fordham implements a university-wide chosen name policy that allows students of trans experiences to use their chosen name on all official Fordham documents, including transcripts.
June 2019 Housing applications for incoming first-year students include an option to signify to Residential Life that would like to discuss housing options regarding gender identity.
February 2019 Fordham introduces a gender-neutral policy for rooming selections for both returning and incoming students for the 2020-21 academic year.
A McMahon apartment in 2019
LARA FOLEY/THE OBSERVER
Sung Mass every Sunday at 9 a.m. at the Church of Saint Agnes 143 East 43rd Street (bet. Lexington and Third aves., near Grand Central)
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THE OBSERVER March 10, 2020
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Timeline of Events World Dec. 1
Jan. 8
Coronavirus Outbreak:
A Special Report ANDREW BEECHER/THE OBSERVER
toms is also self-isolating. The university suspended all non-class activity on March 8. On March 9, Fordham announced that all face-to-face classes will be canceled through 1 p.m. March 9 and March 10, and that classes will be instructed online from March 11 onward. Other New York colleges have also taken drastic action to try to prevent the spread of the virus: Columbia University, New York University, Barnard College, Yeshiva University, St. John’s University and Hofstra University have all transitioned to online methods of teaching. The decision to ban large gatherings of people is attributed to Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s declaration of the coronavirus outbreak as a
state of emergency in New York state on March 7. The U.S. Senate also passed a $8.3 billion bill on March 5 to fund vaccine research and prevention efforts. The virus first appeared in December 2019 when a patient in Wuhan, China, first started to exhibit symptoms. The coronavirus is a zoonotic virus, meaning that the epicenter of the outbreak started when an infected animal came in contact with a human; epidemiologists believe this happened at a wet market in Wuhan. Fordham students studying in Beijing, China, were some of the first to see the impact of the outbreak. Ben Guo, Gabelli School of Business at Lincoln Center ’21, said that after Xi Jinping officially announced the coronavirus out-
“I have an immune deficiency disorder, so if I get it, I will die.”
for more quotes from students, visit fordhamobserver.com
“I tend to wash my hands when I get to work after taking the subway, and I try not to touch my face.”
- Eliza Pagel, FCLC ’23
“I feel like the administration is a lot more panicked than individuals.”
travel to any countries with a level 3 or 4 warning. Students were also given the opportunity to return to the New York campuses and sent a withdrawal form that they could complete. By early March, the first case of the virus appeared in New York City. A 35-year-old woman who had recently traveled to Iran tested positive for the virus on March 1. In less than ten days, the number of cases in the state of New York had risen to over 147, as of March 9. At an Office of Emergency Management conference on March 2, Mayor Bill de Blasio said, “We said early on, it wasn’t a question of ‘if’ but ‘when.’ This is New York, we’re a gateway to the world. You see these cases around the world, around the country — of course we’re going to have it here.” Specialists have confirmed that the virus is transmitting through community spread, as not all of the infected individuals had traveled to affected regions. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the virus spreads primarily through close contact with infected people. It’s possible for individuals to contract the virus from the droplets of an infected person’s sneeze or cough; the CDC believes the transmission can happen between individuals up to six feet
Students studying abroad at the Beijing Center at the University of International Business and Economics return to campus
Jan. 11
China reports 1st novel coronavirus related death, which occurred two days earlier
Jan. 21
First case of coronavirus reported in the U.S. at Providence Regional Medical Center in Everett, Washington
Jan. 29
Jan. 30
The WHO declares a global health emergency in Wuhan, China
Jan. 31
U.S. restricts entry into the U.S. from China
All undergraduate study abroad programs in China suspended
Feb. 5
Students studying abroad at Fordham-affiliated programs in Milan and Rome told to leave the country by March 4
Feb. 26
March 1
University Provost Dennis Jacobs emails all Fordham faculty asking them to prepare a course continuity plan in case Fordham is forced to suspend all campus activities
First case of coronavirus confirmed in New York City
March 2
All international GO! projects are canceled All study abroad students are emailed notifying them that they are not allowed to travel to countries with a U.S. State Department Alert of level 3 or 4. Students are also offered the opportunity to submit a “return form” and continue their semester at Fordham’s NY campuses
- Liz Doney, FCLC ’21
away from each other. Other modes of catching the virus include coming in contact with contaminated surfaces and subsequently touching one’s mouth or eyes. Discussion about coronavirus preventative measures at Fordham first began on March 2 when University Provost Dennis Jacobs emailed faculty asking them to prepare a course contingency plan in case the outbreak forced the university to suspend all in-person classes. Since then, professors have communicated various options to continue the semester via online methods — including Blackboard forums, Zoom video conference meetings and office hours hosted over the phone. In an email on March 9, the Office of the President encouraged all residential students to return home immediately and take any school work material with them. Classes are expected to resume face-to-face meetings as early as March 30, but that decision will be evaluated as the situation continues to evolve. “Though this is an undeniable disruption of the academic enterprise, we feel that it is the best way to minimize the risk of spreading the virus within the campus community,” McShane wrote in the email.
The WHO, European CDC and Chinese state media break the news of a novel COVID-19
University Health Services emails Jan. 24 the Fordham community with first update about how to stay healthy in light of the coronavirus
March 3 The CDC issues new guidelines that anyone can be tested for the coronavirus; previously only those who had traveled to infected areas recently or had close contact with people diagnosed with the coronavirus could get tested
- Aria Lugo, FCLC ’21 break, he began to notice tension around the city. On Jan. 27, Fordham’s study abroad office canceled all study abroad programs in China. Three students from Beijing were asked to return to New York campuses, and four students who had planned to study abroad in Shanghai were forced to find alternative plans to finish their semester. As the outbreak worsened in China, other countries began taking precautions to prepare for the spread of the virus. Throughout January, confirmed cases of coronavirus begin appearing in countries in Southeast Asia, including Thailand and Japan. Countries with the largest outbreaks of the virus include China, South Korea, Iran and Italy, which are all listed as warning level-3 countries by the U.S. State Department. On Feb. 26, students studying abroad at Fordham’s affiliated programs in Milan and Rome were asked to leave the country by March 4. Those students had to return to their homes for 14 days to ensure that they had not contracted the virus. Other students studying abroad in non-affected areas — including Fordham’s London Centre, the Granada program and the Ubuntu Program in South Africa — were notified that they were unable to
Jan. 9
Fordham
Hand sanitizer and other cleaning supplies are in such high demand they are out of stock in most stores around NYC.
The novel COVID-19 outbreak has swept the U.S., infecting 500 people, forcing institutions — including Fordham — to move to non-essential suspend on campus activity, and causing panic around the world. The coronavirus is formally named “SARS-CoV-2,” and the disease it causes is called “coronavirus disease 2019,” abbreviated as COVID-19. The Office of the President said that there are still no confirmed cases of the coronavirus within the Fordham’s community as of March 9. However, two Rose Hill professors and three Fordham students are currently in voluntary self-isolation after potential exposure to the virus. One commuter undergraduate exhibiting virus symp-
The first known patient exhibits symptoms of the coronavirus in Wuhan, China Chinese scientists announce the discovery of a new coronavirus
March 4 A faculty member emails their students explaining their choice to self-isolate after their spouse was potentially exposed to the virus Second faculty member emails their March 5 students explaining their choice to self-isolate after a neighbor was potentially exposed to the virus Public Safety confirms that along March 6 with the two faculty members, three students may have also been exposed to the virus and are also self-isolating March 7
Fordham suspends all non-class campus events. Hofstra University, Columbia University and Barnard College cancel classes Fordham cancels all face-to-face classes. All residential students asked to return home if possible; necessary campus services remain open for those unable to do so. All domestic and international Fordham-sponsored travel canceled. NYU also cancels in person classes
Gov. Cuomo declares state of emergency in New York state
March 8
March 9
Check fordhamobserver.com for the latest coverage
Opinions Editors Grace Getman - ggetman@fordham.edu Evan Vollbrecht - evollbrecht@fordham.edu
Opinions
I
HOUSING WIN IS A SYMBOL OF HOPE This recent housing victory reminds us that student movements actually can be effective and valuable in creating change on campus.
When students come together to fight for policy changes, we win. In order to build upon this momentum, FLC students need to embrace an attitude of involvement and begin advocating for causes that they believe in. As impossible as it sounds, student movements can (and often are) successful — even if it takes years. Fordham administrators could have done many things. Students went through the proper channels to get gender-neutral restrooms — but it took the university four years to even install all the signage. Students went through the proper channels to revise housing policy — but the Residence Hall Association proposal was rejected out of hand. Students had
Observer the
STAFF EDITORIAL
t started with the formation of The Positive in 2014. A rally on the plaza followed in early 2016. Op-eds raged about the travesty throughout 2018, along with another rally. In a spring 2019 news article, Dean of Students Keith Eldredge said “the university is not ready for (it) ... at this time.” Come fall 2020, however, the university has introduced housing options based on gender identity rather than biological sex. It’s a long-awaited announcement, the culmination of years of student activism and constant pressure on administrators. Generations of students came and went, graduating and moving on, seeing little to no progress — and yet, their cause succeeded regardless. That should give us hope. When students come together to fight for policy changes, we win. No matter how prolonged and frustrating the journey may seem, long hours of consistent work and perseverance may lead to revolutionary changes within the Fordham Lincoln Center (FLC) community.
March 10, 2020 THE OBSERVER
Editor-in-Chief Owen Roche Managing Editor Courtney Brogle
enough, rallied on the plaza and sent top administrators an open letter — but 34 days of silence yielded only to platitudes, and it would be another three months before a task force would be created to respond. Every action taken, every push for change, seemed to be in vain. There were so many easy solutions to the conflict that went ignored, and so many students who looked back over their shoulders and wondered, as they walked the stage, if anything they had done had mattered. It did. If you feel strongly about an issue on campus, start meeting with other people who agree. If you want to alter policies regarding housing or dining, reach out to someone with the information you need to develop an action plan. You might not always be able to enact the change you want to see in your four years at Fordham, but if students continue to organize and rally for your cause, you can make this campus community stronger in the years to come.
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POLICIES AND PROCEDURES
In this photo from The Observer archives, two students put on makeup in preparation for a show.
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THE OBSERVER March 10, 2020
Opinions
The Origins of the Couches in the Women’s Bathrooms: Sexism
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MAGGIE MONTERA Contributing Writer
I always wondered why bathrooms were referred to as “restrooms,” but I never cared to truly investigate. I thought it was one of those trivial English language things. Like how cookies aren’t cooked, they’re actually baked. While that remains a mystery, the beginnings of the term “restroom” were revealed to me in an article assigned for my New Media and Digital Design class. “The Accidental Power of Design” by Michael Rock, featured in the New York Times, brought my attention to the beginnings of bathroom separation. During the Industrial Revolution, women, “the weaker sex,” were given separate bathrooms to protect them from the outside world as they began to enter the workplace. It really is not necessary to have separate bathrooms. We don’t gender the bathrooms at home or on airplanes. Still, student activists at Fordham fought a tough battle to get gender-neutral bathroom signage in the lobbies of McKeon and McMahon. There is something about public space that absolutely freaks people out. When women started to work during early industrialization, it was paramount that they should have a place to pass out: Their physical and mental fragility could never possibly take on working a full day like a man. In a seemingly unrelated but vital clause, I am going to go out on a limb here and say most students who have taken a class at Lincoln Center have utilized the bathrooms that are available on each floor of Lowenstein. Now, you may want to sit down for this. When you
The sofas provided in the women’s bathroom in the Leon Lowenstein Center couch a history of misogyny.
enter any women’s restroom in the building (other than in the lobby), you are not met with sinks and stalls, but a separate room with a couch. In this room there is also a pad and tampon dispenser and you must go through another door to access the facilities. I am halfway through the spring semester of my sophomore year and never thought anything of this literal “restroom.” I also never thought about what the men’s bathroom looked like. I guess that I assumed they would also have couches, but no. Fordham is a traditional institution, so I
am not surprised they would involve archaic gender coding for public restrooms. I did some digging on Google, and found out the Leon Lowenstein Center began construction in 1967 and was finished in 1969. It is crazy how men’s perception of women in public spaces from the Industrial Era survived to the postmodern era and is evident in the physical layout of the bathrooms at our own university. After I came to this stunning realization in class, I asked my male-identifying peers if they knew about the room preceding the women’s bathroom. I was
met with stimulating intellectual responses about the absurdity of assuming feminine fragility and how Fordham perpetuates this view. I do not see many people using these couches. People seem to go to the restroom to use the facilities, not to rest, oddly enough. Mateo Solis Prada, Fordham College at Lincoln Center ’22, remarked, “They have couches in there?” I wouldn’t be too jealous, guys. I would call the couches “dingy,” if I were feeling nice. I imagine if you took a baseball bat to the cushions, a cloud of dust would appear. This discovery has opened
ANDREW BEECHER/THE OBSERVER
my eyes to how gender bias can be deeply ingrained in society to the point where one gender gets a couch in their bathroom. Maybe the creators of restrooms were onto something about the differences between men and women. First and foremost, men don’t get tired — their masculinity doesn’t allow it. Even if their mighty testosterone fails, they’ll have to take a nap on the toilet, like a man. Women are allowed to sit on couches and men are not; simple as that. I would like to thank the introduction of restrooms for helping many understand their place in the world.
Don’t Listen to Celebrity Opinions About Politics SRUSHTI KSHIRSAGAR Business Manager
Taylor Swift and Kanye. What do these celebrities and many more have in common? They use their platforms to comment on and influence their audience on politics. As of late, this has been encouraged and even expected from celebrities and public figures. Taylor Swift was criticized for not being vocal about her opinions in her earlier years and was reprimanded even more for not publicly endorsing a candidate during the 2016 election. On the other hand, Kanye West was heavily criticized for his support of Donald Trump. Pop culture and politics have become so intertwined that our current sitting president is a symptom of superficial credentials. With celebrity culture and social media becoming an integral part of our information consumption, here’s why your “faves’” opinions on politics shouldn’t matter, nor should they be encouraged. Celebrities don’t know anything. That sounds harsh. What I mean is that most celebrities are not educated on the issues in politics to be credible commentators. Most actors, musicians, directors, models and public figures are popular because their job is to entertain the masses and make money. Most didn’t go to university, and if they did, they usually majored in one of the fine arts. The arts are incredibly im-
MAGNUS MANSKE AND RODRIGO FERRARI VIA WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
While it’s been trendy for celebrities to offer their political opinions, we’re not required to listen.
portant to society, but there is a limit to how much art should influence you. Taylor Swift, for example, is one of my favorite musicians, but I highly doubt she has gone through the years of education that would make her qualified to speak on topics such as healthcare, the trade deficit, China or global warming. I am willing to believe she’s very intelligent and capable of understanding these concepts, but she simply doesn’t have the time to learn enough about these topics to definitively give a public statement on the issues. Though there are instances where I can sympathize and even agree with her vocal opinions. In
her 2020 “Miss Americana” documentary, Swift shows her political reasoning and what drove her to become more vocal. Swift, who has experienced misogyny and sexual assault, felt driven to speak out about her experiences and how they influence her political beliefs about women and minority groups. I give this a pass because humanitarian policies are, generally speaking, more tangibly experienced by citizens. Swift hasn’t blindly endorsed a candidate, but rather explains her reasoning and her experiences. Celebrities don’t care about you. How do we choose the can-
didate to vote for in any office? We go through their credentials and their proposed policies, and decide whether we can gain from their policies. Celebrities cannot relate to us on a fundamental level. Of course, they have empathy and want a better community and governing body. However, you have to accept that Taylor Swift cannot relate to a farmer in middle America, a culinary union worker in Las Vegas or anyone who isn’t a rich white woman. Yes, it’s reasonable Taylor Swift would vote for a progressive for their humanitarian policies, but how similar is she economically to anyone who isn’t an award-winning artist? Celebrities focus on policies that are generally supported by their fans. It’s easy for a celebrity to show their support for reform on issues like environmentalism and women’s rights when they’re conveniently understandable and unanimously accepted among their supporters. Though they may have their best intentions at heart, I would say it’s irresponsible to blindly follow their call to action against any politician. One might ask: Why now, at this time? Being politically vocal is a trend. Whether it’s good publicity or bad publicity for Kanye West, taking a stand in politics drives views and popularity. Even if a celebrity really values their political opinions and wants to share it with the world, it’s good to keep in mind that at the end of the day celebrities only care about you as much as you care about the cash in your pocket.
Celebrities are people, and I’m sure they have values, but there’s a difference in advocating for a certain cause like how Leonardo DiCaprio has with global warming, versus Kanye West wearing a MAGA hat. Even if being politically vocal doesn’t translate directly into money, it still promotes a problematic division in the community. America is growing steadily polarized. We live in a society where the support of a politician or to have a certain political view is enough to judge and reprimand someone. Adding the voice of celebrities legitimizes a growing divide and culture of intolerance. It legitimizes a culture where liking Kanye West’s music gets you labeled a Trump supporter, or supporting Taylor Swift gets you called a whiny snowflake. Neither of these are necessary, nor should they be encouraged. So how should you vote? I believe as Americans we have only one basic responsibility: to be informed about the state of your community. Think about what you value in yourself and your community. Understand how your community affects you, and how you affect your community. Have a healthy amount of skepticism, but also trust our system and the media. From that, I would encourage you to research your local and national representatives and future candidates and to vote for who you believe is going to best serve your interests. Because at the end of the day, the only person who you are accountable for is yourself.
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Opinions
March 10, 2020 THE OBSERVER
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In the Bag or Further to Go? New York City’s Bag Ban Two perspectives on the city’s decision to ban single-use plastic bags
Conservatives Shouldn’t Trash Plastic Bag Ban
New York City Politics If you’re ever driving along an interstate, chances are there are piles of trash on either side of the road — bottles, car tires, hubcaps, couches and, almost ubiquitously, plastic bags. There aren’t many items on this list that we can exactly outlaw. Cars wouldn’t run too well without tires and hubcaps, and personally, I do enjoy having a couch. However, there is no reason that plastic bags should be a commodity of the future. Following the lead of a handful of other states, New York decided to do just that on March 1, as single-use plastic bags (with limited exceptions) are now banned from Montauk to Buffalo. Consumers will still be able to use paper bags (with a per-bag fee of 5 cents in New York City) or opt to use their own reusable bags. For such a benign and easily implemented policy, there’s no reason to be outraged over taking a small step to help the environment. Many notable
conservatives, however, have gone to bat for the plastic bag industry, arguing that New York’s new ban on such bags is environmentally damaging and a “feel-good” solution to saving animals. As one National Review writer put it, this ban is “an indication that our Empire State government continues to consider it its sworn to duty to harass and annoy its own citizens.” Not only are these contentions wrong, but they are so absurd that they evoke a sense of complaining for the sake of complaining — an “owning the libs” type of journalism. There is, for one, no real environmental concern about outlawing these bags. This argument stems from studies that show that reusable bags make a bigger carbon footprint in their manufacturing. However, this argument doesn’t take into account that these bags are reused over time. Different studies show that polypropylene bags (the green reusables you see in many grocery stores) need to be used between 11 and 37 times to offset the cost of manufacturing them compared to a single-use plastic bag. This won’t be an issue for New Yorkers, as the new law stipulates that plastic bags must have a lifespan of at least 125 uses for carrying up to 22 pounds a distance of 175 feet
to be considered “reusable” and in compliance with state regulations. To the naysayers who argue that people won’t reuse these bags because they get dirty and are unlikely to be cleaned, I say, let’s see if that’s the case now that consumers don’t have a free alternative. This argument also doesn’t take into consideration the fact that plastic bags take thousands of years to break down, and even then, they absorb toxins that animals mistake for food. Other statistics are equally disturbing, considering that an estimated 100,000 marine animals are killed annually by plastic bags, and in 2014, an estimated 15 to 51 trillion microplastic particles were floating in the world’s oceans, weighing between 93,000 and 236,000 tons. And because plastic bags are very lightweight and blow easily in the wind, we may never be sure of the true amount released into the open environment. While this bag ban isn’t a panacea to our environmental woes, it is a tenable start. Packaging makes up only 5% of the food industry’s carbon footprint, but that shouldn’t be the only method of calculating a potential gain from banning these single-use plastic bags. We should be balancing any potential costs with the gains from cleaner oceans, parks, roads, streets and sidewalks.
NYC’s Bag Ban Is Only the Beginning ANNA MONEYMAKER Staff Writer
PHOTOS BY ANDREW DRESSNER/THE OBSERVER
The Cuomo administration has, with resounding support, passed a law to ban most single-use plastic bags from distribution by grocery stores and other businesses. The de Blasio administration has followed in their footsteps, implementing a citywide law to charge 5 cents per paper bag purchased in an effort to persuade consumers to adopt reusable bags. This is just one progressive policy of the larger NYC Green New Deal, formally referred to as “OneNYC 2050: Building a Strong and Fair City.” But what will this legislature actually do to move NY in a greener direction, and where do we go from there? These new policies are a great place to start, but does not quite allow New Yorkers to wipe their hands clean of environmental responsibility. According to the NY Department of Conservation, New Yorkers use 23 billion plastic bags every year. It has been clear for decades now that the United States has a waste management problem, especially urban centers. New York City specifically is no exception. A study from CUNY shows “NYC
Residents currently recycle only 17 percent of their total waste - half of what they could be recycling. Plastic film, such as supermarket bags, comprises 7.5 percent of total waste, while clothing and textiles make up 5.7 percent of total waste.” The bag ban takes an important step in the direction of phasing out single-use plastics and forcing New Yorkers to adopt more eco-friendly habits, but it is by no means the finish line in the race to carbon neutrality. Even legislation as mild as the bag ban is not being widely adopted as quickly as one might think. Currently, only eight of 50 states in the U.S. have a plastic bag ban or fee. California and Hawaii were the first to put bans into effect, but even after passing this progressive legislation, it was difficult to prevent business owners from finding loopholes, like distributing thicker plastic bags that were technically reusable. Consumers throw these bags away at the same rate as single-use bags, anyway. Despite all this, bag bans have had a net positive outcome. “A 2013 report from the non-partisan Equinox Center found that after plastic bag bans (PBB) were enacted in the cities of San Jose and Santa Monica and the county of Los Angeles,
the use of single-use plastic bags (SUPB) significantly declined with the majority of consumers using reusable bags or no bag.” Exceptions to the new NYC bag ban also exist. Plastic bags may be used to contain food sliced or prepared to order, unwrapped meat, fish or poultry, and bulk items such as fruits, vegetables, grains and candy. This ban is not a perfect solution or even a solution at all, it simply manages the symptom of a larger problem in the production of unsustainable products. Despite all this, a plastic bag ban ultimately prevents tons of single-use plastic from being circulated and pushes consumers in the right direction — to bring their own bags. Ultimately, the most carbon-efficient choice is always to not buy. Bringing your own bag is better than purchasing paper bags, and bringing a bag that you already had lying around is even better. The first step in the three-word mantra is first for a reason. Reduce, reuse and then recycle. The larger NYC Green New Deal contains ambitious new legislation that would help align New York with the sustainable development goals of the UN and strives towards total carbon neutrality in the year 2050. The bag ban is just the first step in a much longer journey.
Rubberneck The
HUMOR SECTION
THE OBSERVER March 10, 2020
Opinions
The Top 10 Places to Cry in Public at Fordham Lincoln Center EVELYN SIMS Staff Writer
A convenient on-campus sob session is sometimes necessary to let out pent-up emotions for many a Fordham Lincoln Center (FLC) student. As students get upset over bad grades, messing up on critical presentations, the lack of food options on campus and a plethora of other problems, crying in public is a necessary coping mechanism. Whether you want everyone around you to see your tears and take pity, prefer a more quiet and private session or are simply looking for some solitude, the FLC campus accommodates us all — residents and commuters alike. This top 10 list of places to cry in public includes the most accessible places for students to cry in order to serve busy schedules and meet the needs of this bustling campus. 10) Student Lounge in Ram Café Frequently home to club meetings and small events, the Student Lounge offers a prime location to cry with your food from the Ram Café. Although you run a risk of interrupting a club meeting, this space is generally unpopulated and you should not have to worry about running into anyone you know. However, the unpredictability of privacy puts the Student Lounge at number 10 on the list. 9) The Gabelli Trade Room I know what you’re thinking — how can anyone cry in front of a bunch of stock traders without feeling overwhelming amounts of shame? Fear not: Strategically placing yourself in the middle rows of the lab allows the double computer screens to hide your crying face. This spot is ideal for the Ga-
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GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATION BY MADDIE SANDHOLM/THE OBSERVER
belli student on the go who needs a quick bawl. Bonus: making some impulsive investments mid-breakdown might help you earn a little money. 8) The Law School Will the lawyers judge you? Yes. Will you ever have to worry about seeing them around campus? Probably not. The law school is the perfect location for frequent criers in Lowenstein and the 140 West building that are looking to not be recognized by peers mid-sob session. The law school lobby even offers tall ceilings and comfortable chairs along the wall, so your cries can echo throughout the space. 7) The Couches in the Women’s Bathrooms in Lowenstein Although this one only applies to users of the women’s bathroom,
the couches offer a quick and easy place to cry in Lowenstein. Are you about to fail a test? In the middle of an awful lecture? Don’t feel like participating in class? These couches are a great place to shed some tears for your GPA in a way that fits into your busy class schedule. 6) Behind the Ram Statue on in the Plaza Show your school spirit by having a quick breakdown behind the ram statue. Although this space offers minimal privacy, it accommodates criers with a love of the outdoors who want to catch some rays while weeping. Bonus: The smell of the halal cart drifting in the air may make you hungry enough to cut your session short and get some food.
5) The 12th Floor of Lowenstein This floor offers a great place to cry if the bathroom is too crowded in between classes. Despite the occasional event happening, there are plenty of corners to cry in starting the moment you ascend the stairs or take the elevator up. Bonus: the bathrooms on the 12th floor offer an additional opportunity for privacy while crying. 4) The Phone Room by the Mailroom Do you need to cry but kind of want people to walk by so they feel bad for you? If so, this alcove is the perfect spot to have a complete breakdown in front of the many McMahon residents who happen to be strolling by. With two comforting chairs inside this location,
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someone may be inclined to stop in and ask you what’s wrong. Bonus: Do you have an ugly crying face? Hide it and get some reading in by using a free copy of The Observer conveniently located nearby. 3) The 6th Floor Pods The 6th floor pods reign as one of FLC’s top-tier seating places. The pods are the optimal location to cry, get work done and enjoy the best-looking floor in Lowenstein. These pods offer a wall of privacy to block out any onlookers and a convenient table to set your belongings down on. With so many pod options to choose from, they provide a safe place to express the many different kinds of emotional outbursts that may arise — as long as you ignore their stains. 2) The Arbor With Benches Overlooking the Street The scenic street view of this location coupled with the shade of the arbor makes this spot optimal for nature-loving criers. Weep with an amazing view of the skyscrapers and river keeping you company. This place offers a moment of solitude for the crier who wants to have a moment of self-reflection in the great outdoors. 1) One of the Comfy Chairs Staring Out the Window in the Garden Level Lounge Strategically located before a large window, you can sob in the comfort of a well-cushioned chair while staring into the distance at the cars and people going by on Columbus Avenue. Sip your drink and eat your snack from Argo Tea while you contemplate all of your life choices. This great spot comes with a view and the added bonus of being able to cry in a crowded room without anyone noticing or caring while they work around you.
Living Alone: A Semi-Informational, Semi-Cautionary Tale
On the fine morning of Monday, Jan. 20, I ran for my newly independent life as I sprinted towards McKeon Hall because the moving company came one hour early. A month and a half later, I can’t believe that it’s only been a month and a half since I’ve been living alone. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not complaining about being privileged enough to have my own place at 19 — I’m on cloud nine. But I do think that I would have been better adjusted if I had known what I know now before I moved out. If you’re contemplating moving out next year, you are welcome to learn from my mistakes. If you’re just along for the ride, I hope you have fun reading about my suffering. The sheer amount of money you will spend on things you never knew cost that much is the first highlight of this little emotional roller coaster. For example, the mattress. Since I’m not into the practice of sleeping on bare hardwood floors, I embarked on a quest to Mattress Firm on 72nd and Broadway, full of hope. I exited the store two hours later, full of existential questions. To an average college student, getting a
mattress is a pretty serious financial commitment. If you’re one of those people who signed up for the most expensive meal plan, then you’re probably fine. Say your apartment is finally set up: a Steve Buscemi poster on your bedroom wall and a trashcan on fire. Surprise, surprise! This harmonious feng shui composition is not going to maintain itself. Whatever disorder you could previously blame on your (not entirely guiltless) roommates is now entirely on you. How exactly do you deal with the mess that is your life without spiraling into control-centered madness? You don’t. I tried everything: shelled out more money on cleaning supplies, attempted to come up with a waste-reduced lifestyle, almost threw out my keys into the trash chute in the process. I do have a clean apartment. But am I sane? As you may begin to suspect, not entirely. Your life is finally void of garbage, at least physically. The claustrophobia you first felt, surrounded by unpacked boxes, fades. Worry not, your mood quickly goes into complete reverse as you realize that there is too much space. And it doesn’t matter how filled with vintage Star Trek collectibles your apartment is. It will still feel too big. Take, for example, the fridge. As a proud owner of a rented mini-fridge in McKeon, I quickly got into the habit of buying the snacks that were
purely necessary — such as the countless La Fermière mango yogurts I have a habit of stealthily consuming in the middle of the night (sorry, ex-roommates). I was not at all prepared for the giant that could contain the entire arctic tundra that came with my apartment. Upon staying over one depressingly cloudy weekend, my friend solemnly judged the state of my refrigerator. “I see you have fully transformed into your father,” she remarked. I hadn’t yet gone grocery shopping, and the only things it contained were a pack of sausages and two potatoes. And don’t forget about the void you’ll feel in your heart and mind after having spent a semester (or more) in a building full of noisy college students. To me, the quiet now is bliss. No more upstairs neighbor who blasts Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit” at exactly the same time every day while you’re trying to brush your teeth in peace. No more roommates screaming at their gaming buddies over Twitch three hours before your 7-page essay was due. No more people having very personal conversations right in front of your door while you try to fall
asleep. But sometimes, when I’m watching foreign movies at ungodly hours of the night and the only sounds I hear are my own breathing and the seductive murmur of the Ukrainian language, I truly feel like I’m on an asteroid far away from any conscious form of life. After you’ve dealt with all the struggles you can experience within your new apartment, it’s time to go outside and experience the final challenge: the commute. Now, I’m pretty lucky. I live on the Upper West Side, about 20 minutes away from Fordham on foot. Getting to class should be a breeze. Guess what? It’s not. You think it would be easy for you to get to class on time every single day because you’re punctual? Think again. A myriad of unexpected things can and will happen to cause your delay. The reasons I was late this semester range
from wind so strong I turned into Mary Poppins to jumping away from a rat and into a man in a bathrobe who was walking his dog. If you’re scared of living alone now, you should be. However, the benefits might still outweigh your suffering in the first few months. I, for example, enjoy shower karaoke and writing while in curious positions at even curiouser times of day. No one but God is there to judge my strange poster taste anymore (please don’t send me to hell for this). And, of course, I now have more life experiences to make fun of.
GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATION BY ESMÉ BLEECKER-ADAMS/THE OBSERVER
Living Within the Divide Fordham’s History in South Africa
By GABE SAMANDI News Editor Emeritus “It’s not a good idea to always focus on negative history, because that’s how you formulate negative ideas about a country,” said Professor Amir Idris, associate chair of Fordham’s department of African and African American studies. History is an intensely political
subject in South Africa. Much like the United States, the narratives that shaped history have defined the current identity of the country. However, unlike the United States, where we proclaim our misdeeds are “heritage, not hate,” there is widespread recognition in
South Africa that history can be — and is still today — used as a weapon to erode identity. It was just 26 years ago, in 1994, that apartheid ended. For most university students in South Africa today, the legalized form of segregation and disenfranchise-
ment of more than 90% of the population is not just the blackand-white-photograph history of their grandparents: It is the history of the years leading up to their birth. Since 2012, Fordham University has sent a group of students
to South Africa for its smallest semester-long study abroad program, the Ubuntu Program in South Africa. Groups as few as nine and as many as 23 have traveled to study at the University of Pretoria (UP), a top-five research institution in all of Africa.
The University of Pretoria’s original building was constructed in 1910. At the time, the university was a whites-only institution. The building now houses artwork and artifacts from around the world. The largest exhibit displays Xhosa and Zulu artifacts from southern Africa.
Invisible Lines at UP Most South African students attending UP were born to parents who lived their entire lives in a segregated country. Nearly every student was born in, and continues to live in, a neighborhood consisting entirely of the same race. In class, students sit in rows where color makes informal but noticeable patterns. In the campus cafeteria, only a handful of tables have both black and white students sitting together. Even fewer of those tables have black and white students speaking to each other. “I just don’t feel comfortable in an all-black setting,” one white student told me at an all-white house dinner I’d been invited to. “I don’t think I’d be welcome.” Pretoria is located in the larger municipality of the City of Tshwane, named after the Tswana king at the time of Pretorius’ arrival in southern Africa. The City of Tshwane includes Pretoria’s Townships — the crowded, underserviced areas of untenable land that were created as ghettos for black residents during the apartheid years. In some Townships today, residents have multi-story houses with luxury automobiles parked in front. In others, residents live in makeshift shelters constructed from plywood and sheet metal. “Once you’ve been through this program, you can never be the same again,” said Professor
Antoinette Lombard, head of the department of social work and criminology at UP. “Fordham students often witness a poverty that they’ve never been exposed to at home. But they learn that people are resilient.” Lombard, who is Afrikaans herself, is Fordham’s primary contact at UP. She has been with the university for 31 years now, working there even during apartheid. She’s also been a leading voice in correcting the university’s discriminatory past. “Apartheid was inhuman; there’s no excuse,” Lombard said. Under her direction, Fordham students take classes at UP with both black and white professors. She’s personally worked with faculty from all over UP to develop a course for Fordham students that focuses on the legal, cultural, environmental and economic problems facing South Africa following its transition to democracy in 1994. It’s her hope that while at UP, Fordham students can bring a fresh perspective to the academic issues facing UP’s faculty — as well as the social issues facing the student body. “Discrimination is an imposition on human dignity around the world,” Lombard said. “Unless you address it directly and confront it, you allow it to persist and slip under the rug.” According to Kate Leonard, Fordham College at Rose Hill ’22, there are plenty of opportunities for Fordham students to confront challenging conver-
sations on race. “I would say it’s still very segregated in the way that people think about and treat their fellow classmates,” she said. “During some of the class discussions, you can still feel some tension,” Leonard said. “Especially when people talk about politically charged subjects like apartheid.” The courses that Fordham students enroll in ask them to directly engage with such questions. For the second lecture of “Decoloniality, Africa and Anthropology,” a course taken by nine of the 12 Fordham students studying at UP this year, students were asked to bring a page of prepared research about how “history is not neutral.” In “Poverty and Community Development,” the course overseen by Lombard, students read the current South African constitution and compared the country’s legal institutions with those of the U.S. The primary goal was to give Fordham students valuable lessons to take back home, particularly when it comes to issues of race, inclusion and socioeconomics. However, it’s not solely the students who are hoping to learn from this program. UP’s faculty also hopes to utilize foreign perspectives from Fordham students to confront its own history. According to Idris, it was at UP that the intellectual, philosophical and legal framework for apartheid was constructed.
A man plays the guitar in Hatfield Square, the commercial strip next to the University of Pretoria’s main campus.
“ Discrimination is an imposition
on human dignity around the world. Unless you address it directly and confront it, you allow it to persist and slip under the rug.” Professor Antoinette Lombard
Cape Town
PHOTOS COURTESY OF GABE SAMANDI AND FORDHAM NEWS
Fordham Fights Pretorian Apartheid Fordham’s department for African and African American studies was initially hesitant to work with UP. “The University of Pretoria was the center of the apartheid regime’s consolidation of political and academic power,” Idris said. “In my opinion, the university has taken many steps in the right direction, but I had initial concerns.” Lombard was clear that Fordham students were invited to UP precisely to confront that issue. “We’re open about the past, we are teaching the past,” she said. “We’re bringing people in to acknowledge and advise us on the future, and we ask: Help us.” “That’s the goal of sending Fordham students,” said Professor Booi Themeli, a native South African and a lecturer for Fordham’s economics department. “Being a part of a society that’s transforming itself. Being a part of that transformation.” “Fordham has actually played an important role in the struggle against apartheid,” Themeli said. “Fordham used to give scholarships to anti-apartheid activists
who had been exiled,” he said. In addition to the degrees conferred to apartheid’s political opponents in New York, Fordham also awarded an honorary doctorate to Archbishop Desmond Tutu, the Nobel Prize-winning anti-apartheid activist, in 2005, for his personal history as an agent for equality. According to Themeli, “At the time Tutu said — and none of us could really tell if he was joking or not — ‘I’m only accepting this honorary doctorate if Fordham does something to work with my country.’ Father McShane took him very seriously.”
The Ubuntu Program Themeli said it didn’t take long for Fordham’s administration to reach out to him for suggestions. He paid a visit to South Africa’s consulate in Manhattan, where he introduced himself to Ambassador Fikile Magubane. In 2007, the two led a delegation of Fordham administrators to schools around South Africa, hoping to spot a potential opportunity. Themeli insisted on working with UP’s economics department, hoping that foreign students would
bring their perspectives on race and socioeconomic development. In August 2008, a group of 14 economics students from Fordham — nine graduates and five undergraduates — attended a 3-week summer intensive at UP called Emerging Markets, which still operates today. Two years later, Fordham hosted the first graduate students from UP, who completed similar economics coursework. The late University Provost Stephen Freedman expanded the program to undergraduate students and began exploring options for student exchange. Throughout 2011, Fordham sent several professors and administrators abroad to research service-learning exchange programs and plan a Fordham program in partnership with UP. Fordham’s administrators were adamant that undergraduates had the opportunity to learn in South Africa. As Themeli tells it, it was agreed that the program would start as soon as possible. “Four amazing young women actually led the charge in 2012,” Themeli said. The students, undergraduate alumnae of 2011’s Emerging Markets program, were the first to volunteer for the inaugural Ubuntu student group.
Above, a statue of Paul Kruger, an Afrikaner politician and nationalist icon, behind a barbed wire fence in downtown Pretoria. Below, an unpaved path near Fordham’s residential center.
Pretoria Soweto
Johannesburg
Bloemfontein
The Rev. Joseph M. McShane, S.J., with Archbishop Desmond Tutu, 2005.
American Students, South African Culture Each year, the program has changed substantially: In 2014, Fordham partnered with the Jesuit Institute of South Africa for a weekly socio-emotional guidance session, as students often struggled with their place in a country so stratified by race and wealth. In recent years, the program has been specifically
restructured to combat notions of superiority or saviorhood that Americans sometimes unconsciously carry into African countries. “Students often go to Africa to transmit a knowledge — what I call a kind of distorted knowledge, anyways. In my view, that has a subliminal sense of superiority,” said Idris, who is originally from Sudan. Recent additions to the Ubuntu Program’s courses have
students consider the impact of holding Western concepts of “democracy” and “development” as standards for Africans to aspire to. Students are asked to contextualize their learning within the long history of European literature depicting Africans as “savage,” and “uncivilized,” and as people who need to be saved by the West. Idris stated he’s since come to see the program as a valuable opportunity for both schools.
“In my view,” he said, “the program should be a powerful educational moment in both (universities’) history.” “Students are considered to be the champions of a new South Africa,” Idris said, “in its intellectual pursuits, history and culture.” Lombard was equally encouraged by the possibilities Fordham students could bring to South Africa. “I’m always so amazed by what Fordham stu-
dents are able to do in a few months,” she said. “This is the first student learning program at Fordham where the students led the charge and said, ‘We want to do something good.’” For his part, Themeli was simply proud that he was able to connect his students to his home country. “The main point,” he said, “is to make young people part of a transformation that makes the world a better place.”
Arts & Culture
Arts & Culture Editor Ethan Coughlin - ecoughlin7@fordham.edu Gillian Russo - grusso12@fordham.edu March 10, 2020
THE OBSERVER
Student Influencers Release ‘ok, anyway’ Podcast By BRIELLE CAYER Staff Writer
Tori Pante, Fordham College at Lincoln Center ’21, and YouTuber Georgia Bridgers are not your average duo. With 127,000 Instagram followers between them, Bridgers’ popular YouTube presence and combined digital media experience, the power couple understand the ins and outs of being content creators in the public eye. As their latest creative endeavor, Bridgers and Pante debuted their new podcast “ok, anyway” on March 6 via Spotify; the pilot episode “trusting tinder” featured a hilarious, touching retelling of the women’s initial meeting and how it led to their romance. After being approached by Spotify’s podcast company, Anchor, Bridgers suggested the idea of collaborating with Pante. “It seemed like the next step in my career as a content creator,” she said. “We wanted to open our lives a little bit more to the
public, in a relaxed manner.” Already having garnered nearly 15 million views on her YouTube channel, Bridgers felt that a podcast with Pante might provide a different, unique experience. “We chose to do this project on a podcast form because it gave us the opportunity to be more relaxed and have longer content,” she said. The couple elaborated in an email, “YouTube being a visual medium has to be very visually pleasing, edited perfectly and honestly not much longer than 15 minutes. We’re a little more unfiltered on the podcast and felt it was the perfect medium to share more about us.” Though Bridgers and Pante were podcast listeners prior to “ok, anyway,” the pair admitted to being new to the recording process. Both praised Spotify’s involvement in the studio and said, “We don’t really have to do much with recording. The Anchor lab has professional mics and a mixer that we use. All we
COURTESY OF GEORGIA BRIDGERS
Georgia Bridgers (left) and Tori Pante’s podcast focuses on the ordinary and often humorous events in their lives.
GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATION BY TAYLOR KIRSCHENHEITER
bring is an SD card to save our audio.” The couple agreed they have “no true blueprint” when it comes to recording a podcast episode, adding, “We just like to have fun! We were so scared that we weren’t going to be able to talk for an hour straight - to which we were definitely mistaken.” Still, they are honest about their adjustment to the preparation requirements, saying, “We begrudgingly say this - but we are definitely procrastinators. We tend to come up with that week’s topic the night before or morning of. We have quickly learned this is not always the best way to prepare.” Yet, the lack of rigid structure supports the two creators’ hopes for the podcast and seems
to evoke the signature charm found in their relationship. “We want people to just feel comfortable while listening,” they said. “The listeners can expect to feel like they are sitting around with their friends on a Friday night just hanging out, laughing and talking about personal things going on in our lives.” “Tori and I always are laughing together and have a unique experience as two women dating at the age of 21,” Bridgers said. Of the podcast’s purpose, she said, “We just wanted to share with the world our laugh out loud lives.” For a pair that laughs so often, it seems fitting that the project title came about during a tipsy giggle-fest on the subway, which Pante humorously de-
scribes in epic detail during the podcast’s pilot episode. Bridgers recounted the reasoning behind Pante’s title idea: “We seem to always be going in a million different directions with our stories and need to bring it back to ‘ok, anyway.’” For now, Bridgers and Pante are embracing this new adventure and enjoying the process in creating their podcast together. While they hope that the project finds success, that’s not what drives them. “We are more in it in the sense where we love each other,” Bridgers said. “We love talking to each other, we love how supportive people are of us and that makes us want to share more deeply with people. Our goal is to touch lives, make people laugh and just have fun!”
Splinter Group Ventures ‘Into the Woods’
Musical theater club stages Sondheim’s adaptation of classic tales By KENDALL BOTTJER Asst. Arts & Culture Editor
COURTESY OF PHOEBE ELLMAN
Samantha Rizzo, FCLC ’22, and Jackson Lewis, FCLC ’22, played the Baker and the Baker’s Wife in “Into the Woods.”
After a month of rehearsing, Fordham Lincoln Center’s Splinter Group performed “Into the Woods” on March 5 and 6 to a crowded Pope Auditorium. The Brothers Grimm inspired musical “Into the Woods” is a combination of classic fairy tales with a twist. The story follows a baker and his wife who hope for a child, and Jack (of Jack and the Beanstalk), who wishes his cow would give some milk, ultimately selling her for some magic beans to hopefully solve his problems. When a curse is placed on The Baker by the town’s evil witch, the couple decides to go “into the woods” to reverse the curse. “Essentially, you are met with all of the classic storybook characters and they all have desires that they selfishly will do anything to achieve,” said Lucy Murray, Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) ’23, who played Sleeping Beauty and The Young Witch. “They end up traveling
into the woods and trying to carry out their own journeys, but end up meeting and getting involved with one another’s lives.” The cast, set and costumes were put together relatively quickly for a production with such a grand reputation. “Rehearsals started in early February,” said Eliza Pagel, FCLC ’23, who played The Witch. “Early rehearsals involved nailing down the music first, because the show is really musically difficult. We then moved into playing around with staging, finding ways to tell the story that worked for us and making sure that our insanely talented cast could show off what they’ve got.” “The week before the show, we all had rehearsal from 5 to 11 each night. It was so fun,” Murray said. Despite being a fantasy-driven musical, the show tackles underlying issues in the fairy tale genre. “I think that the show does a really good job of pointing out the flaws (especially the sexist nature) of a lot of the fairy tales we
grew up with. I also really enjoy the way in which the show uses all of these characters to weave their stories together and make complex relationships between them all,” Murray said. It was clear from speaking with the cast just how tight-knit the group was. Pagel gushed about her fellow performers’ talent, saying that her favorite part of the rehearsal process was “just getting to hear and watch the other actors in the show. Just to listen to Jackson (Lewis, FCLC ’23) sing ‘No More,’ David (Wilson, FCLC ’21) sing ‘Giants’ or watch Austin (Wedderburn, FCLC ’22) and Orlando (Whitcomb-Worden, FCLC ’22) kill their character roles was really just a joy.” Support for the other actors was at the forefront of the process. The combination of a tightknit cast, exceptional talent and a whimsical plot drew an enthusiastic audience; Friday’s performance saw a packed house. Splinter Group’s last show of the academic year was a showstopper.
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THE OBSERVER March 10, 2020
Arts & Culture
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‘Q’ the Spotlight on LGBTQ Artists Rainbow Alliance hosts its first showcase for queer artists By VICKY CARMENATE AND OLIVE ZODA Staff Writer and Contributing Writer
When walking into Fordham Lincoln Center’s Rainbow Alliance Art Show, “Q the Spotlight,” the sense of community was undeniable. Five artists, all a part of the club and the LGBTQ community, got a chance to showcase their art, which reflected themes of self-expression. Rainbow Alliance members and other attendees expressed their gratitude for the club’s ability to create safe spaces. Alexandra Prado, Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) ’21 and who uses all pronouns, expressed the essential need for safe spaces. “I’ve been a part of this club since first semester freshman year — it has been very important to me,” they said. “It has created a safe space for me.” Rainbow Alliance’s E-Board brought a microphone, the presence of which incited a karaoke session. Wings, chips and moz-
zarella sticks were served, which gave viewers the opportunity to snack and browse the photography, visual art, jewelry and fashion. Andrew Connelly, FCLC ’20, created a canvas painting based on the book “Fun Home” and the Icarus myth, in which he questions Daedalus’ perspective on losing his son. “Is Daedalus upset at the loss of his son or the failure of his invention?” Connelly asked. “I think from that I always read it as queer mythology.” Connelly’s piece is a reflection on relationships — the duality of pleasing others and oneself. “As a gay man, your identity and attraction end up in this mirroring situation where love for another man can manifest in love with yourself,” Connelly said. “That is why I made this double self-portrait, because I have struggled in the past with self-image.” Connelly, a theater major, tells stories on a daily basis. The art show gave him an opportunity to
PHOTOS BY OLIVE ZODA/THE OBSERVER
Andrew Connelly (above) and four other artists displayed painting, jewelry, photography and more.
exercise his self-expression in a different way. “One of my goals moving forward as I graduate and move into the world is telling queer stories and creating a space to tell these stories,” he said. Prado shared the same goal of telling queer stories in a way that is accessible and safe for queer artists. Their photography focuses on the freedom of expression of queer people. “The pieces I brought here focus on queer models and different expressions of people in their element,” Prado said. Prado expressed the essential need for safe spaces. “I’ve been a part of this club since first semester freshman year — it has been very important to me,” they said. “It has created a safe space for me.” Prado exhibited their need for safe spaces in their art as well. “I just really want to give people the opportunity to express themselves,” they said. One artist, who asked to remain anonymous, expressed herself through the art of jewelry making. All of her pieces were handmade from objects she has found over the course of her life, or made by coloring on shrink wrap. This artist has struggled with her identity, and art has given her a platform to navigate who she is. “I realized a lot of these pieces are hyper-feminine, and I haven’t really worn most of them at all since I got to college,” she said. “It was a part of this phase I was in where I was like, I’m going to be hyper-feminine and nobody will know that I am gay.” This artist realized that her art served a purpose towards her
growth and acceptance of herself. “It’s funny and cool, in a way, that my issues with internalized homophobia have been created into pretty things,” they said. Being a part of Rainbow Alliance has allowed them to be in an environment where they can move toward self-acceptance. Vice President of Rainbow Alliance Ky Hayward, FCLC ’21, who also uses they/them pronouns, only had a brief moment to reflect on their art. Hayward and other club members are involved in and photograph for a photography project called The Collective. “What we do, essentially, is we create these big photoshoots where we ask artists from around the city to come,” they said. “We have a theme and we just provide a space where people can do creative things.”
Rainbow Alliance members and other attendees expressed their gratitude for the club’s ability to create safe spaces. The sentiments of The Collective are similar to that of Rainbow Alliance: creating and providing inclusive spaces for LGBTQ artists to express themselves and collaborate is vital to the community. Their photography exemplified their goal of community expression, depicting their LGBTQ
friends in beautiful scenes full of color and emotion. Rainbow Alliance Secretary Katz Fantulin, FCLC ’22, displayed art evocative of the punk aesthetic. Fantulin also uses the gender-neutral pronoun. Among their pieces were a self-designed denim vest, two collages, and a painting of punk and grunge figure Courtney Love. Fantulin described the vest covered in band patches, safety pins and painted designs as “a crash course in who I am if you take the time to read it. Just like, here are interests, here is imagery that I like.” Their collages were equally chaotic and energized, a product of Fantulin’s creativity. “I see things that fit together visually more than conceptually, and that’s how I tend to put together collages,” they explained. Fantulin painted Courtney Love because she is a major inspiration, both in general self-expression and with their decision to learn guitar. Fantulin observed that the guitar can feel inaccessible to people who aren’t men. “A lot of times it’s referred to as a ‘she.’ It’s seen as something that a man owns, a man plays,” they said, reflecting on the significance of inspirations which break gender roles. Though Fantulin’s art may not have overt LGBTQ themes, they explained, “Being a lesbian is so integral to who I am and the content I consume, and that influences me and then is spit out into my art. So even if it’s indirect, I do think my art is lesbian art,” fitting in with the queer art space around them.
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Arts & Culture
March 10, 2020 THE OBSERVER
Sixty Seconds of Storytelling
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The New York Film and Television Student Alliance hosts its first One-Minute Film Festival at Fordham the effects of stigmatization in the face of the coronavirus epidemic, “The Mask” reveals an intimate phone call between a mother and daughter across the world. Best comedy was given to “Egg” by Miguel Bernal, FCLC ’23. Two policemen pursue a yolky offender to an apartment building. The refrigerator reveals an arsenal of 25 cartons of eggs, Bernal said. In the last few shots, we find out that the cop was the culprit all along. The climactic execution is enhanced by the classic, comedic flatline beep.
“ I am continually blown away by the high caliber of talent of our screenwriting students, and find that there is a robust depth of storytelling talent here.”
Jim Jennewein, screenwriting professor
WARREN CHRISTOPHER GREEN/THE OBSERVER
Many of the student filmmakers who submitted their creations attended Story Fest to receive their awards. By WARREN CHRISTOPHER GREEN Contributing Writer
On March 7, Fordham’s chapter of the New York Film and Television Student Alliance (NYFTSA) hosted the second annual Story 2020 conference. Filmmakers, journalists, union representatives and more held panels about the business of film and television, as well as different ways to use the medium for storytelling. The day culminated in the NYFTSA’s first Fordham One-Minute Film Fest, hosted by Christopher Merola, Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) ’20, student ambassador of the club, and professor Heidi Bordogna. Professor and screenwriter Jim Jennewein produced the first NYFTSA summit conference at
Fordham in 2017. About film students at Fordham, Jennewein said, “I am continually blown away by the high caliber of talent of our screenwriting students, and find that there is a robust depth of storytelling talent here.” The One-Minute Film Fest did just that. Jennewein commented on how the amount of rich depth a skilled storyteller can embed into only a minute of film is astonishing, and each of the films screened at the event exhibited this in an idiosyncratic way. The categories for the contest were given as follows: best experimental, best animated, best documentary, best drama, best action/thriller and best comedy piece. Winning best experimental,
“Rolling the Dice” — by Timothy Lee, Professional and Continuing Studies ’20 — incorporated stop-motion-esque movement of inanimate objects over layers of psychedelic, glowing screens and textures. The audio meshed perfectly with the visual sensations occuring on screen, creating a multisensory stimulus. Gazes quickly jump between the skittish objects, including a deck of cards laid out in symmetrical patterns shifting throughout the screen, and a set of translucent red dice that focus the piece. Best animation went to “Unfinished Poem” by Rebecca Estrella, Fordham College at Rose Hill ’20, which drafts a dance of shapes and colors over a spoken-word piece written by Estrella. The frame by frame animation
elegantly moves between scenes. Soft-colored, organic shapes bounce, dance and swim around the screen, juxtaposing a background of rigid, heavy-contrast geometric shapes and textures. Taylor Ha, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences ’20, diarized the art of Irish dance in “Erin Flynn for Competition,” earning her best documentary. Experience is obvious in the use of lighting, recording interview dialogue, and well framed shots on this piece. Ha also is masterful with her cuts, seamlessly transitioning between interview, action, and b-roll shots without jarring or disorienting her viewer. Collaborators Yang Xu, FCLC ’21, and Annie Du, FCLC ’20, took best drama for “The Mask.” A heartfelt, grayscale short about
Finally, Enrique Caballero, FCLC ’22, and Tommy Espinal, FCLC ’23, won best action/thriller for his piece “Eternal Damnation.” His antihero, played by Birch Davis, FCLC ’22, is seen pulverizing an off-screen corpse, coupled with a sound effect that’ll make your hairs spike. The next shots cover Davis fleeing the scene with the inference of a chaser. Caballero cleanly executes a dichromatic New York City noir vibe, with a moral Dante would adore. Receiving honorable mentions, “Behind the Eyeballs” by Chloe Griffith, FCLC ’20; “Evan Estelle” by Joe Rufini, Gabelli School of Business ’20; “The Flush” by Keith Bodmer, FCRH ’20 and “Late” by Polina Uzornikova, FCLC ’23, were further examples of how one little idea can become its own story universe in no time.
FACE Hosts Cultural Showcase
Five clubs join to celebrate cultural expression through food and clothing By KRISTEN SKINNER Staff Writer
ANDREW BEECHER/THE OBSERVER
Jade Appel, FCLC ’21, walks the event’s fashion show in a pollera, the national dress of Panama. It displays indigenous Panamanian stitchwork.
On March 5, Fordham Advocates for Cultural Enrichment (FACE) held its first cultural showcase in room G76 of the 140 West Building as part of an annual weeklong series celebrating cultural diversity on campus. This event was sponsored collaboratively by FACE, the Caribbean Students Club (CSC), the Student Organization of Latinx, Filipinos of LC Offering Welcome and the Humanitarian Students Union. Each of the five student organizations contributed food, clothing or members of their club to help make the event possible and reflect the culture their clubs represent. According to Jemina Molina, Fordham College Lincoln Center (FCLC) ’21 and president of CSC, the idea to host this event was brought about by the desire to share information about foods, fashions and customs of different cultures that many Fordham students may be unfamiliar with. Kaylin Bridglall, FCLC ’21 and a committee member of FACE,
said her goal for this event was for students to have fun, but also learn something new about another culture. “We thought that this cultural showcase would be the best way to showcase different cultural identities that exist at Fordham,” Molina said. When it was time to eat, students formed a long line and piled their plates with many cultural foods including dumplings, pholourie, mac and cheese, fried chicken, arroz blanco, moro rice, habichuelas, and baklava. Molina’s club provided Jamaican patties, savory pastries normally filled with meat that are a common appetizer in Jamaican culture. After dinner and a visit to the photo booth, students sat down for the cultural fashion show. Clothing items from China, Mexico, Myanmar, Egypt, the Philippines, Puerto Rico, Korea, Panama and India were represented. All the clothing belonged to the students who participated in the fashion show. They wore bright
colors and walked confidently as they modeled dresses, skirts, shirts and sarees. As students walked the dance floor with clothes representing their cultures, emcee Robert Stryczek, Gabelli Student of Business ’21, read information about the clothing pieces and significance to their cultures. Music reflecting each culture also played in the background. “I hope that a lot of people will come out and have a good time, but at the same time take something away from it,” Bridglall said. “I was really into this idea because people shouldn’t feel weird or different in their cultural clothing. This is a chance to show off something that you’re really proud of and that feels representative of your identity.” This year’s cultural showcase not only captured the diversity of the Fordham student body but the collaboration of multiple groups on campus and their strong efforts to bring students together to celebrate what matters most to them.
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THE OBSERVER March 10, 2020
Writing a Movement, Directing a Retreat
Playwriting major Alexis Chapin reflects on a show in flux ... By VICKY CARMENATE Staff Writer
At this point in the studio season, we are seeing playwrights who have been working restlessly towards the debuts of their shows. Playwriting major Alexis Chapin, Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) ’21, was set to debut her show “Madeline May Saves the World,” an experimental commentary on the environmental crisis that has been emerging within the past few years, from March 11-13. Due to the spread of COVID-19, Fordham has suspended all classes and school events, so the production is on hold. “I know the performance is not canceled right now,” Chapin said. “We will be picking up right after we come back from our extended break.” The show is about two girls who are eager to help change the environmental situation that they are in. One of the girls, Aiden, who is into cybersecurity, hacks into the Instagram account of Madeline May, a celebrity with a large platform. Aiden is now faced with one problem: “She can tell the whole world, ‘Hey, pay attention to the climate crisis, this is serious,’ but should she do that?” said Chapin. Chapin gained inspiration for her own play after seeing “Bandersnatch,” Black Mirror’s interactive film on Netflix. “As I was watching I thought, what would happen if a play was a make-yourown-adventure? Would that even work in a theatre context?” “I was really inspired to create a show that was entertaining and that people could sit down and spend an evening for, but also, if they want to, they can get up and interact,” Chapin said. Experimental theater is not
something that Chapin has been familiar with in the past, so the process of making this show come to life was a collective effort. The feedback from director, Madeline Barasch as well as the actors allows Chapin to “make new drafts as rehearsal goes on,” she said. Chapin also produced the play herself. With a small budget given by the Fordham Theatre department, she is put in charge of “managing all the elements that are coming together that you see during the show,” like costume and set design. Chapin is not, however, new to the craziness of the rehearsal process. Last year, her play “March On!” was produced for the studio season. “It was about the Vietnam War protests and the women’s march protest and kind of talking about protest movements in general,” Chapin said. “‘Madeline May Saves the World’ is sort of a similar political activist spirit.” With the urgency of climate change increasing, Chapin saw the issues in the world around her to create a piece that is experimental and relays an important message. Audience members will gain the opportunity to break the barrier between the actors and the audience and learn more about the environmental crisis that the world is facing today. Chapin hopes audience members leave with a sense of drive to create change in their own lives. “I want the audience to really think about one small action that they can do in the next 24 hours, and then think about something that they could do over the course of the year,” she said, “I hope that this play doesn’t scare people but empowers them to take action.” For more information or tickets, email madelinemaymakeup@ gmail.com.
“Small Mouth Sounds,” directed by Isabel Edwards, FCLC ’20, follows the inner turmoils and outdoor adventures of strangers at a silent retreat.
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Stove’s FemCom Goes On By GILLIAN RUSSO Arts & Culture Editor
PHOTOS BY VICKY CARMENATE/THE OBSERVER
“Madeline May Saves the World” by Alexis Chapin, FCLC ’21 (below), was postponed two days before it was set to open in the studio theater.
... and directing major Isabel Edwards looks back on her final studio production By JOHANNA CYRAN Contributing Writer
COURTESY OF CLAIRE TALBOTT AND ISABEL EDWARDS
Arts & Culture
Fordham Theatre’s production of “Small Mouth Sounds” provided audiences with a resounding reckoning without the cast making much audible noise at all. In an artistic creation where stretches of silence replaced mainstream dialogue, both actors and patrons alike were pushed to explore the complexities of connectivity. The exhibition of control over sound and suppression of our responsive human instinct mirrored the discipline, maturity and wisdom evident in Isabel Edwards, FCLC ’20. The play, written by Bess Wohl and directed by Edwards, ran from March 2-4 in the Veronica Lally Kehoe Studio Theatre. The show was sold out, with audience members witnessing approximately two hours of ebbs, flows and awkwardness that arise during a silent retreat undergone by six strangers. The diverse characters all struggled with different baggage — from breakups in the digital age to giant bug bites and everything in between — and provided glimpses of their lives in very nuanced ways. Isolated monologues shifted the space from comedic and curious to urgent and reflective, as in the moment where a soliloquy by one of the retreat attendees leads to a confrontation of global warming and selfishness. The presence of the narrator/retreat leader, played by Daniel Camou, FCLC ’20, guides the audience through the entire production with warmth and familiarity. The satirization of gurus provides a common ground in the age of Goop and wellness fads, and the
whimsical and ridiculous stories he tells the six silent companions remind us that even the most serious of lessons can be delivered with laughs. While each character brought intrigue, lessons and laughs to the space, it is equally as important to place the spotlight on what happens behind the scenes. Edwards is not new to the acting or directing world, and she spoke about how, while “Small Mouth Sounds” exhibited range and self - control from start to finish, a paradox became evident. Edwards cited one of the biggest lessons she learned during her theatre career at Fordham: “No matter how much you plan or prepare, there is so much that is out of your control. Some of the greatest moments I have found have come from letting myself or others say that we are not actually sure what is going to happen next or why it is happening at all.” Directors are tasked with a long laundry list of responsibilities and decisions when it comes to the play they’re leading. Many leaders and directors within the theatre dedicate energy to the aspect of the audience take away. Edwards said one of her desired lessons was that, “It’s important to remember and meditate on things that are meant to be felt rather than spoken out loud and understood … There is an emotional life that this play advocates for outside of cerebral logic.” Ahead of her graduation in May, Edwards will continue her theatre career as the director of and a collaborator on the upcoming one-woman sketch comedy show, “Breeches & Cream,” by Ashley Everhart, FCLC ’20.
Though Fordham suspended all in-person classes and campus activities as of March 9, Stove’s Cabin Crew will still hold its annual Feminist Comedy Show, “FemCom,” on Wednesday, March 11, albeit remotely. The event, originally slated to take place in G76, was moved to the McMahon eighth-floor lounge following the president’s announcement, according to the club’s Instagram story. Hours later, Stove’s updated its story, stating that the in-person show was canceled entirely. FemCom will instead be performed at one of the cast members’ apartments and streamed on social media, according to Stove’s Treasurer Natalie Grammer, Fordham College at Lincoln Center ’21. FemCom is the club’s annual showcase of female-identifying and non-binary performers. It was started to “give them a supportive space to try out new forms of comedy that they’ve never done before,” according to Grammer, since “the comedy industry has been historically dominated by cis men.” She cited this as the reason Stove’s decided not to cancel the show entirely. “The women in this year’s show have worked really hard to write some great content to perform ... and we want them to be able to show it off,” Grammer said. “Basically, we didn’t want to see the show get sidelined or put off in any way. It’s a lot of fun, it’s super supportive, and it’s kind of like well, yes, it’s coronavirus, but we’re going to do everything in our power to celebrate these hardworking and funny women.” “We’re worried about signing our commuter performers and club members coming to the show into McMahon,” Grammer said. “So people going to the actual show are cast members, club members and then a few invited guests ... Then the thought is to live stream from the apartment onto our Instagram and Facebook.” Grammer said the club members also plan to post live updates from FemCom to the Stove’s Instagram story, as they do for all their shows, and upload videos of their performances to the club’s YouTube channel so people can watch the show at a later date. Stove’s is not the only performance organization whose shows have been affected. According to Fordham Theatre Interim Managing Director Stefanie Bubnis, the program has had to put one of its studio shows, “Madeline May Saves the World,” on hold. It was originally scheduled for performance from March 11-13. Fordham Theatre’s next mainstage show, “To the Bone,” is set to open April 1. All rehearsals are canceled for the week, but the program has no definite plans for further adjustments, according to Bubnis. “We are hoping to reschedule all events and shows once we have a hard return date,” she said. “We are basically in a holding pattern this week and over Spring Break. We are going to reassess the situation as more details become available to us about the long term University plans.” She said the program is currently working on contingency plans and will make updates available through the program’s website. The Fordham/Ailey program also canceled its March 9 benefit concert following the initial suspension of campus activities on March 7.
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Crossword: Musical Numbers
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BY ESMÉ BLEECKER-ADAMS
Across 1. fixture of the preschool day 4. number of days in a fortnight 9. the shiny part of a ring, perhaps 12. according to me: Abbr. 13. music; pair with a song 14. Jay-Z’s streaming platform 17. dead ends
Fun & Games Editor Esmé Bleecker-Adams - ebleeckeradams@fordham.edu
19. type of triangular skirt 20. remove from power 21. frenzy 23. one 60-billionth of a minute: Abbr. 25. River in Sussex 26. dog 29. having a strong smell 32. computer brain: Abbr. 35. constellation named for a mythological Greek hunter
37. sodas 38. part of a staircase 39. gives in 40. In-NBurger 41. becomes a part of 42. competition of speed 43. “Star Wars” bounty hunter 44. isolated 45. volcano eruption’s residue 46. symbolic of a concept 48. fish capturer 49. flood survivor 51. queries 53. amount that will fill a ship 57. yoga poses 61. bring together 62. study of signs and symbols 64. cantaloupe or honeydew 65. squeaky 66. type of spirited rally 67. be in a chair 68. gesture of congratulations 69. direction of Mississippi from Minnesota: Abbr.
Down 1. place in a hospital for premature or sick infants: Abbr. 2. -Ra; head Egyptian god 3. ones in office, informally 4. “Walk Like a Man” band
March 10, 2020 THE OBSERVER
5. evaluated 6. scheduled landing, perhaps: Abbr. 7. engrave 8. in everyone’s business 9. rank 10. bathroom floor pieces, perhaps 11. “What Makes You Beautiful” band 15. something you can see in spring and winter but not summer or fall? 16. Salonga, voice of Jasmine 18. burrow 22. “under” in French 24. avoidance of responsibility, informally 26. Egyptian or King, for example 27. places 28. “Hurt” band 30. French red 31. Kia model 33. pointy tube-shaped pasta 34. unhappy or aggravated 36. devotional poem 38. the sun in Spain 41. “I Want You Back” band 43. New York neighborhood known for trendy stores 46. skill 47. prophet and father of Immanuel, in the Bible 50. Holy Roman Emperor from 962-973 52. test needed to apply to college: Abbr.
Match the Broadway Song to Its Musical “The Room Where it Happens” “I Just Can’t Wait to Be King” “I Believe” “Popular” “Razzle Dazzle” “The Last Midnight” “Sincerely, Me” “One Jump Ahead”
“Wicked” “Into the Woods” “The Lion King” “Hamilton” “Aladdin” “Chicago” “Dear Evan Hansen” “The Book of Mormon”
Horoscopes By PRISKA MOHUNSINGH Staff Writer
Pisces
Feb. 19 — March 20
Mercury ends its retrograde as the sun enters Aries this month. Now that the sun has found its way back to you this season, you will be feeling energetic and ready to tackle everything you put your mind to, Pisces. Following March 4, you will be working on your communication skills more fervently.
Aries
March 21 — April 19
Aries, you will be receiving clarity since you now have a better vision for exactly what you want. The blurry future you used to see was not because your eyesight was getting worse, but because you struggle with fighting for what you deserve. Thankfully, this month is all about having new ideas and putting your thoughts in action.
Taurus
April 20 — May 20
Taurus, your ruling planet, Venus, will be clashing quite often with Saturn this month, pushing you to set boundaries with people. Mercury enters your sign around March 4; sprinkling some miscommunication between you and your peers, so keep an eye out for what you’re saying at work or school.
Gemini
May 21 — June 20
Gemini, your ruling planet is Mercury this month, which means that there will be an opportunity for you to recharge your social battery and pick up right where you left off with some people in your life. New cycles of creativity and productivity begin, bringing you closer to expressing your true emotions to your loved ones and bringing truth into your art.
Cancer
June 21 — July 22
Cancer, as the sun connects with Saturn over the next few weeks, you will be seeing a shift in your daily attitude. With the new season comes a new change within you that enhances your maturity and responsibility. Although you’ve been working hard for a while, your struggle will finally pay off as new recognition and opportunities unfold for you this spring.
Leo
July 23 — Aug. 22
Leo, although this month as a whole is going to be a “blast from the past,” make sure you pay attention to what the people from your past are showing you. It may give you clarity on your present and allow you to finally move forward from anything you’ve left unfinished. Forgiveness will be a heartwarming experience this month.
Virgo
Aug. 23 — Sept. 22
Virgo, if any other sign needs help in conflict resolution, they’ll be coming to you from now on. This month you will be very communicative and solution-oriented when conflicts arise. When it comes to your drive, you’re hitting the highway again this season. With patience and passion, you will be reopening chapters of a book that can make your future brighter.
Libra
Sept. 23 — Oct. 22
Libra, though your focus is wavering, your sense of creativity and awareness is at its peak this month. Your schedule will naturally start straightening out as you approach deadlines. Thanks to the Virgo full moon, you will be active in your career and personal life, but don’t let yourself overthink too much.
Scorpio
Oct. 23 — Nov. 21
Scorpio, this month is all about experimentation, confidence and detail. Some sudden changes like a shift in the people you talk to or a switch in hobbies can create a rough start for your new journey. However, you will gradually pick up on this change and allow yourself to grow as you learn more about yourself and how you’re supposed to be treated.
Sagittarius
Nov. 22 — Dec. 21
Sagittarius, this month will be progressive in terms of your focus on spirituality and self-presence. As you tend to reconnect with your past in these upcoming weeks, you will find yourself extracting the good lessons from your past experiences and applying them to your goal of becoming a better version of yourself. The week of March 14 will be an important one, in terms of your confidence in your work and money sector.
Capricorn
Dec. 22 — Jan. 19
Though this month starts off a little shaky for you, Capricorn, rejection, long waits and conflict with loved ones will teach you the importance of personal space and change within yourself. The process you begin mid-March will open up new doors in your relationship, career and confidence sectors. A boost in thrill and adventure will get your mind off of the rough start this month.
Aquarius
Jan. 20 — Feb. 18
March just might be the month your wishes turn into reality, Aquarius. Not everyone has the privilege to live a life like that (other than Aladdin), so use this to your advantage as you continue to work hard and take action. As your intuition is boosted, self-care is prioritized, and security becomes an important part of your journey to success.
53. good-for-nothing 54. singular 55. psychologist Solomon 56. store for prepared foods, for short 58. bites 59. passes easily, of a test 60. Dawson disease: Abbr. 63. love interest of Disney’s Hercules
Fun Fact
By JILL RICE, Copy Editor
Catholics don’t eat meat on Fridays during Lent, which is why fish fries are so common in the spring. However, many people don’t know that amphibians and reptiles don’t count as meat under Catholic law. You can eat alligator meat on Fridays during Lent!
How Much of a New Yorker Are You?
A Pizza Rat-approved quiz Instructions: Decide whether you agree or disagree with the following statements and keep track of your answers to find out how well you belong in the Big Apple.
1. Nothing surprises me ever. 2. I hate Times Square, but it doesn’t scare me. 3. Throwing up on the subway is a rite of passage. 4. The closest I have been to nature was buying overpriced vegetables at the farmer’s market. 5. I have cried at least once in every borough. 6. I don’t speak to my neighbors, but I’m best friends with their dogs. 7. The secret ingredient in a New York bagel is that it comes from New York. Period. 8. The shower is free storage space when I’m not using it. 9. Extreme jaywalking is the height of athleticism. 10. I live in the fashion capital of the world, but I go to class in sweatpants and a trash bag with arm holes.
Results
Add up how many statements you agreed with to find out how much of a New Yorker you are.
0-2
You are not cut out for this city of pollution and sleepless nights, but maybe that’s a good thing. Take a well-deserved vacation upstate and pick some apples.
3-5
You are not a die-hard New Yorker yet, but you’re getting close. You’re Taylor Swift right after she moved from Nashville. Welcome to New York, baby.
6-8
You are meant to be here, but it doesn’t completely define you.The rats hate to see you leave, but love to watch you go.
9-10
Congratulations! You are more New York than the city itself. God help you. By ESMÉ BLEECKER-ADAMS AND GRACE GETMAN
Features Editor Samantha Matthews - smatthews16@fordham.edu Nicole Perkins - nperkins2@fordham.edu
Features
March 10, 2020 THE OBSERVER
Reflections From a Graduating President
‘We created a home for ourselves down here in Argo,’ Thermadam said, hoping that more Fordham students will feel more invested in campus in the future By SOPHIE PARTRIDGE-HICKS News Editor
The United Student Government President Tina Thermadam, Fordham College at Lincoln Center ’20, has worn multiple hats throughout her undergraduate career at Fordham’s Lincoln Center campus. Now, with only three months until she graduates, she’s turning to the rest of the student body to share what she has learned from being involved on campus. “We take Fordham for granted,” Thermadam said. She thinks that being a student in a large city means that many get distracted by all that Manhattan has to offer and forget about the value of our own college campus. Fordham’s mantra is “New York is my campus, Fordham is my school,” and Thermadam has embodied that. A political science major on the pre-law track, she interned for the office of Hillary Clinton throughout her junior year and knows the Fordham student reality of juggling classwork and the responsibilities of an internship. She talked about how grateful she is to be able to work with professionals to implement social media strategies, collaborate with legal advocacy campaigns and commute on the subways the way any other New Yorker would. But “while all that is great and fun, we also have to remember that being
ANDREW BEECHER/THE OBSERVER
As graduation approaches, USG President Tina Thermadam shares her biggest takeaways from her time at Fordham.
a student is a major part of our identity, and it should be acknowledged and celebrated,” she said. Being an undergraduate college student is perhaps one of the most unique experiences of many people’s lives, and Thermadam feels like she sees so many Fordham students who are just drifting through it.
Thermadam spoke about how hard she and her friends worked in high school to get into a good college but how as soon as people set foot on their college campus they immediately started to think about their post-grad lives. “I mean, when else are you going to be a college student?” she asked. “You have your whole life
to be an employee, CEO, senator or businessperson, but you only have this tiny chunk of time to be a real student. “Lincoln Center is unique in that there are two different types of students,” she explained, talking about those who “live and breathe student involvement” compared with those who only attend class.
We are all familiar with them. They’re the Gabelli students who only take night classes after a full workday in midtown; the theater students who have visited nearly every New York borough in one week for different auditions; the communications students who spend class time creating social media content for their internships and many others who prioritize off-campus learning. Her message: “You don’t always have to go off campus to feel engaged. There are amazing opportunities right here.” She knows she’s biased — she’s spent four years attending cultural events, working with different departments to implement changes, meeting with deans and catching up with the Argo Tea employees. She knows that being involved on campus is not going to be the right decision for everyone. However, she also knows that she is walking away from Fordham with a unique skill set she could only have gained from being involved on campus and a list of friends and colleagues with whom she wants to keep in touch for years to come — and she wouldn’t have it any other way. As a graduating senior, she hopes that she’s given something to Fordham that will mean students four years from now will be able to see the beauty of life on campus the way that she has.
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Features
March 10, 2020 THE OBSERVER
www.fordhamobserver.com
A Fordham Friendship Spanning Half a Century
By SAMANTHA MATTHEWS AND EMMA SEIWELL Features Editor and Asst. Features Editor
In a letter hand-delivered to The Observer’s office on campus, Len Weiss, Fordham Graduate School of Social Service (GSS) ’71, recounted his 51-yearlong friendship with classmate Dave Houser, GSS ’71. During his first semester of graduate school, Weiss met Houser, with whom he became acquaintances through shared classes — though it wasn’t until one particular conversation that they solidified their long-lasting friendship. After reading his letter, we followed up with an interview in order to get more information about the friendship that lasted half a century. At 21 years old, Weiss was drafted into the U.S. Army. He was stationed in Fort Hood, Texas, and later transferred to Savannah, Georgia, where soldiers trained for combat. It was here that they learned that they were being trained in the anticipation of a full-scale military invasion — the Cuban Missile Crisis loomed large in the American consciousness. Weiss never became “boots on the ground,” as he put it, because negotiations between President John F. Kennedy and Premier of the Soviet Union Nikita Khrushchev ultimately resolved the conflict. After being discharged from the army and spending a brief stint in advertising, Weiss made his transition into social work. “I always felt I wanted to help people. It was the ’60s ... (with) protests, Vietnam and so on, I sort of got caught up in this and I joined the city agency social services,” he said. After a few years in social work, he applied for paid educational leave at his job in order to study at Fordham University. The city of New York paid for Weiss’ full tuition, books and a salary of $9,000 per year. Weiss explained that during the ’60s, the rationale was
that if there were more educated social workers in circulation, then there would be significant cuts to the number of people in poverty. It was at Fordham in 1969 that Weiss met Houser who was also pursuing a master’s degree in social work. Unbeknownst to Weiss at the time, Houser was drafted into the army in 1961 as well and coincidentally sent to the same base in Texas where Weiss was stationed. The two did not meet, as they were each assigned to separate pods and battalions, Weiss in infantry and Houser in engineering. They found out about their shared years in Texas during a casual conversation at Fordham. Weiss said, “We’re sitting in the cafeteria and we’ve known each other for about a month or so and Dave says, ‘You know I had this strange dream about some guy in an army uniform.’ I asked, ‘Were you in the army?’” Weiss called it “an amazing coincidence” which marked the start of a close relationship maintained up until Houser’s death in May of last year. After retiring in 1993 Houser moved from New York to Arizona but the two of them regularly talked on the phone. Weiss said, “I’d sit down with a glass of wine and I’d talk to him. About his life and about his struggles.” There was a disparity between his and Houser’s backgrounds. Houser came from Indiana coal country with his Midwestern values in tow, while Weiss was a jaded New Yorker learning how to help the people of his city. “We were from different parts, but we really did connect and become close,” Weiss said. Weiss remembers his friend as having an obsessive love of driving, an avid gambler, and someone he could “discuss anything with.” Houser never married or had kids. Weiss said, “There was a loner side to him. You really had to know him to penetrate that.” Through
EMMA SEIWELL/THE OBSERVER
Weiss (pictured) and Houser were strangers until they had one particuarly revealing conversation in Fordham’s cafeteria in 1969.
the years, they always supported each other through thick and thin, weathering personal crises together. “He was a good friend,” Weiss said. When asked what Houser was passionate about as a student, Weiss responded, “In school, well ... I was going to say women, but he was very interested in terms of protest.” Weiss recalled both him and Houser getting caught up in the prevalent protests surrounding the Kent State shootings of 1970.
After graduating, the two worked for the same community based outreach unit on the Lower East Side called the “Community Services in Public Housing.” The goal was to fight the war on poverty — a fight that their army training could not help them win. Weiss joined the board of advisory at the Henry Street Settlement, a major housing agency on the Lower East Side. He worked with the Tenant Association developing any programs they needed, or settled any
political issues they had. Houser went on to work in Plant Management, in which he served as a liaison between tenants in the “plants,” or housing projects, and the agency. He mainly worked on the crumbling infrastructure of housing projects brought to their attention by tenants. Weiss, now retired, still has not given up the fight and helps in any way he can. He refers to himself as an “active activist,” and approaches homeless people on the street all the time. “There are really a lot of young people sitting there with their cardboard signs, and they all have stories, and it’s sad, they’re just trying to get work,” he said. Weiss offers them information about resources that are available to them, such as local drop-in centers. Weiss has been a resident of the Upper West Side for 13 years and regularly visits Fordham’s Lincoln Center campus. He takes notice of the changes that have been made since attending in 1969. Weiss noted that he was extremely impressed with the strides Fordham has made in terms of diversity. “I’m Jewish myself, and I said ‘wow’ when I saw a sukkah on campus,” he said. A sukkah is a temporary hut or booth constructed outside for the week-long festival of Sukkot. He recalls Fordham’s Catholic ties being more exclusive and prevalent during his time here; he even said that most professors would lead a blessing before class would begin. For much of his life, Weiss endured the changes to New York City, Fordham and his personal life with Houser by his side. Their story proves that the friendships made in college can truly last a lifetime. In the words of Weiss’ original letter, “Two men, unknown to each other, met 51 years ago at Fordham University. How strange, unpredictable and rewarding life can be.”
Scott Bruce: A Modern Researcher Meeting Medieval Traditions By KATRINA MANANSALA Staff Writer
COURTESY OF SCOTT BRUCE
Bruce hopes to work on his project with the money given to him by the NEH, taking eight months next year to travel to Paris for research.
From the Middle Ages to fitness, Scott G. Bruce, Ph.D., is a man of many interests. Hailing from Canada, Bruce came to the United States for graduate school and taught for several years at the University of Colorado Boulder. In 2018, he became a professor of Medieval History at Fordham’s Rose Hill campus. Bruce’s love for the Middle Ages began in his youth, through fantasy literature and “Dungeons and Dragons,” and was realized in his college history class. He even has a collection of books about the history of the supernatural in the Middle Ages, which he curates and uses in his own history courses. His passion has led him to receive the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) Fellowship award for his research project entitled “The Lost Patriarchs: A Survey of the Greek Fathers in the Medieval Latin Tradition.” In addition to his words in a recent Observer article, Bruce said that the project looks at the “strong tradition of studying Greek patristics,” which is the study of early Christian writers and their essays on church life and doctrines, and will focus particularly on the influence of these works on Latin-reading Medieval Europeans. Several such works have been translated into Latin, but Bruce has found that “there is no single place to go to find any information about these Latin translations.” The NEH grant will allow
Bruce to enter “Phase One” of the project: creating a catalog of the translated Greek authors and assembling contributors to write entries for his reference book. While the book is estimated to take around 10 years to complete, Bruce, now 52, hopes to hold his work in his hands by the time he’s 60.
Through traveling, Bruce finds he learns best by putting himself in a place he doesn’t quite know and learning to adapt. “The Lost Patriarchs,” according to Bruce, is “among the more esoteric things” that he does, and he does not foresee it as being something particularly useful to those “outside of scholarly circles.” However, the book will show that while the Western Middle Ages greatly informed modern Christianity, it also “drew influence from a wide variety of sources, including Greek tradition.” Since the influence of these pre-Medieval authors has been difficult to measure, Bruce hopes that “The Lost Patriarchs” will allow future scholars to do so. Because his project is so extensive, Bruce will also be spending much of his time doing something else he loves: traveling. “So many
of my manuscript resources are in Europe, and while there’s a ton of digitization, it is still excellent to look at these things in person. And the NEH will allow me to take a year off teaching to pursue this work full time,” he said. Over the course of the next decade, he will be making stops all around Europe and some more “local” stops in the U.S. Through traveling, Bruce finds he learns best by putting himself in a place he doesn’t quite know and learning to adapt. For his trip to Paris next year, where he will spend eight months for research, he hopes to become better at speaking and understanding French. Besides his passion for the Middle Ages and travel, Bruce describes himself as a “voracious reader.” From the comic books to fantasy paperbacks he used to read in his youth to “the novels I keep by my bedside, I’m at my happiest when I’m reading.” He also swims, bicycles and walks with his dog; but above all that, he runs. “I married a runner, so I had to become a runner,” Bruce said. “It’s the classic story of the geek marrying the jock. I always say, ‘She ran, and I ran after her.’” The greatest piece of advice that he shares with all his undergraduates is to “study abroad, especially a place where English isn’t the first language. If you’re worried about learning the language, you will. The key to that is simply falling in love with someone who lives there. That’s my advice: study abroad and fall in love.”
Sports & Health
Sports & Health Editors Patrick Moquin - pmoquin@fordham.edu Lena Weidenbruch - lweidenbruch@fordham.edu March 10, 2020
THE OBSERVER
Fordham Alumnus Takes on the Olympic Trials
By LENA WEIDENBRUCH Sports and Health Editor
Running a marathon is no easy feat. Finishing three marathons in three months is significantly more difficult. The task is even more impressive when the first of the three is a debut in the distance — and the third took place at the U.S. Olympic Marathon Team Trials. That is what Tom Slattery, Gabelli School of Business at Rose Hill ’18, has been up to for the past three months. Slattery had an impressive four-year career on the cross-country and track team during his time on the Rose Hill campus, but excelled particularly during his senior year. That year, Slattery was a twotime Metropolitan Champion, first in the 8K cross-country race with a time of 25 minutes, 32 seconds, and then over 3,000 meters indoors in 8 minutes, 25 seconds. Later that indoor season, Slattery broke Fordham’s 33-year-old record in the 5,000 meters by 15 seconds when he crossed the tape to take first place in 14 minutes flat at the IC4A Championships. At the end of the 2018 season, he raced for the first time over 10 kilometers. “He didn’t run a lot of 10K races,” said Tom Dewey, former head coach for cross-country and track and field. “He ran one, and that’s 6.2 miles, not 26.2.” Although Slattery primarily raced across distances that ranged from the mile up to 5 kilometers in college, “he was a big mileage person,” Dewey said. Slattery agreed that his high weekly mileage played a part in his preparation and decision to attempt to qualify for the Olympic Trials. “I had run over 100 miles a week in college before, and high-
er weekly mileage is typical of marathon training, so I wanted to give it a shot since it was the Olympic year,” Slattery said. He planned to make his marathon debut last spring at the Ottawa Marathon, but a strained calf two weeks before forced him to pull out of the race. For his first unsuccessful marathon attempt, Slattery endured 90- to 110-mile training weeks which included solo runs of up to 27 miles. Struggles with that training regimen nearly convinced Slattery to give up on his post-collegiate running career. Once Slattery moved to the Upper West Side near Central Park, he gave the sport a try again and began to work out with the New York Athletic Club. He then decided to pursue the California International Marathon (CIM) in Sacramento, California, with the goal of qualifying for the Olympic Trials. The race took place on Dec. 8, 2019, just over a month before the window to qualify for the trials closed, which took place in Atlanta, Georgia, on Feb. 29, 2020. The qualifying standard for men to punch their ticket to the trials was to race under 2 hours and 19 minutes. Slattery clocked an outstanding time for his first race over 26.2 miles but unfortunately came in just 9 seconds over the standard. “This was incredibly devastating, since I had been gearing up for that moment throughout that entire year,” Slattery said. Though Slattery expected this to be his last attempt at the qualifier, a teammate who had also missed the standard reached out to say that he would attempt to run below 2 hours and 19 minutes again. This second attempt took place at the Chevron Houston Marathon on Jan. 19, 2020, the last day to qualify for the Olympic
Trials. Slattery booked a last-minute plane ticket to Houston using his available miles and found a couch to sleep on to give the standard one last shot. It turned out that the second time was a charm for Slattery, who ran 28 seconds under the standard to finish in 2 hours, 18 minutes and 32 seconds in his second marathon ever and secured a spot on the start line in Atlanta. “It was very surreal to think that it all came together in that one race. I went in with the mentality that I had absolutely nothing to lose, but everything to gain,” Slattery said. He kept that mentality up until the morning of his race at the trials. The race itself tested that sentiment. The hilly course and headwind were not kind to the participants. Slattery noticed it taking a toll on his legs and described his body as feeling burnt out. Some runners even dropped out of the race. “Miles 20 to 25 were some of the most painful of my life, and the last mile truly took every bit of mental strength I could muster. I remember crossing the line shivering, hardly able to stand as my family and friends embraced me,” he said. Slattery described the race as the culmination of his career, finishing in 2 hours, 32 minutes and 22 seconds. He took 152nd place out of the 175 men in the race. “This race wasn’t about time and it felt like a celebration of all the work I put in to make it to the line and compete with the top guys in the country,” Slattery said. “Since I started marathoning, I noticed there’s been nothing but camaraderie in all the races I’ve been a part of. There wasn’t a water station when someone wouldn’t offer their bottle to the guy next to them in the group or
COURTESY OF FORDHAM ATHLETICS
At Fordham, Tom Slattery, GSBRH ’18, excelled at various distances.
words of encouragement when you pass someone in apparent pain. This race was no different.” While the past mile-filled months require some generous time off, the journey to and experience at the Olympic Trials left Slattery more motivated than ever. “I want to do everything I can to enjoy running while I’m still in these prime years and I think that calls for ambitious goals,” he said. Three marathons in three
months haven’t tired Slattery yet. Before he takes a break from 26.2, he plans to run the New York City Marathon this November. He might step down in distance after that to attempt to run some fast times on the track in the mile, but he’s already got eyes on 2024. When it comes time to gear up for the next Summer Olympics, Slattery hopes to be healthy enough to chase the standard again with a more competitive edge.
Finding Your Light: SAD Lamps Fight Seasonal Affective Disorder By LUKE OSBORN Sports and Health Editor Emeritus
Individuals with depression often see therapists for treatment, but for those with seasonal affective disorder (SAD), it can also be effective to sit down for a light therapy session. SAD is a type of depression that peaks during the late fall to winter months. Seeking a solution outside of antidepressants and traditional therapy, health professionals in the 1980s started prescribing light therapy to help
alleviate SAD. Light therapy involves exposing oneself to a high-intensity lamp to mimic the sun exposure one might receive in the summer. According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), people with SAD should sit next to a bright lamp every morning for 20 to 60 minutes. The lamps themselves should be about 20 times brighter than regular indoor light. Before using a lamp to curb depressive symptoms, it’s important to distinguish between
non-seasonal depression and SAD. The NIMH states that one must experience depression that arises in winter and goes away in summer for at least two years. If one goes through episodes of depression throughout the year, it’s likely that this depression isn’t associated with the decrease in daylight. Some of the symptoms of depression include having less energy than usual, feelings of hopelessness or worthlessness and losing interest in activities one previously enjoyed. Symptoms
SAD lamps are used to treat seasonal affective disorder through a practice called light therapy.
SLLLU VIA WIKIMEDIA
specific to SAD are oversleeping, overeating, gaining weight, craving carbohydrates and withdrawing from social interaction. One’s age, location, gender and history with affective disorders can be risk factors for SAD. In New York City, daylight hours can drop under six hours around the winter solstice and remain that way for months. For this reason, SAD rates are much lower in sunbelt states compared to northern states. Women are four times as likely to be diagnosed with SAD, and the affective disorder also affects younger people more. All of these factors put Fordham students at particular risk for SAD, and some students use specialized lamps to treat their symptoms. Alissa Kerr, Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) ’21, uses a lamp from the brand Miroco. “It’s hard to tell if it’s just a placebo, but I often do feel more energized when I use it,” Kerr said. Though she doesn’t use the lamp every day, she said, “I think if I used it consistently, it would be more effective, but the color of the light mimics sunlight, and I think that does have a positive effect on my mood.” Two chemicals in the brain may play a key role in SAD, according to the NIMH. Melatonin is a hormone associated with sleep, and people with SAD experience higher levels of melatonin
in their brains, causing them to sleep more and feel more lethargic. Light exposure regulates the release of this hormone, and it is involved in maintaining the circadian rhythm, or one’s sleepwake cycles. The second chemical is serotonin, which is a molecule that regulates one’s feelings of wellbeing. Many factors affect serotonin levels, but the relationship between vitamin D and serotonin is likely a contributing factor to SAD in particular. There are many different SAD lamps to choose from that uphold safety standards, according to the Mayo Clinic. Most importantly, SAD lamps should produce little to no ultraviolet light. The brighter, the better. Lamp therapy sessions will take up less time if one uses high intensity light producing lamps — the Mayo Clinic recommends around 10,000 lux for optimal effects. Individuals with preexisting eye conditions, like glaucoma, cataracts or eye damage from diabetes, should consult a doctor on choosing a lamp that will work best for them. Though research consistently affirms the effectiveness of lamp therapy, SAD is a complicated psychological state to treat, and often requires many treatments to alleviate symptoms. For this reason, consulting a healthcare professional is the best route to find a treatment plan that will work most effectively.
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Sports
March 10, 2020
THE OBSERVER
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Women’s Basketball Falls in Stunning A10 Semifinal Loss, 60-55 By PATRICK MOQUIIN Sports and Health Editor
Women’s basketball’s semifinal game against Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) shouldn’t have come down to free throws; the Fordham Rams’ 17-point lead in the third quarter should have been enough to advance them to the Atlantic 10 (A10) Championship game. But a resilient VCU team erased the deficit, and foul shots determined the victor in the final minute. Fordham’s reputation as the best free-throw shooting team in the A10 was tested, and their greatest asset abandoned them in a moment of need. They missed three of their last four foul shots and fell in a haunting 60-55 defeat that ended their tournament
run prematurely. In order to reach the A10 Tournament semifinal, they had to win two games. They won a playin game at home against St. Joseph’s University, trouncing their opponent 59-36. A suffocating defensive performance and an explosive third quarter by Fordham were too much for the lowly Hawks, giving the Rams their first playoff win and a trip to Dayton for the remainder of the A10 Tournament. Their first game in Ohio was against Duquesne University, and the matchup would’ve had little significance if not for the game a few weeks prior. In a big upset on Feb. 22, the Rams defeated the undefeated Dayton Flyers, which allowed them an opportunity to contend for second place
in the conference. They traveled to Duquesne the following weekend and were stunned in a 74-63 defeat. Complacency was to blame in that game, and Fordham was not intent on allowing it to happen again. They defeated the Dukes in their quarterfinal matchup, allowing an average of 12 points per quarter in a hard-fought 5447 game. A redemptive victory against Duquesne led them to a matchup against the second-seeded VCU Rams. With four and a half minutes remaining in the first quarter, VCU led 7-6. A jumper by Bre Cavanaugh, Fordham College at Rose Hill (FCRH) ’21, gave the Rams of the Bronx an 8-7 lead. It would take VCU 33.5 minutes to regain the lead.
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The Rams huddle during a Jan. 29 game against VCU. Their A10 tournament run ended prematurely against the same opponent following a fourth-quarter collapse in their semifinal game.
At the end of the half, Fordham led by nine points, 28-19. Cavanaugh and Anna DeWolfe, FCRH ’23, combined for 20 points, and the team’s defense held VCU to a 22% shooting percentage from the field. Fordham extended their lead even further in the third quarter, outscoring VCU 10-2 in the opening four minutes to take a 17-point lead. They maintained a large lead for most of the quarter, but their opponent began to fight back. The VCU Rams scored 10 unanswered points at the end of the quarter to cut into the deficit, 41-34. The Fordham Rams had lost momentum, but they still had the lead. They had only blown one fourth-quarter lead over the course of the entire season. That statistic seems comforting until one considers the opponent in that one fourth-quarter loss in the regular season. On Jan. 29, the Rams traveled to Richmond to face Virginia Commonwealth. They entered the fourth quarter ahead by three points, but it would not stand. They were outscored 23-10 in the final 10 minutes in what would eventually result in a 62-52 loss, one of only five for Fordham in conference play. They had overcome that defeat in January but could not afford another such loss. Unfortunately, the momentum was against them. The teams traded baskets for the first five minutes, but Fordham’s offense faltered afterward. For six straight possessions, they failed to score, and in that time, VCU came within a point of the lead. The 17-point cushion had evaporated, but Fordham received a wildly lucky opportunity to extend their lead with 40 sec-
onds remaining. Kaitlyn Downey, FCRH ’22, was fouled by VCU, a grave error by the Virginian Rams with so little time remaining. Downey had an opportunity to extend the lead to three points. Instead, she missed both free throws, and VCU scored on the next possession to finally take the lead, 5352. They made an additional free throw 15 seconds later to take a two-point lead. VCU made another error 23 seconds later and fouled Zara Jillings. It gave Fordham an opportunity to tie the game, but Jillings only managed to make one of two shots. It was the last chance they had, as VCU made all six of their final free throws to escape with a 60-55 victory. The loss ended Fordham’s hopes at an A10 Championship, and consequently a spot in the NCAA Tournament next week. It won’t likely end their season, as a trip to the lesser National Invitational Tournament (NIT) seems a certainty for a team of their caliber. However, the ends no longer justify the means for a team whose aspirations went far beyond a secondary tournament. Fordham’s loss in such an important game, under such heartbreaking circumstances, is uncharacteristic for a team that has earned a reputation for consistency and technical proficiency. Next season, many of the Rams’ key players, like Cavanaugh, Downey and DeWolfe, will be returning for another run at the A10 title. When winter returns and the Rose Hill gymnasium once again opens its doors, one thing will be certain: The loss they suffered this past weekend will be as fresh in their minds as it was on that early plane ride back home from Ohio.
Baseball Dominates Iona in Weekend Series Sweep By PATRICK MOQUIN Sports and Health Editor
In their first weekend home series of the season, Fordham baseball swept the Iona College Gaels in three games by a combined score of 32-3. The Rams’ power at the plate proved superior, with 39 Fordham hits and 11 total defensive errors from Iona, making the weekend more of an exhibition than a competitive series. The three games were originally supposed to be contested over the course of three days, but late showers postponed the game Friday and extended Sunday’s day of baseball into a doubleheader. As a result, the first game was instead played on Saturday, and it proved to be the most competitive contest by far. Saturday’s game was not quite as explosive as games to come, but there was never any real doubt as to who was in control. Fordham scored in four of the first five innings to take an early 5-0 lead. Iona responded with a run in the seventh, but it wasn’t nearly enough to prevent the Rams from cruising to an easy victory. At the plate, Matt Tarabek, Gabelli School of Business at Rose Hill (GSBRH) ’20, went 2-for-3 with an RBI and two runs. Meanwhile, Jason Coules, Fordham College at Rose Hill (FCRH) ’22, continued his menacing hot streak, going 3-for-5 and driving in two runs. On the mound, Matt Mikulski, FCRH ’21, handled Iona batters easily, pitching five and twothirds innings and allowing five hits and no runs while striking out six batters. In relief, Jack Popolizio, FCRH ’23, and Ben Kovel,
FCRH ’23, continued what Mikulski started to hold the Rams’ lead to the end. By the end of the first day, any fan in attendance would have been able to identify the better team. The second day of play, however, would demonstrate how much better the Rams truly were. In the second game of the series and first game of the Sunday doubleheader, Fordham made the Gaels nostalgic for the mercy rule. In five innings, the Rams scored an astounding 16 runs and eventually won in a virtual walkover. There is little point in discussing standout performances at the plate, as every single Fordham batter contributed to a scoring play. Pitchers had very little to worry about over the course of the game but performed well nonetheless. Cory Wall, FCRH ’22, started and threw five scoreless innings, allowing only three hits from Iona batters. Considering the routine thrashing the Gaels underwent in the first game of the doubleheader Sunday, it benefited Fordham greatly to play them again just a half-hour later. The psychological battle was already won; it was now a matter of performing on the field. The Rams did just that from the very beginning. After scoring one run in the first inning, Fordham exploded in the second. Walks and errors are often culprits when finding the source of rallies, and the Gaels had plenty to provide to their Bronx rivals. Nick Labella, GSBRH ’21, walked, and a single by catcher Andy Semo, GSBRH ’22, advanced him to second. From
there, things became silly in the Iona infield. Billy Godrick, GSBRH ’20, singled to drive in Labella from second, but Semo was spotted trying to reach third base from first. He was still 20 feet away from the bag when the Gaels’ shortstop received the cut from the outfield and attempted to throw to third. The throw sailed wide and rolled all the way to the backstop, resulting in a second Fordham run and a man on second base. The next batter after this defensive fiasco was Tarabek, and he sealed his opponent’s fate with a single swing. The crack of the bat gave fans advance notice that Fordham had a five-run lead. The ball cleared the left field wall by a
few feet, traveling just far enough for Iona’s left-fielder to watch it leave Houlihan Park. Fordham had momentum, and didn’t relinquish it. They eventually won the game 11-0 in another runaway. Tarabek finished the day going 1-for-2 with 3 RBIs and one run scored. Jake Baker, FCRH ’20, also performed well, going 3-for-5 with an RBI and two runs scored. Between the two of them, they had a part in six of the Rams’ 11 runs. On the mound, John Stankiewicz, GSBRH ’21, did more than enough to keep the Gaels in check. Over five innings of work, the New Jersey native allowed no runs on five hits and one walk while striking out nine
batters, an incredibly impressive amount in so little time. The Iona Gaels are in no way competitive with teams like Fordham, and this became increasingly clear as the series wore on. The Rams didn’t play perfectly themselves, with aggressive base running and the occasional defensive mishap leading them into more trouble than they should have been in at certain points. However, the entire lineup hit very well, and the errors by Iona were far more impactful in extending Fordham rallies. It remains to be seen how the Rams compare to their fellow Atlantic 10 rivals, but such a dominant performance over a clearly inferior team is an encouraging sign.
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Matt Tarabek, GSBRH ’20, blasted a two-run home run in Fordham’s third game to give the Rams an early 5-0 lead.