Issue 11 Fall 2019

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October 16, 2019 VOLUME XXXV, ISSUE 11

FCLC Board of Advisors Disbanded

The lasting decisions made in the dean’s office

By GABE SAMANDI AND ALLIE BEEKMAN News Editor and Contributing Writer

ISABELLE DALBY/THE OBSERVER

The Observer conducted an anonymous survey to learn the truth about vaping and drug use on campus.

See what we found in the centerfold (pages 10-11).

Wavelengths Brings Student Radio to LC

The Wavelengths E-Board collaborates to choose the music for their weekly broadcast.

By POLINA UZORNIKOVA Staff Writer

It all started with a Lincoln Center student’s wish to work at WFUV. Had the Rose Hill radio station replied to her email, Wavelengths might never have happened.

Alyssa Morales, Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) ’22, decided to take matters into her own hands and create her own platform. So, she did what all successful young entrepreneurs do: she posted an Instagram story asking if anyone was interested in starting up a student-run radio station based at the Lincoln Center campus.

First, she found her executive board (E-Board): vice president Duncan Taylor, secretary Sean de Ganon, treasurer Caitlin Bury and graphic design and art director Gill Kwok, all FCLC ’22. The team admitted that they were all in each other’s circles; however, they never could have imagined that they would be united this year by a common love of music.

Since Wavelengths is not yet an official Fordham club, they

LENA ROSE/THE OBSERVER

Two nights before their quarterly meeting last April, the members of Fordham College Lincoln Center’s (FCLC) secretive “Board of Advisors” — a group of influential FCLC alumni with ties to professional networks across New York City and the world — received an email from Interim Dean Frederick J. Wertz, tacitly announcing the Board’s termination. Since then, the 21 influential alumni who made up the Board’s members have been caught in a state of limbo, confused as to what their role at Fordham is, but passionate enough that they still want to be a part of it.

Wertz wrote to the Board via email on the night of April 9, 2019, explaining that this meeting was to be the last during his tenure as interim dean. While he did not specifically call for the Board’s termination in writing, he did state that “FCLC needs to reconstitute its Board within a new support organization in order to fulfill the needs of its students and rise to its current aspirations.”

Wertz clarified on the April 11 meeting that “reconstitute” meant a termination of the Board’s activities, effective at the end of that meeting.

According to the former Chairwoman of the Board of Advisors, Delia Peters, FCLC ’85, nearly every member of the Board was shocked to hear of its termination.

Many were also offended by the way the decision was announced.

“Thinking about it now, I could say the way in which it was done was a little bit disrespectful,” said Peters. “I didn’t think of it in those terms at the time. I think I was too much in shock.” Peters said that several members of the Board did not even realize it had been terminated until they were told in person by Former Dean Wertz at the meeting on April 11.

Peters described the atmosphere on the day of the meeting as very tense. She remembered addressing the question of the Board’s future head-on with Wertz: “I said, let’s get it out right up front. Is this the last meeting of the Board of Advisors?’ He said yes. So there it was.”

Wertz explained that he chose to terminate the Board primarily to give the incoming dean of FCLC more flexibility to secure alumni donations.

Thinking about it now, I could say the way in which it was done was a little bit disrespectful Delia Peters,

Former Chairwoman of the Board of Advisors

“I wanted to tell the Board,” said Wertz, “without any implication that they were not appreciated, that we would be starting fresh and encouraging every one of them to get involved with the new dean.” The search for the new dean was still underway as late as April 26. Dean Auricchio’s appointment was announced on April 30.

“I was following the search [for the new Dean],” said Wertz. “Involved — to some extent — with it. Recognizing the potential of this college to go to the next level.

To me, the next level means parity with Rose Hill; it means increased support for students.”

Dean Wertz indicated that he thought the Board’s structure and expectations were not in line with the fundraising goals he saw for the college, nor the expectations he held for the new dean.

“Now our Board had been very good with development; they’ve given gifts,” he said. “A lot of times their gifts were secret, it was sort of like anonymous and selfless and wonderful in the Fordham way. I think we’re entering a new era in Fordham, where we’re not being so modest, necessarily, but we’re also being more ambitious.”

He explained that he thought the needs of the University had changed since the Board was created. “They were formed in a time of turbulence, when the college and even the university was struggling to sustain and enhance itself,” he said. “Really in some ways, the termination of the Board of Advisors was kind of a consequence of their own success.”

currently bounce from host site to host site, their URL changing with every test broadcast. Nevertheless, they have managed to garner a growing community of listeners and have produce mixes that have inspired their own post-broadcast Spotify playlists — their most re-

cent, “All-Female Artists by an All-Female Team,” can be accessed through their Instagram, @wavelengthsatlc.

“The guys were away, so we just decided to have a girls’ night,” said Kwok on the most recent broadcast’s theme.

News

The Rubberneck

Features

Sports

Third club on hiatus in two years

The good, the bad and the ugly of Lincoln Center lifts

First cross-campus improv show

Fordham dominates at Van Cortlandt

UNICEF Club Page 3

see RADIO page 13

Elevator Humans Page 9

Stoves Show Page 16

THE STUDENT VOICE OF FORDHAM LINCOLN CENTER

see BOARD page 5

Cross Country Wins Page 19

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News

October 16, 2019 THE OBSERVER

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Rose Hill Upgrades Sustainability With Bloom Energy

By JOE KOTTKE Staff Writer

Bloom Energy, a clean energy company headquartered in San Jose, California, is set to begin installing new technology at Fordham College Rose Hill this fall. Clean-energy servers will be installed outside Walsh Library, allowing the five-story, 240,000 square-foot building to run on an independent energy grid.

BusinessWire calculated that, by using these servers, Fordham will cut down on roughly 300 metric tons of carbon dioxide each year, or “the equivalent of leaving 328,000 pounds of coal in the ground.”

The energy servers are built from fuel cells that take natural gas to make electricity. However, instead of burning natural gas, Bloom’s fuel cells use an “efficient, electrochemical process” to release the energy stored in the gas’s bonds, which completely removes the need to burn them. According to Bloom, this generates little to no carbon dioxide or methane emissions.

According to Bill Bockoven, vice president of the eastern region at Bloom Energy, there are no projects planned for the Lincoln Center campus at this time. “It’s a possibility if the Walsh Library project goes well,” he said, “but we haven’t looked into it.” Fordham Vice President for Facilities Management Marco Valera said that this is due to the amount of space that the devices need.

“Bloom Energy does what General Electric has been trying to do for years. The servers do not burn natural gas or produce smoke —

SAKSHI DADLANI/THE OBSERVER

Thanks to Bloom Energy, the Walsh Library will be the first building to go grid-independent on campus.

only emitting a little bit of CO2,” said Bockoven.

According to information on Bloom’s website, one server can power a 90,000 square-foot building or 160 average U.S. homes.

The fuel cells also generate their own water and heat through the process.

40% of U.S. energy use is derived from natural gas, according to Bockoven. “By 2050, we’ll continue to see the use of natural

gas while coal goes down; you’re always going to need power when the sun isn’t shining and the wind isn’t blowing.”

Environmental Club Secretary Aidan Donaghy, Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) ’21, encouraged more students on campus to learn about Fordham’s energy uses.

“While I am not an expert, I do know that natural gas is only an okay solution for green energy,” he

Fordham Research Repels Rats

By MICHELLE AGARON Staff Writer

Whether they’re scurrying across subway tracks, darting through green spaces or lurking in alleyways, there’s no denying the extent of the rodents’ presence throughout the city. With rat populations continuing to rise, concerns over the issue are growing in tandem with the infestation itself. However, several Fordham researchers are at the forefront of a scientific study aimed to control the issue.

A new study led by researchers at Fordham, Columbia and Arrow Exterminators, Inc., proposed one possible solution to the growing rat infestation — using rat pheromones, chemicals naturally secreted by the animals to trigger social responses, to manipulate the behavior of New York’s seemingly fearless urban vermin.

The researchers began by capturing a colony of wild rats at a waste recycling center in Brooklyn, and implanting them with microchips. The team then set up an array of sensors around various surfaces at the same recycling center, using radio-frequency identification sensors to avoid GPS interference. These sensors were placed in both high- and low-risk areas (determined by proximity to small shelters and areas known to be stalked by feral cats) to determine whether risk played a role in the results. The colony was then released back into the center, and their movements were tracked over a four-week period.

The study found that rats reacted differently to male and female pheromones. Regardless of risk, rats — particularly males — were observed to “scout out” areas with male pheromones, often later avoiding them. Ar-

eas sprayed with female pheromones, however, were visited significantly more often than male-sprayed areas. According to their press statement, “Rats briefly visited male scents equally in exposed and sheltered areas, and then stayed away.

Female scents, however, were visited significantly more often than male scents (0.2 visits/day compared to 5.02 visits/day).”

One rat whom researchers named “Molly” was observed to be equally attracted to male and female pheromones, making dai-

It would be impossible for the rats to develop immunity to the pheromone technology after repeated exposure ly visits that were characterized by “exaggerated behavior” such as rapidly circling the area.

Michael H. Parsons, Ph.D., a visiting research scholar at Fordham University and a member of the research team, explained that it would be impossible for the rats to develop immunity to the pheromone technology after repeated exposure and the passing of time. This makes the pheromone technology significantly more effective than conventional rat traps, which rats have been able to outsmart.

“If rats became ‘immune’ to their own pheromones, then they would be unable to select a mate or maintain a social hierarchy among groups of rats,” he said. “By logic, any rat disinterested in pheromones would be at a strong disadvantage and her genes would likely be removed

from the population.”

Matthew Combs, Ph.D., leaves more room for doubt.

While he believes in the efficacy and potential success of using pheromones to control the rat problem, he warned of the rodents’ infamously unpredictable nature. “Rats are quick to learn from their environment and there is a chance they could learn to avoid certain smells, particularly if there is fine-level variation in the scent itself that we don’t yet understand,” he stated. “In the end, it would be a question of which will win out: a deep, evolutionary drive to locate a specific scent, or a recent and learned behavioral aversion to avoid scents associated with danger.”

Both Parsons and Combs believe the study can be improved with greater access to “urban properties,” such as storage areas in urban parks, as well as waste recycling centers and landfills — all of which are suitable environments for future experiments. With regards to the use of pheromones, Combs would like to see researchers identify the individual molecules that produce the rats’ behavioral responses, which could lead to developments in rat deterrents such as bait and immuno-contraceptives.

Despite experiments like this, the rats’ dominion over New York City continues to grow. In May, The New York Times reported that 17,353 calls were made to NYC’s 311 non-emergency hotline in 2018 compared to just 12,617 in 2014: a 38% increase.

Jason Munshi-South, associate biology professor at Fordham, blamed the infestation on the practice of leaving garbage bags out in the streets until it’s collected in the morning, thus giving rats “an all-night buffet.”

said. “It is a natural resource and the methods used to extract it can be damaging to the environment.”

Bloom Energy outsources natural gas from available pipelines, and does not involve itself in the extraction process. While Bloom’s electrochemical process does not burn natural gas, extracting it from the earth has its own set of complications. According to the Sightline Institute, roughly twothirds of the U.S. natural gas sup-

ply comes from fracking.

Fordham has entered into a power purchase agreement with Bloom Energy, meaning the university is not paying for energy use, but rather paying for Bloom’s services. “Fordham is just investing; they’re not paying for installation or equipment,” said Bockoven.

“The University wants predictable pricing. They save money and do the right thing.”

The industry standard for energy pricing is purchasing by the kilowatt hour — equivalent to the use of 1,000 watts for one hour. Instead, Fordham will pay Bloom a flat fee as per the agreement. “Now Fordham is able to generate their own power 24/7,” said Bockoven.

This concept is known as a “microgrid” — a localized energy source that can connect and disconnect from a larger interconnected grid — and it is becoming more popular on the east coast due to landowners’ concerns about climate change. “Customers want the ability to have power that never fails, even if the grid goes away,” said Bockoven.

Besides cleaner energy, students are pushing for more environmental initiatives: “I understand that there are space limitations at Lincoln Center, but there is always something more to do; the status quo is not working,” said Donaghy.

While Rose Hill will be the only Fordham campus to have a building go grid-independent, Fordham’s fluorescent light bulbs that run on roughly 90,000 volts will be replaced with lower-cost and more efficient LED bulbs, according to Valera.

Fordham Takes SJP Back to Court

By ANDREW BEECHER Photo Editor

After over two years of litigation and a ruling of the New York State Supreme Court, it seemed that Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) would finally gain recognition as an official club on the Fordham Lincoln Center campus. However, on Aug. 30, Fordham quietly filed an appeal of the decision in the Supreme Court of the State of New York Appellate Division.

On Aug. 6, Justice Nancy M. Bannon annulled Dean Keith Eldredge’s decision to disapprove SJP’s application for club status for SJP. This decision was based on the determination that SJP had followed “all applicable rules, regulations and guidelines in applying for approval” and that “Fordham arbitrarily and capriciously failed to abide thereby.”

However, members of Fordham’s administration did not agree with this ruling and have brought the case back to court.

Bob Howe, assistant vice president for communications, said that “Fordham University is committed to serving all of its students both in and out of the classroom: the University does not believe that a chapter of SJP is in the best interests of its students, and has appealed the case.”

In the appeal, Fordham’s counsel questioned the court’s opinion that the university “had not complied with its own policy and procedure” and whether Dean Eldredge’s decision was “arbitrary, capricious or unsupported by a rational basis.”

President of SJP, Batool Abdelhafez, FCLC ’21, said that she was not surprised by Fordham’s decision to file an appeal. “Fordham has made it clear that they will go great

lengths to repress Palestinian advocacy on campus,” she said.

“We are an explicitly anti-racist and anti-colonialist club on campus, and we will continue to engage in good faith, despite Fordham’s attempts at suppressing us. We have

Fordham has made it clear that they will go to great lengths to repress Palestinian advocacy on campus.

Batool Abdelhafez, President of SJP

no interest in starting harmful and unnecessary discourse on campus,” said Abdelhafez.

Until the appeal moves forward, SJP will continue to function as an official club, despite early issues regarding budgeting. SJP struggled to get a budget in place given that the club was only recognized by Fordham days before the beginning of the fall semester.

On Tuesday, Sept. 17, SJP hosted its first official club meeting on campus as well as launching a Palestine Learning Group. On Sept. 27, Nico Cabanayan, a Jewish activist, spoke as a part of SJP’s Justice Wins speaker series.

Other clubs, in particular, the Muslim Student Association and Black Students Alliance, have also been promoting SJP’s activity around campus by advertising upcoming events with their own members.

“What is certain is that we will continue to educate the student body on the Palestinian struggle against colonization and oppression,” said Abdelhafez.

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THE OBSERVER October 16, 2019

UNICEF Club Enters Hiatus

UNICEF Club is known for raising funds and awareness for the goals of the larger UNICEF organization.

By SIOBHAN COSGRAVE Contributing Writer

Fordham College at Lincoln Center’s UNICEF Club, known for its work raising funds and awareness for the global objectives of United Nations Children’s Fund in New York, has been forced to take a “hiatus” this semester.

The club’s E-Board cited “scheduling conflicts and event processing,” as the reasoning for their temporary discontinuation

in their announcement email.

President of UNICEF Faizah Rafat, Fordham College Lincoln Center (FCLC) ’19, said, “The current E-Board is having some difficulty adjusting time and managing their schedules in order to properly plan for this club.” He confirmed that, at the moment, there is no scheduled date for the club’s revival.

According to OrgSync, the club has been active at the Lin-

coln Center campus since 2014. In the past, UNICEF has held events such as comedy shows to raise funds for UNICEF USA and bake sales to support those affected by the South Sudanese Civil War. The club’s leaders feel that the hiatus was the best decision for them in order “to come back stronger and better in the future.”

This hiatus follows two similar cases in the past two academic years. In the spring of 2018, the

COURTESY OF BATOOL ABDELHAFEZ

Student Organization of Latinx (SOL) announced their hiatus after student leadership graduated and engagement lowered. The Black Student Alliance (BSA) took a hiatus beginning in February of 2018 due to the same reasons attendance issues.

Tina Thermadam, FCLC ’20 and president of United Student Government (USG), confirmed that while clubs can communicate to their members with whatever

News

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language they choose, a hiatus is not an officially recognized term

by USG. According to USG’s 2017-18 guidelines, there are four options for club status: active, on probation, inactive or defunct. Clubs must submit a status change request to the Chair of Operations, who in turn notify USG of all club activities. Inactive clubs may not hold meetings unless it is to fulfill E-Board vacancies.

Thermadam referenced how SOL hosted an information session to garner interest in their club which allowed for them to return to active club status. At the club fair at the start of this year, she also decided to sign currently inactive clubs up in order to give students the opportunity to revive an existing club.

Robert Stryczek, vice president of USG and Gabelli School of Business ’21, said that this is not a new trend. “Clubs are started and some of them last for a few years, but there were two or three clubs that got discontinued last year,” he said.

While the E-Board of UNICEF club expressed disappointment with the situation, reports from other clubs show that the Class of 2023 has exceeded expectations for campus engagement. This semester, a record eight students ran for the USG position of freshman class senator, a race that has typically had just one or two candidates.

While no members of the Class of 2023 have expressed interest in reviving UNICEF Club just yet, some are hopeful that the new class can bring some new vitality to the organization.

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News

October 16, 2019 THE OBSERVER

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Fordham Sets the Record Straight on Affirmative Action Students at Fordham Law invited experts to speak on a recent high-profile court case about college admissions

ZOEY LIU/THE OBSERVER

Law students who are frustrated with the lack of conversation on campus about affirmative action seek answers.

By GUS DUPREE Asst. News Editor

With the federal court case between Harvard University and the Students for Fair Admissions (SFFA) recently being settled in Harvard’s favor, members of the Fordham community have made efforts to clear up misconceptions about the practice of affirmative action.

On Thursday, October 3rd, the Fordham chapter of the American Constitution Society for Law and Policy (ACS) hosted Genevieve Bonadiez Torres of the Lawyer’s Committee for Civil Rights Under Law (LCCRUL), which represented a group of students who testified against the SFFA in the case.

Kestine Thiele, Fordham Law School ’20 and President of the Fordham chapter of ACS, invited

LCCRUL on campus because of a lack of discussion in class over the topic.Though she had scheduled the LCCRUL to speak before the Federal court’s ruling, she still considered the discussion was necessary. “Even people affected by it don’t understand,” complained Thiele.

Torres began her presentation by defining affirmative action as a useful approach to “level the playing field in a system that is inherently negative and suppressive ... of certain individuals with certain characteristics,” such as race, gender, sexuality, socio-economic background, and so forth.

Considering such factors, particularly race, has been upheld by the 1978 Regents of the University of California v. Bakke as well as the 2003 Gratz v. Bollinger and Grutter v. Bollinger cases, which

Torres briefly recounted before moving onto the case against Harvard.

Torres identified the mastermind behind the Harvard case as Ed Blum, a conservative strategist and longtime activist against affirmative action. According to Torres, Blum turned to “Asian American plaintiffs rather than white plaintiffs” in a bid to cast affirmative action as discriminatory against other races rather than whites.

As neither Harvard nor the SFFA had presented any witnesses testimonials themselves, the LCCRUL represented four college-aged students of color who supported racial consideration in admissions- two of which were asian-american. According to Torres, all of the witnesses saw their race as an important part of their

identity and how they would be unable to present their “life stories” if they were banned from mentioning their race.

Torres warned how banning the practice of affirmative action would severely set back progress made by colleges to increase diversity. According to Torres, “the number black and Latinx students would drop on campus by roughly a thousand students,” should race be banned from consideration.

Torres emphasized that this statistic doesn’t mean that students were being admitted because of their race, but rather their race was simply another factor among many that could determine their chance of acceptance.

“When you have a 4% admissions rate, anything can make you a more compelling candidate,” said Torres.

Torres did note that Harvard’s admissions counselors were found to have a bias in ranking Asian applicants lower on personality characteristics. However, Torres emphasized that banning affirmative action “wouldn’t solve that problem.” Rather, Torres recommended that Harvard invest more in diversity awareness training for Harvard’s admissions counsellors to remedy this bias.

In closing, Torres warned that groups like SFFA continue to battle affirmative action in court, citing their current lawsuit filed against the University of North Carolina, as well as the SFFA appealing their case to the Supreme Court. “These attacks are ongoing, relentless, and well-funded,” said Torres. “But we are working... to raise the voice of students of color on college campuses.”

Thiele was happy with the “informative” presentation, describing how “getting a bunch of voices in one room, that already moves the needle” in public awareness and support of affirmative action.

While the event focused on the recent history of affirmative action, Dr. Janis Barry, associate

professor of economics, explained that the history of affirmative action goes much further than racial diversity in college admissions.

Barry described in an interview how the concept of affirmative action originally was targeted to certain ethnic groups who’d been the subject of “territorial conquest and expansion” by the United States, particularly indigenous Americans as well as distinct ethnic groups like Mexicans and Puerto Ricans who’d been annexed in the Mexican-American War and Spanish-American War, respectively.

According to Barry, the first instances of affirmative action weren’t regarding diversity in colleges but rather employment and representation in the workforce. “This was never meant to be uniquely relegated to diversity in education,” said Barry.

With this context, Barry explained how arrival of immigrants in recent US history has presented new challenges to affirmative action; specifically whether or not these underrepresented groups who came voluntarily to the US should also be considered for affirmative action.

Barry believes that in order to restore affirmative action to its original goal of helping underrepresented groups, then socio-economic status must be considered rather than race. “Without using race,” Barry explained how socio-economic status “explains the material conditions of specific people… given their geographic location.”

Because race and socio-economic status are highly correlated, Barry believes that viewing underrepresentation by economic rather than racial definitions helps to “deconstruct the simple notion that it’s just about race.”

“Using a race-based method,” Barry concluded in regard to helping better represent minorities, “might need something better than just asking ‘what color is your skin?’”

NYC Mourns Fordham Alumnus and Police Officer Killed in Line of Duty

By TRACY LEE Contributing Writer

COURTESY OF FORDHAM NEWS

Mulkeen left a lucrative career in finance in order to serve his community.

NYPD Officer Brian Mulkeen, Fordham alumnus of Gabelli School of Business at Rose Hill (GSBRH) ’08, passed away after being shot in the line of duty on Sept. 29, 2019. He was 33 years old and lived in Yorktown Heights, New York.

On the morning of Sept. 29, Mulkeen was struck and killed by friendly fire during an arrest in the Bronx. He was nearing the end of his seventh year as a member of the Bronx Borough Anti-Crime Unit in the 47th Precinct.

“The Fordham family has lost one of its own to senseless violence today,” Fordham President Rev. Joseph M. McShane, S.J., said in a statement. “Brian Mulkeen went out into the world to do exactly what we expect of our alumni, be a man for others, and he was slain in service to the local community.”

Mulkeen was born on March 3, 1986, in Suffern, New York. He grew up in Monroe, New York, where he graduated from Monroe-Woodbury High School in 2004 as class president.

Mulkeen then attended Fordham’s GSBRH, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in finance. At Fordham, he competed in track and field from 2004-08 and was a two-year field captain. Mulkeen regularly competed at the Atlantic 10 Championship — a collegiate athletic conference for Division I schools — and earned a bronze

medal in the weight throw in his senior year.

Recently, he rejoined Fordham as a volunteer throwing coach alongside his former teammate and the current head coach, Brian Horowitz, FCRH ’10.

“Brian was the epitome of a great teammate,” said Horowitz.

“He possessed all the qualities that we hope our student athletes here at Fordham to have. Brian was committed, competitive, selfless, driven, and supportive. He led the team and his enthusiasm for the sport was contagious. He continuously pushed those around him to be better. He will be greatly missed by the Fordham Track and Field family.”

After graduating from Fordham in 2008, Mulkeen went on to work at Merrill Lynch as a financial adviser. Two years later, he made the decision to change jobs and pursue a career in serving and protecting his community.

“It came as no surprise that Brian ultimately went into law enforcement to protect and serve a community in need,” said Horowitz.

“One of the things they told us, even with their grief, was that Brian made a choice, an incredibly noble choice to leave a civilian life, a lucrative career,” Mayor Bill de Blasio told ABC 7 Eyewitness News.

“He wanted to protect other people.

He loves this city, he wanted to protect other people, and he put his life on the line, and he gave his life for

all of us.”

In 2013, Mulkeen joined the police force and worked as a dispatcher. He graduated from two police academies, and ultimately became an NYPD officer in the Bronx’s anti-crime unit in 2017. Over the course of his seven years with the police force, Mulkeen received five Excellence in Police Duties awards and made 270 arrests in total.

His family paid tribute to him in his obituary that read in part: “Brian was simply a remarkable human being — the best person in the world to have in your life. We couldn’t be prouder, and hope he continues to serve as an inspiration to others. He will never be forgotten and was loved by everyone. He is a true hero.”

Fordham’s flags — among other flags in the city — flew at half-staff on the day of Mulkeen’s death to honor him. Fordham’s flags continued to fly at half-staff until after the funeral, as requested by NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio.

A wake was held on Oct. 3 at the Smith, Seaman & Quackenbush Funeral Home in Mulkeen’s hometown of Monroe.

Funeral services were held the following day at the Church of the Sacred Heart, also located in Monroe. Thousands of officers joined family, friends and the community in mourning.

Mulkeen is survived by his mother, Camille; his father, Brian; his sister, Erin; and his brother, Eric.

www.fordhamobserver.com

THE OBSERVER October 16, 2019

FCLC Board of Advisors Disbanded

BOARD from page 1

Former Board member Nicholas Zennario, FCLC ’87, recalled his reaction to the University’s priority on fundraising that was expressed during the final Board meeting. “(Wertz) did say that whoever the new dean was…

40% of their time would be devoted to fundraising,” said Zennario. “My heart went out to whoever the new dean was going to be. Because that’s a tough task. It’s a really tough task.”

Peters expressed that a re-emphasis on the fundraising was never clearly communicated to the Board. “Nobody ever suggested that we should do things differently than we had been doing,” she said.

Wertz noted that the reaction to his decision was met with varied responses. “There were some members of the Board of Advisors who said this was great and supported the decision. There were others who weren’t as happy about it,” said Wertz. “I don’t want to be dismissive of any criticisms or any thought that what I did wasn’t right. On the other hand, I thought about it very hard.”

My conviction remains that the decision I made is in the best interest of the College and Fordham.

ANDREW BEECHER/THE OBSERVER

Members of the Board of Advisors were shocked when they learned they were reconstituted by Interim Dean Wertz.

Frederick J. Wertz, Former Interim Dean of FCLC

Zennario, who had called in by phone to the meeting, described the way he felt on the day the announcement was made. “I thought it was unusual,” he said.

“That an interim dean would terminate a Board, especially one that’s been in existence for 31 years. But I accepted it. I accepted it. I tried to be a team player.”

While Peters was also sympathetic to the reasoning behind the decision, she admitted it was an unsettling new precedent.

“I’ve been here for 31 years,” said Peters, “and this Board has worked with five different deans during that time period. Not one of the outgoing deans has ever dismissed the Board.”

Peters was also not entirely convinced that Wertz should have been able to disband the Board.

“I challenged his authority to do this,” said Peters. She recalled what she had said to Wertz during the meeting. “‘This Board was mandated into existence by Fr O’Hare, the previous President of Fordham. You’re an interim dean. What gives you the authority to dismantle something that a President has put in place?’ No answer.” She also noted that her suggestion to put off a decision until after the new dean had met the Board was rejected. “That was it. There was no conversation and that was disturbing.”

Both Peters and Wertz noted that, despite its tense final meeting, the Board was honored at an alumni event over the summer. Peters explained that, to her, the ceremony made it seem as though the door had not fully been closed on the Board. Wertz was not present at the event.

Wertz was glad that the event took place, however. “I felt like we ended on a celebratory note when we honored the Board of Advisors in the reunion we had in June, and I’m hopeful that things are great for the college.

This is actually the way I in-

THE OBSERVER ARCHIVES

tended it. I wanted to give (the new dean) the time, space and freedom to think creatively and think outside of the box.”

The event was also an opportunity for Board members to honor the life of one of their peers.

Shortly before the alumni reunion in June, one of the former members of the Board, Johnnie Planco, FCLC ’72, passed away.

The Rev. Joseph M. McShane, S.J., admitted that some members of the university community had come to him with concerns since the decision was made.

While he said he did “look into it,” he stated that it was a decision ultimately made independently of him.

“I’d like to trust the deans to do what they feel is right,” said McShane. “[Dean Wertz] used [the Board] to good effect but he said, ‘I think it makes sense for us to put a pause on this to give the new dean the opportunity to create her own Board.’”

McShane explained that each dean has their own advisory

structures for their specific colleges. He clarified that he often removes himself from these Boards and allows the deans to oversee them as they see fit.

When asked specifically about Ms. Peters’ concerns, Dean Wertz clarified his position in an email.

“My course of action was based on extensive reflection and consultation, including authentic dialogue with the Board,” he wrote. “My conviction remains that the decision I made is in the best interest of the College and Fordham.”

McShane was also clear that he trusted Dean Auricchio to make her own decisions moving forward. “If a new dean is smart, they’re going to be broadly consultative,” he said. “I think Auricchio is precisely that kind of person; really smart, very savvy.”

Dean Auricchio admitted that the Board was disbanded “before I got here.”

For now, her priority has been understanding the intricacies of her new position at FCLC,

rather than implementing new changes. “I’ve been listening and learning,” she said. “I also firmly believe that we all do better when we all think together and that more perspectives are better than fewer. More input leads to better outcomes.”

Auricchio, however, was careful to state that she wanted to feel confident in understanding FCLC before implementing changes to it. “What I’m trying to do right now is just listen and learn,” she said. “Once I have a clearer sense of what Fordham’s needs and opportunities are,” she said, “then I think I’ll be able to turn my attention to the question of what type of support would best serve our goals.”

Dean Auricchio confirmed in an email that she will be meeting with Peters and another former Board member later this month.

McShane also indicated that he believed a “reconstituted” Board would be “up and running sooner rather than later.”

Yet Auricchio was clear that

News

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she did not feel comfortable reversing the decision to disband the Board so early in her tenure.

“I know that I have a great deal to learn from them — and from alumni, students, faculty, and staff,” she wrote. “To be honest, my sense is that it would be a mistake for us to rush into decisions when I still have so much to learn.”

She was still looking forward to meeting with them, however. “Certainly the former Board members and I share the belief that FCLC is a special place with a critically important role at Fordham, and in higher education,” wrote Auricchio. “We also want to see FCLC and its community of students, scholars, and alumni thrive.”

When asked about the discontent expressed by some former members of the Board, Bob Howe, assistant vice president for communications, clarified the University’s official position in an email. “No insult was intended toward the former Board members, certainly,” he wrote.

“The University deeply appreciates their service, and Dean Auricchio is making it a priority to draw on their experience and expertise in the near future.”

For his part, Dean Wertz was clear that he still held the former members of the Board in high regard. He expressed in his email “gratefulness for the contributions of the Board as a whole, my great appreciation of each Board member, and my confidence and enthusiasm about the future of the College with the leadership of Dean Auricchio.”

Zennario mentioned that the greatest difficulty for him was that he had not been informed of any of the University’s intentions. “I don’t know what the plan is,” he said. “I sit here knowing that... I guess I’m no longer a member of the Board of Advisors, because there is no Board of Advisors.”

Zennario said that he felt that many things about the Board were still up in the air. “If I have a bone to pick,” he said, “it’s simply this: Do we have closure? Are we turning the page? Please tell us. That’s all I ask.”

“Nobody has talked to me since that Board meeting in May — about my service going forward or otherwise,” said Zennario.

For her part, Peters noted that the shock of the announcement had since subsided into resolve.

“All this being said about the shock value is basically water under the bridge at this point. It’s over. It’s been done,” she said.

“But we love Fordham. We still want to contribute to it.”

She spoke to the attitude of the former members who consulted with her following the Board’s termination. “The general feeling is, yeah, this wasn’t very nice the way it was done, but we’d still like to be a part of Dean Auricchio’s Fordham. In any way that she thinks we can help. So we haven’t written off Fordham. It was just a shock.”

As for Zennario, he was still hopeful for the college’s future.

“I look forward to at least speaking with the dean, if not meeting with the dean,” he said. “I am willing to work with her in any capacity that she thinks that I would be of use to the university. It would be just as much of an honor in 2019,” he said, “as it was in 1989, when I was first asked.”

Over the summer, Johnnie Planco, FCLC ’72 and a former member of the Board of Advisors, passed away. To read his obituary and the history of the Board, visit www.fordhamobserver.com.

Opinions Editors Grace Getman - ggetman@fordham.edu Evan Vollbrecht - evollbrecht@fordham.edu

Opinions

OUR CLUB SYSTEM MUST EVOLVE WITH US

C

Observer the

STAFF EDITORIAL

lub leadership issues have hit Lincoln Center particularly hard in the past few years, with the most recent club to be placed on hiatus — meaning that they no longer receive university funding, but can be brought back to full status in the future — being UNICEF Club, citing a struggle in maintaining club leadership due to other time commitments. Like the Black Student Alliance and the Student Organization of Latinx, both of which recently languished on hiatus before being revived, scheduling conflicts and low engagement proved to be a deadly combination.

It’s rare to see the students who take leadership positions on campus do so with leisure, especially with the few resources that are given by the university. Between classes, jobs and multiple campus-life groups, student leaders must stretch their time more thinly than every dollar their clubs receive, trying to fit four years of college into a New York minute.

Too often, they simply cannot keep up with the serious time commitments required to run a club while staying in compliance with policy. The unfortunate result is clubs gradually dropping off the Lincoln Center map, as their resources fail to measure up to the effort their leaders

October 16, 2019 THE OBSERVER

put in to make their clubs — and the larger Fordham community — flourish.

The allure of the concrete jungle has heretofore created a desert on campus, with clubs and student activities underfunded, underattended and unled.

With an energetic student body of unprecedented size excited to contribute to campus life, Fordham should take a closer look at its policies regarding student involvement.

This is a particular shame because things have begun to shift — this year has shown record participation in student life. Over a dozen clubs have applied to be recognized, and attendance at Club Day nearly doubled since last year.

It appears as though we want to change our reputation, to find a way to fit the goings-on at our little campus into our far-flung city lives. But there’s a point when we can only do so much.

The clubs we have wouldn’t exist in the first place if no one wanted to take part in them — but they are an investment of time, energy and money that, for even the most zeal-

ous of students, is eventually exhausting. As an institution with a far larger resource pool, Fordham must consider these clubs — and any future ones — as an investment too.

With an energetic student body of unprecedented size excited to contribute to campus life, Fordham should take a closer look at its policies regarding student involvement. The heavy restrictions on flyering make raising awareness about a new club difficult, while the lack of common space for meetings, formal or informal, makes any organizing a headache. Add to the mix that club leaders are uncompensated and must often prioritize jobs or internships over club responsibilities, and that limited scheduling options put a severe damper on attendance, and it’s clear that clubs at Fordham must fight an uphill battle to even stay afloat.

Fordham’s emphasis on proper bureaucratic procedure is responsible and commendable, but it is an approach best suited to a small student body with a few very dedicated leaders.

In this moment of growing enrollment and widespread but noncommittal engagement, Fordham may have to consider loosening its strictures to allow for the organic growth of student involvement, a potential that is, for now, pushing the current system to its limits.

Editor-in-Chief Owen Roche

Managing Editor Courtney Brogle Business Managers Alexios Avgerinos Teymur Guliyev Kristian Koprivica Online Editor Izzi Duprey Layout Editors Esmé Bleecker-Adams Steph Lawlor Asst. Layout Editors Defne Akiman Lara Foley News Editors Sophie Partridge-Hicks Gabe Samandi Asst. News Editor Gus Dupree Opinions Editors Grace Getman Evan Vollbrecht Asst. Opinions Editor Nicole Perkins Arts & Culture Editor Gillian Russo Asst. Arts & Culture Editor Ethan Coughlin Features Editor Marielle Sarmiento Asst. Features Editor Roxanne Cubero Sports & Health Editors Luke Osborn Lena Weidenbruch Asst. Sports & Health Editors Aiza Bhuiyan Patrick Moquin Photo Editor Andrew Beecher Asst. Photo Editor Lena Rose Fun & Games Editor Esmé Bleecker-Adams Copy Editors Libby Lanza Jill Rice Melanie Riehl Social Media Managers Maca Leon Shamya Zindani Newsletter Editors Gillian Russo Shamya Zindani Multimedia Editor Zoey Liu Asst. Multimedia Editors Defne Akiman Caitlin Bury Retrospect Host Kevin Christopher Robles Retrospect Producer Alyssa Morales IT Manager EJ Ciriaco Visual Advisor Molly Bedford

Apple Days, Apple Haze In fall, the Big Apple competes with the real deal as students flock to orchards lining the Hudson Valley.

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THE OBSERVER October 16, 2019

Opinions

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No Callbacks, No Tickets, Show Canceled: Ditching Performative Activism HALEY SMULLEN Staff Writer

When boisterous, peppy teenagers plan to skip school to attend rallies, protests and marches in support of social justice movements, our first inclination is to exalt the righteous, rebellious attitude of the younger generation.

“That’s right,” we say encouragingly, “don’t let school get in the way of your education.”

“Stonewall was a riot,” we murmur, nodding.

“Silence is the language of the oppressor,” we offer.

While the premise of these quotes is truthful, our generation has made the rather insidious habit of appropriating inspirational movements to justify their own inclinations and desires. Some facets of social justice, it seems, have lost their intellectual fire and retired to the often frivolous, repetitive echo chamber that is social media. Since when did social justice become about being social, and not about being just?

Before the ’90s, most activist movements revolved around achieving judicial equality for marginalized communities.

Now, the goal of social activism circulates around achieving acceptance, not merely tolerance.

Many forms of discrimination have been outlawed or at least recognized as problematic, but discrimination still exists surreptitously through cultural values, traditions and habits. As the nature of the purpose of social justice movements has changed, so has the nature in which we ought to advocate for equality.

Today, most social activist movements are led by people who promote their stances through social media. “Joining a movement” often refers to the act of clicking “follow” on a feminist Twitter account, skipping school once a season to meet up with like-minded friends for marches (and being sure to post the entire event on your story), or reposting a Black Lives Matter (BLM) tag on Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Non-stop social media promotion, while it appears hyper-vigilant and proactive at first, does not truly address the issues social

Generation Z doesn’t buy houses, eats too much avocado toast and may be hurting the very social movements they seek to promote.

activism is intended to solve.

Today, most activists participate in what is called “performative activism,” a mimicry of activism in which their goals are never achieved, but rather their ideals and values are outwardly praised and recognized as the apogee of morality. In this sense, performative activism tends to be a technique for social conformity and connection among energetic young people eager to assert their voices and establish their burgeoning identities.

The concept of activism has become an outlet for the self, utilizing the aggressive theme of older activist movements as an effective medium because the sense of rebellion resonates with naturally rebellious teenagers.

While insulting to true activism, performative activism is also incredibly dangerous.

Because performative activism has become the default representation of social justice, people who may not pay any mind to the intent of social justice movements perceive performative activism as genuine social justice. As such, the people who possess the political power necessary to ac-

complish social change view the selfish, empty, socially centered performative activism as the definition of social justice.

To middle-aged adults old enough to vote, politicians in power and influential members of the upper classes, this rampage of performative activism is the only representation of activism — it’s all they see.

To those that matter, activism today means garrulous teenagers posting relentlessly on social media, skipping school to stand in the street and take pictures with their friends and critiquing, almost relentlessly, the use of unnecessary gender pronouns without explaining why excessive gendering of objects can perpetuate harmful gender roles and stereotypes.

When young teens, excited to add purpose to their lives but often unaware of the self-centered attitudes they tend to exude, use social justice movements as platforms to connect with their friends and rebel against their parents, the reputations of social justice movements suffer. The selfish behavior, sassy outbursts and vain tendencies all too

common during adolescence become intertwined with social justice itself. To those who have never encountered social activism before, the resurgence of social activist movements appears to be the lovechild of teenage rebellion and let’s-skip-school shenanigans.

The distortion of the purpose behind social activism is not only an immoral, selfish habit unfortunately abused by well-intentioned young people, but also harmful to the disadvantaged groups attempting to achieve acceptance within society. When disgruntled, hard-headed baby boomers see posts on Facebook or clips on Fox News featuring sassy, passionate 15-year-old social justice warriors, they begin to associate social justice movements with a generation war. The targeted audience of social activism movements shifts from advocating for righteous equality to refusing to give in to the demands of disrespectful teens. 68-year-olds in small towns registered as Republicans, may feel indifferent to the accessibility of the school auditorium for children who use wheelchairs, but once they see the unsavory characters who are

JAKE CHADWELL/THE OBSERVER

advocating for the cause? Good luck convincing them to vote in your favor.

Rather than urge young people (including myself) to resign the responsibility of social activism to older, more refined adults, I implore fellow Fordham students to continue to grip tightly the torch of social activism.

Continue protesting, speaking out and connecting elements of social justice to your own life.

This time, don’t focus on using social media as your primary platform for social activism, but incorporate the intellectual community which you have access to as a student. Don’t only pose in a fashionable BLM shirt on your Instagram, but write about the dangerous legacy of police brutality in your class whenever you have the opportunity to. Don’t simply attend protests with your friends and post about it, but talk about the experience afterward, discussing why creating a visible gathering of people enhances social activism. Rekindle the flame of righteous intellectual discourse within social activism, and we will reach more people than ever before.

You Should Let Some of Your High School Friends Go EMILY ELLIS Contributing Writer

For most of us, it was one of the best summers of our lives.

We had just graduated high school, our bright college future was ahead of us and we had nothing but time to spend with the people that we love. Friendships were forged quickly in the heat of the summer sun, and people who used to be strangers in our classes suddenly meant the world to us.

That is when the lies began.

“We are going to text all the time, it’ll be just like it is now!”

“Thanksgiving will come before we know it and then we can get together again.”

“We’ve been friends for years, that’s not going to change because you’re a few hours away.”

We declared these sentences so often that they started to seem like the truth. We convinced ourselves that our friends would never leave us, that our high school groups would stay strong despite the distance. No matter what, we would always stay connected with those who got to know and love us first.

Then college came around, and all those ideals crashed and burned within weeks.

Keeping in touch with people who live thousands of miles away is clearly a challenge, but, as the famous saying goes, doesn’t distance make the heart grow fonder?

No. Distance in location inevitably leads to distance in relationships. This change is not necessarily a bad thing as everyone is acclimating to their new environment. However, the loss of intimacy can often be an emotional revelation. Without the shared experience of high school to bind everyone together, the lack of commonalities between friends becomes strikingly obvious.

College is a period of transition. It’s a time to embrace newfound independence and shape a future that corresponds to individual passions. As much as college is about moving forward, it’s also about letting go. Our high school days are over and consequently, some of our high school friendships are, too. Let those memories stay beautiful, and don’t taint them by working at a relationship that is already dead.

That being said, some relationships are strong enough to survive the turmoils of college life. Best friends and long-distance relationships might be able to last through it all. But most people will drift away until the summer months come back around and friendships are convenient once again.

Most of my friends, enraptured by the excitement of their new school, have separated themselves entirely from their previous life. After deleting all high school acquaintances from social media, they allowed themselves to be reborn completely into their college personas. Even friends going to schools 10 minutes away seemed to be countries apart from everyone else. Just like Fordham threw me into a new world, all my friends entered their own galaxy as well. Although this is definitely bittersweet, it is also inevitable.

You might have lost one world, but you are now in another one — with hundreds of other peers right next to you.

Enjoy it while it lasts because as high school demonstrated, these years will pass by faster than they seem.

GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATION BY ESMÉ BLEECKER-ADAMS/THE OBSERVER

Ghosts of high school friendships past abound in college.

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Opinions

October 16, 2019 THE OBSERVER

www.fordhamobserver.com

Medicare for All Is a Dangerous Game Critiques from both sides of the political spectrum

A conservative case against Medicare for All LEO BERNABEI Staff Writer

On its surface, giving everyone free health care sounds like a great idea. Advocates for Medicare for All strike a chord with many Americans when they describe the tragedies happening everywhere from hospitals to small-town pharmacies — patients unable to afford life-saving drugs, cancer treatments and vital medications.

Under a single-payer health care system, these problems would be eliminated. No one would be denied care because of their financial status or pre-existing condition(s). But a closer look into what Medicare for All entails shows that it would do more damage than good.

For one, Medicare reimbursement rates to care providers are consistently and significantly — at least 40% by one estimate — lower than private insurance reimbursement rates. According to Stanford researchers, hospitals stand to lose as much as $151 billion in annual revenues under a system with little to no private insurance. We can discuss the answer to the moral question of whether or not hospitals should lose this much money, but the real question is will they tolerate it? Already, Medicare non-participation rates — that is, the rate of doctors who refuse to see patients covered by Medicare — exceed 20% in Nevada and Virginia, so it would be naïve to believe that all physicians would decide to see patients under these lower rates nationwide.

A common retort from Medicare for All supporters is that all other developed countries have single-payer healthcare systems.

This isn’t so straightforward.

A lot of these “single-payer” systems aren’t highly centralized in the way that many of the Democrats are proposing. In Finland, one of the Scandinavian nations lauded by Sen. Bernie Sanders and others, the administration of healthcare is handled at the local level. Many of the countries

that do use highly centralized systems, such as the Netherlands, Singapore and Taiwan, have populations comparable to a single U.S. state, and the relative affluence of their citizenry allows them to sidestep long wait times.

Blanket comparisons like “Well, every other developed country besides the U.S. does X, therefore so should we,” play into apple-to-orange scenarios that don’t get to solutions that would work best for the United States.

Another popular claim is that health care is better in countries with policies similar to Medicare for All. The United States has the highest survival rates in the

world. In fact, how many of our higher than average survival rates are specifically a result of the United States doing the heavy lifting when it comes to biomedical research and development. In the 15-year period between 1988 and 2003, the U.S. invested more than five times as much as the entire European Union did into private biotechnology companies. And it is almost certain that because the United States is the sole industrialized country not to utilize pharmaceutical price controls, our research and development in the pharmaceutical industry is unparalleled compared to any other country on Earth.

A single-payer system would lead to a roughly 24% decline in the research and development industry. This would decimate the short-term prospects of cures for cancer, HIV/AIDS and other crushing diseases for not just us, but the rest of the world that greatly benefits from our developments.

Additionally, between Social Security and Medicare, the United States faces unfunded liabilities of almost $126 trillion. That’s nearly $400,000 per citizen. How can we trust this same government to deliver us a program that would cost, conservatively, over $3.26 trillion annually? Social

GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATION BY LARA FOLEY/THE OBSERVER

Security was another radically progressive idea for its time, a bastion of President Roosevelt’s New Deal. But today, anyone under the age of 50 should be worrying about whether or not they will ever see their contributions returned. It’s estimated that the Social Security trust fund will run out of money by the mid2030s. It seems to me if a government cannot be trusted to handle Social Security, they shouldn’t be creating more programs like it without first figuring out how to fund their existing liabilities.

Perhaps we can learn from states like Maine that have successfully implemented high-risk pools without making those with pre-existing conditions pay any more for care. As PBS explained, “When a resident applied for health insurance, they had to fill out a questionnaire. If they had certain medical conditions known to be costly, their application was flagged for the high-risk pool. To consumers, it was seamless: They paid regular premiums and got the same sort of coverage as any other enrollee in their chosen health plan.” These plans were funded from two sources: the insurance policy premiums paid by patients within that high-risk pool and a $4 monthly surcharge on all policyholders in the state. The catch is that it was well-funded, but nevertheless, it worked.

Our nation’s biomedical research industry benefits the entire world. Without it, other countries’ single-payer systems would be meaningless. It won’t matter how much you pay for your care if the treatments don’t exist. Someone has to do the heavy lifting, and while I wish other countries did more, we are currently keeping the ship afloat. If we cut funding to our valuable research industry, ripple effects will be felt across the world. So instead of doing just that, perhaps we should take a step back to think about how we can lower costs while at the same time maintaining the crucial role which private insurance provides to our great medical advancements.

A progressive case against Medicare for All CORBIN GREGG Contributing Writer

Advocacy for “Medicare for All” could spell trouble for Democrats, regardless of whether Medicare for All is a good policy prescription for addressing the failures of the U.S. health care system. Beyond the difficulties of implementing Medicare for All in the U.S., it is important to consider the ability of Democrats to win back the White House in 2020 if they want to implement any progressive changes to the health care system at all. This is important for progressives even if a Bernie Sanders-style single-payer system is not what Democrats ultimately push for.

A common statistic thrown around by Medicare for All supporters is that 70% of Americans support it. While this is true when asking about Medicare for All generally, the idea fares far worse when specific policy proposals laid out by politicians like Bernie Sanders are polled.

When respondents were questioned about whether or not they supported Medicare for All as a replacement to private insurance companies (as Sanders has advocated for the elimination of the private health care industry), support dropped to 41%. Even worse, when asked specifically about whether or not private health care should be “abolished,” only 13% of Americans supported the proposal.

As someone who wishes for President Donald Trump to be ousted from office in 2021, the idea that Democrats could be subject to attacks from Republicans over a health care plan that eliminates private insurance worries me. These attacks will resonate with Americans who fear government mismanagement of health care.

We only need to look back a few years to see how Republicans can campaign against Democratic health care proposals. While in office, President Barack Obama apologized to Americans who lost their health care plans following the im-

plementation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) because their plans did not meet new regulatory standards. Obama had promised Americans that under the ACA there should be no fear of losing their health care plans or doctors. Americans who felt Obama lied to them about his health care proposal must be convinced to re-elect Democrats. They will not be convinced if Democrats start the conversation about health care by telling Americans they will lose their private insurance.

This will be made much more difficult if Republicans have the opportunity to campaign against a Democratic proposal to abolish private health insurance. Republicans successfully campaigned off the controversy surrounding the ACA. The infamous “repeal and replace” slogan was crafted by Republican senators, including Sen. Mitch McConnell, the day before the ACA was signed into law.

This rallying Republican cry against the ACA carried the party into the 2010 midterms, allowing them to win majorities in

both the House and the Senate.

A similar campaign against the removal of private health insurance could be devastating for a Democratic presidential candidate trying to defeat Trump.

A more successful presidential campaign should be run on a more moderate healthcare proposal, such as that of Pete Buttigieg. Buttigieg has offered a path forward to enacting progressive change to the American health care system by supporting a plan that would allow Americans to buy into Medicare just as they would buy into a private plan, while also allowing insurance companies to exist.

He defends his plan against attacks by other progressives who claim that merely creating a public option does not do enough to combat private insurance companies by explaining that “if people like me are right, then the public alternative is going to be more comprehensive and more affordable than corporate options.” Buttigieg is correct; if Medicare for All truly is the best way forward,

it should be able to outcompete private health care plans.

If it does, public health care will become the norm in the U.S. not because the government mandated it, but because it succeeded in the free market.

The failure of private health care companies to compete with a public option would make them a nonissue, effectively implementing a Medicare for All system without writing private insurers out of existence by law.

Ultimately, regardless of wherever you fall in the health care debate, if you wish for Democrats to retake the White House in 2020 it is important to acknowledge the electoral realities the party faces. A Democratic presidential nominee cannot win by having to explain to Americans why they believe taking away their private health care plan is the best way forward. To achieve the progressive changes we desire, we should advocate for more modest policy proposals that Americans actually support which will eventually lead to more radical progressive change.

Rubberneck The

SATIRE SECTION

Five Types of People You’ll Meet in the Elevator POLINA UZORNIKOVA

Staff Writer

We’ve all been there. A person comes in, and you think: “Here we go. Again.” Or maybe you were the person who came in and made everyone breathe a collective sigh of resignation.

For your consideration, here are the five types of people in an elevator that you have either definitely met or unapologetically were.

The Presser You live on the 22nd floor in McKeon. You just had an evening class, and you enter the dorm from the plaza side, tired and alone. You finally board the infuriatingly slow elevator.

It starts to pick up speed. You move past floors 11, 12, 13.

Suddenly the motion stops, and you let out a barely audible groan of despair. Another person enters with a couple of friends. They’re returning to their respective rooms after a long and tiring study session.

You watch several hands press 19, then 21, then 17 and, finally, 15. You conclude that if God exists, then he must certainly hate you.

Alternative Situation: You’re late for class in Lowenstein and someone presses floors two or three and you’re supposed to be on 11.

The Large Backpack It gives you middle school nostalgia. It makes its owner look like a Teenage Mutant Nin-

ja Turtle. It weighs more than your supermodel roommate.

It has a 2-liter water bottle sticking out of its side pocket.

It is a Jansport, a Swiss Gear, a North Face, a 15-inch Kanken, a Gucci. You start wondering if its size is overcompensating for the lack of something else. But more importantly, you wonder what infinite knowledge it contains within. All this while your stomach gets squeezed into your backbone by the monstrosity inside a rush-hour Lowenstein elevator.

Word of Advice: With great power comes great responsibility. If you are this person, please take your backpack off your shoulders while in an overloaded elevator car.

The Gabelli Guy He’s wearing a suit because he had an interview. Seven hours ago. He just kept the suit on kept to look important. He has a messenger bag slung over his shoulder, and somehow it annoys you more than the turtle-like backpack. He’s talking business to people who very evidently don’t want to talk about business. Or he tries to pitch his new profit-turning project to everyone in the elevator. In any case, his voice is too highly penetrative for the enclosed space, and by the end of the ride he’s given you tinnitus.

Post Scriptum: If you’re this guy, my parents would like to adopt you to replace my useless film major self. Please direct message me for more info.

THE OBSERVER October 16, 2019

Opinions

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GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATION BY NYCKOLE LOPEZ/THE OBSERVER

The Partygoers It’s 11 p.m. on a Friday.

You’re wearing gym shorts and a T-shirt with holes in weird places, as well as the essential element of dorm style — socks with slippers. At your feet are three bulky bags with all the dirty clothes you’ve accumulated since the semester’s beginning. You’re getting mentally ready to spend the next few hours staring into the spinning void of a working washing machine, just as a group of nicely dressed pretty people enters the elevator. They maybe wave, maybe smile, maybe ignore you.

In any case, their demeanor and conversation make you feel inferior. As you exit the elevator and head towards the quiet

abode of the laundry room, you ponder the futility of life.

Consolation: Everyone does laundry, and, according to NY Fashion Week, socks with slippers are a fashion statement.

The Crush Your friends think you’re insane, but you once saw them in the library and pretended to be really interested in the sedimentary rock studies section just to be able to observe them from afar. One beautiful day, you share a ride. If it’s an elevator full of people, it becomes relatively easy to observe anything but them: a girl choking on her Schmeltzer’s sandwich, a guy coming up with a deep dating app bio, a lost and confused kid from Rose Hill. But

when it’s just you and them …

You instantly get sweat stains under your armpits, your eyes frantically search for a different object to focus on, and your heart rate skyrockets.

Even worse if: They know you, try to start a conversation with you, but all that can escape from your mouth is incomprehensible gurgling.

“But wait a minute. Those aren’t all the types I’ve met. And your perspective is kind of narrow and uninformed!” you may say.

There is a simple explanation to that. Look at the title. It says “Five types” Five. I’m a film major, not a quantum physicist. So please don’t judge me. I’m just another type of person you’ll meet in an elevator: The Troubled Artist.

Lincoln Center Students Need Hoverboards

A quick, easy and not at all unrealistic solution for LC students forced to walk to class at Rose Hill OLIVIA BONENFANT Staff Writer

Fordham Lincoln Center (FLC) students are facing one of the greatest trials of our college careers. No, it’s not that our university during the tumultuous Students for Justice in Palestine case said that we as students of a private institution actually do not possess the right to free speech.

No, it’s not that our sole upperclassmen dorm is falling apart at the seams. It’s the absolutely inhumane injustice being done to every FLC student forced to commute to Rose Hill for a class or a lab. The perilous journey on the Ram Van is bad enough.

But something much worse lurks upon arrival.

Walking.

It is outrageous that the university expects us to go through the arduous task of putting one foot in front of the other for longer than five total minutes to get to a class. We live and study on a campus with a grand total of four buildings — we can’t be expected to walk more than a few hundred feet at a time. We didn’t sign up for this. Where are the elevators to take us directly to class?

I’m sorry, it’s just that as a student of Lincoln Center, it already

GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATION BY OLIVIA BONENFANT/THE OBSERVER

Do you hear the people sing? Singing the songs of tired men? It is the music of a people who will not walk at Rose Hill without hoverboards again.

sends me into a confused frenzy the moment my class schedule lists a room number preceded by

anything other than “LL.” There are 15 different buildings at Rose Hill.

That’s not even including dorms.

Even worse, we students used to the finely tuned grid of Manhattan and the reliable sprawl of FLC’s underground hallways can’t even imagine the horror of needing to use Google Maps to find where our classes are.

Google Maps is an indecipherable “resource,” full of streets with actual names and not numbers that reliably count up and down to tell you where you’re going.

To add insult to injury, these streets aren’t even a straight line.

They curve. The humanity.

We aren’t used to such treatment and must be compensated accordingly. I believe I have the perfect solution: hoverboards.

That’s right, dear reader. Only high-tech, high-speed technology can save us from the perils of Rose Hill’s twisting streets and their confusing names.

With the power of a hoverboard, students accustomed to a commute of rushing from their McMahon dorm five minutes before their class begins can make up for all their horribly mismanaged time — trading running in desperate, asthmatic circles across Rose Hill for zipping straight to their classes with perfectly windswept hair. For an added benefit, the absolute

core strength required to pilot these things will grant every FLC student the Instagram-ready abs they’ve always wanted.

Our tired legs can rest easy, now that we won’t have to walk cruel and inhumane distances.

Eight acres? 85? Doesn’t matter when you don’t have to walk a step.

And how would this solve the problem of Rose Hill’s confusing, non-grid nature, free of our precious hallways? It wouldn’t — but it would make our burden easier to bear. It is far worse to be lost with only your legs and a heavy backpack to slow you down than with an instrument of high-speed travel to quickly carry you from one wrong turn to the next.

Hoverboards are so impractical, you may be thinking. And you know what? You’re absolutely wrong. A hoverboard would fit neatly into the Ram Van for easy transport, or could possibly be rented by Rose Hill’s ticket station for even more convenience (and profit, which we all know Fordham loves). The university wouldn’t even have to buy that many — just enough to cover the sad and downtrodden visiting Lincoln Center population. Rose Hill students don’t deserve consideration here. They know what they signed up for.

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October 16, 2019 THE OBSERVER

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Clearing the Air Addressing Fordham Lincoln Center’s Misconceptions About ‘E-Cigs’

By AIZA BHUIYAN, GABE SAMANDI & SOPHIE PARTRIDGE-HICKS Asst. Sports & Health Editor, News Editors The use of electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) has risen in popularity over the past five years, yet after nearly 1,200 reports of lung disease and 26 deaths across the country, users are left with questions about what an “e-cig” actually is, and more importantly, what the devices are doing to their health.

Over the last month, The Observer conducted an anonymous survey to gauge the misconceptions of Fordham Lincoln Center students about vaping, as well as gather information about drug use on campus. Fifty-six percent of students reported to have used vaporized THC at least once across our 249 responses, and nearly every student we spoke to understood how common these devices were on campus and in New York City in general.

Most commonly, law enforcement, media outlets and regulatory bodies refer to all forms of handheld vaporizer inhalants as “e-cigarettes.”

However, that term is inaccurate.

E-cigarettes are battery-powered devices used to inhale an aerosol, made up of a cartridge that contains a chemically rich liquid, an atomizer used to heat the solution to vaporization, a battery to provide electricity for the chemical reaction and a filtered mouthpiece.

While many think that this technology is only used to deliver nicotine, it has also been adapted to deliver psychoactive ingredients like tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), cannabidiol (CBD) and butane hash oils (dabs).

To the people who use them, these drug inhalants are not the same as e-cigarettes. “I think they’re very different,” said one anonymous Fordham student. “In the culture surrounding it, the budget and effects, and also the type of person that would do it.”

E-cigarettes make a user “feel focused,” said the student, much like a traditional cigarette. However, they were clear that the device used to inhale vaporized THC was “completely different.” Accord-

ing to the student, they refer to the vaporized THC device as a “cart” (short for cartridge) and battery. “Carts are an effect-inducing, altering kind of thing,” he said.

In the New York City area, these battery-cartridge vaporized THC devices are colloquially known as “dab pens.”

That term, however, is also incorrect. Dab pens are used to release a small liquid “dab” of THC into the mouth, or inhale a small amount of THC using a different, wax-heating mechanism. These devices are very rare in New York state and more easily found in areas where they are legal, such as California.

The inconsistency in legalization between states has also contributed to the confusion about these devices on a campus that draws many outof-state residents. According to the survey results, more than one-third (38%) of students were not aware that all commercially available or modified vaporized THC devices are illegal in New York state.

“My dealer gets (carts) shipped from a state where they’re legal,” said one student. “When I purchase them, they’re packaged

Do you currently own a vaporized THC device?

86.5%

No

13.5%

Yes

l

Have you ever purchased your vaporized THC illegally?

I do not purchase vaporized THC, but have used it.

1.6%

Yes 0.4%

44.5% a n d usually say ‘only for sale in California, not for resale.’”

Many students speculated that it was “unregulated” or “black market carts” responsible for the recent deaths, including one in the Bronx and another in New Jersey.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are investigating the linkages between the recent deaths and hospitalizations, but are currently unable to identify the cause.

Doctors from the Mayo Clinic believe that these lung injuries are the byproduct of exposure to noxious fumes from the mixing of different chemicals

28.3%

22.1%

I do not used vaporized THC.

No, I always purchase it legally.

I have purchased it both legally and illegally.

Have you ever witnessed a negative healt effect due to vaporized THC use?

(Such as a “greenout seizure, asthma attack,

For two weeks, The Observer conducted an anonymous survey a

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THE OBSERVER October 16, 2019

as they burn the user’s lung tissue when inhaled. These lung damages closely resemble the chemical burns incurred by individuals who were exposed to poisonous gases during World War I. Individuals with vaping-related illnesses have exhibited symptoms like fevers, nausea, difficulty breathing and more.

Although initially Vitamin E *Out of 76 Responses*

$201-$250 $151-$200 $101-$150 $51-$100

Frequency

Vaporized THC

Any/All Drugs

Weed

In New York state, all commercially available or modified vaporized THC devices are illegal.

Were you aware of this?

If you use vaporized THC, do you smoke weed?

36.9%

62.8%

Yes

37.2%

No

Weed only Neither

5.4% 25.3%

20.3%

Yes

49%

Both Vaporized THC only

I have never used

39.4% such a device 23.7%

.

th o

These statistics did not differ when it came to marijuana. In fact, 29% of students reported witnessing a negative health effect after smoking marijuana, and a similar 12% reported experiencing such an effect themselves.

As headlines surface and videos of affected teenagers urging others to stop vaping circulate the internet, 37% of students reported that their opinions on vaping THC have changed.

“I’ve definitely seen a shift in the culture more towards smoking real weed and avoiding cartridges,” said one student.

Another stated, “After hearing of a fellow student falling ill from their vaporized THC, I stopped using it and have not used vaporized THC since then.” Still, 24% of students reported that their opinions had not changed because of the recent national headlines.

$1-$50

Have the news reports of lung diseases being correlated to e-cigarettes and vaporized THC use affected your use of these devices?

r

smoking “real” marijuana only and just over 20% reported using both.

Students were also asked if they had ever witnessed or experienced “negative health effects” due to smoking weed or vaporized THC. These effects were defined as any kind of adverse reaction to inhaling a substance, most commonly reported as asthma attacks, seizures or “greenouts” — an experience where one dissociates from their body, similar to sleep paralysis.

In the survey, 25% of students confirmed that they have witnessed negative health effects due to vaporized THC use, and 12% of students ad m it ted to exper ienci ng effects themselves.

11

56% Yes

No

44% No

Have you ever experienced a negative health effect due to real weed?

73.3%

No

26.7%

Yes

88.4%

Have you ever used a vaporized THC device?

No

11.6%

Yes

t,” etc.?)

about the misconceptions of vaping. These are the results from the 249 students who responded.

GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATION BY STEPH LAWLOR

Drug Spending Per Month

$250+

was thought to be the potential culprit of these severe lung conditions, recent research from the Mayo Clinic has ruled it out as a possibility. However, multiple Fordham students were still quick to cite it as the cause. “It’s safe to assume that it is the vitamin E oil and not THC that is contributing to these deaths,” wrote one student.

Currently, nearly 51% of Fordham Lincoln Center students report actively smoking weed or vaping THC. 5% reported using vaporized THC only, 25% reported

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Arts & Culture

By ETHAN COUGHLIN & ANA PAULA CAMACHO PÉREZ Asst. Arts & Culture Editor & Contributing Writer

Arts & Culture Editor Gillian Russo - grusso12@fordham.edu

October 16, 2019

THE OBSERVER

Reel Talk

Now that the New York Film Festival has ended, look out for these favorites on streaming platforms soon “The Wild Goose Lake” -Ethan

Yi’nan Diao’s “The Wild Goose Lake” is just that: wild. The film follows a gangster on the run.

While that doesn’t tell you much, saying more about the plot would ultimately take away from it. You start somewhere in the middle of the story as the film liberally jumps between timelines and perspectives. The entire time, you have no idea what will happen next, who’s important, sometimes even where you are — but you’re never too far from Goose Lake. I only wished the perfectly choreographed fight scenes were longer. At the heart of this gangster film is a story about family and ultimately doing whatever it takes for them.

“Wasp Network” -Ana

“Saturday Fiction” -Ethan

Set in Japanese-occupied Shanghai on the cusp of World War II, “Saturday Fiction” follows an acclaimed actress working undercover to gather intelligence for the Allies. The film is a classic slow-burn spy thriller that is completely carried by a

phenomenal performance from Li Gong. There’s love, betrayal, deception and heart-racing shootouts — just about everything a spy movie should have.

Gong’s performance mixed with masterful editing keeps the film engaging despite the slow pace.

GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATIONS BY STEPH LAWLOR

Action-packed, phenomenally edited and with an authentic ambience, Olivier Assayas’ “Wasp Network” presents the nerve-wracking story of a group who gives its name to the film’s title. Centered around Cuban pilot René González (Édgar Ramírez Arellano), Assayas portrays the story of a network that worked for the Cuban government and clandestinely infiltrated several Cuban

American aid groups in the United States. With the participation of actors from all over Latin America and Spain, including stunning performances by Penélope Cruz and Gael García Bernal, Assayas crafted a piece that will make audiences empathize with characters considered as traitors. He might leave them questioning the true story behind politically controversial issues such as this one.

“First Cow” -Ethan

“The Irishman” -Ethan

“The Irishman” feels like I sat down to hear old stories from my grandfather and ended up learning he’s cooler than I thought. Acclaimed filmmaker Martin Scorsese’s latest project holds up to the director’s incredibly strong portfolio with ease. The meticulous story of “Goodfellas” meets the excitement of “The Wolf of Wall

Street” and the unhinged nature of “Taxi Driver.” While Robert De Niro, Joe Pesci and the rest of the cast all give incredibly strong performances, it’s Al Pacino who steals the show.

His portrayal of James Hoffa is his strongest performance in years as he masterfully captures the complex personality of such an influential figure.

“The Traitor” -Ana

Marco Bellocchio’s “The Traitor” (Il Traditore) depicts the true story of the man behind the Sicilian Mafia’s collapse: Tommaso Busccetta (Pierfrancesco Favino).

Busccetta, also known as “Don Masino,” became the first person to tell the truth about “Cosa Nostra,” the criminal organization he belonged to. Alongside Judge Giovanni Falcone (Fausto Russo Alesi), they carried out the

Maxi Trial, one of the most iconic events of Italian history. Mixing historical events, the use of the Italian language and the Sicilian dialect, as well as the question of loyalty, Bellocchio presents a complex character that audiences will be both charmed by and conflicted with due to his choices. As Favino said during a Q&A at the festival, “To the Sicilians, he was the one who betrayed the world.”

Kelly Reichardt’s “First Cow” was the biggest surprise to me at the festival. The film was exquisite. Telling the story of two frontier men trying to make a living together, it is the best portrayal of friendship I’ve seen in years. Shot in a 4:3 aspect ratio (meaning the screen itself narrower than your usual film), the film employs subtle but impactful cinematography.

Actor Orion Lee said it best, stating in a post-film Q&A that the film allows you to come into it, but it does not force you to do so. This sort of charm makes the slower plot still extremely engaging in a charming way that I haven’t experienced with a film.

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Famous Film Festivals The premier film festivals are:

Cannes Film Festival Sundance Film Festival Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) Telluride Film Festival Venice International Film Festival Berlin International Film Festival (Berlinale) If your film doesn’t premiere at one of those festivals, you can kiss any dream of winning the Oscar for Best Picture goodbye. The last film to take home the Best Picture prize without premiering at a festival was “The Departed” in 2006.

Just below that you have other famous film festivals like:

Tribeca Film Festival South by Southwest New York Film Festival (NYFF)

THE OBSERVER October 16, 2019

What Makes a Film Festival?

By ETHAN COUGHLIN Asst. Arts & Culture Editor

Last February, “Green Book” won the Academy Award for Best Picture after premiering at the Toronto International Film Festival the prior September. The year before, “The Shape of Water” premiered at the Venice International Film Festival and then won Best Picture. The 2016 Best Picture winner, “Moonlight,” won after its premiere at the Telluride Film Festival the previous year. Great films are bred and born at film festivals around the globe.

While most people know what a film festival is, do they really know what goes on at one?

Film festivals are events where independent films are screened for fans, critics and filmmakers alike.

They often have multiple categories and some sort of competition or prizes. At the top festivals, the categories often include a main slate or main competition, experimental films, documentaries, shorts and more.

Most of the films and filmmakers you’re familiar with compete within the main slate or competition category. Besides film screenings, festivals often host talks, panels and workshops with actors and filmmakers.

With so many festivals, each one has to have a reason for audiences and filmmakers to be interested. The top festivals are able to do this on prestige alone. Other

festivals have to find other ways to be appealing.

Some film festivals are specialized or have a theme. For example, NewFest hosts a festival every year celebrating LGBTQ film and media held right here in the city. Screamfest is a horror film festival that happens every fall in Los Angeles.

NYFF has carved its own spot within the film festival world by establishing itself as the event that New York films and filmmakers cannot miss. While it is an international festival showcasing films from all over the globe, the best films from or about the Big Apple always screen at the NYFF. This year’s opening and centerpiece films, “The Irishman” and “Marriage Story,” were by New York film directors. The closing, “Motherless Brooklyn,” was set in the city.

From the outside, it may look like a bunch of movie snobs watching movies, but there is much more going on.

Most filmmakers take their films to festivals to get press and secure distribution deals. In 2015, Trey Edward Shults took a crowdfunded movie starring his family filmed at his mom’s house over two weeks called “Krisha” to the South

by Southwest film festival. He not only secured distribution rights for the film with A24, but also a two-movie deal that would see A24 make his 2017 horror film “It Comes at Night” and the upcoming film “Waves.” Despite not even having a film in the competition, Barry Jenkins was able to secure funding

for “Moonlight” by networking at the 2013 Telluride Film Festival.

Before a film is seen by the general public, the press often gets the chance to see and review the films at advanced press screenings.

Smaller films rely on good reviews from the press to even fill the theater for their festival premieres, not to mention possible theatrical releases.

Beyond the politics, no film festival is complete without a little drama. At the 2016 Cannes Film Festival, director Nicolas Winding Refn (“Drive,” “The Neon Demon”) revealed in an interview that fellow festival attendee Lars von Trier (“Melancholia,” “Dogville”) tried to sleep with his wife and was a heavy drug user. This feud was carried over from the previous year’s festival where von Trier made some questionable Nazi comments.

While you may not be able to secure a ticket to the premier festivals, there are literally hundreds of film festivals around the city and online every year. Go to them and support independent film. You may discover a new favorite filmmaker or even get the chance to see an Academy Award-winning film while it’s still just another entry. Now that NYFF has come to a close, I’ll be waiting until February to see if Scorsese can once again take home Best Picture without premiering at one of the top six festivals. Perhaps he can elevate the NYFF so there will be seven top festivals.

A Fordham Student’s Guide to LGBT History Month

By POLINA UZORNIKOVA Staff Writer

“There’s two of them?”

My friend asked this when I shared my intent to write about LGBT History Month.

Less popularized than Pride Month in June, it spans across the whole of October. The city is filled with art, film, theater, awareness, social justice and just plain fun events, all in the spirit of the special month.

If you weren’t in New York this past June, now is the time to engage with LGBTQ culture both on and off campus.

Lincoln Center Film Festival has anticipated the month with screenings of two LGBTQ-related films. “Born to Be” is a documentary about the emotional and physical journey of medically transitioning, inspired

by New York’s 2015 law on transgender-related care and services covered by health insurance. “Portrait of a Lady on Fire,” the winner of the Queer Palm and Best Screenplay awards at Cannes this year, is a story of a devastating romance between an artist and her muse.

If you didn’t catch those two, they will soon be on streaming services. If you’re starved for more quality LGBTQ cinema, check out NewFest, New York’s LGBTQ Film Festival. From Oct. 23-29, the festival presents a satisfying culmination to a month that celebrates LGBTQ history. Featured screenings include “Beyond the Binary,” a series of shorts by trans, nonbinary and intersex directors that showcase the diversity of perspectives in queer and trans communities, and “Seventeen,” a lesbian coming-of-age story. Rounding out the lineup is “Cubby,” a semi-autobiography of a midwestern 20-something who moves to New York City to become an artist — a story that, perhaps, will resonate best with the Fordham audience.

For those interested in theater, the Greenwich Village-located LGBT Center will allow the public to attend an open rehearsal of Heartbeat Opera’s

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The Leslie-Lohman museum is currently displaying multiple exhibits to celebrate LGBT History Month.

“Hot Mama: Singing Gays Saving Gaia” on Oct. 24, for a suggested donation of $10. This mix of drag, opera and pastiche celebrates Mother Earth in all her beauty and biodiversity. The actual show is on Oct. 30 and 31 at the Roulette Intermedium in Brooklyn, and ticket prices start at $30.

For art lovers, the Leslie-Lohman Museum has created “Being Seen Makes a Movement Possible,” a window installation that showcases the 40-year-long documentation of the LGBTQ movement through photography. Although it didn’t

open with the celebration of the LGBT History Month as its prime goal (it has been on since Pride Month), the exhibit is essential for anyone who wants to find out more about the LGBTQ community of the past.

What does open for History Month is “ON OUR BACKS: The Revolutionary Art of Queer Sex Work,” an exhibition that explores the history of queer sex work and its relationship to art and activism, on display until Jan. 19, 2020, also at the Leslie-Lohman. The suggested admission fee is $10.

If you don’t feel like taking a trip in order to experience LGBTQ history and community, the Rainbow Alliance is bringing this experience to the Lincoln Center campus. The club will end the month with the peak of Fordham LGBTQ pride and allyship: The Second Annual Drag Show. You can still sign up as a gender/ non-gender drag performer to sing, lip-sync, dance, do standup or anything else that comes to mind. You can sign up by emailing fclcrainbowalliance@ gmail.com or attend the show on Nov. 1 at 8 p.m.

Arts & Culture

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Student Radio Comes to Campus RADIO from page 1

Despite not creating their mix with a specific social commentary in mind, the Wavelengths staff was pleasantly surprised at the community’s appreciation of this musical sisterhood.

Kwok described music and playlist-making as a love language. “It’s how you share who you are because the artists who you listen to speak to you in some way. You’re not supposed to look [for music]

You’re not supposed to look [for music] all the time, it just happens to you.

Gill Kwok, Wavelengths Graphic Design and Art Director

all the time, it just happens to you.”

When creating a new mix, each E-Board member adds three songs to every new playlist. The members’ tastes are distinct, but they overlap. Bury described how the Wavelengths order their songs through a Barney from “How I Met Your Mother” reference: “You start small, and then you keep going until you reach the peak, but then you gotta come back from that.”

A film major, Bury also likened ordering music to storytelling: Start with the exposition, bring it to the climax, provide the listener with a resolution and “make it a dialogue instead of chopped-up scenes.” In regards to picking their tracks, some, like Bury, go down memory lane and reflect on what they used to listen to a week, a month, a year ago. Others, like Taylor, keep themselves in check by thinking about popular tastes.

For the short term, the Wavelengths board is looking to move the base of operations to Martino Hall, hoping to utilize its professional sound booth. They also aim to collaborate with such Fordham projects as Ramses Records and Winterfest. In addition, they hope to increase the breadth of their broadcasts by adding a talk-show element, as well as making their music playlists more thematic.

Their long-term plans are much more ambitious. By the time the current E-Board graduates, they want to see their project stand on its own and be a fully operational student-run radio station with permanent staff and secure funding. Inspired by the history of WFUV, which was also a student-led start-up in the ’50s, they are cautious of expanding with the help of a larger corporation, which WFUV did in the ’80s.

“These days, they don’t even put Fordham students on air apart from on Sundays.

There is an hour of traditional Irish music on Sundays, and that’s run by a guy who goes to Rose Hill,” said de Ganon.

Lincoln Center’s radio station never wants to let the goal of facilitating community out of its sight, no matter where their artistic development takes them.

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Arts & Culture

October 16, 2019 THE OBSERVER

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Two Weeks of World-Class Ballet

A look at the works in American Ballet Theatre’s eclectic fall season

By ISABELLA SOTTILE Contributing Writer

American Ballet Theatre (ABT)’s 2019 fall season, opening right next door at Lincoln Center in the David H. Koch Theater, offers two weeks of diverse and dynamic shows. It includes world premieres, classic masterpieces, works from ABT choreographers and tributes to ABT’s Women’s Movement.

This season also celebrates Principal Dancer Herman Cornejo’s 20th anniversary with ABT. Promoted to principal in 2003, Cornejo’s numerous awards include titles such as Dancer of the Year by The New York Times and Peace Messenger by UNESCO. The New York Times said, “Mr. Cornejo — different in every role — is the most miraculous dancer before the New York public, and the most complete, complex artist in Ballet Theatre’s roster.”

His anniversary celebration will take place the evening of Saturday, Oct. 26, showcasing Balanchine’s “Apollo,” “El Chamuyo: Pièce D’Occasion” — a tango set to music by Francisco Canaro and choreographed by Ana María Stekelman — and Twyla Tharp’s “A Gathering of Ghosts.”

The season opens with the 2019 Fall Gala on Wednesday, Oct. 16. This program includes “Let Me Sing Forevermore,” a romantic duet bringing jazz and ballet together to showcase the versatility of the company. It is choreographed by Jessica Lang with music sung by Tony Bennett.

Next, “A Gathering of Ghosts,” Tharp’s first world premiere for ABT in 10 years, was choreographed to celebrate Cornejo’s 20th anniversary. Finally, “Theme and Variations,” a historically classic George Balanchine ballet set to the magnificent music of Tchaikovsky, exhibits the incredible stamina and precise technique of the ABT dancers.

There are three main programs running through the fall season — “The Masters;” “Balanchine,” “Bennett, & The Beach Boys;” and “The New Romantics.”

Running Oct. 17, 19 and 22, The Masters is set to be a display of choreographic genius from three world-renowned choreographers — Balanchine, Tharp and Alexei Ratmanksy. It includes “Theme and Variations” and “A Gathering

COURTESY OF ROSALIE O’CONNOR

“Garden Blue,” in which dancers interact with three abstract sculptures, is one of 12 pieces in ABT’s fall lineup.

of Ghosts” in addition to Ratmansky’s “The Seasons.” Ratmansky’s work, originally premiered in May of this year for Ratmanksy’s 10th year of choreographing for ABT, is a plotless ballet with archetypal characters used to symbolize attributes of the seasons in an abstract manner. “The Seasons,” he said, “is a declaration of love, expression of gratitude and gift to the company that has been my home for the last decade.”

Balanchine, Bennett, & The Beach Boys, running Oct. 18, 19, 20 and 24, combines classical ballet with contemporary music from The Beach Boys, Tony Bennett, Igor Stravinsky and William Bolcom. It is comprised of Balanchine’s “Apollo,” Clark Tippet’s “Some Assembly Required,” Lang’s “Let Me Sing Forevermore” and Tharp’s “Deuce Coupe.”

“Apollo” is a neoclassical work depicting the life of Apollo through Balanchine’s unprecedented choreographic genius.

Tippet’s “Some Assembly Required”’ is a “pas de deux” illustrating the intimacy and tension of a relationship. Tharp’s “Deuce Coupe” marries the upbeat, joyous music of the ’60s and ’70s with the traditional, refined movement of ballet creating an unconventional experience in dance.

The third major program, The New Romantics, celebrates ABT’s new generation of choreographers. It includes Lang’s “Garden Blue,” James Whiteside’s “New American Romance” and a world premiere from Gemma Bond, “A Time There Was.” “Garden Blue” features the music of Antonín Dvořák and an interactive set design composed of three large abstract butterfly sculptures which the dancers manipulate throughout, making the piece, as described by DanceTab, “sculptural and lyrical.” “New American Romance,” originally premiered at Vail Dance Festival in July, offers a view of modern love in conjunc-

tion with classical ballet. “A Time There Was” is Bond’s first work for her peers at ABT, featuring a score inspired by English folk music and choreographed to display the unparalleled power and beauty of ABT’s dancers.

ABT is also putting on a family-friendly matinee on Oct. 26 including works from the aforementioned three programs as well as the magical Grand Pas de Deux from “The Nutcracker.”

With its innovative merging of classical movement and contemporary music, ABT’s fall 2019 season of mixed repertory promises to be a sensational event. For discounted tickets, students can visit the David H. Koch Theater’s box office on the day of the performance they wish to attend.

With the presentation of a valid student ID, two tickets can be purchased for $36.50 or less each (excluding the day of the opening gala). More information on the season can be found at abt.org.

Felt for Thought: Inside Lucy’s Deli on 6th

By MACA LEON Social Media Editor

Displaying a huge cash register and offering selections of crab, oranges and avocados, Lucy’s Delicatessen could be any deli on any street corner — except that it isn’t a real deli, and most of the food available for purchase isn’t real either.

Located at Rockefeller Center on the corner of 49th Street and 6th Avenue, Lucy Sparrow’s Delicatessen on 6th is an art installation on view through Oct. 20. It was created by artist Lucy Sparrow to mimic the experience of shopping at an upscale deli. Unlike at other upscale delis, though, the $10 cream cheese bagel and fresh produce at Lucy’s are all made entirely out of felt.

Walking up to Lucy’s Delicatessen is an experience all on its own with its bright pink walls and vintage milk crates overflowing with handfuls of colorful hand-stitched produce, ranging from bright red apples to stalks of asparagus tied together with a small brown string. The real magic happens

once you step indoors and realize that each of the 300,000 products is adorned with tiny smiley faces.

Aside from produce, you’ll also find a variety of soft, plush seafood, including scarlet red lobsters, shiny sardines and oysters you can shuck by removing the smiling bivalves from their shells. Next to it is a cheese counter carrying everything from mozzarella to Muenster, and in the meat counter, giant slabs of T-bone steak stand tall next to strings of sausages. If you are looking for something more exotic, head to the back of the deli for some delicious-looking sushi.

Everything in the deli is extraordinary; however, my favorite section was the immaculately planned patisserie, which included glazed fruit tarts, chocolate cake with thick white frosting and key lime pies adorned with small felt limes.

The only downside of the exhibit is the elevated prices of the various felt products. Although some items such as the strawberries and sardines can be bought for $10, many of the items range higher on the price spectrum, with

MACA LEON/THE OBSERVER

Each individual felt food item at Lucy’s Deli is hand-stitched.

some such as the lobster going as high as $200. But for such beautiful craftsmanship, can you blame them?

Nonetheless, Lucy’s Delicatessen is a fun and unique place to spend some time. I highly recom-

mend that next time you’re in the area, you pick up a grocery basket and get to shopping. However, if you do miss out on this delicious exhibit, you can look at more of Sparrow’s work on her website.

Britanys to Play at Rod’s

By ALYANA VERA Staff Writer

The Britanys — singer Lucas Long, guitarist Jake Williams, drummer Steele Kratt and bassist Burke Williams — are using technology to interact with their fans in an unprecedented way.

Ahead of their show on Oct. 25 at Rodrigue’s Coffee House at Rose Hill, I spoke with the foursome about the role technology plays in building community.

The Bushwick-based rock quartet has been using technology to connect with fans for a while.

Their last release saw them set up a shared Instagram account for anyone to use. For their forthcoming release, the band is uploading new music as they work on it in real time to a public Google Drive.

Filled with archival data, one can track the band’s sonic progression through the Drive: from the Strokes-esque sound of the 2016’s “Early Tapes” to a sound that readily embraces the musicality of technology in “1-833-IDK-HTBA,” The Britanys are inviting fans to watch as they continue to develop their sound.

While Long joked that the band set up the Drive because they didn’t have the money for Dropbox, Jake Williams said, “We didn’t like the fact that we had to do these very official releases. So the Google Drive was an alternative where we could put stuff up on there, and people can listen or download as they want.

“It’s like when [Bob] Dylan released the basement tapes, and then you had a different version of all these songs that you already love. We’re just doing it simultaneous with the final product.”

Long added, “It almost breaks the barrier of even thinking too much because we’re working in live time. That’s our workflow right now.”

Feedback can be tricky, as eager fans may provide only praise rather than constructive feedback. Kratt emphasized the role of engagement and stats, pointing out that these figures help the band to see “which songs are tickling people’s ears a little bit more.”

“When we’re happy with it internally, then we’ll put it out,” said Kratt. “From there, we can see what we think works, how it fits into our views of music and what they actually think through their actions.”

This feedback has a real impact on the band’s work. Take the song “I Love New York,” for example; originally meant to be a bonus track, the audience’s reception pushed the band to change that.

“When we played it at a show, people took videos of that song,” Long said. “That was the one that people responded to, so that will probably be more of a focus track.”

The willingness to listen to their audience comes in part from how the band views their fans; Jake Williams said that the band has “never played the rock-androll card.”

“We’re at a level where we want all sorts of feedback, and people that like our music are the best people to talk to.”

Technology has made it easier than ever for music to be a solitary exercise, with the genre bedroom pop spawning from this fact. Long said that now “a band is sort of seen as an archaic thing,” but he emphasized the radical potential for community that a band represents.

“A band is a unique thing where you’re actually making something together. That’s what always personally drew me into a band; you’re able to make things with your friends.”

By inviting fans into their process and engaging them as equals, The Britanys are using technology’s best impulse — its democratizing power — to combat its worst — its isolating effect.

The Britanys play Rodrigue’s Coffee House at Rose Hill on Oct. 25 at 8 p.m.

un &

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Across 1. front-page stories 5. writer on page 14 9. jumps 13. editor whose name appears on the centerfold 15. words on many a Paris street sign 16. office of a prelate 17. angry 18. mail about bank or credit card: Abbr.

19. location found on page 9

21. topic discussed on pages 12-14 23. grp. for world reading 25. region in ancient Persia also known as Characene 26. event on pg. 12 29. skipped 30. poetic lament for the dead 31. Khartoum locale 33. Virginia or Bank, e.g.

34. village on Thasos, Greece 35. antidepressant such as Lexapro

Scorpio

39. at night or by night, to Caesar 40. juicy gourd such as cantaloupe 41. warm Balsam: 2 words 45.

Family Teach-In, page 17 47. wandering from home 48. second Chinese empire 49. condition characterized by mood swings and cramps: Abbr.

50. more than anything 53. singer Jonas 55. bottom? (bunk bed, e.g.)

56. winds plaguing Southern California 60. suffix of some Roman names 61. advisors 62. topics of the centerfold News/Sports piece: Abbr.

63. Mmes., to Maria y José 64. eye infection

Down 1. distinguished award for amity-makers: Abbr.

2. way to hear 3. fights 4. Adidas NMD R1 shoe 5. itty bitty 6. the end of your email address 7. Shrek, e.g.

8. Sethi of “The Jungle Book” 9. pester 10. speaks eloquently

Sept. 23 — Oct. 22

Libra, fall is at its peak and so are you. As the month approaches its midpoint, your focus shifts towards your reputation and appearance.

You tend to come off as put together and straightforward, but your ongoing concerns will find some sunshine throughout this cloudy weather. Get ready to see the positive aspects of your dilemmas that will allow you to slowly let go of your worries.

Oct. 23 — Nov. 21

Scattered Scorpio, your attention is on anything and everything this month. But you will soon find yourself shifting your focus onto something that has completely slipped your mind — your physical and mental health. As the month progresses quickly, make sure to spend some time thinking about your career goals. Face your fear of the unknown and give your most unrealistic goal a shot.

Sagittarius

Nov. 22 — Dec. 21

Sagittarius, your mind is racing this month in urgency and desperation.

Some of your plans are quite unrealistic, and some of them may define your future decisions. You have dedicated most of the first half of the month to your work and growth as an intellectual. In the second half of the month, you will find yourself working harder and striving to succeed in your major goal this season.

Capricorn

Dec. 22 — Jan. 19

Cap, what is the true meaning and motivation behind your actions nowadays? Take some time aside as you are busy and struggling to make time for the things that make you happy. Your balance between home, work and play has been thrown off, and it is now time to find a healthy medium.

Aquarius

Gemini Jan. 20 — Feb. 18

Aquarius, your craft will enhance your creativity in the coming weeks.

Take time to review your work, but don’t get overly critical. You are starting to put your perspective, time and effort into the right things mid-October. Your leadership skills will come back into the picture as you progress in your professional life.

Pisces

Feb. 19 — March 20

Pisces, you’re not going to let anyone disturb your peace as the month wraps up. The intense and vocal Ninth House will allow you to speak up about your feelings and what’s been on your mind lately. You will find yourself stepping out of your comfort zone to maintain your calm state of mind.

Aries

March 21 — April 19

Aries, you always think of life situations as either/ or, but good things in your professional life will soon make you branch out of that mindset. This month, you seem to be the one who compromises a lot when it comes to relationships and self-care.

Taurus

April 20 — May 20

Taurus, you’ve been taking a break from the things that excite you.

Thankfully, you’ll be exploring your passions once again. Try to fix up a routine that you can continue until the end of the year. You are ready to take the lead in most situations this season; you’re comfortable speaking up about the things that are bothering you.

May 21 — June 20

Gemini, though you’ve been super busy this month, you will be receiving the fruits of your labor. Network and net worth are the keywords for you this month. A new experience in your professional sector will intertwine with your friendship sector. Good news: Your connections may become some of your closest friends.

Cancer

July 23 — Aug. 22

Lively Leo, remember to not overstep emotional boundaries this month.

You are caring and loving by nature, but it may come off as too overwhelming for some.

Take things slowly as your conflicting feelings create chaos in your mind.

Thankfully, you’re great at handling these inner conflicts. Take a day or two to stay in and do something for yourself.

Virgo

Aug. 23 — Sept. 22

Virgo, in a time of juggling your further studies, work and the feelings that are keeping you up after midnight, you’ll find peace in a new passion.

Try exploring something out of your comfort zone; keep your passion for creativity alive in the midst of an upcoming chaotic schedule.

Only two of these rats are exactly the same; can you find them?

11. foot in front of the other 12. be suddenly angry 14. Fordhamize?

15. inhabit 20. Watson and Stone 21. not many 22. vex 24. grp.

27. administration: Abbr.

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52. hibernator’s home 54. upcoming feline film 57. grp. of 2nd Amendment supporters 58. second, custom finish 59. direction of Rome, from London: Abbr.

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BY JILL RICE

•Rats take care of injured and sick rats in their communities, and they can become lonely and depressed without companionship.

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•Their front teeth grow about 5 inches per year.

Sumdoku

June 21 — July 22

Cancer, you try so hard to be the best version of yourself professionally and emotionally. Allow yourself to take things at a slower pace this month to maintain your peace. Your 10th House of Professional Ambition will lead to small successes this month as you’re working your way up to your end goal.

Leo

October 16, 2019 THE OBSERVER

Matchmaking

Horoscope

A MOHUNSINGH

By PRISK Staff Writer

Libra

Fun & Games Editor Esmé Bleecker-Adams - ebleeckeradams@fordham.edu

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Features

October 16, 2019 THE OBSERVER

Stranded in Stove’s: Cross-Campus Improv Show

Rose Hill’s Stranded in Pittsburgh hosted Lincoln Center’s Stove’s Cabin Crew at a Halloween-themed comedy show

PHOTOGRAPHER’S NAME/THE OBSERVER

8.8-point on 9.8 Times Italic cutline goes right herey, with some more information about the photo runnin

JACQUELINE PIERCE/THE OBSERVER

Stove’s and SIP members watch Nora Thomas, FCRH ’21, improvise a scene with Kevin Daley, FCRH ’22.

By JACQUELINE PIERCE Contributing Writer

While this long weekend found many students traveling home or trekking to the library to cram for midterms, seven Lincoln Center students spent Saturday night up at Rose Hill — but maybe not the part of Rose Hill you might expect.

A small group of Stove’s Cabin Crew, Fordham Lincoln Center’s comedy club, combined with Rose Hill’s Stranded in Pittsburgh (SIP), an improv group, to put on a Halloween themed improv show. This event marked the first time Stove’s has ever collaborated with a Rose Hill comedy club.

The group that ventured across borough lines varied in terms of experience. There were executive board members and new members, from freshmen to seniors.

Those who volunteered to participate in this collaborative show practiced as a group outside of the usual Stove’s meetings. Allie Stofer, Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) ’23, said, “The rehearsal process was really fun.

We rehearsed at night a couple times before the show, and it was really just a fun time for all of us to get to know each other and get comfortable improving together.”

The show, which took place in the intimate black box theater of Collins Hall at Rose Hill, began with the members of both groups

up on stage. SIP then encouraged the whole room to chant “Stove’s, Stove’s, Stove’s,” and it was immediately clear that this event was based on building a cross-campus community, not competition between SIP and Stove’s.

Then, the show took off. The groups began all together by playing an improv game called “Sex with Me,” in which the comedians took audience-suggested words, in this case “confetti,” “tater tots” and “Swiffer,” and had to explain how they could be used as an analogy for sex. While SIP threw out the first couple jokes, it was not long before the members of Stove’s were participating with both ridiculous and clever quips of their own. The inquiry by Andy Vega, FCLC ’20, “What is it made of?” regarding confetti and sex garnered especially big laughs.

After this game, the members of Stove’s left the stage and SIP performed an improv scene. They began by taking an audience volunteer, whom they questioned aggressively for a few minutes, with topics ranging from her least favorite city (Montreal) to where she had her first kiss (a church).

The performers then excused her from the stage and claimed they were going to show the audience scenes from her nightmares.

The scene consisted of questionable French accents, Cuban

missile attacks and meddling parents, all of which left the audience a little confused, but mostly just laughing out loud.

SIP let the story run quite far from the original idea of the audience member’s “nightmare,” but the audience was happy to go along because the absurdity only made for more hilarity.

This remarkable collaborative spirit came from both groups putting in the work. SIP opened up their stage, and Stove’s rose to the occasion.

After SIP ended its scene, it was time for Stove’s to take the stage once more — this time alone. They decided to start with an audience suggestion, which this time was “mushrooms.”

While the performers began by hunting for mushrooms for a magic potion, the scene also included salt wizards, incompetent doctors and a very dysfunctional family. The Stove’s group did a particularly good job of weaving

their story line together, so the audience understood how the scenes progressed.

The most memorable moment was when Robert Sundstrom, FCLC ’22, playing a wizard character shouted, “In five seconds, there better be a member in my hand!” leading to a human resources meeting for the characters. However, each member of the group had a number of unforgettable lines as the scene progressed.

After the two groups performed separately, SIP and Stove’s came together once more to act out one last scene as one unit. Again, an audience suggestion got them started, but the group quickly bounced from explicit names to substitute teachers to runaway fathers. A particularly funny bit involved medical students who received mixed messages about how to treat a dying patient, asking someone who had fallen out of a building if they “need[ed] a hot towel.”

The best moments came from this last scene in which both groups worked together. While such a large group could have led to mayhem or confusion, the audience could still clearly follow the action. Furthermore, all of the members of both groups were able to participate, with no one being talked over or left behind.

All the performers were quick to include members of both groups in every bit.

The group dynamic between the performers felt stronger despite the fact that SIP and Stove’s had never performed or even practiced together. The audience could feel an increase in energy as jokes flew from all directions.

The concepts were more creative, which led to bigger laughs. The excitement of the performers was palpable and quickly spread to the audience members.

This remarkable collaborative spirit came from both groups putting in the work. SIP opened up their stage, and Stove’s rose to the occasion. Maddy Casale, Stove’s president and FCLC ’20, said the event was “a lot of fun” largely because “Stranded in Pittsburgh was so welcoming.”

When asked how this collaboration came to fruition, Casale explained, “I was put in touch with the head of SIP, who ended up being in one of my classes.”

While oftentimes Rose Hill and Lincoln Center are pitted against each other, it was refreshing to see how the two groups actually improved by working together.

Though this was the first intercampus comedy show, those who saw this show — and those who missed it — hope that it is not the last.

17

Features

October 16, 2019 THE OBSERVER

Club Spotlight: BeWell LC

www.fordhamobserver.com

COURTESY OF KYLAH HONKALA

Students were sent to various locations throughout the Upper West Side to compete for prizes.

COURTESY OF BEWELL LC

This year’s Amazing Race had one of the most successful turnouts — nine teams registered, and six teams finished the race.

By OLIVIA STERN Contributing Writer

After seeing the flyers for Amazing Race around campus at Fordham Lincoln Center (FLC), you might be wondering: what exactly is its host club BeWell LC? President Finley Peay, FCLC ’20, describes it as a health and wellness organization with the goals of building a community and educating the student body about both physical and mental wellness.

The club started in 2014 with Sophie Scott, FCLC ’18, as president. Peay was roped into the club by Scott herself as a freshman when Scott was her Resident Freshmen Mentor. Since then, she has worked her way up, first as a wellness educator and then as an E-Board member. “I feel like I have really big shoes to fill,” Peay said.

Vice President Kylah Honkala, FCLC ’21, became involved during her sophomore year as a wellness educator and soon moved up to the E-Board, staying in the vice president position since then.

Both Honkala and Peay agreed that this year’s Amazing Race was one of the more successful races that they have hosted in the club’s history. Since it’s one of the club’s longest running events, each year has varying success. This year, nine teams registered and six finished the race to completion. The winning team included Tessa Burns and Katie Fox, FCLC ‘23, and Charlotte Candler, Grace Oakey and Hannah Quirk, Gabelli School of Business (GSBLC) ’23.

The girls heard about the event from Peay at the BeWell club outing to Sweetgreen. “It was very tiring running over four miles

around the Upper West Side, but certainly very worth it for the gift cards we won!” Oakey said.

A change for the club this year is a new advisor, Associate Director for Student Involvement Melissa Gazal. Honkala and Peay work with her in the Office of Student Involvement (OSI), and they have gotten to know her quite well already.

“I love her; she’s an FCLC grad, so she understands the hecticness of our lives,” Peay said. Gazal explained that most of her responsibilities as advisor have to do with being a resource for the E-Board.

She answers logistical questions relating to the budget or programming. “Health and wellness is something that I enjoy on a personal level, so it’s been really great to work with a group that aligns with my own personal values,” Gazal said.

BeWell is already working on their next upcoming events.

They are collaborating with Campus Activities Board (CAB) for a Wellness Bingo Night on Nov. 21, which will involve some wellness-themed prizes along with

health. This event is working toward one of Peay and Honkala’s goal for BeWell: collaborating with other clubs on campus in order to inform the student body about what BeWell truly is. “It’s not that we have a reputation for just educating about alcohol and drugs; we just don’t have a big reputation yet,” Honkala said. “There was a joke that we were a beekeeping club at one point.” The E-Board stressed that they want to be able to be an additional resource that’s less formal than administration.

This includes all of the student body, not just BeWell members.

They also plan independent events, such as pizza nights on Friday evenings. They buy pizzas and are stationed in both the McKeon and McMahon lobbies to give out pizza before students leave for a night out. They also check in with students to see if they have Public Safety’s number or a ride-hailing app on their phones. Honkala and Peay stressed that they are aware that some Fordham students engage with alcohol and drugs, and it’s not feasible to prevent this entirely. However, they at least want

them to be partaking in them as safely as they possibly can.

The weekly meetings are not serial; students can come whenever available. BeWell meets on Wednesdays at 5:15 p.m. in G73.

“It’s not a TV series; you can start in the middle,” Peay said. They also recommended visiting them in the Office for Student Involvement or just coming up to them to ask questions if you see them around campus.

Honkala wants to diversify the topics on which they educate students. “I want to talk about more than just alcohol and drugs,” Honkala said. She mentioned exploring the realms of advocating for more options relating to physical activity and people with dietary restrictions on campus.

Since Peay is graduating in the spring, she is looking ahead to the future of BeWell after she leaves. She still wants to focus on growing the membership of the club and establishing the welcoming community she strives for BeWell to be. “It’s bound to ‘be’ a good time!” Peay said.

Campus Ministry Calls Out Capitol Hill

The Fordham community will attend the annual Ignatian Family Teach-In for Justice in D.C.

By JACQUELINE PIERCE AND ALLIE STOFER Contributing Writers

In just a few weeks, Fordham students will join students from Jesuit institutions across the country and head down to our nation’s capital to participate in a historic event. Nearly 30 years after the El Salvador Massacre, Jesuit students around the country continue to protest for human rights on Capitol Hill. This event is now known as the Ignatian Family Teach-In for Justice (IFTJ), and is the largest annual Catholic gathering event for social justice.

On Nov. 16, 1989, the El Salvador Massacre occurred in San Salvador. In the end, an elite group of the Salvadoran Army killed a total of eight people, consisting of six Jesuits, their housekeeper and her 15-year-old daughter. This group of people became known as the Jesuit Martyrs of El Salvador.

The assassins were trained at U.S Army’s School of the Americas (SOA) in Fort Benning, Georgia.

In 1996, Jesuits went to Fort Benning and began protesting in small groups. In 2010, the Jesu-

its decided to move the protest to Capitol Hill to honor those who died in the massacre by looking at the issues that they would have called attention to if they were still alive, now referring to the conference as IFTJ. “It started in response to this horrific act of violence and saying how can we be beacons of light and hope and witnesses for justice in the world and respond effectively until there is the witness at the SOA peaceful march and memorial,” recalled Conor O’Kane, the director of campus ministry for mission extension.

“And then this idea that over time asking this question that if the martyrs were alive today, where would they call our attention to?”

Although it is unclear how long Fordham has been participating in the event, Erin Hoffman, the associate director of campus ministry, stated that last year Fordham had the largest delegation and that she expects this will be repeated this year. Fordham’s delegation is made up of roughly 40 people, consisting of 35-40 students, staff leaders and two Jesuit Scholastics (men in their graduate studies, preparing

for priesthood). At the moment, this year’s delegation has a total of 46 people from both Rose Hill and Lincoln Center, as it is a joint delegation. “For the first time that I know of, we have more Lincoln Center than Rose Hill students going this year which I’m very proud of,” said Hoffman.

Fordham students will travel to Washington D.C. from Nov. 16 -18. Over the course of the event, the delegation will attend keynote speeches given by scholars, entrepreneurs, philanthropists and activists. They also have a chance to interact with students from over 100 other Jesuit and other Catholic institutions during breakout groups that range in topic. Throughout the weekend, the Fordham delegation connects during reflection periods. Lillian Cruz, Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) ’20, described this time as “the most valuable because it allows us to talk about how we are feeling, what we’ve learned, what ideas we are struggling with and overall just have a safe space to talk about everything we were taking in.”

The Sunday night mass stands out as a special event to those

who have attended in the past.

O’Kane described the liturgy as “a great example of contemporary worship that is connected to the gospel call to social justice through the lens of Ignatian tradition.” The weekend culminates on Monday with Advocacy Day, on which the whole conference goes to Capitol Hill to speak to their representatives and advocate for change. This year the conference’s focuses are environmental justice and humane migration.

Previous attendees speak very highly of their experiences at IFTJ. Meg Johnson, FCLC ’20, said, “For me, the most valuable part of going was the conversations I had with other Fordham students about what we were most passionate about.” Many students described the community, fostered by working together to fight for common goals, as a major benefit of attendance, and something that remains after the delegation returns home. Cruz’s favorite part of the weekend was going to Capitol Hill — “I am from the D.C. area, but every time I go, I get so excited. It’s just an exciting place to be in and see.”

IFTJ has lasting consequences for both those who attend and Fordham community at large. For Cruz, the experience revealed a passion for politics.

After attending, she became a political science major, saying, “I definitely want to work in immigration law and the Teach-In allowed me to figure out that I’m super passionate about that.”

Hoffman has seen how students “come back feeling empowered and hone their own citizenship, putting that into practice in little and big ways.”

The IFTJ gives students experience in talking to their representatives and learning about how they can create change.

O’Kane described how students return with “this idea that even in the face of overwhelming issues of injustice there are things that can be done, that there are ways in which people can gather together to think critically and hopefully and work together to enact positive change.” The overall goal of the event is to help students realize the effect they can have on society and encourage them to create positive social change.

www.fordhamobserver.com

THE OBSERVER October 16, 2019

What Does It Mean to Be Latinx?

From Sept. 15 to Oct. 15 of each year, The United States of America observes Hispanic Heritage Month. At more than 14%, Latinx students comprise the largest ethnic minority on Fordham’s campus.

However, the identity of having “Hispanic heritage,” or simply defining what it means to be “Latinx” is a complicated one. It’s a conversation that draws upon hundreds of years of history, colonization and individualism. To explore these topics, I sat down with Angel Quiah, Fordham College Lincoln Center (FCLC) ’19 and the public relations officer for the Student Organization of Latinxs (SOL).

SOL’s purpose, said Quiah, “has just been to create a space for Latinx students in particular — And also for people who are not Latinx — to learn about our

culture. It’s a very diverse culture.

It’s not monolithic by any means.”

It’s precisely because “Hispanic culture” is so diverse that I wanted to speak with Quiah. I myself am Mexican-American, born and raised on the southern border of the United States and Mexico. I’m the first in my family, after nearly 13 generations, to leave the Texas-Mexico border area. As a straight, “white-passing” male, I had the benefit of assumed respect as well as fluency in Mexican culture because of my familial roots. My experience with being Latinx, however, was not the same as Quiah.

“I’m from New York. I’m from Jackson Heights, in Queens,” said Quiah, who is of Colombian ancestry. I found Quiah’s insight particularly valuable because of her academic and professional background in the subject. She is a Latin American Studies major who hopes to go into social work. “It’s kind of the only work

that’s rewarding especially when it comes to Latinx and black kids because they’re honestly the ones that need the most support,” she said.

Yet just based on our backgrounds alone, something was already evident: how was it that the two of us, having ancestors from two different countries on two different continents, could both proudly claim the same “Latinx” identity? Further, why was it that we chose to use an English word created in America to describe ourselves? (“Latinx” was said with an Anglicized pronunciation, “lah-tenECKS,” throughout our conversation.)

“When I first heard of the term Latinx,” said Quiah, “I was just like, ‘This is not a linguistic phenomenon that exists in Spanish.’

I’ve never heard anybody refer to themselves as like, ‘Latin-equis’ or something like that.” “Equis” is the pronunciation of the letter “x”

in Spanish. However, Quiah and I both proudly choose to wear the label to describe ourselves.

Quiah described why she preferred the term. “We have adopted this term and really stood behind it, because we kind of stand in an intersectional place, right? We’re American, but we’re also Latinx,” she said. “While it may not be necessarily linguistically correct with the ‘Gramatica Espanola,’ or whatever, it doesn’t really matter because it’s like: that’s the term that we’re using to describe ourselves. We prefer a gender neutral way to describe ourselves, so we’ll come up with one because we can.”

But still, there was an elephant in the room: how could we feel comfortable assigning just one word to this community? “Latinx” isn’t a race, it isn’t a language, it isn’t a culture. A Latinx person can be German-Jewish — there are many people like that in Mexico. Or Japanese-Native American

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ANDREW BEECHER/THE OBSERVER

Members of SOL sell colorful bracelets from Nicaragua and Guatemala to raise money for communities in Central America as part of the Pulsera Project.

By GABE SAMANDI News Editor

Features

— it’s a very common mix in Peru.

They could be black and speak Hindi — many citizens of Paraguay are. Each person in themselves has unique experiences and a unique understanding of what it means to be “Latinx.”

Quiah’s perspective was that the identity is formed around experience. “Yes, we come from different places and being Latin American or Latino is not a monolithic identity,” she said. “But I will say — I guess from an activist perspective, when we’re in the US, nobody cares. They don’t care where you’re from. They see your skin or they hear how you speak and they’re like ‘OK you’re Latino.

OK. You’re Hispanic.’ They’ll reduce you down anyway.”

At least in the United States, she said, “I think because many of our experiences are so aligned in that sense — unfortunately, negative experiences — I think it is useful to use an overarching term like Latinx.”

Day in the Life: Fordham vs. Barnard

By SAMANTHA MATTHEWS Contributing Writer

When my best friend from home and I discovered we were both going to school in New York, we were so excited to only be a train ride away from each other. Barnard College is an allgirls, private liberal arts college, where Emily goes, and Fordham is a co-ed, private Jesuit university. I wanted to know if Emily and I had drastically different days as freshmen in two different Manhattan colleges so I hopped on the 1 train to find out.

Emily is a freshman psychology major minoring in Spanish.

“Classes are pretty difficult, but professors make it a point to know the names of all their students and build a sense of community,” Emily said. Comparatively, I am a journalism major taking solely core classes, a common first semester course load for Fordham freshmen. I like learning about things that are way outside of specific interests — like Baroque musical concertos or binomial distribution.

Studying is a necessary evil of college life. A great piece of advice I received was to try to find a study spot outside of your dorm room. I find that this helps me focus more; I go to my floor study lounge or Hearst Park, a small

tree-covered sitting area next to the reflection pool at Lincoln Center. At Barnard, Emily mostly studies in her room or the Weber Living Room in her building. She said it’s a very quiet place to focus and study. Plus, it has a great view of Broadway.

The residency situation is quite different at Barnard than at Fordham. Emily lives in a sixfloor building, Reid Hall, with one roommate and a communal floor bathroom. Unlike Fordham, Barnard has more than one freshman dorm. Freshmen can be placed into Reid, Brooks, Sultzberger or Hewitt Hall.

I live in a 22-story building, McKeon Hall. This building is strictly for freshman residents, with the exception of resident assistants and resident freshman mentors. Some freshmen are placed in the apartment-style McMahon Hall with upperclassmen. I live with one roommate in a suite-style dorm connected to two other roommates. I find that having my own bathroom instead of a communal one calls for responsibility. If there’s no toilet paper, it’s not going to magically appear. I know my suite group chat will be constantly buzzing with whose fault it is and who’s going to fix it.

Emily told me the fashion scene at Barnard is very relaxed

— most girls wear sweatshirts and leggings and no one really gets dressed up for class. At Fordham, there’s a mix between “I have an 8:30 a.m. class and I’m my wearing pajamas” and “Every week is New York Fashion Week.”

Both schools have restaurants in their areas that feel like they should be an extension of the meal plan. For Barnard, it’s either Wu & Nussbaum, a restaurant that specializes in Chinese cuisine and classic New Yorkstyle bagels, or Tom’s Diner which rose to fame in the iconic sitcom “Seinfeld.” At Fordham, I personally would eat every meal at Burrito Box if I could.

The Flame Diner, where Lorde sat and wrote the Melodrama album, is also a great place for a quick bite at any hour of the day.

The Flame versus the Olympic Flame is a Fordham diner feud that will never die.

Not every NYC college is exactly the same. Neighborhoods are so diverse you can have a completely different experience just 60 blocks away. One thing has proven true no matter what college in Manhattan you attend: your life isn’t constricted to the walls of your campus.

For the full story, visit www.fordhamobserver.com

GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATION BY LARA FOLEY/THE OBSERVER

Sports & Health Editors Luke Osborn - losborn1@fordham.edu Lena Weidenbruch - lweidenbruch@fordham.edu

Sports

October 16, 2019

THE OBSERVER

Fordham Cross Country Finishes First (and Second)

CROSS COUNTRY Oct. 11, 2019

WOMEN’S

MEN’S

2nd place 1st place

By LENA WEIDENBRUCH Sports & Health Editor

Fordham men’s and women’s cross country laced up their spikes for their fifth meet of the year on Friday, Oct. 11. The Rams competed at the Metropolitan Championships on an unexpectedly temperate day in Van Cortlandt Park. The men’s team defended their title against six other prominent local teams with 17 points for a first-place finish, their fourth in the last six years. The women’s team finished second out of nine teams with 72 points coming in after Rutgers’ 53.

In cross country races, team scores are calculated by the finishing positions of the first five runners to cross the line from each team. A first-place finisher receives one point for their team, second place two points and so on. The team with the lowest score wins.

The Fordham men dominated the field, followed far behind

by Manhattan College in second place with 71 points and Rutgers in third with 80.

During the men’s 8-kilometer, approximately 5-mile, race, the Rams took five of the six top individual finishes, including Nicholas Raefski, Fordham College at Rose Hill (FCRH) ’20, in first place with the title in a time of 26 minutes, followed by teammate Brandon Hall, Gabelli School of Business at Rose Hill (GSBRH) ’22, in 26 minutes, 2 seconds and Ryan Kutch, GSBRH ’20, in third just one second later.

Raefski’s individual title is Fordham’s sixth in the last six

COURTESY OF FORDHAM ATHLETICS

Lead by Sydney Snow, FCRH ’20, in third place, the women’s team placed second overall.

years. Kutch took the title in 2018 when he crossed the tape in 25 minutes, 24 seconds.

The Rams also scored fifth and sixth place on Friday with finishes

by John McGovern, GSBRH ’23, in 26 minutes, 15 seconds and Colin Flood, FCRH ’23, in 26 minutes, 27 seconds.

The women’s team did not find quite as much individual success at the Metropolitan Championships as their male counterparts this year. They were also unable to repeat their first-place team finish from last year’s race.

This year’s women’s 5-kilometer race, approximately 3 miles, came down to milliseconds with Sofia Camacho, Columbia ’22, and Olympia Martin, Rutgers ’21,

both crossing the line in 18 minutes, 19 seconds. Camacho took the individual win just four milliseconds ahead of Martin.

Two Fordham women placed in the top five of the women’s 5-kilometer race. Sydney Snow, FCRH ’20, came in third place with a time of 18 minutes, 38 seconds. Freshman Alexandra Thomas, FCRH ’23, finished just behind Snow in fourth place in 18 minutes, 40 seconds.

Fordham’s next finisher was Katarzyna Krzyzanowski, FCRH ’20, in 18th place with a time of 19 minutes, 49 seconds.

The Rams will head to Princeton, New Jersey, to compete in the Princeton Invitational on Saturday, Oct. 19.

COURTESY OF JOE HALE

Ryan Kutch, GSBRH ’20, Nicholas Raefski, FCRH ’20, and Brandon Hall, GSBRH ’22, placed first, second and third in the men’s 8-kilometer race.

Women’s Soccer Settles for a Draw Against URI WOMEN’S SOCCER Oct. 13, 2019

FORDHAM

1

URI

1

By DEIDRE REED Staff Writer

Fordham grew increasingly desperate on Sunday, Oct. 13, as the clock ticked away and the University of Rhode Island (URI), a team that has not won an Atlantic 10 (A10) conference game in almost three years, held on to their one-goal lead.

With only minutes to spare, Margaret Roughley, Gabelli School of Business at Rose Hill (GSBRH) ’20, won her team a penalty, which Saige Bingman, GSBRH ’21, put away emphatically, tying the game and sending the match into overtime.

Fordham, however, could not replicate the overtime success of their two previous matches, and the game ended in a draw.

Fordham started the first half aggressively against a young and inexperienced URI side, in which 14 of the 27 squad members were freshmen. They were quick to rack up five shots against the URI Rams, though none of the attempts seriously challenged first-year goalkeeper Teresa Morrissey, URI ’23.

Despite Fordham’s early chances and their superior pos-

session stats, URI got better as the game went on, ending the half with four shots to Fordham’s six. In the final minute of the half, Grace Haggerty, URI ’22, hit a rocket of a free kick just inches above the crossbar, sending URI into halftime on a positive note.

URI carried this momentum into the second half, scoring less than a minute after the whistle was blown. Tali O’Leary, URI ’23, sent the ball through Fordham’s defense to meet Rebecca D’Anna, URI ’22, on the right wing. D’Anna proceeded to hit the ball past helpless Fordham goalie Kelly LaMorte, FCRH ’20, and into the left side of the net.

URI continued to lay on their attack even after scoring and had several other dangerously close shots throughout the second half.

They certainly did not look like a team winless in the A10 since October 2016, and Fordham’s defense scrambled to keep the game within one goal.

Fordham was dangerously close to a loss (just as URI was close to a historic win) when Roughley, in a great position to score, was taken down in the box by a URI defender, a tackle which the referee deemed a foul.

URI goalkeeper Teresa Morrissey guessed the right direction, but Bingman’s penalty kick was far enough into the bottom left corner that it was impossible to save.

The match, tied at 1-1, eventually went to double overtime, but neither side came out the winner.

COURTESY OF FORDHAM ATHLETICS

Saige Bingman, GSBRH ’21, scored the game-tying goal on a penalty kick to salvage a draw for women’s soccer.

This result sees Fordham move up to fourth place in the A10, tied with the University of Massachusetts and Davidson College with 10 points. Given that most of the teams close to Fordham in the rankings dropped points over the

weekend, the result is not as detrimental to their league position as it could have been.

On Thursday, Oct. 17, Fordham will face its toughest opponent yet in a match against Saint Louis, a team that has not lost

in the A10 conference since the 2017-2018 season, though Fordham will look to capitalize on their home-field advantage. They will then travel to Philadelphia to play against Saint Joseph’s on Sunday, Oct. 20.

20

Sports

October 16, 2019 THE OBSERVER

www.fordhamobserver.com

Hoyas Handled: Rams Avenge Division Rival Loss FOOTBALL Oct. 12, 2019

Fordham

30

Georgetown

27

By RAHUL SUKESH Contributing Writer

In their first conference game of the season, Fordham football traveled south for an uphill battle against the Georgetown Hoyas in the nation’s capital. Trying to avenge their loss last year in which they were held to a single touchdown, the Rams were determined to return to the Bronx with a win.

Following the kickoff, Georgetown completed a long pass downfield on the first play, and moments later, a short rushing touchdown gave the Hoyas the lead. The twopoint conversion failed, but the 6-0 lead was enough to put the Rams on their heels early. Though the Fordham offense did not respond immediately, their defense kept them in the game and shut down the Hoyas for the remainder of the quarter.

On their third drive, the Hoyas managed to bring the ball to midfield when defensive back Hylton Dervin, Jr., Fordham College at Rose Hill (FCRH) ’21, intercepted the ball at the Rams’ 32-yard line.

After two first downs, the Rams struggled to move any further downfield. Running back Zach Davis, FCRH ’22, busted through Georgetown’s defensive line on fourth down to preserve the Fordham drive. Quarterback Tim DeMorat, FCRH ’22, capitalized on the opportunity and

Upcoming Sports Events Oct. 17

Women’s Soccer vs. Saint Louis, Bronx, N.Y., 7 p.m.

Oct. 18

Women’s Volleyball vs. Dayton, Bronx, N.Y., 6 p.m.

Men’s Swim vs. Manhattan, Bronx, N.Y., 6 p.m.

Women’s Swim vs. Manhattan, Bronx, N.Y., 6 p.m.

Oct. 19

Softball Alumni Game, Bronx, N.Y., 10:30 a.m.

Men’s Water Polo vs. Navy, Bronx, N.Y., 11 a.m.

Football vs. Lehigh University, Bronx, N.Y., 1 p.m.

Women’s Volleyball vs. Saint Louis, Bronx, N.Y., 2 p.m.

Men’s Water Polo vs.

Princeton, Bronx, N.Y., 5 p.m.

Men’s Soccer vs. Saint Joseph’s, Bronx, N.Y., 7 p.m.

Oct. 23

Men’s Water Polo vs. Wagner, Bronx, N.Y., 7:30 p.m.

Oct. 26

Men’s Tennis Fordham Fall Quad (Hofstra, BU), Bronx, N.Y. Women’s Volleyball vs. Rhode Island, Bronx, N.Y., 7 p.m.

Men’s Soccer vs. George Mason, Bronx, N.Y., 7 p.m.

Oct. 27

Men’s Tennis Fordham Fall Quad (Hofstra, BU), Bronx, N.Y. Women’s Soccer vs. Davidson, Bronx, N.Y., 1 p.m.

Tim DeMorat, FCRH ’22, steps back to throw as Georgetown’s defense breaks through the offensive line.

brought the Rams within eleven yards of the end zone.

In an impressive play, DeMorat abandoned the safety of his linemen and managed to fake out Georgetown’s defense. With the defense on the opposite side of the field, DeMorat found tight end Jack Lynch, Gabelli School of Business at Rose Hill (GSBRH) ’21, on the left side of the field for an easy touchdown. On the extra point, however, Georgetown not only blocked the kick but managed to run the ball all the way back to their own end zone for two points and an 8-6 lead.

Receiving the ball following a touchback, Georgetown started their drive with a rushing gain of 42 yards. As the quarter came to a close, another short gain of 7 yards stopped the clock, leaving the ball in the Hoyas’ hands at Fordham’s 33-yard line. Coming back to start the second quarter, the Rams were determined to force a stop.

Linebacker Glenn Cunningham, FCRH ’21, kickstarted their defensive stand and sent the Hoyas back a yard. The Rams continued to apply pressure and forced a fourth down.

The Rams started their next drive on their own 27-yard line.

Momentum was on their side, but a timeout by Georgetown extinguished Fordham’s fire. Following an incomplete pass, the Hoyas regained possession on an interception from DeMorat. Less than a minute later, Georgetown scored another touchdown to lengthen their lead, 15-6.

Determined to answer back, the Rams had a long drive that lasted six minutes. A 48-yard pass to wide receiver Hamze ElZayat, FCRH ’21, in the end zone appeared to be another score, but a penalty against Fordham negated the play. They had to settle for a field goal, bringing the Rams’ deficit to six points.

Bent on taking the lead, linebacker Jestohn Moore, FCRH ’23, blocked a punt, giving the Rams the ball on the Hoyas’ 18-yard line. Moments later, Davis ran the ball into the end zone for another Fordham touchdown. The extra point by kicker Andrew Mevis, GSBRH ’23, gave the Rams a onepoint lead as the first half came to a close.

On the first two plays of the second half, Davis rushed for 33

yards. Following his lead, running back Trey Sneed, FCRH ’21, rushed for another 13 yards. Giving both the running backs a brief rest, DeMorat threw a 31 yard pass to wide receiver Dequice Carter, FCRH ’23, bringing the Rams within a yard of the goal line. Running the ball into the end zone, Davis scored his second touchdown in the game. With the extra point, the Rams extended their lead, 23-15.

After allowing 17 unanswered points to the Rams, Georgetown finally began to fight back. Making use of their running game, the Hoyas scored a touchdown in only five plays. The two-point conversion to tie the game failed after Georgetown was unable to complete the pass, preserving Fordham’s lead, 23-21.

Fordham’s defense held the Hoyas down for the remainder of the third quarter, but midway through the fourth, the dam finally broke. A 10 play, 70 yard Georgetown drive resulted in a touchdown that put the Rams down once again, 27-23. The two-point conversion failed, but Fordham had their work cut out for them with only seven minutes remaining.

Down four points, the Rams needed a touchdown to win the game. With time and the hometown crowd against him, DeMorat found trouble immediately. In what appeared to be a game ending play, he threw his second interception of the game.

With only three minutes remaining, the Hoyas only needed a first down to effectively end the game. The Rams’ fate rested in the hands of their defense.

Georgetown turned to their ground game in an attempt to run out the clock. However, the Rams’ defense adjusted to the strategy and kept the Hoyas in check. Forcing a fourth down with two yards to go, Georgetown elected to run the ball again in what would prove to be a game-defining play.

The running back was met by defensive linemen Anthony Diodato, GSBRH ’21 and Jonathan Coste, FCRH ’21, who forced him back.

The defense’s stand held, giving Fordham possession with only a minute and a half to go.

With redemption in mind, DeMorat passed for a total of 56 yards in less than a minute to bring them into the red zone.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF FORDHAM ATHLETICS

Hamze El-Zayat, FCRH ’21, runs a route as a member of Fordham’s potent passing game.

However, Georgetown’s defense was just as determined as their maroon counterparts. They shut down Fordham on three straight plays to force another fourth down. With 16 seconds left to play and 17 yards to go, the game would come down to the next play.

DeMorat received the snap and dropped back to pass, looking in every direction for a receiver. Fotis Kokosioulis, FCRH ’22, was facing double coverage as he ran toward the corner of the end zone, but DeMorat took a chance on one of his most talented pass

catchers. He threw a perfect pass, and Kokosioulis pried the ball out of his defender’s hands for an acrobatic, game winning 17-yard touchdown.

Mevis’ extra point would bring the Rams up by three, and the Hoyas’ last second comeback attempt was foiled, giving Fordham a stunning 30-27 victory. What appeared to be a succession of miracles for Fordham came about as a result of their hard work and determination. The Rams returned home with a 1-0 conference record and hope for the future of their season.