Observer Issue 4 Spring 2019

Observer the

@thefordhamobserver @fordhamobserver @fordhamobserver

March 7, 2019 VOLUME XXXVI, ISSUE 4

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Sophomore Joins Legal Battle Against Fordham

Students For Justice In Palestine lawsuit persists

By RUBY GARA News Editor

Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) group’s two and a half-yearlong pursuit of official club status at Fordham was resparked with the addition of a new member to their legal battle with the university. Though just a sophomore, Veer Shetty, Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) ’21, has been at the forefront of the lawsuit since February.

In December 2016, SJP was denied legitimate club status when Fordham’s Dean of Students at Lincoln Center Keith Eldredge ruled the group would be “polarizing” for the campus community. Four students filed a lawsuit in April 2017 on the grounds that the university violated its own free speech policies.

As of today, three of them have graduated; the fourth will follow in

May. After nearly two years, they are still tied to a lawsuit that argues for the existence of a club they never saw come to life while students at Fordham.

“Being in a club is an integral part of the college experience,” Shetty said. “Having that taken away from you is horrible.” Inspired by one of his friend’s Palestinian heritage, Shetty became invested in the country’s history and read extensively. He hopes to have SJP at Fordham because “it’d be a great resource to have on campus.”

Along with the organizations Palestine Legal and the Center for Constitutional Rights, the the four would-be members — Ahmad Awad, FCLC ʼ17, Sofia Dadap, FCLC ʼ18, Sapphira Lurie, FCLC ʼ17 and Julie Norris, FCLC ’19 — took the case to the Manhattan Civil Courthouse. The institution then filed a motion in June 2017 to dismiss the see SJP page 5

NIGEL ZWEIBROCK/THE OBSERVER | PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY ESME BLEECKER-ADAMS

Veer Shetty, FCLC ’21, joins the fight for SJP to be recognized on Fordham’s Lincoln Center campus.

Fordham Raises $18 Million in Donations

By REBECCA THOMPSON Contributing Writer

So far in the 2019 fiscal year, Fordham University has raised $18 million, most recently with the help of “Jeopardy!” host Alex Trebek and his wife Jean. In January, alumni couple Susan Conley Salice and Thomas P. Salice also made a sizeable contribution supporting Fordham students.

The Trebeks, whose son Matthew graduated from Fordham College at Rose Hill (FCRH) in 2013, gifted a sum of $1 million to the Alex Trebek Endowed Scholarship Fund in early February. The Trebek scholarship funds were established in 2015 when Trebek made a donation supporting students from North Harlem who are unable to afford tuition.

The most recent donation has widened Trebek’s contribution to include East Harlem students.

With approximately 14 percent of the Fordham undergraduate student population identifying as Hispanic/Latino, the expansion of funds toward a predominantly Latino group of students could increase campus diversity.

Susan Salice, FCRH ’82, and Thomas Salice, Gabelli School of Business ’82, donated $2 million to Faith & Hope, a campaign for financial aid. The campaign has raised more than $156 million thus far and is working to reach its goal of $175 million. As recipients of scholarships during their time at Fordham, the Salice family is dedicated to the accessibility of Fordham for those who need it.

Bob Howe, assistant vice pres-

ident for communications, said, “Our alumni feel that their Fordham education has served them well and want to ensure future generations of Fordham students benefit equally from their time here.”

Both families are repeat donors to the university, and their contributions allow Fordham to make education accessible to qualified students without the financial burden. Scholarships are awarded to 76 percent of the undergraduate student body.

“Our generous alumni and friends are most interested in supporting student scholarships,” Howe said. “Most donors also want to make the world a better place, and one way to do so is supporting Jesuit education at Fordham.”

FROM OPINIONS

LC Needs a Students-Only Space KEVIN CHRISTOPHER ROBLES Asst. Arts & Culture Editor

At Fordham Rose Hill, there exists a coffee shop.

Rodrigue’s Coffee House, or Rod’s as it’s commonly referred to, is entirely student-run. It’s a pretty kitschy place, and the sort of space that radiates hominess.

It’s like a thousand different students have put their mark on every wall, panel and floorboard.

String lights and mannequin limbs hanging from the ceiling, boards full of posters and students’ artwork on the walls, tiny dolls that sit by the windowsill and a big fat banner that reads “Rodrigue’s” that hangs from the

bannister are just a few of the things that give the coffee shop a real sense of self.

Even the little things, like how the coffee is only ever moderately warm and served in old, chipped mugs, allow Rod’s a kind of character that one rarely finds at Fordham. Certainly, you would never be able to find anything like it at Lincoln Center.

Much of the social scene at Fordham Lincoln Center seems to take place in or around the dorms. Having an apartment party in McMahon Hall can be fun, but that fun is on a case-bycase basis and requires people be kicked out at some point.

see ROD’S page 10

Five Classes To Take Before You Graduate

By PAOLO ESTRELLA Contributing Writer

Is Fordham’s liberal arts core getting you down? Is cura-ing your personalis a harder task than you thought? These five classes, their subjects ranging from ancient civilizations to modern mass movements, come heavily recommended by Fordham students as must-takes before graduation.

Oprah’s Book Club with Professor Dennis Tyler Fulfills: EP2, Texts and Contexts

course explores the phenomenon of the biggest book club in the world that has inspired people to read more.

Professor Tyler wants students to acquire a true passion and curiosity about literature and culture. “My ultimate goal in the classroom,” he said, “is to help my students discover the seductiveness of learning.” He takes inspiration from Oprah’s own approach to reading, which encourages people to find their “a-ha” moment.

Tyler helps foster this moment and creates that passion by assigning the texts that excite him most. He is especially interested in discussing the resurgence

Dennis Tyler’s class is highly recommended by LC students

Since the inception of Oprah’s Book Club, the literary landscape has greatly evolved. It has brought in new, excited readers and has increased book sales globally. This

NEWS

OPINIONS

ARTS & CULTURE

CENTERFOLD

Hostile 2015 email from former Trump advisor surfaces

Nor should you

Staff picks for the best slice

Ailey seniors premiere Independent Taking a serious look at running shoes Study in Choreography projects

ANGELA CHEN/THE OBSERVER

Cohen Threat PAGE 4

You Can’t Model PAGE 9

see CLASSES page 21

City Slices PAGE 16

SHAMYA ZINDANI/THE OBSERVER | PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY ESME BLEECKER-ADAMS

Vulnerable Spaces PAGE 12

THE STUDENT VOICE OF FORDHAM LINCOLN CENTER

SPORTS & HEALTH

Shoe Overview PAGE 23

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March 7, 2019 THE OBSERVER

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Angela Davis Connects International Struggles

Political activist speaks on intrinsic link between historical and contemporary oppressed groups

By ALEJANDRA CARRASCO and JEFFREY UMBRELL Staff Writer and Features Editor

Rose Hill’s Black Student Alliance (ASILI) announced on Feb. 21 that political activist, author and scholar Angela Davis would speak at Rose Hill’s McGinley Ballroom in observance of Black History Month on Feb. 25.

That short notice did not affect the event’s turnout — by the time Davis arrived just after 6:30 p.m., students had filled both the seats and the majority of the standing room space near the rear of the ballroom.

Davis entered McGinley to enthusiastic applause and a standing ovation from the audience.

For much of the evening, Davis focused on the connections between the black experience and those of other oppressed peoples. “When we talk about black struggles,” she said, “we should realize that not all participants have been black.”

Davis stressed the intrinsic link between black history and that of indigenous people in the Americas. She recalled her recent visit to the the rural Colombian mining city of La Toma, which has been inhabited by Afro-Latinos for nearly 500 years.

The struggles of both groups, Davis said, “have always been intertwined.”

There are foundational connections between the histories of all past and contemporary oppressed groups for Davis. Much of her recent scholarship, includ-

ing her newest book, “Freedom is a Constant Struggle: Ferguson, Palestine, and the Foundations of a Movement,” focuses in particular on comparing race relations in the United States to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

“ When we talk about black struggles, we should realize that not all participants have been black.”

ANGELA DAVIS , political activist COURTESY OF SAM NORMAN

It seemed that students were anticipating the subject of Palestine to crop up in Davis’s remarks — pro-Palestine Fordham students sat near the front of the ballroom. When she decried the Israeli “occupation” of the region and said that “we’ve learned a great deal from the Palestinian resistance,” she received loud applause from both the pro-Palestinian students and the general audience.

Members of unofficial student group Students for Justice in Palestine then held up a Palestinian flag. Davis, pleasantly surprised, pointed out the flag, which drew even louder applause from the crowd.

ASILI, Rose Hill’s Black Student Alliance, hosts Angela Davis in observation of Black History Month.

She stressed that critique of the state of Israel in no way amounts to anti-Semitism, observing that many Israelis denounce their own government.

Much like African-Americans in the United States, Palestinians have not “given up,” Davis said. They “continue to struggle” more than 70 years after the start of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The Palestinians “deserve justice,” she continued, “like everyone else in the world.”

Indeed, Davis went on to present her vision for a truly global community, suggesting that “perhaps the world itself needs to be rearranged.” When

looking at any issue, Davis said it is important to examine it not at the individual level but the institutional one. It is only through a broader perspective that any real solutions to the problems she identified will be found.

Finding solutions to problems like racism and misogyny that are deeply embedded in our institutions will be no easy task, Davis said. “This is a very difficult moment to be living in the U.S.” She was nonetheless optimistic for the social and political future of the United States.

“I don’t believe that the current government represents … the

vast majority,” she said. “I know they don’t.” Instead, those fighting oppressive structures represent it, she said, noting how she sees young people taking up this fight through contemporary movements like Black Lives Matter.

Complex problems like racism, for Davis, require complex solutions. “Whenever someone offers a simple solution,” she said, “question it.” After checking her phone to be sure that she had not gone over her allotted time, Davis called on the audience to continue work towards a more equal future, one, she said, that was long overdue.

Rwandan Genocide Survivor Brings Hope to Campus

By GABE SAMANDI Asst. News Editor

In 1994, the world was shocked by one of the quickest and most brutal genocides in human history. In Rwanda, a small country in central Africa, nearly one million people were killed in less than one hundred days as a result of post-colonial political tensions.

Neighbor turned on neighbor as the aftershocks from European colonial policies generated conflict between the nation’s seven million residents, resulting in the extermination of nearly one seventh of the country’s total population.

Dr. Mireille Twayigira was just two years old when her home country descended into chaos.

When the genocide took her father, she fled Rwanda with her family. Twenty-five years later, she visited Fordham Lincoln Center to share her experiences as a refugee in central Africa.

On Thursday, Feb. 28, Fordham University’s Institute of International Humanitarian Affairs (IIHA) invited Twayigira of the Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) to speak on the lives of refugees and the importance of education in humanitarian missions. As a Jesuit-affiliated nonprofit, JRS seeks to fulfill a religious call to service. It often works with Fordham University in its international mission to provide aid and service to refugee populations.

Twayigira, refugee education advocate at the JRS, shared how education helped shape her life with Fordham students, faculty and alumni, as well as New Yorkers interested in the open lecture.

“Up until I was 19 years old, I only saw tragedy,” Twayigira said.

“It was through education that I found hope.”

Twayigira spent her entire childhood as a refugee. When she fled Rwanda at two, she did not

have a father. Traveling on foot through the Congo, she lost her sister to illness. By the time she was four years old, her mother had passed away as well.

Stealing to survive and having very few possessions, she moved between refugee camps in Angola and Zambia before finding a more permanent camp in Malawi. Having traveled approximately the distance from New York City to Los Angeles on foot, she and her grandfather were all that was left from her family.

She was able to find some semblance of childhood in the Dzaleka Refugee Camp, where she attend-

“ I’m living proof of

the untapped potential of refugees. Education is the bridge to success.

”

– DR. MIREILLE TWAYIGIRA ed school and made friends. Twayigira believed her experiences with education gave her the confidence to transform her life into “something meaningful,” instead of succumbing to the situations she was dealt.

Her grandfather inspired her to pursue her education as fiercely as she could before he passed. She graduated among the top of her class at the high school established by the JRS in Dzaleka Camp, and was one of a handful of refugee students granted a scholarship to study medicine in China.

Through China’s refugee education program, she became a doctor.

She returned to Malawi to work with the JRS, the organization responsible for her access to high school, and encourage refugee students to pursue higher education.

Twayigira passionately believed that education is often the only option for refugees to reclaim their lives and resettle.

“I’m living proof of the untapped potential of refugees,” she said. “Education is the bridge to success.”

Twayigira also shared with the group the importance and scope of worldwide refugee populations.

“Only 2 percent of all humanitarian aid goes towards education,” said Twayigira. “Refugee crises are often seen as short term issues,” she said. “Why invest in a long term solution like education?”

She made it clear that failing to educate refugee populations created more problems. Twayigira argued that in order for these people to become productive members of their society, they must have an education.

“A lot of people think it’s an issue of governments,” Twayigira said. “But individuals have a role to play as well.”

According to the United Nations, the world’s refugee population is currently at an all time high.

The majority of humanitarian aid funding in the United States comes from the U.S. Department of State.

However, both nonprofits and religious organizations — such as the JRS — have long been a part of allowing individuals to serve refugees abroad and in the U.S. policies under the Trump administration have seen a sharp decline in both refugee aid funding and refugee admissions into the U.S. Fordham’s IIHA co-hosted this event with the JRS to raise awareness about the ongoing worldwide refugee crisis. New York City has one of the country’s largest resettled refugee populations.

“You can volunteer at shelters, you can donate,” Twayigira said.

“But more than that you can advocate for us and normalize refugee experiences.”

JOE ROVEGNO/THE OBSERVER

Dr. Mireille Twayigira spoke at Fordham Lincoln Center about her experiences as a refugee in central Africa.

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Do Fordham Students Care About Rankings?

Undergraduates weigh in on the impact that ranking lists have — or don’t have — on schools’ prestige

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY NAZLI ARDITI

Fordham students often lament their school’s ranking as compared to other NYC universities’.

By JORDAN MELTZER News Editor

Fordham University’s position on college rankings has been unclear up to this point. University President Rev. Joseph M. McShane, S.J., has written statements both criticizing the notion of these lists and asking the community to improve Fordham’s position in them.

For the most part, though, college students find these ranking systems relatively insignificant.

For prospective students, the U.S. News & World Report national university list seems to take precedence over other lists. Many view the list at least once, especially when speaking to parents and high school guidance counselors.

McShane sends an annual email to the university community with his reaction to the school’s new position.

The change, of late, has shown a downward trend: Fordham was 60th on the list of universities in 2017, 61st in 2018 and 70th in 2019.

Several students have indicated that the U.S. News list does not live up to the hype surrounding it. Kylie Ford, Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) ’20 and a philosophy and math double major, relied more on other metrics when making her college choice.

“Fordham had a good reputation at my high school,” Ford said, “and I cared more about financial aid and scholarships than rank-

ing.”

Sophia Oliveri, FCLC ’20, and a film and television major, feels the same. “I don’t think they are very accurate,” she said. “I think that college is more about the individual. What makes a university the best for one person may not be why one is best for someone else.”

“They did, however, matter to my parents,” Oliveri added. “I can only assume that it was about them wanting me to go to a good school and get the best education to have a good future … Rankings always mattered to my mom specifically, but I think that might be a competitive mom thing because I think she wanted bragging rights.”

Adina Redzic, Gabelli School of Business ’20, has rarely ever

looked at rankings and suggests eliminating the idea of them altogether. “I’m a strong believer that the way to build a reputation is by focusing on your community,” she said. “These ranking systems normally pivot our attention outward and force us to make comparisons of ourselves with other schools, but never realign our focus to ask, ‘What can we, as Fordham students, do better to build the reputation and value of our school?’”

The anti-rankings sentiment was not a universal one, though.

Kellan Stanner, FCLC ’20, and an environmental studies and urban studies double major, is ambivalent on the issue. “The rankings matter to me in the sense that I know they matter to many people,” he said.

“They’re a powerful factor in the decision of many students unfamiliar with Fordham in any other way, and I think we should strive to make as good a first impression as we can.”

On the other hand, Stanner rejects the idea that a position on a list is a holistic methodology for a student’s school choice. “Ultimately, I think it comes down to fit,” he said, “which is obviously not reflected in a numeric list based on purely quantitative data.”

Meanwhile, Alisia Ortiz, FCLC ’20, and a psychology major, acknowledged that she feels the U.S. News list holds some weight.

“Fordham’s placement on the best universities list matters to me,” she said, “solely because we have been conditioned to place greater emphasis on the name of the institution instead of on the fact that we are pursuing higher level edu-

cation, which is most important.”

Bob Howe, assistant vice president for communications at Fordham and special adviser to McShane, emphasized that the soundness of ranking lists is based on their methodologies, if they have any at all. “Most rankings reflect institutional wealth,” he said.

“Larger endowments correlate with higher rankings.”

Speaking on behalf of “McShane and the rest of the institution,” Howe added that “there is considerable debate regarding most, if not all, of the ranking schemes for universities.” He went on to question their validity: “Do they really measure the quality of an institution? Statistically, large changes in institutions’ rankings are suspect.”

All students interviewed stated that no third-party rankings or lists influenced their decisions to attend Fordham. They listed other factors, like academic reputation, program availability, scholarship offerings and location as holding more weight.

“I chose the school and the program I thought I would enjoy and benefit from the most,” Oliveri said. “I did look at the list, but I thought Fordham was right for me so it didn’t affect my decision in any way. I don’t even remember what the ranking was.”

“I wanted to go to a Jesuit school and I wanted to be in New York,” Stanner said. “My decision kind of made itself.”

For more about this story, visit www.fordhamobserver.com

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Michael Cohen Threatened McShane Over Trump Transcripts

VIA WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

By JORDAN MELTZER and KEVIN CHRISTOPHER ROBLES News Editor and Asst. Arts & Culture Editor

On Feb. 27, Michael Cohen, former vice president of The Trump Organization and former special advisor to President Donald Trump, testified before the House Committee on Oversight & Reform. During the testimony, one of the documents Cohen provided was a letter addressed to University President Rev. Joseph M. McShane, S.J., threatening Fordham University with criminal action should the institution release Trump’s college transcripts.

In his opening statement to the House Committee on Oversight & Reform, Cohen said that he would provide “copies of letters [he] wrote at Mr. Trump’s direction that threatened his high school, colleges and the College Board not to release his grades or SAT scores.” The document sent to McShane, which Cohen voluntarily released during his public testimony, was identified as Exhibit 6.

According to Assistant Vice President for Communications Bob Howe, the university received a call in 2015 from a person working for the Trump presidential campaign as Trump was gearing up for his run. The university informed the caller that Fordham is bound by federal law

not to share any student’s academic records with anyone other than the student or anyone the student designates in writing.

This also applies to graduates and former students, the latter of which includes Trump. The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) protects anyone who has attended a school in the United States from releasing their academic records.

Following the phone call, Fordham received a follow-up letter from “one of Mr. Trump’s attorneys” that summarized the call and restated some elements of it, Howe said. The attorney reminded the university “that they would take action against the University if we did, in fact, release Mr. Trump’s records.” Howe confirmed this letter was the document that Cohen released during his testimony.

Dated May 5, 2015, the letter was sent prior to the beginning of Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign, which launched a month later. According to Cohen, the letter was sent due to requests from several media outlets asking for Trump’s academic transcripts, which Trump refused to release.

In the letter, Cohen is quick to remind McShane of FERPA, which ensures that “the release or disclosure, in any form, of such records (or any information contained in such records) to any third party without [Trump’s] prior written authorization is ex-

YAMICHE ALCINDOR VIA TWITTER

Former Trump advisor Michael Cohen pressured University President McShane using threats of legal action, fines and retraction of government funding in 2015.

pressly prohibited by law.”

It also affirms that any violation of the Act will render the university under criminal and civil liability, including “fines, penalties and even potential loss of government aid and other funding.”

Trump attended Fordham College at Rose Hill for two years before transferring to the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business. The postscript of Cohen’s letter states that, “Mr. Trump truly enjoyed his two years at Fordham and has great respect

for the University.”

Howe stated that the university’s stance on Trump’s transcripts remains the same: “We obey federal law and don’t release student records to anyone but the student/graduate or anyone that the student designates, in writing.”

The Observer Wins Best of Show at ACP National Convention

By THE OBSERVER STAFF

Representatives of The Observer attending the Associated Collegiate Press (ACP) Midwinter National College Journalism Convention in La Jolla, California, hoped to bring more home to snow-swept New York City than tales of warmer weather.

On March 2, they did exactly that, winning First Place Best of Show for a Four-Year Less-ThanWeekly Newspaper. The Observer also won fourth place in the Best of Show Four-Year Website (10,000 or less enrollment) category and sixth place for Best of Show Newspaper In-Depth News Special Section.

The Observer placed in every category in which it entered.

Online Editor Courtney Brogle, Opinions Editor Owen Roche and Assistant Layout Editor Esme Bleecker-Adams represented the paper at the convention and collected the awards.

The Observer’s first issue of their 36th volume, published on Jan. 24, 2019, won first place honors. The issue covers the impact of the month-long government shutdown on student Etta Shaw, Fordham College at Lincoln Center ’22, who was unable to return to campus without an IRS transcript, as well as the recent Jesuit sexual abuse revelations

SHAMYA ZINDANI/THE OBSERVER

The Observer won First Place Best of Show for a Four-Year Less-Than-Weekly Newspaper.

and their connections to the university. The centerfold features a photo essay on Bilbao, Spain, by Features Editor Emerita Carson Thornton-Gonzalez, and the staff editorial criticizes Fordham’s handling of the aftermath of the Jesuit sexual abuse scandal.

The Observer’s website won fourth place in the Four-Year Website (10,000 or less enrollment) category. This was the first convention in which the site was judged in its current iteration. After the previous ACP convention in October of 2018, the website

underwent a complete redesign, featuring writer and editor profiles, new multimedia content, a sports calendar and a spot for Retrospect, The Fordham Observer podcast.

The Voyeur, The Observer’s special issue covering all things

love, sex and relationships at Fordham Lincoln Center, took the sixth place award for in-depth news special section. The issue incorporates the results of The Observer’s undergraduate sexual health survey, displayed in full color in the centerfold spread designed by Layout Editor Steph Lawlor. The staff editorial, titled “Let’s Be Adults About Contraception,” implores the university to be open and honest in talking about issues of sexual health. The front page features the editorial “Going the Distance” by Opinions Editor Owen Roche, accompanied

by Carla de Miranda’s rosy graphic and “Swipe Right — The Dating App Experience” by Marielle Sarmiento.

“The student-journalists of The Observer work tirelessly to produce the best content possible for the Fordham community,” Editorial Adviser Anthony Hazell said, who attended the convention.

“It makes me proud, both as an adviser and a Fordham Observer alum, to see their outstanding work recognized by outside organizations as a standard for excellence in collegiate journalism.”

The Observer representatives had a safe journey home to New York City, awards in tow, and even got to enjoy a snow day.

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New Member Reinvigorates Pending Lawsuit SJP FROM PAGE 1

“I think it’s amazing that Veer came to SJP totally on his own, despite the efforts of the administration to prevent students from organizing for Palestine and to hinder SJP from recruiting members,” Dadap said. “His joining the case gives new life to the solidarity movement as it exists on campus.”

She added, “I also admire that he took the risk to become a petitioner and carry on the suit even knowing the unrelenting harassment faced by everybody but especially by people of color who publicly support Palestine.”

Awad, Dadap, Lurie and Norris filed a second motion in November 2017 for a preliminary injunction to speed up the legal process; that way, they could also earn temporary club status. As the case was brought under Article 78 of the New York Civil Practice Law and Rules, only the judge can decide the outcome.

The judge’s decision had to be made in under 20 days, but Fordham’s motion to dismiss had a 60-day timeline. To this day, SJP members are still waiting to hear their club’s fate.

Palestine Legal Senior Staff Attorney Radhika Sainath wrote, “these motions were argued over a year ago, so a decision is way overdue. An entire generation of students has graduated without

being able to participate in SJP.” However, Dadap said that the Fordham administration protested Shetty joining the case. She noted that it “may be because they hope that after all four original petitioners graduate, student solidarity with colonized and oppressed peoples will die down.”

For now, the SJP’s fate remains in limbo. “We’re still not seen as legitimate, which makes it very hard to organize,” Shetty said.

SJP isn’t granted basic club privileges, such as advertising, organizing events on campus or hosting guest speakers.

“In my years of involvement, I know it was difficult to get around the roadblocks that Fordham put up for unofficial student groups,” Dadap recalled.

Despite the circumstances, students still meet to discuss Palestinian rights and struggles: Dadap’s original idea has evolved into the “Palestine Study Group,” where students could learn more about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and read about topics such as colonialism, pinkwashing and violence.

The current student organizers have “done an amazing job with it, especially when taking into account how politically active many of those students are,” Dadap said.

As a result of their parley with SJP, the university was ranked among the Foundation for Individ-

COURTESY OF VEER SHETTY

Members of Students for Justice in Palestine remain committed to becoming an offical club at Fordham.

ual Rights in Education (FIRE)’s top “10 worst colleges for free speech: 2018” and in 2017. Sanctioning a student for violating the demonstration policy on campus was among the reasons why. Fordham currently still holds the “Red Light” speech code rating given by FIRE in January 2017.

Reflecting on the reasons why

SJP was subject to banning, Shetty said “I do not think SJP is divisive. I think it would help us have a more healthy dialogue about the issue.” He added that “having one side completely shut down leads to toxic discourse.”

Shetty said SJP is currently collaborating with Students for Sex and Gender Equity and Safety

Coalition. He hopes the organization will also work with other advocacy groups on campus in the future, such as the Black Student Alliance.

Ultimately, Shetty envisions SJP to “be a safe space where we can educate ourselves and create a community that fights for what we believe in.”

Rose Hill Senior Dies from ‘Sudden Illness’ at 21

New Haven Line Changes Make Commuting Easier from the Bronx

By SOPHIE PARTRIDGE HICKS Asst. News Editor

By SOPHIE PARTRIDGE HICKS Asst. News Editor

On Feb. 21, Fordham College at Rose Hill senior Donika Celaj died of a “sudden illness” according to statement from University President Rev. Joseph M. McShane, S.J. She often spelled her last name as “Cela.” She was born on Nov. 13, 1997, in Yonkers, New York, and was 21 years old when she died.

Celaj was a senior at Rose Hill and was majoring in psychology.

She graduated from the David A. Stein Riverdale Kingsbridge Academy, a public middle and high school in Riverdale, Bronx, in 2015. She was a commuter student at Fordham and lived in an apartment in the Riverdale area.

Mac Psachie, Celaj’s AP Calculus teacher in high school, left a comment on Donika’s tribute wall. He wrote, “Donika was a beautiful, intelligent, empathetic, and sweet young woman. She was always helping people. She had a

wonderful and outgoing personality.”

In correspondence with Fordham News, Dr. Mary Procidano, associate professor of psychology, said, “Donika was a reflective young woman who was finding her voice at Fordham. She was a valued presence in my class, and we all will miss her.”

Celaj’s friends spoke about how close she was with her family, and how excited she was to travel to Albania this summer to spend time with her cousins.

In an email sent to the Fordham community, McShane wrote, “the death of someone so young and full of life is profoundly painful, and a source of unspeakable sorrow and loss to everyone who knew her.”

Funeral services for Celaj were held on Feb. 25 at Pleasant Manor Funeral Home in Thornwood, New York.

Celaj is survived by her parents, Gzim and Ariana Celaj, and her brothers Fisnik and Lorik.

VIA FACEBOOK

Psychology student Donika Celaj is remembered for her friendly spirit.

On Feb. 25, MTA Metro-North Railroad President Catherine Rinaldi announced that Metro-North will open New Haven Line Trains between its Fordham and Manhattan stops. The new lines will be effective beginning April 14.

For decades, Fordham has been known as “the discharge only stop” in the Bronx. While New Haven Line trains traveling in both directions do stop at Fordham, the southbound trains only discharge passengers and northbound trains only receive passengers.

Sarah Simon, FCLC ’20, a commuter from Westchester, New York, takes the New Haven Line into Manhattan and said that “The trains stop for people to get off at the Fordham station, but the conductor almost always ends up yelling at people who boarded the train to get off and wait for the Harlem Line.”

Consequently, customers seeking to travel south into Manhattan to Grand Central or Harlem-125th Street were forced to use the Harlem Line trains.

Fordham alumna Olivia Dimou, Gabelli School of Business ’17, commuted via Metro-North from her apartment in Manhattan to the Rose Hill campus for her classes. Dimou said that “Getting back from the Bronx was a bit more difficult as I’d have to wait for the Harlem Line. I never understood why I couldn’t take that train since it literally stopped at the Fordham station.”

In a statement, Rinaldi explained that “the rule about boarding at Fordham had a long history, but that’s no reason for us to continue to uphold it.” This “exclusionary policy,” as it is often known, is a result of a 19th century deal between two private rail companies.

City Comptroller Scott Stringer said, in a correspondence with the New York Daily News, that the policy “is government-sanctioned discrimination.” He continued that “while New York City’s transit system is in crisis, the MTA and Connecticut DOT have chosen to bar communities of color from trains that connect them with their jobs, schools, and loved ones.”

“ It was long

past time for this antiqueated and customer-unfriendly rule to eliminated.”

CATHERINE RINALDI , President of

MTA Metro-North Railroad

Fordham station lies in a predominately black and Latin-American community. Many, along with Stringer, believe that this policy was the result of institutional racism, and aimed to make mobility for minority communities more difficult.

Rinaldi expressed that “it was long past time for this antiquated and customer-unfriendly rule to be eliminated.”

Now that the New Haven Lines will be available to customers at the Fordham stop, transportation to Manhattan will become significantly more accessible for commuters in the Bronx. The New Haven Lines will introduce an additional 96 weekday trains traveling between Fordham and Manhattan. This will more than double the existing 93 daily Harlem Line trains.

On Saturdays, 67 New Haven Line trains will now be accessible on top of the existing 83 Harlem Line trains. On Sun-

days, an additional 65 New Haven lines will be added to the 63 Harlem Lines.

Off-peak times are when waits are often the longest.

With the addition of the New Haven Line trains, service between Fordham and Manhattan will operate four times an hour instead of only twice an hour.

“I can imagine how annoying it must be,” Simon said, “and I never understood why that rule was so heavily enforced or necessary. I think this change will make things easier for a lot of people.”

In a statement on Feb. 27, Fordham’s News and Media Bureau announced that “We are pleased that this customer-friendly change will make for more convenient travel between Rose Hill and Manhattan, and between Rose Hill and Lincoln Center, for members of the University community and guests.”

While this is an exciting development for the Fordham University community, it is also reflective of significant changes in the Fordham area of the Bronx.

In 2016, Metro-North completed a $15.1 million renewal of the Fordham station. Upgrades to the station included the rebuilding of the northbound platform to double its original capacity, a new entrance to the station and the addition of permanent artwork. At the same time, renovations to the Fordham plaza also took place.

The New Haven Line will make commutes into Manhattan significantly easier; the change in policy represents the evolution of New York City infrastructure.

Stringer commented that the New Haven Line stopping at Fordham is “an important first step towards addressing and reversing these discriminatory practices.”

Opinions

Opinions Editor Owen Roche - oroche2@fordham.edu

F

A REPORT FORDHAM LC CAN TRUST given institution. No assessment is perfect. No outside entity has any hope of collecting enough data to get a true idea of Fordham through the eyes of a student.

But have most students responded to McShane’s call?

We doubt it.

McShane and Dining Services can send emails until they set their computers on fire and will never persuade a meaningful portion of the Fordham community to contribute to any long-acronymed college survey with no immediate pizza reward.

What compels students to ignore such administrative pleas to play the numbers

Observer the

STAFF EDITORIAL

ordham students are very familiar with the annual emails from the Rev. Joseph M. McShane, S.J., imploring them to take the U.S. News and World Report and Wall Street Journal/Times Higher Education surveys in the interest of the university’s national ranking.

Following our middling ranking by U.S. News & World Report in September, McShane criticized these types of surveys for often using criteria that fails to reflect the university’s true strengths.

McShane is right: no single nationwide survey can properly capture the worth of any

March 7, 2019 THE OBSERVER

game with college ranking surveys may not just be laziness alone. It is reasonable to suspect that the Fordham community agrees with McShane once more: these surveys offer a narrow slice of what it means to go to Fordham University, often a cross-section that excludes them entirely.

Good thing we have our own.

Here are The Observer’s rankings of Fordham Lincoln Center, taking into account actual qualities of campus life before arbitrary rankings. We all know it’s not the size of the endowment, but how it is used.

Editor-in-Chief Colin Sheeley Managing Editor Izzi Duprey Busines Managers Alexios Averginos Teymur Guliyev Online Editor Courtney Brogle Layout Editors Loïc Khodarkovsky Steph Lawlor Asst. Layout Editor Esmé Bleecker-Adams News Editors Ruby Gara Jordan Meltzer Asst. News Editors Sophie Partridge-Hicks Gabriel Samandi Opinions Editor Owen Roche Asst. Opinions Editors Grace Getman Evan Vollbrecht Arts & Culture Editor Marielle Sarmiento

Campus

Food

Diversity Party Scene

Asst. Arts & Culture Editors Kevin Christopher Robles Gillian Russo

7 10

It’s small, but has an aesthetic. Its perks include the ability to traverse it in winter without having to face the cold, and a picturesque skyline view no matter which window you look through. However, it lacks important areas such as a designated commuter lounge and significant recreational space.

5 10

Argo Tea Cafe accounts for three of those points, alone.

Few students return to the dining hall once they are no longer required to have a meal plan. Those that may wish to do so cannot past 8 p.m., a cutoff inconsistent with the late-night realities of college life. Students once again flock to Argo or must venture out and spend their own money at Morton Williams, leaving many meal swipes and dining dollars untouched.

Sports & Health Editor Luke Osborn

6 10

No thanks to the administration.

Housing policies still do little to acknowledge the gender identity of transgender students. Despite this, the campus culture and the attitudes of students and professors reflect overall acceptance. There is a strong presence of the LGBTQ community on campus, multiple academic departments recently implemented preferred name policies and events such as last semester’s drag show received positive turnouts. With regards to ethnic diversity, Fordham’s enrollment numbers have not been encouraging as of late. The university has taken steps to uplift certain minority groups but has left others behind.

Asst. Photo Editor Shamya Zindani

4 10

Features Editors Lindsay Jorgensen Jeffrey Umbrell Asst. Features Editor Gianna Smeraglia

Asst. Sports Editors Patrick Moquin Lena Weidenbruch Photo Editor Zoey Liu

Copy Editors Libby Lanza Lulu Schmieta Sami Umani Fun & Games Editor Dan Nasta Social Media Managers Shamya Zindani

To the delight of the administration, Lincoln Center’s party scene is necessarily limited. From a student standpoint, Lincoln Center lacks spaces for student recreation in the area, and it’s difficult to have even the tamest of gatherings with students outside one’s own dorm.

Visual Adviser Molly Bedford Editorial Adviser Anthony Hazell PUBLIC NOTICE

Free Speech Workout Facilities

Curricula

4ACTED D 10 E R

To the delight of the Fordham, LC’s party scene is necessarily limited. From a student standpoint, Lincoln is lacks spaces for student recreation in the area, and it’s difficult to have even the tamest of great with students outside one’s own dorm.

5 10

8 10

The recent renovation of the McMahon Hall fitness center brought more exercise equipment, but no changes have been made to the cramped space itself. It’s telling that many students still opt to shell out the money for a membership at the YMCA.

Though students often poke fun at the “New York is my campus” motto, Fordham lives up to it well. Many classes engage with the city around us.

Our small class sizes let us personally connect with others in the classroom, and most professors want their students to succeed. The curricula at Fordham isn’t perfect; there is room for diversity, and some majors are more well-rounded than others. However, the academic setting provides a unique opportunity for individual networking and personalized involvement with whatever you choose to study — an opportunity that a lecture hall in a gated campus cannot provide.

P.S. The Observer has truly enjoyed its years at Fordham and has great respect for the University.

No part of The Observer may be reprinted or reproduced without the expressed written consent of The Observer board. The Observer is published on alternate Thursdays during the academic year.

Printed by Five Star Printing Flushing, N.Y

To reach an editor by e-mail, visit www.fordhamobserver.com

POLICIES AND PROCEDURES • The Observer strives for fairness and integrity in all that it publishes.

Corrections may be issued when mistakes made in the publication of a story affect its accuracy. Retractions may be issued when these mistakes are so severe that they change the story entirely. In such a case, the editor-in-chief will make a final decision.

• Letters to the Editor should be typed and sent to The Observer, Fordham University, 140 West 62nd Street, Room G32, New York, NY 10023, or e-mailed to fordhamobserver@gmail.com. Length should not exceed 200 words. All letters must be signed and include contact information, official titles, and year of graduation (if applicable) for verification.

• If submitters fail to include this information, the editorial board will do so at its own discretion.

• The Observer has the right to withhold any submissions from publication and will not consider more than two letters from the same individual on one topic. The Observer reserves the right to edit all letters and submissions for content, clarity and length.

• Opinions articles and commentaries represent the view of their authors. These articles are in no way the views held by the editorial board of The Observer or Fordham University.

• The Editorial is the opinion held by a majority of The Observer’s editorial board. The Editorial does not reflect the views held by Fordham University.

www.fordhamobserver.com

THE OBSERVER March 7, 2019

The ‘Gen Z Liberal Tsunami’ Is Coming

Opinions

7

GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATION BY LOIC KHODARKOVSKY

ADRIANE KONG

Staff Writer

It was a normal Tuesday night; I was innocently scrolling through my emails when one caught my eye: “Generation Z Is a Liberal Tsunami,” a scathing report laid out by Commentary magazine writer Abe Greenwald. I opened the article, immediately feeling the urgency and panic of this conservative old white man radiate from my phone.

The introduction warned readers to be cautious against Gen Z voters. Too young to vote during the 2016 presidential elections, my first thought was: “Am I really a part of the liberal tsunami?”

I expected some extreme and blatantly false proclamations, like “People in Gen Z believe it is possi-

ble to choose your species!” What I found was someone so out of touch with current issues that he paints reasonable concerns as an outrage against “traditional” society. Here’s the first Gen Z fact giving Greenwald such a heart attack: “Six-in-ten Gen Z members believe that forms asking about a person’s gender should include more options than ‘man’ and ‘woman.’ Fifty-seven percent say they’re comfortable referring to someone by a gender-neutral pronoun.”

A strong start surely intended to start a riot in the senior center common room. I could not help but remember that the American Psychology Association affirms that gender is a fluid concept, nor could I find it in me to apologize for my generation’s desire to

respect people who do not fall within the societal boundaries of gender.

“Thirty percent say there are other countries better than the United States.”

It’s common knowledge among our elders that letting people die because our healthcare system is a mess, having no mandated paid maternity leave and needing to pay more than $200,000 for a college education really does make the United States the best country in the world. How dare we contradict them?

“They are more likely to believe that African-Americans are treated unfairly in the U.S., more likely to embrace diversity...”

It only takes one look at the total lack of police brutality and discriminatory headlines we

see everyday if you need to be convinced that African Americans have no lingering difficulties from over 300 years of oppression.

It’s ridiculous to say that African Americans need more inclusion in the workforce, education and media when movies like “Green Book” can win an Oscar.

“Thankfully, they [Gen Z] didn’t experience the kind of historical scarcity that changes people for life. And they were physically safe. It’s certainly possible that they’ve grown up panicked about school shootings.

But if that’s the case, they’re more likely to embrace gun-control solutions piped into their homes by popular media than to join the NRA.” Crazy kids, not supporting the interest group that staunchly

defends us with their constant attempts to make guns more accessible to unqualified people and believes that having a weapon specifically made for war is a constitutional right. Attempting to analyze our unusual behavior, Greenwald can almost decipher the enigma that is Gen Z, but not quite.

These statistics and facts are supposed to serve as proof as to why Gen Z is dangerous. But look, Gen Xers, millennials and baby boomers: I know that new ideas — that not everyone is a man or woman, that institutional racism still exists and children being shot in schools is normal — strikes fear into your heart. But we owe it to ourselves and to future generations to step up to the challenges of modern society.

So if you are still afraid … Boo!

Democrats Don’t Have Enough Green for Green New Deal LEO BERNABEI

Staff Writer

Since U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York proposed federal taxes as high as 70 percent for incomes over $10 million, many prominent Democrats, including several 2020 presidential hopefuls, have advocated likewise for much higher taxes on wealthy Americans.

The response to these proposals from many notable economists, such as Nobel Laureate Paul Krugman, has been largely positive. As Krugman and others noted, marginal tax rates (the rate levied on each additional dollar past a certain threshold) even higher than 70 percent are not unheard of; the top federal income tax rate in the United States peaked at around 94 percent during the 1940s and 1950s. While the rates during this period were extraordinarily high, Krugman and his fellow liberal economists fail to include a major caveat to these rates: no one paid them.

According to Thomas Piketty, Emmanuel Saez and Gabriel Zucman, three economists beloved by progressives, the effective top income tax rate (what was actually paid versus what exists on paper)

in the U.S. peaked around 45 percent just after World War II. In 1960, when the top marginal rate was 91 percent, eight taxpayers paid that amount. Not 80,000, not 8,000, not even 800 — eight.

Today, our effective rate lies just above 36 percent.

individuals would contribute the advertised rate without utilizing any sort of avoidance mechanisms.

In the context of Ocasio-Cortez’s proposed Green New Deal, which would be a massive economic stimulus to address climate change and income inequality, $50

We’d still have an over $12 trillion budget deficit over the decade, coupled with $84 trillion in Social Security and Medicare liabilities.

Many researchers have found that extremely high top marginal rates lead to massive tax avoidance through legal and illegal mechanisms such as deductions, offshoring and tax credits. Manhattan Institute senior fellow Brian Riedl estimates that taxing all 18,000 Americans who make over $10 million per year would only yield around $50 billion annually, largely because most of these individuals’ incomes come from capital gains (rise in value of investment or real estate) which would be unchanged by any new federal income tax. Needless to say, $50 billion is a generous estimate considering it assumes that all of these

billion would barely make a dent in this piece of legislation. While her office has not yet released an official estimate for the legislation, a similar proposal from 2016 Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein placed its cost between $700 billion and $1 trillion. Ocasio-Cortez’s other proposals (such as single-payer healthcare, a federal jobs guarantee and student loan forgiveness) are projected to cost nearly $43 trillion over a decade.

The bottom line is that a 70 percent top marginal federal income tax rate alone will not fund the proposals that progressive politicians are championing. In fact, it seems nearly unfathomable

that these costs could be achieved through any reasonable taxation.

Even under the most generous considerations of cutting military spending and state healthcare costs, the Green New Deal would still cost $34 trillion.

And the costs don’t stop there.

We’d still have an over $12 trillion budget deficit over the decade, coupled with $84 trillion in Social Security and Medicare liabilities.

(These costs would have to be addressed because it is economically unsustainable to allow budget deficits to swell to 10 percent of GDP during peacetime.)

Perhaps we should pay off Medicare’s existing obligations before expanding the system to the entire American population.

So, how can the country pay for this heaping proposal? For one, corporate tax rates could be increased. Economists have long noted that the conservative philosophy that corporations will jump ship in response to increased corporate income tax is trivial.

Firms’ location and investment decisions are based off a variety of factors including access to markets, macroeconomic stability and well-developed infrastructure.

The United States’ corporate tax rate peaked at 52.8 percent in 1968 but, similar to its counterpart

income tax, was largely avoided due to tax shelters. However, with a system of capital controls to restrict the flow of currency in and out of our capital account, the U.S. could curb some offshoring and tax evasion by massive multinational corporations.

But we can’t come up with the money simply by raising corporate tax rates. Instead, the American middle class, those without tax consultants or advisers who do pay their fair share, would need to foot the bulk of the bill. Their federal income tax rates would have to be much higher than those in European countries because of our higher levels of spending. To raise $43 trillion over a decade, the U.S. would either require a 55 percent payroll tax increase or a 115 percent value-added tax, according to CBO data. To put this into perspective, the highest value-added tax in the European Union is 27 percent.

Instead of giving thought to proposals that would balloon the federal bureaucracy to unmanageable levels and quite possibly (and ironically) increase emissions, we must task our elected officials with devising realistic, serious and tenable legislation to tackle the existential issues our world faces today.

8

Opinions

March 7, 2019 THE OBSERVER

www.fordhamobserver.com

If You’re Looking For a Sign to Dump Them, This Is It AYSESU YILMAZ

Contributing Writer

September 2018: my college career has just started. I’m in the car with my then-boyfriend — we’ll call him Randy — staring out the passenger window while he drives down Columbus Avenue. He had driven all the way from New Jersey to take me out to brunch for our one-year anniversary. The night before, we had an argument that threatened to end our relationship for what felt like the hundredth time. The air is tense as we sit in silence. While we stop at a traffic light, I turn to my right and notice some wooden frames around the trees on the sidewalk with big, black graffiti written on them: DUMP HIM. YOU KNOW YOU WANT TO. The words resonated with me. It would be another two months before I mustered the courage to do what the sign said.

If you’re in a loving, compatible relationship, congratulations: you can ignore this. However, if you are currently in the situation I was in last semester — angry, tormented, confused, upset, depressed, alone and trapped in a toxic relationship — listen up.

As most modern love stories go, I met Randy on Tinder.

He was a 20-year-old working college dropout looking for a relationship. I, a senior in high school who knew I was going to move for college soon, was not. He had to convince me to begin a relationship with him after I refused multiple times. I remember thinking, as I gave in, “Alright, fine, I’ll just see where it goes. Maybe this guy is the love of my life.” And for the first three months, he did feel like the love of my life. He was kind, funny, accepting, passionate and loving.

Ever since I started receiving

acceptance letters — some near my hometown, like Fordham, and others far away, like American University in Washington, D.C. — I began to realize that Randy did not support my ambitions. I wanted to study abroad, go to law school, become a U.S. senator, travel the world and chase all these great dreams that he apparently could not fit himself into.

When I was accepted into American University, I was offered a Capitol Hill internship right off the bat. I was ecstatic; Randy, however, didn’t want me to go all the way to Washington, D.C. for school. So here I am, at Fordham.

My main priority has always been my academics and future career, while he was looking for someone to settle down with.

There was a point in time where I wholeheartedly wanted Randy to come with me on my journey, for us to support each other and spend our life together. As much as we tried to compromise, neither of us could give the other what they needed. I realized I had to choose one or the other: Randy, or my career.

As time went on, our relationship became worse. Randy accused me of cheating and was often jealous, controlling and overprotective. He forbade me from speaking about our relationship problems, even to my therapist, because he thought I would be “tarnishing” his name.

I lost many friendships due to him demanding all of my time and pulling me away from my friends, and I ended my senior year of high school practically alone.

Don’t get me wrong, not all of our problems stemmed from Randy. Thanks to our lack of healthy communication, I got into the habit of bottling all of my emotions until they exploded without control. I picked

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY AYSESU YILMAZ

AYSESU YILMAZ/THE OBSERVER

Columbus Avenue grafitti inspired Yilmaz to say “no thank you, next.”

fights in hopes that he would break up with me, sparing me the dirty work. I developed anger issues and would resort to ripping my hair out, screaming, crying and throwing things.

I tried to tell Randy that we were no longer compatible, our futures did not align and we should go separate ways.

He simply would not let me go; every time I tried to leave, he begged me to stay, even going

as far as threatening suicide.

Along with the guilt, there was also a small part of me that simply didn’t want to be alone.

I had gotten so used to him being there, I didn’t know what I would do without him.

There’s an old saying that goes something like, “If you place a frog into a pot of boiling water, it will realize it’s being hurt and jump out. But if you put it into lukewarm water and

slowly turn up the heat, it won’t realize it’s being boiled alive.”

I reached my boiling point and broke up with Randy at the beginning of November (coincidentally when Ariana Grande released “thank u, next,” and yes, I listened to it on repeat).

Simply put, I realized I had no obligation to endure the torment of our unhealthy relationship anymore. And this time, I didn’t take back my words, apologize and swallow my pride. This time, I wasn’t afraid.

We had a screaming match, he burned our photos, I ripped up our letters, we had angry, hateful breakup sex and I booked it out of there. I called up one of my childhood friends who still lived in the area and asked if she just wanted to spend some time together. She was one of my friends I had drifted apart from in my senior year due to Randy, and I was afraid she wouldn’t want to see me. To my surprise, she welcomed me with open arms. It was the first time in months I felt truly loved.

So, why do I write this to you, fellow Fordham students? I feel like this might be a situation many college students are going through, especially freshmen. A lot of you may have someone at home who holds you back, someone who drags you down, someone who you don’t really love like you used to.

I’m here to tell you that you’re valid. You have every right to end a relationship that does not, as Marie Kondo says, spark joy. Your existence does not depend on another person’s happiness, especially not when you’re 18 years old in New York, discovering yourself and your purpose. So, heed my words, and follow the sacred scripture I read that one fateful day on Columbus Avenue: Dump them. You know you want to.

Self-Care Is a Scam EVAN VOLLBRECHT

Asst. Opinions Editor

These days, “self-care” reads as a rare trend that has lasted longer than a few weeks. It’s everywhere — grocery stores, commercials, bestselling books and TV shows all capitalize on the craze for self-indulgence.

It could be worse, right?

What’s wrong with encouraging a little rest and relaxation in these stressful times?

There’s a lot wrong, starting with those who now perpetuate the hype. Though it may have its roots in the friendly advice of conceited Twitter gurus, the current champions of the trend are brands and their influencers.

Like any other advertisement, the pitch for self-care products is that they will solve your problems, or at least make you happier. And, like any other advertisement, sellers paint vivid pictures of the good life. The typical Instagram Explore page is chock full of influencers lounging in a candlelit bath, wearing face masks and terry cloth robes.

It’s one thing to decide for yourself to take some time off work or dump a toxic friend, but corporations imploring you to forgo responsibility in favor of a product is something completely different. Self-care, supposedly an empowering activity, becomes exploitative. Like so much else, it’s no longer about doing what makes you happy — just about

SHAMYA ZINDANI/THE OBSERVER

The burgeoning self-care industry preys on your insecurity and your wallet, not your best interests.

buying what you’re told will make you happy.

The dread, depression, stress and self-hatred among millennials and Gen Z are created by the ever-present sense that we don’t have enough and aren’t doing enough to get more. What’s worse is that the mentality of the constant hustle, the narrative of entitled youth and the envy of the affluent are caused by the same entities that sell self-care.

These are the same companies that hound us to strive and work more to purchase more, once again tying our pursuit of happiness to their pursuit of profit. It’s this sense that makes self-care a tempting taboo of indulgence.

It’s a vicious cycle. People who already seek a break from the unceasing expectations of everyday life are fed images of self-care as a lavish, decadent activity replete with luxury prod-

ucts and happy customers. It’s an idea of downtime that costs a lot to replicate, which is already a problem — trying to attain it will only worsen the financial situation that leads people to seek this escape.

Yet, even using the products as advertised is counterproductive. The face mask instructions are confusing, the candles keep snuffing out, the bath bomb left a stain in your tub and you had

to turn your phone off of silent because you didn’t want to miss a text from your boss. The ideal of contentment we’ve been sold can never, ever be lived up to, because it is manufactured in photoshoots with dummy products as surely as syrup and milk get replaced with motor oil and glue for the camera in food advertisements.

Our “failure” to live up to the expectations companies have created serves as fuel to the fire, reinforcing the feelings of inadequacy and poverty that led us to seek self-care in the first place — not to mention the guilt associated with any indulgence.

Self-care is a scam. Our escape route from the demands of modern life has been co-opted and turned into yet another avenue of corporate profit at the expense of our mental states.

We’re told that to be happy, we need to buy luxury products; products that don’t help, that only make things worse when they fail. We feel guilty for trying, stress about the wasted money and envy everyone else because it feels like it worked for them.

The pursuit of happiness only increases the need for relief.

But we’ll never find relief in an Amazon checkout cart. To really care for yourself, reject the consumerist ideals of enjoyment that have been sold to you, and find out what really makes you happy — only you can decide what that means.

www.fordhamobserver.com

THE OBSERVER March 7, 2019

Opinions

9

JASMINE PETROV

Contributing Writer

You Can’t

“Do you think I could model?”

As someone who has been in the modeling industry for about three years, it’s a question I hate to hear. It’s impossible to answer both kindly and honestly. If I were to speak candidly, I would say, “No. You’re three inches under the height requirement, your hip and waist sizes are disproportionate, your thighs are too big and your nose is not in ‘trend’ right now.”

Obviously, I would never judge a person to such an extent, but this is how the modeling industry works — it’s a meat factory. Sure, everyone loves a model with a personality, but in the end, as my agency has drilled into my head, if you’re under 5 feet 10 inches, your hips are more than 35 inches or your waist is over 25 inches, you’re probably not going to get past small local designers.

But even then, so many people dream of being models and find ways to force themselves into this world because they think it’s “glamorous” and “easy.” In fact, it’s an exceptionally ugly and painstaking lifestyle.

If modeling is your life-long passion, I can’t stop you from pursuing it. I just want to make sure that you are aware that it’s not as easy as social media wants you to believe. If you are a working model, I mean no disrespect to you. I understand that everyone has different experiences and that these stories may not apply to you.

What you need to remember is that everything you see has been edited and formulated to be the perfect advertisement. The whole point is for you to envy the model, to the extent that you end up buying the product, all in hopes of being more like them.

But there’s so much behind that one photo.

(and Shouldn’t)

Be a Model

WHAT THEY DON’T TELL YOU Let’s start with some common misconceptions — you don’t join an agency and receive jobs from the get-go. For the first few months, all you’ll do are test shoots. This means you go to photographers and shoot for free to build up your portfolio, our version of a resume. But wait, you still get to have your hair and make-up done and free professional photos, right?

Sure, it’s fun for a while, but doing this with no compensation gets old really quickly.

Imagine being in a studio for six hours, squeezing into shoes too small because no one carries your size (let’s hear it for my size 11 ladies out there), having your scalp tortured because the hairstylist loves the super tight if-I-sneeze-my-hair-will-literallypop-out updo, feeling your face dry out from the fourth makeup wipe to refresh it for the next look and being ruthlessly judged for grabbing a snack. After all of that, the photographer selects 10 of the best photos, edits them to their heart’s content, and sends them over.

Kudos to them for spending hours looking at images of me, but this just shows that it’s not a one-and-done deal. Don’t ever judge yourself for not looking like a picture of a model — it was curated out of thousands of photos to look good.

New York Fashion Week is where I experienced what it actually means to be a model.

In order to get booked in a show, models have to go to many castings first — anywhere from five to 20 a day, depending on the agency and how experienced they are.

This consists of waiting in line with dozens of other models

ZOEY LIU/THE OBSERVER

The modeling industry will analyze every inch of you to see if you meet their standards — and you will never measure up.

for goodness knows how long.

Depending on how the casting director is feeling and how organized the event is (which, in my experience, was usually not at all), models can end up waiting from just a minute to hours.

The longest I’ve ever waited was for two hours (outside in the brutal winter air no less).

And it wasn’t because there were so many people; the directors decided to go out for lunch without telling us.

All of this to do a short walk in front of the director and give them your business card, a total viewing time of about 20 seconds. If you don’t have patience and energy, this business isn’t for you.

THE RUNWAY

Finally, it’s show day and you’re excited because you get to walk the runway. You arrive four hours before the show starts. Most of the time it’s chaos. There are not enough makeup artists, everyone’s crawling over each other because the space is too small for the number of people backstage, naked models are scrambling for their outfits, the designer is having a meltdown over a

wrinkle in a collar and you have no clue what you should be doing because communication is non-existent.

That was the case with one fashion show. The directors didn’t have space to move around and do the final preps, so what did they do with all the models until the show starts?

Why, they locked us up in the basement of course.

High heels, bikinis and lingerie were the only things keeping us warm in the unheated basement in the middle of February. About 30 models were huddled together around one light bulb hanging from the ceiling, surrounded by discarded construction materials like broken toilets, metal beams and probably asbestos.

It was not the most pleasurable experience, but I find moments like these as an opportunity to bond with other models on how much of a mess modeling is.

LOOKING BACK I have to admit, the fashion world can be fun and I have learned some things. For example, in the modeling industry, individual changing rooms don’t

exist. It’s just a bunch of guys and girls wearing nothing but a thong in an open space, which is quite a confidence boost. But in the end, you wait hours to be judged by a stranger and then thrown about like a ragdoll preshow just to walk for 30 seconds on the runway. It’s draining.

A model’s job doesn’t stop as soon as she leaves the studio or runway either. Her job is to look good, so that means exercising on the daily and dieting. That’s one of the reasons I want to leave modeling. I love food.

Noodles, bread, rice, ice cream, I want to be able to eat those without the fear that my agency will psychologically belittle me for gaining weight.

I once posted a picture of a milkshake on my Instagram and ended up getting looks from my agent next time I visited them.

Agencies have been known for putting girls on a 1,000-calorie-and-under diet. You live under the stress of “am I good enough?” because if, all of a sudden, designers don’t like your looks, you won’t make any money.

Bodies are constantly modified, whether naturally or synthetically, to appeal to the greater audience. That’s

the paradox I’ve faced. I’ve both grown more confident of my body, having been chosen to represent fashion lines, but all the while my self-esteem has plummeted since I end up constantly comparing myself to everyone else. How could I ever feel good enough when there’s always someone prettier, taller and skinnier than me?

I used to model more but now that I’m in college, I’ve decided to put it on “pause”; I’m still contemplating whether or not I should go back. Though there are a lot of perks to modeling, like traveling and pampering, the modeling industry is exhausting and gives little in return. Models don’t actually make as much as you think, as many designers even refuse to pay us (we don’t eat food either way, why would we ever need money?)

So if you want to model, make sure that you will have enough time, patience, energy and self-esteem. It’s a mean industry, ready to chew you out in the end. Unless you’re a celebrity or have connections, you will probably be nothing more than a disposable model ready to be replaced by tons of other look-alikes.

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Opinions

March 7, 2019 THE OBSERVER

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LC Students Deserve a Space of Their Own

ROD’S FROM PAGE 1

Besides the dorms, the student lounges and the Argo Tea area are common gathering spots for students, but they are not explicitly for students. There’s very little in the way of personalization and no student can ever say that they’ve left their mark on these locales.

Rod’s is different. The individuals who man the cashiers, brew the coffee and ensure that nothing gets set on fire are students themselves. This also means that any rules that might be present at other non-student eateries do not exist (or, at least, are not really enforced) at Rod’s.

It’s like a thousand different students have put their mark on every wall, panel and floorboard.

This leads to a much more relaxed and casual atmosphere where students can be themselves. Rod’s can look and feel pretty much however it wants and that gives the coffee shop a real feeling of history. The cardboard cutout of Legolas that’s peeking out from behind the curtain has a story behind it. So does the giant cartoon duck on the whiteboard and the Polaroids taped to the wall next to it. There must have been so many songs played on the old, rickety and graffitied piano that sits by the staircase leading down to the bathroom.

No such place exists at Fordham Lincoln Center. The sterility of the social spaces on campus likely contributes to the lack of school spirit suffered by the student body. There is no space where students can just have fun, a place where the university doesn’t have any say as to what goes on and what people do.

The university doesn’t run Rod’s. Students do. That’s why Rod’s regularly hosts bands, parties and the occasional alien murder mystery. Students serving other students, making their coffee and running the venue give one an instant connection to the space. The person pouring a student their drink might be one of their classmates, someone they’ve been crushing on all semester or a rival whom they’ll take pleasure stiffing a tip. These sorts of experiences are something which simply do not happen at Fordham Lincoln Center and its students are all the worse for it.

Here’s what I propose: dedicate a space in Fordham Lincoln Center to be run by only students.

No faculty allowed. No staff. Students will maintain it, clean it and serve its patrons. What Lincoln Center lacks right now is a watering hole where everyone, commuter and resident alike, can come together and be a community.

It’s going to be imperfect, it’s going to be rough going at first and the food will probably suck.

But it’s a place that could become a home for an entire campus. The change to the social dynamic on campus will be huge.

Fordham Lincoln Center needs a Rod’s.

SUMMER SESSION 2019

NIGEL ZWEIBROCK/THE OBSERVER

You won’t find anything like this on the Lincoln Center campus.

Catch up or get ahead this summer!

• Online classes are available.

• All advising and financial holds are removed.

• Register on March 25.

Session I: May 28–June 27 Session II: July 2–August 6 Choose from more than 200 available courses!

Learn more at fordham.edu/summer.

The Rubberneck

THE OBSERVER March 7, 2019

All Quiet on The McKeon Front

Opinions

Sinister Suitemates and the Battle of the Bathroom: The Untold Story of Dorm War I GRACE GETMAN

Asst. Opinions Editor

Editor’s Note: Grace Getman, Fordham College at Lincoln Center ’22, transferred to Pace University following the fall 2018 semester, abandoning all of her belongings in her dorm. What appears below is what has been pieced together from her since-deleted finsta account.

A wise senior once told me, “Dying is easy, living with suitemates is harder.”

And suite heavens is it true.

Dorm War I began on Oct. 18, 2018, a day that will forever live in infamy. The spark that ignited a war went off at 2 p.m. when my suitemates nuked a plastic bowl in their microwave. Section 18, Article 41 of the Roommate Convention clearly stated our policy on the matter: there was to be no burning of foreign substances in our suite, and any doing of such would be considered a war crime against not only our suite, but the entire floor.

No one was prepared for the consequences of such an act of aggression, and no one was prepared for the fight that lay ahead.

If only I could travel back in time and warn myself.

Our fellow floor citizens were choking in the hallway, phones out to record the carnage. The melted bowl smoked in the trash room, and all felt its acrid smog make its way down our noses and our throats.

Our Resident Assistant tried to maintain order, hands raised to

EVAN VOLLBRECHT/THE OBSERVER

When relations between suitemates reach a boiling point, it’s time to go on the attack.

write a fine, but succumbed to the fumes and retreated to her room, abandoning her residents to their fates.

Wheezing and coughing, my roommate and I made our way back to our dorm and began to plot. WMDs (Weapons of Microwaveable Detonation) had been found in our neighboring dorm and targeted at us. How did we know that this meltdown in relations was a targeted attack?

The shots heard ’round the walls were a few snide giggles and a comment of how stupid we were. I was shocked. I won’t claim to be the perfect suitemate. I’ve done a lot of things in my time of which I’m not proud. But I will say that the toilet paper I’ve provid-

ed has always been 2-ply. The noise complaints I’ve filed have always had a “Thanks so much!” attached to them. And when the Black Mold of 2018 came around our bathroom, I was the one who beat back the spores by filing five different maintenance requests.

The tension ratcheted up.

Before the attack, we used passive-aggressive texting to resolve noise complaints. Before the attack, the once-a-week bathroom cleaning schedule was respected.

Before the attack, we would awkwardly smile when we saw each other in the hallways. Before the attack, I was an innocent.

After the attack, I became a soldier. If they wanted a war, by Ramses we would give them a

war. Our returning strike was masterful — my roommate and I began a constant barrage of noise complaints, texting whenever excessive noise was heard after quiet hours, not just when we were trying to sleep.

We thought that there was nothing our suitemates could do in response — all of our moves were sanctioned in various interdorm treaties — but oh, we were wrong. We were fools. The Battle of the Bathroom broke me. By late November, it was one of my suitemate’s turn to clean the bathroom, but the bathroom went uncleaned. Days turned into weeks into a month, and the suite life of wack and grody became worse and worse. My roommate

and I refused to pick up a sponge ourselves as it was her turn and we thought we could wait my suitemate out.

The mold grew mold, and the shower became a bathtub because the drain was filled with so much hair. Towels kicked to a corner began to change color.

It’s a week before winter break as I write this dispatch, and I can’t do it anymore. I’m a lover, not a fighter. God, we could wait her out, but at what cost?

I think the mold might be hallucinogenic. I’ve started to see things around me. Pinesol, Mr. Clean and Swiffer circle around my head, taunting me with everything that could have been.

The ghost of Billy Mays chases me in my dreams, telling me that if I order now, I can get a free book light. In a vision from the future, Rev. Joseph M. McShane, S.J., sadly reads my diplomas I walk up the steps at graduation — “Grace Getman, Class of 2022, has earned a Bachelor of Science in Growing Mold. Like Really, So Much Mold.”

I’ve started to sleep in the hallway because the stress of the bathroom has been getting to me. If anyone ever reads this, tell my family that I love them, my friends that I’ve loved getting to know them and my suitemates to clean the god-damn — Editor’s Note: At this point, Getman’s correspondence cut off. One can only guess that she deserted from the dormed forces at this point, transferring to Pace University, as her mind was no longer able to cope with the realities of war. May her Ramily remember her with great joy.

McMahon Freshmen Oppression Must Lessen OLIVIA BONENFANT

Contributing Writer

Two houses, both alike in dignity, hold the freshmen of Fordham Lincoln Center — not that you’d know it. Like a great Shakespearean tragedy, the freshmen of McMahon Hall and McKeon Hall are unfairly kept apart, and there is one clear culprit: the university itself.

That’s right, dear readers.

It is Fordham University that seeks to divide us, that leaves the plaza an uncrossable sea. Neither side knows the other. Worlds happen separately, untouched.

All because of ResLife’s greatest weapon: the guest sign-in policy.

Oh, how we suffer under the weight of a security guard who wants nothing more than to go home for the day, writing out our names as we impatiently flash our IDs. The fact that we both belong to the same university means nothing to the swipe-in scanners, to the unforgiving glass doors blocking the McKeon elevators.

The sign-in policy is a tool designed to rip the freshman class in two.

Sure, they might let us lowly McMahon residents (and commuters) sign ourselves in without a host, but this concession was only a rumor when I first came to Fordham — even to the security guards. They either let me list myself as a host on the sign-in sheet with minimal harassment,

AMINA VARGAS/THE OBSERVER

A McMahon freshman looks wistfully at the vaulted gates of McKeon Hall.

or passive-aggressively shamed me away from their desk, sending me back to the dated carpets and popcorn ceilings of McMahon.

Once everything was said and done, we oppressed freshmen of McMahon were allowed to grant ourselves access to the hidden world of McKeon only during normal weekday business hours.

And yet the oppression continues.

You see, this strange thing hap-

pens where college students generally hang out on the weekends.

We residents of McMahon Hall have no idea what goes on over there. Even if we did, we’re not rude. We’re not going to interrupt whatever you’re doing to make you come downstairs and sign us in, and we sure aren’t going to make you do the same thing at the end of the night when all you want to do is collapse into bed.

We would never do you as dirty as ResLife does.

And as for us in McMahon — in another unpredictable phenomenon, when people are shoved into a room with a fully functioning kitchen and common room with five or more other people, they don’t have much reason to branch out and leave.

Especially not with a McKeon sign-in policy that makes things

as inconvenient as possible for everyone involved. And who in McKeon wants to trade gorgeous views and modern architecture for the best affordable dorm furniture of 1993?

Fordham University is trying to divide its freshman class.

After Orientation and outside of class, there aren’t many ways the members of both houses of Fordham can run into each other; so what do you do during that interim time before you find your real friends — dare I say your Ramily — when signing you in to hang out in their room is a level of formality you just haven’t reached yet?

You suffer. That’s what you do. You binge a lot of Netflix shows. You hang out in your room in McMahon; you hang out on your floor in McKeon. You let our houses stay divided, and everybody knows a house divided cannot stand.

But the worst tragedy of all?

In a mere three months, I will no longer care. My anger at my own oppression has already faded to begrudging acceptance. I used to wonder why no one fought to change things.

Now I know. We move on. We all move to McMahon. We forget about the inconvenient lengths we went the year before just to hang out with each other. And the new class of freshmen in McMahon will suffer on, flashing their IDs at the McKeon security desk in the face of an uncaring university.

V S 12

Features

March 7, 2019 THE OBSERVER

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ulnerable

paces

Choreography, creativity, conversation The Ailey/Fordham B.F.A. Independent Study in Choreography performance (ISC) offers senior students in the Ailey/Fordham B.F.A dance program the rare opportunity to test their creative capacity in the form of original choreography.

By ISABELLA ALDRIDGE, DANIELLE DAVIS, SOPHIA ORTEGA and CHARLES SCHELAND

Brandon’s and Liu’s pieces will premiere on March 7 at the 6:30 p.m. performance and McKoy’s and Sato’s pieces will premiere the same day at the 8:30 p.m. performance in the Ailey Studio Theater (405 W 55th St., New York, N.Y. 10019).

HEADSHOTS COURTESY OF NIR ARIELI

Mikaela Bra

New York is a city of dua store on Madison Avenue th while the homeless sleep on spread out next door. These so divisions have become invisib mal. Has the New York minu that we can’t stop to take our acknowledge these clear divid do something about them? Sen Mikaela Brandon takes that ti observe inequality and give it a ly choreographed dance, “En M Brandon commissioned “E Ailey/Fordham B.F.A. Indep Choreography performance, ence as a commuter student was striking to her how indi come toward people in circum from our own. So she posed th focus of “En Masse”: What wo these two worlds communicat were given voices?

Brandon’s 19 dancers com during the 20-minute work by only for it be released in an exp tween polar opposites. Dancer student, Dominique Dobransk push herself to focus on the di instead of looking through a This helped her to embody the anger of her character whose b her invisible to others. Dobran away from the dance is Brando reality as fuel for art that reson a clear testament to the power The impact that “En Masse sky is the same impact that for it to have on the audienc to open people’s eyes to the tw ferent layers of the city and c where they stand in each. In t Brandon’s goal is not for the au they’re watching a performan immersed into their everyday

Four B.F.A. seniors created or

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andon

lism. It is a retail hat exudes wealth n cardboard boxes ocial and economic ble or worse, norute become so fast r headphones out, des, and better yet nior B.F.A. student ime to slow down, a voice in her newMasse.”

En Masse” for the pendent Study in using her experifor inspiration. It ifferent we’ve bemstances different he question as the ould it look like if ted, if the voiceless

mmand the space y building tension plosive face-off ber and fellow B.F.A. ky, said she had to ivision around her a superficial lens. e helplessness and background makes nsky’s biggest takeon’s ability “to use nates with people,” r of “En Masse.” e” had on Dobrant Brandon wishes ce. Brandon wants wo drastically difcause them to ask this self-reflection, udience to feel like nce but to be fully lives.

THE OBSERVER March 7, 2019

Derick McKoy For Derick McKoy, the ISC means the chance to explore his own growth through movement.

He chose this program because it allows students a platform to make longer pieces. “Typically, three people get chosen to make pieces up to 30 minutes long,” McKoy said, “so the show is about an hour and a half total.” His current piece, “All the things left unsaid…” comes from a personal desire to express himself. While he usually choreographs more abstract movement, based solely off music, McKoy has decided this year to infuse his life experience into the work. “Last year, I was having a rough year,” he explained, “and I decided, in comp, actually, to start choreographing something new to Nils Frahm, a German musician. I’m not usually open to telling people my business or how I feel on the inside.” Working on this piece helped him establish a new movement vocabulary, far different than the strictly technical work of his past.

As with any project, there were highs and lows throughout the creative process. For McKoy, watching his 24-minute piece come together became his favorite part of the choreographic journey. One of the challenges of working with students is in the way they approach movement.

Typically, students will have a technical mindset when learning new choreography. McKoy explained how he manages this challenge: “I’m pushing my dancers to work on intention, and then letting me craft the movement on after that.”

Dancing from a vulnerable place can be a challenge for dancers, tapping into emotions and translating their feelings into movement.

McKoy focuses more on the internal feelings instead of the visual aesthetic, confident that the product will display authentic movement. “It’s not about how the shape looks, but how does the shape feel.”

Kathy Liu “A room full of practical ideas,” Kathy Liu’s ISC project, is an exploration of how time can run non-linearly. The work is about 16 minutes long and was inspired by the Alan Lightman book “Einstein’s Dreams.” Liu described the book as “basically a fictionalization of Einstein’s various time hypotheses before he created his theory of relativity” and “connects these hypotheses to narratives showing how these concepts of time would affect human behavior.”

Her cast is all-female, but her dancers’ genders did not figure into her casting at all. Instead, Liu was more interested in the relationships between the dancers. Naya Hutchinson, FCLC ’21, is excited to be performing in her first ISC piece. She is particularly grateful to Liu for including her in the process. Hutchinson humbly mentioned her favorite moments from the piece are a solo by Sue Ishige, FCLC ’19, and a duet by Morgan McDaniel, FCLC ’20, and Samara Steele, FCLC ’20.

Liu mentioned that in the past, she has not normally felt rushed to complete projects. “But with the sheer amount of dancing for a 16-minute piece,” Liu said, “it’s made me really focus on what I want to present and how I want to present it rather than just getting it done.” She said that she does feel some pressure to do well, but not because of her own reputation or vanity — she made it clear that she does not want to let down her dancers and that she wants to make members of the Ailey/Fordham B.F.A dance program program proud.

riginal pieces of choreography, drawing inspiration from their life experiences and incorporating their peers into their work.

Features

Ellie Sato Ellie Sato created her 19-minute work “Awakening” with a cast of three men and three women. Her piece fuses multiple movement vocabularies including the ones studied at the Ailey School: ballet, Horton and Graham.

She has also incorporated a social dance called Lindy Hop. Payton Primer, FCLC ’22, appreciates that Sato has exposed her to this new way of dancing. She said that Sato has truly pushed her experience with choreography and being part of an ensemble.

Regarding her favorite section of the piece, Primer immediately said “the end of the Lindy Hop section when all of the couples are doing a bunch of swing-outs and sugar-pushes in synch, almost reminiscent of a dance-off.”

Sato educated her dancers in the vernacular of Lindy Hop while teaching them her own choreography. To create the piece, she took inspiration from “the words of astrophysicists Carl Sagan and Neil deGrasse Tyson, both of whom ponder the vastness of the universe in relation to the lives that we lead on Earth.” Sato said that her biggest challenge was staying true to her vision while still innovating in movement.

She was clear that she always tries to consider how the audience is experiencing the piece, not just how she, the choreographer is.

AMINA VARGAS/THE OBSERVER

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Arts & Culture

Arts & Culture Editor Marielle Sarmiento - msarmiento3@fordham.edu

March 7, 2019

THE OBSERVER

CELIA PATTERSON/THE OBSERVER

Visitors can view the Vanda Awkwafina orchid, named for the “Crazy Rich Asians” star, at the NYBG’s Singapore-themed Orchid Show.

New York Meets Singapore at the Botanical Garden

By CELIA PATTERSON Contributing Writer

Across the street from the Fordham Rose Hill campus lie the beautiful grounds of the New York Botanical Garden (NYBG). Every year, the NYBG provides a bright spot in the gray of the city with the colorful Orchid Show. The New York Times and The New Yorker have praised past shows, whose themes have ranged from Thailand to the work of floral designer Daniel Ost. This year’s theme, on display from Feb. 23 to April 28, is Singapore and the show pays tribute to the city-state’s reputation as a “City in a Garden.” The show is developed in partnership with the beautiful Gardens by the Bay and Singapore Botanic Gardens. Gardens by the Bay’s famous Supertrees and the Singapore Botanic Gardens’ Arches are featured in the show through intricate floral designs.

The Orchid Show is located in

the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory, a vast greenhouse that contains a lush garden. The Conservatory is adorned with thousands of orchids for the show, including specimens from the NYBG’s vast collection and special Singaporean varieties. One of these orchids from the NYBG collection has been named Vanda Awkwafina, after the New York City-born actress who starred in “Crazy Rich Asians,” set in Singapore.

Visitors can see this flower and many more during the day or at the Orchid Evenings. On select Fridays and Saturdays throughout the duration of the show, visitors 21 and older can visit the show during the evening from 7 to 10 p.m. The Orchid Evenings will include live performances from dancers and DJs, as well as a selection of food from the Bronx Night Market.

The NYBG is also hosting demonstrations about orchid care and tours of the Orchid Show

during its run. If visitors want to bring a piece of the beauty of the Orchid Show home with them, many varieties of orchids are for sale in the NYBG gift shop.

The NYBG is open Tuesday to Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

While Fordham students, faculty and employees receive one free grounds pass to the gardens with a valid university ID, this does not include access to the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory, where the Orchid Show is located. However, the beauty of the show makes the cost of the ticket worth it. For students, all-grounds passes cost $20 during the week, and $25 on weekends.

The Orchid Show is part of the NYBG’s year-long theme of #plantlove.

Those who visit the show are encouraged to share their experience, include the #plantlove hashtag in any social media posts and look out for other exhibitions, programs and projects being offered by The New York Botanical Garden this year.

Appearances Can Be Deceiving A colorful, emotional display of the life of artist Frida Kahlo at the Brooklyn Museum

By MACA LEON Contributing Writer

When Frida Kahlo died, her husband Diego Rivera locked up a large repository of her personal belongings in La Casa Azul, her lifelong home in Mexico City, and said they could not be seen until 15 years after his death. For years the pieces sat in the house, gathering dust, kept away from the public eye other than for a few small shows around Mexico.

That is, until the Brooklyn Museum gathered them up and created “Appearances Can Be Deceiving,” a vibrant exhibit that works to honor Kahlo’s dazzling memory.

As soon as you enter the museum, you can see a faint hint of neon white lights emanating from the back of the room, where two brightly colored screens display the name Frida Kahlo in huge italicized letters. It nearly blinds you. As you enter the exhibit space you are met with bright orange walls that create the perfect background for Kahlo’s vivid works.

The exhibit guides visitors through Kahlo’s world, from her plush childhood in the Mexican upper class through her frightful medical history to her problematic marriage with Rivera and the battle with her miscarriage. Kah-

MACA LEON/THE OBSERVER

The exhibit displays Kahlo’s belongings alongside Mesoamerican art.

lo’s paintings frequently drew on the significant moments in her life and the emotions associated with them, which is evident in

the 10 self-portraits and a selection of drawings included in the exhibit. Aside from these, there are more than 325 objects on

display including personal photographs, hand-painted corsets and eyebrow pencils. There’s even a prosthetic leg, which was made

for her after she lost hers in 1953.

Out of everything I saw, the piece I enjoyed the most was a photograph of Kahlo titled “Frida in New York.” In the photo, Kahlo is pictured in full Mexican garb against the New York skyline, creating a magnificent contrast between the two. Kahlo being in a foreign place so different from her reminded me of my first time in the city, specifically my college move-in day. Everything was new and exciting, yet it felt right.

As you exit, check out the gift shop. It’s almost as brilliantly decorated as the exhibit itself and has some incredible Mexican products, including tote bags, books and huipil for sale as well as postcards of the works displayed. Make sure to try some of the delicious conchas and sweetbreads the museum has for sale at the entrance cafe, and check out the workshop set up nearby where museum employees show you how to craft delicate paper flowers.

The exhibit runs through May 12 with tickets priced at $12 with a valid student ID. Buy them in advance, as they are a hot commodity and will sell out quick.

Don’t miss out on this engaging and insightful exhibition, as it’s sure to delight Kahlo fans everywhere.

www.fordhamobserver.com

THE OBSERVER March 7, 2019

Since Stonewall

Arts

15

The New York Public Library examines 50 years of liberation in the name of love

By GILLIAN RUSSO Asst. Arts & Culture Editor

“Where were you during the Christopher Street Riots?” asks a Mattachine Society poster displayed on the wall of the Stephen A. Schwarzman Building.

Don’t think too hard. They are better known as the 1969 Stonewall riots, when a routine police raid of the Stonewall Inn gay bar sparked an unprecedented week of riots protesting lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer discrimination. You probably were not born yet when they occurred. But 50 years later, the New York Public Library’s (NYPL) new exhibit “Love and Resistance: Stonewall at 50” invites us to look back on decades of LGBTQ history and consider where we are today.

The exhibit is divided into four sections: “Resistance,” “In Print,” “Bars” and “Love.” They center around stills taken by photojournalists Kay Tobin Lahusen and Diana Davies, who largely documented the events of the Stonewall era.

Sprinkled among their work are letters, pamphlets, magazine covers, drawings, invitations and posters that create a vivid portrait of the decade that inspired the form of modern LGBTQ movements.

On the whole, the focus on the Stonewall riots themselves is surprisingly minimal. They are mentioned, of course, in the exhibit’s introductory blurb as the “turning point in LGBTQ political consciousness,” when underground activist groups came to the forefront and began to advocate more openly for gay liberation.

ZOEY LIU/THE OBSERVER

The NYPL’s new Stonewall riots exhibit focuses on “changing perceptions one kiss at a time.”

Much of the exhibit, however, focuses on the riots’ aftermath and highlights the specific forms that advocacy took. One of them was bodily expression. According to the introduction to the “Resistance” section, pre-Stonewall protests were calculated and conservative: protesters dressed in suits and “sensible skirts” and kept controversial signage to a minimum.

The photos in the section capture post-Stonewall protests, where crowds were bigger, words were stronger and participants were “emboldened” to dress and speak with less restraint. And these LGBTQ demonstrations were intersectional from the start. They were linked with labor, pro-black,

anti-war, feminist and student demonstrations. Look at some of the images on display — of diverse crowds, of seas of handmade signs, of college-age students gathered — and you might discover a striking lack of difference between them and snapshots of modern marches.

Another avenue of advocacy was the press. The “In Print” section is less photo-focused; most of the memorabilia on display here are covers and article excerpts from the numerous LGBTQ periodicals whose circulation exploded after Stonewall. They were the Facebook groups and the online blogs of their day; they were the means by which members of the movement connected with each

other and spread ideas, literature and event news.

“Bars” highlights social advocacy. Invitations to dances, advertisements for drag balls and images of LGBTQ people dancing carefreely at nightclubs pepper the walls of this section. Stonewall was originally a mafia-run establishment and one of the many illegal gay bars in the city. After the riots, people pushed for a change in bar culture: namely, that LGBTQ people should legally be served at bars and that there should be alternatives to bars as social spaces for LGBTQ people Adm_FordhamUniversityAd_002_FA18.pdf until that happened. The activist groups spearheaded this sub-movement by organizing dances that catered specifically to the LGBTQ

community and created spaces where they could be accepted.

The final and perhaps most potent form of advocacy, as shown in the “Love” section, is mere existence. The photos displayed here,

by Lahusen and Davies among other photographers, share the common theme of affection in the LGBTQ community. Many of these photographs look like something you might see framed on the mantle in a living room — photos of families, of friends, of husbands and wives. Some are kissing, some hugging, some simply sitting together, some posing and smiling for the camera.

It’s almost too easy to forget that these photos were taken in a time when homosexuality was seen as a crime, an illness or both.

From a contemporary perspective, this is an exhibit of photos. What makes it stand out is remembering that it’s an exhibit of innumerable small resistances that made up a movement whose effects we still experience.

LGBTQ acceptance has made strides since Stonewall, but the history that brought us to this point may not often be considered.

That’s what the NYPL and “Stonewall at 50” do well: they emphasize the progress that has been made while making clear the parallels between 1969 and 2019. Fifty years later, the exhibit implies, romance is still revolutionary.

Various branches of the library will host events related to the exhibit throughout itsPMrun that can 1 1/24/19 1:55 be found on its website. “Stonewall at 50” will be on display through July 14.

Where Is My Goth Asian Girlfriend?

By MARIA HAYAKAWA Staff Writer

In Hollywood, Asians have been stereotyped and underrepresented until all too recently. Asian roles were rarely assigned and when they were, the characters were often one-dimensional and not even played by Asians. Docile O-Lan (Luise Rainer) in “The Good Earth,” the “dragon lady” O-ren Ishii (Lucy Liu) from “Kill Bill” and pervy Mr. Yunioshi (Mickey Rooney) in “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” were all characters that familiarized audiences with Asian stereotypes. Though Hollywood has taken strides to become more inclusive of Asians, a new image has cast all those intentions into doubt.

Enter the goth Asian girl.

With dyed hair, piercings, dark clothing and a “cool” nature, she is a far-too-common evolution of the “manic pixie dream girl.” Characters that fit this trope such as Mako Mori from “Pacific Rim,” Blink from “X-Men” and Knives Chao from “Scott Pilgrim” need to be removed from screens.

In the traditional stereotype, Asian women were depicted as obedient, reserved and often nerdy. They were often background characters with little to no depth. The “china doll” or “lotus flower” describe the silent, submissive images in movies as recent as “Guardians of the Galaxy 2,” where the character of Mantis (Pom Klementieff) raised more than a few eyebrows from viewers.

She was obedient, meek and only followed orders from Ego (Kurt Russell).

In contrast, the “goth Asian girl,” seen in “Glee” with Tina Cohen Chang, GoGo Tamago in “Big Hero 6” and most recent-

ILLUSTRATION BY ESME BLEECKER-ADAMS

Knives Chau from “Scott Pilgrim vs. The World.”

ly Yukio in “Deadpool 2,” represents an equally problematic perception. In the Marvel sequel, the character Yukio is introduced as Negasonic Teenage Warhead’s girlfriend. She has dyed hair, edgy clothing and a cute, renegade personality to boot.

While the movie relished in its 83 percent Rotten Tomatoes score and its fans raved about an LGBTQ couple in a superhero film, audiences couldn’t ignore the simplified character of Yukio. According to research done in 2016 by the USC Annenberg School of Communications and Journalism, only one out of 20 speaking roles go to Asians and only 3.5 percent of any roles in film go to Asians. This underrepresentation as well as misrepresentation is angering the Asian community. One Twitter user said, “the fact that Asian girls in media can’t be

rebellious/different without a streak of (purple) color in their hair pisses me off to no end.”

Critics on social media have opened up about fearing the fetishization of Asians. The “exotic” nature of Asian girls is pleasurable to men because they are “different.” The popularization of stereotypes like the “goth rebel girl” have affected girls who fit this category, making them objects of sexualization.

With the rise of Korean pop and Korean movies, both Asian girls and guys are increasingly fetishized. Speaking as an Asian woman, we are not a bucket list goal or a part of a weird fantasy, but people with depth and personality.

Diversity doesn’t end with casting a popular stereotype.

Asian girls should feel free to get a streak in their hair or dress in dark colors, but those stylistic elements alone don’t make a multi-dimensional character. We need positive influences of Asian representation in Hollywood with movies such as “Crazy Rich Asians.” This was a big step in the direction of changing stereotypes and creating a movie with an all-Asian cast. Asians aren’t “exotic” or “foreign” sexualized objects, but just people.

The popularization of stereotypes, the objectification and the racism need to end.

It’s time to change the perception of Asians in entertainment. Mainstream media needs to give Asians a chance in the limelight. Going forward, I hope to see more positive representation and inclusion of Asian Americans by giving them roles that deal with more complex human experiences. We are powerful and most importantly, we can do anything.

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16

Arts

March 7, 2019 THE OBSERVER

www.fordhamobserver.com

City Slices from City Slickers

Observer writers share their favorite places to get pizza that is worth the dough

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ANGELA CHEN/THE OBSERVER

By ETHAN COUGHLIN Staff Writer

By JORDAN MELTZER News Editor

By PATRICIA ANGELES Contributing Writer

By MACA LEON Contributing Writer

By GILLIAN RUSSO Asst. Arts & Culture Editor

1. I do not go to NYU, but as a college student I find myself in the Village quite often. No trip to Washington Square Park is complete without a slice from Artichoke Pizza on MacDougal Street.

Though there are two locations closer to campus, located at 114 10th Ave. and 321 East 14th Street, the MacDougal location is the one I go back to time and again.

Lit with a bright neon sign and just steps away from the famous Comedy Cellar, Artichoke is packed at any hour and stays open until well past midnight.

Though I almost exclusively eat pepperoni pizza, when at Artichoke, I have to get the titular artichoke slice. No piece of pizza in the city is quite as unique.

The slices are unbelievably thick, rich and creamy, and I guarantee you won’t need more than one (if even that). Unfortunately, all that goodness comes with the hefty price tag of $6 a slice.

That being said, few things match the pleasure of sitting in Washington Square Park on a sunny day, enjoying street performers with a fresh slice of artichoke pizza from down the street.

2. You might call it “the place at 53rd Street.” You might know it as “Dollar Pizza.” You may have even stumbled into it with your friends unexpectedly at midnight.

Whether or not you know its name, you love NY Fresh Pizza.

With a location just within walking distance of campus, it’s close enough that it’s still Fordham stomping grounds but far enough that the trip fulfills your exercise regimen for the day — er, week.

The atmosphere is unmistakably familiar, a second home to Lincoln Center students. With its funky smell, unpleasant paint job and unbelievably cramped space, it might as well be McMahon Hall.

There is one clear distinction between the halls of Fordham and NY Fresh, though: low prices. No pizzeria can beat its 99-cent slice.

Sure, every 2 Bros location and countless other spaces in the city can match it, but no one can beat it.

I admit that it might only be acceptable pizza — maybe even mediocre — but it’s the best darn slice in the vicinity (read: “cheapest”), and its 12-to-12 hours are accommodating of your late-night antics.

You know who you are.

It has always been there for you. Be there for it. Make the seven-block hike and support NY Fresh.

3. Looking for a unique pizza spot to chill with friends that’s both Instagramable and tasty?

Head over to Pizza Beach.

“Pizza. Beach. Sleep. Repeat.”

Their motto rings true — you will want to repeat. This not-so-average New York pizza joint transports you to the California coast with mouth-watering wood-fired pizzas and beach-inspired cocktails. The restaurant is decked out with beach bar decor that gives off laid-back SoCal vibes. It is a quirky place in Manhattan that caters to all, offering healthy vegetarian and gluten-free options.

Luckily, there are locations on the Upper and Lower East Sides.

So stop by, relax and enjoy the beach.

4. From dollar slices to artisan pies, pizza can be found anywhere in New York. But none can beat the charming allure of Justino’s Pizzeria and, at just a stone’s throw away from Fordham’s Lincoln Center campus, it’s the perfect place for a late-night bite.

Justino’s is incredibly small with barely enough room for three to stand comfortably. But, with slices such as vodka sauce and chicken parmigiana priced at $3.75 and $4.50 respectively, the shuffle will be more than worth it. And let’s not forget the most important thing: size, something Justino’s gets right every time with their colossal slices. They are opening a sit-down restaurant, too, if you want to savor the slice in-store.

So whether you’re in the mood for delectable pizza or friendly service, Justino’s is the place for you.

5. Yes, there are slice shops galore within walking distance, but I will gladly take a 15-minute subway ride any day for Simo.

It’s located across the street from the Whitney Museum and, as far as I’m concerned, you can never go wrong with an afternoon of art and pizza. Paying the $2 delivery fee and enjoying a pie in your dorm is an equally viable option, but be advised: your toppings will come in a separate box.

Dining out is half the experience anyway; beyond the sleek and minimalistic decor, it has everything you’d want in an eatery.

Efficiency? Check: the fast-casual place certainly lives up to the label, boasting an order-prep time of 90 seconds. Student-friendly prices? Check: pizzas cost between $9 and $12, and that’s for a whole 10-inch personal pie. Delicious food? Check: Simo’s doughy Neapolitan pizzas always taste fresh. The menu offers 10 specialty pies with topping combinations like prosciutto, arugula and parmesan; mozzarella, anchovy and olive; and classic margherita.

There are also gluten-free, vegetarian and vegan options — for a small menu, Simo truly caters to all. I’m getting hungry just thinking about it. When does the next 1 train leave?

ANGELA CHEN /THE OBSERVER

Wherever you are in Manhattan, a tasty slice of pizza is guaranteed to be nearby.

www.fordhamobserver.com

THE OBSERVER March 7, 2019

Arts

17

Fordham Off-Stage Spotlight: Motivated by Movement

By CAITLIN BURY Contributing Writer Raised in a household filled with theater and dance, Kaylie Groff, Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) ’20, has always been comfortable in creative spaces. First exposed to it by her mother, a dancer herself, Groff became involved in dance through a performance group in Vermont.

Dancing gave Groff a creative outlet, but in her freshman year of high school, she wanted to venture into more realms of artistic expression. After a year of exploring her art, Groff found her niche in directing plays, saying that she “loves being able to craft a vision with a team.”

Her collaborative work at Fordham began last semester with her directorial debut of the Yiddish folktale “The Dybbuk” during the fall studio show season. The show presented Groff with a new opportunity to grow in her directing, as it included more dialogue than she normally would deal with. Influenced by her dance experience, she tends to make her pieces more movement-based than verbal.

“The Dybbuk’s” primary element of dialogue gave Groff the chance to work on an element of directing she had not fully delved into before. Groff’s love for and commitment to directing, which has flourished even more since directing “The Dybbuk,” first came from seeing the musical “Les Miserables.”

Groff described seeing “Les Miserables” as a formative experience. Her grandmother showed her videos of the musical’s 10th

NAZLI ARDITI/THE OBSERVER

Theatre major Kaylie Groff, FCLC ’20, finds inspiration in dance for her directorial work in live theater.

Anniversary Concert. After seeing them, Groff immersed herself in the world of “Les Miserables,” listening to the music, reading the book and seeing it once at a community theater, twice on tour and once on Broadway.

She said she related to the

“young, rebellious energy” of the show and thought that if she could “create anything that comes close to touching this, it will have been worth it.”

The show inspired her so much that she brought it into her own work. Many of her high school di-

recting endeavors were performed with a dance troupe centered on interpreting popular shows, “Les Miserables” included, but with a twist. One of the shows she modernized was “West Side Story,” which she centered around rival dance crews in Los Angeles.

When looking to the future, Groff envisions herself expanding her directorial experience into other art forms but mainly focusing on directing live theater. She noted a “passion … that just rolls off the stage” that for her is found solely in live theater.

Fun & Games

Fun & Games Editor Dan Nasta - dnasta1@fordham.edu

March 7, 2019 THE OBSERVER

CROSSWORD

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EDITED BY DAN NASTA

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19. Missing 20. In accordance with 21. Texan vodka producer

Sudoku

23. Summer zodiac sign 24. Hold up in high regard 27. Prepared with a tinge of red 29. “My boy!”

31. A grudge among cowboys?

36. Swear 38. Distant 39. Orbital shape 40. Mormon state 41. Threesomes 44. Limping 45. Pregnant woman’s cargo 47. Period 48. On the wind-sheltered side of the ship 49. Arrange actors flippantly?

53. American boat signifier: Abbr.

54. Ram feature 55. Second largest city in Japan 57. Athletic protection for private parts 60.

Mexicano, across the street 62. Spinning helicopter part 65. (Become) accustomed with 67. Photo editor’s ritual?

70.

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72. Enthusiastic 73. Articles 74. Consumed 75. Boyish “Smash Bro” with bat

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42. Sandwich cookie 43. Biological pouches 46. Soon 50. Dribbles 51. Details learned along with outs 52. Drop cloth 56. Islamic sacred text 57. “Alamo” spinning sculpture on Astor, for example 58. Ingests, as a drug 59. Church rows 61. Biggest continent 63. Redding who penned “(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay” 64. Cincinnati ball team 66. Gov. agency in “Breaking Bad” 68. Spicy 69. Dollar bill

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EDITED BY DAN NASTA

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ILLUSTRATION BY ESME BLEECKER-ADAMS

EDITED BY DAN NASTA

Features

Features Editors Jeffrey Umbrell - jumbrell@fordham.edu Lindsay Jorgensen - ljorgensen@fordham.edu

March 7, 2019 THE OBSERVER

Bridging the Bronx via Internet Access

By MICHELLE AGARON Contributing Writer

Marlin Jenkins, Fordham College at Rose Hill ’98, is currently a consultant at the Mid-Bronx Senior Citizens Council, a social service organization that offers comprehensive services for seniors in the area. He is also the founder and CEO of Neture, a start-up that provides free and low-cost internet access to households in the Bronx. Jenkins believes that the lack of broadband internet “can limit quality of life for all members of the house.”

Roughly one year ago, Nos Quedamos, a community development corporation in the South Bronx, awarded Neture a grant to connect low-income families to the internet. I spoke with Jenkins to discuss Neture, what inspired the project and what sets it apart from other platforms. He reflected on his time at Fordham and shared some advice for current students.

What were the driving forces behind creating Neture?

First, my own experiences being low-income and having limitations. Then, realizing that the cost of living today has far outpaced what I was experiencing, so while people make more money today, money traveled further when I was younger, so we lived better.

I saw a little girl crying to her mom about not being able to finish her homework because the library was closing. Then I saw her mom’s face when she realized that her daughter couldn’t finish her homework at home because they didn’t have internet access at home. That sealed it for me — I’ll never forget that mother’s face, especially as a father.

thereby saving families and governmental dollars, while increasing programmatic effectiveness.

Win-win-win.

How do you and your team plan to use the grant from Nos Quedamos?

We are going to build a wide area network in the South Bronx that will stretch from 138th Street to 161st Street and from 3rd Avenue to Grand Concourse.

We will provide free internet in public areas, streets and parks as well as low-cost internet access into the homes and apartments within those communities in and around those buildings. Within each building, we will be providing free access to a resource portal, which will allow those families who are either using another internet provider or can’t afford our low-cost service to still access local resources such as NYC schools, community organizations and healthcare providers.

As Neture develops into a company that charges for its services, how will the company’s goal to equip households with free internet change?

We will always provide free internet to those who cannot afford it, either through partnering buildings or within the community public spaces. Our goal is to always provide free access to either an ad-supported internet experience, or at the very least the resource portal, so that every family will never be without access to the resources needed to achieve success.

Other than providing affordable internet access, how else do you see Neture serving communities and their technological needs?

The resource portal is an important addition to our platform, as it creates a gateway for every family to connect to local resources and other services. While Google and other search engines are

How did attending Fordham University impact your choice to create your own company?

Fordham was my bridge to the Bronx. Honestly, I didn’t use Fordham as well as I should have because I spent most of my time figuring out what type of person I was, instead of focusing on networking or building bridges from college to career.

But what Fordham did provide for me was safety for the years that I was there. I wasn’t worried about where I was going to eat, or live, or be warm. It provided a reference for what life is like for some versus what it should be like for others. It introduced me to very intelligent young men and women who became great parents and successful entrepreneurs. I guess, all told, Fordham gave me perspective — of life, family, success and open thought.

JOE ROVEGNO/THE OBSERVER

Marlin Jenkins, FCRH ’98, aims to provide internet for low income households.

great at compiling a variety of resources, they don’t do a very good job at identifying the local resources that many low-income families are looking for to help in a crisis or stressful situation. This portal is a simple, easy to understand and locally organized resource that any family member can use to find what they need when they need it.

We see this as a win-win-win opportunity for many communities — service providers always have difficulty finding the families in need, primarily due to a lack of engagement or availability when the need is pressing for the fami-

ly; many families don’t know about all of the opportunities that exist for support within their community, so they fall through the cracks without the help that is needed; and, government spends billions of dollars and much of it is wasted in lack of efficiency, due to the many missed opportunities that occur when programs cannot find families in need and families cannot find programs when in need.

By providing a quick, free, connected and easy-to-use resource portal, we can quickly and efficiently connect families and service providers to each other,

What advice would you give current business students at Fordham?

First, make sure you try everything you can. Experience as much as you can so you can be the best version of yourself. Second, connect with as many people as you can to learn from other people’s experiences. Third, don’t let anyone tell you that you aren’t good enough. You can do whatever you want, whenever you want to, if you are willing to commit yourself to it. Finally, life is not work — don’t lose sight of the balance between life and work.

This interview has been condensed and edited.

Hey Fordham, Let it Snow?

By JEFFREY UMBRELL Features Editor

In the month of February, the average high temperature in New York City is 42 degrees Fahrenheit.

This year, average temperatures were just above that at 42.7 degrees, but for much of the month it felt considerably warmer.

February 2019 saw six days that were 50 degrees Fahrenheit or higher. On Feb. 5, temperatures soared to 65 degrees, 25 degrees higher than the historical average for that date.

With these extremely high temperatures, however, came almost equally extreme lows. Fordham University canceled classes for all or part of the day three times over the course of February due to inclement winter weather. Should global temperatures continue to rise, it is likely that climate change will bring about even larger temperature swings and more weather-induced school closings.

The decision to cancel classes on account of weather is made by the Public Safety department.

John Carroll, associate vice president of Public Safety, said that in terms of accumulated snowfall, “this winter’s been very mild.”

Many of the closures this year have in fact been due to the risk of ice and freezing rain, which are often more dangerous than snow, he explained.

Matt Di Vitto, Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) ’20 and president of the Lincoln Center Environmental Club, was

hesitant to immediately attribute recent temperature fluctuations to climate change. He didn’t want to “jump to too many conclusions too quickly,” he said, but added that this winter, “it’s been getting a lot more attention as a climate change-related thing than in the past.”

“I don’t necessarily think it’s a bad thing that there’s been all the excitement about it,” he said of the increased meteorological conversations he observed on campus, “because it’s been getting more attention.”

Other students felt more comfortable linking the fluctuations in temperature to climate change.

Tina Thermadam, FCLC ’20, stressed that, on an urban campus, one naturally spends considerable time outdoors. “It becomes difficult,” she said. “You have to go outside and you have to interact with the outside world to go get groceries and to go to the gym.”

When temperatures become subject to extreme fluctuations, they don’t “necessarily do well for you and your well-being as a student,” Thermadam said.

Evan Sheaffer, FCLC ’21, is from Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, and has felt the effects of climate change first-hand. He said that recent storms like Hurricane Sandy have made him more aware of the weather-related changes the city is experiencing. “With rising sea levels,” he said, “my home might actually be underwater in the next few decades.”

Both Thermadam and Sheaf-

TITO CRESPO/THE OBSERVER

High temperatures last month have students worried about climate change.

fer felt that extreme weather will lead to increased future university closures. “I do think it’s going to be a reality,” Thermadam said. She noted, though, that the change is “going to be a good one for the students” because classes will be canceled more.

Sheaffer considered the possibility of Fordham altering the start and end dates of the spring semester to account for severe weather. “As we get more snow days and cancellations in the winter,” he said, “they’re going to have to extend the days that we come in or afterwards, which will just shift the entire semester schedule.”

“I think they’d have to eventually,” he said of the shift. “And

Whatever effect climate change has on Fordham, the changes we have already begun to see are being noticed by students.

Fordham already has such a weird schedule compared to most other colleges. This would just make it even worse.”

Public Safety carefully weighs the many factors that go into the often complicated snow day de-

cision-making process, one for which Carroll had a striking analogy — “It’s like making sausage,” he said.

One of those factors moving forward will undoubtedly be climate change, but Carroll said that the issue was a “very difficult” one for him to talk about from the perspective of Public Safety.

He was unsure how it would affect the university with regard to school cancellations. His priority, he stressed, was the safety of students and faculty members.

Whatever effect climate change has on Fordham, the changes we have already begun to see are being noticed by students.

“It’s just ridiculous,” Sheaffer said, “and it wasn’t like this before.”

20

Features

March 7, 2019 THE OBSERVER

www.fordhamobserver.com

‘Satellites’ Orbits a Heavy Conversation

Fordham Theatre’s mainstage production explores the harsh realities of gentrification

By KRISTEN SKINNER Staff Writer

“It seems important to choose a play that reflects something of this time and is going to be able to either enlighten or correlate with what’s going on right now,” Carol Jeong, Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) ’19, said about “Satellites,” Fordham’s latest mainstage theater production written by Diana Son and directed by Sonoko Kawahara.

The play featured a diverse cast with an Asian-American female lead Nina, played by Jeong, alongside her African-American husband Miles. Coincidentally of the same name, Miles Gutierrez-Riley, FCLC ’20, took on this role in the show.

“Satellites” tells the story of a young couple who moves to a Brooklyn neighborhood with their first child in the midst of gentrification. Miles has lost his job and Nina is struggling to balance work and home life.

To both Jeong and Kawahara, the biggest challenge was facing the ugly, messy side of the human condition.

“We don’t need clean talk,” Kawahara said. She explained that she hoped the play would uncover the racial issues present in the world today.

“Maybe because of my experience,” Kawahara said, “I have a desire to talk honestly without fear of being attacked by somebody else.” Originally from Tokyo, Kawahara does not consider herself an American, but an Asian who came to America.

She described Nina and Miles’s struggle of coming to terms with their own identities in the play and raised the question of whether or not they should force themselves into a community or create their own concept of what community means to them.

Moving to Brooklyn seemed like a good idea at first, with Nina and Miles’ child exposed to so many different people in one place. But as the show progresses, it becomes evident that just because various groups of people are gathered together doesn’t mean that they will all get along.

Kawahara described the negative aspects of diversity which are explored in the show. She explained that while diversity is usually seen as a positive term, it often leads to the categorization of many different groups of people.

Although the play highlights a diverse set of characters, there is a lot of social conflict between them. “I’m more interested in

To both Jeong and Kawahara, the biggest challenge introduced in the show is facing the ugly, messy side of the human condition. each person, among the diversity,” Kawahara said. “I think the audience can approach each individual character as individual.”

This examination seems to be crucial to understanding this production — Jeong described it as a story of isolation for many different characters in the play.

Throughout the play, Nina feels overwhelmed and underappreciated by those around her.

Kit, Nina’s business partner, feels she is working by herself as Nina focuses on her baby and moving into her new home.

Miles struggles to connect to his wife and his daughter, Hannah, who cries nearly every time he holds her.

All of the characters face their own problems and fears in this play. The title, “Satellites,” comes from the idea that everything orbits around Miles’s and Nina’s baby, each satellite connected to the other yet bound to their own tracks, Jeong explained.

For her, the story hits close to home because, like Nina, she is

As the show progresses, it becomes evident that just because many different groups of people are gathered together doesn’t mean that they will all get along. also Korean-American. Nevertheless, “Satellites” is a play that anyone can relate to, Jeong explained.

Nina represents a maternal character many of us know. She is constantly working, trying to take care of her house and children and does not often receive the recognition she deserves.

“She is the most efficient person that I’ve ever met or been a part of,” Jeong said.

Nina’s anger towards other characters adds to the messi-

ness of the play that makes it so sensible and influential. The racial, familial and identity issues the show confronts are too often shoved aside, according to Jeong.

“I took a lot away from this play about just humanity in general,” Jeong said, “as well as the specifics of how race, as well as class, as well as gender, as well as family dynamics really come into a person’s life and how we really can’t know someone until we really get to know them.”

TITO CRESPO/THE OBSERVER

www.fordhamobserver.com

THE OBSERVER March 7, 2019

Features

Recommended Classes by Students, for Students CLASSES FROM PAGE 1

of the book thanks to The Oprah Winfrey Show and Oprah’s charismatic leadership. This semester, Tyler has added Michelle Obama’s “Becoming” (2018) to the class’s reading list.

Student Testimonials: “In this class, I explored literature that I never previously thought I would enjoy. I love this class.” — Maya Tatikola, FCLC ’20 “I do not have a grasp on the English language, but that class taught me how to read. Professor Dennis Tyler is the number one Oprah stan.” — Gabriela Rivera, FCLC ’21 American Social Movements with Professor Zein Murib Fulfills: Political Science, Advanced Social Science Core

ANGELA CHEN/THE OBSERVER

Clockwise from top: Professors Caley Johnson, Andrew Gelbart, John Foster and Zein Murib.

In this class with Professor Zein Murib, students explore various American social movements, from the Mattachine Society to Black Lives Matter, and how they challenge the status quo. Murib encourages students to engage with political action beyond the voting booth. “Movements have historically been a very important way that people denied access to formal representation,” they said. “I want students to learn from those histories and to have them in the back of their minds as they go out into the world.”

The course was designed in 2016 after many politicians from both sides claimed that they were “leading a movement” when in actuality these campaigns perpetuated the status quo.

Murib’s favorite part about teaching the class is interacting with students, “Students always give me something new to think about each time this class,” they said. “I learn a lot from them and the work that they do in their various political communities.”

Student Testimonial: “It was a really eye-opening class to more fully understand the effects that social activism and protests have had on shaping the entirety of American politics. Zein also did a wonderful job creating a positive classroom environment and making sure

everyone felt comfortable asking questions.” — Finley Peay, FCLC ’20 Music and Nationalism with Professor Andrew Gelbart Fulfills: Music, EP3, Interdisciplinary Capstone Core

In this EP3 course taught by Dr. Gelbart, students learn to think and write critically about music. Students engage with old and new music while learning vocabulary that helps them describe or advocate music that they may encounter.

Dr. Gelbart was inspired to teach the class because of how fascinated he is with music’s social influence. He is enchanted by how music “strikes deeply into our identities, and how meanings come to be attached to sounds in the first place.” Gelbart’s favorite part of the class is looking at the historical roots and developments of modern ideas and debates. He is also fascinated by “how some incredibly beautiful music can also be used to manipulate people.”

Student Testimonial: “I loved that class, the professor is super smart, a bit of a tough grader but really nice and very understanding if you ever need to go talk to him. We get to talk about modern music at the end and it’s really cool.” — Katherine Kudcey, FCLC ’19 Introduction to Physical Anthropology with Professor Caley Johnson Fulfills: Life Science Core Requirement

Intro to Physical Anthropology gives a general survey of the biological focus of anthropology.

From the history of evolutionary theories to an extensive overview of the human fossil record, Johnson challenges her class to engage with all different areas of physical anthropology.

Johnson is fascinated by life on earth, and how it came into existence. She is inspired to teach this class because of theories like how life was seeded from somewhere in outer space. To her, intelligent life and human biology are especially interesting and she aims to share this interest with her class.

21

Her favorite part of the class is being able to examine socioeconomic and political biases, while also welcoming students to do the same. “This is crucial when studying human evolution, variation, and diversity,” Johnson said.

Student Testimonial: “I’m currently taking Physical Anthropology and my teacher is awesome. She’s super knowledgeable and really chill. She’s also incredibly helpful and patient when you need it.” — Samantha Rizzo, FCLC ’21 Athenian Democracy with Professor John Foster Fulfills: Classic, Advanced History Core

Athenian Democracy gives a historical overview and an evolutionary description of democracy in Athens from 508 B.C. until 322 B.C. The course also takes a look at Athenian democracy’s most salient features and how it was imagined and criticized by leading modern thinkers.

Professor Foster was inspired to teach this class because he believes that it fills a certain void as it is important to learn about the origins of democracy.

In his 17th year at Fordham, Foster is still incredibly passionate about teaching historical events such as the Reforms of Cleisthenes, which were revisions to the political and social landscape of Athens from a monarchy to a democracy. He is also interested in the evolution of Athens as a society that was exclusive to the men born of Athens to an inclusive society where citizens could do anything.

Student Testimonial: “Foster is one of the main reasons I stuck with my classics major. There are very few professors who are so passionate not only about what they teach, but also passionate about the students learning the subject.

Whether you take Athenian Democracy specifically or not, taking a class with Professor Foster before you graduate is a must.”

— Eisha Fremerman, FCLC ’19

Declining Balance, Diminishing Returns: LC vs. RH Meal Plans

By BEA MENDOZA Contributing Writer

Freshman residents in McKeon Hall are required to buy a meal plan. The default plan for Lincoln Center students, appetizingly titled “Block 225,” is priced at $3210, and includes 225 meal swipes and $400 of declining balance dollars (DCB). There are four other meal plan options, but none offer fewer than 200 swipes.

These swipes are only accepted at the Community Dining Room, whereas DCB can be used at several campus dining options such as the Ram Cafe, Argo Tea and the Schmeltzer Dining Room.

Rose Hill residents are also required to have meal plans, with the Block 225 plan priced at $2810, including 225 meal swipes and $350 of DCB. While Rose Hill’s Block 225 plan offers less DCB than the Lincoln Center equivalent, it costs significantly less. Meal swipes, in addition to being used at The Marketplace (Rose Hill’s all-youcan-eat dining hall), can be used at specific dining locations such as Urban Kitchen in place of DCB. This option is not available at any Lincoln Center dining options, which minimizes the flexibility of a meal plan at Lincoln Center.

This meal swipe/DCB exchange program is also not available to

AMINA VARGAS/THE OBSERVER

Differences between Rose Hill and Lincoln Center meal plans allow RH students get more for their money.

Lincoln Center students with meal plans visiting the Rose Hill campus, forcing them to use their DCB. Kathleen Kye, Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) ’22, said that she would have preferred choosing between a certain number of swipes in her meal plan, instead of having a set number.

“Two hundred is too much in my opinion,” she said. “And I would want the option to cancel.”

Kye explained that she was one of few freshmen that used all of

her swipes last semester, but most freshmen used up their DCB and were left with meal swipes that would not carry over into the next semester.

The latter was the case with Jamie Ira, FCLC ’22, who said she would eat at the Ram Cafe over the Dining Hall “out of convenience,” or when she couldn’t “stomach the Dining Hall options at the time.”

She cited the Ram Cafe’s superior freshness and taste.

Deming Yaun, the Fordham University dining contact, ex-

plained that there are “specialty exchange menus” eligible for meal swipe purchase instead of DCB or cash. For example, at Rose Hill’s Urban Kitchen, a Rose Hill student can either buy a cheeseburger for $5.19 or use a meal swipe to get a burger, fries and a medium-sized drink.

Lincoln Center students with meal plans do not have access to this option, because it was “not a part of the cost equation when meal plans were started at Lincoln Center.” He cited financial and

timing issues in the rollout of the exchange program at Rose Hill.

Yaun said, however, that dining services is “very close” to offering the exchange program to Lincoln Center students in the 2019-20 school year.

“It was rushed at Rose Hill,” Yaun said, emphasizing why it has taken so long for the program, which has been available at Rose Hill for more than five years, to reach Lincoln Center students.

With regard to how such a program would affect the prices of meal plans, Yaun said that dining services is “conscious” of implementing the program without over-inflating the price of meal plans.

The university, however, is still in negotiations with food service providers over the possibility of keeping meal plan prices next year at roughly the same price as what they are this year, stressing the importance of customer satisfaction during the discussions of introducing the program in relation to cost.

Students at Lincoln Center voiced their support for the implementation of a similar meal swipe exchange program. Such a plan would “drastically increase the value of the meal plan for me,” Ira said. “I think it would be fair since it costs as much as it does.”

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Features

March 7, 2019 THE OBSERVER

www.fordhamobserver.com

The End of the World at Winter Ball One senior’s night of dancing, catharsis and nostalgia in the Secret Garden

ILLUSTRATION BY HAILEY MOREY

By JOHN MCCULLOUGH Opinions Editor Emeritus

I walk into Winter Ball at 9:40 p.m., the earliest my press pass would allow.

I feel remarkably out of place in the elegant lobby of the Essex House hotel on 59th Street just east of Seventh Avenue. The marble floors seem to sneer at my common disposition, but I try my best to pretend I belong. I hand my coat to an attendant along with a tip and make my way into the ballroom. I’m greeted by familiar faces, closer to the end of their night than the beginning. One face complains that the DJ refuses to take his request for the “Scatman” song.

10:45 p.m.

Coffee sloughs into tired mouths. The second wave arises, fueled by decaf placebo. A friend is drinking hot water. “You want some?

It’s pretty good!” I politely decline.

I ask a friend how she feels about senior year at Winter Ball, and she says that the end of college feels like the end of the world. I ask her to elaborate, but it all melts into Cardi B. During the song “Watch Me (Whip/Nae Nae),” at the moment where Silento demands to the listener “break your legs,” the USG president, Demetrios Stratis, FCLC ’19, pretends to break his leg. An attendant comes by to make sure he is alright.

9:40

9:50

Unsure of how to proceed, I begin to interview the revelers on the dance floor to catch me up on what I’ve missed.

“It’s been great — the filet mignon was lovely,” reports one student on the dinner that had been provided earlier. Another gives their take on the night overall: “Pretty good!”

One extremely committed girl manages to dance fairly well despite the cast she’s wearing. It appears to be a great leg workout. I try to talk to some more people, but they can’t hear me over the DJ. Already sweating under my blazer, I go to my table for a glass of water.

A familiar beat takes hold of the dance floor.

Bachata, I think, but I could be wrong. I head back to the dance floor to get more perspectives. A particularly enthusiastic dancer declares, “solid eight out of 10 on this,” and that the experience so far has been “fantastic.”

The DJ puts on a Drake song and the dance floor opens like a sinkhole for Gabelli students.

p.m.

p.m.

10 p.m I ask a friend who has attended Winter Ball for all four years how it feels to be at her last one. “It’s good to see all my friends again,” she says, smiling.

The song that played was unquestionably Bachata. At first, I think it was “Frio, Frio,” but it wasn’t.

The same friend complains again that they have refused to play the “Scatman.” He begins to do the floss dance. I am surprised by how well it goes with Romeo Santos.

10:15

10:30

I step away for a moment to try one of the mocktails that had been made for the event. I sample the grapefruit “margarita.” It’s not bad. My friends ask to take a group photo, and I oblige. We pose before a backdrop in line with the “Secret Garden” theme. I hear the faint echoes of Jay-Z from the barroom, and everyone heads back inside.

Revelers sit exhausted at their tables as the planning committee makes an announcement. Katina Smith, United Student Government (USG) vice president and Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) ’19, begins to speak. “I’m going to make this brief,” she says, before being interrupted by a chant: “Woo! Katina, Katina, Katina!” She thanks everyone who contributed and hopes people enjoy the rest of the night.

p.m.

12

11 p.m.

A Band-Aid makes its way across the floor. Eventually, it will cling to an unwitting barefoot, exhausted from a night of wearing heels.

Fingers point to the ceiling as dancers sing along to “Empire State of Mind”

by Alicia Keys. The crystal chandelier hangs over us ominously. Sparseness begins to become noticeable on the dance floor, and with it comes a feeling of vulnerability — a greater chance of being noticed while dancing, a greater chance of doing something wrong. I notice above the chandelier they’ve painted a sky; the whole room floats into it.

11:15 p.m.

11:45

The DJ dares to play the “Cotton-Eyed Joe.’ I flee the dance floor. Despite hearing it at countless school dances and sweet sixteens, I never learned how to do the dance properly. A friend confides in me: “In 3rd grade P.E. we learned the ‘Cotton-Eyed Joe,” but I had a crush on my dance partner, Stephanie Cho. I spent the whole time looking at her shoes to keep from blushing.”

The DJ plays “Shout!” I rip my jacket while dancing, my contribution to the cause.

I should have worn a shirt and tie, and my turtleneck is now too sweaty to be worn alone.

Someone (I can’t tell who) shouts, “This is my best Winter Ball!” The crowd is noticeably thinner, and dancing feels more and more vulnerable as we approach the end of the night.

p.m.

11:30 p.m.

Back on the dance floor, I find myself stuck in the blinding light as the figures move around me.

“Scatman” finally plays, and my friend begins to wail.

Maybe we all belong in the departed Scatman’s World.

p.m.

a.m.

I try to get ahead of the crowd to get my coat, but then remember I have to wait for my friends anyway. I miss the party favors: rock candy sticks. A friend gives me his — “I’m not eating carbs right now.”

As coats are collected, we’re back in the cool February air, walking back toward campus, into the end of senior year, into the end of the world.

Sports & Health

Sports & Health Editor Luke Osborn - losborn1@fordham.edu

March 7, 2019

THE OBSERVER

Rundown on Sneakers

To the overpronation nation: Is your shoe right for you?

By LENA WEIDENBRUCH Asst. Sports & Health Editor

Not all running shoes are created equal and neither are all feet.

Pairing the wrong shoe with the wrong type of foot can cause frustrating and painful injuries. If you find yourself dealing with anything from small blisters to serious pain in your feet, ankles, knees and even hips before, after or during your run, it might be time to take a serious look at your shoes.

When picking out a running shoe, it is best to start at a specialty running store. A store like New York Running Company, which has a location near Fordham’s Lincoln Center campus in the Time Warner Center, is the best option because they carry a wide range of brands.

At a store like this, employees are trained to be able to look at your feet and bring out a variety of shoes for you to try based on what they think might work best for your needs.

An employee will start off by making sure you know what size you’re looking for. Making sure you are wearing the right size shoe will eliminate the risk of blisters and rubbing in the wrong places.

Next, you might even take a quick run on a treadmill, so an employee can examine your gait, which is how your foot comes off of and hits the ground when you walk and run.

They will also check to see if you overpronate. Overpronation is when your foot rolls inward as you move forward.

You might even be able to tell if you overpronate on your own by examining an old pair of running shoes. Flip your shoe over and if most of the wear is on the inside of the sole, or if when you place the

JOE ROVEGNO/THE OBSERVER

Brands like Nike, Adidas and Brooks carry many different models of shoes made for all kinds of feet.

shoes on a flat surface they tilt inward, you are probably overpronating and are in need of stability shoe and possibly an insole. Both can be picked up at a specialty running store.

The opposite of overpronation, supination, is rarer, but would also require a stability shoe.

Another factor to take into account is if you’re running in New York City, including the parks, your feet are hitting asphalt or concrete.

Hard surfaces like these are less forgiving than grass or dirt trails, which means you are going to want a certain level of cushion to your shoe as well as some support for your ankles.

Luckily for New Yorkers, running shoes have never been more comfortable. Nike recently released

its second version of the popular lightweight, high-cushion shoe, the Epic React Flyknit. Nike’s hot new sneaker competes with Adidas’s tried and true Ultraboost, one of the first of its kind when it comes to bounce-factor and comfort.

Trendy running shoes like these come at a high price point, but fear not — there are plenty of other shoes out there from Nike, Adidas and beyond that will have you on your way to some pain-free miles in the park.

The Nike Air Zoom Pegasus is a classic, neutral shoe that is a favorite among beginners and professional runners. The 35th version of the shoe was released last year, as well as the Pegasus Turbo, the faster version of the shoe, which was designed for elite athletes in Ni-

ke’s attempt to break the two-hour mark in the marathon.

The Pegasus is engineered to deliver a smooth stride, but if you’re looking for a little more support in your shoe, you can turn to the Pegasus’ cousin, the Air Zoom Structure. This shoe keeps the same ideas of speed and comfort in mind while bumping up the stability of the shoe to combat overpronation.

Caroline Donahue, Fordham College at Rose Hill ’19, spoke to The Observer last fall as she prepared to run her second New York City Marathon. Donahue trained for and ran the marathon in the Pegasus 35. Having suffered from a few different foot injuries, Donahue found that the Pegasus 35 was the most comfortable and padded for her.

“I made sure that the shoes I wore for the marathon were broken in enough, but not so much so that they had lost a significant amount of support,” she said.

The Asics Gel-Nimbus and Gel-Kayano have a similar relationship to the Nike Pegasus and Structure. The Nimbus is Asics’ basic neutral running shoe, whereas the Kayano comes in with the support.

Another brand with the same idea is Brooks. The Ghost is Brooks’s neutral shoe, followed by the Ravenna, which brings the support.

Don’t be afraid to go for the support shoe if that’s what you need.

In the era of cushion, brands are not sacrificing comfort for support.

If you really want to find a shoe that does both, turn to Hoka. Hoka is a high-cushion brand with models like the Bondi or the classic Clifton, but they also have support shoes.

The Hoka Gaviota and Arahi have the same thick, bouncy soles as their neutral counterparts, but look out for your feet and ankles as well.

Zach Watterson, Gabelli School of Business at Rose Hill ’19, also spoke to The Observer about his preparation for the 2018 New York City Marathon last fall. Watterson favors one of Saucony’s neutral shoes, the Ride, and has been wearing it since he first started taking running seriously before his first New York City Marathon in 2016.

He wore the newest version of the Ride at the time, the Ride 10, for last year’s race.

“Picking a running shoe is really just a personal choice, so it’s different for everyone,” Watterson said.

“I always train with the same shoes that I run races with. For me, it’s all about finding what is right and comfortable for you and sticking with the same shoe.”

Face Mask Face Off: Natural vs. Synthetic Solutions

By LUKE OSBORN and AIZA BHUIYAN Sports & Health Editor and Staff Writer

It’s midterm season, and putting on a face mask is a healthy and restorative method of relaxing after a soul-crushing study session. Face masks can help you de-stress and rejuvenate your skin.

Some are better than others, and skincare companies, beauty gurus and environmentalists see naturally-derived face masks as superior to their chemical counterparts.

If you’re interested in going against the grain with a more chemically-derived face mask, a Korean face sheet mask from The Creme Shop can do the job. This company sells masks in the form of a fabric-like material soaked in perfumes, essential oils and preservatives. In particular, their Roses are Red, Violets are Blue mask contains rose water and violet oil, yet these oils are among the few natural products in the mask.

Some of the chemicals listed on the back of the package are isolated from plants or occur naturally in the body, but others are synthetic preservatives and additives to enhance the mask’s moisturizing effect. Most significantly, it contains the preservative EDTA, a possible carcinogen often used industrially in textiles and paper.

Nevertheless, the International Journal of Toxicology claims that EDTA should be safe for use in cosmetics, so one try won’t hurt.

In terms of effects, the mask will leave your face with a signature dewy feeling. The package advises that you rub in the chemicals after wearing the mask for 15 to 20 minutes, but unless you’re interested in having a wet face for another five minutes, it is best to rub off the excess moisture.

If you want a more natural alternative to sheet masks, Lush sells face masks that are entirely derived from natural products. Lush tries to make their products as natural as possible, and the company refuses to test their products on animals. Moreover, all of their products are vegetarian. Some, for you purists out there, are even vegan.

One product you could try is the Mask of Magnaminty. Lush commends the product as “exfoliating and calming;” the coarsely ground aduki beans and primrose seeds help the mask achieve this exfoliating effect, especially when removing it. The peppermint oil, African marigold oil and limonene all contribute to a refreshing rather than calming effect.

In contrast to the sheet mask, the Mask of Magnaminty leaves your face feeling fresh and cleansed almost to the point of dryness. Nonetheless, those with oily skin may prefer this mask to the sheet mask, because it leaves no sign of oiliness after you take it off.

If you have a penchant for doit-yourself activities you can also make your own face mask at home

SHAMYA ZINDANI/THE OBSERVER

After a long day, Luke Osborn relaxes by applying a Glossier face mask.

with just a few simple products.

One option is the Aztec Secret Indian Healing Clay. The formula for this mask contains natural calcium bentonite which is great for reducing the appearance of your pores and absorbing excess oils.

Additionally, it does not contain any additives, fragrances or animal products.

To prepare the mask, you need to mix equal parts of the clay powder and apple cider vinegar or water to create a thick paste. If you have acne-prone skin, you can add a few drops of tea tree oil, which has anti-inflammatory properties that alleviate acne. In addition,

if you have dry skin, you can add glycerin to moisturize to the mixture.

Unless you have sensitive skin, you can leave it on for 10 to 15 minutes. Those with sensitive skin should remove it after five. One downside to this mask is that when it begins to dry, a severe tightening sensation occurs. However, upon removal, you will instantly feel the detoxifying results of the mask. Your skin will feel smooth and fresh.

You can also make numerous face masks with products found in your local grocery store. Equal parts turmeric and milk with one

teaspoon of honey creates a silky paste ready for application. All three agents have healing properties that reduce dryness and moisturize your skin. Additionally, turmeric pastes have been used for centuries to minimize scarring and even out skin tones.

Corporations often add unnecessary synthetic elements to skin care products. These chemical agents recreate the desirable effects many natural ingredients already produce. With their anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory and moisturizing effects natural face masks are superior to their chemical counterparts.

24

Sports

March 7, 2019 THE OBSERVER

www.fordhamobserver.com

Baseball Looks to Surpass 2018’s Third-Place Finish

By PATRICK MOQUIN Asst. Sports & Health Editor

The success of Fordham sports in past years can be summarized with three overall win-loss records: 4–7, 9–22, and 35–19–1.

These were the results tallied by Fordham’s primary men’s sports teams in the 2017-18 school year.

Football finished with only four wins and a fifth place finish in the Patriot League. Men’s basketball finished with 22 losses, enough to place them dead last in the Atlantic 10, providing fans with little reason to ever visit Rose Hill Gymnasium.

While these two teams struggled to surpass mediocrity, Fordham Baseball upheld the school’s name and more than surpassed its recent reputation. Going 16–8 in conference play tied them for second place in the standings, and the team entered the Atlantic 10 championship tournament as a very hopeful 3 seed. Their fortune, however, would not follow them into the playoffs.

As the 3 seed, Fordham played the 6 seed, Virginia Commonwealth University, and a late rally secured them a first round victory by a 3–2 score. The win would match them up with the 2 seed, George Mason University, and as the competition became tougher, Fordham struggled.

Despite an eight-inning, seven-strikeout performance from Anthony Dimeglio, Fordham College at Rose Hill (FCRH) ’19, Fordham’s offense was completely stifled in a 4-0 defeat. In a double elimination tournament, hope remained, but also literally signifies the beginning of the end.

Finding themselves in the loser’s bracket, Fordham hoped to rally from the defeat against a much weaker 7 seed in George Washington University. For some reason, however, Fordham’s bats remained dormant, and they lost again by a score of 5–0. George Washington’s starting pitcher threw a complete game shutout to end the Rams’ season on a whimper, far from

Sunday

PHOTO COURTESY OF FORDHAM SPORTS INFO

After a strong sophomore season, Brian Weissert, FCRH ’20, will try to step into a prominent role on a young Fordham pitching staff.

what they had aspired to only a week prior.

Despite ending on a disappointing note, the Rams’ season was a success all the same, and the question on everyone’s minds is whether they can progress even further this season.

When evaluating a team’s progress by season, it is important to keep players in key roles. While the Fordham offensive lineup has remained relatively untouched, the pitching staff has lost several key players. Starting pitcher and team captain Ben Greenberg,

Monday

FCRH ’18, has graduated, while Reiss Knehr, FCRH ’19, a pitcher and infielder for the team, was drafted by the San Diego Padres in the 20th round of the Major League Baseball Draft. The only remaining starting pitcher from last season is Anthony Dimeglio, who will step into a leadership role as a senior on what will inevitably be a much younger pitching staff.

Another older player Fordham will depend on is catcher Justin Bardwell, FCRH ’19. The only senior position player, Bardwell has received nothing but acco-

Tuesday

Wednesday

lades over two seasons of stellar baseball behind the plate, having been placed on the Johnny Bench Award Watch List in both 2017 and 2018. In his final year, he will look to lead a younger team that he has thrived on to bigger and better things.

As one of the more successful teams at Fordham, the baseball team’s story this year is different from many of their counterparts.

They do not need to turn things around as the men’s basketball team has attempted to do, nor must they develop their younger

Thursday

Women’s (W’s) Tennis at Drexel, 12 p.m., Philadelphia, Pa. Men’s (M’s) Baseball vs.

George Washington University, 7 p.m., Bronx, N.Y.

Upcoming March Sports Events 10 Baseball vs. Hofstra, 12 p.m., Bronx, N.Y. W’s Basketball vs. Final Atlanic 10 Championship, 12 p.m., Pittsburgh, Pa.

Friday

7

6

11

12

W’s Swim vs. NCAA Championship Zone Diving Meet, Annapolis, Md.

Baseball vs. Sacred Heart, 3 p.m., Bronx, N.Y. W’s Swim vs. NCAA Championship Zone Diving Meet, Annapolis, Md.

Saturday

9

8 W’s Tennis at Queens College, 11 a.m., Flushing, N.Y.

Baseball vs. Iona, 11 a.m., Bronx, N.Y.

W’s Basketball vs.

Massachusetts, 4:30 p.m., Pittsburgh, Pa.

M’s Tennis vs. Boston University, 6 p.m., Life Time Athletic - Harrison, N.Y.

Baseball vs. Hofstra, 3 Baseball vs. Iona, 11 a.m., p.m., Bronx, N.Y. Bronx, N.Y. M’s Basketball at La Salle University, 4:00 p.m., PhilaBaseball vs. Hofstra, 3 delphia, Pa. p.m., Bronx, N.Y.

14

13 M’s Basketball at Atlantic 10 Championship, Barclay’s Center - Brooklyn, N.Y.

talent like the football team.

Fordham Baseball’s previous success in recruiting and developing its talent has led it to a serious opportunity to succeed. The team lost several key players, but its offensive core has remained intact while its less experienced pitching staff is more than prepared to fill the shoes left by their highly successful predecessors.

As warmer weather slowly approaches New York, Fordham Baseball will be a team to watch as they move closer and closer to toppling the Atlantic 10.

M’s Basketball at Atlantic 10 Championship, Barclay’s Center - Brooklyn, N.Y.

15 M’s Basketball at Atlantic 10 Championship, Barclay’s Center - Brooklyn, N.Y.

16

M’s Basketball at Atlantic 10 Championship - Barclay’s Center - Brooklyn, N.Y. W’s Swim vs. CSCAA NaW’s Swim vs. CSCAA NaW’s Swim vs. CSCAA NaBaseball vs. Wagner, 3 p.m., tional Invitational Champion- tional Invitational Champion- tional Invitational ChampionBronx, N.Y. ship, Cleveland, Ohio ship, Cleveland, Ohio ship, Cleveland, Ohio Softball vs. Cleveland State Baseball vs. Cornell at W’s Swim vs. NCAA Chamat Mercer Bears Classic, 9 Towson Round Robin, 10:30 pionship Zone Diving Meet, a.m., Macon, Ga. a.m., Towson, Md. Annapolis, Md. Softball vs. Connecticut at W’s Rowing vs. Spring Mercer Bears Classic, 11:15 Training Trip, Bronx, N.Y. a.m., Macon, Ga.

Games You Missed March 2 - W’s Basketball Fordham: 51 St. Joseph’s: 41

March 2 - Softball Fordham: 5 Georgia State: 4

March 2 - M’s Basketball Fordham: 52 Davidson: 77

March 1 - Softball Fordham: 0 Georgia Tech: 1

Feb. 27 - M’s Basketball Fordham: 52 St. Joseph’s: 66

Feb. 27 - W’s Basketball Fordham: 57 Dayton: 48