OPINIONS
PAGE 8 • THE RAM • SEPTEMBER 15, 2010
The Ram Serving campus and community since 1918. The Ram is the University journal of record. The mission of The Ram is to provide a forum for the free and open exchange of ideas in service to the community and to act as a student advocate. The Ram is published and distributed free of charge every Wednesday during the academic year to the Rose Hill, Lincoln Center and Westchester campuses with a readership of 12,000. The Ram office is located in the basement of the McGinley Center, room B-52.
www.theramonline.com Editorial: (718) 817-0873 Production: (718) 817-4381 Newsroom: (718) 817-4394 Advertising: (718) 817-4379 Fax: (718) 817-4319 theram@fordham.edu Fordham University - Station 37 Box B Bronx, NY 10458 Editor-in-Chief Mark Becker Managing Editor Abigail Forget Design Editor Stephen Moccia Business Editor Caroline Dahlgren News Editor Patrick Derocher Assistant News Editor Victoria Rau Opinions Editor Christine Barcellona Assistant Opinions Editor Brian Kraker Culture Editor Celeste Kmiotek Assistant Culture Editor Jen Cacchioli Sports Editors Danny Atkinson Nick Carroll Assistant Sports Editor Jon Smith Copy Chief Claire Borders Copy Team Mary Alcaro Tara Cannon Melissa Dulebohn Tom Haskin Sean McGonigle Sandy McKenzie Olivia Monaco Jillian Minihan Jenna Petronglo Sarah Ramirez Hussein Safa Nicki Torok Ryan Vale Annie Zutz Photo Editor Simon Sulit Operations Editor Mike Burkart Web Editor Kelly Caggiano Assistant Web Editors Tracy Fan Ou Cara Stellato Faculty Advisor Beth Knobel Opinions Policy The Ram appreciates submissions that are typed and saved on a disk in a *.rtf, *.txt or *.doc formats, or sent to the staff via e-mail at RamLetters@fordham.edu. Commentaries are printed on a space available basis. The Ram reserves the right to reject any submission for any reason, without notice. Submissions become the exclusive property of The Ram and will not be returned. The Ram reserves the right to edit any submissions. The opinions in The Ram’s editorials are those of the editorial board; those expressed in articles, letters, commentaries, cartoons or graphics are those of the individual author. No part of The Ram may be reproduced without written consent.
From the Desk of Danny Atkinson, Sports Editor I have found myself fascinated by the debate over the Park51 Community Center in Lower Manhattan. It has engaged me completely and caused me significant frustration over the direction in which public discourse is going in this country. I am no expert, but it is hard to get any intelligent ideas across in the debate over the project when they are all drowned out by vitriol. The actual facts behind the proposed community center have largely been obscured behind the daily blasts of anger and fear from forces who loudly oppose it. The center will be located two blocks from the World Trade Center site in Lower Manhattan and will not be visible from Ground Zero. While some vocal opponents of the project seem to act as if the site will just be a giant mosque in the middle of Manhattan that symbolizes hatred of American values and support for terrorism, the mosque is actually a very small part of the community center, which will include an auditorium, a fitness center and a culinary school. Opponents of the project conveniently seem to have forgotten that there are similar religiously affiliated community centers in Manhattan and that there were Muslim religious facilities which existed at the World Trade Center before the attacks. The Park51 project will do much more
good for its area of Lower Manhattan than harm. America was founded on the principle of freedom of religion. It has always protected those who were shunned or prosecuted because of their beliefs and the Constitutional right to freedom of religion is practically inviolate. The fact that freedom of religion is being attacked in New York City, the cultural melting pot of the world, is especially galling. Park51 will hopefully contribute to stronger relations between the United States and the Islamic world. It will be a beautiful representation of our nation’s religious tolerance and freedom and the Muslim world’s friendship with the United States. The community center will serve as a symbol of religious and cultural tolerance, peacefulness and education. The sponsors of Park51 are supportive of our nation’s beliefs and the beliefs of our friends. Americans themselves, particularly in our media, are the ones who are shutting the door that has been opened in global faith. Many of the center’s opponents have not wanted to have an honest debate on the merits of its location. They have instead used fear mongering tactics to try to defeat the building of the center, thereby hurting the image of New York City and the United States. You only have to turn on Fox News or read the musings of out-of-
touch conservative columnists to find media figures who are portraying the issue falsely and irresponsibly. The community center has been painted as a symbol of hatred for America and a reminder of the terrorism perpetuated on Sept. 11, even though it is absolutely meant to be a symbol of our bounds with the Muslim world and religious understanding. The men and women behind the funding of Park51, especially Iman Feisal Abdul Rauf, have been painted as anti-American and as supporters of terrorism despite past history indicating their business deals with American companies. Rauf also has made numerous statements, including on live TV, that he has no connection to nefarious interests and that he is 100 percent opposed to the message of Hamas and their acts of terror. The vitriol displayed by the conservative media has destroyed the chance for the message of Park51’s importance to get out. The mainstream media has ignored important truths in the debate like Rauf’s vehement opposition to Hamas or the fact that Muslim facilities were once housed at the World Trade Center. Many of our best, most diligent reporters have been very lukewarm or opposed in one way or another to the community center from fear of facing vicious attacks. As a result, many of the American people do not
know enough about Park51’s merits to make an informed decision. As someone who wants to work in the media, I am ashamed of how it has failed the American people and the entire Park51 project by not reporting the truth clearly and professionally. They have clouded an issue that should be clear. You may be opposed to the building of the Park51 community center in Lower Manhattan, may think that it is disrespectful to the victims of Sept. 11 and their families and that it will hurt relations between the U.S. and the Islamic world. However, I completely disagree. I strongly support Park51 and believe it will be a symbol of strengthened relations and religious tolerance. Over time, Americans will come to realize that the community center is good for New York, good for America and good for the world. Time heals all wounds, and Park51 will allow us to rebuild what was broken on that fateful day in 2001.
Summer Classes a Credit to Fordham Students By ARIANA FEDORA CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Are you interested in catching up or getting ahead in your classes? Are you looking to take a class with a specific professor? Does focusing on one class in a small amount of time interest you? Are you trying to graduate early? Fordham’s summer session offers students these opportunities, continuing their education well after their last final has been turned in. Taking summer classes can help you get ahead of your classmates or catch up with necessary credits. They are fantastic because they allow you to focus on only one or two subjects without having other classes to worry about. Summer session also provides students a limited course load, registering for only one or two courses. Without the other responsibilities of the normal school year, such as commitments to teams, clubs, and social life, students are allotted suffi-
cient time to concentrate on their class. Classes condense a semesterlong course into five weeks and extend each meeting to three hours, allowing students to earn credits faster. Summer classes maintain the routine established by the structured schedule of the school year, minimizing the adjustment period when students are presented with a full course load in September. Taking classes in the summer forces you to stay in the groove of maintaining a schedule, going to class and studying. The classes are usually very small, allowing the classroom to have an intimate environment and great access to the professor. This makes it very easy for students to meet new people and to help each other throughout the short, dense course. Although there are exceptions, professors of summer classes are generally more lenient and hope to make the class more enjoyable and interesting, as they are aware that there are many
Are your friends tired of hearing you complain? Write for The Ram opinions section. We want to hear from you. E-mail us at: fordhamramopinions@gmail.com If you have an opinion about something you saw in this week’s issue of The Ram, send us a Letter to the Editor at: ramletters@fordham.edu
Attention all new and returning writers: We will hold an Opinions writing workshop on Thursday, Sept. 16 at 7 p.m. in McGinley B-52.
other ways for students to spend their summer time. Both Rose Hill and Lincoln Center offer an array of classes in the summer, which are divided in two sessions, Session I in June and Session II in July. Fordham offers courses in a majority of majors, including introductory and upperlevel classes, although most classes are core requirements. This past summer, I took part of Fordham College at Rose Hill’s English Core requirement at Lincoln Center, a class called Texts and Contexts: America in Black and White. The class met on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays in June from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. While Texts and Contexts moved at a fast pace, it was great because I had so much time to become immersed in the work for this one class. Do not let the pressure of the condensed class sway you; if you are committed to the class, then you will have plenty of time outside of the classroom to accomplish the work and perform
well. Professor Kohl was extremely accessible and welcomed students to attend office hours for help with assignments. Taking Texts and Contexts in June allowed me to maintain a certain amount of momentum throughout the summer, which made the start of this school year very easy. My professor was truly moving, and I am grateful for having taken a class with her. The subject material and lectures were interesting, making the graded work easier to understand. The University has established a summer program that successfully condenses the academic experience of a semester into a month. For a student looking to fulfill a core requirement or attempt a double major, Fordham’s summer classes are the best choice for students with college on their mind, even after the academic year has ended. Ariana Fedora, FCRH ’13, is an English and Spanish major from Brooklyn, NY.
AA at Rose Hill:Get sober, Stay sober. Thurs 1-2 pm starting 9/16, Spellman Hall, lower entrance. For info please call Gerard at x5392.