Vol. 101 I.20

The Fordham Ram Volume 101, Issue 20

Serving The Fordham University Community Since 1918 FordhamRam.com

November 13, 2019

AFAM Department Celebrates 50 Years

University Redirects Funds But Not Goals

By ELIOT SCHIAPARELLI

By ERICA SCALISE

ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR

PROJECTS EDITOR

When Professor Mark Naison, Ph.D., joined the Department of African and African American Studies at Fordham in the spring of 1970, it was just one year old and technically an “institute” rather than a “department.” It started with a student protest and sit-in in a dean’s office in 1969. A group of mainly undergraduate students cornered a dean in his office with a graduate student, Quinton Wilkes as their go between.

“They were for increased enrollment of black students, increased black faculty, a black studies program and increased scholarship aid, those were the demands,” said Wilkes in an interview with the Bronx African American History Project.

Now the program is celebrating its 50th anniversary, and Naison has been there through almost all of it.

Naison wrote in his memoir about how struck he was when he arrived on Fordham’s campus to interview

The Provost’s Strategic Hiring Initiative, a temporary initiative, was put into place to enhance diversity among Fordham faculty under former provost Stephen Freedman, Ph.D., who passed away in July 2018. The university replaced Freedman’s Strategic Hiring Initiative and adopted a “more strategic, comprehensive approach to recruiting diverse faculty” when it created a new position, chief diversity officer (CDO), assumed by Rafael Zapata in January 2018. According to Dennis C. Jacobs, Ph.D., provost and senior vice president for academic affairs, Zapata’s leadership has proven to be superior to the Provost’s Strategic Hiring Initiative.

“The funds originally allocated to [the Provost’s Strategic Hiring Initiative] are still used for the same purpose — to recruit and hire an excellent and diverse faculty,” Jacobs said. “Today, we work with all faculty search committees with the goal of helping them be attentive to diversity issues and work proactively to deepen and broaden the pool of candidates.”

According to Jacobs, diversifying the faculty and administrative leadership is an institutional priority. He cited the establishment of the Diversity Task Force in 2015 by Rev. Joseph M. McShane, S.J., president of the university, which was originally implemented to analyze diversity and race relations on campus, as an example. One of the task force’s 14 initiatives included the addition of a chief diversity officer.

Since Zapata’s arrival, the university has revised its tenure-track faculty search procedures, provided related training to search committee chairs and implemented a wide range of strategies to enhance the diversity of its applicant pools, according to Jacobs.

“One of Rafael Zapata’s main

SEE AFAM, PAGE 6

MARGARET TATTERSFIELD/THE FORDHAM RAM

Fordham Flea, pictured above, was part of this year’s Sustainability Week, located in McGinley last Wednesday.

Sustainability Week Encourages Environmental Consciousness

By SARAH HUFFMAN

ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR

The members of the United Student Government’s (USG) Sustainability Committee put on its annual sustainability week last week. The committee, in collaboration with Students for Envi-

ronmental Awareness and Justice (SEAJ) and St. Rose’s Garden, planned six events throughout the week.

On Monday, they had a sustainable product sale and sold silicone straws, bamboo toothbrushes, Fordham stickers and coloring books in McGinley lobby. On

Tuesday, they hosted a community cleanup. Vice President of Sustainability Margaret Tattersfield, FCRH ’22, said they filled up approximately nine trash bags with litter.

Tattersfield said the Fordham Flea held on Wednesday afterSEE SUSTAINABILITY, PAGE 5

FCRH Class to Take Place in Prison

By KATHERINE LEONARD CONTRIBUTING WRITER

in school, people always assumed he was a dumb football player because of his large stature. Since then, he has been determined to show the world that he is the exact opposite.

Cobb has been a professor at the Columbia Journalism School

About 33 miles north of Fordham’s Rose Hill campus is a program designed to help women who are incarcerated at Bedford Hills Women’s Correctional Facility attain higher education.

Fordham is set to join forces with the Bedford Program by launching a class in spring 2020.

The class will be taught by Fordham professor Anne Hoffman, Ph.D., and will operate as a part of the Bedford Hills College Program. The program is run within the largest women’s prison in New York state and acts as a branch campus to Marymount Manhattan College. Located in Westchester County, the prison currently has over 900 inmates and is New York’s only maximum-security women’s correctional facility.

Women have an imprisonment rate almost double that of men.

Most incarcerated women are convicted of nonviolent, drug-re-

SEE COBB, PAGE 3

SEE BEDFORD, PAGE 5

JENNIFER HOANG/THE FORDHAM RAM

ASILI hosted journalist and historian Jelani Cobb for speaker event in Keating First Auditorium.

Jelani Cobb Speaks on Race and Injustice in America

By TEREZA SHKURTAJ CONTRIBUTING WRITER

On Thursday, Nov. 8, Fordham University’s Black Student Alliance (ASILI) welcomed journalist and historian, Jelani Cobb, to speak about race and injustice in today’s America.

Born and raised in the diverse borough of Queens, N.Y., Jelani Cobb is no stranger to racism.

His authoritative and confident presence filled Fordham’s auditorium the moment he stepped onto the stage. However, feeling comfortable in his own skin was not always easy for him. He said

SEE CDO, PAGE 6

in this issue

Opinion

Page 7

Keep Hollywood Diverse

Sports

Page 24 Men's Soccer Advances in A-10s

Culture

Page 11

The 30 Most Significant Memes of the Decade

NEWS

Page 2

PUBLIC SAFETY BRIEFS

November 13, 2019

Student Comics Launch The Literate: University’s First Humor Magazine

By HELEN STEVENSON NEWS EDITOR

Nov. 5 Brooklyn 4:45 p.m.

A student was attending a house party in Brooklyn. As he was leaving, he was struck on the head and fell. He briefly lost consciousness. The offender removed his wallet and phone before fleeing in an unknown direction.

Nov. 9 Arthur Avenue 3:45 p.m.

A smoke alarm was activated due to smoke from cooking.

Public Safety and the FDNY responded. There was no fire, and the room was aired out.

Nov. 11 Hughes Hall 4:45 p.m.

An administrator reported the loss of two easels and posters that were on display in the lobby of Hughes Hall. One of the easels was found after a search of the building was conducted.

Nov. 11 Fordham Road 5:30 p.m.

A student exited the gate near Faculty Memorial Hall and walked up Fordham Road towards the Metro-North train station. The student was pickpocketed between Belmont and Bathgate Avenues. A person came up behind the student and removed the wallet from her rear pocket. Public Safety said it considers this grand larceny because no force was used.

Nov. 12 McGinley Center 8:35 a.m.

A student reported the loss of several items including their wallet. The student was in the fitness center and placed the wallet, a backpack, a sweatshirt and keys in an unlocked locker.

When the student came back, the items were missing. The student checked the lost and found, and the items were not there.

— Compiled by Sarah Huffman

The Literate launched this week as the first and only online humor magazine for Fordham students.

“And maybe the last, depending on how this whole thing goes,” its website reads.

Articles addressed a range of topics with satire, from President Trump’s change of residency to someone who lost all their phone contacts. Pieces spoke on true stories with satire, humor and wit. The debut issue, “The Family Issue,” came out Thursday, Nov. 7, and poked fun at family dynamics — just in time for Thanksgiving.

Kevin Daley, FCRH ’22, editor in chief of The Literate, said the idea came to him this past summer when he noticed that colleges across the country had humor magazines, but Fordham did not.

“The ‘humor magazine’ concept takes inspiration from one of the most famous magazines in America, the Harvard Lampoon, a satire magazine that has produced some of the most prolific movies of our generation,” he said.

Daley also said it seemed like a fun way to grow as a writer. So, he reached out to the funniest people he knew at Fordham — members of Free Pizza Sketch Comedy, Stranded In Pittsburgh Improv Comedy and Allergy Friendly Standup Comedy.

“They were all really down with the idea,” he said.

The staff is a culmination of students from and outside of these groups. The executive board includes Daley, Catherine LeClair, FCRH ’21, Lizzy Jerse, FCRH ’22, and Sage O’Dell, FCRH ’21. The board runs the magazine with a staff of about 14 people serving as writers, artists and graphic designers.

According to Daley, The Literate is expecting to launch a second issue before the end of the fall semester. In the future, they hope to upload 3–4 issues a month online and expand to print publishing.

LeClair serves as The Literate’s creative director, and did a lot of brainstorming and logistical work at the start of the year with Daley to get the publication started. She said their goal was to create a place where Fordham

JULIA COMERFORD/THE FORDHAM RAM

The Literate features comedic creative writing pieces. It launched its first issue online on Thursday Nov. 7.

students can publish comedic creative writing pieces in a magazine format.

“Fordham has a lot of awesome literary magazines, however none focus specifically on the comedic creative writing genre,” she said.

“Our goal is to continuously offer new works, both on our website and our online publications. …

Overall, we hope to promote humor and creativity.”

She said the most important goal, though, is to make students laugh.

Nora Thomas, FCRH ’21, staff writer for The Literate, said working for the magazine is refreshing as a journalist on campus. She also anchors and reports for WFUV, but said the magazine

is a way for her to step out of her comfort zone.

She said she loves working for WFUV, but with the Literate she has a chance to use her imagination and creative writing skills.

However, she said it was an adjustment moving from unbiased to comedic news writing. “[S]ince I’m so accustomed to the formulaic way of writing for WFUV, I’ve had a hard time extending myself outside of preformed writing styles,” she said.

“And in all reality, it’s much easier to write about facts. Being unbiased is almost a crutch, because you don’t have to be as compelling as you would be making an argument or trying to be funny.”

Thomas believes The Literate

is an opportunity to write goofy poetry and develop a strong narrative voice in a way that is not available in an academic setting.

“I’m really excited for students to have the opportunity to write outside the preconceived forms we’re all accustomed to,” she said. “We aren’t writing news, we aren’t purely satire.”

Daley said he and other board members encourage writers, graphic designers, businesspeople and artists to join staff.

For anyone interested in applying, the application form is on its website. Those looking to keep up with The Literate’s latest issues can follow @theliteratemag on Instagram or visit its website at www.theliterate.org.

This Week at Fordham Thursday Nov. 14

Friday Nov. 15

Friday Nov. 15

Saturday Nov. 16

Saturday Nov. 16

College Dems Speaker: Ben Rhodes

Commuter Student Billiards Tournament

Stranded in Pittsburgh Improv Show Blackbox Theater 8:00 p.m.–9:00 p.m.

Special Olympics Polar Plunge

Glen Side Park, Westchester, N.Y. 11:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m.

Autism Speaks U Winter Wonderland

The College Democrats are hosting Ben Rhodes for a speaking event.

Rhodes was a senior advisor to President Obama. He now co-hosts Crooked Media's "Pod Save the World." He will talk about his experiences and the 2020 elections.

Commuter Student Services and the Office of Student Involvement are hosting their billiards tournament, held once a semester. The winner will have their name posted on the wall of the student lounge.

Pizza and soda will be served.

Fordham Experimental Theater's improv group, Stranded in Pittsburgh, is holding a show in the Blackbox Theater. The event preceeds President's Ball and the improv team encourages those in attendance to come dressed up if they would like.

As a fundraiser for Special Olympics New York, the Special Olympics Club at Fordham is participating in a Polar Plunge. They will take a plunge into the freezing waters of the Long Island Sound. The event is at Glen Side Park in Westchester, N.Y.

Fordham Autism Speaks is holding a holiday party. The event will feature dinner and activities for both the Fordham community and individuals with autism. There will be holiday decorations and goodie bags.

Keating First 8:00 p.m.–9:00 p.m.

McGinley Student Lounge 4:00 p.m.–7:00 p.m.

McGinley Ballroom 10:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m.

NEWS

November 13, 2019

Page 3

Taste of the Middle East Celebrates Culture and Food

By PATRICIA WHYTE

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Fordham University’s Middle Eastern Student Association (MESA) hosted its first annual Taste of the Middle East food event on Friday, Nov. 8. The event, held in the McGinley Center, featured a buffet of Middle Eastern food, as well as appearances from performance groups on campus.

This was the club’s first annual event, as this is their second year in operation, but first as an official uni-

versity club. Miar Hamido, FCRH ’20, said Taste of the Middle East was its first big opportunity to make its presence as a cultural club more widely known on campus.

“The goal of [the event] was definitely first, I want them to know what MESA is as an association,” Hamido said. “And second, I wanted them to embrace the culture, the different foods.”

The event showcased both catered and homemade foods from several Middle Eastern countries

ISABELLE MICHELSON/THE FORDHAM RAM

MESA hosted their first annual Taste of the Middle East event last Friday.

such as Jordan, Egypt, Lebanon and Palestine. Arabic music played as over 150 students filed into the commons to eat and socialize.

Later in the evening, students enjoyed performances from a capella group The Ramblers and dance group, Candela Latina. The all-male a capella group performed Jason Mraz’s “I Won’t Give Up” and The Backstreet Boys’ “I Want It That Way,” after which the Latin dance group showcased two of their dance routines.

Last spring, MESA held its first Middle Eastern Festival, which Hamido said the club plans on hosting again this year. As the festival is more entertainment-based, the club also wanted to create an event focused around food.

MESA member Steven Gomez, FCRH ’22, said he hopes the club continues to grow in the future and can host Taste of the Middle East every year.

“If this were annual, that’d be insane to get this amount of people and this much support,” Gomez said. “Next semester, we’re having the festival, which they did last year, and hopefully we can get this many people or more just so they can get to know a little bit about the Middle East.”

This year marks its first year as an official university club, after being approved by USG last semester. According to Hamido, some students wanted to build a community for Middle Eastern students and those who stand in solidarity with the Middle East.

ISABELLE MICHELSON/THE FORDHAM RAM

The event showcased food from several Middle Eastern countries.

Some students also wanted to have a space apart from the Muslim Students Association, as not all Middle Eastern students are Muslim.

“We want to spread the word about MESA more so that not only do people come to the events, but they also come to the meetings,” Hamido said. “It’s the Middle Eastern Students Association but that doesn’t mean it's just for Middle Eastern Students. It’s multicultural. The whole point of the club is that people that aren’t

Middle Eastern know about us. We want people of different ethnicities, cultures, backgrounds to get to know the culture.”

Mathiew Chenm, FCRH ’21, had never been to a MESA event before but decided to come to Taste of the Middle East after hearing about the event through a friend.

“I had a blast, honestly,” said Chen “The food was great, all the performances, it’s all a good time. I would definitely come to more [events], especially if I had the time.”

ASILI Welcomes Journalist and Historian Jelani Cobb FROM COBB, PAGE 1

since 2016 and is currently teaching a class that examines the history of race and its implications on reporting and media. He began writing for The New Yorker in 2012 and was the recipient of the Sidney Hillman Prize for Opinion and Analysis Journalism in 2015. Cobb is also the author of three books, each touching upon contemporary issues of politics, history, race and culture.

Cobb’s speech focused on the “half-life of freedom,” the idea that struggles encountered in the past can just as easily be resurfaced in the present.

“I so often find myself in a context where I’m wondering if I’m in the past or if I’m in the present,” said Cobb during his presentation. “I have the feeling that sometimes my history syllabus has jumped off of the page, and that we are now reading it as a newspaper — that things that we saw once, that we thought we could teach about as artifacts in history, we are now seeing again in a contemporary context.”

As an example, he drew similarities between the dialogue used to describe the Chinese in the 1880s and the verbiage used in 2019 to describe Mexicans and Latin Americans as “drug dealers” and “job stealers.”

He explained how dynamics in the present are no different from those in the past: that if America is to truly change for the better, its citizens must realize that “democracy requires constant vigilance.”

“I think it’s really important for Fordham to host these events,” said

Rozine Pepushaj, FCRH ’22. “Because sometimes we’re so invested in what is happening in our own lives…that we forget about the things we should be doing for our communities in order to move forward like we were meant to.”

Issy Asianah, FCRH ’20, the vice president of Fordham’s ASILI, said the club hosts these types of events on campus to help inform and educate the student body.

“Jelani Cobb was a very intentional choice for us because of what ASILI, as a club, stands for,” said Asianah. “We stand for the black identity, we stand for black students on campus.”

As an international student from Nigeria, Asianah said she never really knew about racism before coming to America.

“Racism plays a different role and looks different in Nigeria,” said Asianah.

She said she has been trying her best to deal with systemic racism and real-life encounters of prejudice and injustice as a college student for the past four years.

“I just want to be a college student,” said Asianah. “But I can’t just be a college student, I have to be a black college student.”

With a majority of the Fordham University student population being white, Asianah and other members of ASILI said they often feel like outsiders on their own campus.

“Sometimes I would just like to exist and glide through campus... but I know it’s not possible. That’s not how I feel,” said Asianah. “I

TEREZA SHKURTAJ/THE FORDHAM RAM

Jelani Cobb spoke on issues of race, politics, history and culture in American society for the ASILI speaker event.

don’t feel very comfortable coming to campus every day. I like living in the Bronx. I blend in with people in the Bronx because they look like me, and I like that a lot, but coming onto this campus is different.”

Asianah hopes that students, faculty and administration attend ASILI-hosted events and learn from them. Only by encouraging constructive discourse and making individuals aware of their biases can a campus foster racially and politically conscious

students, according to the club.

When asked by an audience member how the youth could help solve reoccurring issues, particularly those relating to race, Cobb refused to answer and redirected the question back at the student. He said the youth should know how to answer that question better than he does.

“Get with people who are also asking those types of questions,” he said. “Talk with them, interact with them, and the things that you need to do will become

apparent much more quickly.”

Cobb said the present is no worse than the gruesome past America has previously endured. He said he often thinks about the struggles his mother and father faced in Jim Crow Georgia and Alabama. Thinking in relative terms helps him remain optimistic for the future.

“Each of the things that we take for granted as freedoms in this country exist precisely because of the actions people took in the moments like the one we exist in right now,” said Cobb.

NEWS

Page 4

November 13, 2019

Research Spotlight

USG Column

Junior Researches Controversial Music Style Studies Latin American Villancico de Negro

By ELIOT SCHIAPARELLI

Class of ’20 Presents Initiatives

By HASNA CERAN

ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Intrigued by a class discussion in his History of Music class with Professor Eric Bianchi, Jack McClatchy, FCRH ’21, decided to research colonial Latin American music from the Baroque period (1600–1750). Specifically, McClatchy looked at the Villancico de Negro, a Spanish language musical form often used for Catholic feast days, especially Christmas.

McClatchy said he was interested in the Villacico de Negro because it is often championed as an example of cultural exchange with Spanish composers collaborating with African influencers.

Unfortunately, McClatchy found in his research that there was little to no collaboration and was unable find records of Africans playing songs that were supposedly examples of the two cultures working together. There is also evidence of Spanish composers mocking the very people they were influenced by and using racial stereotypes in their music.

“It’s not black music, it’s what white Spaniards thought black music was,” said McClatchy. “And so I made comparisons to minstrel shows in the antebellum United States.”

In both cases, nearly 300 years apart, white oppressors took the music that slaves sang and performed them for white audiences.

“White Spaniards were taking African culture and putting it into Western musical forms,” said McClatchy. “Then they couple that with texts that are incredibly racist by a modern viewpoint.”

He said the points raised by the Villancico de Negro fit really well

This past Thursday, Nov. 7, the United Student Government (USG) had the senators of the class of 2020 provide updates on their ongoing initiatives. During the senate report, Sen. Domenic Setaro, FCRH ’20, stated that the Dining Committee tabled in McGinley in order to get feedback from the student body. The results of the survey showed that many students of Fordham have low opinions of campus dining. There have been new LED signs added in the Marketplace, and although there have been some issues with the Coca-Cola vending machines on campus, measures are being taken to fix them.

Sen. Matthew Schumacher, FCRH ’20, provided an update on his initiative to compile a resource list for Fordham students, stating that he had most of the resources he needed and was now compiling the list. He also spoke about the FCRH and GSB Joint Town Hall on Nov. 12, an event in which students would be able to express questions and concerns to the deans of both schools. He informed USG that the funding for the event had been taken care of by the attending deans.

Finally, Sen. Emily Silfies, GSB ’20, spoke about a previous proposal for Open Campus Wednesdays, which would open up the Fordham campus to visitors from the surrounding area without a Fordham ID. She said that the proposal is unlikely to be instated, as it would cause problems for Public Safety and require too much funding to ensure proper security. She also mentioned that she would be rebranding the planned “Outfest” in October as a different event later on in the semester, one that would showcase accepting spaces for LGBT students on campus.

In the delegate report, the delegate for the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) said that the “It’s On Us” SAAC Committee is planning a sexual misconduct meeting during the spring semester. The Residence Hall Association (RHA) mentioned an upcoming fundraising week for pediatric cancer in conjunction with the Fordham Dance Marathon. The Commuting Students Association (CSA) reminded USG about the upcoming Thanks-Give-Away on Nov. 21, at 6 p.m on the second floor of McGinley.

Afterward, Sen. Luke Morgan, GSB ’22, presented his updated proposal for a bulletin board on the Walsh Gate that would help keep commuting students informed of events on campus. While the proposal originally campaigned for a traditional bulletin board on Walsh Gate, it has since been updated to two LED boards on the Walsh and Metro-North gates, due to the fact that this would reduce vandalism and increase visibility. The proposal was approved pending quorum.

USG also approved a new club, the Balkan Student Association, which is meant to bring awareness to the Balkan peninsula and help bring Balkan students together with fundraisers and events such as networking and guest speakers.

Finally, the USG presented their two senators of the month, Morgan and Sen. Carsyn Fischer, FCRH ’21.

They also decided that the club of the month would be the Humanitarian Student Union, due to their work on the nuclear weapons panel.

ELIOT SCHIAPARELLI/THE FORDHAM RAM

Jack McClatchy is studying a particular style of Latin American Music from the Baroque period.

into a greater discussion of music and culture. McClatchy said his mentor and professor, Bianchi, teaches that music is not just a collection of notes, but that lots of thought goes into the composition and that thought is influenced by the society in which the composer grew up.

Currently, there is a debate in the academic field of music study over whether the compositions of Richard Wagner should be celebrated in the way they have been for centuries. McClatchy pointed out that Wagner was an unofficial composer of the Nazi Party in

Germany and a favorite of Adolf Hitler.

“The music, when you look at it ideologically, it’s very ugly, but when you look at it aesthetically, at least for me, I find it very pleasurable, and it’s troubling for me to enjoy racist music as much as I am,” said McClatchy.

It is a struggle for McClatchy, a double major in political science and music, to reconcile the negative deeds of composers with their enjoyable music.

“There is no set definitive answer as to what we should do with Wagner, so I’m extending

HANNAH GONZALEZ/ THE FORDHAM RAM

Photo of the Week:

The Office of Multicultural Affairs held a Native American Festival in honor of Native American Heritage Month. The event in McGinley Ballroom featured vendors, performances from indigenous people, a drum circle and food.

the debate to include more music that could be aesthetically pleasurable but is ideologically and culturally repugnant,” said McClatchy.

McClatchy explained other nuanced pieces in this musical debate and is conscious of his own identity as a white American studying cultural music.

McClatchy also pointed out that it is important to recognize the realities of the society in which music is composed. The Villancico de Negro society was one in which Africans were slaves and Spanish and Italian composers were oppressors. Mexican or Peruvian Latin American identities did not exist in the same way they do today.

“The music shows an intense desire from the small minority of white Spaniards in Central and South America to hold onto the power that they held in society by any means necessary,” said McClatchy.

As for the research process as a whole, McClatchy has thoroughly enjoyed it. He had an FCRH research grant over the summer and renewed it to finish his research this semester.

“I never felt like I was working when I was analyzing this music or I was reading a book or I was going over edits for the 10th time,” said McClatchy. “I felt like I was doing something tangible, and I wasn’t just doing it for a grade. I was doing it for something more important than that.”

He also highly recommended doing humanities research, especially in the fields of art and music.

“I would say to the student who’s interested in music or art, there’s still a lot that hasn’t been researched,” said McClatchy.

“You can be on the cutting edge of an academic field in the humanities and just because you’re not researching a break through drug or some scientific process doesn’t mean you’re not doing meaningful work.”

NEWS

November 13, 2019

Page 5

USG Sustainability Promotes Eco-Friendly Living FROM SUSTAINABILITY, PAGE 1

noon was the largest of the semester.

All of the proceeds from the sustainable product sale and Fordham Flea will go to the Bronx is Blooming, she said.

“I really like Fordham Flea because it encourages students to participate in more sustainable shopping practices,” said Rebecca Lees, FCRH ’21. “On a college budget, it’s really easy to just fall into buying from fast fashion brands, but Fordham Flea provides a really cool opportunity for students to have fun shopping without spending a ton of money or supporting businesses that may not have the most ethical practices.”

That night, the committe also screened the 2009 documentary “Tapped” in Rodrigue’s Coffee House. “Tapped” examines the plastic water bottle industry and how it affects human health and the environment.

Representatives from Extinction Rebellion, Bronx is Blooming and Sunrise Movement came to Fordham on Thursday for a panel in McGinley. Tattersfield said the panel talked about their organizations and sustainable lifestyles. Friday’s event was a potluck held in conjunction with St. Rose’s Garden.

The sustainability committee made a few changes to this year’s week of events, including an expanded sustainable product sale and Fordham Flea events.

“I think we made a lot of improvements to Sustainability Week,” said Tattersfield. “This comes from the fact that it was about a month later than normal, and it allowed us more time to plan. I hope Earth Week next semester and Sustainability Week

MAGGIE TATTERSFIELD/THE FORDHAM RAM

Rodrigue’s Coffee house screened “Tapped,” a 2009 documentary that examins the plastic water bottle industry.

next year are even more successful.”

The collaboration with SEAJ and St. Rose’s Garden also helped the committee come up with new events. Tattersfield said St. Rose’s Garden partnered with them for the potluck and SEAJ partnered with the committee for the community clean-up.

“Sustainability Committee and SEAJ both have the goal of educating fellow Fordham students about environmental problems and ways to combat them,” said

Gabby Perez, FCRH ’21, co-president of SEAJ. Perez said the Sustainability Committee is focused more on changing Fordham’s policies and practices to be more environmentally sustainable, while SEAJ is focused on helping students engage with environmental activism throughout New York City.

She said both SEAJ and Sustainability Committee members were involved in planning and advertising the events throughout the week, but SEAJ members were

more heavily involved with planning two other events.

Some SEAJ e-board members led a group of students downtown on Thursday night to participate in an Extinction Rebellion protest happening at the same time as the Sustainability Committee panel.

“It was really cool,” said Perez.

“A bunch of college students from throughout NYC blocked roads and marched through the streets demanding that universities take stronger climate actions.”

Perez also organized for a group of students partnered with the Bronx is Blooming to go to Franz Sigel park and mulch saplingson the Saturday at the end of sustainability week. She said this is an important step for helping the trees grow to full size.

“Overall, I think Sustainability Week went great, and I look forward to planning more events and actions for fellow students in the future,” said Perez.

Executive Vice President of USG, Ashley Qamar, GSB ’20, said she thought Sustainability Week went fabulously.

“VP Tattersfield has done an amazing job in coordinating everything from the panel to the sustainable products sale to Fordham Flea,” Qamar said. “She has a passion for sustainability as it impacts the everyday lives of Fordham students, and I cannot wait to see her continue her work and expand on USG’s efforts to help students pursue more sustainable lifestyles here on campus.”

Tattersfield said in general, the committee has been working with facilities to improve the sprinkler system and have been working with the Marketplace employees to deal with issues with their dishwasher.

According to Tattersfield, the committee is committed to increasing sustainability on campus.

“Sustainability Week is a great opportunity for students that do not typically consider their environmental footprint to get involved in our Fordham’s sustainable community, as well as being a fun celebration for the members of Fordham’s sustainable community,” said Tattersfield.

FCRH Partners With Bedford Hills College Program FROM BEDFORD, PAGE 1

lated crimes. Most of Bedford Hills’ inmates come from underprivileged neighborhoods in New York City, and the majority have had little formal education — 51% do not have a high school diploma or a GED. The Bedford Hills College Program offers women who are incarcerated the chance to receive an education through pre-college preparation and baccalaureate classes.

Over 200 students participate in this program, where classes usually take place once a week from six to nine in the evening.

Fordham English Professor Mark Caldwell, who helped create the class that will be taught this spring, sees the Bedford Hills College program as one that aligns with Fordham’s mission of being “men and women for others.” This message is distinct from other similar programs, which Caldwell sees as more opportunistic.

College-in-prison programs have become a trend across the nation.

While this new emphasis on education within correctional facilities can have positive effects, Caldwell spoke warily of the kind of bucket-list mentality that dominates many of these programs.

“It is very easy for an educator in this type of program to think ‘I know what you need. And what you need, I can give you,’” he said. “But you have to keep in mind that you aren’t doing this for yourself — you are doing this for other people.”

Caldwell referred to an inmate of

Bedford Hills, Judith Clark, as an example of how an educational program within a prison can be transformative.

Clark was sentenced to 35 years to life for her involvement as a getaway driver in the 1981 Brinks Robbery. She was a driving force behind the development of the college program while incarcerated at Bedford Hills. Through this program, she received her BA and became a published poet. She was recently released from the correctional facility in May 2019 and is now considered an activist.

Caldwell said Clark is an illustration of the relationship between education and healing.

“The prison system is supposed to be for rehabilitation,” he said. “This program allows inmates to reenter society rehabilitated, with credentials.”

Caldwell said he was inspired to get Fordham systematically involved with the program. His idea was to create a class in which Bedford students could learn side-by-side with Fordham undergraduates.

Hoffman, who will teach the course, previously worked in a prison setting and knows firsthand the relationship between education and incarceration.

“Everything I’ve learned indicates that education can make a dramatic difference in the lives of the incarcerated in terms of

COURESY OF WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

The English class will be set in a correctional facility located about 33 miles away from Rose Hill campus in Bedford Hills.

what opportunities it opens up,” she said.

Studies, such as a 2016 RAND Corporation report, have shown that those who receive a college education in prison are less likely to commit a crime when they reenter society. They tend to find employment and become active contributors to their communities.

The recidivism rate of women in the College Program is 7.7%, while those who did not receive a college education have a rate of 29.9%.

Hoffman’s course will be half women who are incarcerated and half Fordham Rose Hill and Lincoln Center undergraduates. The focus of the class is coming of age in America. Readings will include Toni Morrison’s “The Bluest Eye,” Maxine Hong Kingston’s “The Woman Warrior,” and Erik Erik-

son’s social science work on identity crisis.

“These readings will open up areas of inquiry within the room that will certainly be derived from the readings, but will also go beyond,” Hoffman said.

Hoffman also said she believes that the class will be enlightening because it will give new insights into our criminal justice system.

“There will be an enlargement of our experience of what it means to be in the classroom,” she said.“That is going to change under the setting we will be in, the security we will have to go through and what the incarcerated women will have to go through to reach the classroom.”

The program was originally founded by Mercy College but ceased to exist after the United

States passed legislation that refused Pell Grants to prisoners in 1994. It was revived by three women who came together to gain support from the private sphere. Regina S. Peruggia, the president of Marymount Manhattan College, Elaine Lord, the prison superintendent and volunteer Theodora Jackson worked alongside seven inmates and received a grant from The Fortune Society. They were able to offer courses starting in the spring of 1997.

Bedford Hills is one of only nine prisons in the United States that allow for babies born in prison to spend the first few months of their lives with their incarcerated mothers. Through the Hour Children program, incarcerated mothers can have their babies with them for up to one year while they work to build parenting skills.

NEWS

Page 6

November 13, 2019

Fordham Reallocates Funds for Diversity Initiatives to CDO FROM CDO, PAGE 1

priorities has been to examine and improve our policies and processes around faculty hiring from top to bottom,” said Jacobs. “He brought with him the knowledge and expertise regarding best practices around this topic.”

The responsibilities of CDO include providing guidance and strategic resources during negotiations with candidates for hire, according to Jacobs.

Zapata described these faculty searches as having become increasingly advanced.

“We’re taking the time to let people know what kind of institution Fordham is, what it means to be educated in the Jesuit tradition, as well as taking the time to identify talented folks of color or women, depending on the discipline, and a lot of times that means a lot of sweat equity and just a lot of work, outreaching and phone calls to departments and scholars,” he said.

According to Zapata, it is critical to consider how the field of research and the subject matter has evolved when selecting faculty for hire.

“Whether it be in the humanities, hard sciences or social sciences, it gives you time to evaluate, to reflect, if this is the position that may come up because of greater demand by students and if that would be useful in terms of their majors,”

said Zapata.

A slew of events and implementations revolving around diversity is slated to take place this school year, according to Zapata. He said he is most excited about the strides his office has taken to get the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Council up and running, as it is designed to assess the state of the university’s diversity progress. He also described a new position in admissions, the associate director for diversity initiatives, which is aims to help diversify the student body.

According to Zapata, a letter outlining these changes is set to come out in January 2020 to coincide with the second anniversary of the office. He did not respond to questions regarding upcoming plans for the 2019–2020 school year.

According to Jacobs, Fordham has established a more comprehensive and effective approach toward diversifying the faculty under Zapata’s leadership.

“The chief diversity officer plays a key leadership role in this area and reports to both the university president and provost,” he said. “At the same time, it is imperative that all of us — administrators and faculty alike — see diversity, inclusion and equity as our responsibility and commit ourselves to these efforts.”

A BIG THANK YOU TO OUR FORDHAM FAMILY FOR CREATING HISTORY WITH WOMEN’S BASKETBALL FIRST EVER SELLOUTHOPE TO SEE YOU ON SUNDAY AS WE TAKE ON BIG EAST RIVAL VILLANOVA AT ROSE HILL AT 5:00!

20

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GO RAMS!!!

CHAMPIONS

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19

CHAMPIONS

FORDHAM VS. VILLANOVA 11.17.19 @ 5:00 PM

AFAM Dept. Reflects on 50 Years at Fordham University FROM AFAM, PAGE 1

for a position. At the time, the program was staffed mainly by graduate and undergraduate students like Naison. Naison interviewed with the director of the Afro-American Institute at Fordham, Stanley Majors.

“The goal of the institute was not just to promote an academic understanding of the black experience, it aimed to promote community involvement, cultural awareness and participation in black liberation struggles in the community, the nation and the world,” wrote Naison.

According to Naison, some friendly administrators helped the institute thrive early on by allowing its classes to count toward what would become core requirements — but others were not as helpful.

“During the institute’s first two years, the faculty had kept the institute at arm’s length, regarding it as a temporary expedient to keep militant black students from burning the university down,” wrote Naison.

In celebration of the anniversary, the department held an event featuring speakers and panels including one with several founding members.

Naison called the event remarkable.

“The biggest challenge is we were inventing a discipline as we went along,” said Naison. “There was no such thing as black studies departments when we founded this department in the late ’60s.”

The department’s long history makes it one of the oldest African and African American Studies Departments in the country, one of the first at a Jesuit University and the first

of any metro New York private university.

“When they asked me what I wanted to teach I made up three courses on the spot that had never been taught anywhere before,” said Naison.

In 1976, the institute was given full departmental status. In order to achieve this, Naison and his colleagues earned Ph.D.s in fields related to African and African American studies, but they could not get degrees in the actual field because no programs existed at the time.

Even today only a few doctoral programs in African-American studies exist.

“A lot of us really were committed. We felt passionately that this material was important for everybody to learn,” said Naison. “We were gonna do something about racial inequality in society. You had to put the history of black people in America front and center to really understand the history of the country and to move forward.”

Looking ahead, a long-term goal for the department is being able to grant master’s degrees and eventually Ph.D.s. For that to happen, Naison said they would need more full time faculty.

As of now, he said, the department grants 6–7 majors a year and 6–7 minors, but many of the classes fill almost immediately and count for core requirements. They also run one of the largest oral history projects in the country, The Bronx African American History Project.

“We want to showcase our de-

COURTESY OF MARK NAISON

Fordham professor Mark Naison, Ph.D., embraces Rev. Joseph M. McShane, S.J., president of the university.

partment’s commitment to have a connection with the communities that surround Fordham,” said Naison.

Professor Jane Edward, Ph.D., who published a paper on African immigration to the Bronx, said the project is what caused her to join the faculty at Fordham.

“What drew me to Fordham was when I realized there’s a large number of African people, from West Africa in particular, in the Bronx,” said Edward. “So I started to look into that through the Bronx African American History Project, and then later I started teaching. I liked Fordham because it provided a space for someone like me to do my re-

search as well as to teach.”

Veronica Quiroga, FCRH ’20, is a current African and African American Studies major from the Bronx. She said she first discovered the department after taking a class for her Understanding Historical Change core requirement.

Upon further inquiry into the department, she decided to major in it and now wants to become a professor.

“I realized the department is much more than just a major,” said Quiroga. “It represents a home – a sort of niche for students and faculty who are truly invested in the politics which affect low income as well as students coming from various un-

derrepresented backgrounds.”

In Naison’s From Rock ’N’ Roll to Hip-Hop class, Quiroga said she was introduced to Bronx history for the first time at Fordham, which led her to the Bronx African American History project where she is now a research assistant.

“The Bronx African American History Project is deeply committed to engaging with the members of the community where our institution is located,” said Quiroga. “The members of our department are also key figures in making the university’s mission 'to be a man and woman for others’ come alive through our advocacy, the events we put together and our commitment to the people we stand for.”

November 13, 2019

OPINION

Page 7

The Fordham Ram

The Wealth Tax Is Worth the Price

By COLLIN BONNELL OPINION EDITOR

America is struggling with an existential crisis of sorts. It is one that threatens our democracy, our liberty and our very way of life.

I am not talking about gun violence, climate change or a threat from abroad. Rather, the imminent threat is plutocracy: the concentration of wealth and power in the hands of a few ultra-wealthy Americans.

In October, Forbes announced that the wealth of the 400 wealthiest Americans had reached an alltime high of $2.96 trillion. The wealthiest, Jeff Bezos, was worth $114 billion, a net worth which had fallen from a high of $160 billion last year, due to a divorce settlement. In total, there were 621 billionaires in the United States.

As the wealth of these Americans at the very top continues to grow, they gain the resources necessary to influence political campaigns, lobby for favorable legislation and exercise control over our political system.

While Americans usually assume billionaires pay immense sums in taxes, the tax rate for the 400 richest Americans was 23% in 2018, compared to the average American’s 28%.

After decades of tax cuts, America now has a regressive tax system, where the share of wealth paid in taxes decreases as one’s wealth grows. This is not the

norm for modern American history, and from 1944 to 1981, the top marginal rate was 81%.

This changed in the 1980s, when policymakers began to embrace the assumption that cutting taxes for the wealthiest Americans would cause that new income to transfer to the middle and working classes — an idea known as “trickle-down economics.” Yet this policy failed to accomplish its desired effect.

While incomes for average Americans had grown by 2.2% annually from 1950 to 1980, since 1980 this growth has slowed dramatically to 1.2% per year.

Presidents have nonetheless continued to cut taxes for the rich dramatically, and this came to a head in 2017, when Trump’s cuts created a regressive tax system.

This has created an America in which the top 0.1% of Americans control about 20% of the country’s wealth.

Such a discrepancy must be corrected, and, indeed, several candidates for the Democratic presidential nomination have announced their intentions to do so.

Most attention has been paid to U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren’s plan, which would tax household wealth above $50 million 2% and household wealth above $1 billion 6% in order to fund generous social programs. It has also raised concerns among billionaires, many of whom see it as a direct threat.

COURTESY OF TWITTER

U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren’s proposed tax on household wealth above $50 million has drawn some criticism.

Bill Gates, who is worth $106 billion, was one of the most vocal about his reservations, complaining that he would pay $100 billion in taxes. While this is technically correct — he would pay about $6.3 billion during the first year, with yearly payments eventually totaling about $100 billion in 15 years — it ignores the fact that Gates’ wealth could continue to grow by $25 billion, even after the tax is applied. In the end, Gates would be faced with the tragedy of having his fortune rise to a mere $131 billion over the next 15 years.

Gates is not the only billionaire who has criticized Warren over her tax proposal. Among the most hostile was Leon Cooperman, an investor, who accused Warren of

encouraging the “vilification” of billionaires like himself.

Another billionaire, Mark Cuban, accused Warren of trying to hide her own $12 million fortune.

Meanwhile, several extremely wealthy Democratic donors have threatened to support the Republicans in 2020 if Warren is nominated.

Despite these claims, America is facing the possibility of becoming a plutocracy, where an extremely small amount of its citizens own the majority of its wealth. We must do something to correct this imbalance, and tax plans like Warren’s are the fairest way to do this.

The notion suggested by many billionaires in reaction to her plan — that it is an unjust and unwarranted seizure of their wealth — is

ridiculous. Most of these billionaires will still be left with immense fortunes, the size of which most Americans cannot comprehend.

In return, average Americans will once again be allowed to enjoy the fruits of their labor.

Furthermore, I would urge wealthy Americans to read up on past examples of times when past plutocratic systems were inevitably overthrown due to their excesses.

America’s current wealth inequality is a long way from reaching such a boiling point. But that may not necessarily be the case in a few decades if policies do not change.

Collin Bonnell, FCRH ’21, is a history major from Hingham, Mass.

Keep Hollywood Diverse

COURTESY OF FLICKR

Recent studies have shown that a diverse cast does more to draw a bigger audience, and box office, to films.

By BRIANA SCALIA

OPERATIONS DIRECTOR

A few weeks ago Movio, a film industry marketing and data firm, found that a diverse cast helps drive crowds to the theaters, according to its recent study.

The analysis draws connections between a minority group’s representation on screen and that group’s audience turnout.

Though profit should not be the film industry’s motivation to hire more minority actors, it disproves the belief that diversity holds no impact on a film’s turnout.

It is simple to determine why diversity brings more people to the theaters: People want to see themselves in media. One look at the success of films like “Wonder Woman” and “Black Panther” makes this evident. Sometimes minorities are so desperate for accurate and meaningful representation, it will draw them to a genre of film they have never been interested in.

Representation is vital to the self-esteem of children throughout the world. Young boys and girls cannot go through life with only their mothers and fathers as

their role models. It is not simply important, but vital for these children to be able to look up to others as they grow.

One major source of role models is the media, specifically the films and television shows we watch at the most impressionable times of our life.

Therefore, it is important that the fictional media the American youth consumes does not always feature the same average white male protagonist. Films and shows like “Black Lightning,” “Black Panther” and “Luke Cage” have not only provided several

outstanding role models for the country’s black youth, they do so while tackling issues they and their family may specifically deal with.

Unlike other media featuring black protagonists, films and shows in the superhero genre have the luxury of appealing to a wide demographic. While providing representation for African American viewers, these stories are meant to be seen by people of all races and ethnicities.

This not only helps to educate white Americans about the privilege they so often hold over other minorities, but ultimately boosts the popularity of the media by widening their audience. One example is the cult following of the CW’s “Black Lightning.”

Protagonist Jefferson Pierce, who goes by Black Lightning during his vigilante hours, spends his days as a public high school principal, while also taking care of his two teenage daughters.

Already this is a major step up from the typical portrayal of African American men, who are commonly shown in media to be at best irresponsible, and at worst criminal.

Major arcs and plot points of the show center around the stereotypes Jefferson and his family

face. One such incident includes when Jefferson is pulled over by a white cop, for seemingly no reason other than the cop’s prejudiced outlook. But rather than show Pierce expressing his frustration to the cops in a physical manner, he explains to the officers why he should not have been pulled over.

It is easy to create a character who is jaded by the world, no matter how rightfully so, but to see a character overcome the unfairness of the world, in a heroic way nonetheless, is inspiring.

As a young girl, I had idolized most heroes, but heroines always resonated with me more than the average male heroes. The black youth of America deserve their own relatable heroes.

Hollywood has no reason not to provide them with those heroes. They no longer have the excuse that audiences do not want to see diversity on the screen.

So to those filmmakers that still stubbornly hold on to this belief, I’ll remind them of the stoic Seneca’s famous saying: Fate leads the willing and drags along the reluctant.

Briana Scalia, FCRH ’20, is a journalism major from Long Island, N.Y.

OPINION

Page 8

R

Serving the Fordham University campus and community since 1918 The Fordham Ram is the university journal of record. The mission of The Fordham 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 Fordham 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 over 12,000 and a web readership of over 300,000. The Fordham Ram office is located in the basement of the McGinley Center, room B-52.

Website FordhamRam.com Email Address theram@fordham.edu

Editor in Chief Aislinn Keely Managing Editor Hannah Gonzalez Business Director Donald Dugan Operations Director Briana Scalia Editorial Director Lindsay Grippo Executive Editor Colette Nolan Copy Chiefs Vanessa DeJesus Maggie Rothfus News Editor Helen Stevenson Projects Editor Erica Scalise Assistant News Editors Eliot Schiaparelli Sarah Huffman Opinion Editors Briana Scalia Collin Bonnell Culture Editors Rachel Gow Kieran Press-Reynolds Sports Editor Jimmy Sullivan Assistant Sports Editors Andrew Posadas Dylan Balsamo Digital Producers Kristen Egan Katherine Morris Photo Editor Julia Comerford Assistant Photo Editor Hunter Benegas Visual Director Bojeung Leung Faculty Advisor Jessica Baldwin-Philippi Editorial Page Policy

The Fordham Ram’s editorial is se-

lected on a weekly basis and reflects the editorial board’s view on a campus issue.

Opinions Policy The Fordham Ram appreciates submissions to fordhamramopinions@ gmail.com. Commentaries are printed on a space available basis. The Fordham Ram reserves the right to reject any submission for any reason, without notice. Submissions become the exclusive property of The Fordham Ram. The Fordham Ram reserves the right to edit any submissions. The opinions in The Fordham 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 Fordham Ram may be reproduced without written consent.

November 13, 2019

From the Desk | Briana Scalia

A Sweet But Bitter End

Monday, 4:20 p.m., my feet waded through the crisp fallen leaves carpeting the path to McGinley. The campus looked even more brilliant through my freshman eyes, gazing up at the bursts of color falling from the towering trees. I unlocked my phone to reread the words of encouragement from my mother to ease the butterflies in my stomach.

I rushed down the McGinley stairs, stepping over the puddle at the foot of the door that I would soon learn was a permanent fixture, and struggled to navigate the building’s basement.

After finally finding the room, I reached out for the handle and paused, quickly pulling out my phone to fix my few wisps of out-of-place hair. Satisfied, I opened the door to what would be a pinnacle moment of not only my career at Fordham, but my career as a journalist.

One congratulatory phone call and a week later, I found myself in B-48, a windowless dungeon with god-awful fluorescent lighting and brilliant people that made up for it. Volume 98’s end served as not only Volume 99’s beginning, but mine as well. After an awkward introduction with my future co-editor, Chris Canadeo, we sat down to learn from the current opinion editor, soon-to-be managing editor, mentor and friend, Margarita Artoglou.

Hours passed without thought,

and I was suddenly brought to attention by the sparkling cider and tearful goodbye speeches. The swell of camaraderie I had felt all night suddenly included me, and I had no words to describe the ease that came over me.

But no amount of sparkling cider could have prepared me for the work I had ahead of me. Late nights spent editing articles motivated by the promise of pizza, hours at the copy table striking countless Oxford commas and waiting for budget meetings outside the locked doors of exec., aka, the room where it happens. But the basement of McGinley works on its own time zone.

Years spent racing swivel chairs through the halls, dancing to Shakira while wearing my iconic hot pink, heart-shaped glitter glasses (I still don’t know where they came from), existential conversations brought on only by pure mental exhaustion and instructing copy editors on the fine art of sketching the porous sponge who lives in a pineapple under the sea.

But the sight of one student reading the Ram made all of it worth it.

After two years of being opinion editor, two years of collaborating with writers over Google docs, creating MailChimp accounts and answering countless emails, I decided my plate wasn’t quite full enough and applied for a position on the executive board.

Now budget meetings followed

exec. meetings (guys I made it to the room where it happens!) the title of opinion editor took a backseat to operations director.

Titles that I proudly added to my ever-changing resume, which was hesitantly submitted to NBC, and later CNN. Networks that I have since added to my work experience, experience I owe to my time at the Ram. All those hours spent hectically crafting a paper from scratch had prepared me for hours spent in newsrooms in 30 Rock and Hudson Yards. I can never thank The Fordham Ram enough for shaping me into the journalist I am today.

Thank you to those on Volume 99 for welcoming me, one of the only freshmen, into their ranks. Your kindness and support came at a crucial time.

Thank you to those on Volume 100 for accepting me as I am, the outspoken Queen of Opinion (a title gifted to me).

Thank you to those on Volume 101 for trusting in me and my advice.

I’m going to miss each and every one of you.

Thank you to Aislin Keely, our fearless Editor-in-Chief, who has been with me these past three years.

I don’t think I’ve ever met a more capable person. I will always value our GroupMe messages, our “Game Game of Thrones” viewing parties and your Thrones

words of wisdom.

And thank you to my parents for your endless love and support. I hope to make you proud every day.

I wish the best of luck to the future team of Volume 102. Interviews are a few weeks away, and I find parallels to my first foray into the world of B-52 and B-48 each day.

My life has become something of a cityscape, bustling and vibrant, and I can’t help but feel The Fordham Ram played a part. I hope it does the same for all of you.

This is a sweet but bitter end. I call it that purposefully because this paper is sweet before it is bitter, and then it is sweet once more. The start was sweet and the goodbyes are bitter, but for you, it will be sweet again.

And never forget, when you’re on the Ram, you’re better than most.

Editorial | Athletics

Talk the Talk to Better the Run

Recently, world-champion runner Mary Cain, GSB ’19, released a video op-ed with the New York Times detailing the emotional and physical abuse she suffered during her time with Nike’s Oregon Project, formerly the top running program in the United States.

The Ram stands with the Fordham alumna in calling for increased attention to gendered issues within running and greater athletic communities and for the protection of athlete health at large.

Such bravery by Cain not only deserves our attention but also requires our participation in the conversations needed to address the systemic problems her story brings to light.

In her op-ed, Cain discusses the obsessive emphasis her former coach Alberto Salazar placed on her weight as it related to her competitive performance.

It is true that a relatively low body weight can be beneficial for some runners. Lower body fat percentages translate to lower energy costs, which result in increased endurance, speed and agility. Similarly, there is some logistical and scientific credibility to the idea that one might run faster if they simply had less weight to carry.

However, the relationship between low weight and athletic success is by no means infinitely direct.

Weight loss can quickly become dangerous if obtained in excess, and lack of proper nutrition can lead to many issues, both mental and physical, and nonetheless all negatively affecting athletic performance to some degree.

When athletes consistently consume too few calories for the activity level that rigorous workouts require, they can develop Relative Energy Deficiency in Sports (RED-S). Such

insufficient levels of energy in the body impact hormonal pathways and impair metabolic rate, menstrual function, bone health, immunity, protein synthesis and cardiovascular health, according to the University of Wisconsin Hospitals and Clinics Authority.

In women, RED-S manifests itself as disordered eating, loss of menstrual periods and decreased bone mineral density. Such symptoms are particularly detrimental to female health because of the potential long-term complications they pose, such as infertility and osteoporosis.

Equating leanness with athleticism breeds a culture that idealizes thinness at the expense of overall health, and no accolade is worth the deterioration of one’s well-being.

Competing in a sport at any level involves heightened physical and mental stress, which necessitates certain amounts of rest, recovery and nutrition. It is imperative that athletes not only take care of themselves but are given the proper support from coaches, programs and teammates to succeed.

Athletes should never be pressured into sacrificing their welfare for the benefit of a program, and it is abhorrent that Salazar and the rest of the Nike team would show such a severe lack of human decency by requiring their runners to do so. Many members of the Fordham program agree that the university does a good job of providing resources that allow for student athletes to thrive.

“The athletic department as a whole prioritizes the student athlete experience,” said Brian Horowitz, head coach of the Fordham cross country and track & field (XC/TF) teams. “Our track and field staff works

closely with the medical training staff, strength training staff, sports psychologist, health center/counseling center and academic advising to provide a healthy and successful career here at Fordham.”

Horowitz said he and his coaching staff take an individualistic approach to training and emphasize the importance of sleep, nutrition and hydration.

“We as a school need to continue to put the person and their general well-being first,” he said. “Athletics should be fun and competitive. Winning is always a great feeling, but success should not and need not come at the cost of physical and mental suffering.”

Such methods are appreciated by Horowitz’s runners and prove a stark contrast to the ethos Cain found herself a part of at the Nike Oregon Project.

“Fordham Track & Field has a new head coach in addition to a new trainer, and at the beginning of the year it was made clear to us that both of them were hired because their centers of value are whatever is best for each individual on the team,” said sophomore Bridget Alex, FCRH ’22, of her experiences running with the TF team. “I’m sure my teammates agree with me when I say we began to see this from them even after the first few weeks of practice.”

However, there is always room for growth particularly as it relates to increased gender diversity within positions of power in sports.

Cain — who attributes her mental and physical deterioration to what she describes as an all-male coaching staff — said female runners participate in a system designed for and by men, which destroys the bodies of young

girls. Fordham’s program, though male dominated, seems successful in avoiding similar problems.

“Every individual regardless of gender has certain strengths and weaknesses,” Horowitz said. “As coaches we need to figure out how to turn those weaknesses into strengths.”

“Our team and coaches do a good job of checking on us, making sure we are feeling good, and feeling healthy,” sophomore Kaley Bell, FCRH ’22, of the TF team said. “I do wish to see more women representation in the coaching staffs and the athletic department. Fordham is working to change that, and I can’t wait to see the direction that they will go in terms of representation.”

It is uplifting to hear of such optimism within Fordham’s programs, as well as to see the widespread support of Cain from other prominent figures in running community, such as Olympian and former Nike athlete Amy Begley and former Nike coach Steve Magness.

But as changes continue to unfold within Nike as a result of Salazar’s doping violations and subsequent suspension, it is crucial that such voices continue to expose the deep-rooted problems within the sport. Only increased awareness and action can begin to breakdown the problematic culture that allowed Salazar and his team to run rampant in the first place.

In speaking out on such personal experiences from a position of notability within the community, Cain has furthered invaluable dialogue and used her platform to make a difference. We are extremely proud of our fellow Ram and encourage everyone to keep up with her story and others that come to light as the situation develops.

OPINION

November 13, 2019

Page 9

The War For Soldiers’ Mental Health

By NOAH OSBORNE

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Editors note: This article includes mentions of suicide.

Every day, the American Armed Forces gear up to defend the nation. Our U.S. troops fight valiantly in many of their combat endeavors.

However, such an arduous battle leaves our troops with nothing forgone. They not only sacrifice time with their families and loved ones but worse — they sacrifice their lives.

With every mission, the lives of troops hang precariously in the balance, as tomorrow is never guaranteed. What makes this thought all the more harrowing is that the lives of soldiers are not only threatened by extraneous parties but also by the war brewing in their minds.

Hundreds of thousands of lives are lost when troops are deployed to the front lines of action. How-

ever, it is another demon entirely when what constitutes that large body of casualties is suicide.

Suicide is responsible for a large portion of deaths in the military. In fact, according to The New York Times, the number of suicides in the military is climbing at an exponential rate, which sees the past six years witnessing 45,000 veteran and service member suicides. Such a disconcerting number amounts to more than the combat casualties from both the Iraq and Afghan wars combined.

To put this into perspective, approximately 20 veterans commit suicide every day. What makes this number especially troubling is that it reflects on us as a nation that we clearly have not done enough to protect our heroes.

By allowing this to persist, it is regarding our brave service members as disposable — reporting for duty to protect our lives, yet

we are allowing them to remain imprisoned in a broken mentality.

Undisputedly, American troops have been forced to experience sordid scenarios that play out in the heat of battle on a daily basis. Such sights indelibly scar our troops both physically and mentally.

The United States Military culture has always been known for its emphasis on mental conditioning. However, 20 suicides a day reveals that such an emphasis is not as effective as the U.S believes it to be.

Military culture plays up the notion that to be a service member, one has to be immune to emotion and sentiment as if they are machines rather than humans.

The especially rugged nature of the military perpetuates an unrealistic disconnect between service members and the world in an effort to create efficient fighters on the battlefield but at the cost of their own troops.

COURTESY OF TWITTER

American veterans suffer from increased rates of mental health issues and suicide due to their experiences in combat.

Deployment is a gruesome charge which requires a combination of mental and physical strength, high aptitude in terms of combat situations and other attributes that are rooted in military culture.

This coalition of strength causes the military’s belief that there is no room for weakness.

The perspective the military holds on this subject is absurd.

Military culture teaches soldiers that to be an efficient fighter one must be an automaton defunct of any emotional capability — that emotions are to be suppressed, because they are a hindrance to combat. This method is not making stronger fighters, but fewer fighters as suicide continues to claim the lives of our American troops.

As a result of this disconnect from emotion that military culture inflicts on their fighters, many service members feel intense bouts of depression and dejection. They often do not opt to seek much-needed mental help, rather, they choose to internalize their troubles until it ultimately leads to their own demise.

By perpetuating this problem, military culture is not only disrespecting our military, but it is dehumanizing its members altogether. United States troops are responsible for defending our nation, yet it feels as if little has been done to reciprocate their efforts.

If U.S. troops have an ethical responsibility to protect America at all costs, then the military should be tasked with the responsibility of valuing and defending the lives of all those who fight for them.

The military should actively discuss mental health to ensure that those brave men and women are strong enough not only to

fight for our country, but to fight for themselves and the families they cherish.

If we as a nation truly aspire to have a military that is to stand unrivaled by that of other nations, we must not only concern ourselves with the technology and money that oozes out of taxpayers wallets just to engender weapons of mass destruction — we must use that same money to fund efforts of mental relief. Such efforts can be the difference between a service member coming home to their families and loved ones, making the tragic decision to end their lives.

Being an American soldier does not entail that one must be lacking in a mental state that feels human emotions. Rather, it entails a strength that is to be possessed to fight through any and all adversities that may arrive, be it physical or mental.

Our troops consist of humans that require attention paid to their mental well-being to ensure that they are strong enough for themselves.

The military must disassociate from the taboo assigned to service members that feeling depressed is a weakness. Instead, mental health services must be offered by the military to ensure that such a service member can triumph through the dark nadirs in their lives.

If we can thwart the urges of suicide in our armed forces, we can truly say that through any haunting mental chasm set before us, America is not only the home of the free but the home of the brave.

Noah Osborne, FCRH ’23, is a journalism major from Harlem, N.Y.

Disagree with our opinions?

Write in to us at fordhamramopinions@gmail.com!

Page 10

CULTURE

November 13, 2019

FKA Twigs Ascends on “Magdalene”

By SAM HADELMAN CONTRIBUTING WRITER

In a year of historic comebacks, from Vampire Weekend to Kanye West, FKA Twigs leads the pack with her mystifying second LP, “Magdalene.”

FKA Twigs has a tendency to cause a stir whenever she drops music, and this release was no exception. Before “Magdalene,” we had been waiting for five years for a follow-up to her critically-acclaimed debut record, the aptlynamed “LP1.”

In the meantime, many avantgarde art-pop artists have been imitating the image and output FKA Twigs brought to the limelight back in 2013. So, for her to come back and drop another iconic record both feels deserving and makes for a very refreshing moment in this overall dull year of music.

The most impressive aspects of the record are the stellar production and haunting lyrics. The whole album combines dark, layered instrumentation with

confessions of isolation and inadequacy. On her last album, FKA Twigs’ primary draw was her unconventionality and musical experimentation.

In the present, then, testing new sounds and bending the lines of convention are already expected. The focus now is on emotionalism — FKA Twigs wearing her heart on her sleeve rather than trying to turn the music world upside down. This space for creative lyrics brings FKA Twigs into the depths of desolation, which bleed through every moment of the LP. Heartbreak is difficult to communicate clearly in music, yet FKA Twigs skillfully submerges us into the lowest recesses of her psyche on this record. Her transparent content leads to the most candid moments on tracks like “mirrored heart,” which has a flawless relationship between production and content.

It’s striking how FKA Twigs was able to work with some of the biggest names in production — Benny Blanco, Skrillex, Sounwave and Noah Goldstein, for example

— and still paint a personalized picture. Sometimes with mainstream projects, having too many producers leads to an inconsistent sound throughout the record — for example, West’s “Life of Pablo” — yet, on this LP, the diversity of producers lent FKA Twigs limitless space for creativity and ingenuity.

The most critical aspect of art pop, for many artists, is finding one’s creative limits. How far can an artist go?

For FKA Twigs, the answer is “nowhere.” Throughout the whole album, she utilizes aspects of trap, pop and synth-pop to create a Jackson Pollock of dismay and depression.

This all comes together on the track “holy terrain,” where she uses the sole feature on the album — the always poignant trapstar Future — perfectly. He gives the whole project a new feeling, bringing it into unfamiliar territory.

The way FKA Twigs describes her depressive states is intoxicating. A standout moment ar-

rives on “fallen alien.” The song employs abstract metaphors to portray FKA Twigs’ emotional distress, yet it still manages to be relatable for the listener. That is the skill FKA Twigs has mastered: the ability to make extraterrestriallevel music that’s digestible for us brutish Earthlings.

“Magdalene” is easily a top tier project of this year. FKA Twigs is a once-in-ageneration artist and a complete anomaly.

In a world where accessibility leads to the downfall of most artists, FKA Twigs uses it to expose herself fully to the world. This transparency resulted in the most impressive album of the year.

FKA Twigs is the anti-hero that pop needed, and she proved that no matter

how long she takes to create, her art will endure.

COURTESY OF FACEBOOK

Pictured: FKA Twigs.

The War on Christmas: A Merry and Jolly Delusion

By GRACIE DAVIS

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

In recent years, there has been a push to say “Happy Holidays” instead of “Merry Christmas,” as many feel it is the more inclusive option, considering not everyone celebrates Christmas.

This has outraged many, including President Donald Trump. On Dec. 24, 2017, he took credit for inspiring a renaissance of “Merry Christmas”-ing.

“People are proud to be saying Merry Christmas again,” he tweeted. “I am proud to have led the charge against the assault of our cherished and beautiful phrase. MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!”

Was the phrase ever under assault, though?

Is there really a war on Christmas?

In the 17th century, Puritans banned Christmas because it was not in agreement with their interpretation of the Bible. Now that, indeed, was an organized attack on the holiday.

The modern debate can be traced back to 2005, with the release of radio host John Gibson’s book “The War on Christmas: How the Liberal Plot to Ban the Sacred Christian Holiday Is Worse Than You Thought.” The book, which caused an uproar, focuses on how people would ban nonreligious symbols like Santa Claus in an effort to make Christmas as it was in the Bible. Somewhat taking it out of context, many came to believe that liberalism was bent on destroying Christmas. Bill O’Reilly, for example, said liberals were using the phrase “Happy Holidays” as a way to enact “a new America” apart from traditional Christmas in 2012.

Conservatives used the Obamas, who put “Season’s Greetings” on their annual White House holiday cards instead of “Merry Christmas” for all eight years, as evidence.

“Obamas’ Holiday Card Doesn’t Mention Christmas for 8th Year,” Fox News tweeted on Dec. 14, 2016.

Dan Cassino, a professor at Fairleigh Dickinson University, critiqued Gibson’s book and conservative Christmas anxieties. “They say the next step after saying ‘Happy Holidays’ is abortion on demand and euthanasia. That’s a hell of a slippery slope, but that’s the argument being made.”

The Trumps, along with many other Christians, have fought against phrases other than “Merry Christmas” as well.

PBS NewsHour’s William Brangham, in conversation with Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council, and Amy Sullivan, an author and podcaster, explained why.

Perkins believes it’s not the phrase “Merry Christmas” itself that makes the difference to Christians — instead, the words are just a small part of a bigger picture: “It’s emblematic of a bigger debate that’s really been raging in this country, and that is the ability to express one’s faith openly,

holiday over the other makes one’s belief less serious, is not one she can subscribe to.

“I think Jesus would not really care if we said Merry Christmas,” she said.

Instead, she argued, Jesus would probably care more about the focus on consumption around Christmas-time, and the prizing of exchanging gifts rather than going to church.

“That can be a concern to those of us who see it as a celebration of the birth of our Savior,” she continued.

Both Perkins and Sullivan agree: Regardless of how people greet

COURTESY OF TWITTER

On Dec. 24, 2017, President Donald Trump tweeted about inspiring people to say the phrase “Merry Christmas” again.

Watching Fox News increases the chances of someone believing in the “War on Christmas,” as it was called, by 5 to 10%, according to a study by Fairleigh Dickinson University.

Over a quarter of Americans are Evangelical Christians. With this in mind, Trump made fighting against the War on Christmas a campaign policy. Many believed he was doing this solely to bring Christian voters to his side, regardless of his actions and moral.

without concern,” he said.

If Christians only desire freedom of expression, however, it begs the question: How can they be upset when people choose to acknowledge other religious holidays by saying Happy Holidays instead of Merry Christmas?

Sullivan herself is a Christian, and her husband is Jewish. Therefore, her family celebrates both Christmas and Hanukkah. For her, the idea that choosing to celebrate one

them during the holiday season, the real issue is people celebrating Christmas as a purely secular holiday.

According to Pew Research Center, less than half of Americans celebrate Christmas solely as a religious holiday, while a third celebrate it as a cultural holiday. The holiday has turned into an opportunity to celebrate consumerism rather than Christianity.

“Anyone who has a small child

obsessed with Santa Claus knows how hard it is to fight against those influences and yet, for some people, that is the sum-total of what Christmas is,” Sullivan said.

She mentioned Bill O’Reilly as one of many Fox News anchors who hyper-focus on which corporations and department stores have the most “Christmas spirit” and which ones say Happy Holidays rather than Merry Christmas.

Instead, she argues, these sources should focus on getting people back to Church and to the religious holiday rather than promoting the consumerist, secular holiday.

According to the National Retail Federation, Americans generally spend just under $1000 on Christmas gifts, and Pew Research Center polled how these shoppers want to be greeted during the holiday season. Thirtythree percent preferred Merry Christmas, 15% preferred Happy Holidays, and over half said it did not matter.

It is important to note the difference between expression and oppression here.

Christians are not oppressed when nonChristians greet them without saying Merry Christmas. The phrase “Happy Holidays” in no way prevents anyone from practicing their individual religion or celebrating that religion’s holidays; expression only becomes oppression when it infringes upon someone’s ability to practice their beliefs openly. That is not at all the case here. There is no war on Christmas — at least, not from people who prefer Happy Holidays to Merry Christmas.

Have a great and open-minded holiday season.

CULTURE

November 13, 2019 Sad Keanu (2010) Paparazzi photographed Keanu Reeves chilling lugubriously on a New York bench in 2010.

Bad Luck Bryan (2012) Bryan represents the worst in all of our lives, the moments when you’re straight up not having a good time because everything went invariably wrong. The picture was originally a seventh-grade school photo of a guy named Kyle.

Nyan Cat (2011) Everyone knows Nyan Cat, the euphoric flying Pop-Tart cat. However, what many don’t know, is the cat who originally inspired Nyan — Marty — sadly died in 2012.

Winter Is Coming (2011) Originally from “Game of Thrones,” this meme has persisted through the decade like a stubborn grease stain.

It stopped being funny the third time my 11th grade AP Language teacher used it in a Powerpoint (“Synecdoche Quiz Is Coming... Monday”).

Boomers treat it like a consecrated object of worship.

Doge (2013) Much cute. Very dog.

Page 11 In Me Mum’s Car (2014) Featuring a charming interaction between a British teenager named Tish Simmonds and her mum, who tells her to get out of her automobile, the short Vine clip “In Me Mum’s Car, Broom Broom” sped like a runaway truck onto the highway of popular culture. Then it crashed, when Simmonds quit Vine because of bullying.

Sanic (2015) Sanic is beautiful because he embraces the imperfections of life — showing it’s okay not to wear makeup, dress poorly or look like you’ve been drawn on MS paint by a six-year-old with no sense of proportions. As Sanic once said, “CUME ON STEP IT UP!!!!”

The Fox (2013) “The Fox” sounds like Ylvis recorded themselves farting then played around with the pitch and put it over a GarageBand beat. In other words, Tiësto for furries. The aural equivalent of eating an ice cream sandwich speckled with hair and filled with Old Spice. They made millions, but was it worth it?

Gangnam Style (2012) Viral sensation “Gangnam Style” brought k-pop and the so-called “horse-riding dance” — which looks more like a mistranslated Kama Sutra position — to America.

Harlem Shake (2013) Baauer’s “Harlem Shake” shook up the web when FilthyFrank’s music video inspired millions of people to dance like lunatics to it.

Shrek (2014) The infamous green orge, known for his iconic scream (“Get out of my swamp”), has been one of the decade’s most consistent meme creatures.

Deez Nuts (2015) As it turns out, Dr. Dre’s chief contribution to the culture would not be his menacing gangsta rap or ecstatic g-funk, but a two-word phrase: “Deez nuts.” It comes from the skit “Deeez Nuuuts” off his 1992 debut album, “The Chronic.” Nearly 25 years later, the phrase resurfaced and went viral.

“Deez Nuts” even ran for president in 2016 and polled at 9% in North Carolina.

Alex From Target (2014) In early Nov. 2014, a picture of a teenager named Alex bagging items at Target went viral. It seemed innocuous, but then controversy struck when Breakr, a Los Angeles marketing startup, claimed they orchestrated the entire spectacle. Alex decried the accusations, but a definitive answer never emerged.

REWIND THE 2010 s THE 30 MOST SIGNIFICANT MEMES OF THE DECADE WRIting and LAYOUT BY KIERAN PRESS-REYNOLDS; photos courtesy of facebook

Here Comes Dat Boi (2016) 2016 was not ready for “dat boi,” otherwise known as a frog riding a unicycle who often yelps “o s---t waddup!” Interestingly enough, dat boi never cross-fertilized with Pepe or Kermit, the other significant frogs of the decade.

Pepe (2016) Matt Furie first drew the sad frog way before 2016, but it wasn’t until Donald Trump’s election campaign that Pepe fully defecated on pop culture as the mascot of the budding alt-right. The frog’s visibility peaked when the Anti-Defamation League labeled it a hate symbol.

Name A More Iconic Duo (2016) It began with Kylie and Kendall Jenner, but has since expanded dramatically.

Arthur’s Fist (2016) One time LeBron James used the fist, although he misunderstood it. He posted a collage of his fists pumped up in celebration after victories, along with a picture of Arthur’s fist balled up with rage in the bottom right corner, as if they somehow went together. “I like Arthur,” he said at the time.

Harambe (2016) Harambe was a 17-year-old gorilla tragically shot and killed at the Cincinnati Zoo when a child fell into his habitat in 2016. The fallout included movements like #JusticeForHarambe and “D—s Out For Harambe,” the hacking of the zoo director’s Twitter and over 11,000 people writing in Harambe in the 2016 election.

Damn, Daniel (2016) Daniels had a moment when Josh Wolz’ Twitter montage, in which he coos “Damn, Daniel!” at his friend, Daniel, in Morrissey-like feyness over and over again, went viral. It’s hilarious for its absurdity, like a Samuel Beckett play in Vine format.

Evil Kermit (2016) The “Paul Blart: Mall Cop” of memes, a low-brow guilty pleasure.

SpongeBob Memes (2016) A strong contender for meme source of the decade, SpongeBob is the memetic equivalent of Post Malone dominating the Billboard Hot 100. Variations include: Confused Mr. Krabs, SpongeGar, mOcKiNg SpOnGeBoB, fake history, breathe in boi and more.

Galaxy Brain (2017) The meme began with a play on the word “who” — a vertical series of expanding brains paired with more and more ridiculous spellings, like “whomst’d” — and quickly adapted to fit other subjects, still enduring today.

Confused Math Lady (2017) This meme, featuring the Brazilian actress Renata Sorrah, is often used to express confusion.

Had To Do It To ’Em (2017) Lucky Luciano: legendary power poser, firm hand clasper and, above all, the guy who did it to ’em. Many have done it to ’em since, but no one has done it to ’em quite like Luciano.

He represents a genuine unself-consciousness endemic to frat boys and Logic fans.

Surprised Pikachu (2018) Among the most wholesome memes of the decade is “Surprised Pikachu,” which reminds us to make light of our own idiocy.

Tide Pods (2018) The spiritual successor to 2014’s “Fire Challenge,” in which YouTubers poured flammable liquid on their bodies and lit themselves on fire, 2018’s “Tide Pod Challenge” saw people eating laundry detergent.

No one: (2018) no one: me: writes this list

Distracted Boyfriend (2017) Originally a stock photo called “Disloyal man with his girlfriend looking at another girl,” Antonio Guillem’s influential snapshot of unfaithfulness inspired countless adaptations like “Distracted Girlfriend.”

Evil Patrick (2018) Evil Patrick, apparently actually called “Savage Patrick” (I refuse to call it that, out of respect for Patrick), deserves its own entry apart from SpongeBob. The way his eyebrows are contorted, mouth curled, pupils burning with malice — even Jordan Peele would be terrified.

Storm Area 51 (2019) “Storm Area 51,” a fake Facebook event about raiding Area 51 is as much a meme as Hot Pockets are real food. Where’s the joke?

FORDHAM LOOKS FORWARD

Page 12

November 13, 2019

CAB Organizes Programs Old and New

By KRISTEN McNERNEY STAFF WRITER

This week, The Fordham Ram sat down with Campus Acitivities Board (CAB) President Peyton Hayes, FCRH ’20, to discuss the organization’s plans for programming on campus.

Kristen McNerney: What are you looking forward to this semester?

Peyton Hayes: We are very excited for our holiday fair coming up on Dec. 2. Our executive board and general board transform the second floor of McGinley into a winter wonderland to get into the holiday spirit.

KM: Have you had any recent successful events?

PH: Yes, cinevents has created a new monthly event of movie trivia. It has been very successful so far and we are looking forward to holiday movie trivia this upcoming month and watching this new program grow. We are also very proud of our past two signature weeks, Welcome Week and Halloweek.

KM: Describe the various committees under CAB. PH: We have 10 committees on the executive board which are as follows: Cinevents, Comedy, Concert, Cultural Affairs, General Board, Publicity, Rodrigues’ Coffee House, Speaker Series, Special Events and Weekend Activities Committee. Each committee carries out different programs throughout the school year and works together in conjunction during our signature weeks.

KM: What other Fordham organizations do you have strong relationships with?

PH: We believe that we hold strong relationships with all clubs on campus. We love to collaborate to create new events and also promote clubs by re-sharing their social media posts. We are always looking to expand our network and create stronger relationships on

campus.

KM: What is the best thing about being CAB president?

PH: My favorite part of being CAB president is watching the community around me grow and flourish and passing down knowledge of event planning to underclassmen. Being able to watch those individuals take that knowledge and use it to put on events for the Fordham community is such an incredible feeling. I am so lucky to have an amazing and dedicated board who are each other’s biggest supporters which makes being president even more fulfilling.

KM: What are some ways to get students excited about campus activities?

PH: The best way to stay informed about CAB events is to follow us on social media (Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook - @Fordham_cab). We put on these events for the whole Fordham community and therefore want to reach as many people as possible.

KM: What has been your favorite thing that CAB has put on?

PH: This year I am very proud of our Welcome Week events which showed tremendous growth compared to previous years. Our attendance numbers were very high and we are so happy to have been able to start the semester off strong.

KM: What advice do you have for students who may want to get involved?

PH: My biggest piece of advice is to attend the club fair at the beginning of the fall and spring semesters and to sign up for any clubs that may interest you. If you’re not sure how to get in contact with these clubs, OrgSync is a great resource. Also, make sure to read the weekly “What’s Going On” emails and attend programs in your free time to meet people and get connected.

Spread designed by Pia Fischetti.

This interview was edited for space and clarity by Hannah Gonzalez.

COURTESY OF THE SATIN DOLLS AND THE RAM ARCHIVES

COURTESY OF THE RAM ARCHIVES

Campus Activities Board (CAB) invites students to become involved at the club fair every semester (top). CAB plans events like the Spring Weekend concert for the student body (bottom).

November 13, 2019

FORDHAM LOOKS FORWARD

Page 13

COURTESY OF THE RAM ARCHIVES

CAB is responsible for organizing the annual Spring Weekend festivities. Spring Weekend events, clockwise from top left: speaker Ellie Kemper, concert, carnival, comedians Mikey Day and Alex Moffat.

COURTESY OF CAMPUS ACTIVITIES BOARD

CAB is the primary programming body on Fordham’s Rose Hill campus, and their various programs range from bingo nights to golf cart ghost tours to movie screenings and beyond.

CULTURE

Page 14

November 13, 2019

Iann Dior Firmly Plants Himself in Music Industry

By ALEXANDRA LANGE CONTRIBUTING WRITER

COURTESY OFTWITTER

Iann Dior, accused of being an “industry plant,” is one of hip-hop’s rising stars.

After amassing over four million SoundCloud streams in his first month as an artist, fans were quick to label Iann Dior as an “industry plant.”

The 20-year-old Texas rapper started working with the powerhouse production collective Internet Money in early 2019 and began dropping tracks weekly, all produced by multi-platinum producer Nick Mira. Just a few months after his debut, he signed a record deal with 10K Projects, the same label that signed popular rappers Trippie Redd and 6ix9ine. This sparked debate over whether or not Iann was genuine, as he seemingly came out of nowhere and gained a strong fanbase.

Whether or not there is weight to this argument, Iann used the discussion to his advantage and decided to name his debut album “Industry Plant.” He takes the conversation about how he rose to stardom and puts the focus entirely on his music.

The album name is also a genius marketing move by Internet Money and 10K Projects, as searches for “Iann Dior industry plant” will yield Iann’s album.

While Iann’s first EP, “Nothing’s Ever Good Enough,” was heavily rapfocused, “Industry Plant” incorporates multiple genres, proving Iann’s stylistic depth and growth as an artist.

The influence of ’90s and early 2000s rock is evident throughout the project in the melodic, guitar-centric production of nearly every song.

Tracks like “Lately” and “Prob-

lems” feature upbeat pop guitar riffs accompanied by groovy synths, giving listeners an opportunity to dance along to the melodic rhythm. This ’90s dance groove is especially evident on “Needed” which includes a latin-inspired production complete with a dark Spanish guitar instrumental, snaps and claps.

In contrast to these upbeat dance songs, “Searching” and “Stay for a While” incorporate elements of indie-pop. Taking inspiration from Post Malone, “Stay for a While” offers the most intimate look at Iann’s voice, showcasing raw emotion over a stripped-down melancholic guitar instrumental. The strength of Iann’s voice as a singer, rather than a rapper, is displayed on this track and is a testament to the Puerto Rican’s transcendence of genre.

Along with these ’90s pop influences, “Industry Plant” is also strongly inspired by ’90s classic rock. The opening track “Darkside” includes an intense guitar riff complemented by live drums by blink-182 drummer Travis Barker. Taking after ’90s punkrock, “Urself” incorporates the snare used in Nine Inch Nails’ “Closer” and includes a feature from another Internet Money artist, POORSTACY. Iann also pays tribute to the early 2000s on “In Too Deep” in which he interpolates rock band Sum 41’s 2001 song of the same name.

Although much of the album is pop-focused, “Industry Plant” includes more emo-rap style songs such as “WYA,” which features a more-typical trap style 808. “Strings,”

the project’s hip-hop banger, features Gunna who gives the song a strong hard-trap vibe and the newcomer’s debut album a veteran touch. An established artist is also added on the sad boy anthem “Gone Girl” with Trippie Redd’s feature.

In classic “sad boy” fashion, Iann’s lyrics center around his deepest thoughts and raw emotions. Emo bangers “Never Is Enough” and “Flowers” show off Iann’s ability to combine genres, characterized by their ’90s guitar riffs, trap production and melancholic lyrics. Singing “I hate to see you cry, I should’ve brought you flowers/ Now I’m alone, I should’ve stayed another hour,” Iann expresses his feelings of regret on “Flowers” and describes his unhealthy coping methods on “Never Is Enough,” revealing “Blunt smoke in my lungs, I get f---d up.” These same emotional lyrics are showcased throughout “Industry Plant” from his self-reflection “Too much emotion/ I’m feelin’ hopeless” on “Problems” to “I got issues, can’t trust nobody” on “Lately.”

With cover art that symbolizes the music industry’s attempts at boxing artists in and telling them who they should be, “Industry Plant” is Iann Dior’s attempt to embrace his criticism and accept what others say about him.

His unique flow, ability to transcend genres and write intimate lyrics make Iann Dior one of hip-hop’s hottest young stars. It doesn’t matter whether or not Iann is an “industry plant” — his music is unlike anyone else’s in the rap industry and its quality should be the center of discussion.

Doja Cat Claims Crown as Princess of Rap

By TAYLOR MASCETTA CONTRIBUTING WRITER

This has been the year of female rap.

Women dominated the rap scene, storming up the hip hop charts and going viral for their dynamic and often humorous lyrics. Lizzo electrified the charts with hits like “Truth Hurts” and “Good as Hell.” Megan Thee Stallion declared summer 2019 as “Hot Girl Summer.” City Girls motivated listeners to “Act Up” with their powerful tunes. Despite her apparent retirement, Nicki Minaj remains the queen of rap, while Cardi B is gearing up to release her highly anticipated follow-up album.

Among this milieu is Doja Cat, a former SoundCloud singer who rapidly rose to fame with the release of her first album, “Amala,” in 2018.

The Los Angeles-based songstress, real name Amala Zandile Dlamini, grew popular from hilarious tracks like “MOOO!” and the powerful “Tia Tamera” with Rico Nasty (another star female rapper).

Her rising fame, however, came to a sudden halt midway through the year when old tweets containing anti-gay slurs were uncovered. She defended the tweets, claiming she said the words hundreds of times but still, on the whole, supported the community. Her comments, and a later apology, did not help her case — instead, she was deemed “canceled.”

A year later, however, Doja Cat evolves. After learning from her mis-

takes and sobering up from a marijuana addiction, Doja Cat reemerges with her sophomore effort, “Hot Pink.” The album initiates her longawaited comeback, and she is not messing around.

The candy-coated album seamlessly combines sultry, sugary lyrics with hints of R&B, hiphop and her signature pop style. Inspired

by African melodies, the album feels

COURTESY OF FACEBOOK

Pictured: Doja Cat.

like a mixture of “Amala” and Doja Cat’s newfound creative juices.

“I think I started with R&B and then things just

progressively got more pop ’cause I like to experiment a lot, too,” she said in an interview with iHeartRadio.

“And I like fun music, like happy music that just feels upbeat, so I kind of went more towards that.”

“Hot Pink” in one word: empowerment. The album is comprised of four distinctive parts which demonstrate Doja Cat’s many definitions of dominion and self-love.

It begins with “Cyber Sex,” a sexual tune incorporating unique synth beats. The track expresses her extreme thirst and sexual tension, establishing Doja Cat’s aggressive persona. “Won’t Bite,” featuring fellow poprapper Smino, further empowers her. “I’m 5’3, but I’ll make that b—h 4’2,” she says, signaling just how “in charge” she is here.

Notable single “Rules” continues Doja Cat’s assertion of power while also empowering her listeners.

It’s a warning to players everywhere: don’t play with her emotions, or

else.

Her message shifts with “Bottom B—h,” which samples blink-182’s “What’s My Age Again?” While many female rappers have historically tended to tear their gender counterparts down, Doja Cat instead props other ladies up here.

The song simultaneously gushes about her friend’s power while defending her from unwanted male attention. She lifts listeners up, letting them know she has their back.

Following “Bottom B—h,” the album becomes emotional and amorous as Doja Cat explains the power of her relationships.

“Say So, Like That” and “Talk Dirty” flaunt an alluring, tempting tone as she coaxes men to come to her and allocate the attention she knows she deserves.

Vibes change, however, on “Streets.” The quieter song, notably slower than the others, reveals Doja Cat’s sensitive side.

The R&B-influenced lyrics, including “I can’t sleep no more/ In my head, we belong/ And I can’t be without you/ Why can’t I find no one like you?” provide a sense of longing that isn’t seen in the other tracks.

“Hot Pink” acts as a thirst-trap and a love letter to both Doja Cat and her listeners. She knows she’s all that, and wants her listeners to know that they are, too.

Doja Cat is no longer just the girl who sang “MOOO!” This new record proves she is a force to be reckoned with in the rap world.

CULTURE

November 13, 2019

Page 15

Botanical Garden’s “Kiku: Spotlight on Tradition” Curls of Chrysanthemum Show Japanese Culture

By SARA TSUGRANIS CONTRIBUTING WRITER

The New York Botanical Garden’s (NYBG) annual “Kiku” exhibit returns in 2019 with “Kiku: Spotlight on Tradition,” and it is as spectacular as ever.

A plaque introducing the exhibit explains the significance of kiku, which translates from Japanese to “chrysanthemum.” The plaque further explains how kiku stole the heart of the Japanese emperor when the flower first arrived in Japan in the fourth century. The emperor adopted the delicate plant as his crest, and it remains the emblem of the Imperial Family today.

“Kiku” presents a myriad of chrysanthemums. According to the NYBG, “horticulturalists spend 11 months each year using traditional Japanese techniques to nurture and train kiku into both modern and ancient styles.” The exhibit celebrates Japanese tradition and showcases vibrant colors for the last time before winter.

“It explores a lot of the art form that exists when it comes to growing flowers in different parts of the world,” said Michael Battersby, a NYBG staff member.

The intricacies of growing the flowers are seen immediately in the spider chrysanthemums, which line the corridor. They stand supported by wire stilts and look like pom poms with curls at their ends.

Numerous other NYBG staff explained kiku as “an homage to royalty.” Throughout the exhibit, visitors can read about the origin of

its majesty, such as in this note: “In 1878 the Japanese Emperor hosted an exclusive party to view chrysanthemums in his gardens. By the 1920s this had become an annual public event at Tokyo’s Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden.”

The kiku give off a powerful aura. Towering structures, as well as small, delicate arrangements entrance viewers.

Upon entering the main room of the Nolen Glasshouse, the centerpiece, titled “Snow-Capped Mountain,” captures your eye. Maroon kiku form the base and white kiku top what indeed looks like a mountain.

A plaque speaking for the NYBG horticulturalists explains the process behind making the mountain.

“We adapted the kengai style to create each point of the star that forms the mountain’s base. A potted white-flowering kiku plant is the finishing touch,” it says. Kengai is the style in which a kiku is grown from a single pot, then slowly shaped to create a cascading effect.

Other structures include “edo,” where chrysanthemum petals twist in different directions as the blooms age. This design creates a kiku that looks full, like a lotus.

Other kiku are placed over a rock or on thin trunks resembling bonsai trees. Kiku hang from the ceiling like garlands and, at the end of another hallway, some form a windmill shape. The rooms are filled with kiku top to bottom, affecting a wondrous aura. It is unbelievable that such different structures are all chrysanthemums.

The exhibit is also interactive.

Different plaques prompt visitors to call different phone numbers to learn more. One plaque asks, “Why do Chrysanthemums need darkness in order to bloom?”

I called and learned kiku are “short day plants,” meaning they grow in the fall when the days are short and darkness prevails.

The “Kiku” team begins creating a false fall in July by covering the plants in cloth in the afternoon, then uncovering them in the morning. With this method, kiku bloom

by October rather than November.

“We’re tricking the plants into thinking the days are shorter than they actually are,” said James Harkin, the foreman of the Nolen Glasshouses, in a pre-programmed message over the phone.

Many visitors come to the NYBG specifically to see the kiku.

Amy Moffatt is a frequent NYBG visitor who makes sure to come when kiku are on display.

“I thought it was beautiful,” she said. “I like the fact that it’s a Japanese tradition and they do it every year in Japan.”

Through adopting this tradition, the NYBG has brought Japanese culture to America in an exciting and inspiring way.

“Kiku” is a wondrous exhibit, not only displaying centuries of culture via nature and handicraft, but also the magic of humans interacting with wildlife to create something wholly beautiful.

Be sure to see “Kiku: Spotlight on Tradition” before it closes on Nov. 18, 2019.

COURTESY OF SARA TSUGRANIS FOR THE RAM

Visit the exhibit before Nov. 18.

CULTURE

Page 16

November 13, 2019

Los Tacos No. 1 Warrants Trip to Times Square

By CHRIS CAPUANO COLUMNIST

The Receipt 1x Adobada Taco: $3.75 1x Carne Asada Taco: $3.95 1x Horchata: $3.75 Total (with Tax): $12.45 The Review Many Fordham students say that New York City is one of the primary reasons they came to this university. Ironically, many of these same people dislike Times Square.

Of course, this is purely anecdotal.

But in my anecdotal experience, there does seem to be a lot of Times Square dislike among Fordham students, and New York City residents in general.

Maybe it’s the tourists. Maybe it’s the barrage of billboards and signage. Maybe it’s being harassed for a photo by two 35-year-olds in Dora and Elmo costumes. Who’s to say?

Luckily for these Times Square detractors, Los Tacos No. 1 has three (and soon to be four) locations. So, they can avoid Times Square (where one of its locations is) like the plague and still enjoy what just might be the best tacos New York City has to offer. Los Tacos began when three friends from Mexico and southern California de-

CHRIS CAPUANO FOR THE FORDHAM RAM

Los Tacos No.1 has three locations in New York City, including one in Times Square.

cided to bring traditional Mexican tacos to the East Coast.

Since opening its initial location in Chelsea Market in 2013, Los Tacos has exploded in popularity, expanding to its Times Square location in 2017 and opening up shop in Tribeca over the summer. A fourth location near Grand Central should be coming soon (the restaurant’s website says it will open in fall 2019).

For this review, I visited the Times Square location because (a) I’m lazy, and Times Square is closer to Rose Hill than Chelsea Market or Tribeca, (b) the Times Square location has high-tops to stand and eat at (seating can be hard to come by in Chelsea Market), and (c) I really wanted that photo with Elmo. My friend and I approached the restaurant and got in the rather fast-paced line, stomachs ready.

When you reach the cashier, you order your food and get a ticket, which you then hand to the workers behind the counter who whip up tacos at miraculous speeds. As the wall of the Times Square location will tell you, it’s no ticket, no taco —so don’t lose it on your five foot journey to the counter.

All three locations of Los Tacos have the same menu, featuring four types of tacos: carne asada (steak), pollo asado (chicken), adobada (pork) and nepal (grilled cactus).

Each is worth trying in its own right, but the adobada steals the show, which is easy to believe when you see (and smell) the marinated pork being spit-roasted behind the counter.

COURTESY OF CHRIS CAPUANO

Los Tacos No. 1 offers chicken, pork, beef and grilled cactus tacos.

The tacos are served on a flour or corn tortilla (get corn for maximum authenticity) and come con todo (with everything): onions, cilantro, salsa and guacamole. The tacos are simple, filling and probably the best I’ve ever had.

At just under $4 a piece, they are probably not the cheapest option you’ll find in this column, but they might be the most delicious.

Los Tacos also serves quesadillas, which can be made with the same four fillings as the tacos. There is also the quesadilla especial, which is a fried pork quesadilla that more closely resembles an empanada.

As for beverages, the restaurant has three aguas frescas (get the horchata on your first visit, but you

can try them all when you inevitably return) and an array of Mexican sodas.

I can’t say that Los Tacos No. 1 is the best bang for your buck that I’ve written about in this column.

At $12 for two tacos and a drink, there are certainly better bargains out there. I can say, however, that it is my favorite place to eat in New York City.

The tacos are consistently amazing regardless of location, and though they may not be cheap, they won’t break the bank either.

Ultimately, I’d recommend a visit to Los Tacos to anyone and everyone. Their tacos could warrant a trip to a place far worse than Times Square.

The Fordham Ram Crossword: Is Cereal a Soup?

1. Goes with cookies 6. Main ingredient in flaky cereal 10. Cereal holder 14. Therefore 15. Sneaker brand 16. Hertz rival 17. Old French coin 18. ____ end (car crash) 19. Give temporarily 20. Fiber-rich cereal 22. Elder, abbr.

23. LA Galaxy’s league 24. Predecessor to the SNES 25. Nevel Papperman’s enemy 29. Web address ending for schools 30. “Ultralight ____” 32. Music genre for sad people 33. Bathroom safety feature 37. A screw up 39. Suncreen ingredient 40. Lubricate 42. Rent-_-___ 43. Wide receiver Terrell 45. Slender daggers

47. Approved, casually 48. “Hunger Games” antagonist from District 2 50. Lou Gehrig’s disease 51. Pony noises 53. NFL Monday game, abbr.

54. Mai ___ 57. Trauma center 58. Toucan Sam’s cereal 62. U2’s lead 64. Uncle’s wife 65. Actor Elba of “The Wire” 66. Crazy 67. Solidify 68. “John Wick” actor 69. Subway and bus system of Boston 70. Dr. Coleman in “Freaky Friday” 71. First, in Berlin ANSWERS IN ISSUE 21

Across

Down

ANSWERS TO ISSUE 19

1. Marshmallow in the lepre chaun’s cereal 2. Theater chain 3. NBA player James of the 76ers 4. Performs extremley well 5. Alt. spelling, Bill Gates’ wife’s name 6. Atkin’s diet no-nos’ 7. In the past 8. Anti-piracy org.

9. Aslan’s place 10. A crafting wood 11. Freak out over insignificant issues 12. Succeed 13. ’60s psychedelic

CREATED BY KEVIN DINEEN

21. Having to do with the brain 26. Small metric units, abbr.

27. “Party Rock Anthem” group 28. Not mine 29. Obi-wan actor 30. Sled dog of legend 31. Needle case 33. Cereal utensil 34. “Boyhood” actor Ethan 35. Compliance 36. Driving hazard 38. World series champs, abbr.

41. Botanist’s study

44. Acad.

46. Gnomish 49. Purporting it to be true 52. Marvel’s tree-like hero 53. Apple sauce distributor 54. Sacred texts 55. UK beer measurement 56. Send out 59. Be in charge of 60. John Lennon’s in-laws 61. Third-longest river in Europe 62. Deli order 63. Goes with aah

CULTURE Seven Songs That Move Me to Tears

November 13, 2019

Page 17

Editor’s Pick | Music

By DYLAN BALSAMO

ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR

I often wonder why it is that certain pieces of music will make us think of different people, places and ideas. Is it because of certain musical elements? Memories that we associate with music we heard during different times? A combination of both?

I don’t know the answer, but here are seven songs that move me to tears.

The Song That Made Me Fall in Love with Music: “I’ve Got You Under My Skin” by Frank Sinatra.

A live recording of this song from the “Sinatra at the Sands” album with the Count Basie Orchestra was on a Sinatra compilation album that my dad used to play for my siblings in

his car. I was five years old the first time I remember hearing this song, and that was the first time I felt the way only big band swing can make me feel.

Frank Sinatra was always my grandfather’s favorite singer, being the very little Italian that we are, and he became my family’s favorite. Whenever I hear this song, I’m reminded that thanks to Frank, I’ll always have my grandfather and my whole family under my skin.

The Song That Was My Childhood Lullabye: “Don’t Know Why” by Norah Jones I am the oldest of three siblings, the youngest being my sister who is four years younger than me. When she was an infant, the only thing that would put her to sleep was Norah Jones’ “Come Away With Me” album

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Frank Sinatra’s timless and upbeat music helps to bring people together.

that we would put on a CD player in her room. Being that my brother and I slept in a room just a few feet over, that album would put us to sleep too, and “Don’t Know Why” was the first song on the album.

Jones’ silky smooth voice is passionate enough to ease a young child to rest and make an adult feel every lyric. I cannot hear this song without thinking of my wonderful childhood and fighting back tears.

The Song That Makes Me Think of My Mom: “Daughters” by John Mayer.

My mom adores John Mayer. My whole family knows his “Live at the Nokia Theatre” album like the back of our hands for that reason, but this song has always been my mom’s favorite. She’s the child of divorce, so the fact that the lyrics are centered around a daughter really resonate with her.

Over this past summer, we had a big party in our backyard to celebrate my brother graduating high school, and for a moment during that afternoon, I looked around at how much our family had grown up and how much things had changed and I felt a little depressed. But then I heard “Daughters,” a song that has played at every party our house has ever had, and I was put at ease. We will always still be us. Everything is just fine.

The Song About Love: “If I Ain’t Got You” by Alicia Keys Musically, what is so beautiful about this song is that it is incredibly timeless. It sounded perfectly fit for Alicia Keys to sing it, and if it had shown up on an Ella Fitzgerald record a half of a century or so ago, it would not have seemed out of place there either. If there even is such a thing as a perfect love song, this might be it.

Keys apparently penned this song based on the emotions she was feel-

ing after the Sept. 11 attacks, and she puts into just two verses and a chorus something that love songs have been trying to do since we started making music.

The Song That Connects Me: “You Can’t Stop the Beat” from Hairspray As a chubby Irish kid from suburban New Jersey, it’s quite odd to think about how much I love the music of Motown and the ’60s — but I do. And when my whole family went to see the 2007 film version of Hairspray at a big cinema down the Jersey Shore, I was entranced. I was seven years old, sitting next to grandmother, who had always dreamed of being a showgirl herself. We both adored the upbeat music and positive message of the whole show.

She passed away when I was a freshman in high school, but about a year and a half later, when I was in my high school’s stage production of “Hairspray” as the mother, Edna Turnblad, I felt closer to my grandmother than I ever had before.

People said that even in my wig and all of my makeup, I looked just like her. She may not be with us in this world any longer, but we are always connected, and the beat will never stop between us.

The Song About Hope: “What a Wonderful World” by Louis Armstrong Everybody knows this classic, most famously done by Satchmo, as a happy little tune, but if you take the music out, it actually sounds quite sad, with a descending baseline and a handful of minor chords. But that’s exactly the point. The world we live in can be horrifically sad and full of disappointment, whether it be from natural disasters, like hurricanes, or human horrors, like racism. But that is in direct contrast with the lyrics of

admiration for the world sung by Louis Armstrong, a man and voice so closely associated with positivity and happiness even after suffering atrocities as a black entertainer in early 20th-century America.

All of the musical phrases with minor chords eventually resolve to a nostalgic F major, as if to say that despite all of the horrific things in our mundane and imperfect world, it is somehow beautiful and even divine.

The Song About Joy: “September” by Earth, Wind & Fire I can tell you exactly where and when I first heard the music of Earth, Wind & Fire, but I could never describe to you how I felt, the way my soul sang along. I will tell people that “September” is my favorite song, and when they say “Oh, me too,” I want to say, “No, you don’t understand.”

It’s the soundtrack of my very being, and it’s the reason I took up playing horn instruments in high school band. Being in high school band helped form the friend group that I still have today. I would not be the same person without this song.

What makes this song so special is that does more than make you want to dance. Both the verses and chorus are in A major but not without hints of F# minor, as if to say that the joy the song makes you feel, or any joy in life for that matter, cannot be felt without acknowledgement of what is wrong in the world. Joy is positivity in light of negativity. “September” is a philosophy in the form of one of the catchiest songs ever written. It will hopefully be played long after I’m gone.

So, these are just seven of many songs that move me to tears. Perhaps this will inspire you to think about the music that you love and understand why it moves you in the way that it does.

Who’s That Kid? | It’s Andrew Parsons, FCRH ’21!

Junior Takes Medical Passions to St. Barnabas

By JULIA COMERFORD PHOTO EDITOR

This past summer, while most Juniors in college were sleeping in Andrew Parsons, FCRH ’21 was up before the sun at Saint Barnabas Hospital helping change the lives of its neurosurgery patients. Over the summer, Parsons was hired as a student intern on the team of the head neurosurgeon a Saint Barnabas, Dr. Ralph Rahme, M.D. As Rahme’s first undergraduate student intern, Parsons was eager to gain experience in the world of neurosurgery, help change lives and conduct research.

“I wanted to be a doctor for a long time,” Parsons remarked, “It’s really rewarding to see long term patients get better and improve neurologically especially because neurosurgical patients have very serious issues.”

One patient that left a mark on Parsons was a boy in a coma when Parsons first arrived on the job. By the end of the summer, the boy awoke from the coma and coherent was again. Parsons scrubbed into every surgery with 2–6 operations per week all summer including emergency surgeries.

“We got there at 7a.m. and did not

leave until all the work was done,” Parsons recalled. As a shadowing intern, Parsons made rounds to all the neurosurgical patients at Saint Barnabas with Rahme, checking in on them every day and making sure they were doing okay.

During his time at Saint Barnabas thus far, Parsons has witnessed some fascinating medical phenomenons.

One case that stood out for him was a man that was shot in the head and survived two surgeries because the bullet migrated naturally to the back of his head. In a month the man was able to move around and talk.

Parsons remembers another case where a man was stabbed in the back of neck with an ice pick and walked out of the hospital the next day. The ice pick went into his vertebrae but missed both his vertebral artery and his spinal column, so he was perfectly fine other than the ice pick sticking out of his neck.

“I was there the whole time, from when he was admitted and all of his procedures to when he was let out,” Parsons said, “His only complaint the entire time was that he was thirsty.”

Rahme made sure to keep Parsons as involved as possible and give him as many opportunities as he could,

including the opportunity to do research under him. In addition to his research on the case with the ice pick stabbing, Parsons also conducted a long term retrospective study on dialysis disequilibrium syndrome under Rahme.

He recently submitted his research to the American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS) and is waiting to see if it gets accepted. If Parsons’ research were to be accepted, he would be invited up to Boston to present his research to the AANS. Parsons has continued his work at Saint Barnabas since the beginning of the school year, interning two days a week in addition to his pre-health classes at Fordham. He said he trusts that the Fordham pre-health program will help achieve his goal of getting into a medical school in New York City, especially because, as a freshman, he learned that the pre-health graduates of FCRH ‘17 had a high acceptance rate into medical schools.

His passion for studying to become a doctor comes from his fascination with the medical field itself.

“I find it really fascinating, medicine in general, especially surgery.

Watching a brain surgery, there’s nothing like it. The ways we can use

technology and modern medicine to physically change things in the human anatomy and to help people get better is so cool and interesting to me.”

Parsons said he will continue his

work at Saint Barnabas learning everything that he can from Rhame in the hopes of going to medical school and becoming a doctor looking to better the lives of neurosurgical patients and beyond.

COURTESY OF ANDREW PARSONS

Andrew Parsons, FCRH ‘21 interns at St Barnabas Hospital.

CULTURE

Page 18

November 13, 2019

Battling Grief With Compassion

It is cliché, but it is true — a single act of kindness can go a long way.

In today’s world, kindness is more important than ever. Personally, I have recently been reminded just how heartbreaking, and short, life can be. To honor this, I want to explore the goodness in the world and why it matters so much.

In the wake of a tragedy, there is often a wave of selfless acts of kindness.

After the terrorist attacks on Sept.

11, 2001, the devastation seemed endless. But amid the heartbreak, stories of generosity and courage quickly emerged. Survivors recalled heroes, both first responders and brave strangers, who went back into the collapsing towers to help others escape. As then President George W. Bush recalled, “One of the worst days in America’s history saw some of the bravest acts in Americans’ history.”

Often, an act of kindness means something as simple as holding the elevator for someone, but it can also be a mindset that we apply to our day to day lives. By performing these acts for each other, we prove day after day that there is someone out there who is there for you.

Knowing that there is someone there who is willing to help you, even in the smallest of ways, proves that we

are not alone in our struggles. Loss and suffering are essential parts of the human experience, but we cannot handle them on our own.

Compassion is widely regarded as a means of coping with traumatic events. In a physical sense, acts of kindness release dopamine and serotonin, which can reduce pain and increase feelings of energy and self-worth. Helping others has been linked to a reduced risk of depression and lower stress levels.

However, compassion must be directed internally as much as it is externally in the face of negative events.

Blaming yourself for something will only make it harder to recover from it. Self-compassion is a cornerstone in coping with trauma.

Self-compassion has three primary elements: self-kindness, common humanity and mindfulness. Common humanity as a foundation is imperative to bringing the mindset of kindness to a larger scale. According to a self-compassion scale developed by Kristin Neff, Ph.D., a psychologist and student of Buddhist mediation, “common humanity recognizes the shared nature of suffering when difficult situations arise, rather than feeling desperately alone.”

Common humanity is behind al-

most all of our typical responses to life’s difficulties, whether that is reaching out to someone who is struggling, bringing a home-cooked meal to someone who is sick or writing a sympathy card to someone who has lost a loved one. Suffering is meant to be shared. The burden should not have to lay squarely on one person’s back.

Instead, we all offer to lighten the load with small acts of kindness.

Today, many continue to remember those lost in 9/11 with acts of compassion and courage. But this is far from the first time that kindness has been used as a means to cope with heartbreak. In 1996, The Kindness Project was founded as a way for families to honor their children that passed away.

The random acts of kindness serve as a means to continue the legacy of their child while also gradually help the family members themselves heal.

Many projects have sought to improve mental health through compassion. In 2016, Subway Therapy was created by Matthew “Levee” Chavez at the 14th Street — Union Square subway station. The project consists of Post-Its arrayed on a wall at New York City subway platforms that share messages of love, hope, perseverance and kindness.

Initially developed as a way to spread positivity amid the polarized climate of the 2016 presidential election, the project grew into something much larger. The project has allowed strangers to share deep secrets, to find hope for the future and to learn that they are not alone. As one note wrote, “May love find its way to those who read this.”

According to its creator, “Subway

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Small acts of compassion can have a greater impact than one may think.

Therapy is about making people smile, laugh and feel less stress.” Little moments like these prove that we are not alone and provide us with a shield against life’s biggest challenges. Referring to the project as “therapy” is not entirely inaccurate, as the project is connected to a key idea in mental health: Healing requires company.

Mental health can be vastly improved by kindness — especially when one is struggling with a mental illness.

The stigma surrounding these illnesses can often make those struggling feel far worse, as they may feel isolated and alone. In order to break this stigma, we must view mental illness from a place of compassion, understanding and empathy.

Kindness is a small decision that makes life bearable, as it allows us to get through the struggles and losses that we encounter along the way. It is what keeps us excited and why we look forward to seeing our friends

and family. During times of tragedy and darkness, kindness becomes even more necessary.

Perhaps this is because it feels like it is all we can do to mitigate pain.

But ultimately, these acts serve as a key foundation for the recovery that comes with healing. I implore this of you: Recognize our common humanity. Check in on your friends, and make sure that those you love know how much you care. Make kindness a habit. You never know how much those you help might need it.

If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health issues, do not hesitate to contact the following resources: Fordham University Counseling and Psychological Services (RH): 718-817-3725 Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255 Crisis Text Line: Text HOME to 741741

“Irishman” Cements Scorsese’s Legacy

By MATT DILLON STAFF WRITER

“The Irishman” is the newest film by veteran director Martin Scorcese, adapted from the discredited book “I Heard You Paint Houses.” While “The Irishman” isn’t Scorcese’s best work, it emanates a unique power.

The events of “The Irishman” are presented through the narration of mob hitman Frank Sheeran (Robert De Niro). Nicknamed “The Irishman,” he ends up as the bodyguard and confidant of Jimmy Hoffa (Al Pacino). He goes from burning down laundromats for quick cash to being involved in criminal empires and their dealings with the United States government.

While the source material of “The Irishman” is questionable, the film doesn’t present itself as a historical work. For much of its running time, Frank and Hoffa’s forays into the crime-infested underworld end up as a sort of dark comedy. Every actor gives an exaggerated performance, paired with writing that emphasizes the absurd realities of their respective historical figure. The moral complexities are still maintained, as the film is quick to remind you of the grim results of their activities.

Al Pacino’s interpretation of Jimmy Hoffa as a boisterous, larger-than-life icon encapsulates this. His more admirable qualities are paired with extreme arrogance, including his co-

COURTESY OF TWITTER

Robert De Niro and Alfredo Pacino star in Martin Scorsese’s “ The Irishman” as Frank Sheeran and Jim Hoffa, respectively.

operation with criminals and corrupt politicians. As comedic as Pacino’s role is, Hoffa still serves as a tragic antihero and flawed human being.

As with the rest of the film, “The Irishman” draws more from culture than history when presenting events like Watergate, the Bay of Pigs invasion and the Kennedy Assassination.

Frank’s drawn-out narrative presents these events through the public and personal reactions to them. It’s difficult to criticize “The Irishman” for historical inaccuracy when it only cares about the emotions created by these events and figures.

“The Irishman” feels almost goofy at times, but the graphic violence keeps it in check. Scorcese takes plenty of liberties throughout the film, but the shootings and brawls

are uncharacteristically grounded.

They’re presented without fanfare as vicious affairs dominated by one side.

As with the rest of Scorcese’s work, violence is featured heavily but never glorified.

An appropriate handling of violence is just one aspect of the film’s impressive visuals. CGI is used convincingly to age down De Niro, Pacino and Joe Pesci’s characters. It’s a far cry from the rubbery young Jeff Bridges that terrorized “Tron Legacy” a decade ago.

The film also recreates the bygone America of the 1960s, though it falls short of the obsessively detailed reconstruction seen in “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” a few months earlier. Some brilliant camera work is mired by a lack of restraint, as

gimmicky decisions ruin otherwise splendid sequences.

Unfortunately, camera work isn’t the only place where “The Irishman” fails to keep itself in check. The film is three and a half hours long and much of that is padded out by meandering conversations and questionable tangents. The pacing is erratic throughout the whole movie and, at times, “The Irishman” doesn’t seem to know where it’s going.

One of the more interesting decisions in the film is a symptom of this. The film pauses when introducing certain historical figures, listing their names alongside the dates and causes of their death. It goes a long way to establish the tone and message of “The Irishman.” After a certain point, those constant inter-

ruptions remind the viewer just how much is being introduced so late into the film.

Most of the last half hour is dedicated to Frank’s final days, as his few surviving partners in crime succumb to age and disease. In most respects, it’s the strongest part of “The Irishman.” It carries a unique mix of despair and retribution, as well as the counter to the crime films that defined Scorcese’s generation of filmmakers. Despite their best intentions, their work often glorified the lifestyles of its criminal protagonists.

In “The Irishman,” even the mobsters who came out on top lose everything in the end. Unfortunately, the last act paradoxically feels like the natural conclusion to Frank’s story, while also a separate narrative in its own right. Much like the rest of “The Irishman,” that section’s strengths are what prevent it from being truly great cinema.

In somewhat of a controversy, Scorsese recently compared the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which includes “Avengers: Endgame” and “Captain Marvel,” to theme parks.

He accused them of lacking some fundamental filmic quality in their emphasis on spectacle.

Regardless of whether that’s true, you can’t say the same about his own work. “The Irishman” is lacking in many ways, but is still worth watching for the powerful experience it offers.

November 13, 2019

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Page 19

SPORTS

November 13, 2019

Football Drops to 3–7 With 24–13 Road Loss to Colgate

By DYLAN BALSAMO

ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR

The weather is getting colder.

The leaves are changing their color. You can hear the voices of Mariah Carey and Michael Bublé begin to crescendo into the final month and a half of the year.

What all of this means is that the college football regular season is almost over. As the temperature drops, the good teams will stay in the spotlight while they fight for contention in their respective conferences’ postseason race, and the bad teams will fall to the wayside.

For the Fordham Rams, the latter has become the standard practice, and with only a couple of weeks remaining, it looks like 2019 will be more of the same.

On a chilly Saturday afternoon at Colgate University’s Andy Kerr Stadium, the Rams fell to 3–7 on the year and 1–3 against Patriot League opponents, as they lost a road matchup against the Raiders 24–13. Colgate goes to 3–8, with a 2–3 record in the conference.

If it were not for the Rams’ stellar defensive performance on Saturday, the margin of defeat could have been much wider.

The Raiders had first possession of the ball following kickoff and were immediately off to the races.

They ate up a big chunk of time in the first quarter, holding onto the ball in that drive for 4:08, and in 10 plays, they marched 75 yards before Fordham bequeathed the first touchdown of the afternoon, with running back Alex Matthews rushing for a 10-yard score.

Before having the ball, the Rams were down 7-0. Unfortunately, this territory was not unfamiliar.

Luckily for the Rams, they were able to respond, albeit not with a touchdown of their own. They needed just 2:08 to go just short of 60 yards downfield, and junior kicker Andrew Mevis secured three points with a 37-yard field goal. At a score of 7–3, the Rams had kept themselves in the conversation. Midway through the second quarter, the Rams actually found themselves in the lead, as

junior running back Trey Sneed found himself in the end zone at the end of a six-yard run, capping off a quick, 1:06 scoring drive to give the Rams a 10–7 lead. That was the closest they would find themselves to victory on the day.

Before halftime, the Raiders had an answer for the Rams, and it gave them a lead they would not relinquish. With just 13 seconds left to play in the second, Colgate quarterback Nick Diaco hit his receiver Michael Kane for a fouryarder that would cap off a drive that was 80 yards in eight plays, giving them a 14-10 advantage over Fordham. That score would hold firm as both teams headed to the locker rooms for halftime.

It was not a strong first half offensively for the Rams in any sense of the word. Sophomore quarterback Tim DeMorat likes to throw the football, and he had not yet come close to recording a touchdown. On that end of the ball, the Rams were not playing to their strengths, or at least what they had seemed to display as their strengths throughout the length of a difficult season.

They would go on to do more of that in the last half hour of play.

The Rams would only have one more scoring play in the game, and it would come on the opening drive of the third. They took up a big chunk of time, 5:19 to be exact. After 12 plays, they had Mevis in position to kick another, this one for 42 yards, and he hit it. That field goal would count for Mevis’ 26th in his career as a Fordham Ram, placing him at sixth on the program’s alltime list. And he’s still a junior.

But nevertheless, the Rams still trailed Colgate by a point. It was 14–13 with 9:41 to go in the third.

The only other two scoring plays in the rest of the game belonged to the Raiders. Before the third was complete, Colgate had another five-plus minute drive, as it had a 68-yard possession that resulted in a pass to receiver Grant Breneman from Diaco for 23 yards into the end zone.

In the fourth, the Raiders sealed

the deal on Fordham, as their kicker, Chris Puzzi, nailed one from 23 yards out to end yet another five-plus minute drive and put the score at 24–13, where it stayed.

In the postgame, Fordham head coach Joe Conlin was quite blunt: “We didn’t play well enough to win,” he said. “The defense didn’t make timely stops and the running game couldn’t get going.”

Now, while the defense did not make timely stops, they certainly held their own in the game, putting out what was perhaps their best performance of the season.

The star of the day is no stranger to the spotlight, as sophomore linebacker Ryan Greenhagen had another lifetime game. He made a career-high 19 tackles, topping his previous career high of 14 against Richmond University last year. Overall, the defense made 89 total tackles, an impressive number that is usually enough to give your team a chance to win.

Mevis was another high point in the game for Fordham. Not only can he kick field goals at a record pace, but he is also an outstanding punter. He averaged 42 yards per punt against the Raiders, and his 7,983 total punting yards put him third on the all-time Fordham list.

The big issue of the day for the Rams was, like Conlin said, the running game. Fordham had just 33 total rushing yards, and, in the fourth quarter, they held the ball for just 1:49. “But we have to put this behind us and move on and get ready for Holy Cross next week,” said Conlin.

That game will be Fordham’s last chance at fighting for a .500 record in conference play in the 2019 season. The next matchup against the Crusaders will be Saturday, Nov. 16 at 1:00 p.m. at Fordham’s Jack Coffey Field. After that, the Rams have one more game, also at home.

Fordham has one last shot at keeping a season filled with excitement and promise from slipping away. And if their loss against Colgate is any sign, it just might.

COURTESY OF FORDHAM ATHLETICS

Fordham Football has one last chance for a positive record in conference when they face Holy Cross this Saturday.

Page 20

Beyond the Scoreboard: Horse Racing’s Sad Reality

By ANDREW POSADAS

ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR

It is safe to say that sports fans, whether causal or lifelong, find themselves momentarily gravitating toward horse racing during its most popular time of the season when owners, trainers and jockeys look to pursue the elusive Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing that ensues from May to June.

The Triple Crown consists of three races: the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness Stakes and the Belmont Stakes. The winning times for those three races were 2:03.93, 1:54.34 and 2:28.30, respectively.

For those six minutes or so, we are captivated by the prospect that one thoroughbred could potentially do what only 13 horses have achieved since Sir Barton won the first triple crown in 1919.

Yet, after the triple crown portion of the racing season ends, I have found myself asking the same question in the last few years: is horse racing worth preserving considering more thoroughbreds have died than have won the biggest achievement in the sport?

Earlier this month, Santa Anita racetrack, located in Southern California, saw another horse unfortunately suffer a catastrophic injury and ultimately euthanized because of it. Since last December, 37 racehorses have been euthanized at Santa Anita. Yet somehow, the track continues to be one of the busiest in the world. What is even more alarming is the fact that this year’s number of deaths pales in comparison to previous years at Santa Anita.

There were 44 deaths at Santa Anita last year and 64 in 2017.

Not to mention, the track saw 71 deaths back in 2011. According to data reported by the Courier Journal, Santa Anita’s rate of 2.04 horse deaths per 1,000 starts last year was not the highest in the country. That distinction goes to perhaps the most famous racetrack in the world: Churchill Downs, which hosts the Kentucky Derby. At Churchill Downs, 2.7 horses die per 1,000 starts.

Santa Anita and Breeders’ Cup officials have implemented new protocols to prevent deaths in competition, including having a team of five medical experts review medical records of thoroughbreds before a Saturday race.

However, no matter what new regulations become instituted, horses that race competitively will always face the risk of injury at any track in the country.

On Sunday, two more racing horses were euthanized after sustaining injuries at Del Mar Racetrack, also in California, and a third horse was taken to a hospital for possible surgery. Officials at Del Mar were still adamant that they had one of the safest tracks in the United States, but CBS San Diego reported that four other horses died there over the summer while training.

What benefit does the sport of race horsing truly have to the sports world? There is no other sport that sees the amount of deaths that this one does. Imagine if 21 National Football League players or boxers died in a span of three months as racehorses did at Santa Anita. There would be a national outcry to eliminate either sport if that were the case. But, simply because they are animals, the sympathy is not enough for race officials to seriously consider shutting down the sport.

Many may argue that as long as the sport continues generating money and popularity, the deaths will ultimately be labeled as inconsequential in the grand scheme of things.

However, Santa Anita gate attendant Joseph Giordano admitted the track is not as full as it used to be. He recalls seeing as many as 60,000 people at the track on Saturday’s at its peak. Now, the attendance is down to about 10,000, although he attributes that to people who prefer betting online.

I hardly believe those people are betting on horse races online. The truth is that gambling has moved past horse racing. If it is not one of the Triple Crown races, there really is no interest in betting on horse racing on a given weekend. Most people prefer engaging in fantasy football or basketball. Frankly, it seems the older demographic are the people who want to keep the sport alive due to the nostalgia provided by the Triple Crown.

For now, races will continue happening at tracks throughout the year. Owners and trainers will continue facing the risk of losing their thoroughbreds at any given race. However, it will not bother them in the long run, because their stables are filled with horses ready to step into the gate, whether the horse wants to or not.

In the words of music artists Lil Nas X and Billy Ray Cyrus, those in charge of breeding these horses are going to ride them ’til they cannot anymore.

COURTESY OF FLICKR

Recent horse deaths have done little to perturb the sport of horse racing.

SPORTS

November 13, 2019

Swimming and Diving Split on the Road at Georgetown

Page 21

Another Oustanding Week for Water Polo

By JACK ROCHE

By SABRINA BOYD

The Fordham swimming and diving team kicked off this weekend with their third straight meet on the road, with up and down results for the two squads. The women’s team stayed perfect, 4–0, handing the Hoyas their second straight loss with a 159–141 victory. The men’s team couldn’t kick its three-game skid, falling to Georgetown 219–79, putting them at 1–3 on the year.

Sophomore Spencer Clarke from Aptos, California remained hopeful ahead of their toughest trial of the season.

“Going into Georgetown, we definitely know that they’re going to be a challenge and they’ll be coming at full force. I think we’re going to take the momentum that we had at Marist and BU and hopefully improve on what we can fix.”

When asked specifically what the team needed to improve on, Clarke responded with confidence in his squad. “As a team, our energy is there, our camaraderie is there.”

The women’s team edged out Georgetown in their first program faceoff. While it was their closest matchup of the season, the women claimed 10 of the 16 events behind stellar performances from seniors Paulina Watson and Michelle Martin, the junior from Monterey Park, California. Watson touched first in the 100 (58.72) and 200 (2:05.60) backstroke events, while Martin had the top time in the 50 freestyle (23.86, a season-best) and the 100 butterfly (56.43).

It was a stellar week for Fordham Water Polo as it increased its winning streak to six games. Their last loss occurred against Navy on Oct. 19. Fordham secured three MAWPC East wins against George Washington, Navy and Johns Hopkins. Also, the Rams triumphed over Iona College to earn their fifth Judge Cup, taking a 5–3 lead in the series between the two rivals. Overall, the Rams now have a record of 21–5.

Fordham took on the Iona Gaels at home on Wednesday, putting on a strong offensive performance. The Rams took a dominant lead early on, leading 6–1 by the end of the first quarter. Senior Jake Miller-Tolt scored four goals within the first eight minutes, with junior Sam Wheeler and freshman Sebastian Zapatero netting the other two. Fordham retained the lead throughout the entire game, with the Gaels only coming within three near the end of the third quarter. The final score was 11–8 in favor of the Rams, and the team was able to pose proudly with another Judge Cup. Fordham took their winning momentum on the road over the weekend. On Saturday, the Rams faced off against George Washington for their first game of the day. In this thrilling matchup, Fordham retained a 7–3 lead by halftime, and continued to remain in control by the third quarter. In the fourth, the Colonials staged a comeback and took a 13–12 lead with less than two minutes to play. But senior Joseph Agabs kept the Rams in the contest with a tying goal, and senior Oscar Nomura scored the game-winner on a man-up opportunity with 56 seconds left

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

ALEX WOLZ/THE FORDHAM RAM

Fordham Swimming and Diving had its third straight road meet this weekend.

Martin continued to stuff the stat sheet on Saturday, playing a key role in both relay wins. In the 200 medley relay, Martin, freshman Alison Lin, sophomore Kiara Norris and senior Theresa Mullen took first in 1:48.19. The 400 freestyle relay team of Martin, junior Caitlin McNary, freshman Clare Culver and Mullen finished on top in 3:31.19.

The men dropped their third straight meet in D.C., with junior Patrick Wilson being the lone event winner for the Rams. He finished ahead of the pack in the 200 breaststroke, with a season-best time of 2:07.02. He also added another season-best time in the 100 breaststroke, finishing second in 57.63 seconds.

Wilson also propelled both relays to second place finishes. In the 200 medley relay, Spencer Clarke, Wilson, senior Casey Sawyer and junior Bryce Bollesen posted a time

of 1:35.57. The 400 freestyle relay, consisting of sophomore Josh Stegen, senior Kevin Berry, Wilson and Bollesen, clocked in at 3:12.80.

Stegen had a strong outing individually as well, touching second in the 200 freestyle in 1:43.17 in addition to a third place finish in the 100 freestyle (48.63). Senior Christopher Sleutjes also posted a second place finish in the 1000 freestyle (9:57.13).

The men’s team will look to regain its footing in their next two meets ahead of the annual Bucknell Invitational in Lewisburg, Pa. Looking ahead, Fordham travels north as they visit the Fairfield Stags for their fourth consecutive road meet on Wednesday November 13th at 5:00 p.m. The women will look to stay perfect not only on the season, but in program history against Fairfield, with nine straight victories since their first matchup.

Volleyball Splits Home Weekend

By GIGI SPEER

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

The Fordham Volleyball team lost to A-10-leading Virginia Commonwealth University on Friday and beat Davidson the next day to split the weekend. The Rams remain two spots out of the playoffs, behind Duquesne and Davidson, who were both beaten by the Rams this season. Interestingly, Fordham’s overall win percentage is higher than both teams, having done better in preseason and non-conference games.

With playoffs still in their grasp, seniors Elise Benjamin, Olivia Fairchild, Kaitlin Morley, Michelle Rodriguez and Morgan Williams were all honored before the match and continued to show their leadership and skill throughout the day.

Benjamin finished with six kills and blocks, Fairchild added five kills and four blocks, Morley had 11 kills and Williams had 37 digs.

The match went to five sets, and the Rams took the fifth with an explosive and nail-biting 15–13 victory.

After an easy victory for the Rams in the first set and a quick loss for them in the second, the hosts surged through the third set, not trailing once. Capitalizing on Wildcat errors and adding in kills and aces of their own, the squad propelled into the fourth set, where they took the first point and went back and forth with the Wildcats, resulting in a 25–23 loss.

In the fifth and final set, the

in the game. Jake Miller-Tolt led the team with four goals, while senior Tristen Knoflick was close behind with three. The end result was a 14–13 Rams victory.

In their second matchup against Navy, Fordham played tightly throughout the first half, with the score tied at five by halftime. In the second half of the match the Rams offense surged, outscoring Navy 6–1. Jake Milller-Tolt once again had four goals, while junior Phillip Wang notched three.

Sophomore goalkeeper Bailey O’Mara was a wall in net, racking up 18 saves, three steals and two penalty blocks. The game resulted in an 11–6 win for Fordham.

The Rams ended their weekend on a high note with a solid victory against Johns Hopkins on Sunday. The teams played evenly through the first half, with Fordham holding onto a slim 6–5 lead by halftime. In the third quarter, the game remained close, staying a one score difference going into the fourth. Fordham’s defense kept Johns Hopkins on lockdown, preventing them from scoring in the final eight minutes.

Sophomore Dimitris Koukias was a force on offense, scoring five goals and adding on three steals. The superstar of the game was Bailey O’Mara, who tallied a career-high 21 saves in the game.

O’Mara became just the third-ever Fordham goalie to have more than 20 saves in a single game, the last being Noah LeBeau in 2012.

The score was 11–8 in favor of the Rams by the final whistle.

As the season nears a close, these four wins were great accomplishments for this formidable team. The Rams are back at home on Saturday, Nov. 16.

They take on conference rivals Bucknell and La Salle in a double-header. The Bucknell game begins at 2:00 p.m.

ALEX WOLZ/THE FORDHAM RAM

Fordham Volleyball honored five seniors (above) before Saturday’s game.

guests took the first point and went ahead on a 7–3 run. A kill by junior outside hitter McKenna Lahr changed the tide for the Rams, as sophomore outside hitter Joey Landeros and freshman middle blocker Aria De La Rosa added in kills of their own.

The squad then went on an 8–1 run to keep the Wildcats to 13 as they lost their composure for the final points and the Ram capital-

ized to win the match.

Lahr’s 15 kills, two aces and a block led the way offensively for the Rams, and De La Rosa’s 13 kills were a personal best as she chipped in four blocks.

The fate of the Rams’ season will be determined as they head to the Capitol to face George Washington at 7 p.m on Friday night. With a win and a loss by other top-six teams, Fordham could see its first

JULIA COMERFORD/THE FORDHAM RAM

Fordham Water Polo continues to have success as the season winds down.

November 13, 2019

Squash Starts Slow, Ends Strong at Navy

By JIMMY SULLIVAN SPORTS EDITOR

Fordham Squash looked to replicate its success from this past weekend at the Navy Round Robin held in Annapolis, Md. The team saw mixed results.

The weekend did not start overly well for Fordham. The Rams were swept 8–0 by Navy in the first match on Friday. Navy didn’t even concede a set to the Rams, as the Midshipmen took every individual match in three sets.

Fordham didn’t fare much better in the first match on Saturday afternoon. Fordham’s second match against Haverford went very similar to its first against Navy, as junior Justin Deckoff was the only Ram to win his individual match. At a quick 0–2 on the weekend, head coach Sahel Anwar’s team needed to respond to salvage what had been, to that point, an unsuccessful weekend.

Fordham, as it has each of the past three years, did just that.

It started with a 9–0 sweep of Boston University to get Fordham on the board with its first win of the weekend. Fordham was able to win its first eight individual matches in straight sets and took the ninth by default since there was no Boston player to participate in it. In the final match on Saturday, Fordham looked like it was going to get a tough test from Lehigh; the Mountain Hawks’ Max Fern and P.J. Walsh defeated Fordham sophomores Patrick Rodden and Jack Reed,

respectively. With the match tied at two, Fordham climbed into second gear as junior Tommy White, freshman Jacob Bennett, Deckoff, sophomore Dylan Panichello and freshman Caleb Schumacher all won their individual matches. Four of those five Fordham players won in straight sets. In a match like this, Fordham’s depth and overall talent shined, especially in the second half of the lineup.

In the span of a couple of hours, Fordham went from struggling to thriving. On Sunday, the Rams looked to go above .500 and finish off the weekend with a win over Georgetown.

Sunday’s match got off to an inauspicious start, as senior William Douglass fell to Georgetown’s Brando Sodi in three sets, putting Fordham in an early hole. After that, though, the Rams ripped off seven straight wins, highlighted by Bennett’s come-from-behind victory over Georgetown’s Max Sodi in five sets. Bennett lost the first two sets before winning the next three to preserve Fordham’s momentum.

His win and Fordham’s others were plenty for the Rams to escape the Navy Round Robin with what can be considered a successful weekend, winning three out of five matches.

Fordham is back in action this coming Friday. The Rams will take on Stanford at 1 p.m. before hosting California and Northeastern on Saturday. All three matches will be held on the Lombardi Squash courts on Fordham’s campus.

JULIA COMERFORD/THE FORDHAM RAM

Fordham Squash won three of five matches in Annapolis last weekend.

SPORTS

Page 22

By DYLAN BALSAMO

ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR

The 2019 National Football League (NFL) season in the New York area has made it almost impossible to be enthusiastic or even care about football. Playing in the same region, the same city and even the same stadium, are two franchises that have no idea what direction they are going in, nor do they care enough to truly have a direction.

The result was an unwatchable Sunday afternoon on the gridiron.

Those two teams met on Sunday: the New York Football Giants and the New York Jets played at MetLife Stadium as they do every four years in a game that has been dubbed the Snoopy Bowl. Every football fan knew coming in that this was going to be a rough one. And it was.

In a game that can only be described as unclean, it was the Jets who walked away victorious, defeating the G-Men 34–27. While the loss set the Giants at 2–8 on the season, the win improved the Jets to 2–7.

It was the kind of game that makes you question if it was better to win or lose.

Within the last two seasons, we’ve seen both squads make changes at the two most vocal positions on a football team: the head coach and quarterback.

After the Giants’ immediate replacement for Super Bowl-winning head coach Tom Coughlin, Ben MacAdoo, did not work out, the team turned to Pat Shurmur, who had won the AP NFL Assistant Coach of the Year Award in the year prior as the offensive coordinator for the Minnesota Vikings. In his first season, with his quarterback an aging Eli Manning, Shurmur led the Giants to a 5–11 record (nothing particularly special).

In the next season, he and his team drafted a quarterback, much to the surprise, and chagrin, of many fans.

And the quarterback they drafted was not who many would have taken with the sixth-overall pick they had. They selected Duke QB Daniel Jones, a player who many considered a second-round caliber pick who would not even be an NFL starter.

Even then, Shurmur and the Giants made it very clear that Manning would remain their starting quarter-

back. At that point, the selection of Jones in the draft seemed like a waste of a high pick, especially for a team that had plenty of issues to fix at other positions on the field.

Two weeks into 2019, the Giants were 0–2, and Shurmur named Daniel Jones the starter of the next game.

With that, he became the full time starter and won his first two games.

Since that point, and coming into the matchup with the Jets, he was 0–5.

As for those Jets, the last year or so has been no cake walk either.

Entering 2018, the team was in its fourth season under head coach Todd Bowles, who was hired just a handful of days after the firing of Rex Ryan in 2015, and in those first three years, the Jets were 20-28. But 2018 seemed to be a year that would be etched in the start of something new — something to reinvigorate the franchise.

That something was Sam Darnold.

Drafted by the Jets with the third overall pick in 2018, just after the Giants had selected running back Saquon Barkley with the second pick, Darnold came to New York out of USC and immediately made what seemed to be a huge positive impact.

Starting the Jets’ first game of the season on a Monday night against the Detroit Lions, Darnold became the youngest player to start in the opening week since the AFL-NFL merger of the early 1970s. While his first career pass resulted in an interception, he finished the game with two touchdowns and 334 passing yards, helping his squad win 48–17. It was enough to make Jets fans think they had found their winning ticket and that the period of nothingness and what seemed like front office indifference since their last playoff appearance in 2011 was over.

But it’s not about how you start.

The Jets’ final record on the year was 4–12. Darnold had thrown 15

interceptions, including four in Week 9, and had missed three games due to a foot injury.

Todd Bowles was fired almost as soon as the season was over.

About two weeks later, the Jets hired their interim general manager Adam Gase as their new head coach.

It has not been going well. They entered the matchup with the Giants 1-7. It does not take Ron Jaworski to know that this was going to be a difficult game to watch.

At the end of the day, the matchup was just odd. After one quarter, the Jets had taken a 14–0 lead. They had scored all 14 points before the Giants offense had even touched the ball.

If it was a battle of quarterbacks, the game was a clear Giants win.

While Darnold threw 230 yards and a touchdown, Jones had an outstanding game, throwing for 308 yards and four TD’s.

What lost the game for a Giants team that clearly had more scoring power was the ineffectiveness of their offensive line. They had allowed Jones to be sacked six times for a total loss of 50 yards.

This enabled a Jets team that had totaled less than 300 total offensive yards to beat a Giants team that had scored four touchdowns.

It was a rough affair for both squads, as is evident from the fact that the Giants are now 2–8 and that we can use the word “improved” to talk about the Jets record of 2–7.

These are two franchises that clearly lack wins in recent years, but even worse than that, they seem to be lacking direction more than anything. It’s a struggle to find consistency in the moves of either team, and it is impossible to be successful without that.

For the sake of New York football and local interest in it, one can only hope one or both of these teams figure it out.

COURTESY OF FLICKR

Daniel Jones (above) and Sam Darnold could be the futures of their teams.

Varsity Calendar HOME AWAY Volleyball

Follow us on Twitter at @theram_sports

Squash Men’s Soccer

Thursday Nov. 14

Friday Nov. 15

Saturday Nov. 16

George Washington

George Mason 4:30 p.m.

7 p.m.

Sunday Nov. 17

Monday Nov. 18

Tuesday Nov. 19

Wednesday Nov. 20

Stanford Cal/N’Eastern Columbia 9 a.m./1 p.m.

6 p.m.

1 p.m.

Rhode Island (A-10 semis) 1 p.m.

Swimming Water Polo Football

Bucknell/ La Salle

2 p.m./6:30 p.m

Holy Cross 1 p.m.

Villanova 5 p.m.

Women’s Basketball Men’s Basketball

Marist 7 p.m.

Northeastern 7 p.m.

SPORTS

November 13, 2019

Alex Wolz Why College Sports Are So Special As I am writing an essay discussing college admissions, I have come across some of the key factors that often dictate students’ decisions regarding where they want to go to college.

Almost every list included some of the mainstays: social life, academics, career opportunities and all the other sought-after qualities of a college education. But there is one trait that is slowly creeping onto these lists: sports, and rightfully so, as college is a decision that should factor in so much more than just academics.

And the evidence shows just that.

Whether it be in Oregon or Auburn following the 2011 BCS Championship game or more recently with the success of Clemson and Villanova in the two biggest college sports—football and basketball, respectively— schools often see significant spikes in admissions following their athletic prowess. But why? What makes even those who have no interest in sports value them equally to their academics? Two weeks ago at the Rose Hill Gym, I understood this for the first time.

I have watched Fordham soccer, softball, football, swimming and more, but when the women’s basketball team took on Notre Dame in front of a sell-out crowd on Tuesday, I began to understand why students value sports so much. From the energy in the stadium to passionate fans who knew the players as well as each other, I began to feel so much of what makes college sports unique, not just through a television screen, but on the court itself. Then on Saturday afternoon—the final game for Fordham’s volleyball seniors—seeing the players walk out with their parents and the sadness at it being their last game on the court but the joy they felt playing with one another.

Even though there were only a few students in the Fordham Fanatics Student Section and mostly families in the chairback seats, there was a standing ovation when Fordham pulled out the five-set victory with screams of happiness and a team celebration. Even at a school as small as Fordham, it is remarkably evident why college sports are so incredible.

These players are a family like no other, eating, sleeping, practicing and doing almost everything together.

When one teammate falls, the entire team does, and when one succeeds, everyone shares in their success, as does the entire school that stands behind them.

And for these kids, these four years of college may be the last time they ever play these sports, making every moment count as much as the next.

I have always known that these were the incredible things about college sports; that is why I am such a big fan of them in the first place. But to experience these games myself, I can only imagine what it would be like at some of the nation’s bigger schools and why prospective students value them so much in their college decisions.

And for those here at Fordham, I can only encourage everyone to get involved, because these experiences will certainly be missed when they’re gone.

Page 23

Stephen Lesbitsch

Varsity Scores & Stats Football Fordham 24 Colgate 13 (FOR) Greenhagen: 19 TCKL Women’s Basketball Fordham 51 Columbia 70 (FOR) Downey: 19 PTS, 3 3PT Women’s Swimming & Diving Fordham 159 Georgetown 141 (FOR) Watson: 100 - 58.72 - 1st Men’s Swimming & Diving Fordham 219 Georgetown 79 (FOR) Wilson: 200 backstroke - 2:07.02 - 1st

Men’s Soccer Fordham Saint Louis (FOR) Ricupati: G, SH, SOG

1 0

Women’s Volleyball VCU Fordham (FOR) Benjamin: 8 K, 3 Tot Fordham Davidson (FOR) Lahr: 15 K, 2 Ace, Tot Men’s Water Polo #16 Fordham Iona (FOR) Miller-Tolt: 4 G

3 0 3 2

12 8

Shamefully

Men’s Squash Fordham 9 Johns Hopkins 0 (FOR) Douglass: 11–7, 11–2, 11–2 Fordham Navy

0 9

Fordham Haverford

1 8

#16 Fordham #19 George Washington (FOR) Knoflick: 3 G, 2 A

14 13

#16 Fordham Navy (FOR) O’Mara: 18 SV, 3 STL

11 6

Fordham 9 Boston University 0 (FOR) Deckoff: 11–5, 11–8, 5–11, 11–8

#16 Fordham Johns Hopkins (FOR) Koukias: 5 G

11 8

Fordham 7 Lehigh 2 (FOR) Douglass: 11–1, 11–3, 11–5

#16 Fordham St. Francis Brooklyn

9 8

Fordham 7 Georgetown 2 (FOR) Rodden: 11–2, 12–10, 11–5

Athletes of the Week Filipo Ricupati

Michelle Martin

Graduate Student

Junior

Men’s Soccer

Swimming & Diving

The Rams will be going to the Atlantic 10 semifinals thanks to Ricupati. He had one goal on just one shot against Saint Louis on Saturday in the 87th minute to give Fordham a 1–0 victory. He has six goals, which leads the squad.

In an absolutely outstanding performance at Georgetown, Martin led the way for Fordham, winning the 50 freestyle with the seasonbest time of 23.86 and the 100 butterfly at 56.43. She was also part of two relay wins.

Each week, The Fordham Ram’s sports editors honor one male athlete and one female athlete for their on-field performances as their “Athletes of the Week.”

News & Notes • Two Rams On All-Rookie Team

Knicks Execs Are Acting

Women’s Rowing 1969 Cup Regatta Varsity 8: 7:13.96 - 2nd

The Fordham women’s soccer team saw two of its freshmen receive high first-year honors as Danielle Etienne and Kristen Cocozza were both named to the Atlantic 10 All-Rookie team, the conference announced last Thursday. They are the Rams’ first representatives on the Atlantic 10 AllRookie squad since 2016 when Margaret Roughley was given the honor. This is additionally just the second time that the honors were given to two Fordham players in the same season since Sarah Hopkins and Holly Laubinger were given such in 2016. Etienne and Cocozza both had standout seasons, with Etienne contributing to four shutouts and Cocozza appearing in all 20 matchups.

• Greenhagen Wins Again

While Fordham Football may have fallen again

this week, this time to Colgate on the road 24–13, the sophomore linebacker Ryan Greenhagen was named Patriot League Defensive Player of the Week after he recorded a career-high 19 tackles in the game, including one for loss. This is the fourth weekly honor of the season for Greenhagen, as he held the conference’s Defensive Player of the Week honors for three weeks straight earlier in the year.

Greenhagen now has 110 total tackles in 2019, including 72 solo and 14.5 for loss. He also leads the Patriot League in solo tackles per game with 7.2.

• O’Mara Wins Another Honor

Fordham Water Polo’s sophomore goalie Bailey

• Wilson Is Swimmer of the Week

O’Mara was this week’s recipient of the CWPA’s Mid-Atlantic Water Polo Conference weekly award for Defensive Player of the Week, the league announced on Tuesday. This is O’Mara’s fourth weekly honor of 2019, and he earned it with four outstanding performances, recording 65 saves, nine steals and two penalty blocks in games against Iona, #19 George Washington, Navy and Johns Hopkins. O’Mara had a career-high 18 saves on Saturday and then went on to break that record the very next day with 21 saves.

This week, the Fordham Men’s swimming & div-

ing squad earned its third weekly award of the season as junior Patrick Wilson was named Performer of the Week at the Atlantic 10 conference’s awards on Tuesday. It is the first weekly award of the season for Wilson, who this week competed for the Rams at Georgetown and won the 200 breaststroke in a season-best time of 2:07.02. He also took second in the 100 breastroke with a finishing time of 57.63 seconds, another season-best for him. His other second place times were in the 200 medley relay and the 400 freestyle relay.

—Compiled by Dylan Balsamo

The New York Knicks are a perfect representation of what happens when you have poor, unprepared leadership that drops the ball during the biggest moments.

When Plan A for the 2019 offseason — trade Kristaps Porzingis to Dallas and pursue Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving in free agency with $72 million in cap space — completely blew up in the Knicks executives’ faces, they tried to establish a Plan B. Through the first ten games of the 2019–20, Plan B has also failed.

Knicks President Steve Mills and General Manager Scott Perry, under the approval of owner James Dolan, brought in a selection of veteran players. The belief was that these vets, guys like Taj Gibson, Bobby Portis and Julius Randle, would help the young guys in the said weaker positions grow and show progression in winning NBA games.

But the free agent group of power forwards have done almost nothing to improve this roster, as the team stands at a 2–8 record and has lost two of its home games by wide margins to hapless teams.

Now, with the most recent humiliating loss this past Sunday against the Cleveland Cavaliers, a 21-point defeat, it is time for Mills and Perry, the co-conspirators of the Knicks’ offseason decisions, to face the music. Instead of doing this, they are looking for someone to blame.

Their choice of scapegoat: head coach David Fizdale. After Sunday’s loss to the Cavs, Mills and Perry voiced to the media their displeasure with the team: “We’re not happy with where we are,” Mills said. “This is not where we expected to be at this point, 10 games in.”

Perry added, “I think the lack of consistency, that for the most part we’ve seen it, but you see sporadic efforts, too.”

There was no mention of the players in this excuse. Mills even mentioned that he, Perry and Dolan are confident in their players’ ability to compete and believe it was a successful free agency, as they got the roster they envisioned during that time.

Their comments were vague, instead referring to a deficiency on the coaches’ part. They do not believe that the roster is outmatched, and they’ve been selling that since day one. They snuck in their presser while Fizdale was in the locker room with the players. This is dishonest and shameful.

According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowki, Steve Mills has been “angling” and laying the foundation for Fizdale’s firing, which comes as huge news to many following the team.

The real issue with the Knicks’ 2–8 start is not David Fizdale, it’s the performance of the players on the roster.

The Knicks are currently 29th in the league in points per game differential (-10.1), last in offensive efficiency (99.3) and most of all last in field goal percentage (41.7) per BPI. Mills and Perry failed to convince max free agents to come to New York, or the right borough for that matter, and they tried to patch up with a Band-Aid-like plan B which also failed. David Fizdale is not worried about his job security, as he is not largely responsible for the New York Knicks’ disgraceful record.

It is a real surprise that Dolan, Mills and Perry don’t realize that actions like theirs are cause for the fans in Madison Square Garden calling for their dismissals.

SPORTS

Page 24

November 13, 2019

The Fordham Ram

Ricupati Lifts Rams Over Saint Louis in A-10 Quarterfinal Match

By ANDREW POSADAS

ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR

Defeating a conference rival on the road is certainly no easy task. Having to do it twice in a week’s span, with one of those games being an A-10 quarterfinal match seemed even more arduous for head coach Carlo Acquista and Fordham Men’s Soccer against Saint Louis University.

Yet, a pivotal turnover from the Saint Louis defense led to Fordham’s lone goal of the contest from graduate student forward Filippo Ricupati as the Rams beat the Billikens 1–0 on Saturday afternoon.

Fordham went into Saturday’s quarterfinal match having secured its sixth straight appearance in the A-10 Championship. Even with first-year coach Acquista, expectations for the Rams were still lofty as the program looked to win its third A-10 Crown in the last six years. Not to mention that Fordham had made it to the semifinals in four of the previous five tournaments under previous head coach Jim McElderry.

Both teams each had excellent chances to get in the scoring column early on in the first half. In the fourth minute, Billikens midfielder John Klein made a great run towards the 18-yard box, but Fordham graduate student goalkeeper Konstantin Weis came off of his line to challenge Klein, keeping Saint Louis from taking the lead. Weis finished with four saves in the first half, thwarting the offensive

onslaught from the home team.

Just four minutes after Saint Louis’ chance to score, Fordham was awarded a penalty kick after junior forward Sameer Fathazada was fouled inside the 18-yard box. Senior captain and defender Joergen Oland stepped up to take the kick but ultimately would be denied by Billikens goalkeeper Patrick Schulte. Schulte and Weis matched each other with big saves, and the two squads went into halftime scoreless with just 45 minutes separating them from a trip to the semifinals.

Fordham’s tenacious defense started the second half on its heels, and, just 30 seconds in, the Rams committed a foul inside the 18-yard box to give Saint Louis its own opportunity to take the lead via a penalty kick.

Luckily, the Rams were in the midst of perhaps the best match performance of Weis’ short career with Fordham. Weis jumped to his left, stopping midfielder Devin Boyce’s shot and preserving his clean sheet for the match.

The match continued back and forth until the biggest mistake was made by the home team with just minutes remaining in regulation. In the 87th minute, a Saint Louis defender attempted to play the ball back to Schulte to reset possession.

However, a nonchalant pass was then intercepted by the aforementioned Ricupati, who made the Billikens pay for their costly error by putting it past Schulte and into the back of the net.

COURTESY OF FORDHAM ATHLETICS

Fordham Men’s Soccer has now advanced to the A-10 semifinals in five of the last six tournaments.

It was Ricupati’s sixth goal this season, which leads the team, and was the difference in a tightly contested matchup that could have gone in favor of either squad.

In the biggest match to date this year, Fordham received stellar

performances from two of its graduate students in Weis and Ricupati. Now, the Rams win moves them to 7–10–2 on the season.

More importantly, it secures a berth in Fordham’s fifth semifinal match in the last six tournaments.

Fordham Men’s Soccer is back in action this upcoming Friday for an A-10 semifinal match against the University of Rhode Island.

Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. and can be seen exclusively on ESPN+.

Fordham Women’s Basketball Suffers Blowout Loss at Columbia

By JIMMY SULLIVAN SPORTS EDITOR

Fordham Women’s Basketball played a heart-stopping, emotional and taxing game against Notre Dame last Tuesday. Entering Sunday’s matchup against Columbia, the Rams and head coach Stephanie Gaitley were concerned with a letdown against a tough team, especially coming off the high of taking the Irish down to the wire.

On Sunday, Fordham’s fears became a reality.

The Rams fell 70–51 to Columbia at Levien Gymnasium on Sunday afternoon after being outscored by 18 points in the second half. Fordham got off to a slow start in the first quarter, as the host Lions carried a seven-point lead into the first media timeout, halfway through the first quarter.

Fordham trimmed the deficit to one by the end of the quarter, and the Rams were up 31–27 with a minute to play before half.

At that point, Columbia sophomore Madison Hardy took over, with a deep three and a nifty reverse layup in a span of under a minute to give Columbia a onepoint lead heading into halftime.

Fordham regained a 35–34 lead two minutes into the second half when junior Kendell Heremaia made a layup underneath. On the next possession, Columbia

ALEXANDER WOLZ/THE FORDHAM RAM

After an impressive performance against Notre Dame, the Rams had a letdown against Columbia on Sunday. sophomore Mikayla Markham countered with a lay-in of her own and the lead changed hands once more.

Thanks to Columbia’s dominance, Markham’s layup precipitated the final lead change of the game.

Columbia started to pull away late in the third quarter, outscoring Fordham 19–12 over the course of 10 minutes. In the fourth and final quarter, back-

to-back threes from Hardy and junior Madison Pack gave the Lions a 14-point lead, and Fordham was unable to get back within less than 11 points for the rest of the game. The Rams scored just eight points in the quarter and multiple defensive lapses allowed Columbia to run away with a 70–51 victory and hand the Rams their second-straight loss to start the year.

Offensively, Fordham struggled again with making shots.

However, last Tuesday’s seasonopener with Notre Dame showed that Fordham could stay in games with anyone if the team could defend. On Sunday, the second part of that equation went out the window, with Columbia getting easy looks inside and making 58% of its shots in the second half. The Lions were able to make the occasional deep shot but, more concerningly for Fordham, got inside consistently to convert easy looks

at the rim.

Fordham’s offense consistently went through sophomore Kaitlin Downey, as she tallied 19 points on 8–14 shooting while also hitting three shots from behind the arc. Downey was the only Ram to shoot above 50%, as the rest of the team made just 12 of its 40 shots on the day. Heremaia had success down low and in the post, which is an encouraging sign for the Rams going forward. However, the Fordham offense has struggled to produce over the first two games of the season.

Still, Gaitley — a defensiveminded coach who logged her thousandth career game on Sunday — will be far more concerned with her team’s defensive miscues on Sunday. While there were issues the entire game, Fordham’s defense was particularly porous in the second half. The other concern for Fordham is that Columbia outmatched the Rams’ energy in many phases, including the rebound battle, which Fordham lost by 10.

We’ll find out just how much Fordham has cleaned up when the Rams face yet another critical early-season test at Penn State tonight at 7 p.m. Fordham fell to the Nittany Lions by 17 points in the Bronx last season. The Rams will have to improve their level of play from Sunday’s game to avoid that outcome this season.