Volume 101 Issue 18

The Fordham Ram Volume 101, Issue 18

Serving The Fordham University Community Since 1918 FordhamRam.com

October 30, 2019

Fordham Fundraises to Celebrate Halloween

FUEMS Reflects on History and Purpose

By KRISTEN McNERNEY and HELEN STEVENSON

By ERICA SCALISE

Halloween is a time for celebration at Fordham, especially for organizations seeking to fundraise for a cause. Fordham Dance Marathon (FDM), Up ’til Dawn and Special Olympics are all hosting their own events on campus to raise money for their parent organizations.

Each year, Residence Hall Association (RHA) and FDM host the Trick-or-Treat Trot, a 5k run benefiting the Andrew McDonough B+ Foundation, which provides financial assistance for families dealing with pediatric cancer.

Executive President of RHA Kimona Dussard, FCRH ’20, said that children battling cancer, also referred to as “B+ heroes,” are invited to join Fordham students on campus and dress in costume. Dussard said that this year’s event will include a costume contest and raffle, writing Halloween cards to the children, and spooky face painting.

Dussard said she expects a large

Urban Dictionary, a crowdsourced online dictionary for slang words and phrases, defines getting “FUEMED” as “the act of getting belligerently wasted on campus at fordham university, to the point where volunteer student ambulance services need to take you to a local hospital.”

Fordham University Emergency Medical Service (FUEMS) is known around campus for treating intoxicated students, but according to Nate Signh, FCRH ’20, Director of FUEMS and Yianni Flouskakous, FCRH ’20, chief of FUEMS, the organization is much more than that.

“Intoxication calls only account for 30% of our calls,” said Singh.

“We’ve seen so many different medical emergencies and had members respond in emergencies like 9/11.”

Born out of a need for faster EMS treatment in and around the Fordham campus, FUEMS originated under Bruce Nedelka, CBA ’79, in 1977 and operated under the name Student Emergency Response Group (SERG). Nedelka’s intention was to provide medical aid to students in the hopes of shaving time off of the 45-minute average ambulance response time in the Bronx.

Forty-two years later, the organization that provides 24/7 EMS coverage on and around the university’s campus, is able to respond to any medical emergency in about five minutes has 150 members and was recognized as the top collegiate EMS agency in the nation in 2018.

Flouskakous, who became a certified EMT his freshman year, has worn many hats during his tenure at FUEMS. Though he and Singh are both senior males on the premed track, he relayed that FUEMS is approximately 75% female and

SEE HALLOWEEN, PAGE 5

PROJECTS EDITOR

JULIA COMERFORD/THE FORDHAM RAM

CSM asked survivors and allies to write a message about sexual assault on a t-shirt for the Clothesline Project.

United Student Government Hosts Fourth Week of Action

By SARAH HUFFMAN

ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR

Last week, the United Student Government Committee on Sexual Misconduct (CSM) hosted its Week of Action for the fall semester. The program consisted of seven events held throughout the

week.

CSM started the week with the Clothesline Project on Monday, Oct. 21. Survivors of sexual assault had the opportunity to write their stories on a t-shirt and hang it from the clothesline along McGinley Center walkway. Others showed their support by writing a

message on a t-shirt and hanging it on the fence, as well. CSM usually starts its Week of Action with this event.

“It’s probably the most visible event on campus, so it reaches the greatest audience,” said Lindsey Sullivan, FCRH ’22, co-chair of SEE ACTION, PAGE 5

HSU Discusses Nuclear Peace

By TAZRIAN AHMED

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

of WE, the club makes an effort to have the event coincide with the Week of Action at Fordham in the fall.

“I think it’s helpful for people to have an outlet for anything that might come up during an awareness week,” she said. “Also,

Fordham’s Humanitarian Student Union (HSU) hosted a panel on Thursday, Oct. 17, in conjunction with the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation, to address the presence of nuclear weapons and what effect they have on peace in the contemporary world.

The panel included four representatives, each from different organizations, that provided varying perspectives on the issue: Jamie Walsh of the Permanent Mission of Ireland to the United Nations, Veronique Christory of the International Committee of the Red Cross, Susi Snyder of the peace organization PAX and David Onazi, Ph.D., of the International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War and the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons.

“We are so grateful to our incredible speakers for traveling from a full day of meetings at the UN to share their knowledge and experience with us. In today’s

SEE SPEAK OUT, PAGE 3

SEE NUCLEAR, PAGE 3

JULIA COMERFORD/THE FORDHAM RAM

Women’s Empowerment hosted a “Speak Out” for survivors of sexual assault to share their experiences.

Survivors “Speak Out” With Women’s Empowerment

By HELEN STEVENSON NEWS EDITOR

Editor’s Note: This article contains mention of sexual assault culture.

Every semester, Women’s Empowerment (WE) holds a “Speakout” in Rodrigue’s Coffee House

to provide a safe space for survivors of sexual assault. On Tuesday, Oct. 22, survivors and allies gathered for this semester’s event, filling the coffee shop’s seating and supporting those who spoke.

According to Aine Boyle, FCRH ’20, general coordinator

SEE FUEMS, PAGE 2

in this issue

Opinion

Page 6

It's Not Personal, It's Just Politics

Sports

Page 18

Winter Preview

Culture

Page 11

Fordham Students are Famous on TikTok

NEWS

Page 2

PUBLIC SAFETY BRIEFS

October 30, 2019

FUEMS Remembers 42 Years of Service Alumnus Recalls Aiding 9/11 Victims FROM FUEMS, PAGE 1

Oct. 17 Queen’s Court 10:35 a.m.

A student was cooking in the Queen’s Court kitchen and activated a heat detector. A fire safety specialist recommended that students use the exhaust fan and close the kitchen door.

Oct. 19 Keating Hall 10:35 p.m.

Public Safety saw a student smoking marijuana near Keating Hall. The student was referred to Residential Life.

Oct. 20 Edwards Parade 3:30 a.m.

Two students got into a fight around Edward’s Parade. Public Safety responded to a minor disturbance. One student had sustained minor injuries but declined medical care.

Oct. 23 O’Hare Hall 10:40 a.m.

A student reported that that all of his clothes and blankets had been stolen from the O’Hare laundry room. Security camera footage from the laundry room is being reviewed in relation to the theft.

Oct. 23 Mosholu Parkway 4:10 p.m.

A Ram Van was entering the Mosholu Parkway southbound to the Lincoln Center campus.

While the Ram Van was on the ramp, the driver saw three vehicles in front of them stopped.

The Ram Van stopped, but was rear ended. Only minor injuries were sustained.

— Compiled by Sarah Huffman

Follow us on Twitter! @TheFordhamRam

diverse in ethnic backgrounds and majors.

He said the organization has trained its members to handle any medical emergency and responds to calls from the university, Fordham Prep and places off campus in close proximity to the university.

“I’ve seen anaphylaxis, strokes, heart attacks, seizures, suicidal ideation and other major injuries and illnesses,” he said. “It’s our job to supply the resources for any situation as best we can.”

According to Singh, FUEMS is dispatched by the university’s Public Safety, not 911, but has functioned just as any other EMS service in New York since 1988 when it became an official agency under the NYC Department of Health.

The organization is also part of the Mutual Aid Response System (MARS) which was originally founded to provide professional emergency services to the San Francisco Bay Area community in 2000.

Under MARS, FUEMS can be dispatched to any major event or emergency in New York City.

Before the invention of MARS, student EMTs responded to the 1993 bombing at the World Trade Center and have been on standby for several large scale events including the NYC 5 Borough Bike Tour, and the NYC Marathon, according to John Genua, FCRH ’02.

Genua, a then-senior at the time and his FUEMS colleague, Salvador Collazo, FCRH ’01, contacted NYC’s MARS radio system, listed their ambulance as available and drove down toward the epicenter of destruction on the morning of Sept. 11, 2001.

He said he received the call on his room phone in Walsh Hall while getting ready for a 10 a.m. class that morning. He and Collazo were instructed to report to staging at Battery Park.

“I remember having a very clear view of the skyline and both towers in flames,” said Genua. “I had a pair of binoculars that got me a very clear image of what was happeningWe had a stack of respirator masks in the ambulance, as we had packed extras, and I remember stopping several times to hand them to police officers who were choking and gasping on the dust.”

Genua described the events of the day and was present when the

JENNIFER HOANG/THE FORDHAM RAM

Members of FUEMS sit atop an ambulance. The volunteer group provides emergency medical attention to students.

second tower collapsed. He said he and Collazo transported at least five people, including an individual suffering from an asthma attack.

“Fortunately FUEMS and other agencies in NYC had just become certified to administer Albuterol, which prior to 1999 was a medication only administered in the field by advanced certified paramedics,” he said.

According to Genua, he and Collazo remained at the scene until early evening, returned to Chelsea Piers the next day to continue to standby and sent an additional FUEMS ambulance on Thursday, the 13th.

“All of us wanted to assist further, but the fact remained that we were students and we needed to resume focus on our academics,” he said.

According to Flouskakous, his greatest focus in intense situations is to keep focus and provide as much medical support as he possibly can en route to the hospital.

“In terms of our training, for us, because we’re not 911 and we’re not responding to a huge demographic, we make sure that we have the proper practice because at some point, you are nervous, but we try our best not to show that to our patients because we want them to stay calm,” he said.

In 2017, FUEMS also began

partnering with Mark Estrellado, M.D., FCRH ’09, an ER attending at St. Barnabas Hospital in the Bronx, where the majority of FUEMS’ transports go. As the EMS director at St. Barnabas, Estrellado is aiding FUEMS in revamping its training protocols and is informed on every emergency call FUEMS receives. Estrellado receives text summaries describing the cases and is available to FUEMS’ members at all hours.

“We’re involving a lot more simulation training because evidence has shown that it’s more important to be able to actually have a chance to apply these concepts in more practical, clinical scenarios,” said Estrellado.

This training comes amid the recent spike in acute medical emergencies at the university such as cardiac arrest and stroke, according to Estrellado.

“It’s important to have a student body who understands where these students are coming from and have that unique perspective of students who have that medical know-how,” said Estrellado.

Flouskakous predicts the organization will see an average of three to four calls on Friday and Saturday nights where there was once six, demonstrating a noticeable decrease in intoxication calls

over the past couple of years.

He and Singh have clocked in close to 2,000 hours at FUEMS, excluding trainings, phone calls and clerical work, and are currently working toward the process of getting FUEMS’ required EMT school to count toward university credit, though they both vouched for the labor of love that has been their time as EMTs. According to Singh, FUEMS is a stepping stone that has given him skills he can use in any life situation.

“All the patient care and patient interaction has been very much an inspiration for me and there’s such a plethora of skills that are involved,” said Singh.

Genua echoed the same sentiment. While he currently works with a metals import/distribution firm in New York, he said his experiences on FUEMS have transferred into every aspect of his professional career, and he has occasionally been called upon to assist in medical emergencies since working as an EMT. “Much of the training and knowledge is instinctual and remains second nature,” said. Genua “Above all though, I reflect on my time with FUEMS and EMS in general as an expression of men and women for others.”

This Week at Fordham Thursday Oct. 31

Thursday Oct. 31

Friday Nov. 1

Saturday Nov. 2

Saturday Nov. 2

Spooky Commuter Social

Trick or Treat Street

Black Sheep Poetry Show Blackbox Theater 7:30 p.m.–8:30 p.m.

Autism Speaks U Bingo

Campbell Multipurpose Room 5:00 p.m.–8:00 p.m.

Best Buddies Friendship Walk

The Commuter Student Association is hosting a spooky social in honor of Halloween. The event in Bepler Commons will have treats like pizza, cupcakes and candy as well as Bingo and other games. The event is from 1:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.

CAB’s General Board is holding a spooky event on Edwards Parade.

Trick or Treat Street will feature Halloween activities as well as free candy and games. The event is on Thursday, which is Halloween, from 12 to 3 p.m.

The Black Sheep Performance Poetry club is holding a show in the Blackbox Theater. The All-Saints Day Show is from 8 to 9 p.m., but the line starts at 7:30. The show is based on a murder mystery, and all the poems are shaped around it.

Autism Speaks U is holding a bingo event that will give students the opportunity to interact with individuals on the autism spectrum. Dinner will be served, and $50 gift cards will be given as prizes. The event is from 5 to 8 p.m.

Fordham Best Buddies will be participating in the Best Buddies International’s 10th annual Friendship Walk in Manhattan. The fundraising event will go toward promoting the inclusion of those with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Bepler Commons 1:00 p.m.–2:30 p.m.

Edwards Parade 12:00 p.m.–3:00 p.m.

Riverside Park 10:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m.

NEWS

October 30, 2019

Page 3

HSU and Nuclear Age Peace Foundation Host Panel

Panelists Discuss Routes to Nuclear Disarmament FROM NUCLEAR, PAGE 1

climate, we are so normalized to nuclear weapons that it's hard to imagine that there is anything we could do to prevent their production or use” stated Emma Budd, FCRH ’20, HSU president at Rose Hill.

Representatives spoke on how the use of these weapons affects all of humanity and contributes significantly to climate change.

“The unrestricted use of these weapons aids human abuses and restricts development,” Walsh said.

Rosie McCormack, HSU vice president at Rose Hill, FCRH ’20, said that the concept of “nuclear deterrence,” the buildup of weapons to deter other nations from using their own, does not make sense.

“In a world where you can disable an enemy through a cyber or technological attack, what is the incentive to build up expensive and lethal weapons that put infrastructure and innocent civilians at risk?” she said. “Confronting the assumptions we are raised with is so important because it’s the key to thinking outside the box to building a more peaceful, innovative global community.”

Budd said the event and its speakers reminded all of the attendees of the severity of the issue.

“I think Veronique Christory from the ICRC did very well, reminding us all that there is no

HANNA DECKER/THE FORDHAM RAM

HSU’s panelists included David Onazi, Ph.D., Jamie Walsh, Veronique Christory, Susi Snyder.

humanitarian organization that could effectively aid the kind of crisis that would ensue if a nuclear weapon were used,” she said.

Panelists agreed that the only way to solve this problem is to act

collectively.

Onazi highlighted a quote by Albert Einstein for this imperative, stating, “Those who have the privilege to know, have the duty to act.”

Currently, the UN is working towards a Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, but it requires 50 countries to make the prohibition a national law before it can become inter-

national law. The agreement was open for signatures in September 2017, but as of Oct. 1, only 33 countries have signed.

However, Snyder said that in order for companies to create these weapons, banks must fund their creation. One of the easiest and most effective ways to take part in decreasing nuclear weapons is to express concern to banks.

“Complaining to banks is a way to express your power,” she said.

Snyder said that in order for this mission to be successful, the money needs to shift from one that builds destruction to one that disarms – all efforts, no matter how small, can make a big impact.

“If enough people complain to a bank about funding nuclear weapons [facilities], then the bank can cut funding,” she said.

“If the treaty comes to fruition it can cause all countries to ban weapons, even if those countries did not ratify it themselves.”

Budd said that she hopes the event communicated that no matter how intangible the crisis of nuclear weapons may seem, individuals have the power to take action.

“Do your research, call your banks, find out where your money is being invested — and if it is funding nuclear weapon production, then you have the power to do something to stop it,” she said.

WE and Rodrigue’s Provide Safe Space for Survivors Hosts “Speak Out” Event to Share Experiences FROM SPEAK OUT, PAGE 1

I’ve found, having organized and participated in six or seven at this point, that some participants create community and support systems at speak outs.”

Although the Speak Out usually draws a large amount of WE members, Elise Zimmerman, FCRH ’20, logistics coordinator, said it is open to the entire Fordham community, and well-publi-

PIA FISCHETTI/THE FORDHAM RAM

Students gathered to share their support and stories with those who attended.

cized to make students aware of its existence.

According to their Facebook page, Rodrigue’s regards itself as a “safer space,” and encourages its patrons to respect the personhood of their peers by refraining from homophobic, sexist and racist actions or dialect within the building.

Boyle said that although the event can vary, it typically takes on an open-mic format, where people share their experiences in any way they prefer: through stories, poems, songs, or just yelling for three minutes.

Zimmerman said WE chooses to hold its event in Rodrigue’s in part due to this policy, and they open the event by reading its requests aloud. They also read WE’s community standards, which require respect, honesty and confidentiality, in order to ensure trust between every one who attends.

“It is a very intimate setting because we want everyone that attends to feel comfortable and supported, especially because this is a really difficult event for most people to attend,” she said.

“In this space, people can come prepared with a poem or song, or can speak from their heart."

Although she said the event is usually very emotional, it can be quite healing.

“I always leave, relieved to have been apart of it,” Boyle said.

Zimmerman says WE intends

CAROLINE DAHLGREN/THE FORDHAM RAM

The Speak Out took place in Rodrigue’s Coffee House, pictured above.

to continue this event every semester, as they feel it is their responsibility to provide a safe and supportive space on campus for survivors of sexual assault. Boyle agreed.

“It is always clear to me when

I am listening to the speakers that the experience always benefits people either by providing an outlet, validating a story or creating a community of people who can learn from each other’s healing experiences,” she said.

NEWS

Page 4

October 30, 2019

Research Spotlight

USG Column

Pre-Med Students Research Nano-Medicine

Attempt to Create Cell Scaffold for Neural Cells

By ELIOT SCHIAPARELLI

Class of ’23 Presents Initiatives

By HASNA CERAN

ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Whether through trauma, disease or tissue damage, the loss of neural cells in the brain is nearly impossible to reverse, but that is what Rachel Daso, FCRH ’21, Margaret Whalen, FCRH ’21, and Dr. Ipsita Banerjee, Ph.D., are trying to do in their bio-nanotechnology and nano-medicine lab.

At a meeting of their lab group, Banerjee told her students the goal for all their projects is publication.

“All the work that you’re doing is graduate-level work,” she said. “We’re trying to publish this. You’re essentially competing with Ph.Ds from all over the world. It’s not just undergraduate work where you’re learning techniques.”

Members of the lab work on cell scaffolding and tumor targeting via nanotechnology.

They are focused on biocompatible compounds that are derived from things in the body or similar to things present in the body making them safer for the surrounding cells.

Daso has been working in the lab since the spring semester of her sophomore year, a step toward her goal of going to medical school. She started out on a project about tumor targeting and moved to her current project, creating cell scaffolds using peptides and ionic liquids.

“I wasn’t trying to get into this lab when I found it,” said Daso.

“She was like, ‘Well, would you like to start working in my lab to actually see the connections between all the stuff you’re learn-

On Thursday, Oct. 17, the United Student Government (USG) had a meeting in which the senators of the class of 2023 presented their initiatives for the upcoming semester.

Sen. Maya Bentovim, GSB ’23, proposed additional programming for Gabelli freshmen including Major Fair during spring semester, which would allow Gabelli freshmen to understand the paths open to them.

Sen. Jhan Chavez, GSB ’23, discussed initiatives such as adding a section about events at Lincoln Center to the emails Rose Hill students receive from OrgSync detailing activities on campus. He also proposed changing the times the off-campus shuttle operates. Finally, Chavez suggested reserving a certain number of seats in classes between 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. for commuters, to make them more convenient.

Sen. Jonathan Eng, FCRH ’23, described his initiative to provide a way for the Fordham Flea to sell items online. He also suggested a system to rent umbrellas on campus and a resource list for students describing all the discounts available for Fordham students.

Sen. Phillip Krehbiel, FCRH ’23, proposed implementing a dedicated maintenance system for the printers on campus, as well as new lost-andfound procedures.

Finally, Sen. Mary Katherine Smyth, FCRH ’23, focused her initiatives on helping students get more involved in the Bronx.

Sen. Carsyn Fisher, FCRH ’21, presented her written petition for Fordham to recognize Indigenous Peoples Day rather than Columbus Day. The motion was passed unanimously with two abstentions, pending Senate approval next semester.

On Thursday, Oct. 24, the United Student Government (USG) approved three new clubs: the Biomag Club, Classics Club and Fintech Club.

The Biomag Club aims to educate Fordham students about new scientific discoveries by publishing a magazine that will summarize recent scientific articles to make them readable for more students, according to the club’s leaders.

The Classics Club will build a community for classics students and students interested in classics in order to help them learn about internships and interact with faculty according to the club’s leaders.

The Fintech Club provides realworld opportunities and networking for students interested in financial technology, which is tech that seeks to improve the delivery and use of financial services.

The vice president of Student Life, Kevin McSorley, GSB ’20, mentioned several topics in his update to the USG, including potentially expanding the roles of house committee members.

During the cabinet reports, vice president of FCRH, Patrick Fox, FCRH ’20, discussed Dean’s Council initiatives including the FCRHGSB Joint Town Hall on Nov. 12.

Fox also spoke about implementing a Transfer Mentoring program, a possible research symposium, and the Career Services course.

Photo of the Week:

ELIOT SCHIAPARELLI/THE FORDHAM RAM

Rachel Daso provided a research update to her lab group titled, “Peptides and Ions and Cells, OH MY!”

ing in your chemistry classes and humans?’”

Daso and Whalen hope to present the cell scaffold project at the American Chemistry Society conference.

“I feel like I’ve learned more about biochemistry being in the lab,” said Daso. “That’s when you really realize how all these things that you’re learning in your classes actually apply to the real world.

It’s a great learning experience beyond doing it for a resume or for the discovery.”

While doing her summer research in tumor targeting, Daso said she noticed some unique properties in ionic liquids, which are used more for environmental chemistry than biochemistry.

Daso explained, that these liquids have a few cellular applications, but normally they’re very toxic. However, when they are coupled with peptides, they are less toxic, and her lab thinks they may have medicinal uses.

“That’s when I started talking to Dr. Banerjee about how I won-

ALEXANDER WOLZ/ THE FORDHAM RAM

One of the most popular exhibits at the Museum of Natural History is the Tyrannosaurus Rex fossil on display. Many Fordham students go to the museum for fun or class activities.

dered what we can do with these ionic liquids, and we both, at the same time, said they conduct electrochemical signals,,” said Daso. “Let’s try something Neural cell-based. I had been interested in neurology before so to be able to apply what I learned was very cool.”

As the most senior member of the lab, Daso often teaches newer members how to use machinery. She and her lab mates also rely on each other to help with projects making the atmosphere collaborative.

The specific area of cell scaffolding is an emerging technology. In practical use, one would place the scaffold at the area of injury so that cells could regenerate and then degrade leaving the body repaired.

So far, Whalen and Daso have created the scaffold bases and are testing their properties to see how they will affect cells. They measure thermal, mechanical and viscous properties. They also compare the area outside of the cells where the scaffold would theoretically be placed, using a scanning electron microscope.

“We are trying to create a neural scaffold,” said Daso. “Even if you go in with surgery to try to prevent more damage, the regeneration is a really big issue so there have been advances in the field to use nano-scale scaffold that can encourage neural cell regeneration.”

In the long term, they may be able to test their scaffolds in rats and even apply for a patent if they get impressive results, but for now, they are focusing on presenting and publishing.

Whalen and Daso will publish together. Each is looking at different ionic liquids made by Lincoln Center faculty member Marie Thomas, Ph.D., to see if they have different mechanical properties.

NEWS

October 30, 2019

Page 5

CSM Aims to Create Conversations About Consent FROM ACTION, PAGE 1

CSM. “We really liked that we're able to keep it up all week, too, so most students can see it.”

On Tuesday morning, CSM hosted a self-defense class in the gym.

Emma Budd, FCRH ’20, co-chair of CSM, said CSM thinks it is important for people to know how to defend themselves.

“We want to make sure that we're not placing blame on a survivor for someone else attacking them, but the fact of the matter is that this is a real situation that could happen, and so we want to make sure that people feel comfortable defending themselves if they were ever caught up in it,” she said.

Tuesday night, they hosted a program called “Stick Up for Survivors” in the freshman residence halls with Residence Assistants. Students had the chance to write messages of support for survivors on sticky notes and hang them up in the residence halls.

Wednesday, CSM partnered with the Residence Halls Association (RHA) for themed Quizzo. The second round of questions were about consent, statistics that surround sexual assault harassment and misconduct and the resources that are offered at Fordham.

“I think it went really well,” said Budd. “We learned a lot, and RHA is really excited to partner with us, and we’re glad to have them as a coprogrammer now.”

During the activity block on Thursday, CSM hosted “My Name Isn’t,” a conversational event about street harassment. Attendees were welcomed with refreshments and were invited to talk about experiences they have had with street harassment. Sullivan said people were

JULIA COMERFORD/THE FORDHAM RAM

USG's Committee for Sexual Misconduct organized the fourth Week of Action last week.

invited to write down examples of names they have been called on the street and take back the power from cat-callers.

“It’s important to keep that conversation going and make sure that we’re aware that it's a very real thing, but also something that I feel like women normalize because it happens so much,” said Budd.

Thursday night, they co-programmed with Leading Women of Tomorrow for a conversation on sexual harassment in the workplace.

Budd said this is another new event for CSM, but they had a good turnout.

The week ended on Friday with Candy and Consent, when CSM handed out candy stapled to papers listing different resources. This

event occurred during the Fordham Flea Market as a program with the sustainability committee. Sullivan said they attached the CARE Connect number, which is a new resource this year. Students can text 718-817-CARE to receive information about the CARE manual.

This year’s Week of Action lineup included a lot of new events,

thanks to CSM’s 24 members, many of whom are new. Sullivan said it was helpful having a lot of new members and such a large committee this year for planning purposes.

Budd said this is the most events they have ever done during Week of Action.

“We have a large group of very passionate and hardworking people, so we’re lucky that we were able to pull it off because of everybody's help and support,” Budd said.

Sullivan said this year they branched out and co-programmed a lot, which they have not done for a week of action before.

“It was really cool to work with other groups and get feedback on what they want to see during week of action and topics that they want to discuss,” she said.

Sullivan said CSM does a lot of work with the administration on initiative-based projects, but week of action is the biggest event geared towards students about opening up the conversation about sexual harassment and showing support for survivors.

“I feel like it’s really important to continue to reinforce that those support systems exist at Fordham, and also I just feel like a lot of the events we hold are really powerful to and showing support for survivors of sexual assault,” said Sullivan.

Budd and Sullivan said Dean Arcuri, Dean Rogers, and Stephen Esposito assisted planning the Week of Action.

“We definitely wouldn’t be able to do all we do without the support of administration and how invested they are in making sure like our events are successful so we're really grateful to them,” said Sullivan.

FDM, Up ’til Dawn and Special Olympics Get Spooky FROM HALLOWEEN, PAGE 1

turnout, since RHA and FDM teams include a combined 100 students, plus friends, B+ heroes and their families in attendance. The event is just one of the many FDM fundraisers throughout the year.

Up ’til Dawn, an organization that raises funds and awareness for

St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital, also hosted a Halloween-themed event, the No More Cancer Rally.

Executive Director of Up ’til Dawn Katelyn Cody, FCRH ’21, said that the rally is an event held each semester nationwide by various college organizations to

CASEY CHUN/THE FORDHAM RAM

The Special Olympics Field Day will include a corn hole tournament.

help meet their fundraising goals before the culminating event in March.

Cody said that the name of the rally is a play on words in relation to the “No More Chemo” party that each patient at St. Jude’s has upon completion of their treatment.

“By raising money for research funding and patient care through the Up 'til Dawn program, our goal is for there to be a day in which every child diagnosed with cancer gets to have their ‘No More Chemo’ Party,” she said.

Cody said participants also complete challenges on their laptops to spread awareness for the cause and seek donations from friends and family members.

Special Olympics will host a Halloween field day to support the Special Olympic athletes in New York City.

According to Bridget Malloy, FCRH ’20, president of Special Olympics, it is the first time the club will host a Halloweenthemed event. They will have bocce ball and corn hole tournament on Edward’s Parade with a social afterwards.

Halloween is usually an excuse to scare and frighten – but the university community has taken it upon themselves to use the holiday as a way to fundraise.

Representatives from FDM, Up ’til Dawn and Special Olympics agree, in part, on the allure of the

JOERGEN OSTENSEN/THE FORDHAM RAM

FDM's Trick-or-Treat Trot is a 5k that supports the B+ Foundation.

holiday for their events: the decorative possibilities.

“Halloween is a great time for a fundraiser because it gives us an easy theme for events, and festivities of any kind make it easier to fundraise,” Dussard said.

Cody agreed with Dussard’s sentiments — planning an event during Halloween allows organizers a cohesive theme for decorations, candy and arts and crafts.

But Cody also said that celebrating Halloween at St. Jude’s is a

way for patients to take their mind off of treatment.

Malloy said the Special Olympic event is Halloween-themed to add an element of fun within the decorations and layout.

“We are having an Olympic village with pumpkin painting and a spooky photo booth,” she said.

For any additional information about these events or organizations, visit the Facebook or Instagram pages of FDM, Up ’til Dawn or Special Olympics.

OPINION

Page 6

October 30, 2019

The Fordham Ram

It’s More Than Parties, It’s Politics

By MICHAEL BYRNE

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

“America is more polarized today than ever before.” This is the narrative that’s been circulating in dinner table and cocktail party conversations for the past couple of years, but is that truly the case?

Look at any political articles from the last few years and you’ll see that Democrats and Republicans at Congress are voting more predictably with their party now as compared to the last 30 years.

Turn on cable news and you’ll find a sharp ideological divide between the personalities on Fox News and MSNBC (especially now that noted moderate Shepard Smith has left Fox’s roster). Log on to Twitter and you’ll be swiftly caught in a deluge of vitriolic arguments on pieces of news that dropped five minutes ago.

A higher percentage of Americans politically identify as Independents than either Democrat or Republican.

This isn’t a new development.

According to Gallup, this has been the case for most of political history since 1988.

We so often buy into the story of decontextualized data and anecdotal observation.

We hear the shouting on television and see the capitalized responses on the Internet and think that this is what America has come to.

But what’s really happening is that the vocal sects of each party have found a wider platform, and sensationalism has become the name of the game when it comes to cable

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Though we live in a time of extremely heightened political polarization, both parties have more in common than they think.

news. These things don’t represent the full political scope of Americans, the vast majority of whom don’t pick fights online or tune in to ideologues.

The fringes are more outspoken, but the center is apparently holding.

I will concede for a moment that Independent doesn’t necessarily equate with moderate, though that is certainly the implication.

Notable democratic socialist Bernie Sanders was an Independent until he decided to run for president and switched his affiliation to Democrat.

This move was a necessity for him to be taken seriously as a candidate because there are only two major political parties in the United States.

In other developed nations around the world, multi-party systems are quite popular. Their legislative institutions are open to a more

diverse selection of beliefs, instead of shoehorning radicals and moderates under the same name. How can you see value in a party that has to cater to such a wide array of beliefs?

Furthermore, according to Quartz, the average lifespan of a political party is 43 years.

This allows for governments and their people to account for changing times. In the United States, Democrats or Republicans have controlled Congress for 163 years.

Of course, the politics of each party has shifted, but those incremental alterations cannot be seen nearly as effective as organizing completely new groups.

So why have we been sticking with the same two parties? And why are so many people outraged that each is leaning a bit more towards their side of the spectrum?

This all speaks to a valid concern that a lot of American politics is merely a fight between two sides of the same coin.

The central paradox here is that while Democrats and Republicans have apparently become even stauncher in their political stances over the years, in many ways they still share vital and unsavory traits that allow them both to be categorized under the umbrella of “establishment politics.”

They are both neoliberals at heart.

They both accept vast amounts of corporate money. They are both interested in the continuation of American imperialism.

People invested in or ignorant of those bona-fide American features will often tell you that your ethical dissent is “just politics,” a rhetorical strategy of dismissing civic power.

Some would have you believe that you wear politics like a piece of clothing, that it isn’t fundamental to who you are.

And part of that is true; certainly the institutions of government are not natural phenomena.

But your values are everything, and in our macrosystem of human regulation they are represented by politics.

It’s not just politics, it’s politics. For most of those who have been granted access into the American elite, politics is a game. I mean, we call it the political arena.

After all, the Second Democratic primary debate’s intro was criticized for feeling like the opening of “American Ninja Warrior.” On that same debate stage, we keep hearing each candidate extol the progressiveness of his or her own Medicare plans.

But when it comes to the presidential debate, most of them would sing different songs, toning down the reformist language. It isn’t about doing the right thing; it’s about making the right move.

Politics is about establishing the world we want to live in. And if you’ve already made it to the world you want to live in, then why would you care about politics.

“Democrat” and “Republican” are becoming increasingly insipid terms, standing for both too much and too little.

We the people must feel properly represented for democracy to work.

Michael Byrne, FCLC ‘20, is an English major from Chatham, N.J.

Voluntary Euthansia: Not Just A Hypothetical

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Voluntary euthanasia is not a political issue, but a human rights issue.

By ERICA WEIDNER

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

“Death with dignity” is the term for voluntary euthanasia, the practice of painlessly ending your life with the aid of a medical doctor. It requires informed consent from the person who wants to die, which distinguishes it from “involuntary euthanasia” — murder.

I never put much thought into it until Ema decided to fly to Switzerland to die.

Two years ago, my grandmother,

Ema, took a transatlantic flight to Switzerland so that she could legally end her life. Ema sought the services of Dignitas, a Swiss organization that offers its clients the ability to “die with dignity.”

Why Switzerland? Voluntary euthanasia was, at the time of Ema’s death, legal in seven U.S. states. However, every state required patients to be dying of terminal illnesses. Some even required their patients to have less than six months left to live. The problem was that Ema wasn’t dying.

Her body was healthy and strong

from her years as a winning senior triathlete. This blessing was thwarted when Ema developed Alzheimer’s.

The disease claimed almost everything she loved. Paranoia and confusion ruled her life. Ema, the strong, smart, fearless woman who rode motorcycles and went skinny-dipping, turned into a woman who was scared to walk along the beach after sunset.

My family watched her turn into a shell of the person she once was.

Ema never wanted to live like that.

In her clearer moments, she broached the topic of voluntary euthanasia.

She’d been in support of the idea for years, ever since she read the book “Me Before You.” No one knows what to say when I bring up Ema. Most people offer their condolences. Some bring up their thoughts on the morality and legality of voluntary euthanasia. However, when I learned Ema was going to Switzerland, my concerns shifted from ethical to practical. I didn’t care whether it was right or wrong — I just wanted to know what I was supposed to say.

However, I know how not to talk about voluntary euthanasia. We shouldn’t treat it as a political issue, because it goes beyond politics. We shouldn’t use it as an ethical case study, because ethics has yet to pro-

vide an adequate solution to the harsh reality of these circumstances. These theories and hypotheticals get us nowhere.

Voluntary euthanasia isn’t just a scenario you read about for your Philosophical Ethics class. It isn’t just a political issue to be bandied about on the debate stage. It’s something very real, personal and human. People who haven’t had firsthand experience often forget that and blunder into their arguments. Misconceptions run wild. One friend’s immediate reaction was to tell me that “euthanasia violates the Hippocratic Oath because it does harm.” I didn’t have the time to give him a thoughtful and reasonable response. I have one now: It doesn’t violate the Hippocratic Oath. When people are continually suffering with no hope of relief, death is no longer harmful. People who seek out voluntary euthanasia have no cure for what ails them: terminal cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, complications from horrific accidents.

It isn’t assisted suicide; in fact, it isn’t suicide at all. Suicide stems from desperation, sadness and hatred. Suicide is a horrible thing, and no place should ever allow suicidal people a legal exit. Thus, places like Dignitas have multiple safeguards to keep suicidal people from taking advantage

of legal voluntary euthanasia, which they call “reasoned request and medical proof.

To qualify, Ema needed an appointment booked months in advance, a personal letter explaining why she sought Dignitas’ services and multiple medical reports and notes written by doctors and psychologists.

It isn’t cold and unfeeling, and the doctors who carry it out are not monsters. I think people tend to imagine voluntary euthanasia the same as animal euthanasia: a cold metal examination table and a lethal syringe, or a hastily constructed tent on the side of a horse racetrack.

Voluntary euthanasia is a strange process, and often people don’t know how to talk about it. I don’t claim to have the answers; two years later, many of my questions are still unanswered.

Lay politics aside for a moment and remember that everyone who chooses voluntary euthanasia is a human being, with a human family, who lived a human life. Voluntary euthanasia is, at its core, a human issue. We will get nowhere if we continue to talk about it as though it is anything else.

Erica Weidner, FCRH ‘22, is an English and political science major from Phoenixville, Penn.

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Page 7

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 Director 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.

October 30, 2019

From the Desk | Lindsay Grippo

The Road I Took I once had an English professor who told my class how, as an annual tradition, he taught Robert Frost’s “The Road Not Taken” to all his freshman students.

In doing so, he hoped to provide an alternate interpretation to the one most often held by readers. The speaker’s choice of road — the iconic one less traveled — was not better for being less so, he said, nor was it the “right” one. The speaker’s choice was simply a decision: one of two before him and one that evidently proved worthwhile.

We all face a great many choices in life. With such a diversity of options comes a great deal of anxiety, of fear that we might, in fact, choose incorrectly.

I signed up as a copy editor for The Fordham Ram during my freshman year at Rose Hill as one of several different attempts to thrust myself into collegiate life. My love for words and finding the most beautiful ways to string them together convinced me that helping others’ work become the best it could be would prove a fulfilling way to pass my time at Fordham.

Becoming a copy chief of Volume 100 alongside my partner-in-AP Style Colette Nolan, FCRH ’20, further solidified my investment in the publication as one that deeply mattered to me. I found, at that copy table, something extremely meaningful to give my energy to each week.

I cannot stress enough how important it is for individuals to create

and maintain this sort of positive feedback loop in their lives, whatever this outlet or hobby might look like.

The more I worked at that copy table, the more I learned about the journalistic process; the more I understood this process, the more I came to appreciate it, the more I appreciated the work I was doing, the more of it I found myself wanting and needing to do.

The move to editorial director for Volume 101 shoved me out of a comfort zone I had in one sense developed quite quickly during my time on staff and in another had harbored for a large portion of my life.

Writing with frequency on topics that matter and a position that people look to as a trusted source has been no simple task. The role has pushed me in certain ways and pulled me in others, unarguably shaping the person I am today and continuing to impact the person I will be tomorrow.

Providing the Ram with a voice has, in many ways, guided me in finding my own.

There is significant irony in the fact that contributing to a collective can often be an extremely personal experience. It is easy to underestimate how intimately such work can shape its doer, how giving parts of yourself allows you to receive a notable amount of others. I consider myself lucky that my time with the Ram has been a regular reminder of such valuable lessons.

To experience the publication at

its transitional phase – to have a hand in defining what it will look like in its next century of life – has been at once an immense honor and a bumpy adventure.

If participating in the Ram tears your intellectual, professional and emotional muscle tissue, the people you do it with continually teach you how to fill these gaps with stronger fibers.

The talent, hard work and drive of every person involved in the creation of this paper each week never fail to impress me. The appreciation I have for all of these individuals who have helped me to be better — the people I want to be better for — is something that will never falter, even if our roads take us far from one another.

To those on Volume 100, thank you for giving me the courage to grow and for being exemplary models of who I could aspire to be. Thank you for accepting me into the wonderful world of unadulterated student belonging.

To those on Volume 101, thank you for your endless patience and your enormous trust. Thank you for your unwavering belief in my ability to communicate our collective message.

To the future Volume 102 and all those to come after, I look forward to seeing where you take the Ram in its next era of life. Continue to shed light on the things that matter and continue to pave roads not yet taken.

When I found myself at an endless tangle of crossroads freshman year,

I felt intimidated and overwhelmed, but nonetheless hopeful. Each road looked different; each future looked full of possibility.

I am endlessly grateful that the Ram was a path I decided to take during my time at Fordham.

If I feel at all comfortable, though, to make authoritative statements on the ridiculously subjective question mark that is life (which is to say simply that I do not), this confidence would come from the conviction that no road is inherently a bad one.

My best advice is to just pick. Get in the car, make your decisions one at a time and have a go-to road trip game just in case you hit traffic.

I find myself constantly reminded of my love for this publication and for the people that have made my experience with it so extraordinary.

You have each proved an invaluable travel companion, and you have made all the difference.

Editorial | Sexual Assault

Costumes Do Not Give Consent Editor’s Note: This article contains mention of sexual assault culture.

Halloween is a time to become someone you are not: an explorer, a mermaid, a wizard, a bat.

It is okay — even encouraged – during this time to put on a mask and abandon your usual self, but it is never okay to leave your morals behind, too.

This Halloween, the Ram wants to formally remind everyone in the Fordham community that costumes do not equate to consent, that we must continually check our implicit biases and that the threat of sexual harassment requires our constant vigilance.

People intentionally dress in ways that command attention on Halloween. This practice is part of the fun, but it is also, unfortunately, where much of the problem manifests itself.

The way we dress, particularly for women, has long been seen as a sign of sexual promiscuity. Many people assume that because a someone dresses a certain way, she is open to, asking for or even seeking out sexual advances.

These types of assumptions lead to extremely harmful behavior and even more harmful assumptions about victims’ role in sexual assault.

Abuse is more often about power, not sexual attraction.

It is not wrong to appreciate the attractiveness of someone. It is wrong to assume this attractiveness

is displayed primarily for your gaze, implies any sexual interest or warrants continued solicitation, even if such advances have already been rejected.

We must all attempt to continually reorient our implicit biases that tell us provocative clothing has a role in sexual harassment.

Sexual assault can happen regardless of what the victim is wearing, and victims of sexual assault are not to blame because of how they dress.

People do not inherently consent to anything by wearing a costume they feel good in.

These reminders should resonate all year round, but they become particularly important as we near this upcoming holiday.

Students are at an increased risk of sexual assault during the first few months of their first and second semesters of college, and more than 50% of college sexual assaults occur in either August, September, October or November, according to the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN).

Approximately eight out of 10 sexual assaults are committed by someone known to the victim, says RAINN. People fend off unwarranted sexual solicitations regularly, and during Halloween, these advances can be heightened. Similarly, eccentric costumes offer unique opportunities for individuals to joke around

with their peers in ways that can toe the line between harmlessly annoying and needlessly antagonizing.

Harassment can exist in various forms. Stop Street Harassment defines sexual harassment as catcalls, sexually explicit comments, sexist remarks, homophobic slurs, groping, leering, stalking, flashing and assault, but it is important to respect others’ space and agency in ways that go beyond this list, too.

Though the Office for Public Safety has not been able to recognize any discernible pattern of sexual assault reports around Halloween over the past few years — according to Associate Vice President for Public Safety John Carroll — a lack of reporting does not mean such instances do not occur.

Nearly 80% of rapes and sexual assaults go unreported, according to the U.S. Department of Justice, for reasons varying from shame to fear of retaliation to a lack of trust in the ability of any authority to help.

Carroll notes, however, that the university does recognize an increase in alcohol-related events during this time, including an uptick in assistance the office gives to students in terms of transportation to surrounding hospitals. There is also a noticeable increase in street activity in and around campus grounds.

Public Safety assigns resources off-campus, such as a designated

supervisor who patrols the Belmont Community, and directs additional resources when conditions merit, Carroll says. Similarly, the NYPD deploys extra resources to the area on Halloween as needed.

Fordham does what it can to protect the community on Halloween, and student groups try to raise awareness, as well.

Women’s Empowerment recently held a “Speakout” in Rodrigue’s Coffee House to provide a safe space for survivors of sexual assault, and the United Student Government Committee on Sexual Misconduct hosted its Week of Action for the fall semester this past week.

It is important for students to recognize certain trends to ensure their safety during this time and others.

At least 50% of student sexual assaults involve alcohol, and approximately 90% of rapes perpetrated by an acquaintance do, as well, according to alcohol.org.

Check-in with and check your friends this holiday. Look out for each other and hold one another accountable. Rock your costumes, but understand that even if you dressed as a literal rock, there is potential for a dangerous situation to occur.

Be someone you are not this Halloween, but make sure this person is still one you can be proud of and one you make conscious choices to take care of.

OPINION

October 30, 2019

Page 9

Standardize Prep for a Standardized Test

By NOAH OSBORNE

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

The dreaded SAT exam: the hurdle every student had to deal with just to ensure that they weren’t left behind in the scramble for a place top colleges and universities.

We remember the late nights when we struggled to stay awake studying, the days when we pondered whether our scores were good enough for our top choice and who could forget the almost haunting thought – that this was the most important test of our lives?

The content the SAT draws on is actually not as complex as it is made to look. It assesses students on the fundamentals of algebra, reading comprehension and writing mechanics.

On the surface, the SAT exam sounds like an exam that was perfectly designed, but it is far from infallible.

Colleges tend to exclude prospective students on the basis that their test scores do not correlate with universitiy’s cutoffs. However, the student is not at fault for this, as a student is far more than just a number.

One of the fatal flaws of the SAT: it lacks the personalization aspect necessary to truly provide colleges with a sense of how unique students are beyond the

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Though the SAT, and all of standardized testing, is not a perfect measure of intelligence, it helps colleges with admissions.

numbers of the test.

Students are not standardized.

They have identities that go on to make up the universities which they aspire to attend. So why is it that colleges seem to place a heavy emphasis on standardized test scores?

Typically individuals with more money fair better on the exam, as they have access to more resources to excel at the exam comprehend to their less-affluent counterparts.

Affluent families can afford more courses, practice materials, tutoring and other resources to help their motivated children prepare for the exam, while less welloff students are ultimately left at a disadvantage as they have fewer resources to practice the mechan-

ics of the test.

I don’t believe that the SAT needs to be abolished, as it serves as a gateway to many prestigious colleges and universities.

Without a litmus standardized test, it would prove much more challenging for universities to differentiate between the numerous students applying to attend there.

It has become known that Mayor de Blasio and NYC school chancellor Richard Carranza want to do away with specialized testing in an endeavor to “desegregate” the New York City school system.

However, in doing away with such testing, de Blasio is essentially doing two detrimental things: he makes elite high schools easier to enter, thus eviscerating

any sense of competition in the schools system, and he unjustly diminishes the hard work that other students in the past have had to suffer through by taking away an exam that those students had to endure before.

Instead, legislators can opt to invest in increased study resources for the exam and distribute these resources indiscriminately, regardless of affluence.

Access to education is an inalienable right that all American citizens deserve. However, this is often ignored as disparities in wealth seem to dictate who gets to go to college, such as the nowinfamous Varsity Blues scandal.

To avoid this debacle, instead of ensuring that we abolish stan-

dardized testing, governments should focus more on making the opportunity for a fair education equal for everyone. No one needs an easy pass when applying for top colleges, as it is a very competitive field.

The perfect complement for standardized tests would be standardized test prep. No one should be left out in the cold in terms of test prep.

Hitherto, we should keep the system we have, but amplify it in a manner that it works for everyone: not just America’s most wealthy.

By providing free standardized test prep for all Americans who opt to take the SAT, we would not only be saving parents an expense, but putting more students’ minds at ease, knowing that they have a better chance at excelling having had some standard preparations.

We need standardized testing as we need competition within the college application process.

However, we also need equitable opportunity.

Money should not be what buys something as valuable and priceless as knowledge. Instead, the chance to succeed should be the only price worth paying.

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

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CULTURE

Page 10

October 30, 2019

Cultural Appropriation on Halloween When Costumes Become Harmful

By GRACIE DAVIS

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

There is a difference between cultural appreciation — which usually has elements of fluidity, exchange and education — and cultural appropriation. This line between borrowing and exploitation is unfailingly crossed during the Halloween season.

In an interview with Jezebel, Fordham law professor and author of “Who Owns Culture? Appropriation and Authenticity in American Law” Susan Scafidi defined cultural appropriation. “[It’s] taking intellectual property, traditional knowledge, cultural expressions or artifacts from someone else’s culture without permission. This can include unauthor-

ized use of another culture’s dance, dress, music, language, folklore, cuisine, traditional medicine, religious symbols, etc,” she said.

Cultural appropriation is rooted in colonialism, where colonial powers exploited both the resources and cultures of the people they conquered.

People often borrow certain aspects of a culture that are linked to the underlying pain and suffering of this colonialism and discrimination without realizing that the linkage even exists.

Through not acknowledging that different cultures have different pasts — some more painful than others — this cultural borrowing becomes ignorant and insensitive.

The Huffington Post mentions power relationships as an essential part of determining whether some-

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Amandla Stenberg has spoken out against cultural appropriation before.

thing is borrowing or appropriation: “For example, cultural borrowing from Africa must be considered in the context of historical power asymmetries between Africa and the rest of the world. This is particularly the case with European powers, which developed trading relationships and spheres of influence in Africa.”

The historical power dynamics between continents like Africa and Europe, in which relationships were extractive rather than mutually beneficial, make a huge difference in determining whether cultural borrowing can be hurtful. Borrowers often fail to recognize and compensate the creators of the culture they borrow, similar to the way that colonizers failed to recognize them.

An incredibly offensive appropriation practice that was more common in previous decades, but is still prevalent, is blackface.

Any skin darkening is a blatant form of cultural appropriation. Rather than appreciating culture, skin darkening is an attempt to take on the identity of a culture. The full identity of a culture, however, includes its past, which a person has not lived unless they are genuinely a part of that culture.

Kim Kardashian, among countless other celebrities, has been accused of cultural appropriation on several occasions, most of which involved appropriating African American and hip-hop culture. She has worn Fulani braids and grills, tanned to the point

of looking like she used blackface in a KKW ad and named her shapewear line Kimono (the shapewear line has since been renamed SKIMS in response to backlash about using Japanese culture as a branding opportunity and an unsavory wordplay on her name). Writer Mary Anderson responded to Kardashian’s blunders on Revelist in 2018: “It’s upsetting that grills worn by black people are mocked as low-class, but on Kardashian it’s applauded as a fashion statement.”

Amandla Stenberg, actor and activist, made a similar comment in a YouTube video titled “Don’t Cash Crop My Cornrows,” published in 2015. “Appropriation occurs when a style leads to racist generalizations or stereotypes where it originated, but is deemed as high fashion, cool, or funny when the privileged take it for themselves,” she said.

This is often a criticism of cultural appropriation — that an actual community is discriminated against for a certain aspect of their culture, while others from outside of that culture are praised for adopting it. Fulani braids — also called box braids — and dreadlocks are common examples of this.

Other common elements of cultural appropriation include, but certainly are not limited to, traditional Native American headdresses and clothing, sombreros, ponchos, costumes stereotyping the Romani people, bindis, geisha costumes and

“blaccents.”

The line between appreciating and appropriating becomes fuzzier when considering costumes of characters.

Disney’s Moana costumes received backlash immediately after the movie’s release in 2016. The Maui costume was pulled from shelves eventually due to the brown long-sleeved shirt featuring traditional tattoos worn by Polynesian chiefs. “You’re literally wearing someone else’s identity,” Neal Lester, Arizona State University’s Project Humanities director told USA TODAY. Some refute cultural appropriation as a whole, since no culture is completely original and uninfluenced by another. However, each culture is original in its own ways and has certain rights to its own symbols, clothing and beliefs that others should not attempt to take over.

They should attempt to understand the history of cultures from which they borrow, including any instances of oppression and marginalization. A culture’s entire history must be taken into consideration when borrowing parts of it.

Cultural appropriation can perpetuate harmful stereotypes about a culture and minimize their past and current oppression. When privileged people take elements from cultures that have not been historically privileged and make those aspects into something they can hold temporarily and at will, we need to recognize the harm in it.

Harry Styles’ New Single “Lights Up” Discourse

By SARA TSUGRANIS CONTRIBUTING WRITER

A guitar begins to strum a soft melody and you think you are about to hear a song that could have been written by Shawn Mendes. However, then the bass drops and a synth and low drum are added to the beat, accompanied by a voice that could be no other than Harry Styles. His signature voice is slightly electronically altered. It sounds hazy, as if you are listening to him through the fuzzy speaker in an empty public bathroom.

“Lights Up,” Styles’ new single, keeps you in this trance for the entirety of the song. Fans have been waiting for Styles to release new music since his highly successful first solo album “Harry Styles.”

Styles’ solo debut was a mix of soft acoustics and powerful rock. Many compared him to Mick Jagger, but I disagree. Styles’ sound was not eccentric and in your face the way Jagger commands his listeners. He most definitely commands every song like a true rockstar, but his smooth voice subtly entrances a crowd while it is Jagger’s powerful drawl that grips you.

However, Styles is channeling Jagger in other ways. Jagger notoriously excessively used drugs and Styles has recently been experimenting with substances. In Styles’ Rolling Stone profile, he admits to using psychedel-

ics and the “Lights Up” music video is clearly influenced by these experiences. As sweaty bodies push and pull at Styles you feel as though you have been transported into a Parisian club where you are among the intoxicated crowd surrounding Styles. Other scenes where Styles hangs above his reflection in the river also make you question your senses when he, or the reflection, seems to glitch like a hologram then disappear.

Many have also interpreted the song and video to reflect Harry Styles “coming out” because men and women touch him. His Rolling Stone profile addresses how “He’s dated women throughout his life as a public figure, yet he has consistently refused to put any kind of label on his sexuality.” The video is a confirmation of Styles not only exploring his sexuality, but what he finds as he looks deeper within himself.

Images in the video, such as Styles riding on the back of a motorcycle with no destination, produce an aura of melancholy. This song and video are just a taste of an album that, Styles says in his Rolling Stone profile, is about “sex and feeling sad.” You feel this as he sings “All the lights couldn’t put out the dark/Runnin’ through my heart/Lights up and they know who you are/Know who you are/ Do you know who you are?” Styles feels there is no getting out of his depressed state. He describes the feeling of turning the lights on after sex and

realizing that while this individual knows you in an intimate way, you do not know yourself. Styles is conflicted and questioning himself despite partners and the public audience’s desire to label his sexuality and identity.

This kind of music may seem surprising to those who will forever associate Styles with One Direction, and its popularity doubly shocking.

The single was released with almost zero promotion besides posts saying “Lights Up” that did not say anything about a single being released. The YouTube video currently has over 28 million views.

The song and video speak for themselves, and Styles’ loyal fan base has matured with him for style changes post-One Direction. Styles appeals to new age alternative while remaining a heartthrob and channeling his inner rockstar brought out in his debut album.

Styles is set to host and be the musical guest for “Saturday Night Live” (SNL) on Nov. 16. Such a sudden comeback and the mystery surrounding it has raised the anticipation amongst fans for Styles’ new album.

As I said, the teenage girls who once loved Styles are now young women.

These women are no longer listening to pop tunes about young love.

They themselves are also exploring their sexuality and relate to Styles. His music appeals to them because it is the same voice now singing about topics relevant to them at this stage

in their life. These women are ready for what is to follow “Lights Up,” and I am as well.

The album should live up to the hype if like “Lights Up” the album

ambiguously falls under multiple genres and reveals to us subtly and answers what we all want to know — what is going through Harry Styles’ mind.

COURTESY OF FACEBOOK

Harry Styles’ new single, “Lights Up,” inspired discussion on identity and seuxality.

October 30, 2019

By ELIZABETH HAYWOOD CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Jonathan Eng, FCRH ’23, never expected a ten second clip of him dancing in his bathroom to go viral. When he posted the video to TikTok while on a family vacation in Jordan over the summer, he was just having fun. Now, months later, he has over 160,000 people following him (@j.eng.k). Students across campus know him. Even touring high schoolers recognize him. TikTok propelled him to instantaneous fame, and he’s not the only one who’s experienced this.

In 2019, TikTok dominates the world. Building on the viral nature of formerly popular phone applications like Vine, Dubsmash and Musical.ly, TikTok offers a unique lipsyncing, music-dance experience. Developed by the Chinese company ByteDance, the app has 500 million active users worldwide as of July 2019, according to Kepios Analysis. For comparison, Instagram sees 1 billion users, while other platforms like Linkedin, Snapchat and Twitter have 300 million users. Essentially, TikTok is in the middle, but it’s rising fast.

Many people find TikTok enjoyable because of the number of available features. The platform allows users to share videos of themselves dancing, collaborating with other creators, making funny faces with different filters, completing different trending “challenges” and more.

And when they’re not creating, they can watch other peoples’

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content. TikTok uses a savvy algorithm based on videos users have seen to learn their interests and feed them more, according to John Hermann of The New York Times.

It takes note of whatever videos users watch, profiles they look at and posts they share with friends. TikTok has so many users posting videos each day that the algorithm will never show the same video twice.

The insidiously smart algorithm keeps users satiated and on the app for long periods of time — according to California-based venture

but did not post any of his own content until a couple of months later.

“I posted three videos and woke up the next morning with 2,000 followers and the number just kept growing,” he said.

He had his first viral experience — which is usually when a post gets more than 100,000 shares or likes — after posting a video of him spinning in a chair a few weeks later.

Now, Eng posts regularly and is compensated by TikTok for going “live,” which is a feature available to users with over 1,000 followers.

TikToks.

Eng believes the app is so popular because it’s easy entertainment.

He said that the app is completely reliant on what the audience likes, and people never get bored because the “For You” page always provides new content. Eng enjoys interacting with fans and has even formed close relationships with some international followers. This is one of his favorite things about the app: the way it has connected him with people he never would have met otherwise.

capital company Kleiner Perkins, TikTok users spend an average of 52 minutes per day on the app in 2019.

The app is successful because it appeals to a wide age range as well.

It’s been mostly used by teenagers, but it is quickly becoming popular with adults, too. And while celebrities have profiles, like on Snapchat, many people enjoy the fact that it’s possible for everyday people, like Eng, to become famous on the app.

Eng first downloaded TikTok near the end of his senior year of high school after seeing how much his friends were enjoying the app,

While livestreaming, Eng’s viewers can donate “emotes” of different amounts, which are essentially TikTok’s currency. The emotes convert into diamonds and are placed in the live streamer’s wallet. Once the equivalent of 50 dollars is obtained, the streamer can cash out and receive actual money.

Eng’s content ranges from quirky dances to funny clips. “I find inspiration from things that pop into my mind, and I write them down in the notes app,” he said. Being a TikTok star means always thinking about how you can turn everyday life into

Another Fordham TikTok sensation, Jack deBruin, FCRH ’22, shared his thoughts. His account, @dumbgayandbroke, has over 110,000 followers. deBruin said that he usually uses the app to make dumb jokes — for example, his profile description: “‘jack is the best tik toker known to man’ - god” — or document his makeup looks which, because of the uniqueness of TikTok, he is able to do in different ways each time to keep his profile interesting and fun. deBruin believes that TikTok has gained so many users in such a short

Page 11 time because it combines a lot of the best aspects of other social media sites.

“I like the app because it combines the visual engagement of Vine and the personalization that YouTube has with the quick-paced nature of new content, like on Twitter and Instagram,” deBruin said.

While Eng and deBruin are active on TikTok, some students are not.

Kiara Norris, FCRH ’22, has not downloaded the app because she said she has witnessed how quickly people have become addicted to it.

While she enjoys watching the videos her friends share with her, she doesn’t feel the need to download it herself. She also disapproves of a lot of the material posted on the app.

“There is a lot of material that is inappropriate for young viewers to see and the app does not have age restrictions like other apps to protect minors from watching something they are too young to see,” Norris said.

Muharest Murataj, GSB ’22, shares similar beliefs to Norris. Murataj believes the app is another fad that will eventually fade out. According to him, the “Vine-like social media app” is not worth the hype.

While he applauds the people profiting off the app and using it to spread positive messages, he said that most users are trend-followers instead of trendsetters.

Whether the TikTok phenomenon is seen as good or bad will depend on who you ask. For the moment, though, it doesn’t seem like it is going anywhere.

Suits, Animals and Gems Speckle Fall Fashion

By TAYLOR MASCETTA CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Summer is over. Bathing suits, crop tops and shorts have been thrown into the depths of our closets, forgotten about until next spring. However, the culmination of summer means that autumn has finally arrived — it’s officially sweater weather, and fall trends have begun to appear.

New York Fashion Week (NYFW) along with a large assortment of other shows, first introduced the potential fall trends. Brands including Burberry, Prada and Valentino expressed their ideas for upcoming styles. These trends include various clothing, patterns and materials.

Serving as an alternative to typical trench coats or denim jackets, the cape is a huge trend this fall. These sleeveless coats have popped onto multiple Fall 2019 runways, including Céline, Burberry and Oscar de la Renta.

In a year dominated by Marvel and DC, these capes are partially inspired by the influx of superhero mania.

They add a comfortable sense of flair to simpler traditional outfits. Capes paired with layers, wide-brimmed hats and fringes produce a complete statement look.

Other powerful looks include “super” suits and blazers. These power suits are running abundant, tailored

by the likes of Proenza Schouler and Givenchy. Blazers include pockets (an essential) and give the wearer a sense of confidence and power. Another popular form of this style is nipping the waist by cinching the blazer with a belt.

Deviating from of 2018’s off-theshoulder style, many dresses this year incorporate an asymmetrical neckline. Carolina Hererra, Zimmerman and Kate Spade NY runways’ dresses highlight the collarbone and shoulder without providing a full display of them.

An abundance of styles exist on and off the runway. Charming “ittybitty” bags exploded across social media for their small, yet convenient size. “A small, structured style in a new shape is the statement bag of the season,” Nordstrom’s Creative Director Ruth Basloe told ELLE. Statement hats are also being used to spice up normal outfits — bucket hats, fedoras and berets are currently the most popular. Fleeces, especially by Patagonia, are also trending.

Besides articles of clothing, multiple patterns have erupted across the fashion world. Bright, blossoming designs have been replaced with darker, moodier floral patterns this season.

Plaid proved its staying power this year and provides a cool-girl twist to a simple blazer or pair of pants.

The most popular pattern this sea-

son, though, remains animal print.

Leopard spots, snakeskin, zebra stripes and giraffe prints ran wild across the runways. These patterns pair well with denim and animal-inspired accessories.

Saturated jewel tones embellish many fall 2019 clothes, and they often contrast against neutral backdrops.

Amethyst purple emerged this year due to its incorporated intensity in simpler garb. Lavenders and mauves also dominate with their pale, beautiful shades.

Gold appeared on the radar this year as well, embellishing jewelry and scarves. Other popular jewel tones include sapphire, emerald and ruby.

On the other side of the color spectrum, neon colors have illuminated the trends of the world. Bright pinks, chartreuses and aquamarines shine in comparison to the duller colors of the coming winter.

Besides colors, materials also exude a strong impression over this season’s style. Layered styles such as leather-on-leather are prominent. Examples include leather dresses paired with leather jackets or leather coats associated with worn leather boots.

Feathers have also popped onto 2019 style radars. One of Prada’s collections uses feathers to bring light textures into intense outfits. Typically, sleeves and pant edges are trimmed with feathered fringes. Satin and lace

have also become prominent, and they pair well with lace edges or neon hues.

These various trends, whether a leopard shirt or an extravagant jacket,

help wearers express their creativity.

Don’t get comfortable, though.

The fall season will soon come to an end and before we know it, winter will be upon us.

COURTESY OF TWITTER

Floral prints, among other prints, have been very big in the fashion world this fall.

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October 30, 2019

“Jojo Rabbit” Mocks Nazism with Glee

By MATT DILLON STAFF WRITER

In light of recent political events, it’s hard to believe that even “Thor: Ragnarok” director Taika Waititi could make a Hitler Youth–focused satire watchable.

Thankfully, “Jojo Rabbit” not only succeeds as an indictment of fascism and antisemitism but also as a coming-of-age dark comedy.

Ten-year-old Johannes “Jojo” Betzler (Roman Griffin Davis) keeps his dreams of joining Hitler’s personal guard, dashed by a grenade training exercise gone wrong.

The isolated, fanatical child’s only real comfort is his imaginary friend, an absurd caricature of Hitler (Taika Waititi). The boy’s hateful worldview is challenged when he discovers that his mother Rosie (Scarlett Johanson) has been sheltering Elsa (Thomasin McKenzie), an orphaned Jewish teenager.

It’s easy to imagine “Jojo Rabbit” making a mockery of one of the most horrific periods of human history, but the film largely avoids that issue by using its absurd sense of humor to criticize

fascism. Bizarre gags and exaggerated characters convey that Nazism requires people to detach themselves from not only reality, but also their own humanity.

The film’s satire is reinforced by the best scenes being ones that break from comedy. A real sense of loss and horror builds throughout the film. Even the ending’s life-affirming message can’t counter it.

“Jojo Rabbit” takes its fair share of historical liberties but never at the expense of the tragic reality it draws from.

The almost Wes Andersen–like depiction of Berlin and its bumbling inhabitants is paired with an unflinching look at fascism’s murderous consequences.

“Jojo Rabbit” doesn’t make light of World War II, so much as point to the absurdity of the rituals and beliefs that sustain Nazism.

Despite this, Jojo repeating Nazi ideology is deeply uncomfortable to watch, even if it’s meant to be this way.

TEMPLATE COURTESY OF FACEBOOK GRAPHIC BY KIERAN PRESS-REYNOLDS/THE RAM

“Jojo Rabbit” satirizes Nazism.

His entire character arc consists of overcoming his own indoctrination, which, in turn, informs the viewer of fascism’s insidious nature.

The consistently stellar performances of the cast lends “Jojo Rabbit” a strong sense of soul.

Roman Griffin Davis manages to keep up with the narrative’s constantly shifting emotions.

He brings a real humanity to Jojo, making you root for the boy he could be, rather than the person he is. This conflict is discussed by several characters, but Davis’ performance is what realizes it.

Waititi’s rendition of an imaginary Hitler is reminiscent of similar interpretations in films like “The Great Dictator” and “The Producers.”

However, the farcical aspects quickly transition into something much darker.

This reinforces the film’s core themes, showing that even a child’s imagination can’t temper pure evil.

Although the rest of the actors don’t quite match the lead performances, their contribu-

tions are just as valuable, especially when it comes to the more human aspects of the story.

Nowhere is this better represented than in McKenzie’s role as Elsa. The maturity and nuance she brings to her character goes a long way in preventing the film from becoming a distasteful romp in Nazi Germany. Elsa’s encounters with Jojo engage with a wider range of emotion than most other films manage to cover at all.

“Jojo Rabbit” hinges around every actor’s in-depth performance, but few of the characters leave as much of an impact as Elsa.

“Jojo Rabbit” is the sort of once-in-a-generation film that succeeds both in spite, and because, of its central premise.

Conceptually, it’s repugnant, but the concerted effort of talented artists make it more than acceptable. This film sounds like the last thing that needs to be in theaters at a time when far-right populism is on the rise, but “Jojo Rabbit” offers the insightful, characterdriven social commentary we need right now. On top of all that, it’s one of the rare films that will make you laugh just as much as it will make you cry.

“Greener Grass” Puzzles Rex Orange County

By KAYCIE SANTIAGO CONTRIBUTING WRITER

“Greener Grass” is an American comedy film directed by Jocelyn DeBoer and Dawn Luebbe. In their directorial debuts, they craft a surreal and absurd film that characterizes modern suburbia in a bizarre manner.

Throughout this pastel, sunbleached rendering, the viewer is whisked into a world where adults wear braces on already straight teeth, everyone drives golf carts, and children have the capacity to miraculously transform into golden retrievers.

“Greener Grass” hilariously generates discomfort which prevails throughout the film with the use of close-up shots. These shots show the mouths and facial expressions of characters in a way that is almost too personal, wholly immersing the viewer in the film’s awkward universe.

It begins with a scene in which two mothers, Jill (Jocelyn DeBoer) and Lisa (Dawn Luebbe), watch their children play a school soccer game from the sidelines. As they engage in conversation, Lisa coons over the beauty of Jill’s infant, Madison. To establish the comedic nature of the film, Jill forgets about her baby’s existence and cheerfully offers her child to Lisa. When Lisa immediately accepts, the viewer realizes that “Greener Grass” is going to be a very strange comedy. Through stoic and stifled performances, DeBoer and Luebbe carry the film on their shoulders.

As the film progresses, Lisa attempts to take over every single aspect of Jill’s life. In doing so, she first claims Madison as her own by renaming her Paige. This serves to integrate Paige as a part of Jill’s family and make Paige a symbol of the deepseated conflict that exists within their

frenemy dynamic. While this conflict alone would create a film with a centralized storyline, the film deviates by implementing a subplot involving a psychotic yoga teacher who shakes the suburb’s residents by murdering a grocery store clerk.

This greatly affects the residents when the crime occurs in a grocery store, an establishment central to the suburban nuclear family. However, it is not necessarily a part of Lisa’s effort to adopt aspects of Jill’s life as her own. In the midst of the murder investigation, Lisa and Jill fight for acceptance in a world which appears indifferent to their struggle.

This significantly lowers the stakes of their struggle and decreases the film’s overall quality.

“Greener Grass” also incorporates strange tidbits which push the film forward in the midst of a decentralized story. For instance, Jill’s husband, Nick (Beck Bennett), finds himself hilariously attracted to the taste of pool water and Lisa discovers

that she is pregnant with a soccer ball.

These unexpected developments add to the film’s comedic value but fail to enhance the viewer’s emotional investment in the characters.

Overall, the scenes resemble deadpan comedy sketches, making good use of sardonic and absurdist humor.

While the scenes are tied together as comedic relief, it makes the storyline difficult to follow. This structure also complicates the viewer’s ability to correlate the film’s developments vis-à-vis the frenemy relationship between Jill and Lisa.

While many of the scenes made me chuckle, the execution of the film’s foundational story left me dissatisfied. The absurd incongruity of “Greener Grass,” however, somewhat convinces the viewer to continue watching.

Overall, while the film’s uniqueness may elevate it to a cult-classic, there is little reason one has to view this beyond for its comedic gimmicks.

COURTESY OF TWITTER

“Greener Grass” is an absurd comedy film that immerses the viewer.

Lilts Melodically Across “Pony”

By SAM HADELMAN CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Two years ago, Rex Orange County had his breakthrough moment — he featured on Tyler, the Creator’s “Flower Boy.” Since then, though, he’s been amiss.

With only a handful of singles across these last 24 months, the anonymity of Rex Orange County grew large.

Though he had other projects out, like “Apricot Princess” and “Bcos U Will Never Be Free,” they didn’t clearly indicate which direction his career was going in.

Before his new album, “Pony,” we had not seen what fame and attention would do to his musical output.

Sometimes when an artist has a spontaneous breakthrough release, the work that follows is constantly held up to it, maligned for not being as good. This happened with the rapper Desiigner, for example.

This LP, therefore, raises a very important question: Can Rex Orange County carry a full project withstanding the burning eyes of mainstream attention?

The first thing that struck me was how mature the album is.

Throughout the LP, the tone is completely different from his previous work — and yet Rex manages not to distance himself from the sound that made him popular.

Rather than undergo a complete musical metamorphosis, Rex’s sound evolved.

This feels like a risky move in today’s world, where most artists drastically change their sound and image when debuting a record, it’s almost like reinventing yourself is expected with newfound fame.

Of all the aspects of Rex’s music, his instrumentation develops the most on “Pony.”

On tracks like “It Gets Better,” Rex makes his laid back, strippeddown sound excitable and lively.

His use of orchestral sound layers the album, giving it a grand and expansive atmosphere.

The most impressive track on the album is the lead single, “10/10.” It showcases Rex’s masterful ability to convey melancholy. His bittersweet revelations of growth and turmoil are immaculate.

This track is not one of the more expansive songs — the instrumentation is quite light and simplistic — but it doesn’t matter, because the lyrics steal the show.

His pen is nostalgic, reminiscent of Oasis and Pavement. However, he adds a hyper-focused aspect that reflects the insecurities of millennials.

Another stand-out track is “Pluto Projector.” This grandiose record conveys the full depths of Rex’s potential. The instrumentation is reminiscent of Mac Miller’s “Swimming” with an indie twist.

“Pony” is for everyone. It is accessible yet intimate to any listener. To answer the original question: Yes, Rex Orange County will survive in today’s musical climate.

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October 30, 2019 Robyn – “Dancing On My Own” (2010) Even though it never charted on the Billboard Hot 100, Robyn’s “Dancing On My Own” shaped the future of pop music, combining genres from classic rock to disco with refreshing vulnerability and a powerful message. The electro-pop ballad’s upbeat, pulsing synths contradict the Swedish popstar’s warm, achy vocals, which tell listeners to embrace selflove and transcend society’s relationship standards, as being alone is a love story in itself.

Katy Perry – “Teenage Dream” (2010) One of the five number one hits from Katy Perry’s sophomore album, “Teenage Dream,” combines Perry’s signature pop hooks with a retro, disco-rock sound and proved that the California singer was more than just a quirky, over-the-top performer.

The song’s bright, romantic melody and nostalgic vibe showcased the strength of Perry’s voice, while also taking listeners on the euphoric journey of falling in love for the first time.

Kanye West – “Runaway” (2010) Kanye West’s signature, blatantly honest style hallmarks his 2010 anthem “Runaway.” The Chicago rapper apologizes for his arrogance, yet implies that he cannot change. Many view the track as a response to his 2009 VMA stunt involving Taylor Swift. However, the song stands alone as a hauntingly beautiful masterpiece. The track’s soulful, eerie production and reflective lyrics combine to create one of hip-hop’s greatest moments, considered by many to be West’s best track ever.

Drake – “Marvin’s Room” (2011) Even though “Marvin’s Room” never reached the Billboard chart’s top 20, this song may be the boldest Drake has ever recorded. The Canadian rapper tears down his walls on this vulnerable track. Featuring snippets of a voicemail left by his exgirlfriend and a completely honest self-examination, “Marvin’s Room” gave listeners an inside-look at the megastar’s life and a new appreciation for emotion in the rap genre.

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Gotye ft Kimbra – “Somebody That I Used To Know” (2011)

Rihanna ft Mikky Ekko – “Stay” (2012)

Hozier – “Take Me to Church” (2013)

Covered and remixed countless times, “Somebody That I Used to Know” has become Gotye’s most successful song. Selling over 13 million copies worldwide, it is one of the best-selling digital singles of all time and has been described by Lewis Corner as “a Bon Iver-styled ballad for the music-buying masses.” Featuring pounding drums, reggae hooks, hushed vocals and a melodic rhythm, the track’s an iconic breakup anthem.

The Barbados-born popstar showcased a more vulnerable side of herself on the 2012 ballad “Stay.”

Featuring a simple piano and guitar instrumental, “Stay” highlights the star’s honesty and emotional connection with listeners. Rihanna’s passion seeps through and proves her tender love songs can be just as popular as her up-tempo dance hits.

Released as a free download and recorded in his parent’s attic, “Take Me to Church” was Irish musician Hozier’s debut single. The song skyrocketed to worldwide popularity, topping the charts in 12 countries and tying the record for most weeks spent at number one on rock radio.

Comparing a lover’s relationship to religion, the lyrics sparked controversy. Still, all listeners can appreciate the epic buildup of the chorus and Hozier’s unmatched vocals.

Adele – “Rolling in the Deep” (2011) As the lead single from her megaselling breakup album “21,” “Rolling in the Deep” transformed Adele into a global star. The ballad’s unusual style showcases the British singer’s vocal confidence as she transitions between the stomping anger of the verses and the sadness of the chorus.

Adele’s vocal control on “Rolling in the Deep” captured the world’s attention, and the young Brit’s poise and authority shocked listeners.

Vampire Weekend – “Hannah Hunt” (2013) Although “Hannah Hunt” is not indie rock band Vampire Weekend’s most well-known song, it is arguably their best. Lead singer Ezra Koening pushes his voice to its breaking point, as it transforms from curdling croon to cry when he yells, “If I can’t trust you then damn it, Hannah!” This hair-raising moment takes listeners by surprise no matter how many times they have heard it, making the song one of the decade’s most unforgettable, transcending the indie realm.

Sam Smith – “Stay With Me” (2014) “Stay With Me” served as Sam Smith’s breakthrough song and was the highlight track on his four-time Grammy winning debut album, “In the Lonely Hour.” The gospelinspired ballad introduced listeners to the British crooner’s raw, bluntlyhonest style and soulful voice. With layered vocals and aching simplicity, “Stay With Me” is a classic that will be remembered for decades.

REWIND THE 2010 s SINGLES: ROLLING IN THE OLD TOWN ROAD WRITTEN BY ALEXANDRA LANGE; LAYOUT BY KIERAN PRESS-REYNOLDS

Taylor

Swift – “Blank Space” (2014)

Kendrick Lamar – “Alright” (2015)

Funny, self-aware and clever, the song demonstrated Swift’s songwriting prowess. The country-turned-pop star takes advantage of her reputation as a romantic as she owns her failed relationships and allows the gossip to add an ironic twist to the melodic hit.

On top of a simple instrumental that leaves just enough space for the lyrics to resound, Swift’s vocals shine and appeal to fans of all genres.

It’s not often that a song can serve as both festival banger and political chant. “Alright” preaches a powerful message of optimism in the face of hardship — that no matter what, “We gon’ be alright!” The track was released near the beginning of the Black Lives Matter movement and resonated as an anthem showcasing the resilience of black people everywhere.

Tame Impala – “Let It Happen” (2015) Mark Ronson ft. Bruno Mars – “Uptown Funk” (2014) The soul, boogie and disco-pop groove of Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars’ “Uptown Funk” takes listeners back to the era of ’80s funk music.

Filled with lyrics addressing fashion, confidence and masculinity, the Grammy-winning track takes oldschool sounds and gives them a modern energy and charm. Thanks to its generation-spanning popularity, the happy, danceable song is bound to be played at every wedding from now until forever.

Released as the first single from Tame Impala’s 2015 “Currents,” “Let It Happen” introduced a new era for the Australian band. Lead singer Kevin Parker, praised by Ian Cohen as “a classic rock voice with an electronic producer’s mind,” breaks free of musical norms on the track by using elaborate filters, manipulated vocals and psychedelic ambience.

The song’s disco groove, made possible by punchy drums and elaborate synths, asserted Tame Impala’s place, as true originals in the midst of a psych-rock revival, defining a generation.

Frank Ocean – “Nights” (2016) Transitioning from upbeat to dark production, Ocean draws a line between past and present, day and night and nostalgia and regret. Recounting the story of his cocaine addiction following Hurricane Katrina, the beat switch reflects the New Orleans native’s emotional journey with drugs and their impact on his relationships.

“Nights” signaled a shift in the genre of R&B.

Lil Uzi Vert – “XO Tour Lif3” (2017) Leaked to SoundCloud without his label’s knowledge, using a beat that was recorded on an old computer and a Beats Pill, “XO Tour Lif3” defied the odds and launched trap rapper Lil Uzi Vert into the national spotlight. Gloomy lyrics like “Push me to the edge, all my friends are dead” and “Xanny help the pain,” paired with Uzi’s pop-punk delivery, established him as one of hip-hop’s most unique voices and biggest personalities and put SoundCloud rap on the board for the first time.

Ed Sheeran – “Shape of You” (2017)

Travis Scott – “SICKO MODE” (2018)

Since its release in early 2017, the dancehall-pop hit “Shape of You” has become Spotify’s most streamed song and Youtube’s second mostwatched video of all time. Its tropical xylophone riff puts a new twist on the British singer’s iconic sweet-seductive vocals, ushering in a new era for Sheeran. With a catchy harmony and danceable groove, it’s no wonder why it is now the world’s most popular song.

Travis Scott pushed his creativity to its limits on “Astroworld.” With three beat switches and a Drake feature, “SICKO MODE” takes listeners on a roller coaster with twists and turns at every corner. Becoming the Cactus Jack CEO’s first number one on the Billboard Hot 100, and the first hip-hop song to spend at least 30 weeks in the top 10, this banger was a cultural phenomenon.

Luis Fonsi & Daddy Yankee ft.

Justin Bieber – “Despacito” (2017) The Spanish dance hit had already been streamed millions of times before adding Bieber on the remix, which then topped the Billboard Hot 100 for 16 weeks and became the most-watched YouTube video of all time. The popularity of this Spanishlanguage pop track has been credited with popularizing Latin pop music consumption in the United States, often being referred to as the “Despacito effect.”

Lil Nas X – “Old Town Road” (2019) “Old Town Road” inspired thousands of internet memes and parodies.

Overcoming controversy regarding its genre, the country-rap hit became the longest running Billboard number one, spending 19 weeks on top.

With many remixed versions featuring legends like Billy Ray Cyrus and young Internet sensations like Mason Ramsey, “Old Town Road” took over the world and will be remembered as one of the decade’s most iconic songs, whether you liked it or not.

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October 30, 2019

Who’s That Kid? | It’s Shannon Zipfel, FCRH ’21!

Junior Takes Her Passion for Art History Abroad

By ELIOT SCHIAPARELLI ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR

Every Sunday around 8:30 a.m., while most students are still recovering from their weekends, Shannon Zipfel, FCRH ’21, boards the D train and heads to the Rubin Museum, where she helps run its Family Sunday program.

She helps plan crafts that teach kids about art, and let them have fun and be creative. Right now, in honor of Diwali, the Hindui festival of lights, the program is making Diyas out of model magic decorated with beads and markers. Zipfel’s is the model.

The Rubin internship started as a Sunday volunteer position when Zipfel was a sophomore and became a part time internship over the summer. She heads downtown to the museum on Tuesdays as well to help plan for Sundays, work on administrative tasks and plan workshops for school groups.

“It’s really exciting to work in a museum because that’s where I’ve always wanted to be,” said Zipfel. “I think working in the education center is a good way to start considering careers in the museum field because it’s engaging directly with people who come to the museum and you

have to start thinking about ‘how am I going to teach these people about what art and culture mean in an accessible way.’”

As an art history major with a global concentration and a particular interest in Buddhist art, Zipfel is well situated for her career.

The Rubin is not the only meaningful art-related opportunity Zipfel had this summer.

Funded by the Stark Family Prize, she traveled the south of Spain to Cordoba, Seville and Granada to see Islamic architecture in situ. Zipfel won the grant by submitting a proposal of the Mosques, palaces, alcazars and gardens she would visit.

She asked to study the history and architecture of the area while looking specifically at the time period where Muslims, Christians and Jews all lived together and collaborated, making significant advances in science, technology and architecture. She visited places like Alhambra, Alcazar de Los Reyes, Mezquita de Cordoba, Catedral de Sevilla and Madinat al-Zahra.

“It was very unexpected and I was very honored to have this chance,” said Zipfel. “I had never traveled out of the country before, so this was one of the most exciting things that could happen to me, and I feel like it will impact my future career in art history.”

Back at school, Zipfel serves as the editor in chief of The Ampersand, Fordham’s literary magazine.

She said she served on the board of her high school’s literary magazine and wanted to keep writing.

“It’s a good way to process what you’re thinking in a creative fashion,” said Zipfel. “It gets more of your emotions out than writing them down straight forward. It’s more specific to you than a universal approach.”

The Ampersand meets as a club on Wednesdays at 8 p.m. and gives students the opportunity to practice writing through exercises and critiques of their work. The club also publishes spring and fall magazines filled with student work produced both at and outside the club. Zipfel said she encourages anyone who is thinking about submitting to do so.

“I think The Ampersand is really exciting,” said Zipfel. “There’s not a lot of places that will publish student work and it can be intimidating to send things in and I think the Ampersand is a very accessible way to publish your writing. I think it’s a great thing to have at Fordham.”

Zipfel’s creative and academic pursuits are not all she does. She is also a member of the Pedro Arupe

Volunteer Council that puts together one-time volunteer opportunities that connect students to the Bronx and New York.

Events she has helped plan include weekend opportunities to volunteer at a soup kitchen, Midnight Run (to hand out food to people experiencing homelessness), the Health and Resource Fair (which is

coming up on Nov. 3) and Ignatian Family Teach In for Justice, which is Nov. 16 — 18 this year.

Zipfel will tell her story at Our Story on Nov. 21. She said she has been going since the group started, and the stories have always been impactful. After she was nominated this year, she realized she had a story she wanted to tell.

COURTESY OF SHANNON ZIPFEL

Shannon Zipfel, FCRH ’21, interns at the Rubin Museum.

MoMA’s Reopening Expands Museum's Diversity

By SARAH LOBDELL

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

After four months of renovation, the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) reopened its doors on Monday, Oct. 21.

Although construction began this past June, MoMa’s website explains that architects Diller Scofidio + Renfro, in collaboration with Gensler, worked with MoMA to develop renovation plans for the expansion years before it became a reality. The $450,000,000 project adds more than 40,000 square feet in gallery spaces to the existing campus.

According to MoMA, the purpose of the expansion is to give the museum the opportunity to display significantly more art in new and reimagined ways.

The museum hopes to change the way visitors view and interact with the art by installing new pieces and rearranging old ones.

In the 1920s, prominent art patrons Lillie P. Bliss, Mary Quinn Sullivan and Abby Aldrich Rockefeller created the museum to challenge the conservatism of the time, according to MoMA’s website. The museum wanted

to rebel against the dominant ones of the ’20s and create a space where nontraditional art could be recognized and appreciated.

Despite challenging the status quo, its grand opening in 1929 received a warm welcome from the public. The museum’s popularity continued, and it had to relocate to three consecutively larger locations over the course of the decade. Ultimately, it settled on its midtown location on West 53rd Street in 1939, where it is still operating today.

According to MoMA, “[the new spaces] will offer a deeper experience of art through all mediums and by artists from more diverse geographies and backgrounds than ever before.” Although progressive women who strove to break artistic and social norms founded the museum, MoMA has struggled to showcase women and artists of various ethnic backgrounds throughout the last century.

Time Magazine calls attention to the fact that the museum only had its first solo exhibition by a female artist in 1942, more than a decade after its opening. Time recognizes that the gender inequality persisted into 1984,

COURTESY OF FLICKR

The MoMA reopened on Oct. 21 after four months of renovations.

when the MoMA hosted the International Survey of Painting and Sculpture. Of the 150 artists the museum chose to showcase at the convention, less than 10% were women.

Despite this glaring inequality, Time explains that the renovation plans aspire to close this gender gap.

However, the renovation plans not only strive to highlight women’s artistic achievements but also seek to more thoughtfully honor the diversity of New York City and the world.

According to artnet news, “the curators plan to spotlight the work of women, African American, Asian and Latino artists who have been previously overlooked in the collection.” MoMA’s chief curator, Ann Temkin, spoke to artnet about making the museum more inclusive.

“Many, many regions that once seemed peripheral don’t seem that way any more, they seem central,” she said. New galleries aim to highlight minority work, including Betye Saar’s “The Legends of the Black Girl’s Window” and “Sur moderno: Journeys of Abstraction The Patricia Phelps de Cisneros Gift.”

Although tickets cost $25 for adults and $14 for students, the renovation included a few street-level galleries that are free to the public.

According to MoMA’s website, the museum want to bring art to the people of New York City and create a more inclusive environment for artists and viewers alike. The street level galleries will include works by contemporary artists, including Yoko Ono, Experimental Jetset, Kerstin Brätsch, Goshka Macuga, Philippe Parreno and Haim Steinbach.

While MoMA’s expansion allowed for the reorganization of their preexisting artwork, it also provides

space for a few new exhibitions. One of these exhibitions includes the Marie Josée and Henry Kravis Studio.

Visitors are invited to engage directly with the artists and their works. The museum describes the space as a place for live events, showcasing “performance, music, sound, spoken work and expanded approaches to the moving image.”

The studio is located in the middle of the museum to represent how live art, like other mediums such as painting and sculpting, is situated within the realm of art history. In fact, according to MoMA’s website, the studio is the world’s first space dedicated to live, interactive art centrally located and integrated into a museum’s overall framework.

As stated by MoMA, the New Marie Josée and Henry Kravis Studio seeks to enrich the living history of modern and contemporary art by including more regularly-scheduled interactive art pieces to their collection.

Although live art is often sidelined, the museum explains that creating such a large space for it gives them the opportunity to support artists who strive to “create new ways of engaging with audiences and experiment with new art forms.”

Right now, the sound installation “Rainforest V,” occupies the studio.

David Tudor created this project with everyday objects such as metal barrel, plastic tubing and computer hardware. According to MoMA, Tudor’s objects are fitted with sonic transducer and suspended in space to increase their resonance.

Each object creates a unique sound according to its physical properties and resonant frequencies. MoMA describes the cumulative effect as “a polyphonic chorus of diverse voices that evoke the natural world.” Visi-

tors are invited to walk around the sound environment to appreciate the uniqueness of the structures and hear the vibrations harmonize from different spots in the room.

The museum also has a new exhibition called “Handles.” The exhibition features six active sculptures, surrounded by black and holographic geometric shapes and handles on the walls to represent material catalysts for change.

According to MoMA, Haegue Yang’s project creates “a ritualized, complex environment with both personal and political resonance.” In addition to the rattling noise that the sculptures make when visitors touch them, there is also a birdsong noise permeating the space.

This birdsong was recorded at the historic summit in 2018 and, although it was intended to capture the tense conversations between the North and South Korean leaders about the demilitarized zone between the two countries, it only picked up the sounds of chirping birds in the background.

“The Black Girl’s Window” is another new exhibition, which celebrates the diversity of modern and contemporary art. Betye Saar’s autobiographical assemblage features her unique ability to tell a complex story through the art of printmaking.

Her prints focus on her family, African American history and mysticism throughout her life.

These exhibitions are only open until January 2020. However, if you cannot make it to MoMA before then, there are new and exciting works waiting to be put on display in their place in addition to the permanent galleries, which feature classics such as Van Gough’s “Starry Night” and Warhol’s “Gold Marilyn Monroe.”

CULTURE

October 30, 2019

Page 15

Vanessa’s Dumpling House Does Not Disappoint

By CHRIS CAPUANO COLUMIST

The Receipt 4 Fried Dumplings (Pork & Chive): $2.00 Sesame Pancake (w/ Roasted Beef): $3.75 3 Pork Fried Buns: $3.00 Total: $8.75 The Review Among the many bustling neighborhoods of Manhattan, Chinatown is arguably the most hectic. Within Chinatown, there are many lively restaurants worth visiting. With the largest ethnic Chinese population outside of Asia, it makes sense that New York City has the most authentic Chinese food in the western hemisphere.

While I could probably write a cheap eats column exclusively on Chinatown, I’ll recommend instead that you find your own favorite restaurant, as you really can’t go wrong. If you’re looking for a place to start, Vanessa’s Dumpling House is as good a place as any.

Opened on Eldridge Street in Chinatown in 1999 by Vanessa herself, who is originally from Beijing, Vanessa’s Dumpling House has since expanded to three more locations in FiDi, Williamsburg and Long Island City (its website

COURTESY OF CHRIS CAPUANO/ THE FORDHAM RAM

Vanessa’s Dumpling House has expanded to three New York City locations. says there are five total locations, but only four are listed).

Since I was in the area, I visited the original in Chinatown, and I will say, with as much authority as a native Long Islander is granted, that the expansions were warranted.

I visited Vanessa’s on a Wednesday afternoon at about 1:30 p.m.

The small space was nearly overflowing with what seemed to be a healthy mix of local residents, students and tourists. Suprisingly, the line moved rather quickly.

In other words, take a look at the menu outside to get an idea of what you want. Upon entering, you’ll see a few tables on the left and the counter on the right, just behind which

you’ll see the mouth-watering creation of dumplings, noodles, sesame pancakes and more. All of this is promptly packaged and given to hungry customers.

Vanessa’s is cash-only, Apple Pay fans, beware.

After ordering and braving a brief wait at the counter, I returned to the crowded table where my friend sat — be prepared to make friends, as there’s a fair chance you’ll be sitting with others — with a heaping tray of dumplings, buns and sandwiches.

Like most of the dumpling shops throughout Chinatown, the dumplings themselves can be acquired for a reasonable

price. Two dollars gets you four fried dumplings (boiled dumplings come in increments of eight, and are generally between $4.00 and $5.00, depending on the filling.

The dumplings, while I don't claim to be a connoisseur, are among the best I’ve had, with the dough crispy on the outside and not too thick or thin, and the pork and chive filling (a good starting point) flavorful and delicious.

Therefore, as far as being a dumpling house, Vanessa’s certainly lives up to its name.

Despite the restaurant’s name, though, the dumplings were not the MVP of the meal. Instead, it was the sesame pancake sand-

wich that stole the show. Sesame pancakes are thin, round breads common in northern Chinese cuisine, and are delicious on their own (you can try a plain one for $1.75).

However, Vanessa’s stuffs a wedge of sesame pancake with a filling of your choice — there are seven options; I went with roasted beef. This creates a sandwich that, for under $4.00, is hard to beat anywhere in Chinatown or New York City as a whole.

The thin, yet fluffy sesame pancake combined with the beef, cilantro, carrot and cucumber filling constitutes what must be among the most filling (and delicious) $3.75 you can spend (and, for what it’s worth, really puts into perspective the $5.00 water bottle 12 miles north at Yankee Stadium).

Vanessa’s Dumpling House is one of many authentic Chinese spots in what is one of the most authentically Chinese areas of the world outside of China. While its dumplings are great, and undoubtedly worth getting four for $2.00, the sesame pancake sandwiches are the true gem at Vanessa’s.

Though I'm not advocating for a name change to Vanessa’s Sesame Pancake Sandwich House (it definitely doesn’t have the same ring), I nonetheless believe that they are what sets Vanessa’s apart from the many bustling restaurants in the bustling neighborhood of Chinatown.

The Ram Crossword: It's Spooky Season Across 1 Halloween’s goal 6 French singer Edith 10 Bottle stopper 14 Lady 15 Frozen rain 16 Trout's home 17 A low cloud can be called 19 In _ ___ (Dazed) 20 Halloween Horror icon 23 Bill Gates’ invention 24 Sports league featuring ex-

tremley tall men 25 Friendly ghost 29 Old computer monitor connector 30 Spielberg’s alien film 31 One’s reaction when they see a ghost 32 Weakness 36 Therefore 37 Star no more 38 Distorted 41 Megan’s instrument 42 Bloodsucker

43 New Jersey beachtown, abbr.

44 A laugh 46 Bond, for one SPY 47 “Come on ______” 49 Scooby___ 50 Kansas City’s State, abbr.

52 Creator of a monster 57 Smell 60 Sharp 61 To postpone 62 Flintstones’ pet 63 The intense angers of many people.

64 Online shopping mecca 65 Chef Paula 66 Casual refusal 67 Former Mets shortstop Jose

1 Where Shrek lives 2 A funny fellow 3 Singers need this 4 Poison ivy symptom 5 Jumble up 6 Text on front of Sixers’ Jersey 7 “_ ___ to please” 8 Lofty 9 Sheep’s coat 10 Skip and you won’t pass.

11 Fool 12 Wrestling move 13 Beer holder 21 Online cash-back deal 22 Subway crawler 26 A series opener 27 Hankering ANSWERS TO ISSUE 15

CREATED BY: KEVIN DINEEN

Down

ANSWERS IN ISSUE 19

28 _____ Island 29 Make sure to check this 32 Violin opening 33 Synagogue leader 34 “Which hath been smooth __ ___”: Shakespeare 35 Yes or no, for short 36 Sports award 38 Flatscreen 39 Aired previously 40 Fraud 44 Joaquin Phoenix movie

45 Elder Skywalker 48 High School Musical star 49 Dim-witted 50 A thousand, in French 51 First-year law students 53 Roman Emperor 54 Retain 55 ____ Impala 56 Online store 57 Different 58 Stop working 59 Single

CULTURE

Page 16

October 30, 2019

“Looking for Alaska” Potrays Mental Health Well

On Oct. 18, Hulu released all eight episodes of its latest miniseries, “Looking for Alaska,” based on John Green’s novel of the same name. Focusing on a group of friends at an Alabama boarding school, the show tackles the topic of mental health in a poignant and respectful way. (Caution: major spoilers ahead!)

When viewers tune in to the first episode of the show, titled “Famous Last Words,” the show is prefaced by a short introduction by leading cast members.

Charlie Plummer, who plays Miles “Pudge” Halter, and Kristine Froseth, who plays Alaska Young, warn the viewers not to drink and drive as well as encourage them to seek help if they are struggling with mental health issues.

The show has partnered with several important organizations including The Jed Foundation, Mental Health America and the National Alliance on Mental Illness. All of these resources are available at hulu.com/looking-foralaska-resources, which is listed at the end of every episode.

The television series chronicles

the boarding school adventures of Pudge, Alaska and their friends Takumi and The Colonel. The gang is a magnet for mischief, engaging in a prank war with their classmates.

However, as the show progresses, the tone grows more ominous and a countdown at the end of each episode dwindles down. By episode five, the show has reached “One Day Before,” and it becomes clear to the viewer that Alaska is struggling.

After she reveals her guilt from the traumatic death of her mother, Alaska begs Pudge and The Colonel to help her leave campus, and she drives away one night in the rain.

“Looking for Alaska” is a portrayal of mental health that resists the simplicity of many television and film depictions. Alaska’s ultimate death after a brutal car accident reads suspicious almost immediately, as Pudge and The Colonel remember the hysterical state she was in when she left. It is revealed that Alaska made no attempt to swerve from the parked police vehicle that she hit. Though she was intoxicated at the time, considering her previous behaviors, her friends suspect that the accident was a deliberate

attempt to end her life.

In recent years, Netflix’s “13 Reasons Why” received massive pushback and criticism for its portrayal of adolescent mental health, specifically its handling of the main character's suicide. “13 Reasons Why” took measures to correct its mistakes after the fact by providing more mental health resources and adding a preface video, similar to that seen before “Looking for Alaska.”

They also opted to completely remove the scene that graphically depicted the main character’s suicide. But as many critics have pointed out, it is too late.

However, the following two seasons were both heavily criticized, with one reviewer from The Guardian writing, “the new season confirms how the series has no moral compass at all.”

Though the show is similarly based on an early 2000s young adult novel by Jay Asher, the television adaptation quickly departs from the book material.

They add the suicide attempt of another character to the end of the first season, perhaps to keep viewers engaged for a second season. In season two, the finale culminates with a thwarted school shooting attempt.

Instead of handling the topic with care, the portrayal was ultimately lazy and insensitive, with the entire storyline being practically ignored in the next season.

Season three shifts gears, promoting itself as a murder mystery

after the death of the show’s main antagonist.

“Looking for Alaska” does right what “13 Reasons Why” did wrong. Though Alaska’s friends want to understand what happened, they ultimately realize that it will not change what happened.

As one writer from TV Guide described it, “The most essential thing the miniseries does is show that Alaska’s death wasn’t justifiable — that whether her accident was exactly that, or the purposeful taking of her own life, or a mix of both, what happened to her was a tragedy.”

“13 Reasons Why” often acts like Hannah’s death can somehow be made worthwhile by having the recipients of her tapes realize how they hurt her. But no matter how much remorse her classmates may have, Hannah is still dead.

Her death is final, and the show’s attempt to keep her presence through voiceover or even a complete hallucination completely ignores this.

“Looking for Alaska” takes an honest and heartfelt portrayal that shows the real impact of a young death. While the lack of answers may seem unsatisfying as a storyline, it is far more realistic, and ultimately, a far better message for young audiences.

Inaccurate or insensitive portrayals of mental health conditions such as anxiety, depression or suicide can have significantly detrimental effects on viewers, especially those who are young and

impressionable or already struggling with the conditions. With the recent declaration by the Center for Disease Control that suicide rates have increased over 50% in teenagers from 2007 to 2017, it is more important than ever to raise awareness and provide portrayals in the media that will help teenagers understand how to deal with mental health issues. “Looking for Alaska” shows promise that the future of mental health in the media, especially in shows geared toward teenagers, are on the road to improvement. Hopefully, by learning from the mistakes of past attempts, the realm of mental health awareness will only continue to flourish.

Though “Looking for Alaska” includes a great tragedy, it ultimately helps us to learn that the key to overcoming the tumultuous times life will throw at us is forgiveness, both of others and of ourselves. After all, it’s the only way out of this labyrinth of suffering.

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

Editor’s Pick | Campus Dining

Fordham’s Cafeteria Is a Little Corner of Home

By RACHEL GOW CULTURE EDITOR

On Sunday mornings my dad whipped up apple pancakes, my kitchen table blanketed in flour and newspaper pages — the comics hiding a galaxy of rimmed coffee stains.

For dinner, my family gathered around the same table for a magical thirty minutes of time right after my sister and I got home sweaty from sport practices and just prior to my brother dashing eagerly to a friend’s house.

It was at my kitchen table that events of the day were reminisced and plans for the following ones made. It was here that I, in many ways, grew up.

When I came to college, the absence of this familiar and communal space was disorientating. However, I soon found a new kitchen table in an unexpected place, one that has been equally influential in the growing up I’ve done at college: Fordham’s cafeteria.

While some, particularly my dad, may find the comparison of homemade apple pancakes and warm dinners to any food served at The Marketplace blasphemous, I would argue that oftentimes the food you are eating is less important that those you are eating with; meal time is more significant than the meal.

The cafeteria is a meeting place, the soft fluorescent lights and rows of cozy booths inviting students to hunker down in a way that the cramped standing area of Urban Kitchen and singular round table of P.O.D. cannot. The cafeteria is a place to eat, not simply a place to get food.

My friends found refuge in The Marketplace every Sunday morning, sharing a communal mound of tater tots while we recounted the hazy happenings of the prior night.

An abundance of everything bagels were inhaled, dozens of eggs devoured and gallons of cafeteria coffee drained, us convincing one another in turn that the next cup would be our last: “Just one more and then we’ll leave to start homework.”

We occupied a booth until our friend group spilled out into a round table almost every weeknight. Like home, dinner time occupied this miraculous pocket of the day between meetings and classes, gym sessions and bio labs.

Cumbersome backpacks were dropped, water bottles slammed and phones tucked, the day unloaded on the table before us.

Someone was always running from something and someone else to something, but, somehow there was time to recount our highs and lows of the day at each dinner, stress reduced by this unspoken yet mutual understanding that we all had to eat.

The cafeteria was where I got to really know my friends, not their Friday night selves dressed up and excited to go out, or the Wednesday night ones stressed and brooding in the library, but the liminal versions of them floating between work and fun.

Attempts to stay put together and be relatable acquiesced to authenticity and openness when we sat together to eat, time constraints and hunger taking precedence.

The cafeteria was weirdly one of the first places that felt like home on campus, providing stability when college felt anything but stable.

I came here not to grab a quick bite between classes or swipe my Tapingo bag before running hurriedly to my room, but to see people I cared about. At the cafeteria I sat and ate and exhaled, seeking a sustenance that can only be achieved by food shared with others.

For these reasons, and despite the magnitude of criticism it receives, I will always pick the Marketplace over other on campus eateries.

Something about a booth and friends makes cheesy bread and rice crispies taste better than any TBM or Beyond Burger ever could.

RACHEL GOW/ THE FORDHAM RAM,

The cafeteria is a place for friends to have meals together.

SPORTS

October 30, 2019

Men’s Tennis Finishes Fall season with Fall Quad

By JIMMY SULLIVAN SPORTS EDITOR

Page 17

Beyond the Scoreboard: Astros Drop the Ball With Brandon Taubman

By ANDREW POSADAS

This past weekend, Fordham Men’s Tennis wrapped up the 2019–20 fall season with the Fordham Fall Quad, which was held on Oct. 26 at the Hawthorn/ Rooney Courts. The event was initially supposed to run for two days, but a Sunday soaker denied the tournament its second day.

On Saturday, Fordham’s standouts were junior Alex Makatsaria, senior Fabian Mauritzson and junior Lutwin de Macar, all of whom won their individual matches. Makatsaria defeated Queens College’s Eduardo Marino in straight sets in round two and beat Hofstra’s Alvaro Arce Lopez-Sanchez in the third round. De Macar had similar success, defeating Queens’ Mariano Biblioni in two sets and Hofstra’s Jun Sasagawa in three sets in the third round. Finally, Mauritzson took down Queens’ Moritz Bridges in straight sets in the second round before pulling off an exciting, come-from-behind victory

ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR

COURTESY OF FORDHAM ATHLETICS

Fordham Men’s Tennis is off until January after Saturday’s Fall Quad event.

over Hofstra’s Yusuke Nishitani.

The men’s tennis team didn’t just have singles success, either.

De Macar and Mauritzson won two doubles matches together against teams from Quesens and Hofstra, showing how they can compete with just about any level of competition. The day was incredibly encouraging for the squad, as even though the results were strictly individual, they showed that Fordham has the talent to compete in the Atlantic 10 when the team season kicks off in January.

For now, Fordham Men’s Tennis heads into the offseason on a high note. The Rams got several outstanding individual performances on the day, and the team will need those performances if it wants to carry over this success.

The team will take the next couple of months to recharge and get ready for the spring slate, as this time will be valuable to the team in both respects.

If Fordham can parlay its individual success into the spring season, the Rams should compete for an A-10 conference crown.

Women’s Tennis Wins Two Straight Matches in 48 Hours

By MATT WEST

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Fordham Women’s Tennis concluded its six-day stay at the Intercolliegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Northeast Regional Championship in West Point, N.Y. The Rams sent four players up north to compete at the Malek Tennis Center, including junior captain Arina Taluyenko, sophomore Valeriya Deminova and freshman Weronika Pociej, who all earned opening victories in the single’s draw. Taluyenko played a hardfought opening match against Seton Hall’s Regina Pitts before ultimately winning 6–4, 6–4. In her second match, Taluyenko won decisively 6–3, 6–2 against Princeton’s Daria Frayman, which propelled her to the quarterfinals but to no avail as she was defeated

by Yale’s Caroline Dunleavy 6–3, 7–3 in a back and forth match.

Pociej’s talents were at full capacity as she opened with a tough draw against Army’s Bou Paola, making for a never-ending display between two great athletes. Pociej lost the first set 2–6 but bounced back nicely in the second and third sets to win 6–4 and 11–9.

The trend of marathon matches continued for Pociej in the next round as she defeated Rhode Island’s Tiara Higuchi 7–6, 4–6 and 10–6 to move on to the main draw. In the main draw, Pociej was unable to get things going in the right direction as she lost 7–6, 6–3 to Sacred Heart’s Vitalina Golod.

Deminova, Fordham’s sophomore sensation, had an impressive weekend which should make Ram fans optimistic about the future. In the first round of the main draw, she had a dominant victory over Seton Hall’s Mel Taal, 6–3, 6–3. In her next matchup, things got tougher, but she managed to pull out the victory over Army’s Stephanie Dolehide 6–4, 4–6,

7–6 to advance to the round of 16. In the Sweet 16 Deminova got outplayed 6–1, 5–7 and 6–1 by Dartmouth’s Ashley Hess.

On the doubles side of the tournament, the Rams were represented by two duos: Taluyenko and Pociej along with freshman Avery Aude and Deminova. Taluyenko and Pociej got off to a hot start as they opened with an 8–3 win over Tara Veluvola and Mya Fuentes from Drexel but quickly cooled off when they went up against Boston College’s Hailey Wilcox and Dasha Possokhova, as they got dismantled 8–3.

Aude and Deminova found similar success to their other doubles teammates. They opened

play with an easy 8–3 win over Rutgers’ Jaci Cochrane and Kat Muzik, but as they advanced, they ran into a dominant duo from Brown Devon Jack and Courtney Kowalsky, who defeated them 8–5.

With the first part of the Fordham Women’s Tennis regular season coming to an end, the Rams showcased a lot of potential and optimism toward the second part of the season which begins on Jan. 25 at Harvard University. The development of freshmen Aude and Pociej will be key for the Rams if they are looking to become a perennial contender in the Atlantic 10 conference.

COURTESY OF FORDHAM ATHLETICS

Women’s Tennis wrapped up its season at the ITA Regionals in West Point.

When The Fordham Ram newspaper gets distributed on Wednesday, it is more plausible than not that the Houston Astros will be World Series Champions for the second time in three years. The Astros have won the last three games of the fall classic and are in great shape with the final two games at Minute Maid Park.

Regardless of whether or not they ultimately end up hoisting the Commissioner’s Trophy in triumph, there will still be a loss waiting for Astros General Manager Jeff Luhnow and the entire organization in the clubhouse. Ironic, considering it is the same place from which the problem first emanated.

On Oct. 19, the Astros defeated the New York Yankees in Game 6 of the American League Championship Series. As one can imagine, there was obvious jubilation from the players, coaches and those employed by the franchise. Shortstop Jose Altuve belted a game-ending two-run homer off of Yankees closer Aroldis Chapman to punch Houston’s ticket into the World Series.

The celebration in the clubhouse post-game was widely entertaining to watch on TV, filled with excited screams and cascading showers of champagne.

However, on the following Monday, we all found out from Sports Illustrated’s Stephanie Apstein that not all of the celebration was genuine. She reported that at one point during the festivities, Astros assistant general manager Brandon Taubman turned to a group of three female reporters and yelled multiple times in their direction, “Thank God we got Osuna! I’m so f------ glad we got Osuna!”

Taubman was referring to Astros pitcher and closer Roberto Osuna who was suspended for 75 games last year for violating Major League Baseball’s domestic violence policy.

Houston traded for him last season just before his suspension ended, and there is no doubt he has been a vital piece in the team’s postseason run. However, picking the night of their ALCS win to rave incessantly about acquiring Osuna post-game made no rational sense, given the context.

Osuna gave up the game-tying home run in the 9th inning, blowing a potential save opportunity and putting himself on the hook for a loss had the Yankees capped off that comeback bid with a win. Knowing this, Osuna was the last Astros player who should have been commended by anyone with an interest in the team.

Taubman issued an apology the day after the report surfaced, saying, “My overexuberance in support of a player has been misinterpreted as a demonstration of a regressive attitude about an important social issue.”

The rest of Taubman’s apology seemed like the typical template for someone trying to save face. It included that classic line of “Those that know me know …” and ended with a lazy apology to Sports Illustrated (SI) as a publication instead of a personal apology to Apstein and the group of female reporters

who were the targets of his taunts.

When you take into account that one of those reporters was wearing a purple domestic-violence awareness bracelet, though, it is clear Taubman’s intent was as calculating as it was demeaning.

To quote the movie “Remember the Titans,” “Attitude reflects leadership.”

After Apstein’s article first came out, the Astros released a statement, calling her report “misleading and completely irresponsible.” The statement also adamantly defended the notion that Taubman’s comments had everything to do with the game, while ending by saying that Sports Illustrated attempted to “fabricate a story where one does not exist.”

Now, how can someone read that and not believe that the Astros organization had zero objectivity in their reaction? They completely denied Apstein’s report and brought her journalistic integrity into question.

Instead of saying something along the lines of, “We will be investigating this matter and take any allegations seriously,” the team dismissed Apstein to protect Taubman, burying themselves in the process.

Major League Baseball, along with the Astros, further investigated the incident. Multiple witnesses were interviewed and media outlets like the Houston Chronicle corroborated SI’s reporting. It took five days, but the Astros made the decision to fire Taubman, while issuing another statement. This time, the organization apologized to Apstein personally, while concluding at one point, “We were wrong.”

But even that apology came off a bit insincere. When Luhnow spoke at the Astros press conference following Taubman’s termination, he took no accountability for the Astros initial statement discrediting Apstein, explaining it was the fault of the organization as a whole.

Even worse, he attempted to portray himself as a victim when he said, “I wouldn’t wish it on anyone in this room, just like I wouldn’t wish it on anyone in this room to sit up here and answer these questions either.”

The truth is, Mr. Luhnow: you are the GM; and as the GM, it is your job to take responsibility and answer for the actions of those hired under your watch.

When Luhnow was asked if he personally reached out to Apstein to apologize, he responded by saying he had been busy and did not have the time. The worst part: also sitting in that room hearing Luhlow say that, was Apstein herself.

Apstein would later get a letter from Astros owner Jim Crane retracting the team’s original statement, but Luhnow not having the presence of mind to know Apstein was there for his press conference is troubling. If he really cared and sincerely wanted to apologize, he should have taken the time to ask if Apstein was in the room and then apologized directly to her.

This may just be conjecture on my part, yet I cannot help but think that if Apstein was a male reporter and those targeted were a group of males, Taubman would not have lasted a day, much less five. The players may be championship-caliber, but in regards to the Astros front-office — Houston, we have a problem.

SPORTS

Page 18

WINTER

Track

By DYLAN BALSAMO

ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR

COURTESY OF FORDHAM ATHLETICS

Fordham Squash hopes that its historic 2018–19 season was just a precursor for more to come in the next few years.

Squash

By JIMMY SULLIVAN SPORTS EDITOR

There are tough acts to follow, and then there is following a feat that no other Fordham team has achieved in recent memory. That is the task that awaits Fordham Squash this fall.

Last year’s team was one of the best in the history of the university’s program, winning 20 games and most importantly, winning the Chaffee Cup at the Collegiate Squash Association Championships for the first time in many years. After several attempts at earning the cup, last year’s team was able to finish the job, and this year’s team will look to stay on top with the help of new additions and those returning from last year’s team.

“The boys have been training very hard this season,” head coach Sahel Anwar said. “Though we haven’t played a match, the boys look stronger from last season already. Fitness, both indoor and outdoor, has really helped us out in addition to all the on-court training.”

The Rams will not have too many losses to endure, with only three seniors having graduated af-

ter the 2018–19 season. One of them was Justin Esposito, who was one of three 20-game winners for Anwar’s team last season. The other two, junior Justin Deckoff and sophomore Jack Reed, are both back this season. The other departures from last year’s team were senior Will Beatrez, who won six of his 10 matches last season, and Will Pantle, who went 6–1 over seven matches.

“Reed has really come into the season looking strong and good shape,” Anwar said. “He was a candidate for team MVP last year, but it looks like he is the early favorite to be the MVP of the team. I expect him to continue his solid year performance into his second year.”

To replace these significant losses, several freshmen have entered the fray for the Rams. One of them is Jacob Bennett, a former Utah state champion in racquetball who stands at 6’5”. Another is Justin George, an intriguing prospect from San Jose, Calif. who has extensive experience on the club squash circuit. The third is Caleb Schumaker, who hails from Briarcliff Manor, N.Y., just a half-hour away from Fordham.

Anwar has been impressed with all three of the newcomers, but specifically cited one.

“Justin George from California has really impressed me,” he said.

“He comes to practice everyday determined to train hard, and I usually find him on the courts during non-practice time hitting on the court. He is going to really help our team this year with this type of dedication.”

Besides these new players, there is also plenty of talent returning for the Rams this season. Of the seven double-digit winners in 2018–19, six are returning to a tremendously talented roster. In addition to Reed and Deckoff, junior Griffin Fitzgerald, sophomore Dylan Panichello, sophomore Patrick Rodden and junior Tommy White are returning after all of them won at least 12 games last season.

The Rams will open their season this weekend at the Vassar Round Robin tournament. It starts on Friday, Nov. 2 against Vassar and Lafayette. How the team starts its season could be a significant indicator of how its season goes, as evidenced by last year’s team sweeping the same tournament en route to its historic year.

Fordham Squash had a historic 2018–19 season, and while it maybe impossible to follow up, this year’s version of the Rams will look to make its own mark and legacy.

We are still a good four-and-ahalf months away from the NCAA Championships for Indoor Track during the week of Mar. 12 in Fayetteville, Ark But for the Fordham Rams on both the men’s and women’s sides, this has been a process long in the making.

Looking to build on a year of incredible success for the program, 2019–20 will see, both Fordham sides hope, similar achievements and the ultimate prize of national recognition in that week of March.

For the women, they find themselves in a situation that is odd but that any program would certainly envy: they somehow have the advantages of both fresh faces and experienced veterans on their side.

The upperclassmen have set forth for their younger teammates a habit of success that they hope to continue themselves in the indoor season come the turn of the calendar to December. Junior sprinter and jumper Kathryn Kelley was a standout for the Rams last season.

After winning the 200 meter event at the Fordham Season Opener, she went to the ECAC Championships and won All-East honors, setting a school record time of 24.23 seconds in the 200 meter dash to earn herself a bronze metal. She garnered herself another bronze at the Atlantic 10 Championship, finishing in 24.74 seconds.

The highlight of her 2018–19, however, was her taking four of the top five places at the Metropolitan Championship, making her an unmitigated superstar in the college track world.

One of her teammates is senior mid-distance runner Sydney Snow, who also has had success in the indoor circuit. At those same Metropolitan Championships, Snow was part of the medley team that won the 4x800 relay, and on her own, she placed fifth in the 1,000 meter run with a time of 3:04.08.

And despite these two names and others who dominate a roster

October 30, 2019

of tremendous depth, that roster of 36 female athletes also has room for almost a dozen freshmen, including a Bronx native in freshman sprinter Ruby Avila. For a squad with established talent, there is still plenty of room for fresh faces to make a name for themselves.

All of the same things can be said about the men’s club. It’s in with the new, but the old is not done just yet.

Take Nicholas Raefski, a grad student from High Bridge, N.J. who has brought a knack for distance running to the Rams in his time at Fordham (he was a student-athlete at Wake Forest before coming to the Bronx before the 2017–18 season). He had quite the Metropolitan Championship last winter himself, winning the 3,000 meter run with a final time of 8:35.82. At the Atlantic 10 Championship he ran in that race again, and while he did not win it, his fifth place finish with a time of 8:33.88 is nothing short of impressive.

His fellow senior, Ryan Kutch, is also coming off of an outstanding year, specifically due to his performance at the Atlantic 10 Championships. He was a dual-event champion, winning the 3,000 meter event in 8:26.17 and claiming the 5,000 meter for the second consecutive season, finishing that race with a time of 14:41.44. The incredible weekend earned him All-Atlantic 10 honors. He had success all indoor season, winning races at the Metropolitan Championship and the Brian Horowitz Invitational and even receiving All-East honors at the IC4A Championship.

The men of Fordham Rams track have had much success, and coming into this indoor season, they have 10 freshmen on their roster themselves, with all but two of them being from New York or New Jersey.

The Fordham men and women are in very similar positions entering the indoor track season of 2019–20, and that position is one any team would want to be in: a team that has both experience and youth. A rich recent past and a bright near future.

The Rams will compete together in eight tournaments before making the trip down to Arkansas in March.

This Fordham program looks ready for the long run.

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Fordham Track mixes the old with the new before the upcoming season.

October 30, 2019

Women’s Basketball

SPORTS

PREVIEW

Men’s Basketball

By JIMMY SULLIVAN

By ANDREW POSADAS

SPORTS EDITOR

Fordham Women’s Basketball has a nearly impossible act to follow. For the first time since 2014, the Rams will enter the season as defending Atlantic 10 champions.

Last year’s team made the NCAA Tournament before ultimately losing 70–49 in the first round to Syracuse.

There were some significant losses for head coach Stephanie Gaitley’s team from last year to this one. Lauren Holden, Mary Goulding and Columbia transfer Alexa Giuliano are all gone from one of the most successful teams in the school’s history. Holden and Goulding were starters on last year’s team, and Goulding was named the the Atlantic 10 Tournament’s most outstanding player after averaging over 20 points and nearly seven rebounds over the course of three games.

Holden started 117 games over her four years as a Ram, and Giuliano came over for a grad year after spending her first three collegiate years at Columbia. Gaitley and her staff will miss the off-court presence and leadership that all three provided.

This year’s team is on the younger side, with only one impending departure in Syracuse grad transfer Isis Young. With Holden and Goulding gone, junior Bre Cavanaugh figures to assume a larger on- and off-court role for the Rams. Precedent has shown that Cavanaugh should be able to handle this responsibility — since arriving at Rose Hill, Cavanaugh has made it to the A-10 first team twice.

Cavanaugh also made the A-10 Tournament team with Goulding after leading the Rams in scoring over the three games. Cavanaugh should be the offensive leader of the team; last year, she scored at least 10 points in all but three of Fordham’s 34 games.

While the team is younger, it brings

ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR

COURTESY OF FORDHAM ATHLETICS

Fordham Women’s Basketball will try to continue last year’s magic.

back many pieces from last year’s title run. Sophomore Kaitlin Downey will be a starter for the Rams and was named a captain by Gaitley and her staff after improving in all facets of her game over the course of last season. Junior Kendell Heremaia is back as well, and she, too, will be a captain along with Downey and Cavanaugh.

That leaves two spots to be filled with the absences of Goulding and Holden. Redshirt sophomore center Vilisi Tavui, who has made massive strides over the summer, is expected to take on increased responsibilities and even a starting spot, as well. As for the other spot, it could very well be filled by a freshman. First-year players Anna DeWolfe and Sarah Karpell are both expected to be part of Gaitley’s rotation, and the Fordham coach indicated that DeWolfe is the favorite to start at the point to replace Holden.

There will be an adjustment period for Fordham, and it will be challenged by a difficult out-ofconference slate. The first game of the season will be Tuesday, Nov. 5 against defending national runner-up Notre Dame at the Rose Hill Gym. The Irish should enter the game as, at minimum, a top-five team in the nation. Other noteworthy teams on the out-of-conference docket include Villanova, Penn State, Arkansas,

Georgetown and Houston. There should be growing pains for the Rams as they get acclimated to a new roster and new roles, but the team should be able to identify its own strengths and weaknesses by the time it enters A-10 play, just as it did a season ago.

There are also new faces on the coaching staff, as former Fordham assistant Ang Szumilo left in April to become the new head coach at Fairleigh Dickinson. Replacing her is Candice Green, who spent the past three years as an assistant at Colgate, her alma mater. Also joining the staff as its new video coordinator is Kerri McMahan, who graduated from Saint Louis University in May and is the reigning A-10 Defensive Player of the Year.

Fordham will have to work hard to reach the heights it did last season.

Certain players will need to step up and adjust to new roles in order for the team to reach its full potential.

The Rams are ranked third in the Atlantic 10’s preseason poll, and the rest of the conference, namely 2019 semifinalists VCU and Dayton, will be better. But while last year’s team is not fully intact, there is plenty of talent left over — aided by the new talent of DeWolfe, Karpell and fellow freshman Eden Johnson — for this team to be in contention for another conference title.

Head coach Jeff Neubauer and the Fordham men’s basketball team both come into the upcoming 2019–2020 season, quite frankly, with little to no expectations to make noise in the Atlantic 10 Conference.

When the preseason poll was released last week, the Rams from Rose Hill were chosen to finish last in the A-10. And who could blame the voters? Especially considering the fact that Fordham will be looking to avoid finishing at the bottom for a third consecutive season when it opens up at home on Nov. 5 against St. Francis College of Brooklyn.

Last season, the Rams got off to an auspicious start, concluding its non-conference schedule with a record of 9–4. Unfortunately, once conference play commenced and the level of competition increased, Fordham would lose its first eight games en route to a 3–15 finish in the A-10. The Rams ultimately went on to finish with an overall record of 12–20, losing to the University of Richmond in the first round of the conference tournament.

Fordham’s off-season did not fare any better. The biggest news over the spring and summer came with the departure of last season’s best player, freshman guard Nick Honor. The team’s leading scorer (15.3 points per game) and member of the A-10 all-rookie team, the promising freshman decided to take his talents and transfer to the University of Clemson, leaving a huge void at the point guard position.

This season, Neubauer plans on re-configuring his offensive and defensive strategies by lean-

Page 19

ing heavily on its front court. The fifth-year coach will look to transition into becoming an even more conventional halfcourt defensive team. “We have to put pressure on the rim via our bigger players, and we did not do that last year,” he said.

The aforementioned frontcourt will return with perhaps the two most athletic players on the team, redshirt junior forward Chuba Ohams and sophomore Onyi Eyisi, who both showed flashes of excellence as defensive anchors last year. However, they will be asked to do so on a consistent basis this year, as well as take more initiative on the offensive end.

“This year, we’re going to play inside out,” Neubauer said.

“We’re going to throw the ball inside, and that will make everyone better. That’s really what I’m selling, not only to Jalen [Cobb] and to Antwon [Portley], but to the whole team.”

For Fordham’s backcourt of sophomore Jalen Cobb and senior Antwon Portley, the new strategy on offense should open up more perimeter shots for two capable three-point shooters. Portley was the squad’s most efficient shooter last season and was dubbed “the team’s most consistent player”

by Neubauer. The coach doubled down on the compliment by adding, “I literally made a list in my office [Wednesday] of who I trust on the basketball court.

Who is most likely to do what we need to do to win? He’s at the top of that list every time.”

Looking forward, the Rams should enjoy success in their non-conference schedule again.

Nine of those games will be played the newly-renovated Rose Hill gymnasium so the expectation is that Fordham will enter A-10 play on a positive note again. The only question looming now is what the Rams can do in-conference. Luckily, Fordham has nowhere to go but up.

SPORTS

Page 20

Swim & Dive: Women Thrive, Men Struggle

By JACK ROCHE

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

The Fordham swimming and diving team opened up the second week of the season with two road trips. The women started off with a commanding 156–85 victory at Marist College and handed the Boston University Terriers a crushing 194–106 loss to remain a perfect 3–0 on the year. The men were not able to replicate that same success, dropping both meets (144–95 vs. Marist, 154.5– 125.5 vs. Boston University).

The women’s team made a statement in Poughkeepsie on Thursday night against the Marist Red Foxes, collecting the top times in all swimming events.

Senior Paulina Watson posted two victories in the 200 freestyle (1:55.34) and 200 backstroke (2:04.81). Senior Amelia Bullock (200 butterfly, 200 breastroke) and freshman Clare Culver (200 individual medley, 100 freestyle) joined Watson as the three multievent winners.

They were able to maintain this success as they traveled to Boston to defeat the Terriers during their second meet in just three days.

Bullock, who did not compete last season, headlined the group of three double winners with victories in the 100 (54.98) and 200 fly (2:02.04).

In relays, the Fordham 200 medley of junior Michelle Martin, Bullock, sophomore Kiara Norris and senior Theresa Mullen won with a time of 1:44.72, while the B team followed in second place with senior Naima Mackrel, junior Vaula Vekkeli, junior Hannah McGee and senior Samantha McDonald.

As for the men, strong outings from sophomores Josh Stegen (first in 200 freestyle, second in 100 freestyle) and Connor Wright (first in 200 backstroke) were not enough to propel Fordham to victory over Marist on Thursday.

The men would put together a stronger performance on Saturday against Boston University behind a trio of multi-event winners: junior Patrick Wilson, Stegen and Diego Perez. Perez, the sophomore from Tampa, Fla., won both the 1M (219.85) and 3M (224.10) diving events.

The 200 free relay of Wilson, Stegen, senior Kevin Berry, and Bryce Bollesen, tied for first in 1:24.78. Bollesen, a junior from Palo Alto, Calif., also touched first in the 50 free (21.35) and third in the 100 free (48.23).

Despite not obtaining their desired result, senior Casey Sawyer believes that the team made key adjustments between the two events.

“The short turnaround in between meets was helpful for the team because we were able to sort out and remember any mistakes from the first meet and be ready for the second one,” Sawyer said. “Marist and BU were both big meets and unfortunately, the men’s team didn’t win either, but we came close to beating BU because we corrected some mistakes we had made earlier in the week.”

The men will attempt to continue to make improvements as they fall to 1–2 on the season.

Looking ahead, Fordham travels to Washington, D.C. to take on Georgetown University as they aim to deliver the Hoyas their first loss as a program this season on Saturday, Nov. 9 at 10 a.m.

ALEX WOLZ/THE FORDHAM RAM

Fordham Swimming and Diving had variant outcomes to open the season.

October 30, 2019

Rowing Shows Development at Head of the Schuykill

By ALEX WOLZ

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

This past weekend, the Fordham women’s rowing team competed at the Head of the Schuylkill Regatta in Philadelphia, PA. The Rams looked to carry the momentum of their performance at the Head of Charles into their third test of the fall season.

Setting the day in motion just before noon for the Rams was junior Emma Lipinski and the Championship Fours boat, finishing 19th of the 48-team field with a time of 16:06.921. Head coach Ted Bonanno was exceptionally pleased with the performance of this, the third varsity, boat, as they were in a “championship event racing against first and second boats from other schools in many cases,” and placed in the top half of the field.

The Championship Eight boat, led by senior Brikena Prendaj, finished ninth in the Championship Eights with a time of 14:16.376, not the best of performances for the Rams, but more importantly, two spots and almost 25 seconds ahead of fellow A-10 competitor Duquesne University, a “key

COURTESY OF SPORTS GRAPHICS

Fordham Women’s Rowing is nearing the end of its 2018-19 fall season.

takeaway” from the competition with the defeat of the only other A-10 school in the field, according to coach Bonanno.

Fordham fielded three teams in the Club Championship Eights, one headed by junior Debra Chieco, the second by junior Elizabeth Berejka and the third by senior Grace Little, each finishing with times of 15:02.861, 15:11.128 and 15:36.353, placing in 15th, 17th and 28th positions, respectively. Coach Bonanno was especially pleased with the success of his third boat amidst a very talented field and felt as if there were “good performances,”

although not exceptional, across the board. A positive sign for the Rams lies in the fact that many of the boats in Philadelphia were familiar faces from the Head of Charles, and this time, the Rams moved closer and even surpassed their competition compared to the performances from last weekend, a sure sign of development in the team over just a one-week period.

The Rams will continue to build on their races thus far with the conclusion of their fall season this Saturday, Nov. 2, at the 1969 Regatta on the Cooper River in Collingwood, N.J.

Water Polo Prevails in Thrilling Win Over Wagner

By SABRINA BOYD CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Fordham Water Polo added another win to its tally on Wednesday, Oct. 23 with a thrilling overtime win against Wagner.

The #16-ranked Rams pulled off a 12–11 victory against the Seahawks in the dying minutes of overtime at home in the Col. Francis B. Messmore Aquatic Center. This puts the Rams at a 17–5 record overall on the season. They are currently 5–2 in the MAWPC East, placing them third in the division.

The Rams entered the Wagner match after split results in their two home games on Oct. 19. Fordham competed in a close game against Navy for the first game of the day, but ultimately were unable to hang onto the lead. The final score was 15–12 in favor of Navy. In the second game of the day, Fordham defeated #18-ranked Princeton in a close contest. Senior Jake Miller-Tolt had an absolutely stellar game, dominating the pool offensively.

Miller-Tolt scored seven of Fordham’s 11 goals in the match, including the game-winning shot with 2:58 left to go. The Rams then let their defense do the work, preventing Princeton from scoring in the last two minutes.

Miller-Tolt also had four steals on the game to go along with his seven goals. Senior George Maltby scored twice during the match, with junior Phillip Wang and senior Tristen Knoflick adding on the remaining goals. The end result was an 11–10 win for Fordham.

In the Wagner match on Wednesday, the Rams battled fiercely against the Seahawks for the entirety of the game, with nei-

MACKENZIE CRANNA/THE FORDHAM RAM

Fordham Water Polo pulled out a thrilling victory over Wagner on Wednesday.

ther team truly having an upper hand throughout. Wagner took the early 3–1 lead by the end of the first quarter. Goals from Jake Miller-Tolt and Tristen Knoflick tied it up at 3-3 early in the second, with offensive play being largely stifled on both sides of the pool. Both teams traded goals until the end of the first half, where Wagner managed to obtain a 5–4 lead. That one-goal lead for the Seahawks continued through the third quarter at 7–6, but Fordham persisted in the fourth quarter, tying up the score three more times. Wagner had a 10–9 lead with under a minute to go, but Phillip Wang netted an extra-man goal with 30 seconds left to play, bringing the score to 10 even and forcing overtime. Sophomore

Dimitris Koukias scored with nine seconds left in the first half of overtime, but Wagner evened it up again in the second half with the clock trailing down. The final goal came from senior and ex-Seahawk Oscar Nomura, with Fordham’s defense keeping Wagner off the board in the remaining minute. Sophomore goalkeeper Bailey O’ Mara had a fantastic game, racking up 15 saves. The final result was a 12–11 Rams victory.

The Wagner game was another impressive showing for the Rams, who continue to play strong and prove to be a serious competitor.

Fordham is back in the pool on Wednesday, Nov. 6, where they take on Iona in the annual Judge Cup here in the Bronx. The game begins at 7:30 p.m.

Page 21

Student-Athlete Column: Food That Fuels Me

By KALEY BELL STAFF WRITER

I find that it is so difficult to eat healthy in college. While there are plenty of options available, most of these options are unhealthy.

When I started the new year, I wanted to change my diet so that I could feel better about my body.

As a new season of training begins, I have become more conscious of what and when I eat so that I can feel good about the direction in which my body is heading. Whether or not you have difficulty knowing which foods to eat on campus, I provide a list of some of the tasty foods that I have started to indulge in: Eggs — Whichever omelet worker you prefer, they all know how to make some great eggs.

Eggs are a great source of protein, and, because there are so many things that you can do with them, it is hard to get tired of them.

Salad — No further explanation is needed here. We all know salad is the best and healthiest option for anyone, and it is great that here on campus we can make salads to our liking. Vegetables contain fiber, vitamins and minerals that are good for the body.

Enough said.

Bananas (or any other fruit, but mostly bananas) — Every time you go into the cafeteria and realize that there are no more bananas in there, it is because the track team took all of them. Bananas are a great source of potassium, and, I eat them because they prevent me from getting cramps in my legs.

As a quick source of fuel, bananas are an easy snack to eat right after practice or at any time in the day.

Spinach — Spinach is another great food that can be used in so many different ways. I find that it’s so easy to eat in eggs or in a salad, if you don’t like spinach on its own. When I am home, I always enjoy cooked spinach as a side dish for my dinner.

Peanut Butter — I saved the best for last with this one. A superfood that is a great love of mine, peanut butter, is a great source of protein. Too much of it can be harmful, but it is a food that can help with weight loss.

These are only a few of the foods that I have consciously made an effort to consume more of as I try to find foods that will help me manage my health.

Healthy foods such as these can fuel an active life.

COURTESY OF FORDHAM ATLHETICS

Food is important in everyday life, and being an athlete makes diet even more important.

SPORTS

October 30, 2019

By JIMMY SULLIVAN SPORTS EDITOR

Major League Baseball’s (MLB) umpires are under more scrutiny than ever, and rightfully so.

The improved technology and proliferation of instant replay over the past decade have exposed flaws in some of baseball’s most important arbiters. While a review/challenge system has alleviated some of these around the bases, it has not improved things behind the plate.

After the 2018 season, Boston University researcher Mark T. Williams and a group of graduate students found that home plate umpires missed 34,294 ball/strike calls at home plate over the course of the season. This averages out to 14 per game, which does not seem significant, but bear with me.

According to Baseball-Reference, there were 3.9 pitches per plate appearance last season and 76.1 plate appearances per game. Multiply these two numbers and round the product up to the next whole number and you get 297 pitches per game. Divide 14 by 297, and it found that umpires were incorrect on 4.7% of pitches last season and over one pitch per inning.

Again, this does not seem significant, but, depending on that one pitch, it could be make-or-break in the outcome of a game. See: 2019 World Series, Game Five.

With the Nationals trying to rally while down 4–1 against Astros ace Gerrit Cole, home plate umpire Lance Barksdale had what can be described charitably as one of the worst innings of his career. First, with two outs and the bases empty, he called ball four on a pitch to Nationals first baseman Ryan Zimmerman that was over the outside corner of the plate.

In the next at-bat to center fielder Victor Robles, Barksdale was in the same spot, and Cole threw a pitch further outside than the one to Zimmerman.

Barksdale called strike three, ending the inning and robbing Washington of the chance to get the tying run to the plate. Even though three rights make a left, two wrongs don’t make a right. This case was no different.

The inning before, Barksdale should have called strike three on Astros outfielder Michael Brantley, on a 2–2 pitch that was solidly over

the inside corner. He didn’t, and afterwards, mild-mannered Nationals skipper Davey Martinez kindly asked Barksdale to “wake up” because this was, you know, Game Five of the World Series.

Barksdale’s foibles, though, have less to do with one umpire doing a bad job and more to do with a larger discussion of automated umpiring, or so-called “robo umps,” behind the plate.

These were instituted in the Atlantic League this past summer, and they weren’t perfect. The automated strike zone was bigger than the human one, and it took hitters, catchers and pitchers a full summer to adjust to this system. It may not be ready for the bright lights, and MLB will want to get rid of the glitches before it brings such a big change to the big leagues. However, once the kinks are worked out, robo umps will be the future of baseball, despite the fact that actual human umpires will never go for such a thing.

Will robo umps remove certain aspects of the game, like arguments between the home plate umpire and opposing managers? Yes, and this is a good thing. Robo umps, like them or not, have an impartiality that is sometimes lacking with human umpires.

One early-season example from this year went against the Astros. In an April game against the Rangers, Houston manager A.J. Hinch argued home plate umpire Ron Kulpa’s strike zone. Kulpa told Hinch, as shown on the broadcast, “I can do anything I want.” Hinch and hitting coach Alex Cintron were both ejected as a result of the incident.

This unchecked power has also manifested in other ways. In June, Padres third baseman Manny Machado

was suspended for making contact in a heated argument with umpire Bill Welke. The suspension was decried in a truly ridiculous statement that claimed Machado had “no regard for anyone’s safety” and that “violence in the workplace” is not tolerated.

The statement closed with this question: “Is this truly what MLB wants to teach our youth?” First of all, this is absurd. Machado is a $300 million superstar who knows exactly what he can and can’t get away with. Second of all, baseball’s umpires have not exactly been exemplary citizens, as longtime ump Rob Drake showed last week.

Drake, during Game One of the World Series, tweeted that he was planning to buy an AR-15 because “if you impeach MY PRESIDENT this way, YOU WILL HAVE ANOTHER CIVIL WAR!” The tweet was bonkers, but more than that, it was disturbing. Drake quickly apologized, but, again, the guy calling balls and strikes just threatened a Civil War because of a completely legitimate congressional investigation. Drake, believe it or not, is a well-respected umpire, who worked many postseason games earlier in the decade. And sadly, he’s part of the problem.

We, as Americans, have begun to come around on automation. It isn’t perfect, but we can see that, sometimes, it does a better job than we are capable of. Heck, even legitimate Democratic primary contender Andrew Yang is basing much of his campaign off this idea.

America has come to its senses on automation in other areas. Baseball should do the same so that we never see something like Sunday’s seventh inning again.

COURTESY OF FLICKR

MLB umpires have struggled this postseason, leading to credibility questions.

Varsity Calendar HOME AWAY

Thursday Oct. 31

Friday Nov. 1

Saturday Nov. 2

Monday Nov. 4

Tuesday Nov. 5

UMass (A-10 champ.)

1 p.m.

Women’s Soccer Saint Louis 8 p.m.

Men’s Soccer

Iona 7:30 p.m.

Water Polo Volleyball Cross Country

La Salle 1 p.m.

Duquesne 7 p.m.

A-10 Championship 10 a.m.

Women’s Basketball NYIT (exh.)

7 p.m.

Notre Dame 7 p.m.

Men’s Basketball Rowing

Wednesday Nov. 6

Colgate 12:30 p.m.

Football

Follow us on Twitter at @theram_sports

Sunday Nov. 3

1969 Cup Collingswood, N.J.

St. Francis (Brooklyn) 9:30 p.m.

SPORTS

Page 22

Cross Country Completes Year at Princeton Invitational

By JIMMY SULLIVAN

October 30, 2019

Volleyball Earns First A-10 Victory

By GIGI SPEER

SPORTS EDITOR

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Fordham’s cross country teams wrapped up the regular season on Friday, Oct. 19 at the Princeton Invitational at the West Windsor Fields in Princeton, N.J. The women’s team finished 10th out of 20 teams while the men’s squad finished fifth place out of 24 participants.

Starting on the women’s side, the top finisher for the Rams was freshman Alexandra Thomas, who came in 21st with a time of 22:04.8.

Fordham’s other top-30 finish came from senior Sydney Snow, who finished the 3.83-mile individual event in 22:19.7. The next finisher for Brian Horowitz’s team was freshman Taylor Mascetta. Her time of 23:02.7 was good for 72nd in the event.

There were several other competitors for the women’s team in this event. They included senior Katarzyna Krzyzanowski (86th – 23:12.4), sophomore Bridget Alex (97th – 23:16.2), freshman Sarah Rubenheimer (146th – 24:04.3), freshman Nicoleta Papavasilakas (185th – 25:32.1) and senior Germaine Harbaugh (186th – 25:38.0). All told, the women’s team finished just one point behind University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC) for ninth place, and the Rams had a lower average time than the Retrievers.

Things were even better on the men’s side.

There, the Rams finished fifth out of 24 competitors and found consistency up and down the lineup. Senior Ryan Kutch was the top Fordham finisher once again with his fifth-place time of 23:49.0.

The energy in the Rose Hill Gym on Saturday, Oct. 26 was electrifying, as the Fordham women’s volleyball team came back from a second-set deficit to sweep Rhode Island. This marks the squad’s first win at home and its first Atlantic 10 victory of the year.

After winning the first set 25–23, the hosts fell 4–14 to open the second set. However, the Rams stayed confident and relied on their preparation and skill. Senior middle blocker Elise Benjamin ignited the fire with a kill, and sophomore Joey Landeros responded to a Rhode Island kill with one of her own, bringing the score to 15–6.

The Rams then went on a 19–5 run, capitalizing on Rhode Island errors and displaying great offensive prowess. Seniors Kaitlin Morley and Benjamin, along with redshirt junior

Olivia Fairchild, each had three kills in the second set, leading the team to a 25–21 win in the second and third sets.

“Our team has always had a lot of fight, especially when it comes to coming back from being down,” senior libero Morgan Williams said.

“So it was awesome that we managed to take that momentum all the way to the end of the game for the win.

Everyone stepped up offensively and defensively.”

The Rams showed great grit in their explosive second set, but Saturday also marked many individual accomplishments: Fairchild passed her 1,000 kill mark and Williams moved into second for a single season dig record with 468, now only 14 shy from passing the record of former Ram Stephanie Frost.

The Rams will continue their A-10 campaign at home, hosting Duquesne on Friday, Nov. 1, at 7 p.m and La Salle on Sunday, Nov. 3, at 1 p.m.

COURTESY OF FORDHAM ATHLETICS

Fordham Cross Country looks towards the A-10 Championship as Friday approaches.

For his efforts, Kutch was named the Atlantic 10’s performer of the week in Men’s Cross Country.

Senior Nicholas Raefski — fresh off finishing first at the Metropolitan Championship on Oct. 11 — finished in 24th with a time of 24:39.2. Sophomore Brandon Hall was right behind him with a 35th-place time of 24:52.3. Two freshmen — John McGovern and Colin Flood — both made the top 60 and completed their 8K in just over 25 minutes.

Outside of these finishes, other competitors for the Rams included junior Christopher Strzelinski

(69th – 25:15.0), freshman Jack Craven (98th – 25:33.3), freshman Ryan Fahey (122nd – 25:48.3), freshman Nicholas Lundberg (126th – 25:49.4) and senior Patrick Donohue (139th – 25:57.0).

This was the final regular-season event of 2019 for the Fordham cross country team. Now, it has bigger fish to fry. The Rams will take part in the Atlantic 10 Conference tournament on Saturday, Nov. 2 starting at 10 a.m. Kutch won the individual event last year, and will look to do so again in his final A-10 Tournament. The Rams will be ready.

ALEX WOLZ/THE FORDHAM RAM

Fordham Volleyball is on the board with a win over URI in conference play.

Golf Ends Season on Dull Note at Wagner

By CHRIS HENNESSY CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Monday saw the end of a disappointing fall season for Fordham Golf, as the Rams finished 15th out of 16 teams in the Metropolitan Intercollegiate Championship.

The 36-hole event was shortened to 18 holes after a washout on Sunday, and the Rams struggled mightily during the round. Fordham finished with a score of 320, 17 shots clear of last place St. Francis College, and 33 shots behind the champion Fairleigh Dickinson University (FDU).

The Rams were paced by sophomore Edoardo Tamburi, who placed T-37 with a 6-over 76. Season-long mainstays junior Dean Cerimido, freshman P.J. O’Rourke and freshman Nicholas Manning all had pedestrian finishes. Sophomore Ryan Davis made his season debut shooting an 82, good enough for a T-74 finish, while sophomore Dante Lancellotti made his return to the lineup, posting an 88. All in all, an average showing for the Rams, who suffered from a lack of depth in scoring as they have all season long.

As for the rest of the tournament, the individual title was decided in a playoff, with Manhattan College’s Preston Shortell and FDU’s Melan Dhaubhadel finishing the 18 holes tied for the lead at one-under-par. They advanced to

COURTESY OF FORDHAM ATHLETICS

Fordham Golf will take the next few months to improve before what the team hopes will be a better spring season.

a playoff, where Shortell came out on top, securing the individual championship.

The fall season was all in all unsuccessful but had some bright spots at the top of the lineup that the Rams will look to roll over

into the spring. The lowest average strokes per round belongs to P.J. O’Rourke at 76.8 strokes per round over eight rounds. Following close behind are sophomore Chan Park and Nicholas Manning at 77.6. Their best finish came in

the first event of the season, the Ryan Lee Memorial hosted by Central Connecticut State University, where they placed 10th out of 17 squads. Other than that, they were in the bottom three in every event they played. The best

round of the semester goes to Manning and the second round 70 he shot at the Quechee Invite at Dartmouth University. Both O’Rourke and Manning placed T-16 at one point during the season, best on the team.

During the fall season, the Rams proved that they could not hang with the best teams in the local area, as they got blown out in many of the tournaments they played. There is much room for improvement between now and late March, when the Rams will ramp it up again. They will need to see more consistency out of their top dogs such as Manning, Ceremido and Park, all of whom posted plenty of rounds in the 70s but had a few scores up around 90 mixed in as well. They will also need better depth scoring. It was a problem all season long, as there was always a player or two who were straggling behind the group, placing at the bottom of the individual scoreboard, and bringing the Rams’ aggregate score way up.

As has been outlined many times, the spring is vital for the Rams if they want to “make their mark in the A-10 and be consistent competitors in all events over the course of the dual season,” as Dean Ceremido said they would way back in August when asked about the upcoming fall season.

The winter will need to be a time of improvement for the Rams to be able to compete in the A-10.

SPORTS

October 30, 2019

Chris Hennessy Dissecting the Islanders’ Winning Streak On Sunday night, the New York Islanders defeated the Philadelphia Flyers 5–3 to extend their winning streak to a remarkable seven games in the span of 15 days. The Isles have been finding ways to win games through solid goaltending and a strong defensive game, while mustering just enough offense to come out on top.

Let’s start with the offense, which has been a topic of discussion around the Islanders since they were eliminated by Carolina last year and coach Barry Trotz stated that they needed to add pieces to the offense to compete. When fans heard this, Derrick Brassard wasn’t at top of their lists, but that’s who the Islanders got. With the absence of a top-tier addition, it was going to be on the top line of Anders Lee, Mat Barzal and Jordan Eberle to step up.

Lee has three goals and two assists during the streak, but he has been disturbing the opposing goalie and defense in front of the net, which is what he does best. During the streak (10/12 vs Florida—10/27 vs. Philly), Barzal had five goals, and four assists, good enough for the team lead in goals, and is pacing himself for a career year early. Barzal has been placed with the duty of offensive catalyst, a position John Tavares held for nine years, and it appears that Barry Trotz and staff have gotten the best out of him in that role.

Next are the goaltending and defensive presence. Goaltending was a huge question mark coming into this season. The Islanders let Robin Lehner walk after a Vezina candidate-worthy season and replaced him with the up-and-down Seymon Varlamov. His first two games as an Islander were rough. Varlamov got pulled in the second period against Edmonton, but his last three have been fantastic. He has played in four of the seven games they’ve won, has let up eight goals and made a remarkable 116 saves during that stretch (2.0 GAA, .953 SV PCT.).

Thomas Greiss has been spectacular once again this season and is showing that last year’s remarkable season was not a fluke. The key for both goalies is they are not true traditional number one goalies. Neither one of them is going to succeed playing 60-70 games in a season, but with the system they have now, they will both play between 35 and 45, which is perfect for their production levels.

The defensive game has been the biggest change for the Islanders in the Barry Trotz tenure, and remains the same for this stretch. If you dive into the advance statistics, yes, the Islanders have given up an above-average amount of shots, but the shots are low quality. They are keeping players to the outside, clearing the crease so the goalie can watch the puck in and cleaning up any loose rebounds that might be dropped in front. This formula has worked beautifully again this season.

The Islanders have won seven straight games, which is impressive regardless of the month they do it in. Sure, it means less for the standings in October, but two points is two points, and the Isles keep finding ways to get them.

Page 23

Anthony Cardone

Varsity Scores & Stats Women’s Volleyball Rhode Island Fordham (FOR) 9 K, 1 Tot

0 3

Men’s Golf Metro Intercollegiate 320 - 15th (FOR) Tamburi: 76 - T37th

Women’s Soccer Fordham Dayton (FOR) Holst: 3 SH, SOG

0 3

Davidson Fordham (FOR) Stanco: G, 2 SH, SOG

Men’s Tennis Fordham Fall Quad (Individual Results Only) (FOR) Makatsaria: 6-2, 3-6, 10-8

Men’s Soccer Fordham VCU (FOR) Ricupati: 4 SH, SOG George Mason Fordham

(FOR) Ricupati: 2 G, 6 SH, 4 SOG

Women’s Rowing Head of the Schuylkill Championship 8 - 14:16.376 - 9th Men’s Water Polo #16 Fordham 12 Wagner 11 (FOR) Knoflick: 3 G, 4 STL, AST

Women’s Rowing Head of the Schuylkill Championship 8 - 14:16.376 - 9th

1 2

Men’s Swimming Fordham 95 Marist 144 (FOR) Stegen: 200 Freestyle - 1:43.52 - 1st

0 0

Fordham Boston U (FOR) Wilson: 200 Breast - 2:08.07 - 1st

1 3

Fordham 0 Columbia 1 (FOR) Zloczower: 4 Sh, 2 SOG

125.5 154.5

Women’s Swimming Fordham 156 Marist 85 (FOR) Watson: 200 Freestyle - 1:55.34 - 1st Fordham Boston U (FOR) Bullock: 200 Fly - 2:02.04 - 1st

Athletes of the Week Filippo Ricupati

Marissa Stanco

Graduate Student

Sophomore

Men’s Soccer

Women’s Soccer

As the 2019 regular season is winding down, Ricupati heated up for the Rams on Saturday night. His two goals were the difference in an important 3-1 win for Fordham. The two goals give him a total of five on the season.

In the Rams’ 2-1 victory over Davidson on Saturday night, the game-winning goal came in overtime off the foot of the sophomore Stanco. It was Stanco’s first career goal, and it secured a postseason spot for Fordham.

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 • Stegen Is Performer of Week

Fordham sophomore Josh Stegen was announced as this week’s Atlantic 10 Conference swimming & diving award for Men’s Performer of the Week.

He is the second Ram to receive a weekly honor this season, and it is the first of Stegen’s career. In a week where his team saw meets against both Marist and Boston University, Stegen had a stellar week. He won the 200 freestyle against BU with a time of 1:41.96 and then took home the 100 freestyle with a time of 46.93, both of which are faster than his times in the meet against Marist. Against BU, he also assisted in the 400 medley relay team that finished second at 3:36.65.

• Women’s Hoops Ranks Third

Just seven months after winning the Atlantic

10 regular season co-championship (alongside VCU), claiming the Atlantic 10 postseason tournament and even making an appearance against Syracuse in the NCAA Tournament, Fordham Women’s Basketball ranked third in the annual preseason Atlantic 10 coach’s poll. They received 174 total points and only one first place vote. “I don’t pay too much attention to the preseason polls,” said head coach Stephanie Gaitley. “Ultimately our goal is to ‘win the day’ in everything we do... if we do that, then we will have a better chance to be where we want to be in the final poll.”

• Williams Honored Again

Senior libero Morgan Williams received her

third Atlantic 10 Defensive Player of the Week honor of the season for her past weeks’ performance, the conference announced on Monday afternoon. She is the first Fordham Ram to receive the honor more than twice in one year, and her four total career honors are the most in the program’s history. In Fordham’s one match of the week against Rhode Island, Williams had 22 digs, tying her own career record for the third time over her run at Fordham. Her current 2019 total of 468 digs is the 13th-most in Division I and the top in the A-10.

• Soccer Nears End of Season

Both the men’s and women’s Fordham soccer

teams are winding down their regular seasons with the men travelling to Saint Louis University and the women visiting the University of Massachsetts. Both squads have clinched their spots in the Atlantic 10 Tournaments, with the women playing theirs in St. Louis and the men playing theirs at Fordham’s Jack Coffey Field.

—Compiled by Dylan Balsamo

194 126

Is It Time to Rethink Baseball?

Two billion, 595 thousand, 500 thousand dollars. This is the total amount of money that goes into the 10 biggest contracts in Major League Baseball. What do they all have in common? All but one of them missed the playoffs.

Mike Trout, Bryce Harper, Giancarlo Stanton, Manny Machado, Nolan Arenado, Miguel Cabrera, Robinson Cano, Albert Pujols, Joey Votto and David Price are the names behind those contracts. Only one made the postseason, Stanton, but he barely played because of a nagging injury.

Not only in baseball, but in all sports, contracts get bigger and bigger, with the goal of making yourself the richest player at your position. That’s not a problem for the player itself, but the big picture is that the whole reason behind giving big contracts is buying players who can win games.

These contracts are not going to help teams win games, though.

The pressure alone behind a fan base is extreme, especially when all this money is put into one person. How could general managers get other pieces to help their team win, especially in small-market systems?

As a sports fan, you shouldn’t be afraid of when a player is about to go into free agency or when you hear rumors of your team wanting to “lock up” a player. In this sense though, you might as well be, because that might be the one thing that can keep you from being a championship team.

As time goes on, players and agents seem to always try to get the biggest contract, and that is an agent’s job. However, it could also hurt the player’s stock, because that could take a team out of contention for the season and the future to come.

Sports is just a business in the long run, but if a team doesn’t win, no one’s going to want to see that team play, no matter how big a player’s name is. Signing big contracts is just a headline in the newspaper. As time goes on, the headlines don’t get better after the pen hits the paper. Teams should be rethinking the way they put a team on the field. Buying isn’t the answer,—scouting is.

The younger the player is, the less money their contracts are worth, and some of the players coming right out of college or international players are real difference-makers.

Baseball has the biggest contract in sports: Mike Trout’s $426 million deal. The Angels came in fourth place in the AL West last year and haven’t won a World Series in almost two decades. If this trend of the biggest contracts in the sport not making the playoffs continues, could this be the last big contract in baseball?

SPORTS

Page 24

October 30, 2019

The Fordham Ram

Women’s Soccer Punches A-10 Tournament Ticket With OT Win

By CHARLIE MAISANO STAFF WRITER

It was a very stressful five days for the Fordham women’s soccer team, but all the hard work and determination from the student-athletes paid off in the end.

With the Atlantic 10 Tournament beginning this week, the Rams needed crucial points in order to clinch a spot in the top eight and make it to the quarterfinals. Their quest to make the conference tournament took a major blow last Thursday when they fell 3–0 to the University of Dayton Flyers.

The Flyers entered the contest as winners of three out of their last five games dating back to the start of the month and had plenty of momentum coming onto the pitch. The Flyers received plenty of help from the team’s third leading scorer, senior defender Jordan Pauley, to carry them to victory. Pauley was able to score her first goal of the night less than 10 minutes into the game.

In the ninth minute, a foul was called in the box, which allowed Pauley to take her fourth penalty shot of the season. She was 3–3 coming into the game and converted on the fourth by sending the ball just past the outstretched gloves of senior Rams goalie Kelly LaMorte. Only 18 minutes later, Pauley was on the board again. Instead of a penalty shot, she took a free kick from almost 30 yards out and banged the ball under the crossbar and into the net for the early 2–0 lead.

COURTESY OF FORDHAM ATHLETICS

Women’s Soccer is headed to the A-10 Tournament after defeating Davidson 2-1 in overtime thanks to Marissa Stanco’s first career goal.

The Flyers would tack on an insurance goal in the 74th minute courtesy of freshman Landy Mertz, with her third goal of the season. On the defensive side of the ball, the Flyers did their best containing Fordham’s offensive aggressiveness. The Rams were held to only three shots on goal and were shut out in a loss for the sixth time this year.

With the loss, the Rams entered an intense situation. Their last regular-season game came against the Davidson College Wildcats on Sunday. Both teams had 11 points prior to the season finale, and a win by either squad would clinch an automatic spot in the A-10 Tournament. As if the pressure wasn’t

already high enough, the game was postponed due to inclement weather from Sunday morning to Monday morning at 10 a.m.

After a day to rest and mentally prepare for the biggest game of the season, both teams played a good defensive first half. The Rams and Wildcats combined for five total shots but neither team was able to score. The real intensity came out from each team in the second half.

Although they missed an opportunity to take the lead in the 66th minute, the Wildcats were able to strike first in the 67th minute. Rachel Schleicher corralled a pass that was almost taken away

by Fordham, and eventually booted in her first goal of the season.

With only 10 minutes to go in

the game, and the season on the line, the Rams went into attack mode. Senior Maggie Roughley tried to head in a cross in the box, but hit the crossbar. The ball then ricocheted towards junior Crea Baker-Durante, who shot the ball just under the crossbar to tie the game up at one apiece.

Both teams were unable to score the game-winner in regulation, so the biggest game of the season for either team headed to overtime. A winner would not have to wait much longer, as the Rams broke through five minutes into overtime for the 2-1 victory. LaMorte punted the ball downfield and it bounced at the 30-yard line. Junior Maura Holst maintained possession on the

run and quickly passed the ball towards a cutting sophomore Marissa Stanco. Stanco one-timed the ball at the 15-yard line over the head of the Davidson goalie for the walk-off winner. That was Stanco’s first career goal, and it came at the most important time.

The Rams ended up finishing the 2019 campaign with a 5–10–4 record (4–4–2 in conference) and are now the #6 seed in the A-10 Tournament. They will travel to Amherst, Massachusetts and face the #3 seeded University of Massachusetts Minutewomen on Sunday afternoon at 1 p.m. While the Minutewomen were the better team this year, anything can happen in the playoffs and the Rams will be ready for the challenge.

Fordham Men’s Soccer Falls to Columbia in Non-conference Play

By ANDREW POSADAS

ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR

Coming into Tuesday night’s non-conference matchup against Columbia University, Fordham Men’s Soccer had plenty of positive momentum to work with after beating George Mason University over the weekend on Senior day. Seven student-athletes were playing in their final home games as seniors, including captains Joergen Oland and Bart Dziedzic. The senior class had a great showing on Saturday, with Graduate student forward Filippo Ricpati scoring twice and senior forward Johannes Pieles adding one more to secure a 3–1 Rams victory.

Not only was the win special for those graduating after this season, it also clinched a berth in the Atlantic 10 Championships for Head Coach Carlo Acquista and his squad. With virtually nothing to lose against Columbia on Tuesday, the Rams looked to keep the good vibes against the crosstown rival Lions.

Despite being at home, the Lions were looking for its first win since Oct. 5 and some offensive production being that the team had only scored three goals in its previous four matches. The series between Columbia and Fordham

goes back to the late 1950s, with the Lions holding a 27–13–6 advantage over the Rams.

Early on, the Rams were the much more aggressive team in the first half. Fordham outshot Columbia 7–2 through the first 45 minutes of regulation. Despite facing multiple shots, Lions goalkeeper Michael Collodi was able to keep Fordham off of the scoreboard. The game went into halftime scoreless, but it seemed like only a matter of time before the Rams would break through.

However, the Lions flipped the script in the second period by outshooting Fordham 7–5 and using its home-field advantage to control the possession and pace of the match. The best chance for the Rams came in the 65th minute, when sophomore midfielder Kristian Shkreli ripped a shot that ultimately hit the right post and away from danger.

Twelve minutes later, graduate student forward Tomer Zloczower would take a shot on goal, only to be denied by Collodi’s stellar performance. Unfortunately, that would be the last best scoring chance for coach Acquista’s team.

Just when it seemed like this match was heading to extra time, the Lions made one last offensive charge down the stretch. And, in the 83rd minute, magic struck

MACKENZIE CRANNA/THE FORDHAM RAM

Despite losing to Columbia, Fordham men’s soccer has its eyes set on the Atlantic 10 Championships. off of the foot of Columbia midfielder Matthew Swain. Swain was able to beat graduate student goalkeeper Konstantin Weis, who had four saves on the night, and that goal would be the difference in what was a closely-contested match.

The loss drops Fordham to 5–10–2 on the season, but truth-

fully, this close non-conference loss late in the season is inconsequential to a Rams team with its eye on the A-10 Championships.

With one last A-10 match remaining, Fordham can still secure a top-four spot in the standings and guarantee themselves a quarterfinal match at home. Why is that so important? Fordham hosts the

A-10 Championships this year, and an extra home game would only benefit the Rams in making a potential run to the final.

Fordham Men’s Soccer will be back in action this upcoming Saturday on the road against Saint Louis University. Kickoff is scheduled for 8 p.m. and can be seen exclusively on ESPN+.