Observer the
November 6, 2024
The Student Voice of Fordham Lincoln Center
VOLUME XLV, ISSUE 5
Fordham Watches Likely Trump Reelection
By SAM BRACY News Editor
Tuesday’s presidential election matched pollsters’ repeated predictions for a close race, with crucial swing states set to determine whether Vice President Kamala Harris or Former President Donald Trump will come out on top. As of 1 a.m. Wednesday, Trump was poised to secure the entire Southeast, including Georgia’s coveted 16 electoral votes, according to the AP. Harris’s path
to 270 electoral votes then narrowed to Pennsylvania and some combination of Michigan, Wisconsin, Arizona and Nevada. If reelected, Trump has campaigned on promises to initiate the mass deportation of undocumented immigrants and high tariffs on imports. Associate Professor of Political Science Christina Greer expected that a second Trump term would be characterized by authoritarianism, especially if judicial and legislative branches of the Federal government fail to apply checks and
Men’s Water Polo Remains Undefeated By CORA COST Asst. Sports & Health Editor
Fordham water polo is the lone undefeated team in the NCAA with a 24-0 record and stands tied as second in the nation. In the pool, Fordham water polo is unstoppable and has yet to face an opponent that matches their precision and ability. On Oct. 27, the Rams wrapped up a perfect sweep out west at the Julian Fraser Memorial Tournament. The team faced University of the Pacific, University of California-Merced, and The Air Force Academy in San Jose, California, and finished the trip 6-0. The team arrived in California ranked fifth in the nation and returned to New York City ranked second, tied with Stanford University and University of Southern California. The only team to score higher was University of California, Los Angeles. The stars of the weekend featured two first-year players: Luca Provenziani, Fordham College at Rose Hill (FCRH) ’28, and Andras Toth, Gabelli School of Business at Rose Hill (GSBRH) ’28. Following their powerful performances out west, Provenziani earned the Mid-Atlantic Water NEWS PAGE 2
Election Day
Rams exercise their right to vote for president
Polo Conference (MAWPC) player of the week and Toth was titled co-rookie of the week. The youthful talent on the roster has an experienced presence that mirrors the veteran skill of their team leaders. This year’s roster has eight senior athletes, many of whom have been playing together since their first year. Head Water Polo Coach Brian Bacharach believes the leadership from this group has aided the team through their undefeated season. “That core group of seniors have been together for a longtime. They have been through a lot together. They know the ropes of what it takes to be successful over a multi-month period of time and now a multi-year period of time,” Bacharach said. Mark Katsev, GSBRH ’25, an attacker for the team, said that the core group of seniors have led the team’s drive for success. “We are a big group of seniors so we have a lot of leadership. We know this is our last chance and we are super happy, but at the same time we want more,” Katsev said. Despite their perfect season so far, the Rams are hungry for the first place slot. see 24-0 page 6
SPORTS & HEALTH PAGE 6
Staying Afloat
Men’s water polo continues impressive 24-game win streak
balances on the executive branch. “This time around, it’s very different, because if he chooses to use executive orders, the Supreme Court is essentially stuffed as his supreme court, so you don’t have those guardrails. Or if he tries to do things legislatively, he has a possibly unified government,” Greer said. The race was at times highly unorthodox. Trump became the first former president to be convicted of a felony in May. Harris ran an unusually truncated threeand-a-half month campaign after
she became the presumptive Democratic nominee when President Joe Biden suspended his reelection campaign on July 21. In New York, AP projected Constitutional Amendment NY-1 to pass, expanding state equal rights protections to reproductive healthcare including abortions. In the city Charter Amendments NYC-2, 3 and 4 were projected by the New York Times to pass in a victory for Mayor Eric Adams’ administration. Charter Amendment NYC-2 will empower the Department
of Sanitation, and Amendments NYC-3 and NYC-4 require the City Council to submit budget and public safety legislation with more time prior to voting. The amendments were opposed by many City Council members under the banner “No Power Grab NYC.” Associate Professor of Political Science Zein Murib said the amendments strengthened the mayor at the City Council’s expense. “It is giving Mayor Adams more power over City Council proceedings,” Murib said.
Plumbing Plagues McMahon By ARIANNA PINNA Staff Writer
McMahon Hall experienced a full water shut-off on Saturday, Oct. 26 due to an overflowing shower. Students and facilities operations shared different accounts on how long the water shut-off lasted and facilities operations shared conflicting stories. According to Jedd Applebaum, chief engineer and associate director of facilities operations, the shut-off lasted 30 minutes sometime between 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. It was announced in advance via the intercom as well as once the water was put back on. Applebaum explained the shut-down occurred due to a suspected leak in the pipes which turned out to be an overflowing shower. The overflowing shower had leaked into the kitchen and then into the walls. “To be on the safe side and prevent further damage, we had to shut it off,” Applebaum said. Applebaum said the only damage from the leak was to some ceiling tiles which were quickly replaced. Students living in McMahon described a different story than Applebaum. Kasey Orava, Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) ’25, and Kennedy Bellin, FCLC ’26, both claimed the water
was shut off for a couple hours. Orava expressed frustration with the lack of communication with residents about the shut-off,
as she was off-campus at the time of the intercom announcement.
CENTERFOLD PAGE 8-9
OPINIONS PAGE 10
ARTS & CULTURE PAGE 15
Civic Service
Campus Ministry hosts annual Thanksgiving food drive
ABBY GRUNZINGER/THE OBSERVER
A bucket catches water leaking from the ceiling outside McMahon’s first floor RA office on Oct. 30.
Elephant In The Room Republican animosity toward queer people is just a cover up
see LEAKY DORM page 4
Celebrating
Fordham’s Día de los Muertos celebration honors lives lived