The Fordham Ram Serving The Fordham University Community Since 1918 Volume 99, Issue 3
FordhamRam.com
February 8, 2017
Athletics Signs Contract
USG Releases Report
By VICTOR ORDONEZ
By THERESA SCHLIEP
ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR
Fordham Athletics has signed a multimillion dollar contract with Learfield Communications, Inc. for the University’s sponsorship rights and a portion of its multimedia rights, according to Fordham Athletics. The official contract between Learfield and Fordham is set to be a 12-year partnership that will not expire until June 30, 2028. Learfield is an athletic-based marketing company that specializes in college sports. “Learfield empowers businesses and universities by connecting big brands to the excitement, passion, tradition, fans and fun of college sports, through customized marketing solutions and experiences,” said Learfield’s website. Aside from Fordham, Learfield SEE ATHLETICS, PAGE 3
NEWS EDITOR
COURTESY OF FACULTY SENATE
The Faculty Senate, pictured above, stood silently outside of a CUSP meeting in protest of the administration.
Faculty Senate Silently Protests Admin. at CUSP Meeting By ERIN SHANAHAN EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Faculty members stood outside of Thursday’s Continuous University Strategic Planning (CUSP) meeting in silent protest of the administration’s objection to the
Faculty Hearing Committee’s findings that said the administration broke the university’s own governing laws. Over 150 Fordham faculty members adorned red flowers and stood silently outside the Bateman conference room at Fordham
University’s School of Law while trustees and administrative members of the university walked into the CUSP meeting with Rev. Joseph M. McShane, S.J., president of the university. “It was a great show of solidarity SEE FACULTY, PAGE 5
United Student Government (USG) released its midyear report Wednesday, detailing their work from the first half of the 2016-2017 academic year and looking towards the Spring 2017 semester. It also details budget allocations for the Fall 2016 and Spring 2017 semesters. During the Fall 2016 semester, the committee allocated $59,799.76 to clubs in addition to the $449,848.04 allocated on Budget Day. Combined, this came to a total of $509,647.80 allocated to clubs and organizations. In November, the Budget Committee allocated a total of $491,446.96 to clubs and organizations for Spring 2017. This left a remaining $3,708.04 from Budget Day, which USG will allocate during this semester in addition SEE USG, PAGE 5
University Charles Cooke Talks Federalism Fordham Press Moves to Lincoln Center By AISLINN KEELY
ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR
Fordham College Republicans hosted Charles Cooke, editor of the National Review Online, to speak on the future of the Republican Party in the changing political landscape. The event saw Cooke call for a rise of federalism to improve political relations in the future. The event also provided a place for civil political discourse on Fordham’s Rose Hill campus.
College Republicans promoted the event as a polite discourse on the state of politics. “It was a good example of how discourse on a college campus should be, I think,” said Colton Hillman, GSB ’19, Treasurer of College Republicans. “It’s an open environment for people, conservatives, liberals.” Cooke discussed the shift towards Republican representation after the recent election and the problems that exist on the right, including the divide between younger and older conservatives
and the feelings of unease many Republicans have towards their own party. “I think America is incredibly divided,” said Cooke. Cooke advocated for a return to federalism to remedy the polarized state of American politics. This includes a greater focus on local government and representation as well as a greater respect for states’ rights. Cooke gave three main reasons for the use of federalism. Those who disagree with a state’s legis-
SEE REPUBLICANS, PAGE 3
JULIA COMERFORD/FORDHAM RAM
Fordham Republicans hosted Charles Cooke, who spoke about federalism and the future of the Republican party.
By AISLINN KEELY
ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR
This past week Fordham University Press (FUP) moved to its new Lincoln Center campus location in an effort to remain competitive in the publishing community. The move placed FUP in Joseph A. Martino Hall amidst Fordham’s Manhattan campus. Frederic Nachbaur, director of FUP, believes that the press’s new location will allow for greater competition in the publishing landscape. “It allows us to remain competitive in a changing landscape and to be an active participant in the publishing community. Columbia University Press is across the street and NYU Press is down near Union Square,” said Nachbaur, on his decision to move from FUP’s original Rose Hill location. The new location is situated near Fordham College Lincoln Center, Gabelli School of Business and Fordham Law, and cultural institutions such as the New York Philharmonic, the Metropolitan Opera and the New York City Ballet. “The new location will raise the profile of FUP and is ideally located for press-sponsored events such as author panels, book launches and signings,” according to a FUP press release. It also puts FUP in close proximity notably to other university
presses, such as Columbia University Press, New York University Press and the American Association of University Presses (AAUP). The move allows for greater collaboration on scholarly projects. The plans for the move had been in place for a few years, according to Nachbaur. Between eight and ten university tenured professors govern FUP as the Board of Directors, and Nachbaur, along with fellow administrators, made the decision to change locations. In conjunction with the change in location, FUP will switch distributers. Ingram Publisher Services will become FUP’s primary distribution partner at the start of July, marking a change from Oxford University Press. Ingram’s midtown location, a stone’s throw SEE PRESS, PAGE 4
in this issue Opinion Page 7 The Need for U.S. Participation in the U.N.
Culture Page 12 The Feminist Impact of Mary Tyler Moore
Sports Page 24
Anderson Gives Rams Win in Double O.T.
NEWS
Page 2
PUBLIC SAFETY BRIEFS
Fordham Law Emphasises Press Practicality in Curriculum Leaves
Jan 31. Lombardi Center 4 p.m. Fordham’s Athletic Department notified Public Safety of a stolen iPad. Athletics had given a student athlete the iPad that was expected to be returned in a timely fashion. However, the individual is no longer an athlete and Athletics wants the iPad returned. Public Safety is investigating. Feb. 3 3 a.m. O’Hare hall A supervisor observed a Fordham student admitting other nonresident Fordham students into O’hare hall to avoid the sign-in process. The intruders were escorted from the building without incident. The incident was referred to Residential Life. Feb. 4 5 a.m. Jogues Hall There was a confrontation between a Fordham student and two visitors of another resident. The confrontation led to a physical attack on the Fordham student. The student was transported to St. Barnabas. Public Safety identified the visitors who struck the students. The investigation is ongoing. Feb. 5 3 a.m. Alumni Court South An Alumni Court South resident snuck a student of another residence hall into their room after they were no longer allowed to sign in. Public safety responded and checked the student’s room for the intruder. The student intruder was not found. Public Safety is still investigating the incident. — Compiled by Victor Ordonez
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February 8. 2017
OWEN CORRIGAN/THE FORDHAM RAM
Despite law degree climate, Fordham Law Students have promising futures.
By JAKE SHORE
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Entering into the world of law can seem daunting to law students at a time when 30 percent of all law school graduates are unemployed or unable to find a job, according to The New York Times. The trend does not seem to have affected Fordham Law School though, as the school incorporates practical skills into its curriculum to make its students employable. In figures released by Fordham Law School after checking in with graduates 10 months after their 2015 graduation, 357 of 410 graduates had secured employment after passing the bar exam. The school, which recently claimed a top-20 spot on SoFi’s list of top salaries for law graduates, makes use of alumni and teaches realworld skills according to students. Second-year Fordham Law student Redwan Saleh, LAW ’18, has secured a summer position working for O’Melveny and Myers, a
top-tier New York firm. He said Fordham’s focus is on practicality. “This is not a master’s degree. This is a skills school. We’re learning skills to practice law and I think the most beneficial thing is to take more practical courses,” Saleh said. “Fordham has been good [with that]. They have the right professors, they’re engaging and they make boring stuff engaging and practical.” For Saleh, he found “practical” in professors he could consult with about practicing law and in student clubs where he competes with other schools’ teams on legal cases. Second-year Fordham Law student Katherine Wright shares Saleh’s opinion, as she also secured a summer position at a New York firm, Shearman and Sterling. She said Fordham Law’s connections are the reason why she has the position. “I wouldn’t have this job if it wasn’t for Fordham,” said Wright. Wright credited Fordham Law
for making her a more attractive candidate to the firm she is pledged to. She said the school did this by focusing on practical skills which, according to a 2016 Fortune article, many law students from other schools wish was the case in their education. Wright put special emphasis on clinics. Offering 17 different types, Fordham Law’s clinics pair students with real clients’ cases and experienced professors. The school also gives academic credits for interning at a firm, called “externships.” “Fordham Law’s selling point is graduating lawyers who are, in fact, practice ready,” said Wright. However, the programs Fordham has in place are not innovative, as the top law schools in the nation already have in place. Another school offering clinics and practiced professors is Yale Law School. It has a near-100 percent employment rate with their 2015 graduating class, and are ranked No. 1 in the country, according to US News law school rankings. Graduates from Yale and from the other top-10 ranked law schools have no problems securing jobs, while the graduates from schools below that line face a little more trouble. Fordham Law, on the other hand, sits at No. 37 on the US News ranking. While not ranked quite as high as Yale or Columbia Law schools, it enjoys a higher employment rate than schools ranked above it like University of Georgia Law School, University of Washington Law School and University of Wisconsin Madison Law School. Additionally, Fordham Law School’s 2015 employment rate of 89 percent competes with the rates of higher-tier law schools like No. 12 Northwestern University Law School (92 percent), No. 20 Boston University Law School (90 percent) and No. 30 UC Davis Law School (90 percent). “Fordham Law School takes a proactive, systematic approach to career planning. Our goal is to help students maximize their career options by clarifying their interests, exploring opportunities, showcasing their best professional selves in the job search and connecting with employers,” said Fordham Law School Dean Matthew Diller in a statement.
Rose Hill FROM PRESS, PAGE 1
midtown location, a stone’s throw from the new FUP location, contributed to the decision to partner. “I think it’s a great move that will raise the profile of the press and open up opportunities for collaborations both on and off campus,” Nachbaur said. Nachbaur looks forward to because more integrated with the Fordham departments at Lincoln Center. He said the new location feels less isolated than the previous Rose Hill location, which was next to Faculty Memorial Hall. “I’m very excited to be back in Manhattan and to be in a renovated space with access to the publishing community as well as faculty and students on LC campus,” said Nachbaur. However, there will still be exchange between the two campuses. “The Press reports to the Office of the Provost so I will be up on RH on a regular basis. Our board members are faculty on both campuses,” said Nachbaur. “My goal is to make the press a valuable resource to all members of the Fordham community.” FUP, established in 1907, has been a member of the AAUP since 1938. Fordham established the press “to represent and uphold the values and traditions through the dissemination of scholarly research and ideas,” said the press release. Currently, FUP produces about 90 books each year. Though the works are primarily in the social sciences and humanities, the press has published awardwinning studies in anthropology, classics, communications, the fine arts, gender studies, history, literary studies, philosophy, political theory, religion, sociology and theology. Published works are often interdisciplinary as well. “I look forward to this change and continuing to raise the profile of FUP and collaborating with the university and neighboring institutions on innovative partnerships,” said Nachbaur. FUP is the oldest Catholic university press in the nation, and the seventh oldest of all American universities.
This Week at Fordham Thursday Feb. 9
Sunday Feb. 12
Sunday Feb. 12
Monday Feb. 13
Tuesday Feb. 14
Up ‘Til Dawn Valentine’s Day Delivery
B+ Foundation Guest Speaker
CAB’s WAC February Bingo
Cinevents1 Presents: Moana Movie Showing
The Brokenhearted Open Mic
Join CAB in Keating 1st for a screening of Disney’s Moana, starring Auli’i Cravalho and Dwayne Johnson.
CAB is sponsoring the annual Brokenhearted Open Mic night at Rodrigue’s Coffee House. Perform and watch talents showcasing the themes of love and loss.
Rose Hill 7 p.m. — 9 p.m.
To benefit St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Up ‘Til Dawn will deliver “Valentine’s Day Packages” to students on campus.
Keating 1st 6 p.m. — 8 p.m.
In the lead up to RHA’s Fordham Dance Marathon, Joe McDonough of the B+ Foundation will speak about the mission of the B+ Foundation.
Keating 1st 9 p.m.—11:30 p.m.
CAB’s Weekend Activities Committee will host its monthly bingo game. Students have the opportunity to win prizes for four bingo rounds with a free board and additional boards for $1 each.
Keating 1st 9 p.m. — 11:45 p.m.
Rodrigue’s Coffee House 8 p.m. — 10 p.m.
NEWS
February 8, 2017
Contract for Sponsorships, Some Media Rights Signed FROM ATHLETICS, PAGE 1
has partnerships with eight of the 14 Atlantic 10 Conference schools such as Davidson, Duquesne, George Mason, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Saint Louis and Virginia Commonwealth University. Through its access to multimedia platforms and sponsorship rights, Learfield will run a local team led by Fordham’s Director of Corporate Sponsorships James Osborne. The team’s job will be to connect Fordham Athletics to local, regional and national brands by acquiring their sponsorship. The company will manage the multimedia and sponsorship rights for Fordham University, according to a Fordham press release. The company’s acquiring of sponsorships for Fordham
Athletics will generate annual revenue for the university, according to Osborne. At most schools, the company manages all of the athletic department’s multimedia affiliations. However, the contract between Learfield and Fordham Athletics will not affect Fordham’s existing radio or television affiliations, according to Fordham Director of Athletics David Roach. “In most schools [Learfield] would go out and find local radio stations and ask if they would like to broadcast the University’s games,” said Roach. “We are in a different situation because of [Fordham Athletics’] relationship to WFUV.” The agreement will allow WFUV to remain the home of Fordham Athletics, said Roach “We essentially just serve as the
sponsorships branch,” said Osborne. Fordham has already had ongoing sponsorship deals through Learfield with national brands like Geico, Pizza Studio and Applebees, according to Osborne. Mike’s Deli, a local shop located on Arthur Ave., is also a sponsor of Fordham Athletics. “The goal is not just to provide
Page 3 brand exposure on a larger level with more recognizable names, but also to provide exposure for companies right outside the campus walls,” said Osborne. Learfield will manage all aspects of the rights agreement, which includes signage and the corporate sponsorships obtained by Osborne and his team. In approaching these compa-
nies for sponsorships, Osborne and his team offer marketing packages. “The ultimate goal for us is to find the solutions for companies and supplement their ongoing marketing efforts,” said Osborne. “This could include courtside signage, radio exposure or even a presence on any of our digital offerings.”
OWEN CORRIGAN/THE FORDHAM RAM
Fordham Athletic’s relationship with Learfield will involve acquiring sponsorships, both international and local.
Public Safety and Students Discuss Safety:
Three More Burglaries Seen On Campus than Off
ANDREA GARCIA/THE FORDHAM RAM
Unofficial crime statistics provided by Public Safety reveal there were more burglaries on the Rose Hill campus than outside of its gates.
By VICTOR ORDONEZ ASSIATNT NEWS EDITOR
For students and parents alike, safety is a substantial component in determining whether to live on or off campus. Evidently, there are benefits and risks to both arrangements. In 2016, there were three off-campus apartments that were victims of burglaries, whereas there were eight
burglaries that took place on Rose Hill campus, according to unofficial numbers provided by Fordham’s Department of Public Safety. These unofficial numbers provided by the Department of Public Safety show that there were five more burglaries on the Rose Hill campus than off campus burglaries. Public Safety noted that the number of burglaries will remain unofficial until its process of reviewing every
incident of 2016 is completed. Burglaries include any unlawful entry into a building illegally with intent to commit a crime, especially theft. As for the other two off-campus burglaries, students had a number of belongings stolen from them. The list of stolen items includes phones, wallets and prescription medication. In both cases, students were unsure as to whether the doors to
their apartments were locked, according to Public Safety. When compared to those who live off-campus, on-campus Fordham residents make up a larger population. To be precise, 55 percent of the Fordham student body lives oncampus, according to 2015 statistics from the U.S. News Department of Higher Education. Four on-campus residence halls fell victim to theft, in addition to
one burglary that took place on an off-campus Fordham residence hall. In several of these cases students could also not recall whether they had locked their doors, according to Public Safety. The remaining three burglaries took place in non-residential buildings. Lindsey Garibaldi, FCRH 17, lives with roommates in an off-campus apartment on Hoffman Ave. “When I first moved off-campus I was a bit worried, and definitely a bit uneasy,” said Garibaldi. She mentioned multiple instances that made her question her safety living off campus. Garibaldi said that she had called New York emergency services during one of those instances in early October 2016, but felt that they were of no help to her. Garibaldi had noticed a vehicle parked outside her apartment on Hoffman Ave. The vehicle had one occupant and remained outside her residency for over 12 hours. As the situation remained unresolved, Garibaldi phoned Public Safety and found that they were of more assistance. “Speaking with Public Safety made me feel safe off-campus,” said Garibaldi. “I felt supported by Public Safety both on and off campus.” Much like John Carroll, associate vice president for Public Safety, Garibaldi was aware of off-campus burglaries that resulted from unlocked doors. “It isn’t paranoia to lock your doors at night,” said Garibaldi. “I’d like to sleep knowing I’m safe.” Carroll gave advice to all students in response to the on and off campus burglaries, several of which were a result of unlocked doors. “Both our on campus and off campus students will markedly increase their safety and protect their valuables by continually locking their doors, both when they’re inside their residences and when they leave,” said Carroll.
NEWS
Page 4
February 8, 2017
Fordham In The Bronx
Bronx’s Norwood News Prospers: Success Based in Community Support
IAN RODDEN FOR THE FORDHAM RAM
Norwood News, which circulates in the northwest Bronx, prospers despite the decline of print media in recent years.
By IAN RODEN
BRONX CORRESPONDENT
Founded in 1988, the Norwood News is a non-profit newspaper distributed in northwest Bronx communities such as Norwood, Bedford Park, Fordham and University Heights. The newspaper is free and distributed bi-weekly. Residing in the Norwood section of the Bronx, the Norwood News thrives despite the declining print media environment. Newspapers face harsh conditions in today’s media climate. The newspaper industry has been in a “tailspin” since the 2008 recession and in 2015, “the newspaper sector had perhaps the worst year since the recession and its immediate aftermath,” according to Pew Research Center. Despite these conditions, David Cruz, the editor of the Norwood News, said they have stayed on an “even plane” since the social media boom. If anything, Cruz said they have “gained more recognition” as a newspaper. What’s the secret to their success? Cruz said it is not necessarily thanks to their presence on the Internet. In fact, aside from post-
ing individual articles in various Bronx affiliated Facebook groups, they do not use social media very much at all. Instead, Cruz attributes its success and longevity to the print medium itself and to its loyal community following. “People like the feeling of holding the paper,” said Cruz. “Sometimes when I walk down 204th street, I notice that the paper is gone in a matter of hours.” In addition, their success is thanks to their paper’s mantra. “Information should be free and there shouldn’t be a price on it,” said Cruz. “We’re not worried about revenue because we’re not that kind of paper.” Moreover, the Norwood News is a community-oriented paper. It can be found in coffee shops, restaurants, corner stores and even police precincts. “Where we place the paper is key to our presence,” said Cruz. The goal of the Norwood News is to promote community engagement and action. In doing so, it hopes to shed light on important issues. “We want people to go to meetings. The purpose of the paper is
to create a more informed populus,” said Cruz. “We tend to start the conversation.” One of these conversations re-
garded a real-estate scandal. After The Related Cos., a multi-billion dollar real estate company, bought 36 buildings in the Bronx area, residents were experiencing heat problems. February 2015 was a cold winter, and the lack of heat was such a problem that tenants were forced to come up with alternative ways of keeping themselves warm— one tenant even kept their oven on to heat their apartment. After residents submitted complaints with no answer from The Related Cos., the Norwood News brought attention to the tenants plight. It turned out that buildings were bought, in part, using money from the New York City pension fund— developers used this money to facilitate housing developments that people were living in without heat. David Cruz said that as a result of their coverage, city officials prioritized the problem and have since fixed it. An Iona College graduate, Cruz has had positions at News 12 the
Photo of the Week
Bronx, WCBS 880 AM, and the Bronx Times Reporter. He’s been in the business for 13 years and although he worked his way up to associate producer working at WCBS 880 AM, he left to pursue his dream of being a writer. He found a haven for that dream at the Norwood News, where he has helped make the paper an Independent Press Association Award-winning news outlet for helping shed light on the Related Cos. and their buildings’ heating problem. Furthermore, Cruz and the Norwood News want a stronger relationship with Fordham University. Just a ten-minute cab ride away from Rose Hill campus, Norwood News is run entirely by Cruz with the exception of a few freelancers. However, they offer internships and are eager to get Fordham students to apply. “I’ve been wanting to get Fordham students in here for the longest time,” he said. “I just don’t know why it hasn’t taken off.”
JULIA COMERFORD/THE FORDHAM RAM
This photo of Greene Street in Manhattan’s Soho, the neighborhood named for its location South of Houston Street, showcases the area’s ironwork architecture. It is part of the SoHo-Cast Iron Historic District.
Campus Briefs & Bites Professor Presents Lecture “Toying With Blackness”
First Chair Named to New Alumni Association
Fordham Mourns Previous Trustee
Professor Researches Texts Regarding Birth of Christ
Doctor Lise Schreier presented a lecture on Jan. 19 at Fordham’s Law Center on Race, Law and Justice. In “Toying with Blackness”, she spoke on research she had been conducting as part of a National Endowment for Humanities grant toward publication of her book, “Playthings of Empire: Child-Gifting and the Politics of French Femininity.” In her research she discovered practices conducted from mid-15th century to early 19th century in which darkskinned children from various countries were offered as gifts to high society women. In essence, Schreier describes these children as toys who were used by French girls. These “toys” were considered a privilege to have and were given to young women in exchange for good behavior. The giving away of dark-skinned children as toys was designed to be incentive for children to behave as obedient and proper citizens, according to Schreier. Schreier’s work depicts the status of black characters in history and how they were objectified on a grand scale.
John Pettenati, FCRH ’81, has been named the first chair of the Fordham University Alumni Association (FUAA). The FUAA, a new University-wide alumni group, has an advisory board of 24 alumni and is dues-free. The FUAA’s advisory board consists of undergraduate and graduate alumni spanning six decades. The group aims to identify ways that alumni can assist the university in helping the 175,000 living Fordham alumni. The formation of the FUAA coincides with Fordham’s dodransbicentennial, anniversary. Pettenati is an avid collector of Fordham memorabilia and a strong supporter of the Fordham football program. He was also the first of his immediate family to pursue higher education. As a believer in the Jesuit values of social justice, Pettenati also supports Cristo Rey and the Gregorian University Foundation of New York along with his new position as FUAA’s first chair.
James Butler, FCRH ’62, a member of the University Board of Trustees from 1994 to 2000, passed away on Sept. 7, 2016. The West Chester, Pa. resident is survived by his wife, their three children, two grandchildren and his brother. A Bronx native, Butler attended Regis High School before receiving degrees from both Fordham University and Columbia University. In his professional life, Butler worked in the Philadelphia, London and Hong Kong divisions of Scott Paper Company, where he served as chief administrative officer. The family asks that those wishing to pay respects contribute to Regis High School, 55 E. 84th St., New York, NY 10028, or to the University of Pennsylvania Hospital Cardiovascular Disease Fellowship Program rather than contributing flowers to the deceased. Members of the Fordham community mourn the loss of Butler as a trustee and alumni.
Doctor Sarit Kattan Gribetz, assistant professor of theology, is researching historical Jewish texts which have sparked generations of controversy. Within the Toledot Yeshu texts, it is suggested that the birth of Jesus may have resulted from a tryst. This particular concept has offended Christians and is part of Gribetz’s study. Given the hostile climate in which Jews lived during the medieval period, Gribetz believes stories from this era are a textual response from a community frequently under physical or ideological threat. Gribetz believes it is important to understand the cultural narrative of these historical texts in order to comprehend cooperation between Jews, Christians, and Muslims. As a religious scholar, Gribetz believes that she must approach these texts more as a historian than a theologian. By completing her research, she hopes to create a more religiously tolerant society.
NEWS
February 8, 2017
USG: Mid-Year Report
Page 5
Details Club Budget, Part and Future Initiatives FROM USG, PAGE 1
to the remaining $18,677.05. Executive President Daniel Stroie, GSB ’17, and Executive Vice President Elijah Simon, GSB ’17, used the article to provide updates on initiatives currently in the works as well as highlight those that have concluded. For instance, Sara Brown, GSB ’19, senator, aims to introduce a meal swipe pilot program to the university next semester in order to donate unused meal swipes to Part of the Solution, a nonprofit food bank located in the Bronx. Catherine Maccaro, FCRH ’17, vice president of health and security, worked on hosting Fordham’s first Fresh Check Day, an event made “to create an approachable atmosphere for students to have a dialogue about mental health,” according to the document. USG hosted Fresh Check Day on Jan. 27. The document also details USG’s collaboration with other clubs from the Fall 2016 semester. USG collaborated with the other big four clubs: Campus Activities Board, Commuting Students Association and Residence Halls Association, throughout the semester. For example, in light of the increase in bias incidents the University has seen in the past few semesters, the “big four” clubs dedicated November to diversity programming. Diversity Month saw “programming focused on cultural, gender, geographical and racial awareness,” according to the document. This included a Diver-
sity month video, featuring students from the community celebrating uniqueness and diversity. Other collabrations among the big Four included “Meet Me on Eddie’s,” a start-of-the-year event with music, food and games. USG also worked on improving transparency and visibility on campus. This effort included creating a new USG website, as well as increased office hours for the Senate. Stroie instituted two office hours a week for each Senate. USG changed its school representation, as well. The Fall 2016 semester saw a lot of changes with the Fordham College at Rose Hill Council, it is are now broken into four subcommittees: GSB - FCRH Deans Councils Joint Ventures, which focuses on increasing collaborative opportunities between GSB and FCRH, FCRH Undergraduate Research, which looks to further educate students on research opportunities at the university, Diversity Integration, which seeks to incorporate diversity into all aspects of student life and Visibility, which seeks to improve the administrators’ The document also detailed some of the activities undertaken by the Gabelli Dean’s Council. For instance, the council held a TEDx event this past semester, and looks forward to “continuing this series and improving this event in the years to come,” according to the report. Gabelli Dean’s Council has also worked towards creating a program called
the Study Abroad Initiative, which would allow students who otherwise would not be able to study abroad to complete a project for GSB while abroad. USG’s report continued to detail accomplishments and plans for various USG committees. For instance, The Committee on International Integration is working to establish a Cultural Awareness Speaker Series Initiative, a monthly series that would seek to promote cultural awareness on campus. They are also implementing a Multilingual Signage
Initiative, which looks to aide international students in understanding signage around the community. The Diversity Action Coalition, formed last year, is looking to better educate incoming Fordham students on the culture and history of the Bronx. The Sustainability Committee hosted the third annual Sustainability Week, as well as improved recycling and composting on campus. The House Committee hosted Festivus Fordhamenis last semes-
ter, which showcased Fordham performance clubs and boosted spirit through Maroon Zone. The Operations Committee hosted the annual Club Fair, an event that introduces Fordham’s 158 clubs to students. Stroie and Brown created a Dining Services Advisory Committee to address problems involving eating on campus. This saw changes at eateries on campus, such as meatless Monday’s in the Marketplace and adding all-day breakfast at Urban Kitchen. They look to further improve dining.
ANDREA GARCIA/THE FORDHAM RAM
USG released its mid-year report, which included budget allocations and initiatives for the 2016-2017 academic year.
Faculty Members Stage Silent Protest FROM FACULTY, PAGE 1
among the faculty from all of the schools, not just arts and sciences, and contingent faculty, not just tenured or tenure-track faculty,” said Andrew Clark, chair of the Faculty Salary & Benefits Committee. “There is a lot at stake so knowing that we have this support and strength will help future actions.” According to Clark, who helped to organize this protest, 96 faculty members submitted an R.S.V.P. However, over 150 faculty members were in attendance. Another 56 faculty from Rose Hill wrote in support but were teaching at the time of the protest, while 18 other professors responded in support while they were traveling or out of the country. The faculty protesters stood in silence in front of the Bateman Conference room from 12:20 p.m. to 12:45 p.m. while the Trustees and administrative members of the university arrived. The protest stemmed from several events which transpired within the past six months between the Faculty Senate, the administration and the Faculty Hearing Committee. The faculty contends that the administration ignored the university’s governing statutes when it unilaterally determined the
amount of a pay increase for the faculty for the 2016-17 academic year rather than coming to an agreement with the Faculty Senate. As a result, the President of the Faculty Senate and English
Professor, Anne Fernald, Ph.D., filed the grievances against three administrators and the Board of Trustees in September. The Faculty Hearing Committee, who received and reviewed
the submitted grievances, ruled that “the Board of Trustees and the Administration violated the University Statutes by imposing a salary decision for FY2017 without having reached a ‘final
ANDREA GARCIA/THE FORDHAM RAM
Faculty members protested the administration’s response to the Faculty Hearing Committee’s findings.
agreement’ with the Faculty Salary and Benefits Committee of the Faculty Senate, and without having that agreement ‘reviewed and approved by the Faculty Senate.’” The administration’s response states that the Hearing Committee lacked jurisdiction in this matter and that it does not plan to renegotiate the faculty’s 2016-17 salary at this time. “Since the Committee had no authority to act upon the grievances, the decisions of the Committee are not determinative,” University Counsel Elaine Crosson said in her email responding to the results of the Faculty Hearing Committee. “The Administration will not be re-opening salary negotiations for the current academic year, but looks forward to continuing to work with you on negotiations for the upcoming year.” After the Faculty Hearing Committee released their findings, Bob Howe, director of communications for the university, said, “We are currently engaged in productive compensation negotiations with the Faculty Senate, and have every reason to believe that we will conclude the process on time, and present a University budget that is both equitable to faculty and reflects fiscal reality.” Bob Howe, communications director of the university, denied further comment on the matter.
NEWS
Page 6
February 8, 2017
Professors Incorporate Technology in the Classroom
OWEN CORRIGAN/FORDHAM RAM
Fordham professors adapt to the changing technological climate in the classroom.
By MARIANYS MARTE CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Changing technology and its massive influence on our society has forced the collegiate world to change its methods of education for the up-and-coming generation. As a result, students at Fordham have called for college classrooms to adapt to the current technology landscape. Many Fordham professors have excelled in the face of this demand with the help of some university
resources while many others have fallen short of the mark. The Faculty Technology Center is available for professors to use to their advantage and learn how to incorporate new and existing technology into their classrooms. Shawn Hill, instructional technologist at the Faculty Technology Center, said it is important for faculty to be proficient at using new technology. The Center offers one-on-one mentoring and tailors their level of support to
the needs of the faculty member. “At minimum it is important for professors to be tech-savvy in order to simply navigate the dayto-day university systems,” said Hill. “In addition, everyone at the university - students, faculty and admin - all benefit when we look beyond what is simply required to the many exciting technology tools out there that can enhance teaching and learning.” Hill said the center offers an array of training to accommodate different needs of the faculty.
“We offer webinars, group training, departmental presentations, one-on-one mentoring, and call/email support,” said Hill. “Our goal is to offer a flexible menu of ways in which a member of the faculty can get the training she needs.” Some faculty incorporate an online publishing platform called Scalar and a program called Qualtrics, which is a creation tool for quizzes, surveys and voting in elections. “Fordham faculty in departments and programs as diverse as Medieval Studies, Modern Languages, Religion, Jewish Studies, Sociology and Physics, to cite only a few examples, are using innovative technology to enhance both their own scholarship and the classroom experience,” said Hill. For some professors here at Fordham, technology is best used in the classroom when its potential is maximized. “It’s not just knowing how to use different technologies or platforms, but knowing about the norms in those spaces and how to use them to greater effect,” said Jesse Baldwin-Philippi, Ph.D., communications professor. Some students feel professors can use technology better in the classroom. “Often times professors will offer some extra credit to a student who volunteers to work the screen and computer for them.” Lilibeth Ramos Flores, FCRH ’17. “It’s kind of sad that in a school that claims to be state-ofthe-art, a lot of professors aren’t exactly tech-savvy.” Technology is ever-changing
and professors, as well as students, keep up with it in order to be tech-savvy. “Most of my professors have done a good job incorporating technology into the curriculum,” said Alexis Leeds, FCRH ’18. “I’ve had professors who use Facebook groups or Twitter to get the class engaged, which I think is a really good way to get people to participate.” Universities first began digitizing the classroom once Tim Berners-Lee introduced the World Wide Web in the 1990s. “I’m online all the time. Either from my smartphone or anytime I’m near a computer. I keep in touch. That enables me to be on the cutting edge of developments,” said Paul Levinson, Ph.D., communications professor. Some departments depend on technology in the classroom more than others. “In the Communications and Media Studies department, most of the classes our professors teach have to do with the digital age in one way or another,” said Dr. Levinson. “You can’t study media and culture without understanding and having access to new technologies.” Other students feel that technology allows students with different approaches to learning to benefit in the classroom. “It’s important to integrate technology in the classroom,” said Addiel Sanchez, FCRH ’17. “It allows for a different learning method either through a more visual approach or more interactive, which may benefit other people’s learning style.”
Republicans Host Charles Cooke for Lecture
OWEN CORRIGAN/FORDHAM RAM
Republicans invited Charles Cooke to host a lecture on the future of the Republican Party. FROM REPUBLICANS, PAGE 1
lation are still able to feel part of the national polity, and have the option to move from a state that does not align with their political preferences to one that does. Moreover, Cooke said that a na-
tion as large as the United States cannot be effectively governed from the center outwards. Finally, Cooke referenced de Tocqueville’s description of townships, particularly how they allow individual voters to see the effects
of their actions, which is not the case on a federal level. While Cooke allowed that issues like immigration, defense and civil rights must be tackled on a federal level, he said that a rise in federalism could quell
today’s political unrest. “When looking at how to fix the right, the same answer applies to how to fix the country, and that is to dissolve power to allow people to live out their conception of the good life as much as they can, without impinging on their neighbors,” said Cooke. Cooke also cautioned against picking politicians as opposed to picking policies. “Conservatism in America is a very rich tradition, and it’s not to be subordinated to the man who happens to be in power at any moment,” said Cooke. Cooke holds degrees from Oxford University in modern history and politics, and currently co-hosts the Mad Dogs and Englishmen podcast. Cooke’s work focuses on topics such as AngloAmerican history, British liberty, free speech, the Second Amendment and American exceptionalism. A recurring guest on HBO’s “Real Time With Bill Maher,” Cooke has also published “The Conservatarian Manifesto” and has written for publications such as The New York Times, The Washington Post and The Los Angeles Times. College Republicans invited Cooke after Matt Johnson, FCRH ’17, of College Republicans read
Cooke’s book, “The Conservatarian Manifesto.” “It was a book that really went along with my personal ideals, so naturally I wanted to find out more about him,” said Johnson. “We have some more libertarian members and more Republican members, and everything in between, and I think his views, and especially what else we got from the talk, kind of match up,” said Johnson. “I think he’s a good representative of younger Republicans,” said Hillman. “I think a lot of people in our group either aren’t the traditional conservative republicans, I think you have, particularly with younger people, this libertarian lean to people, and I think he’s a very good representative of where we’re going to go with Trump as President, and this shifting demographic in our party,” said Hillman. “We have a new president, a lot of things are changing, some people might be curious as to the way the party is moving, the way the club is moving. I think having an interesting speaker come gets people not only re-interested in politics after they might be, as I am myself, rather exhausted,” said Johnson. “I hope people continue to show up to future events we have.”
February 8, 2017
OPINION
Page 7
The Fordham Ram
The Need For Participation in the United Nations JOHN CHRISTEN STAFF WRITER
The United States House of Representatives should not pass H.R. 193, the “American Sovereignty Restoration Act of 2017,” which would require the United States to completely dissociate itself from the United Nations. This action would set off a negative geopolitical chain reaction, affirming many allies’ newfound beliefs that the United States now wishes to pursue nationalistic goals. Thus, telegraphing to the world that the United States would rather withdraw from its position of global human rights advocacy leadership than help formulate palliative policy measures to correct the U.N.’s operational issues. Imagine, for a moment, that the world has just endured one of the most devastating conflicts of all time. At the cost of millions of soldiers’ and civilians’ lives, 17 countries have just worked together to extinguish the roaring flames of a very “particular” breed of murderous nationalism, one that threatened the sovereignty of all countries, save for one. In the wake of this victory, these allied powers (hint, hint) seek to create an international coalition of nations to prevent such a threat from arising again. The purpose of this institution’s existence— let us call it the “United Nations”— would be to preserve international peace and security, develop friendly relations among nations and promote social progress, better living standards and human rights.
Let me flesh out this hypothetical. I am speaking, of course, of the United Nations, an international coalition of 51 countries formed in 1945, following the end of the Second World War. The U.N., based in New York City since 1952, has served a variety of purposes since its conception. It serves as the forum of many diplomatic resolutions, fosters cooperation between U.N. affiliated countries that wish to use military intervention to quell threats to human rights (peacekeeper missions) and allows economically and militarily underdeveloped countries to enjoy the protection of larger, richer nations. At times, politics and stale bureaucracy have caused the U.N. to fall short of fulfilling its original goals. Had the U.N. been operating at peak performance during periods like the Rwandan Genocide or the Srebrenica Massacre, its operations could have saved thousands, if not millions of lives. The United States, though not always the U.N.’s largest supporter, has always had a major role in dictating how the U.N. should function. The United States, along with the five other countries seen as the victors of WWII (China, France, Russia and the UK), make up the permanent members of the U.N. Security Council, a group that has steady veto power over all decisive U.N. matters. The responsibility of upholding the original goals of the U.N. fall heavily into these country’s arms. Unfortunately, this responsibility
The United States has been both an active participant and leader of the United Nations for over seventy-two years.
often translates to unfair budgetary burdens. The United States, on average, contributes a total of eight billion dollars to U.N. annually, a number equaling roughly 22 percent of the U.N.’s total yearly budget. Since there are now 193 U.N. members, one would hope that the financial burden of supporting the institution’s efforts would be distributed more equally. This point has been raised by numerous politicians, most poignantly by Donald Trump on Twitter: “It is just a club for people to get together, talk and have a good time. So sad!” Brilliant insight. More recently, Alabama Republican Mike D. Rogers proposed H.R. 193, a bill coined the “American Sovereignty Restoration Act of 2017.” If this bill became law, the United States would stop contributing money, troops and leadership to the U.N. The bill requires that the United States dissociate itself from the most
successful international humanitarian coalition of all time. The American taxpayer should not be forced to shoulder this disproportionate financial burden. However, abruptly pulling out of the United Nations means that its humanitarian and peacekeeping efforts would lose 22 percent of their annual funding. 22 percent of the funding needed to provide food and assistance to 80 million people in 80 countries, supply vaccines for 40 percent of the world’s children, assist 59.5 million people fleeing war, famine and persecution, fight extreme poverty, provide electoral assistance to 67 countries and coordinate appeals for humanitarian aid would be lost. Moreover, the United States’ absence would set a dangerous precedent, encouraging other major world powers to leave to U.N., leaving the institution without leadership and money to finance its operations.
COURTESY OF FLICKR
The U.S. House of Representatives should not legalize H.R. 193. U.S. lawmakers’ efforts would be better utilized in drafting a proposal to refine the U.N.’s diplomatic channels to prevent tragedies like Rwanda, prevent the politicizing of humanitarian efforts and restructure the budget contributions for each U.N. member according to each country’s respective GDP and military strength. Unfortunately, it seems as though our government is steering the ship towards nationalism and away from the United States’ traditional role as the global leader of promoting humanitarian aid, political progress that favors the espousal of human rights and maintaining international peace to avoid global conflicts like World War II.
John Christen, FCRH ’19, is an international political economy major from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
The Ban That Was Never Truly A Ban
President Trump’s “temporary travel ban” has caused quite a controversy throughout the nation and around the world. COURTESY OF FLICKR
By BRIANNA LYMAN
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
My high school was part of the International Baccalaureate program, which meant that besides the dense amount of work we received, if you took a higher level history class you were required to write an internal assessment about the topic of your choice. I ended up writing a 20 page paper on why the United States took so long to intervene in the Holocaust, and why we had not helped the thousands of Jews attempting to flee Nazi Europe. I condemned the actions of the United States, citing specific laws put in place by FDR that severely restricted the amount of Jews we would welcome. These past few days, I have had the challenge of confronting what I thought was a double standard. I am a supporter of the temporary 120 day
immigration halt made by the executive order of President Trump. More importantly, I am a supporter of the actual decree, not what the media justifies as ‘fact.’ Hysteria has swept not just the nation, but the world, as Trump placed a 120-day immigration ban on seven Muslim majority countries (Iraq, Iran, Syria, Yemen, Sudan, Libya and Somalia) in order to ensure that a proper vetting system has been in place. However, according to the media and most liberals, this ban is a ban directly targeted to Muslims. False. If this were a ban of Muslims, we would have halted all immigration to all Muslims from any country, whether that be Canada, Turkey, Ethiopia, Germany or any other nation that has a Muslim population. Instead, Trump chose these seven specific
countries under the guise of none other than Obama, himself. These seven countries were initially cited as “countries of concern” by the Obama administration and Congress due to the growing threat of terrorist fighters within these areas. According to The Washington Post, in 2011 Obama also had put a six month halt on processing Iraqi refugees entering after two men in Kentucky were found to have terrorist ties after passing through our system. Not to mention, according to the State Department’s official website, a whopping total of 1,682 Syrian refugees were let into the United States in 2015. Continuing on, after the 120 day ban is over, Trump has capped refugee admissions at 50,000 persons per year, which is not horrible, considering that’s approximately the same amount of refugees admitted during
both the Bush and Obama administrations. Still, these components seem generous considering the fact that these seven countries are either ravaged by Jihadists, or have a government heavily influenced by them. American citizens cannot be so naive as to think that Islamic extremists are not figuring out ways to infiltrate the U.S. through our refugee program. If our system worked so well, we would have never let in the two men with terrorist ties into Kentucky six years ago. To fault the President, as well as millions who agree with him, on putting America’s safety first over taking in refugees is absurd. Yes, we are a country who welcomes immigrants, but we are also obligated to take care of ourselves. Some have called his executive order unconstitutional citing ‘religious persecution that challenges the first amendment.’ However, I choose to interpret the situation differently. The first amendment pertains to people of the U.S., not people of Iran or Syria who want to come here to flee radical Islam. The first amendment pertains to Muslim Americans who are legally allowed here. If the first amendment rights of Muslim Americans were threatened, I would be marching too. However, they are not. Under 8 U.S. Code 1182, the president is allowed to “suspend the entry of all aliens” if they are to be detrimental to the interests of the United States. Combined with the mere fact that places like Iran are known to support organizations
like Hamas, I would say Trump has clear grounds to dictate that a temporary ban must be enacted in order to ensure that our vetting system is up to date and can handle large influxes of immigrants from countries that are heavily influenced by rhetoric that basically despises America. The practice of placing temporary bans on immigrants is not a new practice of 2017. Rather, it is a practice done by past presidents, such as Obama and Jimmy Carter who, during the hostage crisis, banned Iranians and Shiite Muslims from entering the United States, and even had the FBI re-evaluate those who were already here. Just as Trump’s order pertains to the countries as a whole, Carter’s orders did the same. While it is heartbreaking to watch the news and hear about the devastating acts being committed, I stand first and foremost with the safety of the United States, and so if that be revamping our vetting system for X amount of time, I throw my support behind that order 100 percent. The reason I am able to differentiate between the Holocaust immigration ban and this ban are for the simple fact that this ban is temporary, it is not directed towards one group of people and we are doing it in order to make sure our vetting system is as safe as possible.
Brianna Lyman, FCRH ’20, is an international political economy major from Dobbs Ferry, New York.
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 readershipi 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 Mailing Address Fordham University - Station 37 Box B Bronx, NY 10458 Editor-in-Chief Erin Shanahan Managing Editor Margarita Artoglou Business Director Matthew Schiller Operations Director Andrea Garcia Copy Chief Liz Doty Editorial Director Catherine Swindal Assistant Business Directors James Haranzo Connor Smith Assistant Copy Chief Taylor Shaw News Editor Theresa Schliep Assistant News Editors Aislin Keely Victor Ordonez Opinion Editors Christopher Canadeo Briana Scalia Culture Editors Bailey Hosfelt Libby Smislova Erin Cabrey Sports Editor Jack McLoone Assistant Sports Editors Alvin Halimwidjaya Tom Terzulli Photo Editors Julia Comerford Owen Corrigan Layout Editor Delaney Leiter Digital Team Mario Nicastro Nick Wetzel Faculty Advisor Beth Knobel
Editorial Page Policy The Fordham Ram ’s editorial and ramblings topics are selected on a weekly basis and reflect 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.
February 8, 2017
From the Desk | Tom Terzulli
Trump: America’s Pettiest President It has been a couple of weeks since Donald Trump came into office as President of the United States and there has been no shortage of controversial talking points. From the proposed Muslim ban, to the talks of building a wall at the Mexican borderTrump has provided CNN panels with hundreds of hours of content for debate. Just these two issues alone have sparked intense polarization between the president’s supporters and attackers. However, I want to talk about something I believe we can all agree on. President Trump needs to do a better job. President Trump, can you please stop harping on things that only matter to your ego? Things like inauguration crowd size, apprentice ratings and whether or not you have a robe. It all started with the much-vaunted press secretary Sean Spicer’s first press conference in his new position. Spicer insisted that Trump’s inauguration was the most watched ever, without actually citing anything to back up this claim. This statement came seconds after his assertion that there is not a definitive way to quantify the number of people that were present at the inauguration. It is safe to say that Spicer was instructed by his boss to make a point of the crowd size and viewership, but why? Who cares
about how many people watched? Who cares if Obama had a bigger crowd than you did, Mr. Trump? The answer is one person…you. Donald Trump is the president of the United States and, as Americans, we should hope that he succeeds. However, he will not succeed if he continues to harp on these inane facts that are irrelevant, except to the Donald’s ego. After the inauguration debacle, I hoped this would be an isolated incident and that the President would not continue to care about such minuscule facts. Still, anyone who watched him during the primaries knew it would not be long until the president would be frazzled over an insignificant matter yet again. Last week, Trump attended The National Prayer Breakfast. I was taught that prayer is an act where one is supposed to check their ego and feel a sense of humility in worshipping. I think someone forgot to remind the Donald of that. He asked the distinguished guests in the room to keep Arnold Schwarzenegger in their prayers, in an effort to help the “Celebrity Apprentice” with its sagging ratings. He had to bring up that the ratings went down after his reality TV departure. Egotism is Trump’s disease. Sure, his statement was not
one of complete seriousness, but the worst part is that this is not the first time Trump has addressed “The Celebrity Apprentice” host. On Jan. 6, he called himself a “ratings machine” while also referring to himself in third person.WHY? This was tweeted in January, just a few weeks before his inauguration. You would have to think there were about a million other things he could have been doing other than bashing the NBC show. Maybe he could have taken some of those national security briefings he reportedly has been skipping. It all came to a head though, on Feb. 6, when Spicer trotted out to the podium once again, armed with more petty defenses. The New York Times put out an article the day before, detailing how the president spends the nights in his new home. Harmlessly enough, the article mentioned that Mr. Trump likes to watch TV in his bathrobe. That cannot possibly be considered a personal attack, but, thin-skinned Donald had to respond, naturally through Spicer. To prove that the article was false, Spicer said this word for word: “I don’t think the president wears a bathrobe, and definitely doesn’t own one.” Seriously? We are only a couple of weeks into Trump’s presidency and
there have already been three occurrences that have exposed Trump’s thin-skinned nature. Trump desperately wants approval and adoration. He wants to be taken seriously. News flash Donald: this is not how to do it. This is not a partisan issue either. Trump haters see this and it just reaffirms their hatred for this egotistical maniac. Even those who support him want him to just shut up and get back to helping the economy and boosting the middle class. I want you to do well, Donald. I want you to help Americans better their lives. But please, if it is humanly possible for you, stop being the pettiest president in history.
Editorial | Harmful Media Inaccuracies
The Real Damages of “Fake News” “Fake news” has become a new buzzword for the ages. During the 2016 election, headlines like “Pope Francis shocks world, endorses Donald Trump for president,” “WikiLeaks confirms Hillary sold weapons to ISIS … Then drops another bombshell” and “ISIS leader calls for American Muslim voters to support Hillary Clinton” swept the internet. These headlines came from illegitimate websites that produce false news stories. According to an extensive report by Buzzfeed News, headlines like these garnered at least two million Facebook clicks in the last three months before the election. “Fake news” resurged during the first few weeks of President Trump’s presidency as well. Trump famously said, “You are fake news,” to CNN reporter Dan Acosta this past January at a press conference. President Trump claims that news organizations like CNN and The New York Times are fake. The seriousness of these “fake news” articles and these false accusations of “fake news” are easy to ignore. After all, these head-
lines are arguably laughable, especially the seemingly incredulous ones. “Saturday Night Live” has made light of the subject with jokes, the most recent being a CNN reporter locked in a prison in a corner of a press conference hosted by Sean Spicer, played by Melissa McCarthy. However, “fake news” is much more dangerous than late night comedy may let on. BBC News’ Amol Rajan argues that “fake news” is “hostile to the democratic process.” As citizens of the United States, we uphold the right to vote, and to vote well is to be well-informed. Spreading fake news undermines the importance of valid information. “Fake news” also leads to a severe distrust of the news media. News outlets are a key component in connecting the American citizen to her or his government. Without trustworthy news media, citizens may become ignorant of what is happening in their world. We at The Fordham Ram argue that “fake news” is a result of current popular news access. According to a 2016 study by Pew Research Center, 62 percent of
adults get their news from social media, up from 49 percent in 2012. As a result, news has been condensed to a point where people only read article’s headlines and taglines. According to a study done by Columbia University and the French National Institute, 59 percent of people read headlines in place of the articles themselves before sharing. In other words, ludicrous headlines catch more attention and shares then the actual content of the articles are capable of holding. The dangers of “fake news” run deeper with us Fordham students. Our generation arguably knows the internet better than any other before. We have had the interesting opportunity to grow with the changing technology. As a result, we have adapted alongside the evolving technological landscape. Therefore, we must take the reigns and adapt once again. This time, we must demand true facts from our media outlets. No more being passive or joking lightly about “fake news.” Rather, we need to take action to stop its spread.
We encourage Fordham students to, as The Guardian says, “share responsibly,” take steps to educate ourselves on the legitimacy of a news source before sharing. FactCheck.org cites a list of things to do before sharing, including considering the source, checking the author and consulting the experts. The Guardian cites three different Google Chrome plugins available that detect “fake news.” If your friend is sharing “fake news” on Facebook or Twitter, inform them of their inaccuracy privately and respectfully. With steps like these, it will be easier to know whether or not a news headline is just clickbait. With more careful sharing, “fake news” will become less and less of a threat. In this day and age, it takes time and effort to find the truth.That does not mean that we are any less deserving of the truth, nor does it mean truth should lose its cruciality. We, as the generation of the Information Age, are responsible for the perseverance of truth. It is on us to make sure that lies stay unbelievable.
Disagree with our editorial? Let us know! Send your letters to fordhamramopinions@gmail.com!
OPINION
February 8, 2017
Page 9
GameStop is Not the New Blockbuster
The American Left
By CHRIS CANADEO OPINION EDITOR
GameStop is without a doubt the number one store in the United States for purchasing video games. From consoles to magazines, GameStop boasts 6,900 stores in 14 countries across Europe, Canada, Australia and the United States. Other franchises such as EB Games once coexisted in the same space, but GameStop asserted their dominance by absorbing them into other gaming industries and has cemented themselves as virtually the only place to purchase video games. One might think that a monopoly such as GameStop would continue to dominate the gaming industry and grow their empire for years to come, right? Well, not quite. According to The Wall Street Journal, GameStop and its shareholders are in some serious trouble. This is not due to the emergence of a video game store chain the field, but something even scarier. GameFly and Amazon are two companies that allow gamers to rent and buy video games without the hassle of visiting the stores. GameFly is an online service in which customers can order a new video game to rent for a certain amount of time and can even buy or ship the game back to the company once the allotted time is up. Customers can play the games they want without the commitment of purchasing that game. Amazon, the online retail giant, has the ability to ship any game in stock to the customer’s house within a two day span. This convenience is unparalleled and presents major competition between themselves and GameStop. Because of this, one might think that GameStop is in line to become the next Blockbuster. However, unlike Blockbuster, GameStop will not go extinct for a few reasons. GameStop does have a major advantage over this rapidly growing trend of buying games online by allowing customers to sell back their games to GameStop for another game or store credit. This system is exclusive only to GameStop and allows customers to actually make money off of their used games. Furthermore, customers can also purchase old and used games at far cheaper prices than brand new games on the shelves. According to GameStop’s website, GameStop provides more than $1 billion in trade credits, with more than 70 percent of these trade dollars being applied toward the purchase of new products each year. This is a huge advantage for GameStop over their competitors. It allows them to retain their customers more easily because they bring value to the customer aside from just being a place to buy video games. If a gamer does not have the means to purchase a brand new PS4 game (which is usually over $60) they are able to still leave
Joe Moresky
COURTESY OF FLICKR
GameStop has too many devoted customers and promotional deals to follow the same fate as Blockbuster.
the store with a game by purchasing an older video game at a lower price. GameStopalso allows the consumer to pre-order games that have not yet been released. It allows a loyal fan base to be the first ones to play a game and guarantees that the game they want will be in stock for them on the day of the release. Although customers are now able to perform this operation on some consoles such as Xbox One and PS4, the servers for these networks often crash because so many games are being downloaded simultaneously worldwide. Fortunately, the concept of downloading games through your system has only spread to two consoles: Xbox and Play Station. This means that in order to receive new games on consoles such as the Nintendo DS or Wii U, the customer must visit their local GameStop store or purchase the game from Amazon. Rather than declining, GameStop believes they are still expanding and still have much more room to grow in the global video game and tech space. GameStop recently completed the acquisition of Geeknet, Inc., the parent company of ThinkGeek, a major computer and computer software retail chain. With this acquisition, they are expanding into a growing $20 billion worldwide category as the premier global retailer that features exclusive and unique collectible products. They are showing that the company is more than just a classic video game store and that they have evolved into something much more and plan to be giants in the tech space as well. GameStop also generates revenue by selling exclusive promotional items to consumers for the hottest games that are not yet in stores. For example, if there is a new The Legend of Zelda game that is coming out, customers can visit that specific GameStop store weeks before the game is released and can reserve a game. As incentive to reserve, the customer may receive a free The Legend of Zelda hat if they reserve for the game. Another promo-
tion, which is a bit newer and just as effective, is the Deluxe Deal promotion. If a new game is $60, customers have the option to buy an $100 or even $120 package deal often called “The Golden Edition,” or “Everything Pack.” These packages often include, but are certainly not limited to, the game-with some unlockables that are exclusive only to package deal owners, accessories (such as a The Legend of Zelda replica Sword and Shield), and game manuals that help you get the most experience out of every game. These package deals are for all consoles, but are not for all games. The reason is because most well-known games have a large enough and a dedicated enough following that these luxury deals are profitable. Die-hard fans that have been following the major gaming stories for years will purchase these Deluxe Deals at GameStop rather than shop online for games. Furthermore, other than buying games at GameStop, customers who walk in the door are able to converse about video games with the employees at GameStop, all of whom are knowledgeable about all things gamer. The expertise of the GameStop employees is something that GameFly and Amazon will never have. This is also a major factor as to why GameStop has a solid loyal customer base that Amazon and GameFly will never be able to ruin. GameStop also plans to place more stores in France and become a larger part of that market share abroad. This move was indicated by GameStop’s acquisition of Micromania, the former French video game and tech giant that dominated the French gaming industry. GameStop could possibly grow their business by attaching GameStop sections in lager tech and retail stores such as Best Buy or Walmart. This could increase GameStop’s foot traffic, given that places like Walmart already have huge customer inflow. Although most GameStop stores in the United States are located in malls, which obviously
have a lot of foot traffic, to have a GameStop branch in the major stores directly would greatly increase the amount of purchases and even conversations between the customer and those working in the stores. Stores like Best Buy and Walmart would also gain in this partnership because they would share the wealth of GameStop’s rich gaming expertise and probably make commission the profits of the GameStop store within them. Blockbuster collapsed because they stopped growing as a business and did not expand to any online venture. Netflix managed to swallow up Blockbuster’s customers because Blockbuster did not offer any customer value other than a place to buy movies and snacks. Blockbuster also never sought out to acquire new businesses like GameStop did when the bought out Geeknet, Inc. and Micromania. Blockbuster was also not a global business like GameStop and only had stores in the United States. This is a major advantage of GameStop as they are not only emerging in the tech industry of gaming in the United States, but also in countries abroad. GameStop offers expertise and a complete buying experience that differs from that of Amazon and GameFly. GameStop also has a massive online presence that allows customers to chat and blog about their latest products as well as converse about new ones to come. There are so many more dimensions to GameStop than just a store that buys and sells games. As long as GameStop continues to be the overwhelming monopoly in the gaming industry,and take advantage of promotional deals exclusively to GameStop, they should be free from extinction. GameStop’s loyal customer base and magazine revenue stream should prevent them from becoming the next Blockbuster.
Christopher Canadeo, GSB ’19, is a marketing major from Long Island, New York.
“Resist.” Since Inauguration Day, that single word has become the mantra of much of the opposition towards the Trump administration. The American people have borne witness to protest after protest. They have listened to pundits and office holders vow to reflexively obstruct the Republican agenda. They still seem unaware of creating a path forward for the citizens that voted against Donald Trump. The instinct to organize and protest has done little more than harden partisan lines. The Democratic Party has done a horrific job of distinguishing Trump’s most damaging tendencies from that of a mainstream right-wing agenda, expressing equal amounts of outrage at Neil Gorsuch’s Supreme Court nomination, the immigration ban or Steve Bannon’s appointment to the National Security Council. This is ineffective in two ways. First, it cloaks justified criticism of the Trump administration’s antics in an air of partisanship. Not only does this throw away an opportunity to unite with ideological factions across the aisle, but it also lowers what should be a universalized criticism of Trump’s darker tendencies to the realm of routine party politics. A sizeable portion of Americans can no longer be assumed to adequately appreciate the importance of a liberal democracy. A civic restoration needs to take place that reinvigorates our governing institutions and reminds the population of the importance and origin of our shared constitutional liberties. So far, the only person who has advanced this line of argumentation has been Utah independent Evan McMullin. The crises our nation might soon face rise above the Democratic and Republican parties, but if the American left cannot move beyond the self-satisfying posture of obstructionism the country as a whole loses. While it might feel validating to jam the wheels of government as the GOP irresponsibly did for eight years, it gets the nation nowhere and lends the creation of a “boy who cried wolf ” phenomenon when such united opposition is genuinely needed. Secondly, the Democratic Party needs to resist the temptation to perpetually indulge in this posture of protest if it hopes to become electorally competitive again. Creating a party that doubles-down on progressively drifting further leftward will only continue to alienate independent voters. Without a pursuit of the median voter, there is little hope to help Democratic candidates at the local level or change the fact that the only lever of “power” Democrats currently hold is a senate minority. The Democratic Party needs to undergo an honest appraisal of what portions of its platform don’t sell to the average voter, and become the champion of universal American values. We aren’t going to see that unification come from the White House.
OPINION
Page 10
Kathryn Wolper
February 8, 2017
Facebook’s Faulty “Fake News” Plan
Progressive Super Bowl The Super Bowl LI, Airbnb’s #weaccept advertisement set the tone early in the broadcast for corporate criticism of President Trump’s “Muslim Ban.” However, viewers with sharp memories and critical eyes will see the ad as a reminder of the short-term rental service’s troubled history with discrimination among its users. In drawing on both their corporate history and current events, Airbnb produced a Super Bowl ad that achieved many ends. Airbnb is not the only advertiser to use the big game as an opportunity to speak out. In 2015, Bloomberg reported that Harvard Business students found that a lack of anonymity on Airbnb yielded discrimination in rentals. The students found that renters with “distinctly African American names” were less likely to be accepted than their white counterparts. This study revealed implicit bias in the ways in which property owners screen potential renters. This Sunday, Airbnb’s Super Bowl ad showed a variety of faces, each of a different age and race, coupled with the message “We accept.” This message seems like a politically salient way for the company to redefine itself in the wake of scandal. The primary goal of the efficient, feel-good ad remains unclear, but the intention isn’t particularly important. The ad’s political and self-definition functions rely on the audience’s extrinsic reading of the spot. In fact, many ads are open for interpretation depending on how audience members understand the issues tangentially referenced in an ad. With an audience as far-reaching as the Super Bowl, the diversity in the perceived meaning of an advertisement is particularly relevant in understanding the gap between intention and perception. Airbnb’s #weaccept ad may have been created before President Trump’s executive order focused on immigration. In this case, the meaning ascribed by many audiences is unintentional and completely audience-created. For a company to surrender such semantic control of its brand through a 30-second advertisement is incredibly risky. The ad is posted to Airbnb’s YouTube channel, where angry commenters construed the ad as an attack on President Trump and national security. Comments included messages like “#wereject,” “This is absolute trash,” and “Go take your propaganda somewhere else!” By straying from the classically successful Super Bowl ad formulas like cute babies, animals, jokes and sex appeal, brands run the risk of alienating potential customers. However, many brands have shown that the risk is one they’re willing to take. Super Bowl LI did not lack progressive messages in advertisements. These ads function as tools for self-definition that must be worth the exorbitantly high price tag.
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The errors and exaggerations present in news stories today are not only unfair to the American public, but harmful.
By BRIANA SCALIA OPINION EDITOR
As of late, there has been a surge of controversy concerning the idea of “fake news,” or the concept of the mainstream media purposefully reporting inaccuracies and exaggerations. Unfortunately, the general public has little choice regarding what they are reported, aside from their preferred choice of broadcasting network. Simply put, the vast majority of American citizens do not have the time in their daily lives to constantly be fact checking their news sources. They are too busy being students, workers, parents, etc. They are forced to either adopt a healthy amount of skepticism for every news story they are told, or place their blind faith into a corrupted system. Instead of accepting this new “truth is perception” stance, some companies are taking a stand to help the American public trust its media again. Facebook, originally more of a social media website for a younger generation, has now shifted its demographic to an older audience, focusing on reporting news stories online, mainly political and secular news. However, quantity does not always equate to quality. Facebook has some of the highest amounts of fake news coverage on the internet.
According to the American Press Institute, only 12 percent of Facebook users place a great amount of trust in Facebook’s news coverage. This is to be expected, since Facebook posts such a large quantity of articles, but the creative minds managing the site have seemingly found a way to combat these false stories. Similarly to how YouTube began enlisting the help of its users to subtitle, flag and otherwise manage their favorite videos from a user perspective, Facebook is now entrusting their users to mark down articles they believe stray too far from the truth to attempt to better their site’s reputation. According to Forbes magazine, after a user has marked said article an “independent fact-checking organization, Correctiv,” will then verify the articles flagged. If Correctiv deems the article to be “fake news,” then it will be given a “disputed” badge and be placed much further down the general user’s news feed. Before coming to the United States, the program will have a trial run in Germany. Due to the upcoming German presidential election, Facebook will have clear evidence regarding whether the removal of false articles has any impact on the nation’s future political climate. The idea behind Facebook’s
initiative to rid their site of “fake news” is both altruistic and valiant. Wanting the country’s general public to be informed and educated is an admirable goal. However, I believe there will be several bumps in the road before the process becomes functional, One major problem I foresee is the corruption of the process, meaning that instead of tagging what is actually “fake news,” users will tag articles that they have not bothered to fact check themselves, or tag articles that do not align with their opinions. This could perhaps lead to Facebook again following in YouTube’s footsteps by appointing official news checkers, instead of allowing all of their users the power to flag articles. While the inclusion of Correctiv will halt these people from completely breaking the system, employees of the fact checking company are going to be incredibly busy for the first few months after the start up of the program in the United States. Though the initiative is still fairly new, Facebook has not released any of their current plans to form the fact-checking company. One has to wonder if the company’s employees will be able to keep pace with the flow of flagged stories during the initial months. Another potential issue is that
the badge will be rendered ineffective as time goes on. Though the “disputed” badge will seemingly be proof of the article’s lack of validity, who is to say that people will not share the article anyway? One thing this election has proved is that some Americans do not value the truth, blindly throwing their support to whoever is in their political party. The badge could also potentially become a “badge of honor,” making martyrs out of liars who could then claim that their voice was being “silenced” by Facebook, when in reality the story was pulled because it was factually incorrect or too biased. Basically, the concept of marking “fake news” could backfire magnificently. Instead of burying these articles in users’ news feed, people will actively seek out the stories with the “disputed” badges. Finally, there is the matter of the trust that users place in the hands of Facebook and its employees. We live in a time where it could be dangerous to place so much faith into a major corporation. Facebook claims that its initiative is to prevent false stories from circulating on their site, but what if their true intentions are more self motivated? Facebook is one of the largest and most powerful companies in present day. As of today, Facebook has not been involved in major controversial issues, but if someone were to challenge the social media site, who would come out victorious? Censoring media is a slippery slope, no matter the cause behind it. After all, the road to hell is paved with good intentions. In short, the idea is not the problem. In fact, I firmly believe that if this program runs smoothly, more major websites may hire their own independent factcheckers. However, this plan has just emerged from its blueprint phase and there are bound to be some glitches in the system. The American public should be cautiously optimistic and do their part by continuing to factcheck the news they hear until these programs are fully operational.
Briana Scalia, FCRH ’20, is a journalism major from Long Island, New York.
Disagree with these opinions? Have your own take? Write to us! Email us at fordhamramopinions@gmail.com!
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CULTURE
Page 12
February 8, 2017
The Fordham Ram
The Feminist Impact of Mary Tyler Moore By ELIZABETH SMISLOVA CULTURE EDITOR
As women flood the streets throughout the country in protests, and once taboo words referring to female body parts become outcries against the patriarchy, the simple act of consistently wearing trousers on television does not seem so revolutionary. In 1970, however, it really was. “The Mary Tyler Moore Show,” whose leading woman, Mary Tyler Moore, died on Jan. 25 after struggling with diabetes, was a breath of fresh and female-focused air during the women’s rights movement. It was the first “working-woman sitcom,” which featured a single woman, neither divorced nor widowed, with a powerful job and who was not looking for a man or any male financial assistance It was also the first show to overtly call a man gay and talk about birth control. Keishin Armstrong, author of a book about “The Mary Tyler Moore Show,” called the show “TV’s first truly female-dominated sitcom” that had powerful off-screen effects of empowering women. Even the amount of female writers for the show set records—everything about it was rebellious and electrifying. The implication that a femaledominated show is feminist takes on new meanings when considered
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Mary Tyler Moore made waves being the first woman to don pants on television.
in light of many popular television shows today. Every Monday night in January until March, girls crowd in living rooms with their white wine and blankets to see who will get the rose on “The Bachelor,” an incredibly popular reality television dating show whose finale attracted almost 10 million viewers last year. The premise involves one bachelor who chooses a wife out of about 25 women through weekly eliminations. The female contestants vie for the bachelor’s affection, enticing millions of viewers with their schemes and relationships with the one man. Brenna Gordon, FCRH ’18, said, “Though ‘The Bachelor’ is very enter-
taining and woman dominated, that it is definitely not in line with feminist morals. The show just emphasizes the stereotype that a woman is constantly waiting to be picked up by a man.” Victoria Bryan, GSB ’18, also said, “I don’t think it is feminist and I tend to watch it just because I like the show and think it’s funny, even though it is a pretty stupid show.” Shows like “The Bachelor” stand in complete opposition to that of the late Mary Tyler Moore. The latter television show was revolutionary by veering away from the traditional plot of a female lead whose main objective is to find love—the former takes that conventional storyline women have
been trying to dispel themselves from and carries it to the extreme. Drewy DiSalvo, FCRH ’18, said, “Both ‘The Bachelor’ and ‘The Real Housewives’ are opponents to any feminist cause. Feminism to me means standing with women for the human rights they deserve. When women are pitted against each other on the stated shows, it doesn’t help us progress in any fashion, particularly with ‘The Bachelor.’ It is genderbiased and feminist-free: women fighting against each other for a shot at winning over a single man. That is the definition of patriarchy and blocks any movement for feminism.” Even though both shows have a female majority in their actors and contestants, they are vastly different on the scale of feminism. The more women in and behind a show in the 1970s meant there would be themes driven by women for women. Today, this is not necessarily the case. Other modern-day shows besides “The Bachelor” include “Real Housewives,” “Keeping Up with The Kardashians” and “America’s Next Top Model” also have a female majority, but are not necessarily feminist. Noah Stiles, FCRH ’18, said, “I don’t think a show having more women automatically makes it more feminist because it can still be degrading and perpetuate stereotypes. I think ‘America’s Next Top Model’
is feminist because it focuses on the beauty and strength of women and how they can break the glass ceiling of their profession. The show focuses on success and talent rather than on looks. However, the modeling industry itself is not very feminist because they have unrealistic body standards.” Cathryn Callaghan, GSB ’18, a viewer of “The Bachelor,” said the show “has some aspects that aren’t feminist, like the fact that it might make women feel like they should have to compete with other women for a man. Same goes for the men competing for the woman in ‘The Bachelorette.’ However, I don’t think the show has bad intentions and it’s super entertaining so I watch it anyways.” The type of television the public finds entertaining may or may not have changed within the past 50 years; maybe fans of “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” would have adored “The Bachelor” had it also premiered in 1970. No one knows whether the country will mourn the death of a “Bachelor” star to the extent of the late Mary Tyler Moore. The only things that remain clear are the opposing feelings left after watching these two conflicting shows—one leaves a woman feeling empowered and strong without the help of a man; the other does not. Which will you give the rose to?
First Daughters in the Age of Social Media By ERIN CABREY CULTURE EDITOR
As protesters flocked to airports across the country to protest President Donald Trump’s executive order, known by most as the “Muslim ban,” Ivanka Trump took to Instagram. Her post was a captionless snap of herself in a floor length gown standing next to her tuxedo-clad husband, Trump senior advisor Jared Kushner. The post, dubbed tonedeaf by many, immediately received intense backlash. Several critics compared the first daughter to Marie Antoinette, the monarch whose supposed infamous utterance “Let them eat cake” demonstrated a severe disregard for her peasants. Others tagged Ivanka Trump’s twitter accounts in tweets regarding their personal struggles with the Muslim ban. Following the incident, Harper’s Bazaar reported the eldest daughter of the President and her hus-
band were celebrating Shabbat and thus were without their phones between sundown on Friday, very soon after the President signed the executive order, and sundown Saturday. Though Kushner is President Trump’s senior adviser, sources told Harper’s Bazaar that the couple was unaware of the situation at the time of Ivanka’s Instagram post and Ivanka “felt terrible” over the misunderstanding. She has yet to release a public statement and the post remains on her Instagram account. It has been many years since the United States has seen an adult first daughter on Inauguration Day. The last eight years have, rightly so, seen little talk of the personal or political affairs of the first daughters. Sasha and Malia Obama were seven and ten, respectively, when their father took office. Chelsea Clinton, whose parents diligently dissuaded media coverage of their daughter, was only 12 when she moved into the White House. The Bush twins, Jenna and
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Chelsea Clinton faced heavy media scrutiny during her time as first daughter.
Barbara, though legal adults, were just 19 when George W. Bush was inaugurated. This does not mean, however, that the previously mentioned women spent their time as first daughters unscathed by media scrutiny. An adolescent Chelsea Clinton faced brutal jokes about her appearance, especially one notable jab by Mike Myers on Saturday Night Live, something that was likely fresh in her mind when recently defending 10-year-old Barron Trump after an SNL writer mocked him on Twitter. The entire country knew when in 2001 Jenna and Barbara Bush, then 19, were charged with underage alcohol offenses after being caught drinking beer in Texas. Most recently, Sasha and Malia Obama faced scrutiny over outfits they wore to the 2014 Turkey Pardoning, and Malia came under fire just last August after she was spotted smoking what was believed to be marijuana at Lollapalooza. These former first daughters have very much grown into their own, using the experience accumulated from eight years in the White House well into their adult lives. Chelsea Clinton has been a special correspondent for NBC and is now Vice-Chair of the Clinton Foundation. She has recently taken to Twitter to condemn Kellyanne Conway’s false claims of a “Bowling Green Massacre.” Jenna Bush works for NBC News and The Today Show and spoke out against the Muslim ban by citing a post9/11 unifying speech made by her father, former President George W. Bush. Barbara Bush is president and co-founder of the nonprofit Global Health Corps and promoted the le-
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Ivanka Trump is poised to be an influential but heavily scrutinized first daughter.
galization of same-sex marriage in a 2011 video for the Human Rights Campaign. Malia Obama spent the summer of 2016 interning at the U.S. Embassy in Madrid, Spain, and attended a protest against the Dakota Access and Keystone XL pipelines last month. Last week, Ivanka Trump hosted a dinner party to discuss women in the workforce, one of her first strides to influence her father’s policy. The dinner party’s attendees included CEOs from JP Morgan and Johnson & Johnson, along with Walmart CEO Doug McMillon and Ernst & Young CEO Mark Weinberger, the two men The Wall Street Journal reported that Trump appointed to advise him on the topic of women in the workforce. Ivanka came under fire again after this event, with detractors noting the initiative appeared to be largely excluding women from a dialogue hinging on their inclusion. Others have also criticized Ivanka’s refusal to take a public stance on abortion, an important
women’s rights issue currently being threatened. As America begins to adjust to a first daughter poised to take on initiatives from the get-go, Ivanka must also, strictly from media precedent, expect heavy scrutiny for any and all missteps. Rumored to be assuming responsibilities of First Lady while Melania Trump remains in New York, Ivanka has quickly forayed into influencing policy, something which will further solidify her place under the spotlight for at least the next four years. Though few first children have seen such controversial, highly-protested presidencies, it is undeniable that this experience offers boundless opportunities for social and political action of which most of Ivanka’s predecessors have taken advantage. Time will only tell if and how she will make use of this influential and privileged position. As a first daughter active on several social media platforms, however, Ivanka can expect that the world will be watching.
CULTURE
February 8, 2017
Sweet ‘n’ Sour | Patrick Hood and Caitlyn Letterii
Gerbasi’s Ristorante
Join Caitlyn Letterii, former prom queen, and Patrick Hood, write-in candidate for Fordham Prep’s prom king, as they explore and critique the eats available around the Bronx and Rose Hill campus. Arthur Avenue is a treasure trove full of all the fine dining one could desire, especially food from the birthplace of fascism: Italy. One could hypothetically eat every day for a month and never go to the same place twice, so naturally, we accidentally ate at the same Italian place twice within 48 hours. Since we became so familiar with Ol’ Gerbasi’s we figured it would be the perfect place for us to review this week, even if it was a cut above our usual price range. But don’t despair commonfolk, we’re still just like you! We just so happened to have a gift certificate the first time and two generous parents who weren’t our parents the second time. PH: We’ve eaten so many times it’s hard to know where to begin! CL: We’ll start at the very beginning, a very good place to start. Gerbasi’s had all the makings of a fine Italian restaurant. The atmosphere inside was cozy and inviting and everything was all dolled up for V-Day! Both times we went we were seated very quickly and greeted with enthusiasm both from our waiter and the large specials whiteboard menu that they conveniently place right at the table. PH: I’ve always had a sneaking suspicion that most restaurants only pretend to have rotating specials due to lack of creativity, the comfort of routine and the chance to raise the prices tenfold on ordinary menu items. However, I am glad to say that Gerb’s did in fact have different specials each time we went. CL: In addition to the specials, Gerbie: Fully Loaded had an extensive regular menu. So many options, my head was just spinning off its axis. PH: We started off with some killer and exotic apps because we enjoy the finer things. The grilled octopus was like a charbroiled pool noodle in the best possible way, the caprese salad was admittedly lacking a little luster and the artichoke, while very tough to eat, was still scrumptious. I especially enjoyed eating the artichoke’s heart and gaining its powers. CL: For my round one entrée I knew exactly what I wanted to order since I had recently seen an enticing Facebook video on fettuccine alfredo. Round two was little tougher, but after much contemplation I went with the eggplant parm. PH: I was truly blessed to experience The Gerb twice because, upon my first visit, I was torn between the spaghetti carbonara, a creamy noodle dish (noodish) with fromage sauce and bacon, or the lasagna bene fatta, which was just regular lasagna as far as I could tell. Agonized by this
real-life Sophie’s Choice, I ultimately went with my head, not my heart, and chose the carbonara. So you can only imagine my sheer joy at the chance to re-establish this missed pasta connection on my second visit when I went full Garfield and devoured that lasagna. CL: Mondays, amiright? PH: Preachin’ to the cat choir sister. CL: Both of my entrées and, of course, the free bread were pretty delish. The fettuccine was almost exactly like what I had hoped for and the portion was big enough to take home and eat the next day for lunch! Halfway through eating the eggplant parmigiana I remembered that I don’t really like eggplant, so I’m going to blame myself for ordering it because I think it was probably good if you’re not the pickiest eater in the whole world. Patrick and I have both separately studied abroad in Mama Italia, and I think we would both agree Gerb City stacks up. PH: Don’t speak for me. Each visit to Guns, Gerbs and Steel was better than the last, that’s for sure. And really we only went twice so the second time was better. While the carbonara was creamy in all the right places, it didn’t quite have enough spice to balance it out. The spaghetti went down easy, but boy was it heavy and eventually a little monotonous. The lasagna on the other hand? Fuggetaboutit! But do remember to order it, for it was quite tasty and I’d hate it if my efforts to be more Italian were misconstrued as a less than favorable review for what was a scrumptious meal. CL: Pasta fagioli! Well we’ve droned on long enough. I think it’s time to lay down our world-famous Sweet ‘n’ Sour ratings! I am going to give Gerbil’s as Sweet rating of 4.3 of 5 stars. The food was flavorful and filling while the service and atmosphere were through the roof. My only real complaint is that my taste buds and moral compass do not allow me to enjoy more interesting foods. PH: While I did enjoy myself each meal, I’m afraid I’ll have to be a little less forgiving, Caitlyn. The carbonara was a bit blasé, and while the lasagna and octopus were delightful, I would not say they’re quite worth the price of admission. With this in mind I deem Jon Bon Gerbi’s Ristorante an honorable Sweet rating of 3 out of 5 stars. Overall Recommendations: You should try the lasagna, the octopus (if you’re feeling adventurous) and the free bread. You can pass on eating the artichoke unless you really know what you’re doing. Info: Gerbasi’s Ristorante Address: 2389 Arthur Ave, Bronx, NY 10458 Phone number: (718) 220-5735 Price: Affluent
COURTESY OF CAITLYN LETTERII
Caitlyn smiles at her one of two dinners at an Arthur Avenue classic.
Page 13
Double Standard in Political Dress By MARGARITA ARTOGLOU MANAGING EDITOR
Recently, celebrity interviewers have been criticized by women for focusing too many of their questions towards female stars on their appearances. Beauty routines and methods of keeping one’s figure are common topics of conversation, along with the ageold, “Who are you wearing?” Male celebrities, on the other hand, are often asked more questions about the substance of their work. This double standard also translates into the political arena. Lady lawmakers are often scrutinized for their outfits, while men’s clothing choices are largely ignored. For example, after the 2016 presidential debates, little was said about Donald Trump’s clothing choices. There were, however, analyses of Hillary Clinton’s pantsuit of the day. Interestingly, Melania Trump’s outfits gained media attention, whereas no one cared much about Bill Clinton’s clothes. (More on Melania’s debate outfits later.) While the tendency to focus on the dress choices of a woman in politics might stem from a place of sexism, these women are fully aware of the attention garnered by their outfits. Often these outfits are chosen with a purpose. Sometimes, a blouse is not just a blouse, but a medium through which to make a political statement. Consider, for example, the purple pantsuit worn by Hillary Clinton when she gave her concession speech. The New York Times argued the color, the mix of red and blue, was meant to signify the union of a country divided by two political parties. It also would have been a fitting choice had Clinton won and delivered a victory speech instead. Former First Lady Michelle Obama was often the subject of media criticism. Diane Detournay, professor of women’s studies, noted that Obama’s unique position as the first black First Lady led to her appearance being even more closely scrutinized in the media. “Michelle Obama always had to perform a demonstration of class that didn’t apply to other First Ladies. Just the action of her showing her arms in a sleeveless dress caused a media crisis,” said Detournay. Michelle Obama also seemingly understood the significance of her fashion choices. Throughout her time as First Lady, she often wore clothes by lesser-known designers and designers who were immigrants to the United States in order to help bring national attention to their brands. She wore a Narciso Rodriguez dress when she had her first meeting with Melania Trump at the White House, which is significant when one considers that Rodriguez is a Cuban immigrant and Donald Trump ran on an anti-immigration platform. Melania’s clothing choices have also caused a bit of a media stir. At the second presidential debate, soon after the release of the infamous Access Hollywood tapes
COURTESY OF FLICKR
Never underestimate the power of a pantsuit and a killer countenance.
in which Donald Trump is heard saying he can “grab [women] by the pussy,” Melania donned a pink blouse that featured a pussy bow. While Trump campaign officials claimed it was a coincidence, many Internet users took to social media to contend that the blouse was a covert way for Melania to symbolically show that she was standing beside her husband despite the controversy. Both Melania’s and Michelle’s dress choices made headlines on Inauguration Day as well. The incoming First Lady wore a light blue outfit by Ralph Lauren, while the outgoing wore a red dress by Jason Wu. The swapping of political party colors could signify an attempt at reconciliation (note that their husbands, however, stuck to their own party’s color when it came to ties). The designer choices are also representative of what each First Lady’s administration stands for: Lauren is a well-established American designer, and the choice to be outfitted by him could be symbolic of the Trumps’ desire to return to the era of American manufacturing, while Wu is an Asian-Canadian designer whose brand was helped greatly by Obama in 2009 when the First Lady wore one of his creations to the Inauguration Ball. Kellyanne Conway, formerly Trump’s campaign manager and currently a top White House aide, seems to enjoy drawing attention to herself through her nontraditional and sometimes outlandish choices. Case in point: her inauguration outfit, which consisted of a red, white and blue Gucci
coat and a bright red hat, which she herself labelled “Trump revolutionary wear.” Twitter users quickly turned her into a meme and compared her to children’s book character Paddington Bear. Conway was rather combative in her response, saying she was “sorry to offend the black-stretchpants women of America with a little color.” It was not the first time Conway sported bright colors. She wore bright orange to the first Trump White House press briefing, and is often seen in red and bright pink hues. Conway’s color scheme draws attention to herself, which is apt for her, since she seems to genuinely enjoy media attention and being in the public eye. Compare her wardrobe to Melania Trump’s, which seems to be full of traditional shapes and colors, such as navy, black and white. Unlike Conway, the First Lady does not seem to enjoy being in the public eye, and so it would seem that she wears traditional clothes to blend in to her surroundings and not draw attention to herself. The clothing choices of political women can be extremely meaningful. Some choices deliberately tell a story, while others do so unintentionally. Perhaps one day, male politicians will be subject to the same kind of public fashion scrutiny— or perhaps women’s clothing choices will not matter as much, either. As of right now, though, the fashion picks of women like Obama, Conway and Trump are important in that they help each woman to project a carefully constructed image of herself.
CULTURE
Page 14
Ewe Sorosis | Katie Quinlisk
Who’s That Kid? | It’s Madison Shyer FCRH ’20
Sister McGeady Follow columnist Katie Quinlisk as she sheds light on Fordham’s female history, one woman’s experience at a time. In September of 1990, Fordham graduate and Daughter of Charity of Saint Vincent DePaul, Sister Mary Rose McGeady was made captain of a swiftly sinking ship. Sr. McGeady was appointed president of Covenant House, the U.S.’s largest shelter network for homeless youth, in the wake of scandal and consequential financial disaster. Earlier that year, Covenant House’s charismatic Founder and President, Reverend Bruce Ritter, was accused of sexual assault by several young men who reached out to the organization for aid in their youth. These accusations, combined with rumors of financial impropriety, resulted in Ritter’s resignation in February of 1990. The New York-based organization, founded in the Lower East Side, had once received an average of $80 million in donations annually, and aided nearly 30,000 youths in 11 cities across America. However, in the dark hours of Rev. Ritter’s resignation, Covenant House was $38 million in debt. Its annual income was halved and the organization was forced to begin closing its outreach centers and cutting services. Covenant House needed a President who donors and young people could trust. Sr. McGeady was just the woman, armed with a master’s degree in clinical psychology from Fordham University, 40 years of experience with children and teens, the no-nonsense attitude of a CEO and a dedication to homeless youths that would later earn her the nickname, “Mother Theresa of the streets.” Sr. McGeady was born in 1928 into an Irish Catholic family from Hazletown, Pennsylvania. She grew up in Washington, D.C., where she attended Immaculate Conception Academy, a high school operated by the Daughters of Charity of Saint Vincent De Paul, the same order of sisters she would later join in 1946 when she was just 18 years old. Sr. McGeady’s work with children began at St. Ann’s Infant Asylum, where she first engaged with impoverished and homeless youths. After joining the Daughters of Charity of Saint Vincent De Paul, Sr. McGeady attended Boston’s Emmanuel College, where she earned her bachelor’s degree in sociology. She then graduated from Fordham University’s Graduate School of Arts and Sciences in 1961. Before her role as President of Covenant House, Sr. McGeady served as the executive director of Nazareth Child Care Center for Homeless Children in Boston as well as the executive director of Rhinebeck, New York’s Astor Home for Children. At the time of her appointment as
February 15, 2017
president of Covenant House, Sr. McGeady was serving as the associate director of Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Brooklyn. When Sr. McGeady arrived at Covenant House in the fall of 1990, she was tasked with confronting the organization’s lethal public relations problem. Under the leadership of Rev. Ritter, the organization exposed vulnerable young people to the dangers itclaimed to protect them from. Covenant House had lost public trust. Sr. McGeady attacked this problem with stringent new transparency measures. She formalized the rules of child-volunteer relationships and promised donors honest, detailed records of the organization’s spending. Her honest efforts were met with success. During Sr. McGready’s 13 years as Covenant House’s president, the organization opened new crisis centers, established a 24-hour hotline, improved its street outreach tactics, developed long-term residential programs for homeless youths and worked with legislators to create jobtraining opportunities and child care resources for teen mothers. When Sr. McGready retired in 2003, Covenant House’s annual donations had reached an average of $130 million, and the organization was able to provide service in 26 cities and six countries to over 50,000 young people annually affected by issues like drugs, homelessness, poverty, sexual abuse and abandonment. Kevin Ryan, Covenant House’s current president, described Sr. McGready as “a holy tornado of determination and compassion.” “She lived and died every day with the successes and failures of our kids and she saw God in the tired faces of the kids who walked through the open doors of Covenant House,” said Ryan. Sr. McGready died in 2012 at 84 years old in her order’s retirement home in Albany, New York with a legacy still very much alive. Covenant House continues to serve thousands of children and teens in the United States, Canada and Central America. As Sr. McGready once said, “We never finish. It’s amazing how many kids there are.” Sr. McGready’s work secured the Covenant House’s future and gave the organization the honesty and longevity it needs to continue to serve those kids. Sr. McGready’s life captures the very essence of the Fordham spirit. She lived her life for others with the simultaneous intensity of a CEO. Cardinal John O’Connor observed this quintessentially Fordham ability in her disposition: “Even when she smiles, which is often, it’s a bright and warm smile. But it turns up ever so slightly at one end, as if to say, ‘I’m a very friendly lady, but don’t try to push me around.’”
COURTESY OF FLICKR
Fordham graduate Sr. McGready was president of Covenant House.
From the One Star to the Big Apple By BRIANA SCALIA OPINION EDITOR
Every freshman experiences their own transition phase when starting college. All students are in a similar position, struggling to find their niche, to find friends and to become acquainted with their new room. However, some students are in a more difficult position than others. A great deal of Fordham students are from the tri-state area, so they are already used to the experiences of New York City. Madison Shyer, FCRH ’20, is not one of those students. Shyer, a neuroscience major from Houston, Texas, had only been to the city three or four times before she began her visits to Fordham University. She was not completely clueless about the East Coast, but she recognized she had more than a few things to learn about living in New York. Though unsure, Shyer was still enthusiastic about attending Fordham College at Rose Hill. “I really liked the fact that the Rose Hill campus still had the campus feel to it while still being close to the city,” she explained. Still, Shyer can recall how jarring the transition of moving from the South to the Northeast was during her first few months on campus. She was teased every now and then about her accent and was also slightly caught off guard with the season of autumn. “The fact that I was wearing a sweatshirt in September? Yeah, that was odd.” She also expresses that she was surprised about her peers’ attire. In Texas, students would usually opt for function over fashion, wearing over-sized shirts or athletic shorts. Compared to Fordham students, Shyer felt underdressed. “A couple of my hallmates came
COURTESY OF MADISON SHYER
FCRH Freshman hits her stride in the Women in STEM program.
into my room in October and sat me down for an intervention. They were concerned that I didn’t have enough clothes.” Not all of the adjustments were drastic though. Shyer appreciates that New York experiences all four seasons and is thankful for how accessible public transportation is here versus in her home state. She also felt liberated after moving away from home, stating that she was grateful to have her own schedule. One thing Shyer was a bit confused about was how little knowledge native New Yorkers had about the rest of the country. “A lot of people who have grown up in the area have lived here their whole life and don’t really know anything about the rest of the United States. Moving to New York, I suppose I was hoping for a little more culture,” said Shyer. Shyer has not given up on her adventures though, and strives to meet new, diverse people every day. Even while maintaining classes fit for a neuroscience major, Shyer has
time to be heavily involved in campus life. Shyer is Secretary of Women in STEM, which she has been interested in since the start of her freshman year. She is also in the Integrative Neuroscience Student Association, University Choir, Autism Speaks U and is on the novice Women’s Rowing team. Her advice to other freshmen? “I would highly recommend getting involved, it definitely opens up a lot of avenues for meeting people and figuring out a balance between academics, health and social life.” Though she is still a born and raised Texan, Madison is becoming more familiar with living in New York. She recognizes how different her hometown is from New York City, but can appreciate their differences, and has learned to value each city for its own worth. “I really enjoy living up here. I appreciate the fact that it’s almost like I have two different worlds to live in that are totally separate and I’m very glad that I now feel like I’m in the right place.”
New York is My Campus Stay out of the cold this February with these four museum exhibits throughout the city. Exhibitionism- The Rolling Stones Industria, 775 Washington St. West Village This exhibition tells the story of The Rolling Stones and chronicles their formation up to their rise to become a cornerstone of rock n roll, containing over 500 original Rolling Stones items. Tickets are $30 for the exhibit which features fashion from designers such as Gucci and Prada spanning back to the 1960s. Filled with videos and immersive displays throughout, exhibitionism culminates in a 3D concert that is not to be missed. Raymond Pettibon: A Pen of All Work The New Museum, 235 Bowery Featuring more than 800 drawings spanning from the 1960s to the present, this exhibit covers three floors of the New Museum. The exhibit combines image and text, along with videos and previously-published zines and books to chronicle the history and culture of America. Students can purchase discounted tickets for $12 for the exhibit which runs until April 9. Night Fever: New York Disco 1977–1979, The Bill Bernstein Photographs The Museum of Sex, 233 Fifth Avenue (@ 27th Street) Night Fever features 40 photographs spanning 1977-1979 from Bill Bernstein and also includes video interviews from the disco era. The works express the “radical multiculturalism” of the New York’s disco clubs of the late 1970s by exploring these clubs as arenas for interaction between different races, ages and sexual orientation. Be quick – the exhibit ends on Feb. 19. A Year of Yes: Reimagining Feminism Brooklyn Museum, 200 Eastern Parkway, Brooklyn Feminist art is the focus of this collection of 10 exhibits and public programs, that features the works of such artists as Georgia O’Keeffe and Marilyn Minter. A Year of Yes, which runs until early 2018, is a celebration of the 10th anniversary of the Elizabeth A. Sackler Center for Feminist Art. Don’t hesitate to say yes to this showcase, as it examines the next steps for the feminist movement and the future of equality and intersectionality.
CULTURE
February 8, 2017
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Tara’s Travels | Tara Martinelli
Making Her Mark on Copenhagen, One Bike Ride at a Time Where in the world is Tara? Well friends, this week I decided to kick off a semester of Euro adventures in what many consider to be the happiest place on Earth. No, I did not go to Disneyworld, but rather headed for the colorful streets of Copenhagen, Denmark! I would have loved to be able to greet you all in Danish but sadly, in my four days there, I did not once learn how to say hello. In my defense, it was not for a lack of trying. I tried Googling, like any modern 21st century woman would do, but my Google findings just made me all the more confused about the language. I asked people I met how to say it and everyone just said, “Hi or hello is fine!” No one took offense and luckily, everyone in Copenhagen speaks English. The best thing about Copenhagen is its size. It is very quaint and easy to get around, so being in the city for four days was a perfect amount of time. Many consider Copenhagen to be one of, if not the happiest place on Earth populated with the happiest people. Tara’s assessment: this is mostly true. Because Copenhagen is so small and has giant bike lanes, my friends and I thought the best way to see
COURTESY OF TARA MARTINELLI
After a few weeks of acclimating to London, Tara takes on Copenhagen.
it all would be to rent bikes from our hostel and hit the open road. Eat my dust, Copenhagen! Yeah, not so much. I had not been on a bike since probably age 12 and was convinced that I would be the one person on Earth to actually forget how to ride one. Let’s just say that I wasn’t totally wrong. I was able to ride the bike but was also very aware that I was much more skilled in this art at the age of 12—
not great for the ole’ self-esteem. If there is one thing that’ll piss off the Danish, it’s a little American girl not knowing how to control herself in the bike lane. That’s right, I managed to get yelled at by the happiest people on Earth. What can I say? It’s a gift. Another strange thing about Copenhagen is how different the parts of the city are from each other. One minute I was on a colorful canal
tour through Nyhavn, the next I was meeting the royal horses (which are just as smelly and scary as regular horses) and later went to Paper Island to eat some of the best (and only) pulled duck I have ever had in my life. The most interesting part of Copenhagen, by far, is Christiania. If you have never heard of Christiania, I would recommend some Googling. The only way to describe Christiania is as an anarchist zone which at one point was not even a part of Denmark. My passion for rule-following would keep me from ever being able to live here. The streets are dirt roads with people on either side selling test tubes of hash (concentrated marijuana) next to metal trash cans with flames coming out of the top to heat the area. No, I did not buy any marijuana—can you imagine how lethal I would have been once I got back on my bike? While walking along a lake in Christiania, I had no one the most surreal experiences of my life. We somehow managed to stumble upon a funeral procession. The neighborhood has no more than 900 residents and it seemed as though everyone had come out for
the ceremony. After being encouraged to join the procession, we respectfully slid in the back of the line and followed the crowd towards a bridge. Why would we do that? Because we’re Fordham students and have no fears! Very quickly, a friend of mine realized that we were about to witness a Viking funeral. That’s right. You just can’t make this stuff up, folks. A Viking funeral consists of sending the urn of ashes out in the middle of the lake on a boat, setting the boat on fire and watching it burn until the boat sinks. After the sendoff, the mood in the crowd changed. It had become a celebration of life rather than a mourning of death. We were all very confused after leaving Christiania, but definitely happy that we had gone. My suggestions to anyone who wants to visit Copenhagen: know how to divide by seven very quickly in order to be able to know how much money you’re spending (one US dollar is about seven Kroner— don’t be fooled, you will not save money), bring a hat and gloves or may God have mercy on your soul and eat some Danish food; it’s so yummy! Oh, and one more thing: be prepared to never want to leave.
Who’s That Kid? | It’s Fiona Leary, FCRH ‘19
Rose Hill Sophomore Seeks to Understand the Unknown By BAILEY HOSFELT CULTURE EDITOR
New York born and bred, Fiona Leary, FCRH ’19, embodies excelsior with ease. The Latin motto meaning “ever upward” lends itself effortlessly from the state to Leary’s infectious personality, one of which a friend, acquaintance or even stranger can attest to. Having grown up in one place, Leary credits her hometown of Albany for shaping who she is as a person. “I am who I am because of Albany,” said Leary, highlighting the wide array of art, culture and people who coexist in the state capital. “The students and teachers from my high school are doing incredible work for not only Albany High but for the world. I am humbled to have learned from them.” This sentimental appreciation for her roots is one all too familiar to college students who, like Leary, often do not acknowledge it until after moving away. However, Albany gave Leary the tools to hit the ground running once she arrived at Fordham. As a political science and Middle East studies double major with a minor in Arabic, Leary has built her academic career on an overarching theme. “I yearn to understand the unknown,” said Leary. While her experience in local government working as a student representative to the Albany school board and legal assistant in the New York Senate inspired her studies of political affairs, Arabic came to her at the last second. As a freshman nearing the end of New Student Orientation, she transferred into the introductory class with one day
to spare before the fall semester began. “It’s the best decision I made in college,” said Leary, noting that the course gave her a group of best friends and a desire to learn not just the language, but the culture. “We often get trapped within our own perspectives and parts of the world,” said Leary. “So I always try to challenge myself and ask the difficult questions, even if instead of producing answers, they create more questions.” In an effort to gain insight about different parts of the world, Leary took part in GO! India over this past winter break. Her team partnered with the Missionaries for Charity, Little Sisters of the Poor, St. Xavier’s College and others to organize their service and immersion in Kolkata. To say that the experience was life-changing for Leary would be an understatement, considering she said she could gush about GO! India for decades. “India shook me,” said Leary, explaining that the GO! India trip has a reputation of “ruining your life,” due to the magnitude of crippling injustice and poverty that team members witness. “It rattled my soul, and I feel the biting need to return as soon as possible.” Although the GO! trip, like her endeavors in Middle East studies, leaves Leary with more questions than answers, she is ready to grapple with what is difficult head-on, often turning to social advocacy. Leary participated in New York’s Women’s March and, moments after stepping off her train at Grand Central, experienced an energy that she said was the strongest she has ever felt. She quoted Thomas Jefferson’s
infamous words that “when injustice becomes law, resistance becomes duty,” adding that the march reminded her of democracy’s power. “[The march] was humans fighting for humanity,” said Leary. “It was inexplicably beautiful.” She upholds this energy, staying engaged on campus and off. Whether Leary is at a meeting for Arabic Club, serving you coffee at Rodrigue’s, advising freshman students alongside a faculty member or helping teach an ESL class at St. Rita’s Immigrant and Refugee Center, she makes a personal precedent to give back to the community. With whatever free time she can find, Leary enjoys venturing deeper into the city for the food, concerts and museums, trying to explore at least once a week. “I have a zest for the city and seeing as much of it as I can during my time here.”
While she cannot pick one favorite place in New York City, Leary does have a preferred subway line of choice: the D train, which she noted is a basic but honest answer. “Once, I was lucky enough to meet a woman with hundreds of roses [who was] giving them out to everyone on the train,” said Leary. “Including me!” Outside of academics and extracurriculars, Leary has more than a few talents up her sleeve. She plays guitar, paints and draws. She runs a hair salon out of her dorm room, a skill I can attest to as she gave me a haircut in the communal bathroom of South last year. She maneuvers her way to the front of any and all mosh pits at concerts. She does, in her words, a “pretty solid” impersonation of Bernie Sanders, the kind of entertainment we all need considering our current political climate. As for post-graduation plans, this
second-semester sophomore is unsure of the specifics, but wants to pay forward the kindness and love she has been given. “I genuinely love people and have so much to learn from them,” said Leary. “In whatever I do, I want to give what I can, learn all there is to learn and make an impact.” With such a good head on her shoulders, and envy-worthy wisdom, we might wonder how Leary does it and by whom she is inspired. She said the answer is simple. “I am, on a daily basis, astounded by how incredible my mother is.” Her mother, a former journalist turned professor, motivates Leary to care deeply stay truthful and help others, whether the capacity be big or small. “If I can one day become half the woman she is, I would be honored.” For now, there is no question that Fiona Leary is already taking leaps in the right direction.
COURTESY OF FIONA LEARY
Fiona Leary stays involved in politics by engaging in local activism like last month’s Women’s March in New York.
CULTURE
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Split Reviews With Movie’s Portrayal of Mental Illness By MIGUEL SANTOS CONTRIBUTING WRITER
The film Split has taken the number one spot on the domestic box office for the third consecutive weekend. Despite this financial success, the movie has received criticism for its offensive and seemingly backwards portrayal of mental illness and the LGBTQ+ community. Writer and director M. Night Shyamalan is known for making movies that feature horror, unexpected plot twists and complex characters with fluid motives. Split is no exception from this trend. The film focuses on a man named Kevin who has Dissociative Identity Disorder, or DID. According to the “Gale Encyclopedia of Science,” a person with DID “plays host to two or more dissociate personalities or identities” and “each identity has its own unique style of viewing and understanding the world.” In addition, “these distinct personalities periodically control that person’s behavior as if several people were alternately sharing the same body.” Kevin has 24 distinct personalities, most of which are harmless. However, when a handful of malicious personas repeatedly take over, they cause him to perform atrocious acts. The film follows what happens when Kevin, or one of his personas, kidnaps three teenage girls in order to satisfy his newest and most heinous personality, the Beast. Mental illness in film is not a novel concept. In many genres, a disorder of the mind may play a crucial role in a movie’s plot. Rain Man, Shutter
Island and Silver Linings Playbook are only a few examples of films that feature such illnesses. However, the use of these themes is steadily becoming more controversial as mental illness becomes more prevalent in modern times. It is understandable how lives affected by mental illness may be offended by certain aspects of Split. In fact, many in favor of boycotting the movie on the petition website “care2” reference their own struggles with mental health as the reason for not liking the movie. Many argue that in today’s day and age, the discussion of mental health is very significant and complex. Depression is one of the most common mental ailments right now. It is an ailment that continues to impact people and their loved ones in the most tragic ways. The Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance estimates that 6.7 percent of the U.S. population age 18 and older are afflicted with Major Depressive Disorder. Clearly, the topic of mental health is not to be taken lightly. Split does not necessarily mock mental illness or those who suffer through it. In fact, Kevin’s psychiatrist in the film, Dr. Karen Fletcher, represents a sincere and progressive outlook on mental health. This character stresses the importance of supporting people with DID. She truly cares about her patients’ well-being, and often defends these patients against those who do not trust them. Her character demonstrates how the filmmakers understand that it is important to provide aid for people with these ailments. The fact that mental illness is pres-
ent in the movie does not seem to be the main issue. The way the film uses DID as a horror trope is what causes a majority of the uproar against Split. Reducing such a complex and important conversation down to a means of scaring audiences has angered those whose lives have been touched by mental illness. The same can also be said about the film’s portrayal of a character who is a crossdresser. One of Kevin’s immoral personalities is a sinister woman who is arguably the creepiest character in the movie. Other horror flicks have used the image of transgender individuals to convey feelings of fear and scandal. The care2 website points out that Norman Bates in Psycho and Buffalo Bill in The Silence of the Lambs are previous instances of this trope being used. Again, it would seem as though a topic as relevant and complicated as the LGBTQ+ community is simply being reduced to a scare tactic used in a movie. Ultimately, Split does not blatantly aim to offend people who are affected by mental illness. M. Night Shyamalan’s unique history of rich plotlines suggests that he wanted to create a horror/thriller with a complex narrative with a main character who has DID. However, mental illness is rightfully a sensitive topic that continues to harm individuals and families at increasing rates. Perhaps it is time for Hollywood to look to other tropes and archetypes when constructing future storylines. Otherwise, the entertainment they provide may be at the expense of someone else’s suffering.
February 8, 2017
New York is My Campus Celebrate Black History Month with these events in the city. Get In the Way: The Journey of John Lewis 515 Malcolm X Boulevard, New York, NY 10037 Join the New York Public Library at the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture on Feb. 15 at 6:30 p.m. for its free screening of Get In the Way: The Journey of John Lewis, a documentary about the civil rights activist Congressman. The President and CEO of the New York Urban League, Arva Rice, will be there afterwards for discussion. “African Diaspora Gallery Exposition” Gould Memorial Library Rotunda, Bronx Community College 2155 University Avenue, Bronx, NY 10453 Explore other colleges in the neighborhood with this event at Bronx Community College featuring tables displaying historical and cultural materials relating to the trans-Atlantic slave trade that affected 20 million African captives. The event will take place on Feb. 9. A Presentation by BCC’s Food and Garden Club Nichols Hall, Room 103, Bronx Community College 2155 University Avenue, Bronx, NY 10453 This presentation delves into the African influence on all your favorite foods. It will happen on Feb. 9 from 12:00 to 2:00 p.m. Harlem Fine Arts Show Riverside Church 490 Riverside Drive, New York, NY 10027 There are a number of events being held from Feb. 16 to Feb. 19 by the largest traveling African Diasporic art show. Ranging from a youth empowerment day to a gospel brunch to honor AfricanAmerican nurses, you can witness all the show has to offer. “BLACK FOLK Presents: Reclaimed Rage; Resistance” 305 E 140th Street #1 Bronx, NY 10454 Through photography, sculpture, and painting, artists evaluate the relationship between rage and resistance in the current sociopolitical climate. Stop by this one-room gallery before March 11 in the Mott Haven neighborhood of the Bronx to see the artwork and learn more about community-based workshops.
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SPORTS
Feburary 8, 2017
Men’s Tennis Tops St. Peter’s By ALEXANDRA SEDLAK STAFF WRITER
On the day of the Super Bowl, while everyone was wondering whether the Patriots or the Falcons would win, Fordham Men’s Tennis travelled to Jersey City to play a match against Saint Peter’s University. They played a total of three doubles matches and six singles matches at the Yanitelli Center. This was a victorious day for Fordham, and their first win of the spring season, as they defeated Saint Peter’s 6-1. Fordham obtained the sole doubles point, with two teams winning and one team in the lead when the game was halted. Freshman Steven Duka and junior Joseph Kavaloski won their doubles set against Saint Peter’s Ivan Knezevic and Jonathan Paredes with a score of 6-2. The team of sophomore Victor Li and freshman Jeremy Chung won 6-2 as well against Saint Peter’s Douglas Nover and Gabriel Russotto. Finally, senior Tomas Cosmai and freshman Allen Thornes were winning their set 4-3 against Saint Peter’s Jorge Rodriguez and Andres Rojas when the match was stopped due to the two previous doubles wins. Fordham won five of the six singles matches, giving the Rams another five points. Senior Tomas Cosmai played first singles, defeating Saint Peter’s Jorge Rodriguez with a close score of 6-4, 7-6 (3). Second singles was played by freshman Fabian Mauritzson, who won his match against Saint Peter’s Andres Ro-
jas with a score of 6-3, 7-5. Senior Nick Borak took the third singles position win with a score of 6-4, 6-3 against Saint Peter’s Ivan Knezevic. Freshman Allen Thornes, who was fourth singles, fought hard for his match, making it a very close score. Ultimately, he lost to Saint Peter’s Douglas Nover, with a final score of 6 (7)-7, 4-6. Fifth singles, played by freshman Steven Duka, scored a point for Fordham, winning 6-3, 6-4 against Saint Peter’s Gabriel Russotto. Finally, in the sixth singles position, junior Joseph Kavaloski defeated Saint Peter’s Cuong Lam with a score of 6-3, 6-1. In the end, this gave Fordham a score of six and Saint Peter’s a score of one. “It was a good win for us to prepare and build match toughness as we have a number of important matches coming up in the next few weeks,” said Kavaloski. The Rams are satisfied with their performance this past weekend. They learned from last week and were able to put all of their energy and focus into preparing for this weekend’s match. The fact that they came out as victors with a sweeping final score shows just how hard they have worked and practiced and how determined they are to keep moving forward as a team. The tennis team will play again next weekend against La Salle University. They’ll be hosting the tournament at Life Time Athletic in Harrison, NY on Feb. 11.
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Rams Earn Top 5 Finishes in Metroploitan Championship By TOM TERZULLI ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR
You have to go all the way back to May 15 2016, at the ECAC/ IC4A Championships, to find the last team scored meet Fordham track took part in. The men finished 30th out of 46 teams and the women finished dead last at 13th. However, last week, at theMetropolitan Championship, the result was a lot better on both sides. The men were fourth out of the 18 participating schools with 97 total points. Their score was good enough to get past Wagner (74.50), Fairleigh Dickinson (44.50), New Jersey Institute (42), Columbia (32), St. Peter’s (28), Stony Brook (18), LIU Post (7), NYU (6), LIU Brooklyn (6), St. Francis (5) and Marist (4). Rutgers took the whole thing with 179 points. The pair of juniors Brian Cook and Thomas Slattery, along with first year runner Michael Petersen, was a large part of the Rams’ 97 total. Cook won the mile in 4:14.19. Slattery took the 5,000m, posting a 14:51.02 clip. That victory made two years in a row that a Fordham distance runner won the event at the Metro Championship. Finally, Peterson topped the 800m field, crossing the line in 1:53.25. Later on, Cook and Peterson teamed up with juniors Fritz Heinrich and Louis Santelli on the winning 4x800 meter squad. The IC4A qualifying time of 7:45.60 was good for the final Ram victory on the men’s side. Freshman Ryan Kutch came pretty close though. The Holtsville, NY native finished second in the 3000m with a time of 8:35.90. Santelli was third in the 800m, posting a time of 1:54.11 in his second race on the day. It was a third place finish as well for the distance medley team of Slattery, sophomore Patrick Dineen, and juniors Michael Campbell and Nik O’Brien (10:19.28). Nine other Ram scorers rounded out the total. Heinrich (2:31.47) and Dineen (2:32.50) finished fifth and eight respectively, in the 3000m. Freshman Richard Webber put up a season best 22.32,while sophomore Jared Benn crossed in 22.39. The two finished fourth and fifth in the 200m respectivley. They would come right back in sepa-
COURTESY OF FORDHAM ATHLETICS
Michael Peterson won the 800m at the Metropolitan Championship
rate events with Webber finishing sixth (7.10) in the 60m and Benn grabbing fourth in the 500m with a season best time of 1:05.44. Junior Ryan Riviere finished fifth in the pole vault, clearing 4.20 meters, and he tacked on a sixth place finish in the Heptathlon with 3920 points. O’Brien finished seventh in the mile (4:21.85). And finally, Benn, Campbell, Webber and sophomore Eddie Dehais secured seventh in the 4x400m relay with a time of 3:30.02. The women finished a place behind the men in team competition, in fifth. Wagner (50), Fairleigh Dickinson (45), So. Conn. St. (41), LIU Post (22), Columbia (22), NYU (14), St. Peter’s (13), Marist (11.50), St. Francis , New Jersey Institute (10), LIU Brooklyn (6) and Iona (4) were behind, while the Red Storm of St. John’s were the team champions (142.50). The team of freshman Sydney Snow, senior Shanna Heaney, sophomore Kate McCormack and junior Merissa Wright secured the 4x800m title with a time of 9:15.21. Snow and Wright were also top finishers in indi-
vidual events. Snow finished second in the 1,000m with a time of 2:57.45., while Wright dazzled in the 800 meter run, also finishing second at 2:15.80. 10 other Rams chipped into the individual scoring. Freshman Kaia Corthell (2:20.58) and sophomore Leah Hickey (2:25.64), crossed the line fourth and seventh in the 800m. It was sixth and seventh in the 1000m for sophomore Laurel Fisher (3:03.23) and sophomore Blake Elwood (3:04.63). sophomore Abigail Taylor (season best 10:27.35) and senior Josephine Jacob-Dolan (10:35.64) also grabbed sixth and seventh in the 3,000 meter run. To finish up the scoring, twotime school record holder, sophomore Mary Kate Kenny (25.19) finished fourth in the 200m dash. freshman Gabriella Gavalas took fourth in the triple jump at 11.11m. Finally, Freshman Gabrielle Schreib was fifth in the pentathlon with 3,030 points and Nkeka Pinheiro (7.85) finished seventh in the 60m. Next up for Fordham track is the Valentine’s Day Classic on Feb 10 and 11 at Boston University.
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The Rams have won their last two matches.
SPORTS
Page 20
Rowing
By PETER VALENTINO STAFF WRITER
As the Fordham women’s rowing team approaches its first spring meet in late March, the rowers look to improve off of a solid fall season. After placing around the middle of the pack in the first three events in Connecticut, Boston and Philadelphia, the team won six out of seven races against five competing tri-state area schools in the Fall Metropolitan Championships in Pelham. With these finishes, head coach Ted Bonanno stressed the importance of these competitive fall regattas. “Our overall team depth is improved with all four varsity eights demonstrating good speed over 5-6 kilometer racing in practice and all shells racing well throughout the
fall, including a sweep of all varsity events at our last regatta,” said Bonanno. He also credited senior captains Maura O’Donnell and coxswain Jackie Ramos and their leadership for the team’s success. The team had its annual trip to Miami over winter break, making it the 26th consecutive year of the excursion. While the rowers got away from the cold and enjoyed the vacation and bonding time, they also practiced long distance rowing in the warm Florida waters. Bananno said that it was a very successful outing, and that there were many technical improvements from several of the rowers in all four boats. O’Donnell expressed confidence that the extra hours in the water due to the warm winter will aid them come the spring. “We knew that returning to campus for the spring semester might start with
indoor training, so we tried to mix some long distance rowing with high intensity race pieces while in Florida,” she said. “However, upon returning to campus, we were pleasantly surprised by the abovefreezing temperatures that have allowed us to practice on the water.” The spring rowing season begins with the Murphy Cup in Philadelphia on the Saturday, March 25. Going into this season, O’Donnell stressed the importance of remaining in a racing mindset. “We need to remain focused on what we want to achieve in the spring and not go through the motions at practice,” she said. For Coach Bonanno, he hopes that if they are able to improve this season, they’ll be able to peak at the A-10s. “Our hope is to have all our shells at their best at that point.”
ANDREA GARCIA/THE FORDHAM RAM
Track
By TOM TERZULLI
ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR
With the winter season beginning to wind down, it’s time to look ahead to the transition from indoor to outdoor track and field. The Rams have been paced by solid performances at all distances and events throughout the winter campaign. Fordham is hoping this consistency continues on in the spring. You cannot talk about Fordham Track without talking about Mary Kate Kenny. The sophomore has owned the winter season, breaking the school record for the 200m not once but twice. The first came during the NYC Gotham Invitational on Jan. 20, when she crossed the line in 25.09. She topped herself a week later at the Terrier Classic in Boston, shaving .2 seconds off the already historic time. She most recently finished fourth in the 200m at the
February 8, 2017
Golf
By SAM BELDEN STAFF WRITER
It would be easy to say that the past year has been a good one for the Fordham golf team. After all, the program took home its first victory in nearly four years at the Coca-Cola Bottling Company of the Lehigh Valley Collegiate Invitational last spring, and six months later, junior Joseph Trim was impervious to nightmarish conditions at the Lehigh Invitational, scoring the first individual win for a Fordham player in more than a decade. However, such a statement would directly contradict the sentiments of the team, which holds itself to a high standard. The Rams struggled to find their groove as a team last fall, leading to disappointment in the locker room. They peaked with a pair of fifth-place finishes—one at Lehigh, the other at the season-opening Ryan Lee Memorial Tournament in Simsbury, Ct. “I can confidently speak for everyone when I say that we underperformed this past fall,” said Trim. “One of the main things we need to focus on is our resolve. Everyone on the team is capable of shooting some very good scores, and I think if we buy into our practice and stay confident, then we can get our season back on track.” Even so, the fall featured some positive signs that the team can carry into its upcoming campaign. Trim was solid as usual, posting a pair of top 15 finishes to go along with
SPRING
Metropolitan Championship in Staten Island on Feb. 2 and 3. If the Garden City, New York native performs anywhere near as well in the spring as she has in the winter, she is sure to play a key role in pacing the sprints on the women’s side. Fellow sophomore sprinter Nkeka Pinheiro has also shown some promise. She trailed Kenny at the Gotham Invitational, finishing sixth. She just recently snagged seventh in the 60m dash at the Metro Championship. In distance races, sophomore Angelina Grebe and freshman Sydney Snow have each put up a season best apiece. Grebe’s came in the 5,000m at the Metro Championship, blowing through the race in 17:37.89. Snow’s season best came a meet earlier at the Terrier Classic, where the native of Holliston, Massachusetts earned a 39th place finish in the mile with a time of 5:04.94. Both Grebe and Snow have also been big parts of some of the squad’s most successful relay teams.
Snow was on a team with senior Shanna Heaney, sophomore Kate McCormack and junior Merissa Wright that snagged first place in the 4x800m relay at the Metro Championship. Grebe joined sophomores Laurel Fisher, Leah Hickey and Aidan Moroz to finish 4th in the distance medley at that very same meet. Grebe and Snow, in spite of their underclassmen status, will continue to be pivotal to the distance crew as the spring season dawns. Speaking of underclassmen, freshman Michael Petersen has already made quite an impact thus far in the winter on the men’s side, and there is no reason to think that will not carry over to the spring months. Running the 400m and 800m, he’s put together three top 20 finishes in three meets. He placed 4th in the 400m at the Gotham Invitational and 16th in the 800 at the Terrier Classic. All of this built towards his 800m victory at the Metro Championship in a time of
his victory. In addition, junior Matt Schiller continued to post low scores, and sophomore Tommy Hayes displayed plenty of game with his tie for 20th at Lehigh to finish the season. Senior Oscar Cabanas, junior James Mongey and sophomore Josh Madarang will compete for the remaining tournament spots. They all logged multiple rounds for the Rams last fall. In what basically amounts to a sprint to the Atlantic 10 Championship, the Rams have five events scheduled for this spring, starting with the Wildcat Invitational at Villanova on March 27. The following week, they will defend their title at the Coca-Cola Bottling Company Invitational, where they will need good performances from Trim and Schiller to have any hope of repeating their success from last year. After a week off, the team will head to the one-day Yale Spring Invitational on Saturday, April 15 before playing in the Rhode Island Invitational the following Monday. From there, the conference championship will be just 10 days away, all set to kick off on Friday, April 28 at the Grand Cypress Golf Club in Orlando. As a non-scholarship program playing against Division I schools, the Rams have a tough task ahead, but the team is confident in its abilities. “We need to be ready and expect ourselves to compete in every event, even conferences,” said Trim. “Expectations can be a double-edged sword, but we have a lot of talent as a team, and if we can get all five guys to click at the right time, then we can have a very strong spring.”
COURTESY OF FORDHAM ATHLETICS
1:53.25. A pair of juniors, Brian Cook and Thomas Slattery, are the two stars of the men’s distance team heading into the spring. Cook, of Pearl River, NY,
COURTESY OF FORDHAM ATHLETICS
placed 13th in the mile in Boston and came right back to win the same event in Staten Island a week later. Slattery similarly finished in the top 20 in Beantown and won an event the next week. The Garden City, NY product was 17th in the 1,000m and then won the event at the Metro Championship. Peterson, Cook and Slattery, along with sophomore Jared Benn, make up the top relay team. The quartet won the distance medley at the Gotham Invitational, posting the second fastest time in the country for the week of Jan. 16 to 22. The Rams have plenty of talent on both the men’s and women’s sides. Only time will tell how it comes together when the cold February nights turn into warm March afternoons.