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FEBRUARY 21, 2013 VOLUME XXXII, ISSUE 2
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Engagement Suffers As Students Balance Roles By TIM GAVAN Contributing Writer
“New York is my campus. Fordham is my school.” These words hang above the escalators in Fordham College at Lincoln Center’s (FCLC) Leon Lowenstein building, reminding students every time they enter or leave school that they are not in a typical college environment. FCLC students said they see a trend in lack of campus community and school spirit because of campus location, busy schedules and struggles with time commitment. Liz Ruhani, FCLC ’15, said that FCLC’s location is different from other campuses, and that those differences affect the campus community. “People are really just in and out. It’s not like a lot of other schools where everyone’s on campus and lives there, and they’re around all the time,” Ruhani said. Referring to FCLC student life, she said, “I think that it’s very difficult to get people to participate and get people together at LC because it’s such a big commuter school and everyone has activities that they do outside of school.” But while some say students are distracted from extracurricular activities and school events by the bigger campus that banner promises, others cite a different reason. According to Dean of Students at FCLC Keith Eldredge, “We’re seeing a lot more students getting jobs to help pay for their expenses now, but also with the economy, students are worried about what jobs they’re going to get once they finish school and they’re looking at other experiences they can get via internships or things that are going to position them better in the job world.” As a result, some FCLC students said they have had to choose between work and participating in school clubs and events. Caroline Iannacone, FCLC ’13 and a former attorney for the see INVOLVEMENT pg. 2
Inside
SARA AZOULAY/THE OBSERVER
Hayden Hartnett’s Project Space is now on the second floor of the Leon Lowenstein building in the Office of Undergraduate Admissions. The space features a past student’s photographs in a three row lay out on the main wall.
Project Space Dedicated To Student’s Memory By LUDOVICA MARTELLA Asst. Arts & Culture Editor
The first thing that new students see when walking into the Office of Undergraduate Admissions on the second floor of the Leon Lowenstein building is the Hayden Hartnett’s Project Space, now displaying pictures of the colorful streets of Japan. One picture in particular evokes joy: it shows children playing in a playground. This art space is in memory of Hayden Hartnett, a Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) student who passed away on Feb. 20, 2011 of a drug overdose in McMahon Hall. Stephan Apicella-Hitchcock, professor of visual arts, shared some insights on his relationship with Harnett, as her professor during the first year of the summer class
“Documentary Photography: Italy/ Japan.” The program, organized by the visual arts department of FCLC and open to all Fordham students, allows students to grow their photography skills by exploring the suggesting landscapes and cities. Because of Hartnett’s enthusiasm for the trip to Tokyo, ApicellaHitchcock decided to create a portfolio of pictures taken by Hartnett during the trip. The idea behind this decision was to share it with Hartnett’s parents, who had never seen their daughter’s work. Hartnett was a “great photographer and a joyful person,” Apicella-Hitchcock said. “She was the kind of person that would walk into a room and made it a more pleasant place to be.” Apicella-Hitchcock told how crucial it was for the Hartnetts’ to have
their daughter’s works—“Hayden couldn’t stop talking about the trip; she was thrilled about it. “The trip to Japan was so significant for Harnett, both personally and artistically, that the Apicella-Hitchcock had one of her classmates, Hartnett’s best friend, print 20 pictures of the ones that Hartnett had taken during the trip. “It was definitely hard for her,” Apicella-Hitchcock said, “but I kept on reminding her how important this would have been for Hayden’s parents.” Rev. Robert R. Grimes, S.J., dean of Fordham College at Lincoln and the Keith Eldredge, dean of students at FCLC, agreed to finance the portfolio, which was sent to Hartnett’s parents. After everything was done and sent, Apicella-Hitchcock said, “I got scared because her parents didn’t get back to me for a long
time. I thought I went too far.” After a while the professor decided to contact them, and finally his fears went away: Hartnett’s parents were thrilled by their daughter’s talent and decided to donate funds to Fordham in order to help other students grow their own talents. That was the moment when ApicellaHitchcock decided to create “The Hayden Hartnett Project Space,” to which part of the Hartnetts’ donations were destined. The space’s first exhibition, now still showing, displays some of Hartnett’s and her classmates’ pictures from the trip to Tokyo. During a later correspondence between the Apicella-Hitchcock and the Harnetts’, Hayden’s mother sent two see HAYDEN HARTNETT pg. 9
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THE STUDENT VOICE OF FORDHAM COLLEGE AT LINCOLN CENTER
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News Editor Gabriela Mendez-Novoa — gmendeznovoa@fordham.edu
February 21, 2013 THE OBSERVER
Economy Plays Role In Student Involvement INVOLVEMENT FROM PAGE 1
mock trial team said, “At the end of last season I just realized what a time commitment [mock trial] was. I have a true passion for law and it’s something I definitely want to pursue in my life, but I realized that the real-life experience I could get at a job was more valuable than the time commitment at mock trial.” Iannacone is employed at a law firm in Manhattan and said that the fact that she was getting paid was also “a major factor” in her decision to leave the mock trial program. Students who are still active in clubs acknowledge that not everyone is lucky enough to be able to fit the extracurricular activities that Fordham offers into their busy schedules. Alexa Rodriguez, FCLC ’13 and United Student Government (USG) President, said she considers her leadership role to be a luxury. “I’ve been very fortunate in the fact that I can devote myself and be president because a lot of people might not have that opportunity to be able to make the time commitment.” In addition to not being able to consistently spare a few hours a week for clubs, some FCLC students said they cannot even attend one-time school events because of conflicts with work or internships. “The challenge that has impacted attendance is finding a date and a time that works for people,” said Dorothy Wenzel, director of student leadership and community development at FCLC. “We always get something like ‘oh I wish I could’ve come to that event but…’ you weren’t available because you were in class or at your job or at your internship—all legitimate
TAVY WU/THE OBSERVER
Students at FCLC struggle to fit campus activities into their busy job and internship schedules.
reasons.” Eldredge noted, however, that there does not necessarily need to be an either-or relationship between preparing for the future and taking advantage of the on-campus
activities going on right now. “I think the networking that clubs and events allow people to do will help them in the job world as well,” Eldredge said. “And to take it to another level, I think the stu-
dents who get involved in planning activities really do get some quality skills that compete on the level of an internship.” For these reasons, Eldredge encouraged students to try and
get involved on-campus as well as off-campus, although he acknowledged “that students do have a lot on their plates, and I think those demands only continue to increase in this economy.”
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Pope’s Surprise Resignation Sends Message By HARRY HUGGINS Editor-in-Chief
In the wake of pope Benedict XVI’s announcement that he would resign from his position as head of the Catholic Church on Feb. 28, the Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) community was surprised, but many who follow the papacy said they consider the move a courageous one rather than a sign of weakness. The pope announced his impending resignation on Feb. 11, citing his advanced age as his reason for resigning, saying that the modern pope must deal with rapid changes and “questions of deep relevance for the life of faith,” and that his strength of mind and body to deal with such issues have deteriorated in the last few months to the point of incapacity to fulfill his duties. The pope’s resignation makes him the first to resign since 1415, and the first to willingly resign since 1294. For many, the act came as a surprise, despite Benedict XVI being the fiftholdest man elected pope, at age 78. “If you asked people when he first became pope how long this papacy would be, he definitely outlasted expectations,” Rev. Robert R. Grimes, S.J. and dean of FCLC, said. “The general consensus in the room when Benedict was announced as pope was this would be a very short papacy after one of the longest [John Paul II served 26 years]. Nevertheless, to hear of his resignation was a surprise.” Terrence Tilley, chair of the theology department at Fordham, said he considered the act commendable. “Once one thinks about it, it’s not an entire surprise, because he certainly saw the chaos that surrounded his predecessors long final illness and death, and I’m sure wanted to avoid that. His concern for the Church and for its not falling into that chaos and lack of leadership that we saw at the end of John Paul II’s ponticate has provoked a courageous and humble act.” Many media members and religious commentors have argued that the sexual abuse scandals and the recent documents leak from the pope’s butler may have contributed to his decision to resign, but Tilley said those issues are most likely only part of the explanation, including his age, the stress of his efforts to reintegrate conservative Catholics into the fold and
ERIC VANDEVILLE/ABACA PRESS/MCT
Pope Benedict XVI attends a ceremony to mark the 900th birthday of the Knights of Malta, Feb. 9, 2013.
the stress of dealing with travel and media demands. “You have to remember that four or five years ago we didn’t have much in the way of Twitter,” Tilley said. “Today the Internet has made for a huge burden for someone in his position.” Julianny Gomez, FCLC ’13 said she thinks the pope’s resignation sends an image about the Catholic Church never being held accountable for illegal practices. “These are not medieval times. Church leaders are human beings just like the rest of us and they should be held accountable for their crimes in a secular, world court,” Gomez said. But Grimes said he does not believe the scandals directly led to the pope’s resignation. “In some ways, I’m not sure that the controversies were not greater than what some other popes had to bear. You have to remember, the Catholic Church has been called ‘down and out’ a number of times. I certainly wouldn’t say he had an easy
time of it.” Tilley said he did think the pope’s resignation changes the papal office in a way. “It makes it possible for future popes to resign, something that would have been unthinkable before, it’s a very creative move,” Tilley said. Once the pope’s resignation takes effect on Feb. 28, the task of electing a new pope will be left to the prescribed route of the convocation of cardinals, although when the cardinals will be convened has yet to be established. Nonetheless, Grimes said he would expect the new pope to be in place by Palm Sunday at latest, which is March 24 this year. “I think the media often look on this like a presidential election, which it’s not,” Grimes said. I’ve never been in a conclave, but I’ve been in situations where you have to deliberate in the context of prayer to decide on an election. You may be cynical, but something really does happen when you discuss how something should
be resolved and you go away and you pray. My own experience is that it really does affect the outcome. You’re not going to choose someone incompetent, but I have no idea what the decision will be.” Tilley said he had some ideas as to the qualities the cardinals will be looking for in the next pope. “The pattern is that the pope who is succeeded is different from the pope who is the successor,” Tilley said. “Benedict XVI was a scholar and a teacher, I think that we will get a pope who is better at administrative and pastoral work, and a pope who is not so Euro-centric.” “On the other hand,” Tilley said, “they have to get a two-thirds plus one vote in the conclave, so it’s going to take a long time and it might not be any one of those. If it’s not decided in the first three or four days, you can tell there’s going to be a compromise, and the new pope may not reflect any of those.” Gomez said that she would like to
see a Latino become the next pope. “Over half of the Catholic population is Latino and I think it is about time that the majority gets representation from a leadership that has always been represented as white and very European,” she said. She also said she hopes to see a progressive pope that can bring back devote Catholics who feel alienated by the church’s conservative direction. Albert Luna, FCLC ’13 also said he hopes for a more liberal pope, “which will not happen because the papacy is self-fulfilling. Conservatives elect conservatives.” Grimes said he believes that the pope’s decision to step down was one of his greatest lessons to us. “It says the Church is more important than his being in this role,” Grimes said. “It’s no longer something that has to last until death. I think he comes across as more human.”
Students and Faculty Discuss Fairness of Unpaid Internships By GABRIELA MENDEZ-NOVOA News Editor
Although many Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) students said paid and unpaid internships provide valuable learning experiences, there is a widespread sentiment that these services should be compensated. According to an article in The New York Times, “Giving Credit, but is it Due,” companies have seized the concept of an educational credit provision as a way of reducing their legal responsibility toward interns. As the writer of the article points out, because former interns have filed lawsuits against companies such as Hearst Corporation and Fox Entertainment Group demanding pay for their services, companies are increasingly drawn to the notion of college credit as compensation. This growing tie between companies and universities protects internship sites from legal trouble over exploitation. But there is still debate concerning the fairness of for-credit, unpaid internships among universities. Director of Experiential Education at Fordham Bernard Stratford said that he does not believe unpaid internships are exploitative. “I think the entire experience has to be taken into consideration, and in the state of New York student interns have to be compensated, either through pay or through credit,” Stratford said. “The
majority of them are for-credit, and in that case interns are paying for the academic experience.” According to Brian Rose, professor of communication and media studies and director of the communication internship program, internships are legally prohibited from assigning interns the jobs that real employees are responsible for. He said that since internships have their own legal category, there should not be different expectations from interns based on whether or not they are monetarily compensated. Regarding whether or not all internships should be paid, Rose said, “My feeling is that ultimately, internships should have some type of compensation.” But some FCLC students who are current interns or have recently interned said that job descriptions and expectations should vary depending on whether or not the services are paid. They also said they value the learning experience that internships provide, but some type of monetary compensation would better their financial situation and would encourage them to perform to their best ability. Caitlin O’Kane, FCLC ’14, said that whether or not unpaid internships are exploitative depends on the tasks the intern is expected to fulfill. “At my current internship at CNBC I get paid and I’d say the tasks are really difficult just for the learning
PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY MEGAN O’HARA/THE OBSERVER
Many students say all services should be monetarily compensated.
experience and no other compensation,” O’Kane said. Regarding internship tasks, Emma Brennan, FCLC ’13 also said, “I don’t think internships’ expectations of interns should be as high if they’re not paid.” Brenner said that her paid internship motivated her more to go above and beyond than her unpaid internships did. Julia Castro, FCLC ’13 and current CBS Local intern said, “I don’t mind having an unpaid internship for the experience and for my resume, but any service should be paid. I’m happy I’m getting the experience but the pay would be helpful.” Some students said they are satis-
fied with the experience component. When asked whether internships should be compensated monetarily, Erica Mancinas, FCLC ’13 said that the experience itself should be viewed as compensation. “Perhaps the greatest value of unpaid internships is the networking opportunities. It’s a great way to get a foot in the door to the industry in which one wants to work.” Mancinas interned for several companies including Alprion Capitol Management, Lower East Side People’s Federal Credit Union and Greenpeace, some of which were unpaid. She said she does not think unpaid internships are entirely exploitative,
“but these internships are limited to those students who can afford to work for no monetary compensation.” According to Stratford, interns are not exploited unless the employer changes the expectations and demands more from them than what was agreed on prior to starting the internship. “My responsibility is to be an advocate for the student in that case. But this happens very rarely, sometimes once a semester if at all,” he said. When asked whether unpaid internships leave out students who cannot afford to work without pay, Stratford said that internships are not meant to take up an overwhelming amount of time. He said that when students make the decision to get an internship they have to realize that they are typically expected to work 12 to 20 hours a week, but not beyond that. “We tell students to talk to us if their internships ask them to work for over 20 hours. We tell students to factor that in,” he said. Stratford added that although students who wish to pursue internships are advised not to commit to more than 20 hours, there are negotiable cases. “We understand there’s a time commitment and we usually don’t tolerate over 20 hours,” he said. “If paid interns are asked to work a few extra hours we are flexible and we think it’s negotiable.”
Opinions
CAMPUS INVOLVEMENT DEPENDS ON YOU
I
Student clubs build individuals’ skills in communication, budget and task management, public relations and event planning. These skills are practical in any work setting and are exactly what students should have detailed in their resumes once they graduate. Showing em-
The time and effort dedicated towards a student organization is just as valuable as work experience at a job or internship. ployers that a student has spent time in a club throughout his college career proves that the student is devoted and that he has grown within the organization, increasing his chances of getting a job or internship. With every e-board meeting and budget hearing, our club leaders work hard to accommodate our time and interests through their programming. Aside from its perks in building work experience, being an ac-
February 21, 2013 THE OBSERVER
Observer the
STAFF EDITORIAL
t’s no secret that student involvement at Fordham College Lincoln Center (FCLC) isn’t the best. As Tim Gavan states in “Student Involvement Down due to Campus Location,” students here face problems and have responsibilities that many students at different universities just don’t come across—namely, commuting and commitments of campus. With the cost of living in the city, commuting and the poor economy, there are additional pressures on students to work for compensation—rather than join a student organization. Some argue the real life and work experience students can get at a job might appear to be a much more efficient use of the little time we have, and a more attractive item to put down on our resumes. As Gabriela Mendez-Novoa reports in “Students and Faculty Discuss the Fairness of Non-Paid Internships,” with internships and jobs taking about 12-20 hours out of the week, and some even more than that, it’s extremely difficult—and for some, impossible—to also take advantage of on-campus activities. The time and effort dedicated towards a student organization is just as valuable as work experience at a job or internship.
Monique John — Opinions Editor mnqjohn@gmail.com
tive member of Fordham’s campus is the perfect way to build a group of friends and colleagues that can support students for years to come. That being said, almost all of us at The Observer hold either a part-time job on the side or an internship that takes up the rest of the time we have left after finishing our academic work. It’s a sad but true fact stemming from the economic situation we inherited as Millenials. It would be irresponsible for us to not take advantage of any opportunity to further our changes of securing a job post-graduation. Some of us are forced to get a part-time job to pay for Fordham’s tuition or build up reserves for the almost inevitable unemployment that awaits for us. And with a limited stock of hours in every day, something has to give. As editors, we have obviously weighed our options and decided that this club was worth our time, but not every student, or even a majority of the school, will agree. So although we obviously feel that there is value in club participation, given the circumstances of the world around us, we should not judge those who feel otherwise, no matter how “apathetic” our campus may feel.
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THE OBSERVER February 21, 2013
Opinions
5
Our Governmet Should Not Be Trusted With Domestic Drones ELLEN FISHBEIN Contributing Writer
As another State of the Union Address has come and gone, President Barack Obama’s promises—to close the Guantanamo Bay camp and to stop federal racial profiling—lie where he shelved them. But if Obama did nothing but maintain the status quo, I would say little to his detriment. Obama has not only strengthened the government policies that George W. Bush introduced to fight terrorism, he continues to expand them—especially through his use of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), more commonly known as drones. The Obama administration has ordered at least 390 drone strikes in the last four years. The Bush administration ordered 44 over the course of eight years. Earlier this month, NBC correspondent Michael Isikoff reported on the leak of an undated, confidential Justice Department “white paper.” The secret memo is comprised of 16 pages of legal justifications for the assassination of American citizens on foreign soil. Citizens considered “imminent” threats, the memo clarifies, forfeit their right to a fair trial. Basically, this means that it’s okay for “informed, high-level” government officials to kill them with remotecontrol explosives. The lack of political outrage astounds me, but I can understand. Americans who act suspiciously overseas might be treasonous, and smart leaders with our best interests in mind should stop them before they harm us here at home. Within our borders, everyone still gets a fair trial. But even when
JON KRAUSE/LOS ANGELES TIMES/MCT
With the government increasingly using drones in combat, the privacy of American citizens is at stake.
news organizations reported that drones were possibly targeting Christopher Dorner, the now deceasedex-police officer from Los Angeles reported to have killed four people, Democrats barely winced. The “armed” part, of course, was a miscommunication. Nevertheless, the misunderstanding should have drawn attention to the fact that last March, Obama signed a federal law that allows surveillance drones to take to the skies across the United
States. In its official report, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) revealed plans for those drones to carry nonlethal weapons like rubber bullets, tasers and tear gas. Obama didn’t suggest or request any kind of rulebook to help police officers use the drones appropriately, which makes me wonder if the president ever got to the Fifth Amendment when he read the Constitution. Am I supposed to believe we’ll all feel safer when drones with magnifying
cameras, night vision and tasers buzz above our homes? Though I find the ACLU and its members vexatious at best, today I sympathize with their demands for precise, transparent and publically agreed-upon guidelines for domestic drones. I support technological advances: if we can hunt threatening individuals abroad with spy drones, we should have the same protection here at home. But as the technology to search for criminals advances, citizens
need more—not less—protection against unwarranted search and seizure. People who think that law enforcement won’t abuse this new power are sorely misled: as long as American citizens overseas can be hunted and executed without regard for privacy or due process, I cannot trust the government to use domestic drones responsibly. I also sympathize, to some extent, with John Brennan, whose nomination as the head of the Central Intelligence Agency depends on his ability to make concrete statements about the Obama administration’s drone policies and plans, specifically on U.S. soil. Republicans have delayed their decision on his election for this very reason. He doesn’t want to lie, but he doesn’t want to make his boss look bad, either; so he’s delaying his answer to Senator Rand Paul’s question, “Is it acceptable to order lethal drone strikes against American citizens on American soil?” If I had to try to defend our president’s flagrant disregard for citizens’ rights to a fair trial, I’d sputter too. This Tuesday, I listened to the State of the Union Address in hope that Obama would reassure me, and he said a few comforting words: “In the months ahead, I will continue to engage with Congress to ensure not only that our targeting, detention and prosecution of terrorists remains consistent with our laws and system of checks and balances, but that our efforts are even more transparent to the American people and to the world.” If the president replaces “continue” with “start,” and if he actually keeps this promise, I will feel better. I might even go back to lampooning the ACLU.
Forever a Visitor, Never a Resident MONIQUE JOHN Opinions Editor
When I think about the future I sometimes see myself in a classroom—only this time I’m standing in front of school desks, not sitting in one. My thermos is in one hand and my copies of “Longing to Tell,” “Feminist Theory” and “When the Chickenheads Come Home to Roost” sit under the other as I look out from the projector. My students are captive and inquisitive. They invest hours throughout the week to explore the authors I present to them, freely offering their insights with their classmates with me inside and outside of the course. But that daydream is now dying after I read an article in The Chronicle of Higher Education on a growing trend of visiting professorships. A significant population of our educators are being denied job security by getting stuck in visiting and adjunct positions and it is not only unfair to the hard working professionals that do their best to educate us, but it is negatively impacting our lives as students. What are visiting professors? These people are educators that are being hired on limited contracts (only for one to three years) to fill teaching positions while keeping down budget costs for schools. Visitors are compensated relatively well for their work, earning salaries close to tenure track faculty with assistant titles as well as health benefits. But while they can be smart financial move for colleges, visiting professors, like adjuncts, are much less likely to eventually receive tenure and risk leading dead-end careers hopping from one university to the next.
TAVY WU/THE OBSERVER
Students are shortchanged with adjuncts and visiting professors that cannot be fully present on campus.
The whole college community is impacted by this trend, as professors that are visitors or adjuncts are not allowed to engage in important departmental affairs that enrich the academic lives of their students and colleagues. As Margaret Schwartz, an assistant professor on the tenure track in the communication and media studies department explains, this means that visitors and adjuncts can’t be involved in faculty committees to discuss developments in curricula and university-wide initiatives,
labor rights for educators, goal evaluations for academic departments, decisions in new hires or support for one another’s research. They also can’t serve as advisors for students and student organizations, leaving larger workloads for tenured faculty. The impact upon students doesn’t end with the fact that visitors and adjuncts can’t serve as advisors. There is also the problem that despite their extensive capabilities as educators, visitors and adjuncts are often teaching syl-
labi (sometimes in important core classes) that are not finalized or overseen to ensure that they align with the goals of their academic departments. As a result, students can finish these courses without being as prepared as they should be. I’ve heard a few Fordham professors complain about these problems during my time here as a student. It’s no wonder they do; though there aren’t many visiting professors in our university, adjuncts make up 30 percent of our
arts and sciences faculty alone, and they’re working for substantially less than visitors and assistants on the tenure track. According to faculty sources, a starting salary for a new visitor or assistant professor at Fordham could make approximately $65,000, but an adjunct receives less than $5,000 for each class they teach for a whole semester. Even worse, they don’t receive health benefits and are likely to have long commutes because they can’t afford to live nearby campus. With the challenges that these professors’ livelihood, they cannot be present and supportive of their students in the way they should be. Proponents argue that being a visiting professor or an adjunct is a great way to rack up experience. But don’t they say the same thing about internships? How would you feel if you were posed with the prospect of continuously jumping from one internship to the next, even it were a paid position? Would you honestly be satisfied with the career that’s been laid out in front of you? And sure, educators may not be forced into working in higher education, but when these are the only positions universities and colleges are making available for hire, what else are these people supposed to do? Building experience is essential to a good career but having job security is just as important. Our educators deserve better and so do we. Universities may be looking to place employees in these positions as a way to save money, but those methods aren’t helping anyone if they’re causing so much stress to students and faculty. If our academic institutions are going to prosper, quality of life and education must always precede profit.
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Opinions
February 21, 2013 THE OBSERVER
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Long term effects of football injuries show we must be more proactive about enacting policies to keep athletes safe both in college football teams like Clemson and NFL teams.
Sometimes Helmets Are Just Not Enough MARIA FISCHER Asst. Opinions Editor
Next time you are watching a football game with a group of friends, pay attention to the reactions after each tackle. Whether it’s a cringe or gasp, football players get hit so hard that you often can’t help but let out an “Ouch!” Luckily, we are watching the pain unfold from the comfort of our living room couches. The players, on the other hand, are forcefully tackled to the ground in real life. How can that be safe? As it turns out, it’s not. Although helmets used by the NFL (National Football League) have been modernized to prevent concussions and players are ordered to sit out for a couple games after serious injuries, I don’t
believe that helmets provide nearly enough protection against long term effects of these concussions. It’s unfortunate that earlier generations were football’s guinea pigs, but just because we are a little more knowledgeable about concussions and helmet safety today doesn’t mean that football doesn’t come along with the same risks. In my eyes, one concussion is one too many. In my nearly 20 years of football watching (yes—I was born on the ’93 Notre Dame-Pittsburg game, I truly mean 20 years!), I have yet to witness a season where a player hasn’t had their facemask pulled or experienced illegal contact that resulted in their helmet flying off. The National Collegiate Athletic Association calls foul on this type of ruthless play, but I think a foul is a small price to pay for potentially inflicting a brain injury. Statistics show that this is an urgent problem affecting a considerable
number of players. According to the University of Pittsburgh, 34 percent of college football players have had one concussion and 20 percent have experienced multiple concussions. As for NFL players, PBS states that 160 players went down with a head injury during the 2012-13 season. I know what you’re thinking— football players should already be aware of the risks that come along with the sport before they decide to put on that uniform. However, extensive research about the long-term effects of concussions is now surfacing. Not only have I researched the facts, but I’ve also become aware of this issue through the lives of my father and his teammates at Notre Dame. My father played football at both the collegiate and professional levels. Throughout his years on the field, he had a torn ACL, a broken ankle, broken ribs, a broken finger and was once diagnosed with a concussion.
Not once did he sit a season out. Luckily my dad has yet to experience any serious repercussions from his injuries, but many of his fellow teammates weren’t as fortunate. One of my dad’s Notre Dame teammates, Dave Duerson, appeared to have everything going for him. With a successful NFL career and two Super Bowl rings on his finger, no one ever expected Duerson to commit suicide on Feb. 17, 2011. Neurologists later confirmed that Duerson had suffered from a neurodegenerative disease linked to concussions. Who could have predicted such a grave outcome nearly 20 years after his football career ended? Hopefully current players will internalize this information and understand that most complications don’t show up until many years later. While players need to take initiative in protecting themselves and their health. In addition to that, we
must be realistic—we can’t leave all health and safety decisions up to the players themselves, because nearly every player will claim that he “feels fine” and is ready to get back into the game. We must trust that the medical staff and the NFL organization as a whole will make proper decisions when dealing with concussions and injuries. Perhaps Pop Warner, a children’s football league, was on to something when they announced new limitations for the amount of contact allowed in their practices. Although it’d be a stretch for the NFL to model their guidelines after a football league designed for kids ages five to 15, the NFL needs to have more regulations that allocates a maximum number of injuries before a player has to take that helmet off for good. As rewarding as a championship ring may seem, it is not worth shaving off 30 years of a person’s life.
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THE OBSERVER February 21, 2013
Opinions
7
IAN MCKENNA/THE OBSERVER
It could be a good two hours before this commuter is able to start working on her ethics paper that’s due the next day.
Does Commuting Weaken A Student’s Academic Performance? POINT
COUNTERPOINT
Yes, Commuting Hinders Learning
No, Commuting Stimulates Students
BRIGITTE AYAZ Staff Writer
The life of a commuter is tiring and taxing. It takes a heavy toll on students mentally and physically to juggle their academics, internships and daily commute while trying to maintain relationships with their friends and significant others. And with all of this juggling, a student’s academic performance is bound to suffer, even if in the slightest. When it comes to academic performance, commuter life can either make or break you. It challenges you to plan your course schedule around your transportation just so you can make it on campus with only minutes to spare before class starts. During my first semester at Fordham, it was close to breaking me. On an average morning I’d wake up at 7:30 a.m. for a 10 a.m. class. During the rush hour ride I’d fidget in my seat and nervously stare out the window on an 8:15 a.m. bus, pleading to the traffic gods that there are no annoying obstacles so that I can get to campus before all the desks are taken. Despite my efforts, I still make sure to warn my professors that I will be at least five-10 minutes late to their morning class because of the commute. Thankfully, Ford-
ham professors have been very understanding, but once I get to class I am already drained and find it completely hard to focus because I did not have that extra time to grab a coffee or muffin. Sure, I can always be productive and study on the D train or the bus. But I’d rather be in a calm, quiet space where I know I do not have to read my textbook with the loud snoring man sitting uncomfortably close to me. By the time I get home, I do not even want to pick up my laptop to start my eight-page paper because
Once I get to class I am already drained and find it completely hard to focus. I am already exhausted from running to catch the bus ride back or disappointed that I had to miss a club event I’d been looking forward to. One positive thing I can say that I’ve gained from commuting is that it has taught me an extraordinary amount of patience. But commuting is ultimately like adding another class to your busy schedule that you put a bunch of work into it without getting any credit. If it is not a requirement, then avoid registering for it.
KAMRUN NESA Contributing Writer
There is a sense of displacement amongst us commuters. We are college students but do not reside at college. We are on campus for a large portion of the day, but cannot, wholeheartedly, call Fordham our home. Instead of rolling out of bed five minutes before class, we roll out of bed two or more hours beforehand. However, this does not imply that residents are better off. Nor does it imply that commuters are performing poorly in classes. In spite of these disadvantages, there is no denying that commuters have the best of both worlds. We may not reside on campus, but we can be as involved on campus as residents while simultaneously going home at the end of every day. While it is understandable why some may assume that commuters are more likely to struggle academically, there is more motivation for us to do well. According to a study performed by University of Ccalifornia, Irvine in 2007, roughly 63 percent of commuters are able to understand their class material more and think critically as opposed to the 58 percent of residents. It is also assumed that commuters are the likely candidates to skip classes because they live farther away, but it is quite the opposite. Attendance is more valuable to commuters be-
cause it is harder for them to get notes or talk to professors since they are not on campus at all times. When residents are absent, they can ask a roommate or another resident to collect notes and can even study for tests together in the dorms. Personally, I am more serious about my academics because of the demands I face as a commuter. There is more pressure to finish homework ahead of time and have everything organized because I have to get up early and get to class. Residents can run to their rooms if they forget something, but commuters have to
There is more motivation for them to do well. be more responsible. In many cases, commuters have their academic lives better thought out than residents because they have to manage their time more efficiently. Commuters’ lack of a typical college experience does not serve as an obstacle but, in some ways, a vehicle to stimulate them academically. Speaking from personal experience, it is never easy being a college commuter. It is harder to socialize and be more involved on campus. However, we are still able to create our own college experience.
Political Commentators Wanted Email us at fordhamobserver@gmail.com
8
Arts & Culture
February 21, 2013 THE OBSERVER
www.fordhamobserver.com
PHOTO FEATURE Fireworks, red lanterns and dragon dancing belong to the greatest celebration of the year in Chinatown, the Chinese New Year. This year even a blizzard could not stop The Observer photographers from capturing the joyful celebration of the Year of the Snake.
IAN MCKENNA/THE OBSERVER
A young boy rests on his father’s shoulders, draped in a dragon headdress as a member of the small parade that followed the fireworks ceremony.
JENNIFER KHEDAROO /THE OBSERVER
A man dresses in a traditional Chinese outfit to celebrate the Chinese New Year.
JENNIFER KHEDAROO /THE OBSERVER
Traditional lion dances circle around Sara D. Roosevelt Park in Chinatown before celebrating the official Chinese New Year Firecracker Festival.
MARIA FISCHER/THE OBSERVER
Chinese New Year decorations hang outside of a shop in Chinatown.
MEGAN O’HARA/THE OBSERVER
Decorations in a storefront in preparation for the celebration.
IAN MCKENNA/THE OBSERVER
A boy in traditional Chinese garb celebrates the new year in his mother’s arms at the Sara D. Roosevelt Park.
MOLLY BARKER/THE OBSERVER
Chinatown, Lower Manhattan during Chinese New Year’s celebrations.
AYER CHAN/THE OBSERVER
Dragon dance performed at Lincoln Center.
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THE OBSERVER February 21, 2013
Arts & Culture
9
PHOTO FEATURE
IAN MCKENNA/THE OBSERVER
JENNIFER KHEDAROO /THE OBSERVER
A traditionally dressed woman playing music on the zheng, an ancient Chinese plucked-string instrument for Chinese New Year Firecracker Festival.
A woman holds her daughter’s marionette dragon as she plays on the jungle gym at Sara D. Roosevelt Park.
MARIA FISCHER/THE OBSERVER
Chinese New Year decorations hang outside of a shop.
HANNAH O’DONNELL/THE OBSERVER
BRIANNA GODSHALK/THE OBSERVER
SARA AZOULAY/THE OBSERVER
SARA AZOULAY/THE OBSERVER JENNIFER KHEDAROO /THE OBSERVER
Over 100,000 firecrackers went off to celebrate the year of the snake.
IAN MCKENNA/THE OBSERVER
A child covers her ears at the sound of fireworks at the Chinese New Year celebration.
MOLLY BARKER/THE OBSERVER
Arts & Culture
Arts & Culture Co-Editors Clint Holloway — cholloway4@fordham.edu Katie Lockhart —klockhart@fordham.edu
February 21, 2013 THE OBSERVER
Hayden Hartnett Project Space Opens HAYDEN HARTNETT FROM PAGE 1
pictures of her daughter as a child dressed in a kimono for a school project. She said that it had always been Hayden’s dream to go to Japan- also, “It was the very last moment, that she remembers her daughter being happy,” ApicellaHitchcock said. Apicella-Hitchcock creates a book after every “Documentary Photography” program. For Hartnett’s trip she named it “One Second of Photographs Made by Six People in Japan.” The book documents the works of the students and in it Hartnett wrote, “I can see myself being very happy here”. “Hayden’s parents are great people,” Apicella-Hitchcock said, “you could tell that she had a supporting, loving family. None of us would have imagined how much she was struggling.” The Hayden Hartnett Project Space is open to everyone to see. It is located in the Admissions Office on the second floor of the Lincoln Center Lowenstein Building. The space is, at the moment, being renovated. The wall has been made, but Apicella-Hitchcock is still working on getting it a better lighting and a plaque that will honor Hartnett’s name and her parent’s contributions to Fordham. Apicella-Hitchcock commented “As soon as it will be done, I will create a card that shows that it is now functioning, as well as on our website.”
ORIGINAL PHOTO BY HAYDEN HARTNETT
A photo in the Hayden Hartnett Project Space, located in the Office of Undergraduate Admissions on the second floor of Lowenstein.
Q&A
Need Plans For the Weekend? Check Out Fordham’s DJs the side.
By KARA JAGDEO Staff Writer
R.H: Right now, I’m researching and
looking into it. I’m a math major, so I’m doing other stuff. It’s really just on the side.
Meet Rhazes Hernandez, Evan Kaloudis and Carlos Kerr, Jr. They’re not exactly average students at Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC). Together, the three guys have formed a team of DJs, doing something they love and providing entertainment for young adults in the NYC area. The Observer sat down for an interview to get to know them better.
OBSERVER: What inspired you to
DJ? Do you have a major influence or a favorite DJ? R.H: For me at least, after I gradu-
ated from high school, I lived in Berlin for a year. There I discovered my passion for electronic music. You see, it’s not just about the DJ and the music; it’s about the crowd, the people and the fun you had that night.
THE OBSERVER: When did you
each start to DJ? How did it all start?
C.K: I think it’s mainly a genera-
CARLOS KERR: It was about fresh-
tional influence. DJ influences for me are Fatboy Slim and Diplo.
man year. I was at a house party with my friend. It was a dance major party. The DJ sucked. I figured since I’ve been to a bunch of concerts and know what dance majors want to dance to, I asked if it was OK to spin. I only had my phone with a DJ app. Everyone loved it, so the next time my friend threw a party, he asked, “Can you DJ for me?” I did, so I started to take it more seriously, investigating it more and more. RHAZES HERNANDEZ: About five
years ago in Venezuela, while I was living there. EVAN KALOUDIS: I started six
months ago. I would just play music for my friends. I have my own music site called Beats Per Minute. OBSERVER: When was the first
party you hosted?
C.K: The first time we collaborated
as a group was when we were hanging in a friend’s room. E.K: I think the first time for me
was last year after Halloween. We just collaborated and got some pretty good feedback.
E.K: I want to produce music, so my
influences are mainly new wave producers, like Flying Lotus and Burial. OBSERVER: I know your last event
was called “The Circus: Neon City.” The dress code was to wear bright colors, right? Are your events usually themed? HANNAH O’DONNELL/THE OBSERVER
Rhazes Hernandez, FCLC ’13, has turned his hobby of DJing into a popular Fordham event. OBSERVER: Do you each have indi-
vidual roles at an event or do you all do the same thing? C.K: We all have our individual
roles but it’s like a team. We all share the same passion, love for music and sharing that excitement with other people. OBSERVER: What kind of music
and even ’80s music. E.K: We all have three very distinc-
tive styles.
R.H: For me, it’s mostly deep house,
tech house, house, techno and new disco. It depends on the party. OBSERVER: What kind of venues
do you play at?
do you guys play? Is it one defined genre or a variety?
E.K: Usually venues or spaces out in
C.K: We have very varied styles.
C.K: Sometimes we do our own
Whatever we like, we play. I’m really into the groove, lots of bass, hip hop
Brooklyn.
mixes and post them online. We mostly get invited to events, but we
also do school events, like dances at the Rose Hill campus or here at Lincoln Center’s Atrium. OBSERVER: Is this a career option
for you all or is it just a hobby on the side?
E.K: I guess the easiest way to put it
is if we could, we would. Right now, I just have my website, Beats Per Minute, on the side. C.K: Personally, since I’m a dancer
for Ailey, I want to go on to dance. But if I could, I’d still like to keep my reputation and host events on
C.K: So far, yes. We’ve been talk-
ing about creating a brand. We’re always brainstorming and throwing ideas out there. OBSERVER: How can Fordham
students find out about your next show? R.H: The best way to stay updated
is online. Find me on Facebook. My artist page is Rhaz.es. Also check out Evan’s site www.beatsperminute.com. C.K: Also, go to www.soundcloud.
com/acekerr.
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THE OBSERVER February 21, 2013
Arts & Culture
11
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Queen Latifah, Lindsay Lohan and Julia Stiles are recent examples of actors who have found gone from appearing in movies on the big screen to those showing on TV.
Major Celebrities Make the Switch to TV Movies By ANDREW MILNE Asst. Arts & Culture Editor
Anyone in New York during the month of November could attest to the fact that Lindsay Lohan starred in a Lifetime original movie; America’s favorite infamous former child star was plastered on every bus with a black wig, violet eyes and sparkling crimson necklace under the heading “Liz & Dick.” While the country was abuzz at this strange pairing of player and part, Lohan is not alone in the legion of celebrities starring in TV movies: Julia Stiles recently starred in Hallmark’s “The Makeover,” Queen Latifah and Phylicia Rashad in Lifetime’s “Steel Magnolias,” and Angela Basset and Mary J. Blige in “Coretta and Betty.” With such an array of established entertainers, it begs the question, why are so many celebrities deigning to do TV movies and why is it such a hot new trend?
The short answer is that it’s not so new. Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) professor of communication and media studies Brian Rose credited the surge in celebrities doing made-for-TV movies to the “new renaissance” of television. He pointed to television programs such as “The Sopranos” (and even “Hill Street Blues” and “St. Elsewhere”) as being “gamechangers” for television, raising the standard and reputation of TV. Fellow FCLC professor of communication and media studies Jennifer Clark also cited the involvement of studios like NBC in the mid-1960s as helping to encourage stars to delve into made-for-TV movies, as well as the creation of highly-regarded TV movies like the wildly popular 1971 ABC movie of the week “Brian’s Song.” Obviously, the more prominent a celebrity is, the more publicity a project gets, thereby raising profit
For celebrities, made-for-TV movies not only represent a bigger paycheck, but also a path back to the American consciousness.
margins (the profit of production is typically three to four times the budget according to Clark), but what is in it for the stars? For some, the more creative and fulfilling roles that made-for-TV movies offer are the only ones they get, or at least the most lucrative. Lohan, for instance, is such a liability for most feature films that she could never get a role sizable enough to warrant the approximate $300,000 paycheck that she received for “Liz & Dick.” This type of “stunt-casting” is profitable for the studio as well as the actor; how many of the 3.5 million viewers watched “Liz & Dick” for Lohan’s antics rather than to watch a film on two of the
twentieth century’s most volatile lovers? For celebrities, made-for-TV movies not only represent a bigger paycheck, but also a path back to the American consciousness. In Lohan’s case, “Liz Taylor’s own torment and torture in child stardom in many ways matches the trajectory of Lindsay Lohan,” Clark said. “You could see why Lindsay would be attracted to that project.” Lohan is far from the only, or first, big-name celebrity to delve into TV movies after a successful film career: Betty Davis and Joan Crawford both did TV movies in the late ’60s to early ’70s; Helena
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Bonham Carter is set to star as Elizabeth Taylor in BBC’s “Burton and Taylor” (and, like most British products, it promises to be superior to its American counterpart— even the name is more formal). The common denominator with these names is that they are women—which is no coincidence. “In Hollywood, at a certain age, women aren’t perceived to be box office openers” Clark said. While this is not always the case, Clark asserted that television in general, and made-for-TV films in particular, represent a place for those actors to use their talent, attract an audience and perhaps even exercise a certain amount of control over a studio smaller than one for feature films. Whether it’s for money, control, or creativity, it’s clear that stars are, and have been, doing made-for-TV movies and chances are it will stay that way.
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Arts & Culture
February 21, 2013 THE OBSERVER
www.fordhamobserver.com
Q&A
Aaron Carter Still Wants Candy After All These Years By TAYLER BENNETT Layout Editor
Aaron Carter is ready to remind his old fans the reasons they loved him in the first place with a new album and tour, but this time as an adult. The Observer was able to chat with Aaron about his past, his present and his future. THE OBSERVER: Hi. How are you? AARON CARTER: Pretty good. Just
got out of the shower from rehearsals so I’m a little hot and sweaty... OBSERVER: How are rehersals
going?
A.C.: It’s great. Going really good. I
have a great team of people helping me with the show and putting it together as I see fit. It’s been going really well and I’ve been incorporating a lot of the elements from some of my other tours into it and stuff. So a lot of the stuff that people grew up seeing me perform like I when I did “American A.O.” and I performed with the American flag and if I had a Shaq jersey on then I’m going to have it in the shows this time. OBSERVER: You achieved success
at a very young age—have you felt pressure to maintain that, and has it been hard growing up the way you did? A.C: I guess in order for it to feel
hard for me I would have had to know something about the other side of the spectrum of life. So technically, I don’t know. I don’t know what it feels to be what you would call “normal,” I only know my lifestyle. It’s what’s normal to me. My normality lies within myself. So, it’s hard for me to answer that. OBSERVER: Do you feel like you
missed out on anything growing up the way you did? A.C.: I feel like I got to see a lot of
things that other people didn’t. I got to be introduced to different cultures and different lifestyles that most kids were only learning about in text books, while I was actually there studying on my tour. That was a blessing. There have been flaws, but most of what I have done has been really positive. OBSERVER: Was there any moment
that you realized that you were a really big deal to a lot of people? A.C.: I still don’t really realize that
kind of thing. I try to just live my lifestyle the way I live my life and just appreciate those who support me.
OBSERVER: Why did you choose to
focus on theater and “The Fantasticks” instead of jumping back into music? A.C.: Well, it just wasn’t time yet
and honestly that’s just not how it happened. A lot of people didn’t think I was capable of doing tours anymore or releasing albums or even
if I could sing anymore or if I’m a rapper or what I even do anymore. When “The Fantasticks” came along it was like alright here’s an opportunity that diversifies me and sets me apart. And if I’m able to do this and be able to do what I love then that’s the ultimate goal. So, when I first came into the show with my manager, Jason, we were like, our plan is to do this and let it be an experience and something that shows me in a good light and puts me in a family show and shows that I’m dependable and have discipline with myself and that I take care of myself and that any of the negativity that has happened in my life I was able to conquer and defeat. And here I am today a year and a half later after 450 performances and all kinds of different obstacles and things I had to deal with this year. My grandpa died, my sister died of a drug overdose, I was in a relationship that wasn’t good and I got out of that relationship. So I dealt with a lot of loss, but I also gained a lot from it too. It’s been an incredible life experience. Honestly that’s the first time I’ve ever been able to sum all of that into words, so you’re like the first person who’s getting the real deal of what has happened and how it’s affected me. It’s been difficult, but it turned me into a real man. OBSERVER: Is all this loss going to
appear on your album and in your new songs? A.C.: I don’t know. Being arrested
was the least of my worries. That was just whatever. Yes. Love songs and stuff to relate to my fans. I’m 25 and I like to have fun. I’m not like a completely clean and sober kind of guy. I still like to have fun and I like to do what I like to do, but I’m just different at it now. I know how to be mature and be modest and do things in moderation. OBSERVER: Are you worried that
your fans have grown up and might not be there anymore? A.C.: I’m not worried about it. My
shows are doing great and selling out and that’s all I can ask for. It’s pretty amazing how it’s worked, since I haven’t put on a show in a few years. It’s not like I disappeared. My fans have always had some sort of content from me, whether they see me on reality shows or a cooking competition show or a dancing competition show. I’ve been on Broadway and doing those kinds of things. So, I’m always immersing myself in performing. It’s their choice whether they want to see me or not. I don’t force anybody to do anything. If somebody wants to come see me then cool you come see me, if they don’t then I don’t really care. It doesn’t matter to me. It’s none of my business what somebody else’s opinion of me is. OBSERVER: Can we expect more
COURTESY OF BIG MACHINE MEDIA
Aaron Carter talks with The Observer about childhood stardom and what he is doing now.
collaborations on the new album, like your song with Flo Rida?
ain’t going to buy it.
A.C.: I’m going to have Nikki Flores
the current teen popstars who are doing what you did in your heyday? And do you like One Direction?
on the album. I’m actually going to be contacting Wiz Khalifa to be on the record. It’s just an idea right now, but we’re going to be reaching out to him. I want things to be organic for me. I did collabs for a couple albums and then for a couple albums I was able to be myself, so for this album I’m just going to be myself. And if you don’t like it you
OBSERVER: What do you think of
A.C.: It’s cool just as long as they
remember who their big brother is. Yeah, all of those kids, The Wanted and One Direction. I know them. We talk. OBSERVER: Can you still beat
A.C.: It was all a dream, baby. I actu-
ally just had a rematch with him last year and you’ll probably see that on TV soon. OBSERVER: Any last thoughts? A.C.: aaroncarternow.com to see
the latest dates being added to “The After Party” tour. I’m going to be doing UStreams every week for my fans so I can talk to them and they can expect to see that.
Shaq?
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Features
Features Editor Rex Sakamoto —r.sakamoto@comcast.net
February 21, 2013 THE OBSERVER
5 Steps to a Healthier And Happier You Kathleen Malara, Executive Health Director at Fordham, Shares Some Tips with The Observer for Staying Healthy By SHERRY YUAN Asst. Features Editor
Advertising has brought pop science to a whole new level; it’s easy to be lured by the promise of quick results and “true stories.” However, be warned. Many fad diets boast only half-truths, without revealing any of the harmful effects. With the proper research, the truth is that even if certain diets will help you lose weight, the effects are short-term. For example, how long do you think you’ll last on juice, before you break down and consume everything that is in your cupboard? Don’t be discouraged. You have New Year’s resolutions to eat healthier, exercise and lose weight—and that’s a great start. There are ways in which you can make changes that will help you accomplish your goals, without compromising your health or sanity. And it’s not easier said than done. Kathleen Malara, the executive health director at Fordham, shares some tips with us for maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
REX SAKAMOTO/THE OBSERVER
Making small changes to your daily schedule like getting more sleep or swapping soda for water can help you lead a more fulfilling college life.
1. Small steps “Set goals on a monthly basis, instead of looking ahead to the entire year,” Malara said. In other words, instead of saying, “I want to lose 10 pounds this year,” focus on what you can do in a month, whether it is replacing one meal with a salad or getting in 30 minutes of exercise a day, small steps are extremely important. If you set something up for yourself on such a grand scale, it’s easy to feel like giving up without having even starting to make any changes. Set up smaller, more specific goals for yourself.
2. Embrace change “Avoid foods that are heavy in fat content, things like chips that are full of empty calories. A lot of times people will try to grab things real fast in order to satisfy the hungry cravings. Try to make better choices by not going to the vending machine and buying the chips. [Instead], grab the apple or banana,” Malara said. What are empty calories? Malara described them as, “Things like soda or anything loaded with sugar. They’re not going to help you.” For example, even if that candy bar is only 100 calories, it’s probably loaded with sugar, and lacking in any sort of nutritional value. Don’t just check the labels for the calorie count. A banana may be high in sugar, but it also rich in fiber and vitamin C.
3. Smart Shopping “Grocery shopping is a hard thing to do for anybody. [Try to get in] 4-5 servings of fruits and vegetables a day. Concentrate on that. It’s not easy to do , but it’s something people should do. Every month, during the course of the year, there’s a new fruit [that] you can change it up with,” Malara said. There is no way you will get closer to reaching your body goals without making necessary changes in your diet and exercise routine. Try making a weekly eating schedule for yourself—this way, you can track what types of food you’re lacking in your diet, as well as how much you’re eating on a daily basis. You’ll also be amazed as to how much much easier grocery shopping will be.
4. Sleep “People think that they can catch up on sleep; like ‘I’m going to go crazy all week long, and on the weekends I’ll just crash.’ Everyone needs a good eight hours of sleep every night,” Malara said. Diet, exercise, diet, exercise, blah, blah, blah. We forget, or very much purposefully disregard, that sleep is an extremely important for our overall health. With enough sleep, you’ll find that every other facet of your life will be affected, merely because of the simple fact that you have energy-- energy to eat well, exercise and respect yourself. Late-night studying is a killer of this— it’s one in the morning, you still have 100 pages to read, and all you want are cookies; it’s the ultimate test of self-control and endurance. It’s time to promise yourself a breakfast fit for a king, and forge through those last pages. You can do it.
5. Exercise “It doesn’t have to be jogging in Central Park, [it can be] walking, or parking your car far away,” Malara said. I can hear you all running away (whatever keeps you active, eh?!). If you don’t have a chance to go to the gym, even adjustments such as taking the stairs to the third floor or walking to get groceries will benefit you in the long-run. Not likely to bear this cold weather? Alright, avid Netflix users, there are plenty of exercises you can do in your own room—squats, lunges, even just standing instead of sitting. Get motivated, and stay strong. I have faith in all of you.
For more health tips check back weekly online at fordhamobserver.com
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Features
February 21, 2013 THE OBSERVER
www.fordhamobserver.com
RAM STYLE
Fordham Students Are Keeping it Comfortable Yet Classy By KIMBERLY GALBRAITH Asst. Features Editor
While some fashionistas get their style advice from runway shows, students at Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) are influenced by celebrities, glamour magazines, New York and even Fordham itself. Nick Giordano, FCLC ’14, is often influenced by what he sees at Fordham and around New York City. “You can just walk outside and see what is going on in the fashion world,” Giordano said. Giordano described his style as urban, but changes it up based on how he feels that day. “Some days you can describe me as preppy,” Giordano said, “some days I base it off the shirt I want to wear, others off the pair of pants I want to wear, or the shoes. It just changes.” As for today, Giordano is wearing a Forever21 shirt ($10), H&M jeans ($40) and shoes from JackThreads. com ($70). Giordano’s must-have piece is a pair of Cole Haan leather dress shoes. “They’re dress shoes but can be dressy or casual. I really like those.” Giordano advised to always be yourself, yet presentable at the same time. “Remember you are presenting yourself to the world. Some people might think it’s not important [how their outfits look], but it is,” Giordano commented. “Everyone is going to see you and unfortunately make judgments about you. Regardless of you think that’s the right or wrong thing to do, they’re going to do it. You might as well be ahead of the curve.” Mari McKaba, FCLC ’14, is one of the students influenced by celebrity style. “I love Olivia Palermo’s style a lot, and also Miranda Kerr and Blake Lively. Occasionally Mary Kate Olsen, sometimes she can be too grungy,” McKaba said.
ILLUSTRATION BY NINA VOROBIEVA; PHOTOS BY KIMBERLY GALBRAITH/THE OBSERVER
Left: Student Nick Giordano, FCLC ’14, likes urban wear Right: Mari McKaba, FCLC ’15, looks for brand names at discounted prices.
“I have a mixture of style icons.” McKaba, who loves reading “Marie Claire” and tabloid magazines for celebrity style inspiration, mixes her clothes up and does not stay with one particular style. “I feel like I’m not even in a [fashion] category, I just like to buy what I like. I like combining a lot of solids
with pieces that are cool.” For class, McKaba loves being comfortable. “These boots are from Michael Kors ($130), my pants are Seven For All Mankind ($130), they’re actually jeggings. My top is from American Apparel ($60).” Being in the city has changed McKaba’s personal style. “I used to
just shop at one store. Now I get to see everything and go to different stores,” McKaba commented. “The city is so different you can wear anything you want.” As for her must-have style piece, McKaba has a few. She loves a good pair of jeans and a simple blouse that you can add a staple accesso-
ry to, such as a scarf that makes it more decorative. McKaba reminded that you can always find name brands on sale. “It’s good to have pieces that’s good material, but you can find them discounted at places like Nordstrom Rack.”
WORD OF MOUTH
I Pang, You Pang, We All Pang For Num Pang REX SAKAMOTO Features Editor
In Spanish class the other day, my friend, Molly Spater, Fordham College at Lincoln Center ’15, told me about this Cambodian sandwich shop she was working at that had a Zagat rating of 26; the highest rating for a sandwich shop in New York City. Wearing a dreamy expression, she described the sandwiches as “amazing,” “sooo good” and “the best in the city.” Now, the sandwich scene in the Big Apple is competitive, but I am always looking out for the next best sandwich. So with high hopes I set out to visit Molly and try the sandwiches at this supposedly divine eatery. Num Pang, located just off Union Square on East 12th St., is a little hole-in-the wall restaurant with barely enough space for two people to place an order. At the lunch and dinner rush there is usually a line extending down the block. In the back, the chefs feverishly assemble their artisanal sandwiches trying to meet the demands of their hungry, but loyal customers. While most customers take their sandwich to go, the restaurant does have limited barstool seating upstairs. “Num pang” in Cambodian means “bread” or “sandwich.” A num pang is defined by its savory Asian-flavored meat and is usually accompanied by fresh cucumbers, pickled carrots, cilantro and chili
mayo enveloped in a freshly baked baguette. It is very similar to the Vietnamese sandwich, the “banh mi.” For such a small shop, I was surprised at the variety of sandwiches and sides they offered. Molly, a vegetarian said that her favorites are the spicy organic tofu and roasted salt and pepper Japanese yam sandwiches. Molly said, “the tofu sandwich is a little spicy and the tofu is good protein. The yam sandwich is really filling and it comes with leeks I just like the richness of the yam and I like the soy sauce and the spice in the tofu.” A meat-lover myself, I decided to try the popular pulled duroc pork ($7.75) and the five-spice glazed pork belly ($8.00) crowd pleaser. Both of the six-inch sandwiches were overflowing out of their baguettes. I decided to dive into the pork belly sandwich first. The first bite was intimidating as the filling gushed out. Seconds after my first bite, however, my eyes widened as my taste buds were electrified. The acidic pickled carrots cut through the fatty and savory pork. At the end of the bite you get a little kick from the chili mayo, which is then cooled off by a refreshing cucumber filet. As soon as the first bite was down my gullet, I took a second bite, and then another and another. Alone, any one piece of the sandwich would have been good, but when they were all eaten together a symphony of taste was created. After finishing only half of the
REX SAKAMOTO/THE OBSERVER
The pulled pork sandwich is not only delicious, but it’s easy on the wallet as well.
pork belly sandwich, I wanted to try the pulled pork sandwich. I had a similar euphoric experience. The pulled pork had soaked up the juices of the other ingredients and exploded with flavor in my mouth. While the taste was similar to the pork belly, the pulled pork had more of a sweet and savory flavor combination happening. If I absolutely had to choose a favorite sandwich, it would be the pork belly. While I loved both sandwiches, the fattiness of the pork belly was unworldly. Either way, it is undeniable that Num Pang is selling the best sandwiches in town.
When I asked Molly why their sandwiches were so excellent, she replied, “Everything is just really fresh and we cook everything fresh daily. There is nothing that carries over and we put a lot of work into it.” The proof was certainly in the pudding. Spater also commented, “The vibe is really nice here. I was looking for a job last summer and I applied to a whole bunch of places and I got callbacks from two places. One was from a pizza place, but I swore to never to work at a pizza place again after working at Pizza Hut. So now I work at Num Pang!”
Although Num Pang is in Union Square, I do encourage you to make the 20-minute trip here and try their delectable treats. If you cannot make it down, however, you can go to their other location by Grand Central (140 E. 41st. St.) or wait until spring when they open their newest shop on Broadway. Even as I write this now, my stomach “pangs” for Num Pang. IF YOU GO
Num Pang $ out of $$$$$ Where: 21 E. 12 th St.
Sports
Sports Editor Mike McMahon —mmcmahon27@fordham.edu
February 21, 2013 THE OBSERVER
Yankees to Head in Different Direction By VICTOR URQUILLA Staff Writer
A new year, a new team, a new payroll, but one thing remains the same for the Bronx Bombers: the goal of reaching the World Series. Critics in 2013 will not be so quick to jump on the Yankee bandwagon. It seems as if they aren’t the favorite to win for the first time in a long time. The American League (AL) East is as competitive as it has ever been. Now, with the addition of José Reyes to the Blue Jays, the wizard-like managing of Buck Showalter and the wise signing decisions of the Boston Red Sox, it seems like the Yankees are in for a challenge in a year where they saw the front office limit how much they can spend over the winter due to their new approach on salaries. Even though George Steinbrenner would have not agreed to the new way of the Yankees front office, one thing is certain: he did anything to win at all costs, a type of competitiveness New Yorkers have been accustomed to since drafting Derek Jeter. With the winat-all-costs approach, the last thing the Yankees thought they would have to give up is spending money in the winter. There were plenty of re-signings this offseason along with players avoiding arbitration, including right-hand pitchers David Robertson, Joba Chamberlin, Hiroki Kuroda, and Phil Hughes, left-handed pitcher Boone Logan, left fielder Bret Gardner, center fielder Curtis Granderson and outfielder Ichiro Suzuki. While most of the core remains intact, this offseason saw fewer acquisitions than the fans are accustomed to. In free agency, things went a bit differently. Losing outfielder Nick Swisher will be a big blow for the locker room and the home run production. The on-base percentage likely won’t suffer however, with former Red Sox first baseman Kevin Youkilis, the king of walks, joining the bombers. The face of the Yankees has indeed changed over the past few months, but losing Swisher and Russell Martin won’t necessarily keep them out of the playoffs. Now, though last season’s stopgap closer Rafael Soriano gone to the Nationals, all-time great Mari-
JULIAN H. GONZALEZ/DETROIT FREE PRESS/MCT
Yankees pitcher C.C. Sabathia figures to be the anchor of the rotation again as the team tries to reach the World Series.
ano Rivera is back to reclaim his position. Rivera, possibly the greatest closer of all time, is out to prove he still has some gas left in the tank. One aspect of the Yankees that cannot be overlooked is their experience at every single position, and it starts with the captain. Shortstop Jeter, who has spent the offseason rehabbing from ankle surgery, will
have to lead this squad into the playoffs with much of the motivation and experience necessary for them to have a chance. Time is of the essence for this incarnation of the Yanks, as next offseason will be the most important offseason for the Yankees since 2009, when the the late Steinbrenner was writing big checks to players like Mark Teixeira, A.J. Burnett and
C.C. Sabathia. This winter, second baseman Robinson Cano’s contract is up. Arguably the most talented second basemen in the game today will be demanding top dollar and keeping Cano is a top priority. If winning big remains as high on the Yankees list, then re-signing him is the right move. All things considered, it’s fair to bet that the Yankees will win the AL
East again. Their experience alone is an aspect of the locker room that cannot be matched. A 95-win season is well within sight and will be enough to capture a playoff berth. With luck enough to have a healthy ball club going down the stretch, the Yankees could well make the Series once again.
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16
Sports
February 21, 2013 THE OBSERVER
www.fordhamobserver.com
Men’s Relay Wins A10 Championship ByMIKE MCMAHON Sports Editor
In the Atlantic 10 (A10) Conference Championships at Rhode Island’s Mackal Fieldhouse, the Fordham Rams saw their men’s and women’s indoor track teams both finish outside the top five, with the men taking sixth and the women ending up tenth of the twelve participating schools. Though the teams failed to come close to winning the championship, with Charlotte winning both the men’s and women’s team titles, the men’s 4x400 relay team did manage a season-best time to win the event. Led by Sean Atkinson, Fordham College at Rose Hill, FCRH, ’13, the team secured First Team All-Atlantic 10 honors with a time of 3:18.81. Atkinson, Sean Collins, FCRH ’14, Ian Williams, FCRH ’14, and Lester Taylor, FCRH ’13, were the lone topfinishers for the Rams this Sunday, though the men’s team saw a few Second Team performances as well, including Atkinson, who earned the honors by finishing second in the 500-meter run finals, posting a time of 1:03.65. Other Second Team A10 performers included heptathlete Sam Houston, FCRH ’14, who took second in the event with 4,829 points, just 84 points shy of the title. Houston managed a time of 9.19 seconds in the 60-meter hurdles, 2:45.81 in the 1000-meter run and cleared 11’ 11.75’’ in the pole vault. The event was won by Rhode Island’s Trent Baltzell after day-one leader Andrew Rigstad, also of host school Rhode Island, was disqualified in the 60-meter hurdles. David Fajoyomi, FCRH ’14, also made Second Team, earning second place in the high jump with a height of 6’ 10.75’’. The men’s 4x800 relay team rounded out the group. Consisting of John Cosgrove, FCRH ’13, Ryan Polo, FCRH ’14, Daniel Green,
COURTESY OF FORDHAM SPORTS
Sam Houston, FCRH ’14, earned Second Team All-Atlantic 10 honors with his second-place finish in the heptathlon.
FCRH ’15, and Michael Rossi, FCRH ’13, the team’s season-best time of 7:42.60 earned them Second Team honors as well. All in all, the men’s team finished over 100 points behind top-finishing Charlotte, but still managed a tophalf finish at sixth out of twelve. The second day of events proved significant for the men, who, after posting only one scoring performance in Saturday’s events, managed to score
in 10 events on Sunday. As for the women’s team, which also fell short of the title by such a margin, Sunday saw a similar increase in production, tripling the number of scoring events from four on Saturday to six on Sunday. Leading the way for the women was Titi Fagade, whose second-place finish in the 800-meter run with a time of 2:14.13 earned her the team’s lone Second Team honors.
Kristen Stuart, FCRH ’15, finished third in the 500-meter run with a time of 1:15.29, tying the women’s 4x800 relay team for the next-best scoring performance on the team. The relay group consisting of Fagade, Melissa Higgins, FCRH ’15, Jillian Brooks, FCRH ’15, and Stuart also managed third place, with a season-best time of 9:12.69. The scoring performances were rounded out by Higgins, who also
placed in the 800-meters with an eighth-best time of 2:19.75, Mara Lieberman, FCRH ’15, whose seasonbest time of 5:02.73 managed fifth in the mile run, and Courtnay Newman, FCRH ’13, whose high jump height of 5’5’’ was good for seventh place. The A10 Championships concludes the 2012-2013 indoor track season.
Women’s Basketball Reaches New Heights By JENNIFER KHEDAROO Asst. Sports Editor
After a hard-fought battle against the Saint Louis University (SLU) Billikens, Fordham’s women’s basketball team won their 18th game of the season, 6156. The game, which was played at SLU on Feb. 17, marked the first time Fordham has secured a winning Atlantic 10 conference record in about twenty years. For the first 10 minutes of the game, it didn’t seem like Fordham was going to take the lead. The Billikens shot over 60 percent from the f loor and even had a 11-2 run to lead 18-9, but the Rams did not give in. Head coach Stephanie Gaitley called a timeout, and seemed to change the game around. The Rams went on a run themselves, scoring 17-3 after the timeout, and putting Fordham ahead by 26-21. Still, the Billikens fought on, and by the end of the first half, the two schools were tied 28-28. The beginning of the second half was a showcase of Fordham’s talented offense once again as they led SLU 40-30. The Billikens eventually cut their trail to just five points, 48-43, with under four minutes to play. Although Samantha Clark, Fordham College at Rose Hill (FCRH) ’16, hit a 3pointer to make the game 51-43, the Billikens still gave the Rams a good fight for the remainder of the game. With just a minute left in the game, Fordham’s lead was cut to 55-50, and Saint Louis even pulled to within three points with just 18 seconds left. However, Clark was able to make two free
throws and the Rams went on to win. Clark scored 14 points in Sunday’s game while grabbing eight boards. Arielle Collins, FCRH ’13, ended with 12 points and the pulling down of five boards. Erin Rooney, FCRH ’14, was the top scorer for the Rams. She scored a personal game-high 19 points and grabbed six boards. Earlier this week, Gaitley visited WFUV, Fordham’s public radio station, to discuss the team’s current state. One issue that she found difficult to control was the situation of the team’s bench. She told the station that since her program was a new one, it was tough to bring in more players but she hopes to eventually do so. Many players on Gaitley’s current team are plagued by illnesses or injuries. For instance, Emily Tapio, FCRH ’15, injured her Achilles tendon right as she was getting ready to come back to the team after an injury. Furthermore, Charlotte Stoddart, FCRH ’13, is suffering from a concussion. “It is what it is. You just kind of smile in the face of diversity and say whatever we have just do the best we can,” Gaitley said. And they have done extremely well. The Rams have only lost two games since Dec. 20. The Rams’ previous game, on Feb. 13 in the Rose Hill Gym, was one that saw the team make a season record by the end of the first half. The Rams played their conference opponents, the George Washington University Colonials. Firstly, Clark was the first player to score for either team, putting the Rams ahead 2-0 with her
own rebound and put back. By a little over two minutes into the game, Fordham was up 6-0, forcing George Washington to take a timeout. The Colonials were able to score two, but the Rams came back with eleven unanswered points. By the end of the first half, Fordham led George Washington University 43-23. The 20-point lead after the first half was a season high. The Colonials tried to come back in the second half, cutting a 20-point Fordham lead to 13 points. But then Fordham began a 7-0 run, started by Collins who scored her fourth 3-pointer of the game. For the game, Collins had 15 points, while Marah Strickland, a Fordham graduate school student who missed the Billikens game, scored a game-high 16 points. Clark scored 13 points and Abigail Corning, FCRH ’14, scored 14 points. The Rams held off the Colonials, and won the game 66-56. The Rams are currently 18-7 with four more games left to play in the regular season. The upcoming games are against The University of Rhode Island, Saint Joseph’s University St. Bonaventure University, and Temple University. At this time last year, the team was 12-18 overall and lost games to every one of these four schools. But with this year’s team being so driven towards success, there is a good chance that the Rams can win all of these upcoming games.
COURTESY OF FORDHAM SPORTS
Arielle Collins, FCRH ’13, has been a key part of the team’s great season.