Issue 3 Spring 2021

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March 17, 2021 VOLUME XLI, ISSUE 3

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Reflecting On a Year of COVID-19

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By MICHELLE AGARON, KATRINA LAMBERT, and SOPHIE PARTRIDGE-HICKS Asst. News Editor, News Editor and Editor-in-Chief

In the spring of 2020, Rachana Komatireddy, Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) ’22, said she was just starting to settle into her new role as chair of operations for the United Student Government (USG) at Fordham.

She used to wake up early in the morning to give herself enough time to walk to her classes for the day.

After class, she would walk through the Lowenstein Center hallways and randomly bump into a friend, which “would turn into a 40-minute conversation,” she said.

Eventually, she made it back to her dorm room and saw her roommates, whom she described as her closest friends at the time, and they would talk about their days together.

“I remember zooming through Argo to get to the USG office because I’d always be trying to get to a meeting on time,” she said. “Sometimes you accidentally run into someone randomly on the street and you’re like, ‘OK, let’s go grab lunch together.’” Journeying through her days, she remembered that there were a lot of opportunities for interactions and spontaneity.

Now, in the spring of 2021, her days, like those of all members of the Fordham community, are spent

completely differently — and not just because of the amount of hand sanitizer she now uses, Komatireddy said.

The Early Days and Initial Impact of the Crisis On March 1, 2020, the first case of coronavirus was confirmed in New York City. By March 7, there were 11 total cases in the city — 76 in New York state — leading Gov. Andrew Cuomo to declare a state of emergency to contain the spread of the virus.

JILL RICE/THE OBSERVER

Fordham Declares In-Person Fall Six Months in Advance

The decision to announce the full operation of Fordham’s campuses six months in advance of the fall 2021 semester was based on the new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines and U.S. goals to extend vaccine eligibility to all adults by May. On March 8, the CDC issued new COVID-19 guidelines. Vaccinated individuals can now gather indoors with other vaccinated individuals without wearing masks

or social distancing. They can also visit with one other household that does include vaccinated individuals if that household is at “low risk for severe disease.”

Jacobs said that these guidelines are promising since they change the constraints for university operation and can affect how classrooms, dining halls, residential buildings and club meeting spaces will function in the fall when students and staff are vaccinated.

The New York Times predicts that at the U.S.’s current pace, 90% of adults will have received their vaccine by Aug. 22 — only two weeks before the start of the fall semester on Sept. 1.

It is still too early to predict what life will be like in the fall, but Jacobs said that the university wanted to signal its plans as early as possible “without being irresponsible.”

According to the CDC, there is still the possibility for vaccinated people to host the coronavirus and spread it to others. Jacobs said that he hopes with the Fordham community vaccinated, students will come into contact with the virus “dramatically less.”

The purpose behind the early announcement was to aid faculty in preparing for the fall semester, provide guidance to admitted students to base college decisions on and allow students extra time for planning their academic schedules.

Registration for summer 2021 courses on March 8 was the busiest day for Fordham’s online banner service in the university’s history, according to Jacobs. Since summer and fall registration are very closely linked, he said that the university wanted to provide clarity for students with the fall registration period approaching.

Conversations around fall planning have been ongoing for two months with deans and leadership in the faculty senate.

Jacobs said that there was no effort to hold or accelerate the March 9 announcement, and the email was likely to be sent to the community during that week regardless. “Once we crafted the letter, we realized the anniversary was on the ninth. It made it particularly salient to send it on that day,” he said.

Fordham’s reopening plan for the fall 2020 semester, Fordham Forward, was released on June 30, giving students who wished to return to campus only four to six weeks to plan and quarantine.

News

Sports & Health

Opinions

Arts & Culture

Features

Austin Tong and SJP cases affect Fordham’s ranking

Rams eliminated from A10 after loss to UMass

The struggle for democracy in Hong Kong

Theaters open for limited capacity events

The origin of shifting and its presence on TikTok

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Page 11

Page 14

By JOE KOTTKE News Editor

The first day of March 2020 began with New York’s first confirmed case of the coronavirus.

By March 9 there were more than 100 cases in the state and Fordham, like other universities, halted in-person instruction and shifted coursework and campus activities to online modalities.

On the one-year anniversary of the suspension, University President Rev. Joseph M. McShane, S.J., announced that the university is preparing to offer a fully in-person fall 2021 semester.

Yet, the U.S. surpassed 500,000 coronavirus-related deaths in February 2021 and there are still more than 29 million cases around the country as of March 14.

Dennis Jacobs, senior vice president for academic affairs, referred to McShane’s email as a message

Student Free Speech Page 3

of directionality and said that more guidance will come in the months ahead.

“The only thing we can say at this point is that we will not compromise the safety of individuals or the community as a whole. That is job number one,” he said.

The Reasons Behind Announcing Six Months Ahead of Time

Women's B-Ball Bested Battling for Autonomy Broadway Reopening

The Student Voice of Fordham Lincoln Center

Making the Decision

see FALL SEMESTER page 4

Out of This World Page 15

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March 17, 2021 THE OBSERVER

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Students Speak Out Against On-Campus Quarantine Procedures

The implementation of quarantining has caused several students to feel the university is unprepared for rising cases

By KATRINA LAMBERT News Editor

Quarantine practices at Fordham have received scrutiny from affected students, who are reporting concerns about the university’s lack of accommodations.

Over the course of the spring semester, COVID-19 cases have risen at the university, reaching over 200 cases at the Rose Hill campus between the two-week period from Feb. 9 to Feb. 22.

As a result, several Fordham students have come into contact with someone infected with the virus, requiring them to either quarantine or isolate.

“Basically, my whole hall got COVID, so I knew it was coming to me,” Robert Marlow, Fordham College at Rose Hill (FCRH) ’24, said. Marlow became extremely sick and endured a high fever; once he tested positive, he was put into isolation immediately.

The university has different protocols for students depending on whether they have tested positive for the virus or if they have been exposed to someone with the virus, according to Keith Eldredge, the dean of student affairs.

Contact Tracing “Everything starts when someone tests positive,” Eldredge said. Once a student tests positive for COVID-19, University Health Services will notify Public Safety of the case, which begins the contact tracing process. The student who tested positive is contacted and informed that they must begin the isolation process, which can be done either on campus or at their own residence if this option is available to the student.

Submissions from students on the @letstalkaboutitfordham Instagram account have reported that the university tried to force students to return home to quarantine or isolate at their own residence.

“We’re not going to ask students (to quarantine at home) if it’s not feasible, but if it is feasible, we’ll at least ask the question,” Eldredge said.

Marlow said that he didn’t feel Fordham was trying to pressure him, but they did challenge him on his decision to isolate on campus. Even though Marlow is close to home, he didn’t want to return home and risk infecting his parents. He added that his

parents would also need to take off work once exposed to him, which would have been too big of a burden.

Students who have not tested positive but have had “close contact” with someone who has tested positive are notified by Public Safety contact tracers and expected to begin quarantine.

Following the New York City Department of Health guidelines, Fordham considers “close contact” any exposure lasting 10 minutes and within the 6-foot range over the course of 24 hours.

“ By the end of the

week, I had an ant infestation in my room — ants crawling on the walls, all over the floor — I had to keep my shoes on. ”

Robert Marlow, FCRH ’24

The university does not make any qualifications for close contact when it comes to mask-wearing. However, contact tracers do take into consideration the size of the classroom, the number of students in the room and the airflow in the classroom before determining whether the entire class needs to quarantine if one student tests positive.

“It’s handled on a case-bycase basis, but generally we’re going to err on the side of caution,” Eldredge said.

There is space set aside at the Rose Hill and Lincoln Center campus for students in isolation or quarantine. Students isolating may be placed with other isolating students who have also tested positive for the virus or share communal spaces with those students in suite-style housing.

Students who are quarantined are not allowed to have any roommates or shared living spaces with other students, but they may share communal bathrooms with other quarantining students, according to Eldredge.

On-Campus Space Marlow was placed in an isolation dorm in Finlay Hall with

COURTESY OF ROBERT MARLOW

The room Marlow stayed in had no trash can, so he threw all his trash into the bags his meals came in. By the end of the first week, there was an ant infestation in his room.

his roommate since they had both tested positive. Across the hall from him was another group of students who lived in Finlay and did not have COVID-19, he said.

“One morning, I went out to grab my food and they were walking out at the same time, and they were like, ‘oh my god.’

They knew I had COVID and they were really scared,” Marlow said.

In some cases, students have reported that the space set aside did not appear to be clean and was missing basic amenities.

Bryson Kernan Clark, Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) ’23, who quarantined for two days on campus in the fall, said he had no hand soap or toilet paper when he arrived at his quarantine space. He also did not have a number to call back to ask about these missing items.

“I had to wait until they called me back, and when I asked them for some, they said they would bring toilet paper, but about the hand soap, they said they do not supply toiletries,” he said.

Marlow was also missing hand soap in his isolation room.

He had to use body wash as a substitute for the entire 10-day stay.

Clark noted that his room did not look clean when he entered it. There were Q-Tips and lipstick on the floor, he said.

Another student, Laura Kelly, FCRH ’23, who also quarantined during the fall semester, said the towels she was provided did not look clean.

There also was no trash can in Marlow’s room, so he and his roommate had to collect their trash in the bags that arrived with their delivered meals.

The trash build-up was so serious, that “by the end of the week, I had an ant infestation in my room — ants crawling on the walls, all over the floor — I had to keep my shoes on,” he said.

Supplied Meals The university provides three meals a day, delivered in two shipments, to students who opt in to the service. The first delivery includes breakfast and lunch, and the second delivery is for dinner.

Kelly said that dinner was delivered at 4:30 p.m. every day, so she often ate very early. Having quarantined in the fall, Kelly said she did not have a microwave or refrigerator available to heat up or refrigerate meals.

Yet, Eldredge said that the university worked to make sure that each quarantine or isolation unit has a microwave and refrigerator so students can keep meals fresh and heat them up when they want to eat.

Students are not required to opt-in for the university’s delivery services if they have an adequate way of feeding themselves in their units, but students are not allowed to leave their rooms under any circumstances — even to pick up take-out or groceries delivered to the building entrance.

“We'll work with students who have other friends that can pick up the Fresh Direct delivery and drop it at their door for them, or do different things, but we want to make sure that they’re not totally reliant on someone to be able to do that,” Eldredge said.

Unless a student is already on a meal plan, they have to pay $40 a day for food to be delivered through dining services.

Eldredge said that the administration went back and forth

ANDREW DRESSNER/THE OBSERVER

Finlay Hall, a Rose Hill dorm with isolation and quarantine rooms set aside.

Students in quarantine live in the same buildings as people who aren’t, though they do not share any living spaces or bathrooms.

on whether to charge students for meals, but ultimately determined it made the most sense to do so. He added that the university worked with dining services to maintain the regular costs of food and services.

The meals delivered to students who opted-in were reportedly disappointing to many students.

“You can’t really expect much from Fordham campus food, especially when it’s through the cafeteria,” Kelly said. “I didn’t feel super sick from any of it, but just in general, the food from Fordham doesn’t make me feel great.”

According to Marlow, the food delivered was sometimes cold and there weren’t large enough portions to sustain him.

He said he lost weight by the end of his isolation period.

More often, he was given an unripe banana with his meals and had to wait for it to ripen before he could eat it.

“I was literally hungry at times,” he said. “How am I supposed to feel better when I'm not getting proper nutrition?”

Since Marlow was located on the first floor, he had his friends throw him snacks through his window. The meals delivered did have a few snack items, such as a bag of chips or a cookie sometimes, he said. More often, he was given an unripe banana with his meals and had to wait for it to ripen before he could eat it.

“We’re spending tens of thousands of dollars a year and we can’t even get quality food,” Marlow said.

Miscommunication Many students have pointed out Fordham’s lack of communication about the quarantine and isolation process, arguing that if they had more information

at the beginning of the process, they would have been more prepared.

In Clark’s case, he was only given 20 minutes to pack before he had to enter his quarantine space on the second floor, where he was expected to remain for 14 days. He said he wished that he was told which amenities would be provided and what to bring with him.

His quarantine also ended 12 days early when the university realized that he wasn’t supposed to be quarantined to begin with. According to Clark, he left the state for less than 24 hours and received documentation that made it clear he did not have to quarantine to be allowed back in. However, Fordham required him to quarantine anyway. It wasn’t until after Clark pressed the issue that Fordham reviewed his situation and released him from quarantine two days later.

Despite being let out of quarantine, Clark continued to receive phone calls from other departments that told him he needed to quarantine days after.

University Health Services and Public Safety are available for students to contact in case their symptoms start to worsen, although not all students were clear on how to contact them.

Due to the stress he was experiencing from spending his 10 days in isolation, Marlow said he started to have an anxiety attack, which he had never experienced before. He didn’t know who to contact to help, so he ended up calling his resident assistant who put him in contact with Public Safety.

“That was really scary, I just didn’t know who to contact at that moment,” he said.

Kelly also noted that during her quarantine stay, she only heard from the University Health Center at the beginning and at the very end before she was let out. She advised that Fordham should check up more on people in quarantine to make sure they are doing okay.

“It's an awful experience. I just recommend that everyone be as careful as possible so you don't have to go through it,” she said.

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Virtual First-Year Students Return to Campus for Spring Semester

First-year students at Fordham University share why they decided to return to campus for the spring

By INSIYA GANDHI Contributing Writer

With numerous college closings around the country due to COVID-19 outbreaks during the fall semester, many incoming first-year students chose to attend classes virtually. Now, many of those students have decided to reside on campus for the first time for the spring semester.

Chaise Jones, Fordham College Lincoln Center (FCLC) ’24, began her first semester at home in Houston, Texas. She selected a virtual modality for the fall because of the uncertainty of the Fordham experience on campus.

Jones explained that she enjoyed her virtual campus experience.

“I actually liked my virtual school life, I got to stay at home and in my hometown (many of my friends also stayed home). I got to do classes from my room. It was nice to still be around family that semester,” Jones said.

Despite the comfortable virtual experience, Jones encountered difficulty joining clubs, as well as forming connections with faculty.

“There were not many announcements about club fair, and when I went to the club page on the fordham website, there were no links or ways to communicate with different clubs, but I think it was just more of a COVID thing,” Jones said.

Similarly, Sakunthala Sankar, FCLC ’24, attended classes for the fall from Sacramento, California, citing concerns about the high risk that COVID-19 posed but chose to switch to in-person learning because of difficulties she encountered with online learning.

“The time difference for me was 3 hours so my 10 am class became 7 am, which was really difficult for me to handle. It’s also just extremely hard to stay engaged over zoom, especially as a virtual student because you don’t have the college atmosphere either to motivate you,” Sankar said.

Both Jones and Sankar decided to live in residential housing for the spring in order to engage

COURTESY OF THE OFFICE OF RESIDENTIAL LIFE

Many first-years who spent their first semester away from campus cited a desire to make friends and live in the city.

in some semblance of a traditional college experience which included making friends and living in New York City.

These accommodations allow fo“I wanted to make friends!”

Jones said. “I feel like doing classes virtually makes it harder to make friends. It’s harder and more awkward to reach out to people.”

Sankar cited Fordham Lincoln Center’s well-implemented measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19 as a reason why she felt comfortable coming to campus.

“I felt that the school was handling covid well enough and the positivity rate was low for the Lincoln center campus, so I thought it was safe enough to return,” Sankar wrote.

The Office of Residential Life (ResLife) at Lincoln Center has multiple safety measures in place to subdue COVID-19 spread. Elevators and lounges on each floor have occupancy ratings, face masks are required in public spaces, sanitizing stations are readily available, and students are required to take monthly COVID-19 tests.

Students living on campus are

also expected to abide by the Ram Pledge, which requires students to wear masks, wash hands frequently, maintain social distancing, monitor COVID-19 symptoms and follow all Fordham and New York state guidelines.

New residents were fairly pleased with Fordham’s efforts.

Jones remarked that a spike in cases was expected.

“I did not have high hopes for a low number of cases, because we are in the city and on a college campus,” Jones said.

Yet students still expressed concerns about the spread of the virus on campus. While Jones believed that monthly testing was an efficient tool, Sankar felt that that monthly testing was not sufficient since New York is reopening.

“I wish they required students to test much more frequently, considering everything in nyc is opening up again. Once a month is not enough at all,” Sankar said.

Giordana Simurdiak, FCLC ’24, believed that while Fordham’s protocols were ample, high-risk activity off-campus is the primary contributor to cases.

“It’s a matter of following

these rules that I think could be a problem. I feel like some people are becoming a bit relaxed with following the protocols, and off-campus activity is probably a big part of the rate as well,” Simurdiak said.

Marley Poku-Kankam, FCLC ’23 and a resident assistant (RA) in McKeon Hall, emphasized that she encourages her residents to comply with Fordham’s COVID-19 safety measures.

“We encourage students to get tested and be honest with their vital check as well as checking in with their RA or RFM (resident freshman mentor) if they have any questions regarding the safety protocols put in place,” PokuKankam said.

She also intends on scheduling activities such as visiting neighborhoods and bakeries.

Most new residents report struggling with connections since first-semester residents have already established friend groups and communities.

“ I wish they required

students to test much more frequently, considering everything in nyc is opening up again.

Once a month is not enough at all. ”

Sakunthala Sankar, FCLC ’24

Simurdiak admitted to feeling socially impeded because she was virtual in California for the fall semester.

“I find the most difficult thing about being virtual last semester is that I feel like I’m behind in my social life,” Simurdiak said. “Lots of people who were on campus last semester have made strong connections with each other and it can be hard to ‘break into’ these established groups.”

To combat the social stuntedness that beset virtual fall firstyears, the New Student Orientation at Lincoln Center conducted a separate orientation for students who were virtual fall semester and now living on campus. The program allowed for students arriving on campus for the first time to interact with other new firstyears and adapt to college life in the midst of COVID-19.

Simurdiak found that the program was not especially beneficial, because she had also attended orientation in the fall.

“I personally didn’t find it super helpful. I think that could be that it was very similar to the orientation in the fall, which I had attended as well,” she said.

When reflecting on returning to campus, Jones was unsure about living on campus. “I don’t know if I prefer online or in person. For me it just depends on the mood,” she said.

Simurdiak felt positive about her decision to arrive on campus.

“I totally think it was worth it.

Although options are a tad limited right now, I’m still getting a sense of independence I didn’t have at home and I’ve already met so many new and fun people,” she said.

“I also have a new city to explore on the opposite side of the country from where I live. I’m mentally and socially in a better place I think because now I have the opportunity to make connections with other people that I wasn’t able to at home,” Simurdiak continued.

After having trouble making friends and focusing during remote classes in the fall, many students are excited to settle into on-campus housing. Fordham’s testing requirements and COVID-19 reduction tactics gave students an added level of comfort as new residents. Both residents and residence hall officials hope that these measures will prevent an outbreak so the Fordham community can enjoy a spring semester headed toward normalcy.

Fordham Ranks in Bottom 10 on FIRE’s List for Free Speech

The Foundation for Individual Rights in Education mentions Fordham on its list for the third time in four years

By ALLIE STOFER Asst. News Editor

After facing both Austin Tong, Gabelli School of Business at Lincoln Center ’21, and Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) in court this past year, Fordham was ranked in the top 10 worst colleges for free speech by the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE) on Feb. 17.

“Fordham University managed to find itself in courtrooms arguing against student rights in not one but two unrelated cases this year.

Either one would have earned it a spot on this list,” FIRE stated in its article.

This is FIRE’s 10th year creating the list of the 10 worst schools for free speech. Its mission is to promote freedom of speech, freedom of association, due process, legal equality, religious liberty and sanctity of conscience.

Fordham University has been involved in a four-yearlong court battle with SJP over its denial of the group’s request for official club status on campus. Fordham’s previous rankings at the bottom of FIRE’s list for worst colleges for free speech in 2017 and 2018 were due to the ongoing court case with SJP. “At FIRE, we’ve seen universities offer a number of viewpoint-discriminatory justifications for reject-

ing student groups’ applications to become officially recognized, but few are as persistent and brazen as Fordham University’s,” the 2017 ranking said.

When the SJP case first began in 2017, FIRE not only put Fordham on its list but also sent a letter on behalf of SJP. In this letter, FIRE demanded that Fordham allow SJP to be a formally recognized club due to Fordham’s stated commitment to free speech. In response, Fordham told FIRE that SJP could not be a club due to the “inappropriate” behavior of other SJP chapters at other schools.

FIRE CEO and President Greg Lukianoff stated in the press release that he expected 2020 to be a calmer year, but he was shocked by what he witnessed.

“I think (FIRE has) a motive to get the headlines. I would disagree with their assessment but they have the right to their opinion and the right to make that statement. I didn’t think it was

proportionate to the incident, personally,” Keith Eldredge, dean of student services at the time, told The Observer in 2017.

In 2018, Fordham found itself back on the list because of the previous sanctioning of students and because Fordham continued to change the reason why SJP could not be a club on campus, according to FIRE. The original reasoning was that Fordham thought the pro-Palestinian advocacy could be polarizing. By the end, they claimed that the group could form, as long as they did not use the name “Students for Justice in Palestine.”

At that time, the university declined to comment on SJP but told The Observer that “FIRE’s listing misrepresents the state of free expression at Fordham, and frames the issues of free speech and academic freedom in the narrowest possible way. Members of the University community are expected and encouraged to engage in robust, respectful discourse, and do so every day.”

In addition to the ongoing SJP court case, Fordham also made FIRE’s 2020 list because of its legal battle with student Austin Tong. In summer 2020, Tong received backlash after posting a photo of himself online holding a rifle with the caption “Don’t tread on me. #198964,” a reference to

JOE KOTTKE/THE OBSERVER

FIRE has cited Fordham’s legal battle with Students for Justice in Palestine as the reason behind its repeated inclusion on the list.

the Tiananmen Square Massacre, that many saw as threatening.

Fordham took disciplinary actions against Tong by not allowing him to enter campus without advanced permission or to participate in extracurricular activities. He also needed to complete implicit bias training.

Tong then filed a lawsuit against the university only to have it later dismissed.

FIRE CEO and President Greg Lukianoff stated in the press release that he expected 2020 to be

a calmer year, but he was shocked by what he witnessed.

“Last year was the busiest in FIRE’s history, showing that while nearly every facet of our lives changed during the pandemic, at least one aspect remained shockingly constant: Administrators will continue to censor students and faculty members for no damn reason,” Lukinaoff said.

Fordham University declined to comment on the ranking, saying it never comments on lists of this kind.

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Early Announcement of In-Person Fall Semester Produces Mixed Reactions

Fordham plans to return to campus operations with hopes that all community members are vaccinated by summer FALL SEMESTER from page 1

“The governor was setting all the rules for reopening last spring. We were under strict order that we could not reopen as a university until we submitted a plan, and the guidance from the state was very late in coming,” Jacobs said. Gov. Andrew Cuomo released reopening guidelines for universities three weeks prior to Fordham’s announcement of Fordham Forward.

Jacobs said now that the university understands how to operate with the existence of the virus, the plans for the fall are more apparent than last year.

Although plans cannot yet be ascertained, Jacobs said that social distancing and mask requirements will most likely be able to be relaxed in residential living and other environments where

the population is fully vaccinated.

In more “high-risk” scenarios — such as a sports event or a lecture with a speaker from off-campus — it is more likely that health guidelines will remain intact.

Ritamarie Pepe, Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) ’22, said she is hopeful about the fall semester and ready to reengage in in-person activities but is frustrated by how early the university announced its plans.

“It is irresponsible to say something like that so early when we are still waiting to see a lot of things play out,” she said.

Accommodations for students unable to return to campus will be managed on an individual basis. Jacobs said the university is hoping to improve its technology and continue to offer different modalities for classes — including in-person, hybrid and online.

Concerns About the Announcement Jacobs described two different “camps” of reactions within the Fordham community: excitement and concern.

Only three weeks before the news, Rose Hill halted in-person operations when the campus surpassed 100 cases. The campus currently has an infection rate above 3% as of March 13.

Jacobs said it is important to continue to be cautious even with “a light at the end of the tunnel.”

“We saw in the last couple weeks just how quickly the virus can spread on campus,” he said.

“We need to retain the approach of safety.”

Annabel Filpo, FCLC ’23, said she would be optimistic about returning to in-person classes after only experiencing one full semes-

ANDREW DRESSNER/THE OBSERVER

A small percentage of classes are being held in person this semester, but the university plans to return to full in-person instruction in the fall. The decision has sparked both excitement and concern from students and faculty, especially since there are still six months until the semester’s start.

ter on campus in 2019, but she said she is mostly concerned and skeptical about the premature announcement and other students’ actions.

“It seems like a bold claim from the school to anticipate and assume the country will have a good hold on the virus by then, or more specifically that our peers will be better about the virus and restrictions by then,” Filpo said.

Staff members have also expressed concern. Although she is eager to return to the classroom and work with students in person, Carey Kasten, associate professor of Spanish, said she does not think it will be feasible while her children’s schools are operating on hybrid schedules with the possibility of closures.

“It is unclear to me why local employers, like Fordham, are not asking the city to be more explicit about Fall 2021 plans. I am very glad that students’ health and immigration needs are being taken into consideration. Faculty and staff needs are due the same consideration,” she said.

Kasten was one of the organizers of a group of more than 280 employees who signed a statement demanding more support for caregivers from Fordham in August 2020. The majority of their demands have not been met.

Asato Ikeda, associate professor of art history, was another organizer. She said that her 9-yearold daughter has not attended school in person since last March and is concerned about having to return to the classroom.

“Given kids won’t be vaccinated any time soon, we just don’t know what the next school year looks like for young children,” Ikeda said. “It’s impossible to bring our kids to work when they have to quarantine or have to be online learning. I just don’t know if the

administration is even aware of these issues.”

Elementary school-aged children are unlikely to receive vaccinations until 2022, according to Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.

“Assuming the vaccination program goes well for adults, the bestcase scenario for Fall 2021 is that those without young children can largely resume ‘normal’ life while those with young children (faculty, staff, students) will be living in a completely different world. It is crucial that the administration takes this into account in their fall plans,” Diana Kamin, a lecturer in the communication and media studies department and organizer of the caregiver statement, said.

Fordham’s Progress on Vaccine Distribution Fordham has filed all the paperwork to become a vaccination site and has been approved; no vaccines have been allocated to the university yet. Jacobs said the university only needs to receive the vaccines to begin distribution since the employees to administer the vaccines, the processes for administration, and the vaccination sites have all been determined.

On March 12, Walgreens set up a vaccine clinic at Rose Hill, according to University Health Services Director Maureen Keown. Since then, 180 staff and faculty members who met New York state’s eligibility requirements have received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

Jacobs, who received his vaccine at the clinic, said that the university hopes to host more vaccine events to ensure every member of the Fordham community will have access to the vaccine this summer.

Dynamic Performer and Fordham Doctoral Student Chad Davis Dies at Age 40

By MICHELLE AGARON Asst. News Editor

Chad Davis, a graduate student in Fordham’s Clinical Psychology Doctoral Program who specialized in the treatment of performing artists suffering from eating and weight disorders, died at his internship site in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Jan. 26, 2021. Davis was 40 years old. The cause of his death is currently unknown.

Davis was born on June 17, 1980, in West Islip, New York, to Norma Davis and Ralph S. Davis and was raised on Long Island and in New Jersey. Davis’ mother told Fordham News that he was a fun-loving and smart child who was fascinated by the arts. Between playing the trumpet in high school, singing songs from Broadway shows and taking part in school plays, Davis was a performer at heart.

His twin brother, Dr. Bryce Davis, fondly recalled Davis’ performances in high school and beyond, emphasizing his ability to excel in anything he set his mind to. He was not only artistically gifted but also constantly scored at the top of his class and impressed those around him.

“He was a star. He was special.

Always willing to give it his all with everything he did. If he didn’t get the role or the lead in the show, he wouldn’t quit. He kept going,” he said.

The breadth of Davis’ talent and interest in a multitude of subjects continued to grow after high school. He received his bachelor’s degree in theater studies from Montclair State University in 2002 and a master’s degree in clinical psychology from Fordham in 2014.

Over the last 16 years, he explored careers as an actor, a screen-

writer and a dancer at Agape International Spiritual Center. Although Davis wasn’t initially a writer, he and his brother shared a love for literature and writing and went on to become screenwriters together, receiving calls from networks such as CBS and FOX. Dr. Bryce Davis attributes his exposure to the world of theatre to his brother.

Davis also served as an English as a second language (ESL) teacher both in the U.S. and Spain, as a counselor at a camp for overweight children and teenagers, an administrator at Weill Cornell Medical College and as a teaching/research assistant at several schools.

Following his pivot to psychology, Davis worked as a clinical psychology extern at Fordham Counseling and Psychological Services, New York University, St. Barnabas Hospital and Mount Sinai School of Medicine. While at Fordham, he also founded Pipeline to the Ph.D., an interdepartmental effort within the Fordham Collegiate Science and Technology Entry Program (CSTEP) aimed at mentoring undergraduate students of color interested in advanced degrees of psychology.

Davis’ passion for expanding learning opportunities for students of color was seen both in his efforts and in his writing — he wrote about this passion in The Chronicle of Higher Education and in the Journal of Obesity.

Dr. Rachel Annuziato, Davis’ adviser at Fordham since 2012, said she was honored to have worked so closely with him over the past eight years and will remember his “compassion and uncanny ability to build connections with others.”

“He was truly beloved and he brought people together with his drive, warmth, and unrelenting

dedication to making quality of life better for those he discerned as being in need. You just wanted to follow his lead,” she said.

Along with his passion for helping students of color achieve their goals, Davis was a fierce advocate for LGBTQ+ rights. Dr. Bryce Davis said that his brother’s childhood and adolescent experiences involved bullying from other students for being openly gay. Despite the trauma he endured, Davis continued to be unapologetically himself after high school.

“He never really looked back after he experienced a lot of childhood trauma from being openly gay. He just turned that into fuel,” he said. “He did that in our little town, but he continued to do that when he left and went to bigger cities to advocate for LGBTQ youth and inspired a lot of other people to do the same thing.”

Perhaps what was most memorable about Davis was his pure spirit and genuine desire to create bonds between people, according to his brother. His strength and determination were an inspiration not only for his students and colleagues but also for the people closest to him.

Christine Jugueta, who was close friends with Davis for 18 years and witnessed him flourish in the arts, found him awe-inspiring.

Whether it be performing a double pirouette at the Weathervane Theatre where they first met or masterfully acting out an impromptu performance of “Queen Margaret” from Shakespeare’s “Henry VI: Part 3,” Davis was full of surprises.

He was also a huge source of empowerment for her.

“I think the biggest thing that he gave me was permission. You could just talk it all out with Chad. He

COURTESY OF DR. BRYCE DAVIS

Chad Davis is remembered as a phenomenal performer, passionate psychologist and a genuinely warm spirit.

gave you permission to be able to feel all that you were feeling. And through that, you could arrive at your own wisdom,” Jugueta said.

Throughout their friendship, Jugueta and Davis often had indepth conversations about their shared passions. Jugueta has kindly shared an excerpt from an email Davis sent her in 2009 that encapsulates his approach to life: "We do our work because it matters even if no one sees or buys the tangible manifestation of it. It matters even still. At the most basic level it matters because your work brings you into alignment with who you are and once you are in alignment you can make positive changes in the world - with or with-

out you being aware of the shifts taking place as a result.”

Davis is survived by his parents Norma Davis and Ralph S. Davis Jr., fraternal twin brother Dr. Bryce Davis and his wife Sandy Davis, older sister Laurie Moss, younger sister Cherise Davis, one niece, a few nephews, and many cousins.

A GoFundMe page has been created to assist Davis’ family with any expenses. As of Feb. 1, the fund has surpassed its goal of $15,000. The creator of the page and one of Davis’ friends, Tiago Mazzotti, posted an update on Feb. 2 to inform family and friends that Davis’ family has chosen to postpone an in-person memorial until the pandemic is under control.

www.fordhamobserver.com

THE OBSERVER March 17, 2021

News

5

Matilde Fava, Professor Known for Empathy and Decorum, Dies at 78

While employed at multiple schools, Fava was highly involved with her family and dedicated to her work

By JILL RICE Head Copy Editor

Matilde Fava, Undergraduate School of Education (UGE) ’69 and an adjunct professor of communication in the School of Professional and Continuing Studies (PCS) who served Fordham for more than 45 years, died peacefully at her home on March 1, 2021, the first day of her retirement. Fava was 78. The cause of her death was cancer.

Fava was born on Dec. 12, 1942, in Campania, Italy, and emigrated with her family to the Bronx in 1960. Her daughters said that she struggled as an immigrant woman but was determined to become a professor.

“ As a child, she had

dreamed of being a teacher; it is clear that this dream was fully, and gloriously, realized. ”

Rev. Joseph M. McShane, S.J., University President

She first worked in a factory, taking English classes on nights and weekends, while also helping care for her siblings. She began teaching first grade at Our Lady of Victory in Mount Vernon, New York, in 1962.

While working full-time and raising a family, Fava earned her degree from Fordham’s UGE and a doctorate from New York University. In 1974, she began working at PCS, and about a decade later, she took an additional position at Farmingdale State College on Long Island.

“As a child, she had dreamed of being a teacher; it is clear that this dream was fully, and gloriously, realized,” University President Rev. Joseph M. McShane, S.J., said in a Fordham News interview.

Her daughters remembered her dedication to work and her family, and specifically the importance of family dinners.

“Family was the center of her life ... Growing up, we had dinner together every night, whether it was before she taught a class ... or after she got back from teaching a class,” Palmina Fava, Fordham School of Law ’97 and president of the Fordham Law Alumni Association, said.

In the Fava household, dinner hour could vary from 5 p.m. to 10:30 p.m., depending on Fava’s work at schools from New Jersey to Long Island. Palmina re-

COURTESY OF JOANNA FAVA

In the left photo, Matilde Fava (right) poses for a selfie with her daughter Joanna Fava on the occasion of Joanna’s graduation from the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences in 2013. In the right photo, Fava and Doreena Fava-Rodrigues stand on the steps of Keating Hall in 1995.

marked that sometimes the family had picnic dinners on Eddies Parade on the Rose Hill campus.

After Fava’s passing, her daughters still feel the presence of their mother and her desire to share family meals together. The first Sunday after Fava’s death, the family came together for a meal, as the daughters said they still felt like they had to follow their mother’s rules.

She made sure “that we always ate our meatballs,” Joanna Fava, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences ’13, joked.

Palmina mentioned that her mother always said, “where there’s a will, there’s a way.”

This sentiment was especially true during the pandemic, when Fava was able to organize social distanced dinners for the family.

Fava’s cultural values influenced not only the way she taught her children and grandchildren, but also the ways she supported the Italian American community.

She organized an Italian club while attending Fordham, a group of mostly working immigrant students. Years later,

she founded a popular multicultural club at Farmingdale that was, according to Farmingdale President John Nader, “well-received” by students.

Charles Adair, dean of arts and sciences at Farmingdale, praised Fava’s zeal. “She was very open to new ideas and new approaches to teaching languages, and was passionate about promoting and incorporating Italian language and culture into the academic program,” he said.

Her hard work did not go unnoticed. Fava received a Teacher of the Year Award, an Award for Outstanding Dedication and Service to Italian Studies, and the Bene Merenti medal. She was also honored with a New York State University Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Teaching, among others.

Beverly Kahn, the former provost of Farmingdale and an Italy specialist, wrote the recommendation letter for Fava to receive the Chancellor’s Award in 2015. She explained that Fava established the annual Italian Heritage Month celebration, an important school function. Even

COURTESY OF PALMINA FAVA

Matilde and John Fava pose with their nine grandchildren at granddaughter Eva’s 16th birthday party in July 2020.

the Consul General of the Italian Consulate of New York City attended Fava’s events.

Her daughters said that Fava and her brothers worked to preserve Italian heritage, teaching it to their children and preserving Italian studies programs.

Fava became “very connected with and aware of important figures, events and cultural happenings around the world,” Palmina said.

“ Dr. Fava will always be an example for the new generations. ”

Eugenio Villarreal, the interim chair of modern languages at Farmingdale

Kahn wrote, “Dr. Fava (was) an enthusiastic and creative ambassador and promoter of all things Italian and as a sincere internationalist.”

Although she loved Italy, Fava was involved with the American Veterans Affairs. “America had become (very important) to her ... even though she was very keenly an Italian ... she was really an Italian American,” Palmina said.

According to Joanna, Fava juggled being Italian and American, being dignified and humorous, being dedicated to students and committed to family, and “being a working woman and a very involved mother and a wife ... She was very much present with every aspect of her life.”

Regarding her professionalism until the end, De Santi remarked that Fava was even “signing paperwork on my behalf only three days before she passed away. She completed everything she was supposed to complete on time.”

Palmina agreed, remembering that her mother was scheduled to meet with other department chairs the afternoon of her passing. “She was fundamentally someone whom people could rely upon, no matter what was going on in her life,” she said.

Although Fava was diagnosed

with cancer three years ago, her colleagues did not know of her illness until recently.

“Dr. Fava will always be an example for the new generations,” Eugenio Villarreal, the interim chair of modern languages at Farmingdale, said.

Her dedication to her family and the places she worked has not been forgotten by anyone whose lives she affected.

“She ... was just incredible with service for the university.

Always stylishly dressed, she was able to be very diplomatic and maintain decorum in the most difficult situations,” Adair wrote.

Doreena Fava-Rodrigues, Fordham College at Rose Hill ’95 and Graduate School of Education ’96, remembered her mother’s professionalism. When she graduated in 1995, her mother handed her the diploma, reaching out for a handshake. Doreena hugged her mother instead, “excited that she was able to present me with the diploma.”

When Joanna graduated with her Ph.D. in 2013, she took a selfie with her mother. Fava “graduated from that composed, professional handshake to selfies on the steps of Keating.”

Kahn wrote that Fava would be proud of the way Fordham, a Jesuit school with social justice tenets, and Farmingdale, a lowcost school for New Yorkers, support and educate students like her seeking the same American opportunity that she lived.

Matilde Fava is survived by her husband, John Fava; daughters Palmina, Doreena and Joanna; nine grandchildren; and five siblings and their spouses.

The visitation was held on Friday, March 5, at Yannantuono Funeral Home in Mount Vernon, New York. The Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated on Saturday, March 6, at Sts. Peter and Paul Church in Mount Vernon.

Fava’s family has established the Dr. Matilde Fava Student Scholarship Fund, which will be put toward students’ research of modern languages, literature, culture and the immigrant experience, in her memory.

Sports & Health

Sports & Health Editors Gus Dupree - adupree1@fordham.edu Patrick Moquin - pmoquin@fordhamw.edu

March 17, 2021

Double Up? The Science Behind Double-Masking

THE OBSERVER

While one mask may be sufficient, an additional mask better prevents coronavirus transmission

By GUS DUPREE Sports & Health Editor

Mask-wearing has come to define the COVID-19 era. While we’re all encouraged to cover our mouths (and noses) as a means to protect ourselves, some health experts now suggest that one is not enough. Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and chief medical advisor for the Biden administration, told Americans, “it just makes common sense” to wear an additional covering as a means of further protection.

Scientists agree that having more layers of fabric between a person’s face and the air they are breathing will ensure better protection, though this alone does not fully protect against COVID-19 transmission. Other factors, like the quality of the covering itself and if it’s properly fitted, also play an important role.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) ran a study on the efficacy of different forms of masks and found that wearing a medical covering — the common blue-colored masks often worn in surgical settings — in addition to a cloth mask offered the best protection against inhaling coronavirus particles.

Masks that snugly fit around one’s face and offer additional protection, such as tucked-in sides and knotted earloops, also performed well.

The CDC urges mask-wearing in any public setting, with multiple layers of tightly woven cloth fabrics performing better than single layers of lower thread count fabrics. Fabrics made of tightly woven materials like nylon and cotton offer the best protection, while silk ranks highly in terms of comfort and breathabil-

ity. Wool and loosely woven fabrics should be avoided as they still allow coronavirus particles to pass through. Ultimately, any cloth that fully covers the face and nose will work as long as the fabric’s threading is tight enough and there are no external vents that allow unfiltered air to get through.

Masks that snugly fit around one’s face and offer additional protection, such as tucked-in sides and knotted earloops, also performed well.

Students at Fordham are required to wear a face covering on campus and are highly encouraged to do so off-campus as well.

While it’s completely up to one’s discretion whether to double mask, some students have taken on the practice as an extra precaution.

Emily Yih, Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) ’22, feels safer double masking because it protects her and others around her. She plans on wearing two face coverings when with her recreational dancing troupe, saying, “I don’t think it would make much difference breathing compared to one mask.”

While everyone else she dances with wears a mask, Yih sees few others wearing a second covering. Yih continues to double mask since she feels it helps “people around me to feel safe as well.”

ALYSSA DAUGHDRILL/THE OBSERVER

Although Fordham has not mandated double masking on campus, some students do so anyway for extra protection.

Some students have reservations about double masking during physical activity. Bryan Hutcheson, FCLC ’22, said he almost never sees double masking while at dance class at Alvin Ailey.

“I saw it initially in the year, but almost nobody does it anymore,” Hutcheson said.

Hutcheson himself only wears one face covering at practice, and he feels that additional masks would make breathing harder.

“Jumping around while wearing multiple masks just doesn’t sound comfortable,” he said.

Contrary to popular belief, wearing more than one mask does not restrict oxygen intake, regardless of the physical activity performed.

If one’s mask is of superior quality, double masking may not be necessary, but it does provide more protection without any drawbacks. Contrary to popular belief, wearing more than one mask does not restrict oxygen intake, regardless of the physical activity performed.

A second mask improves the odds of filtering out coronavirus particles without any risks or drawbacks. But to fully protect oneself from infection requires more than just what’s worn around the face.

It’s important to practice social distancing when in public, as well as regularly washing your hands.

The Hard Truth About Hard Seltzer

Hard seltzers have become the latest craze, but are they healthier for you than beer?

By RAHUL SUKESH Staff Writer

Hard seltzers like White Claw and Truly have become a popular go-to choice for many adults who drink over the last few years.

But besides the fizzing carbonated water and fruity flavor, what are they exactly? And more importantly, how does hard seltzer compare with more traditional alcoholic beverages like beer?

While hard seltzers have often been marketed as a healthy drinking alternative, it’s important to understand the ingredients in the drinks before deciding if they’re actually the healthiest option.

Both hard seltzers and beer are brewed and fermented using a sugar source and yeast that make alcohol. In beer, the sugars are extracted from grains like barley, maize, rye or corn. The specific grain used not only contributes to the beer’s color but also has a considerable influence on its flavor. Instead, hard seltzers use more pure sugars, like cane sugar, that don’t alter flavor or color and have added fruit fla-

vors that give them their trademark fruity taste.

The varying brewing processes contribute to numerous health-related differences between the two beverages. For one, the lack of grains in hard seltzers means that most hard seltzers are gluten-free.

The 100-Calorie Drink Another difference is the number of calories. Whereas

Hard seltzers have fewer calories than beers. But that isn’t necessarily a rule.

The Role of Brewing Hard seltzers and beer are similar in a few key ways as they are both alcoholic drinks with around 5% alcohol by volume (ABV). While popular hard seltzers like White Claw and Truly are 5% ABV, most beers deviate slightly from the mark. They can have a low ABV, such as 2.3% in Beck’s Premier Light, or a much higher one, as in 8% in some of the Bud Light Lime beers. Although 5% might be an average ABV for most hard seltzers and beers, the numbers can vary.

hard seltzers proudly market 100 calories (or fewer in some cases), there is a wide range in the number of calories in beers, with some as low as 64 in Beck’s Premier Light and some as high as 175 in Sierra Nevada Pale Ale. Although a handful of popular lite beers come around the 100-calorie mark, including Bud Light, Michelob Ultra, Miller Lite and Coors Light, there’s no average for calories like there is for ABV.

GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATION BY PAMELA PAJARES/THE OBSERVER

For those tracking carbs, there’s a similar story. By avoiding grains in the fermentation process, hard seltzers have significantly fewer carbs (about 2 carbs) per drink than beers, which have a much wider range.

Generally speaking, hard seltzers have fewer calories than beers. But that isn’t necessarily a rule. Given the wide range of calories and carbs in beers, there are some beers, like Beck’s Premier Light, that are tech-

nically less caloric than some seltzers. But when considering the more popular options, hard seltzers like White Claw and Truly beat out beers like Bud Light and Miller Lite. It should, however, be noted that some beers have vitamins and minerals hard seltzers don’t because of the grains.

Drinking Responsibly Just because hard seltzers are typically healthier than beers, in terms of carbs and calories, doesn’t make them healthy.

There is concern that because they know hard seltzers have fewer calories than beers, people readily drink more hard seltzers than they would beers.

Without the grains from beers, hard seltzers don’t have gluten to give consumers a bloated feeling. Furthermore, the unique process also allows manufacturers to create fruity flavors you can’t find in other beers.

While there are numerous differences between hard seltzers and beers, there is one more important similarity we can’t forget: Nothing good can come from drinking too much. So whether you drink a hard seltzer, beer or any other alcoholic beverage, drink responsibly.

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THE OBSERVER March 17, 2021

Sports & Health

7

Women’s Basketball Falls to 7-Seed UMass in A10 Quarterfinal Upset

By PATRICK MOQUIN Sports & Health Editor

The Fordham women’s basketball team lost to the University of Massachusetts (UMass) Minutewomen on Friday, March 12, in the Atlantic 10 (A10) Tournament quarterfinal, 80-70. The Rams entered the tournament as the 2-seed with the hope of securing their third conference championship, but an upset defeat in their first game ended their season prematurely.

In addition to sloppy defensive play, poor shooting and a high turnover rate, the game ended on a particularly sour note when Anna DeWolfe, Fordham College at Rose Hill (FCRH) ’23, and Kendell Heremaia, FCRH ’21, ran into one another headfirst in an attempt to foul a UMass player.

Both players had to exit the game, and Head Coach Stephanie Gaitley reported that Heremaia required stitches, while DeWolfe was taken to a local hospital as a precaution for further examinations.

Neither player is expected to suffer long-term injuries.

Before partaking in one of their roughest outings of the season, the Rams knew that UMass would be more difficult than its 7-seeding suggested, as the Minutewomen were the last team to defeat the Rams by a 61-56 score on Jan. 10.

The Rams secured a nine-game winning streak and runner-up finish in the A10 standings after that loss, but entering the conference tournament, they were dealing with adversity beyond their control.

The team’s troubles began on Sunday, Feb. 14, when University President Rev. Joseph M. McShane, S.J., announced that the Rose Hill campus would undergo a twoweek pause in response to a spike in COVID-19 cases on campus.

To conform with New York state guidelines, all Fordham athletic programs were temporarily shut down.

While Fordham players were sitting at home, the Minutewomen won their final two conference games of the season before traveling to Virginia Commonwealth University, the host of this year’s A10 Tournament. The team then defeated 10-seed Saint Joseph’s University in the second round to

COURTESY OF FORDHAM ATHLETICS

Before ending the game on a low note when she and Heremaia were injured, DeWolfe put up 25 of the Rams’ 70 points, including four three-pointers.

advance to the A10 quarterfinals.

The Rams earned their 2-seed but were entering the postseason cold against a hot opponent that had already defeated them earlier in the season. The two teams were more evenly matched than their seedings would suggest, a notion that was evident from the tip-off at the Siegel Center in Richmond, Virginia.

Fordham’s stars were on display early in the first quarter, as DeWolfe and Kaitlyn Downey, Gabelli School of Business at Rose Hill (GSBRH) ’22, hit back-to-back three-pointers to give the Rams an early 6-0 lead.

DeWolfe, the A10 Co-Player of the Year, continued to produce, hitting another three a few minutes later to extend Fordham’s lead.

But the UMass defense asserted itself quickly, and for the final four minutes of the quarter, only one Fordham player managed to score.

Despite making just one basket all season, center Vilisi Tavui, FCRH ’21, scored six points at the end of the first to keep the Rams in contention. Yet, it still wasn’t enough to hold back the Minutewomen, as Sidney Taylor, UMass ’23, scored two late three-pointers to give her

team a 22-19 lead.

The early stages of the second quarter resembled the first as the Rams struggled to match their opponent’s tempo on the floor.

But after an official TV timeout with 4:59 remaining, Fordham emerged with all the momentum, scoring 12 points, seven from DeWolfe, to take a slim advantage at halftime, 37-34.

Entering halftime with the lead had proven immensely successful for Fordham in the 2020-21 season, as the team had only lost two games in the regular season after gaining the early advantage. One of those defeats, however, came against UMass, and the Minutewomen showed similar resilience in the third quarter of this postseason rematch.

After a fairly even beginning, UMass scored seven unanswered points to take a two-point lead over Fordham with 5:22 remaining in the third. The Minutewomen maintained their lead and extended it late, scoring five points at the end of the quarter to take a commanding 57-50 lead.

The final quarter is hardly worthy of remembrance for either

side, as both defenses seemed to show signs of fatigue at the same time. Any score by Fordham was immediately followed by a retaliating score from UMass, and despite the fact that the Rams scored 20 points in the final 10 minutes, they only got as close as three points to the Minutewomen’s lead.

Late in the game, Fordham had to begin intentionally fouling UMass players to keep the team’s hopes alive. The Rams had forced so many other teams into this holding pattern over the course of the season, but they seldom had to do it themselves.

With 2:04 remaining, Katie McLoughlin, GSBRH ’21, committed her fifth foul and exited the game.

Seven seconds later, DeWolfe and Heremaia attempted to foul a UMass player and unintentionally ran into one another headfirst.

Blood splattered across the gym floor as Heremaia staggered to the sidelines while DeWolfe dropped to a knee on the far side, her hands covering her face. Both players left the game, leaving Fordham with just two of its original five starters on the court for the final two minutes of the team’s season.

The final two minutes passed extremely slowly, as the two teams scored 15 combined points in a game that had already effectively ended. The Minutewomen, the short-handed 7-seed, had defeated 2-seed Fordham again to advance to the semifinals. The Rams, meanwhile, were literally and figuratively battered as the final buzzer sounded in a game they never stopped fighting to win. The final score was 8070.

During the press conference, McLoughlin commented on the team’s refusal to stop playing hard in the final minutes, even after losing DeWolfe and Heremaia on the same play.

“The people who came in at the end were confident and ready, and they just played their hearts out,” McLoughlin said. “It was definitely a little obstacle, but we answered in the face of adversity, finishing together.”

One could blame the two-week pause for Fordham’s defeat, as it caused the complete loss of momentum mid-season. Even Gaitley pointed out that the team had only played twice in the past month, but she was just as quick to commend the Minutewomen’s efforts in the contest.

“They came to play,” Gaitley said.

“They were down numbers- wise, and their kids stepped up. I mean, it took a really good team.”

In a chaotic and unpredictable year, the Rams had their fair share of difficulties, and those obstacles may have cost them a chance at greater prizes. But for Gaitley and McLoughlin, the goal of the season was not to win, but to play. The players took every precaution to avoid a positive COVID-19 test so that they could stay on the court. When they were forced off the court, they did everything in their power to return.

Then, as the final seconds ticked away on their season, the Rams continued to compete, even as the lead became insurmountable and their stars were escorted off the court in pain. It’s a different sort of victory, one that may seem more hollow but actually has a great deal of meaning. Players come and go in college athletics, but the culture of a team is far more persistent. So long as the women’s basketball team continues to prioritize playing above everything else, it will never truly have a losing season.

Fordham Baseball Takes Two Out of Three Against Fairleigh Dickinson

By PATRICK MOQUIN and CHRIS MURRAY Sports & Health Editor and Staff Writer

The Fordham baseball team took two out of three games in its series against the Fairleigh Dickinson University (FDU) Knights this weekend. After winning handily on Friday, March 12, the Rams suffered their first loss of the season in a 16-inning game on Saturday but recovered well on Sunday to improve to 7-1 on the season.

Entering the game, it appeared that the Rams had a distinct advantage. Fordham began the season hot on the weekend of March 6, when the team swept the New Jersey Institute of Technology in three straight games. During the week, the Rams improved to 5-0 with victories over Stony Brook University and Sacred Heart University. FDU, on the other hand, entered the series having played one game, a 12-0 defeat to Long Island University.

Much of the Rams’ early success this season has been tied to a very impressive pitching staff, which was on full display in their first game as Matt Mikulski, Fordham College at Rose Hill (FCRH) ’21, took the mound for the Friday matinee. Despite showing shaky control at times, Mikulski dominat-

ed the Fairleigh Dickinson bats to the tune of seven strikeouts and no hits allowed through five innings pitched.

In the bottom of the second inning, left fielder Jake Guercio, GSBRH ’22, cleared the bases with a deep single to the right center field gap, giving the Rams a 4-0 lead after two innings.

The Knights earned their sole hit in the top of the eighth, a liner that barely evaded the grasp of Guercio in left field, and the Rams went on to win 9-0, a dominant performance that set the stage for Saturday’s matchup between the two teams. That game, however, proved to be one of high attrition that required prolonged efforts from both teams.

The game was tied 2-2 going into the bottom of the ninth, and when Fordham failed to convert with a runner on third base, the game went to extra innings. The Rams had runners in scoring position again in the 10th and 11th innings but failed to score each time.

Jack Popolizio, FCRH ’23, and Joseph Quintal, GSBRH ’21, pitched brilliantly in six scoreless innings to keep Fordham in contention. But in seven extra innings, Fordham batters stranded nine runners on base and seemed incapable of driving in

the winning run.

In the top of the 16th, the Rams were finally punished for keeping the Knights in the game. Ben Kovel, GSBRH ’23, took the mound and quickly got the first two outs, but FDU rallied with two consecutive base hits to put runners on first and second.

In the next at-bat, Brad Levinson, FDU ’21, cleared the bases with a triple to put the Knights ahead 4-2. Fordham was unable to respond in the bottom of the inning and suffered its first defeat of the season in brutal fashion.

If a team were to lose a baseball game, the way the Rams lost their Saturday matchup is one of the worst imaginable. They exhausted their bullpen, squandered multiple opportunities to win and had to play the same opponent the next day — but the team was not so easily disheartened and returned strong on Sunday.

After seven innings, the Rams found themselves in a familiar position, tied 2-2 with the Knights.

Brooks Ey, FCRH ’24, continued to impress on the mound in his second start, allowing four hits in seven innings of work, but this game was going to be decided by Fordham’s ability to score late.

In the top of the eighth, Coules got on base with a walk and immedi-

COURTESY OF FORDHAM ATHLETICS

Jake Guercio, GSBRH ‘22, went 7-for-13 with five RBIs against FDU in three games this weekend.

ately stole second. In the next at-bat, he tagged up to take third on a sacrifice fly. Nick Labella, FCRH ’21, hit a base hit to drive in Coules and give Fordham the lead.

Coules’ run was the first of a big two-out rally for Fordham, in which the Rams scored four runs on three hits to take a commanding 6-2 lead.

Alex Henderson, GSBRH ’23, shut down the Knights in the ninth to give Fordham its second win in the series and seventh of the season.

The Rams are no longer an un-

defeated baseball team, though that record was never going to last the duration of the season anyway.

Their one defeat was arduous and avoidable, but they recovered well to take the series in their next game. Fordham is currently poised to make a run in the Atlantic 10 conference in the 2021 season, and preseason games like these give the team time to learn and develop.

Based on the team’s early performances, there may be a lot to look forward to as spring approaches.

One Year Later, Students Share ONE YEAR from page 1

ANDREW DRESSNER/THE OBSERVER

Melissa Quiroz, University Health Services Office Nurse Manager, has been working hard with her staff and FUEMS members to effectively COVID-19 test the Fordham community while people returned to campus.

The Events that Changed the World and Fordham Dec. 31: Mysterious Illness Health workers in Wuhan, China, face an odd surge of pneumonia of unknown origin.

They determine it is caused by an unknown virus just days later.

March 2: Fordham Prepares for Outbreak University Provost Dennis Jacobs emails all Fordham faculty asking them to prepare a course continuity plan in case Fordham is forced to suspend all on-campus activities.

Jan. 24: Fordham Contacts Students University Health Services emails the Fordham community with the first update about how to stay healthy in light of the coronavirus.

Jan. 29: Students in China Evacuated Students studying abroad at the Beijing Center at the University of International Business and Economics return to campus in New York City.

Jan. 30: Health Community Raises Alarm The World Health Organization declares a global health emergency after the number of cases in China grows into the thousands.

March 7: State of Emergency Gov. Cuomo declares a state of emergency in New York.

March 8: Fordham Cancels Events Fordham suspends all non-class campus events; Hofstra University, Columbia University and Barnard College cancel classes.

Two days later, on March 9, Fordham canceled all face-to-face classes with the intent to resume on March 30.

However, when then-President Donald Trump declared a state of emergency in the U.S. on March 13, Fordham made the decision to send students home for the remainder of the semester, forcing the entire community to adjust to an unprecedented new normal.

The abrupt close to the semester sparked a move-out dilemma for many students still on campus. Kamila Vahidi, FCLC ’23, was taking a walk when she received a Fordham email urging students to travel home as the danger of the coronavirus increased.

Vahidi packed a small suitcase, thinking she would only be away for a short period, and traveled back to her home in Portland, Oregon.

Similar to many other students at Fordham, her items remained in her dorm room for a few months before she could return to New York for retrieval.

Trina Stewart, FCLC ’23, was similarly uprooted in March and continued to experience the effects of the pandemic both personally and on a familial level.

“My dad lost his job for a few months and we almost had to move house. I would have had to leave Fordham. It shook me in a way that made me realize that nothing is permanent. I can’t plan for anything,” Stewart said.

Joseph VanGostein, Gabelli School of Business at Lincoln Center (GSBLC) ’22, was studying abroad at the Fordham London Centre when he received an email from the London staff informing students they should book flights to return to the U.S. as soon as possible.

Like many students at the time, VanGostein didn’t realize the seriousness of the virus a year ago. He said that he and his friends were still anticipating spending their spring break traveling around Europe. Even his professors weren’t convinced that abroad students should go home early.

“It’s weird to think now that we flew home — no masks — people were like, ‘Oh, it’s just the flu,’” he said.

By the end of March, New York City was in a state of lockdown un-

April 26: A Stark Number The global death toll passes 200,000 people and an additional 2.8 million have been infected.

March 11: Study Abroad Canceled The Office of the President announces that all study abroad programs are canceled and recalls all students studying abroad back to the United States.

March 13: Fordham Suspends for the Semester Fordham suspends all face-to-face classes through the end of the semester, and residents are told to vacate residential halls by March 20.

March 20: Gov. Andrew Cuomo Declares ‘PAUSE’ Executive Order An executive order urges New Yorkers to stay home to mitigate the spread of the virus. Only two days later, the WHO declares New York City as the “global epicenter” of the pandemic.

March 27: Graduation Ceremony for Class of 2020 Postponed Rev. Joseph M. McShane, S.J., president of Fordham University, writes to members of the Class of 2020 postponing 2020 University Commencement.

der Cuomo’s executive order PAUSE. Coronavirus cases in New York City were surging, with 5,143 new reported cases on March 31.

Online Classes As students moved back to their home states, international students traveled across countries to quarantine with their families. Some Fordham students were left with no choice but to take online classes from vastly different time zones.

Komatireddy flew back to India before its shutdown on March 24 and spent most of her quarantine there with her parents and sister.

“For the first couple of months, we were quite literally not allowed to leave,” she said. Her only contact with her friends from school was a group chat she was in, which was a big contrast to the experience of being on campus and seeing her friends every day.

India Standard Time (IST) is 9.5 hours ahead of EST, which was a significant problem for Komatireddy during the spring 2020 semester when two of her classes ran from 1:30-2:45 a.m. and 3:30-6:15 a.m.

IST. “I definitely had to restructure the way that I lived when I was in India,” Komatireddy said.

While Komatireddy was able to return to campus in the fall of 2020, there were still many students who felt unsafe and chose to stay at home. By now, they have been taking classes from across the country or the world for over a year.

For these students, their college experience has completely changed — their parents have become their roommates, and their childhood bedrooms are their offices.

Sydney Costales, FCLC ’21, originally quarantined with her family in Hawaii. Now, she is spending her senior year in San Diego and has not returned to campus since March 2020.

Costales said that taking classes via Zoom has been chaotic and stressful, especially given the time difference between San Diego and New York.

“I expected to spend all of senior and junior year in NYC and I’m not getting my degree the way I expected,” she said. “I won’t be returning

June 30: Fordham Confirms Plans to Reopen for the Fall After months of no activity on Fordham’s campus, McShane shared a 35-page document with the community detailing the university’s reopening plan

May 16: Class of 2020 Graduates Virtually The Class of 2020 celebrates the end of their undergraduate careers during a livestreamed virtual comAug. 23: Sta mencement ceremony. 2020 Semes Students beg into Lincoln idence halls time since th pandemic.

e Their Pandemic Experiences to campus and I probably won’t be attending the hybrid graduation either.” However, Costales is hopeful and acknowledged that things could be worse than living in San Diego. “I am getting my degree, which is what I came to college for,” she said.

For others, the transition to online learning has been more taxing. David Hernandez, GSBLC ’21, said that learning in a virtual setting negatively impacted his mental health.

“Learning online is just not a conducive method for me to learn,” he said. Hernandez was studying abroad at Freie Universität in Berlin, Germany, during the spring 2020 semester. When classes were moved online, he said that his professors at Freie were much more lenient and understanding in comparison to his professors at Fordham.

“I really feel like (being online) affected my learning experience a lot, and I was in a very bad place last semester,” he said.

“Two years ago, if you had asked me if I ever wanted to finish college, I would have said ‘No! Please give me another four years,’ but now I’m just desperate for it to end,” Hernandez said.

Neither Costales nor Hernadez has taken any in-person classes or returned to campus in the past year.

A Year Later on Campus Fordham students were not able to return to campus until the fall 2020 semester — five months after they were first sent home. For those who did return to campus, daily life became dramatically different, as students have had to wear masks, get tested for COVID-19 and social distance.

“I might live in the same building that I lived in a year ago, but it’s very different,” Komatireddy said.

Komatireddy currently lives on campus, but she has continued to take classes online. She said she spends a lot more time inside, especially in front of her computer screen.

VanGostein returned to campus for the spring 2021 semester after taking classes remotely at his parents’ house on Long Island for the spring and fall 2020 semesters.

-

n.

He said he was surprised when he walked through McMahon Hall for the first time in almost a year and did not have to wait for an elevator to arrive.

“It’s convenient, but also very sad because it kind of takes away from the liveliness,” VanGostein said.

Vahidi also decided to return to campus for the fall 2020 semester. Although she said she enjoyed the social aspect of living with her roommates, living at home was more cost-effective and beneficial to her mental health. She is taking classes remotely from Portland for the spring 2021 semester.

“Why pay thousands of dollars for housing in the city when you know you can’t experience any part of it? I thought it would be stabilizing to go back to the city ... but it almost made it worse to try and create something that was gone,” she said.

“I used to get really anxious, leaving the dorm. It got to a point where I just did not want to leave the dorm anymore, just because I was so in my head about everything,” Vahidi continued.

She noted that living at home in a more secluded area has eased her concerns about contracting and spreading the virus. The pandemic had also affected her academic performance, which faced a more significant decline on campus rather than at home during the current semester.

Stewart also took note of significant changes that occurred in her life over the past year, specifically that she gained and ended friendships, changed her major, and started a new job. Similar to Vahidi, her academic performance prior to the pandemic was significantly stronger; she said she is currently focusing more of her energy on internships.

Though it has been a year since the pandemic began and there have been multiple phases of the vaccine rollout, the effects of COVID-19 still remain prevalent in people’s lives.

The “return to normalcy” most people are waiting for does not have a set date, but lifestyle adjustments have been and are currently being made to accommodate the situation at hand and to prepare for a future in which COVID-19 no longer poses a direct threat.

Sept. 2: On-Campus Testing Confirms Presence of COVID-19 at Fordham Fordham’s COVID-19 Testing Dashboard reports that 15 students tested positive for COVID-19 in two weeks.

Three of the students are at Lincoln Center and 12 are at Rose Hill.

art of the Fall ster gin moving n Center ress for the first he start of the

Nov. 8: Infection Milestone The U.S. records over 10 million infections, with more than one million new cases occurring over the previous 10 days.

ANDREW BEECHER/THE OBSERVER

This image was taken a year ago when COVID-19 first became a serious threat to the New York City and Fordham community.

JILL RICE/THE OBSERVER

Fordham students have adapted to many challenges over the past year, but the future holds an eventual return to normalcy.

Feb 1: Students Start Spring 2021 Semester Classes resume for the third semester of online and hybrid learning.

More Americans are vaccinated than infected with the virus.

Nov. 24: In-Person Classes End To minimize the risk of COVID-19, Fordham asked students not to return to campus after Thanksgiving and to complete the rest of the semester online.

Feb 12: Class of 2021 Graduation McShane announces that the commencement ceremonies for the Class of 2021 will be held both virtually and in-person on May 22.

Feb. 14: Classes Paused at Rose Hill The campus suspends all in-person activities for two weeks after 112 students tested positive for COVID-19 between Jan. 29 and Feb. 11.

Feb. 24: UK Variant of COVID-19 at Fordham Fordham confirms that the U.K. variant is present on the Rose Hill campus.

Today

March 9: Fordham Plans for Full In-Person Fall 2021 Semester A year after Fordham first canceled events, the university announces plans for an in-person fall 2021 semester. The reopening plan is contingent on the success of mass vaccination efforts over the summer.

Opinions

Opinions Editor Emily Ellis - eellis14@fordham.edu

A

FORDHAM’S DECISION TO REOPEN PLACES STUDENTS IN DANGER tine. If these are the subpar measures that Fordham responds with now, the school’s potential response to an outbreak in the fall leaves little room for optimism.

Even though we are in a pandemic, the current circumstances do not alter the responsibility placed upon Fordham to protect its students.

When students chose to attend — or return to — Fordham, they did so with the expectation that their needs and safety, health included, would be prioritized. Even though we are in a pandemic, the current circumstances do not alter the responsibility placed upon Fordham to protect its students — a promise that Fordham reaffirmed when it welcomed students back to campus in the fall of 2020.

Though vaccine rollouts are going smoothly, let us remember that almost a year ago to the day, we

Observer the

STAFF EDITORIAL

fter poor communication in terms of move-in times and safety guidelines, as well as a C+ rating on “We Rate Covid Dashboards,” Fordham’s response to the pandemic has done little to put the community at ease.

Fordham’s Rose Hill campus was forced to shut down on Feb. 14 because it surpassed the New York state limit of a 5% positivity rate. Only nine days after the pause was lifted, the university announced it would offer full in-person instruction and activities for the fall 2021 semester, hoping that mass vaccinations would eliminate the need for social distancing by the summer. The university gave no alternative plan should COVID-19 still be a health risk and is merely relying on the assumption that enough of the population will be vaccinated by then. The university has also not yet released a plan for vaccinating students as of March 17, 2021.

Fordham’s responses to on-campus outbreaks garnered criticism from affected students who accused the university of disingenuous care, lack of communication and insufficient amenities to safely quaran-

March 17, 2021 THE OBSERVER

were also swearing that things would return to normal soon. We do not know what the future holds, and, with 2020 already being so turbulent, Fordham cannot afford to make claims about upcoming semesters with such confidence and disregard for students’ well-being.

These are trying times, and Fordham’s attempt to give students hope about a return to normalcy in the fall is commendable. However, Fordham also has a responsibility to be realistic and to anticipate possible public health concerns that may continue to persist.

The administration should not release statements about the future without concrete, well-thought-out plans ready to be implemented, should the need arise.

Fordham needs to improve the way it creates and communicates coronavirus-related protocols.

With its track record of inadequately supporting pre-semester quarantining students and reopening the Rose Hill campus despite student concerns, how can Fordham students trust that the administration will prioritize their health in the fall?

Editor-in-Chief Sophie Partridge-Hicks Managing Editor Marielle Sarmiento Business Manager Owen Roche Online Editors Andrew Beecher Gillian Russo Layout Editors Lara Foley Maddie Sandholm Asst. Layout Editors Pamela Pajares Olivia Stern News Editors Joe Kottke Katrina Lambert Asst. News Editors Michelle Agaron Allie Stofer Opinions Editor Emily Ellis Asst. Opinions Editors Stevie Cortez Clara Gerlach Arts & Culture Editors Vicky Carmenate Ethan Coughlin Asst. Arts & Culture Editor Madeline Katz Features Editors Samantha Matthews Nicole Perkins Asst. Features Editor Mia Agostinelli Sports & Health Editors Gus Dupree Patrick Moquin Asst. Sports & Health Editor Maggie McNamara Photo Editor Andrew Dressner Asst. Photo Editors Esmé Bleecker-Adams Alyssa Daughdrill Fun & Games Editor Esmé Bleecker-Adams Head Copy Editors Alyssa Macaluso Jill Rice Social Media Editors Roxanne Cubero Grace Getman Asst. Social Media Editors Sunnia Khan Maca Leon Multimedia Editors Alison Ettinger-DeLong Mateo Solis Prada Retrospect Hosts Cate Galliford Corbin Gregg IT Manager Evan Vollbrecht

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Opinions

11

The Fall of Asia’s World City I witnessed the battle for Hong Kong’s autonomy. Now, a year and a half later, I worry that Hong Kong has lost its war STEVIE CORTEZ Asst. Opinions Editor

Politics of the People It is rare to see a giant player in international trade and culture so forcefully stripped of its autonomy in just a few years, yet that is exactly what is happening in Hong Kong, formerly known as Asia’s World City.

After months of protests, political resistance reached a peak in November 2019 when Hong Kong’s universities became battlegrounds for an epic showdown between pro-democracy protesters and police. Fires burned and tear gas permeated the city for days on end until the last remaining protesters were captured and arrested. Images of fire, youth in makeshift armor, horrific injuries and police brutality shocked international onlookers while China stayed ominously silent. The pro-democracy movement was a force to be reckoned with.

But in 2020 and 2021, out of view of the global community, Hong Kong’s resistance has been slowly snuffed out through the use of new legislation from Beijing. Escalating anti-democratic measures seem to be signaling the end for Hong Kong’s pro-democracy movement.

The National Security Law China’s interference in Hong Kong’s affairs became inevitable as the Chinese government witnessed the escalation and sustainability of the pro-democracy movement, likely with heightened apprehension that the movement would spread into the mainland’s borders.

After all, Hong Kongers have long been proponents of the values China seeks to control: free speech, free assembly and suffrage.

Hong Kong’s fervor spreading to China would be a nightmare for the government. So the Chinese government waited, biding its time until the movement became old news.

Then COVID-19 hit, keeping protesters off the streets and away from each other, drawing global attention away from Hong Kong. As other countries grappled with the virus in the following months, China crafted its response to Hong Kong’s revolution. In June 2020, China’s National People’s Congress approved the fateful legislation capable of quashing Hong Kong’s resistance: the national security legislation.

The national security legislation criminalizes the actions millions of Hong Kongers have been taking since the beginning of the movement.

PHOTOS BY STEVIE CORTEZ/THE OBSERVER

With the passage of China’s national security legislation, pro-democracy protesters can be arrested for a strict and wide array of actions the government sees as subversive.

Arrests on the basis of that law were made in Hong Kong the day after its approval.

The most concerning provision of this legislation is the establishment of Chinese intelligence agencies in Hong Kong, but other provisions include the surveillance of foreign news and organizations; harsh punishments for anything officials deem subversion, suc-

cession or collusion with foreign entities; and the provocation of hatred against the government.

Some of these offenses can land a Hong Konger in prison for life.

The national security legislation criminalizes the actions millions of Hong Kongers have been taking since the beginning of the movement. One protester was arrested for violating the new law because they held a flag reading “Hong Kong Independence” like so many others had been doing for years.

Even actions I took as a foreign exchange student simply documenting the protests likely could be seen as violating the new legislation. This is terrifying news for Hong Kong. It could end the entire protest movement.

government is sending the clear message that it’s illegal to hold pro-democracy views.

The national security law has also indirectly purged Hong Kong of its activists, causing prominent figures to flee the territory. One of the most famous leaders in Hong Kong’s fight for freedom is Nathan Law, who wisely relocated to the U.K. shortly after the law’s announcement. I have no doubt he, too, would be arrested if he had stayed. Some of my friends in Hong Kong tell me that they have considered moving for fear that they will be tied to protests and arrested one day. Yet they are torn: How can one leave their home behind?

Purging of Pro-Democracy Figures

The national security law is even infiltrating Hong Kong’s classrooms. Children will be taught about the law as early as primary school. It is mandatory that students be taught that police are good and, conversely, that protesters are bad. Students will learn what the law means, why it is important and what it means to break it.

No longer will Hong Kongers grow up admiring revolutionaries like my friends did. Today, Hong Kong’s children will learn in school to look up to the police. Their revolutionaries are jailed, their teachers and parents are silenced, and their history books only show the story of Hong Kong as written

by China.

This is absolutely strategic; China has seen for years the power university students have in shaping history, and Chinese leaders aren’t taking any chances of further rebellion.

Using the national security law, the Hong Kong and mainland Chinese governments have targeted key figures in the pro-democracy movement. Many Hong Kongers in the media sector, government and public eye have been arrested since the law’s implementation.

Notable former Hong Kong lawmakers Eddie Chu, Claudia Mo and Leung Kwok-hung were all arrested because of the security law, as were famed activists Agnes Chow, Joshua Wong and pro-democracy business mogul Jimmy Lai. Lai is the founder of the Apple Daily, a newspaper that frequently publishes pro-democracy content.

The Hong Kong

Indoctrination of Students

International Responses Most of the world has watched idly as Hong Kong loses its freedom.

Former U.S. President Donald Trump was quick to voice support for Hong Kong, creating hope for U.S. interference, but Trump’s words were nothing more than empty rhetoric. In the end, he used Hong Kong’s worsening situation to further his economic agenda through

financial sanctions. This move was nothing more than another petty blow in the long-standing U.S.-China feud, leaving desperate Hong Kongers in the cold.

The U.K. has made moves to accept Hong Kong residents and offer them a path to full citizenship, which would be useful for pro-democracy advocates hoping to flee arrest. This aid makes sense since Hong Kong was a British colony before 1997, but even countries not affiliated with Hong Kong should be adopting measures to accept Hong Kongers as refugees.

The U.S. has toyed with the idea of offering safety to Hong Kongers, but nothing is set in stone. It seems for now that only countries with the strongest ties to Hong Kong, like the U.K. and Taiwan, will provide refuge.

Looking Ahead When I left Hong Kong, I was almost certain its pro-democracy supporters would succeed in their mission, even if it took a while to accomplish. I worried about my friends, but I believed that justice must prevail; the will of the people I had stood alongside was so strong.

But the Hong Kong of today is different from the one I left in many ways. The national security legislation has truly changed the game; if the protests continue, they will have to take a different form. I still see small shows of solidarity and protest in the online community, though I know the stakes are much higher now. Those activists who have fled overseas still advocate for the pro-democracy cause. As long as there are still some journalists and a relatively free internet, the injustices will not be forgotten or ignored.

Though Hong Kong’s fate looks bleak, I know that the revolution must still live on in the minds of those who bled for it.

I hesitate to make a prediction on where Asia’s World City will be in a year, or five. But I am willing to bet that the revolution is not totally defeated — just in hiding, biding its time until Hong Kongers can rise up against China again.

12

Opinions

March 17, 2021 THE OBSERVER

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Zoom Fatigue Is the Other Viral Epidemic Hitting Colleges ISABELLA SCIPIONI

Contributing Writer

Three classes, an appointment with your adviser, a meeting for your campus organization and a game night with your besties: What was once a normal day in pre-COVID-19 life sounds like an exhausting, screen-filled day of turning off your camera, lying down in bed and paying just enough attention to hear if your name is called. If this has become your daily habit, you’re not alone, and you’re probably suffering from Zoom fatigue.

This epidemic is affecting college students and remote workers around the world, and it can only be stopped if we change our approach to virtual calls.

What Is Zoom Fatigue?

Zoom fatigue is the feeling of exhaustion and loss of motivation caused by the excessive remote videoconferencing work that has become the norm over the past year. This is more than a small phenomenon, and Stanford researchers have pinpointed some of the main causes of this epidemic.

For one thing, making constant eye contact with dozens of up-close faces all at once is not like having a natural conversation. The study also cites seeing constant, real-time footage of yourself, a decrease in mobility while in video calls, and the extra thought and attention that go into virtual social interactions as contributors to feelings of exhaustion during virtual meetings.

Everyone knows that the world of remote work is exhausting, but it doesn’t have to be. We’re all guilty of accepting remote work and its shortcomings because

we never thought it would last this long, but now it’s time for a change.

We’re Trying to Compensate for Losing the ‘Normal’ World One of the reasons Zoom meetings are so exhausting is that they’re made with one goal in mind: compensating for the loss of in-person interaction. Zoom has always been viewed as a temporary solution, but as the pandemic passes its first anniversary in the U.S. and more and more students and workers decide to stay remote, there need to be permanent changes to how we approach virtual meetings.

Zoom meetings can provide a bare minimum of socialization and connection that we’ve all been desperately craving, but we’d be kidding ourselves if we thought it was equivalent to in-person interaction. The fact is, Zoom is just not the same as our old lives.

We’re used to getting comfortable in social settings, but in a videoconference setting, we’re constantly on stage, and even if just on a subconscious level, it does affect us. Changes need to be made on a personal and institutional level to make everyone’s online days a little less stressful.

Can Professors Give Us a Break?

Although instruction is an invaluable part of a college education, many professors are cutting meetings a few minutes short or canceling them altogether. To compensate for this, students are expected to complete more assignments on their own or teach themselves asynchronously.

For some, it can be hard to stay motivated through asynchronous

learning, but it can give students and professors a break from constantly being in online meetings.

In a less extreme scenario, some professors cancel online classes every now and then and give an alternative assignment or end class a few minutes early.

It certainly isn’t ideal to sacrifice more instructional time when it’s already difficult to teach in a remote setting; however, if Zoom fatigue is stopping students from being productive in class, professors should search for the balance between Zoom and asynchronous work.

On Meetings That Could Be an Email The best way to prevent Zoom fatigue is to avoid hosting meetings when they aren’t necessary.

If you currently rely on video chat for all of your social interactions, give audio-only phone calls a try, or get creative with alternate forms of communication, like texting, Snapchat and other social media platforms.

If you have leverage in a professional setting and are considering hosting a Zoom meeting for your class, organization, office or another group, ask yourself: How necessary is it that this meeting is conducted through Zoom? Do you have some other method of communicating with this group?

Have you required a substantial amount of videoconferencing in the past? After reflecting on these questions, reconsider whether or not holding a videoconference will enhance the experience of attendees.

For circumstances where a meeting is necessary, try letting everyone turn their cameras off.

It may sound small, but it makes a big difference in keeping people connected without forcing them

to conform to the strict rules of Zoom etiquette.

What Can You Do to Combat Zoom Fatigue?

For starters, self-care is more important in this environment than ever before. Scheduling a day without video calls or trying to find substantial break times between meetings can be helpful.

Although it’s easier said than done, use this time for a screen break by working on different types of projects, spending time outdoors or safely being social in person with members of your bubble.

While in meetings, try turning off self view to prevent yourself from worrying too much about how you appear on camera. It can also help to get up and walk around at least once an hour, and as much as others may hate it, to take a short break with your video off.

Don’t be afraid to cancel

unnecessary meetings or bring up your concerns to your boss, professor or any other host if Zoom is taking a serious toll on your health. Chances are, your Zoom host probably feels just as tired as you do, and bringing this to their attention can help change the way we think of remote work one step at a time.

Going Forward To be clear, Zoom is not useless. It is an important tool for conducting meetings in the current environment and will remain so in the post-COVID-19 world. However, individuals and institutions need to recognize that self-care is also important in a remote work setting and that students should not over-rely on videoconferencing services.

Remember that although you’re home, you still need to take a break every now and then. Don’t be afraid to advocate for yourself while working remotely.

GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATION BY ESMÉ BLEECKER-ADAMS/THE OBSERVER

Concussion Criminality: Ignoring the Mind Behind the Crime BRIAN PFAIL

Contributing Writer

Jails and prisons have disproportionately incarcerated the brain-injured population for decades in the U.S. The alarming correlation between traumatic brain injury (TBI) and incarceration rates cannot be overlooked in the analysis of the criminal justice system’s troubles.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) defines TBI as a “disruption in the normal function of the brain that can be caused by a bump, blow, or jolt to the head, or penetrating head injury.” Brain injury leads to a host of problems, including an increased risk of psychiatric disorders, aggressive behaviors and substance abuse. Abusive experiences tend to increase the inclination toward violence after incurred injury.

At the 1998 National Institutes of Health conference, researchers revealed the link between TBI and

the prison system by connecting individual regressive behavior and functionality. People who suffer from chronic traumatic encephalopathy and other types of TBI can also experience problems associated with poor impulse control, impaired judgment and aggression. The age at which the injury is acquired can affect the symptoms, as young people are more likely to display aggressive tendencies after an injury.

Denise Galloway is a TBI service coordinator, a specialized social worker who manages benefits and assists in directing programs for survivors of brain injuries. Galloway told The Observer that the justice system wants its “pound of flesh.”

“As recently as 1999, TBI was hidden under the diagnoses of mental illness,” according to Galloway. Mental illness is, however, a secondary condition to the primary physical injury. “TBI — it’s like French, a totally different language,” Galloway said. Brain

NIH GALLERY VIA WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

Current technology like fMRI can detect traumatic brain injury in patients and help them get started with treatment to avoid worsening symptoms that may lead to criminal behavior.

injury has its stereotypes but is fundamentally misunderstood.

Damage to areas of the frontal lobe results in loss of inhibition and self-regulation, which can then lead to impulse control, lack of interpersonal sensitivity and reactive aggression. “Oh, it’s behavior. That’s the line people use a lot, but there is much more to it,” Galloway said. “It’s about brain damage that cannot be repaired that easily — it is not just a matter of a person’s willpower.”

Minimizing the seriousness of brain injury is relatively common, but science dictates the natural human bias to avoid aggression becomes disinhibited, leading to inappropriate responses and behavior.

Florida resident and mother of a TBI survivor Jean Naso understood brain injury as “breaking bad.” “TBI is basically survival; (those with brain injuries will) do anything at this point because they don’t realize the consequences of their actions,” Naso said.

Naso’s son John incurred a mild traumatic brain injury at the age of 17. She said that his personality transformation petrified her. She saw a “rage on his face (at which point) he would blackout,” using “whatever he could get his hands on” for ill-will. She felt John’s lack of trust, even toward his family members, demonstrated a “sinister side.”

Naso disagrees with “punishing the sick” and is calling for clinical assistance in the courts. “Outside organizations consisting of medical professionals who understand the brain are needed,” she said.

Prison administrators find it less costly to ignore TBI diagnoses and any further treatment.

Neuropsychologist Kim Gorgens

discussed this problem in her 2019 TEDx Talk. She found that 50-80% of the U.S. incarcerated population has incurred TBI due to car accidents, violence or other such matters. In contrast, less than 5% of the general public have acquired brain injury.

The Brain Injury Alliance of Colorado, found that 54% of people in Denver’s prisons between 2013 and 2018 suffered from TBI. The 2013 University of Denver study found that 96% of high-risk populations in prison have TBI. Their research led to a $1 million federal grant for continued research over an additional four years. Ten additional states have secured similar funding and are in coordination with Colorado in TBI research.

Galloway believes the current problem of criminal justice and TBI lies in the lack of understanding, “lumping” mental illness in with TBI. The courts forced John Naso into the Mental Health Courts, where his case was eventually reinstated to the state Supreme Court. Galloway knew of Naso’s case and noted her own loss of two clients to the prison system.

The two were TBI survivors who were without necessary support and defense resources and with aphasia, the lack of ability to communicate with sufficient verbiage, respectively. “They may be forever lost,” Galloway said.

Today, functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) helps identify an impaired or damaged brain by measuring blood flow changes in the brain to detect damaged areas responsible for critical functioning.

Professionals like Galloway believe assessing young people with an acquired brain injury

can help avoid regressive development that leads to crime. The natural “coding in the brain, the whole hardwiring, does not exist anymore,” Galloway said. The survivor must learn new pathways to manage day-to-day activities, thought processes and emotions.

Comprehensive neurorehabilitation programs with monitoring are crucial. Some young people may not be adequately served in community-oriented programs and may require a more secure setting.

Galloway stressed the need for transition services for those seeking public living and to accommodate those with existing TBI problems. Community reintegration is a primary concern, especially with nearly 95% of the incarcerated population eventually released. Galloway expressed her dismay for the lack of resources, overabundance of caseloads and the neglect of brain injury especially in discussions of criminality.

“Reentry is vital, but we’re all fed up, and we’re all disgusted, but that’s not morally correct,” Galloway said. “We can do better.”

Case-by-case management is necessary because not all injuries are the same. Treatment is a multifaceted endeavor, including addressing psychiatric illness as a consequence of the injury, understanding the unique progression recovery and evaluating risk factors.

These are the necessary steps that can change the course of a TBI survivor’s life so that they may not fall between the cracks and become lost to the system.

Treating TBI as an aspect of crime paves the way for medical incentives, further research and perhaps a better lens for the criminal justice system to deter crime.

Arts & Culture Editors Vicky Carmenate - vcarmenate@fordham.edu Ethan Coughlin - ecoughlin7@fordham.edu

Arts & Culture

March 17, 2021

CAB’s Winter Market was a chance for students to get out and socialize in the mild weather while also supporting Black-owned businesses.

THE OBSERVER

PHOTOS BY ALYSSA DAUGHDRILL/THE OBSERVER

Winter Market Celebrates Black History Month

Black-owned businesses visit Fordham for a Black History Month Market on the plaza hosted by CAB

By ALYSSA DAUGHDRILL Asst. Photo Editor

The sun was shining on Feb. 25 as students explored Lincoln Center’s Campus Activities Board (CAB) Winter Market’s vendor options. Black-owned businesses like Brooklyn Tea, Lovely Earthlings, Brown Plant Girls, Zambo Aroma and String Thing Studio set up stalls on the outdoor plaza.

With the snow beginning to melt away and the weather warmer than it had been in weeks, it was a beautiful day to take part in the festivities. Students flocked to the vendors and were eager to interact with both the businesses and each other.

CAB held the event to celebrate Black History Month and to give Black-owned businesses in New York a platform within the Fordham community. Students attended the market in two shifts to align with COVID-19 social distancing rules, and they received red wrist bands, a tote bag and a pass listing the vendor options and student activities when they arrived at the Winter Market.

They were able to pick complementary products from two of the businesses’ tables; their options included soap, succulents, art prints, crochet kits and tea, as well as food from Urban Vegan

Kitchen and Whipped Urban Dessert Lab, both of which are Blackowned and -operated businesses.

In addition to visiting the vendors’ tables, attendees could compete in a Black History Month trivia game for a $15 prize and take pictures at a photo booth.

CAB President Arianna Fiorentini, Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) ’21, explained that CAB wanted “to uplift black owned business and allow students to learn more about the vendors” and encourage students to continue to support the businesses moving forward.

Fiorentini explained that the decision to host the event during Black History Month was related to the club’s dedication to the Focused Initiative for Race Equity at Fordham and its commitment to standing against racism and discrimination in the Fordham community.

CAB’s E-Board and general club members collaborated to brainstorm and organize the Winter Market so that more students had the opportunity to interact with Black-owned businesses in the city.

The market provided exposure for these businesses among the student body and gave attendees a fun escape from their studies.

The lines for the check-in tables stretched away from the

Lowenstein Center’s entrance in clumps before students spread between the different vendor tables and activities. Many students chatted with the CAB club members working at the tables as they went, and students eagerly took advantage of the free items and food.

“I really appreciate that the event focused on promoting and supporting Black-owned businesses. That is so important, especially now that publicity encouraging people to do that has died down,” said Kathryn Echele, FCLC ’23. She attended the event’s 1 p.m. session and collected food and complementary products, including a bar of soap from Zambo Aroma.

Fordham Lincoln Center clubs and committees held events throughout Black History Month, but CAB’s Winter Market and the Black History Month Committee’s Love Your Natural Hair Tabling Giveaway concluded the month’s activities on Feb. 25. The events overlapped with the Black History Month Committee’s event taking place in the LL Indoor Plaza, while the Winter Market was held outside. These events provided a strong in-person finish for the campus’s Black History Month celebrations.

Students were encouraged to discover new Black-owned businesses in New York City to support after learning about them at the market.

Brown Plant Girls offered succulents that market attendees could take home; other complementary items included soap, art prints, crochet kits and tea boxes.

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Arts & Culture

March 17, 2021 THE OBSERVER

www.fordhamobserver.com

‘Minari’ Will Leave You Crying Over a Bunch of Produce

Writer and director Lee Isaac Chung tells the untold story of first-generation Korean Americans in the rural South

By POLINA UZORNIKOVA Former Opinions Editor

Written and directed by Lee Isaac Chung, “Minari” is a story of a 1980s Korean American family who move to Arkansas in pursuit of the American Dream. A Sundance Grand Jury Prize winner, the film is a meditation on the experiences of an immigrant family trying to make sense of their life in the larger context of Reagan’s America.

Jacob Yi (Steven Yeun), the father of the family, buys a plot of land in Arkansas with a dream of first escaping the oppressive landscape of 9-to-5 working-class California and next growing Korean produce with the purpose of selling it to other Korean immigrants. Not everyone in the family is excited at the prospect of living a rural life. Monica (Han Ye-ri), Jacob’s wife, misses the Korean community they left behind and fears for her son David (Alan Kim) who has heart problems. David himself seems to be excited at the prospect of living in the countryside and farming with his dad, but his perception of life is challenged by the arrival of his grandmother, Soon-ja (Youn Yuh-jung).

The film’s exploration of its themes is as refined and understated as its cinematography. As the only Koreans in the area, you would expect the Yis to fall victim to the casual racism of their white southern neighbors; however, what the family experiences is more nuanced than explicit bigotry.

At church, one of the only points of interaction with the

outside world we see in the film, Monica feels isolated not because of other women’s attitudes toward her (they actually compliment her), but because of her poor knowledge of English. The children themselves — David has an older sister, Anne (Noel Kate Cho) — are torn between assimilation into American culture and the pressures their parents bestow on them to maintain their Korean identity.

“Minari” proves that immigrant stories don’t need to end in utter devastation and can end on an uplifting note.

In fact, Paul, Jacob’s white farm helper, experiences more overt discrimination because his behavior doesn’t fit with societal norms (possibly caused by PTSD, neurodivergency or both). The subtlety and variety of the bigotry present in the film reminds us that discrimination and prejudice comes in forms less explicit than overt intolerance.

Another refreshing thing about “Minari” is that it’s not burdened with a life-or-death conflict; rather, Chung chooses to focus on a personal struggle to make meaning out of life in a foreign country, an experience that is integral to the lives of many first-generation immigrants. The film’s name itself derives from an especially resilient edible plant

that grows in Korea. Like minari the plant, the characters of “Minari” are resilient; they continue on with life despite, and sometimes in spite, of their failures and setbacks.

We feel for the characters, however, not because of the grandeur of the problems the film throws at them (although some of them are definitely not small inconveniences), but because of how personally attached we become to the characters through understanding their inner aspirations.

The character that ties everything together is Soon-ja. Unlike the rest of her family, she, an elderly Korean woman, does not experience the desire to find a (both literal and metaphorical) place within the American landscape. She is repeatedly perceived as “ungrandmalike” by David: She plays cards, swears and watches wrestling matches on TV. She also can’t cook.

However, it is Soon-ja who plants the minari seeds, Soonja who makes David believe in his strength despite his heart (and confidence) issues, Soon-ja who comforts and steadies her daughter, and Soon-ja who gives the family her personal savings when it runs into trouble. As the “strongest” character in the film, we expect her to fall into peril the least — which makes it all the more devastating to viewers when she does.

“Is this capitalist propaganda, if the film ends with Jacob still persevering at his dream, not disillusioned?” you may ask. I would say no. Jacob fails over and over again. The high prices of water

GAGE SKIDMORE VIA FLICKR

Steven Yuen, who plays Jacob, speaks to the press. Jacob is the father who decides to move his family from California to Arkansas and start growing Korean produce.

cause the family to go without it in their house just to ensure the farm’s survival. The farm cannot provide a full escape from the capitalist economy the characters have to live in; however, to Jacob and Monica, it’s an improvement from an oppressive working-class job, sexing recently hatched chicken, for which Monica was not fast enough in California. If this is not a commentary on the economic practices of the 1980s, then I don’t know what is.

“Minari” proves that immigrant stories don’t need to end in utter devastation and can end on an uplifting note. It challenges the “trauma porn” trope American media often falls into when

depicting the experiences of immigrant families. “Minari” does not shy away from portraying its characters at their weakest — it also portrays them at their strongest.

“Minari” does offer a broader commentary on racial dynamics, belonging and alienation. However, to focus too much on it, in this case, is to divert attention from the particular experiences of the Yi family. A semi-autobiographical work, “Minari” is a subtle yet deeply personal tale of an immigrant family and should be watched as such. Chung’s master in “Minari” was noticed by the Academy with six award nominations.

Broadway Is (Almost) Back in Business

Gov. Andrew Cuomo announces the reopening of live performances at limited capacity starting April 2 Lincoln Center plans on opening for the spring with 10 outdoor performance venues and rehearsal spaces on April 7. The initiative is called “Restart Stages” and will feature events available to the public including concerts, dance workshops and screenings. A concert for health care workers will

While small venues prepare to reopen promptly, commercial broadway productions are not set to reopen until after Labor Day due to the financial model.

The Music Box is reopening in April for live pop-up performances.

By KELLY LANDES Contributing Writer

Broadway and other live performance venues have been shuttered since March 12 of last year due to the pandemic, but on March 3, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced that arts and entertainment venues with fewer than 10,000 seats can reopen on April 2 at 33% capacity.

The state will take preventative measures to ensure the reopening has no ill effects on COVID-19 case

numbers. Plays, concerts and other live performances will resume with a limit of 100 people indoors or 200 people for outdoor events, and all guests will be required to wear masks and practice social distancing.

This news has been long anticipated by smaller performance venues that are eligible for grant money included in the coronavirus relief package. While small venues prepare to reopen promptly, commercial Broadway productions are

ALYSSA DAUGHDRILL/THE OBSERVER

not set to reopen until after Labor Day due to the financial model.

It is not economically feasible for traditional Broadway productions to restart production under these conditions because “shows that get that kind of attendance close,” according to Broadway League President Charlotte St. Martin.

However, select theaters, including the Music Box Theatre on Broadway, will host live, limited-capacity, pop-up performances beginning April 2.

occur on opening day with plans for a cabaret-style stage.

Visitors interested in the artistic process may view the rehearsal venues, and there will be spaces holding arts-related activities for children and families. The New York Public Library for Performing Arts is collaborating with the initiative to include an outdoor reading room. Select performances will be available for online streaming for those who are unable to enjoy the creative space in person.

This is an exciting time not only for professional working actors, who can begin to regain their livelihoods, but also for collegiate theater students who have not had the chance to experience the profession to which they aspire due to the shutdown. Josh Screen,

Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) ’24, expressed his joy at the reopening announcement: “I’m very happy about everything starting to come back and I’m happy to see they are still taking safety precautions.”

Screen also reflected on his concerns about how the events will affect the number of COVID-19 cases and suggested that “before making such a drastic and hopeful announcement, we should see how the vaccine is doing before so we don’t accidentally make things worse as soon as it seems like it’s getting better.”

Josi Oz, FCLC ’24, voiced her concern over increases in ticket pricing that could alienate potential audience members. “I know it’s hard because theaters are really hurting and lost a lot of money from Covid,” Oz said, “but theater is a massive part of the heart of New York City, it would really suck if locals and tourists couldn’t see a show just because they can’t afford the tickets.”

Oz pointed out the safety concerns for performers as well as audience members. “As much as I would love to see a performance again, it’s a bit difficult for viewers to social distance in the audience and for performers to social distance backstage, which is usually a very cramped space.”

New York City is characterized by its energy and creativity that manifests itself in the arts.

The reopening plans of arts and entertainment venues reflect the perseverance and hope the city has as it cautiously moves forward and survives by adapting to the circumstances.

www.fordhamobserver.com

THE OBSERVER March 17, 2021

Arts & Culture

15

Your Favorite Worlds Could Be a Dimension Away Creators on TikTok are “shifting realities” to live in different dimensions

By HANNAH KASKO Contributing Writer

Any self-proclaimed Potterhead likely fantasized about getting their acceptance letter to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and hopping on the Hogwarts Express with their brand-new wand to study magic.

Of course, the novels are fictional, so no one in our reality is secretly singing in the Frog Choir with Professor Flitwick. But what about in other realities?

The “Harry Potter” realm of TikTok has been taken over by creators who claim that through a practice called “shifting,” they have lived in another reality, one in which Hogwarts exists, as do the characters from the novels.

Shifting is the process of moving one’s consciousness from one reality to another, usually triggered through some form of meditation and self-affirmation. People who shift train their minds to leave their current reality to essentially wake up in a “desired reality” (DR). It comes from the idea that there is a multiverse of infinite different realities, each with minute differences that make them unique.

velopment program called The Monroe Project. The program was founded in 1956 by Robert A. Monroe, a radio executive whose goal was to learn how certain sound patterns can expand consciousness.

According to McDonnell, the Gateway Experience works by using a technique called HemiSync, which is binaural technology that gives the subject the right tools to enter a state of enhanced consciousness.

McDonnell explained how the brain transcends the limitations of time and space; when brain waves reach two points of complete rest, for an “infinitesimally brief instant” that energy leaves the confines of time and space and enters energy at infinity, which physicists call “the Absolute.” McDonnell also wrote that between the “material” universe, in which humans actively perceive their existences, and “the Absolute,” there are multiple dimensions for humans in states of expanded consciousness to access.

“ Don’t jump to

conclusions just because you’ve been told your entire life that if something is perfect, it’s not real. ”

Anonymous shifter

For example, people who shift believe if a person has to choose between wearing a blue shirt and a green shirt and chooses the blue shirt, there is another reality in the multiverse in which that person chose the green shirt, which would shift that reality in a different direction.

It’s not exclusive to the Wizarding World universe either; for example, anime universes are also popular on TikTok, and some people shift to realities in which they are best friends with their favorite celebrities. People can shift anywhere and to any time, and they can even have multiple DRs that they alternate between.

The Science Behind Shifting Shifting and multidimensional travel is a process that has undergone significant scientific research, most notably in a 1983 report for the CIA that covered “The Gateway Experience.” Data from this report reinforces the key methods people use to shift between multiple dimensions.

The analysis, by Lt. Col. Wayne M. McDonnell, was in response to a research and de-

Finally, McDonnell explains the Gateway Method. Participants begin by letting go of their concerns before humming a single tone found in the binaural tapes to which they would soon be exposed.

Then they repeat “the Gateway affirmation” to themselves, saying that they are more than just physical bodies and that the expansion of their consciousness is a deep, strong desire.

Then, the Hemi-Sync frequencies are introduced and the participants are encouraged to visualize an “energy balloon” that enhances the energy flow throughout their bodies. At this point, the mind should be in a state of expanded consciousness.

“There is a sound, rational basis in terms of physical science parameters for considering Gateway to be plausible in terms of its essential objectives,” McDonnell wrote. This means that based on this study, astral projection and shifting realities are, in fact, possible.

Reaching new dimensions isn’t a joke that a teenager made up in their bedroom. It’s been studied time and time again and is still studied and practiced at the Monroe Project today. The Gateway Method that McDonnell described is almost the exact method that people who shift use to get to their desired realities.

CIA Science to TikTok Trend How did a CIA-investigated scientific experiment turn into a TikTok trend that young people can use to meet their favorite characters? Some TikTok

creators dedicate their entire accounts to explaining shifting and telling their stories, one of whom shared her experience with The Observer.

The creator, who chose to remain anonymous due to concerns about community pushback, recalled that she had seen a video on shifting on YouTube and was immediately drawn to the idea.

It wasn’t easy to believe at first, but she chose to give shifting to the “Harry Potter” universe a go.

The TikTok version of shifting is slightly different from the Gateway Method, but it follows the same concept. Most shifters begin by adopting several healthy habits, such as hydration, self-affirmation and meditation, in order to maintain a strong and healthy mind. Then, they create a script, which the shifter described as “a physical or non-physical list of things someone wants/doesn’t want in their reality. I say non-physical because not everyone likes to write it down. Some keep it their head or on their phone or computer.”

To shift, most people follow a method popularized on TikTok. The mainstream method, similar to the Gateway Method, involves subliminal binaural audio, constant affirmation and visualization.

Most people have expressed that they’ve experienced physical warning signs, often referred to on TikTok as symptoms, when trying to shift realities. Some of these include numbness, heaviness or weightlessness; tingling; feelings of spinning or falling; or even hearing voices or sounds associated with one’s DR. The shifting creator explained that she felt a large amount of energy flowing through her body as she was falling asleep.

Common Misconceptions Around Shifting For most people, shifting is not immediate. The creator said that she didn’t shift for about ten weeks, and by that point, she started to assume shifting was fake. But when she did successfully shift, after falling asleep affirming to herself that she would wake up in her DR, she said that she was quick to realize that what she was experiencing was not a dream.

One of the most common misconceptions about shifting is that it is simply an induced lucid dream, but the creator explained that that is far from the truth:

“I understand the comparison with lucid dreaming, but I can assure you it’s not the same. With lucid dreaming you’re in complete control over your dream (at least that’s how I experienced it). It feels real on a mental and emotional level, but not physically.

You don’t feel pain, or anything really. That’s how you know it’s a dream.

“With reality shifting, it’s completely different. It’s not a dream at all. You’re actually travelling to one of the infinite realities of the multiverse. It’s pure science, really. It’s real, and you can clearly separate it from a lucid dream.”

Most often, people who hear about shifting immediately write people’s experiences off as fabricated stories posted for attention. Even with studies like McDonnell’s, expanding the mind to a dimension with magic and unicorns seems preposterous. The creator knows it’s hard to believe, and that it seems too good to be true but she said, “Don’t jump to conclusions just because you’ve been told your entire life that if something is perfect, it’s not real.”

Negative Experiences Online The shifter explained that these creators are aware that sharing their experiences comes with a lot of negative attention.

Despite the negativity, the creator decided to post her content because after experiencing shifting, she wanted to help others experience it too, not because she wants to be famous.

Even a phenomenon like traveling across dimensions and going to Hogwarts has science behind it. Who’s to say that something you’ve written off as “too good to be true” can’t exist?

The creator keeps her personal life very private, but she’s found that opening up has given her a stronger connection to her followers and to other people who shift.

“I have made many friends because of this and they are such amazing people.

We all hype each other up and keep each other motivated,” she said. “It’s nice to have support from people who have interests like you.”

She concluded that even if people harbor doubts about shifting, it never hurts to try

GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATIONS BY LARA FOLEY/ THE OBSERVER

something new. For people who don’t want to or don’t believe in it, she cautioned against treating people who shift poorly. “Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, and I respect that. But, respect goes both ways.”

Fordham’s Response to Shifters Outside of the realm of TikTok and scientists, it seems as though shifting is an elusive subject. At Fordham, most people haven’t heard of shifting at all, and those who have had only heard it mentioned briefly.

With some explanation, reactions were mixed, but if anything, most students found it interesting.

“I don’t really believe it, but I feel like using something like shifting to another reality to escape something like mental illness in your own reality might do more harm than good, so it seems like people should be careful,” Marissa Pecorelli, Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) ʼ23, said.

Justin Mazur, FCLC ʼ22, took a different view, saying, “I think the whole idea sounds pretty interesting. It’s really cool how many niche communities there are on TikTok; my favorite content on TikTok, or just the internet in general, is the really weird niche stuff that doesn’t make sense to people who don’t know it.”

With the hordes of information that have flooded the internet about shifting in the past year, it can be hard to narrow down something that works for oneself out of all of the different methods and the elusive nature of shifting itself.

The shifting creator interviewed offered one last piece of advice: “just relax!” It’s exhausting to obsess over shifting, so the creator wanted to remind everyone, “Don’t forget to live in this reality too!”

All in all, whether you’re convinced that you can shift to the Great Hall of Hogwarts tomorrow or are sure that everyone who claims that they’ve shifted is full of it, it never hurts to take a step back and take a closer look at those things that seem unbelievable.

Even a phenomenon like traveling across dimensions and going to Hogwarts has science behind it. Who’s to say that something you’ve written off as “too good to be true,” can’t exist? Shifting is, if nothing else, a reminder to live your “current reality” to the fullest and explore every impossibly wonderful twist life has to offer, e ven if that something involves a little magic.

un &

ames

Fun & Games Editor Esmé Bleecker-Adams - ebleeckeradams@fordham.edu

March 17, 2021 THE OBSERVER

Crossword: Concerted Effort

49. “___’s Anatomy,” television show 50. instrument that a sailor might play 52. bet 55. “___ Summer,” Taylor Swift song 56. exchange for money 57. in the past (preceded by a unit of time) 60. helper 61. instrument that an essential worker might play 64. classmate 65. smell 66. higher than 67. makes a mistake 68. makes (someone) amazed 69. fork parts

DOWN

By ESMÉ BLEECKER-ADAMS

ACROSS 1. related to the pope 6. wing___; lengthwise measurement 10. appear to be 14. informal greeting, especially in Britain 15. prefix meaning “self” 16. Elsa’s sister 17. instruments that a plumber might play 19. scandalous

20. what a spider lays eggs in 21. ages and ages 22. South Pacific archipelago, or a Girl Scout cookie 23. large white water bird 25. instrument that a Fordham student might play 27. horse hair 29. took unlawfully 31. image quality, for

short 32. lead ___; steer wrong 35. ones who are widely admired 37. instruments that a toast-proposer might play 42. small branch 43. dictatorial ruler, in Ancient Greece perhaps 44. slippery fish 47. boundaries

1. highest degrees: Abbr.

2. personal energy field or atmosphere 3. organ that provides nutrition to a fetus 4. actor Mahershala 5. one who’s flying solo 6. canonized Catholics 7. small dogs, informally 8. consumed 9. opposite of yeses 10. actress Hyland 11. inspire love in 12. repetition of a performance 13. natives of present-day Mexico and Central America 18. author for whom

Fordham’s bell is named 22. having a foul aroma 24. disease-causing agents 25. traveled on, as a train 26. above the ground 27. Apple computer 28. fire residue 30. slight trace 33. re-file (a court case) 34. three-foot units 36. ___ protector; guard against electrical damage 38. musical performance jobs, informally 39. medicinal and culinary herb similar to anise 40. chemistry suffix 41. pig house 44. make a run for it 45. more unsettling 46. one who provides praise 48. ___ up and down; promises effusively 51. Budweisers or Heinekens 53. “___ of Me” by John Legend 54. be a sore winner 56. stash in a hidden location 58. gifted 59. smallest bills 61. 62 Down, for example 62. wedding pronouncement 63. baseball achievement score: Abbr.