Observer Issue 6

Observer the

April 19, 2018 VOLUME XXXV, ISSUE 6

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Prof. Suspended; Uni. Investigates

By COLIN SHEELEY News Editor

On Friday, April 6 Associate Philosophy Professor William Jaworski was given notice of his suspension pending a formal university investigation, according to Assistant Vice President for Communications Bob Howe. Members of the Faculty Senate Executive Committee confirmed that before the decision was reached, they were consulted that day on the matter in accordance with university statutes, which states that the President of the university “may suspend a member of the instructional staff with pay...only if the President determines that serious and immediate harm to such person or others, or to the University, is threatened.”

A department-wide meeting was also held that week between philosophy professors and the Provost Stephen J. Freedman, according to two people familiar with the gathering.

While the nature of the investigation remains confidential to general members of the university community, greater details of Jaworski’s past at Fordham, that include previous harassment allegations, have come to light less than two weeks after his suspension.

That following Monday, April 9, Stephen R. Grimm, the Philosophy department chairperson, informed Jaworski’s three classes of the investigation and his suspension. Accompanied by Associate Dean of the School of Professional & Continuing Studies Cira Vernazza to his final evening “AI, Sci-Fi and Human Value” class, Grimm spoke on several of the details surrounding the formal review, which were recorded in a transcript obtained by the Observer.

In the conversation, Grimm mentioned that Jaworski has been the subject of multiple Title IX investigation claims in the past but refused to say if his current suspension was in anyway related to a Title IX investigation or the university’s sexual misconduct policies.

The Observer has reached out to Jaworski for comment and is awaiting his response.

When pressed for information by one of the students in the class, Grimm said that the terms of Jaworski’s suspension ran “at least

By ANDREW BEECHER Asst. Photo Editor

ILLUSTRATION COURTESY OF CARLA DE MIRANDA

Assistant VP of Communications Bob Howe refused to provide the Observer with a photo of William Jaworski.

through the end of the fall semester.”

Referring to Fordham’s investigative procedure, Grimm stated, “I think that they’ve always taken every allegation very seriously, and sometimes there’s been strong evidence,” adding “but sometimes the evidence has just been inconclusive.”

Reports and concerns of Jawor-

ski’s alleged behavior have dated back as far as 15 years, according to students and alumni who spoke to The Observer on background.

Andrew Clark, vice president of the Faculty Senate and chairperson of the French and Comparative Literature department, said in an email to the Observer that four years ago, he had reported a claim involving Jaworski to the Title IX

office.

“When I reported the Title IX case, the Title IX coordinator spoke with my advisee and they launched an investigation,” Clark said. “It is my understanding that there were other complaints being investigated at the time, or that had been recently investigated, as see JAWORSKI INVESTIGATION pg. 2

High School Poetry Featured at Poets Out Loud

By JEFFREY UMBRELL Features Editor

The April 11 Poets Out Loud (POL) reading, held in the Lowenstein 12th floor lounge, was unique in two ways; it not only featured the work of Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Tyehimba Jess, but also that of students from POL’s high school outreach program.

Jess read selections from his book “Olio,” which won the 2017 Pulitzer Prize in poetry. Aided by a multimedia presentation, he exhibited his extraordinary ability to push the limits of form, space and meter in his work. He read a series of five “syncopated sonnets” about the McCoy sisters, twins who were conjoined at the hips, which can be read horizontally, vertically, forwards and backwards. By connecting matching lines in each of the poems, all five

SJP Lives On as Study Group

can be arranged in a rough “X” shape, which mirrors that of the sisters’ bodies (Jess showed this process via PowerPoint slides).

Students involved with the outreach program typically read their work at the final event of the year. POL works with high schools across the city, often those in underserved communities, to help students foster “an interest in reading, writing and listening to poetry,” according to their website’s mission statement.

Heather Dubrow, English professor at Fordham University and director of POL, has been leading the outreach program for nine years. She expressed at the reading her great “respect and gratitude” for the students and teachers involved and said that the teachers are “extraordinary men and women who volunteer so much time and energy to the outreach.” She stressed that they

LENA ROSE/THE OBSERVER

Heather Dubrow, director of POL, organizes the outreach program.

take the time to bring their students to the readings “in addition to their many other responsibilities.”

The schools present at the April 11 reading included Bronx Early College Academy, the School For Excellence and the East Side Community High School. Attendance by school varies at each reading, but, as students were sharing their own work, this reading had an especially strong turnout.

Amy Feinstein, an English teacher at the School For Excellence, has been working with POL for the past four years. She said she met Dubrow while she was a student at the University of Wisconsin, where Dubrow used to teach. Later, after Feinsten had started teaching high school here in New York, she said, “I actually happened to bump into her [Dubrow] in a museum … and she told me about this program, and she was hoping we could get my see POETS pg. 12

As the court battle for the formation of Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) at Fordham continues to wage downtown at Manhattan Civil Courthouse, the students behind it are not staying idle. Led by Sofia Dadap, FCLC ’18, members of the would-be club have been organizing Palestine-focused events around campus all semester.

In Dec. 2016, Dean of Students Keith Eldredge vetoed the United Student Government’s unanimous approval of SJP. Four months later, SJP filed a lawsuit seeking to compel Fordham to approve SJP for official club status. Since then, SJP has become representative of something much bigger: free speech at Fordham.

“I feel complicated about SJP becoming a symbol of free speech at Fordham because... it has brought attention to the fact that speech about Palestine is often the exception to protected speech,” Dadap said. She continued, “On the other hand, I am frustrated that people focus on the institutional policies of Fordham because our main objective was always to bring awareness to Palestinian liberation struggles.”

Operating under the name “Palestine Study Group,” they have been organizing events such as book readings and movie screenings open for anyone to attend. Themes of their most recent reading events have included “Queer Settler Colonialism in Canada and Israel” and “Daily Life Under Occupation.”

Their March 15 event, “From Palestine to Ferguson,” focused specifically on the relationship between the brutality of the police in the United States and the Israeli military’s in Palestine. The group read see SJP STUDY GROUP pg. 2

Inside NEWS

Axelrod on Campus

Former senior advior to President discusses politics at Rose Hill.

PAGE 3 OPINIONS

Elevator Epidemic

The ups and downs of McKeon elevators.

PAGE 5 ARTS & CULTURE

Interview with Juice Mackins talks Macbeth, Broadway and Debbie Allen.

PAGE 10 FEATURES

Ailey in Action

Ailey/Fordham BFA students share their hectic schedules.

PAGE 12 SPORTS & HEALTH

Keto Diet

What you need to know.

PAGE 16

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News

April 19, 2018 THE OBSERVER

SJP Becomes Study Group

www.fordhamobserver.com

Prof. Faces Internal Investigation

SJP STUDY GROUP FROM PAGE 1

passages from Angela Davis’s “Freedom is a Constant Struggle” before discussing issues of violence both in the US and Israel. The situation in Palestine is “worse than apartheid,” said Dadap, “your land being literally stolen.”

As it happens, the word “apartheid” was a specific concern of Fordham’s during the SJP decision. According to SJP’s initial court filing, Dean Eldredge questioned the use of the word in the club’s constitution.

In its court filing, SJP stated “they believed [discriminatory laws and practices in Israel] fit within the legal definition of apartheid.” During the book club, members expressed that “apartheid” is the perfect word to use, as it encompasses both the oppressive and racial components of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

On Monday, April 9, the Palestine Study Group hosted a screening of the movie “Radiance of Resistance.”

The documentary focused on the lives of two young Palestinian girls, Janna Ayyad and Ahed Tamimi, both of whom are pro-Palestine protesters and became award-winning journalists despite being only nine and 14 years old, respectively.

According to the online posting for this event, the screening and other weekly meetings are sponsored by Fordham’s Anthropology and Sociology Department.

SJP has acknowledged these weekly Palestine Study Group gatherings as their own through use of the official SJP Twitter account, tweeting event reminders and asking for topic suggestions. It was also acknowledged during a Study Group session when anthropology Professor Aseel Sawalha told students that the next movie screening could be held under her name after Dadap expressed the inability to host the event without club status.

The poster for the department-sponsored events also includes a contact email for SJP. They are aware that members of the Fordham administration will learn of their events through the account since, according to Dadap, “We’re definitely being monitored.”

Despite their subversion, the students show no fear of a response from the university.

IMAGE ENHANCED/MORGAN STEWARD/THE OBSERVER

Vandalism calls for the termination of Professor William Jaworski: “Fire Jaworski no sexual predators at Fordham #MeToo” STORY NAME FROM PAGE 1

miliar with the situation.”

After filing the case, Clark said that the investigation never followed up with him, stating that he “did hear through channels that the investigation did not lead to charges.” The Observer has also learned that in other Title IX investigations of Jaworski, charges were not upheld.

Glenn Hendler, chairperson of the English department and the Faculty Senate Committee on Student Life noted in an email to the Observer that since assuming his role on the committee in 2017, “several students have come to speak with me about Professor Jaworski. So have several faculty members.”

Because of his “commitment to respect confidentiality...as a ‘mandatory reporter’ under Title IX,” Hendler declined to comment any further on the nature of his conversations.

Sociology Professor Jeanne Fla-

vin, who served as the chair of the committee prior to Hendler, wrote in an email to the Observer that

“ Several students

have come to speak with me about Professor Jaworski. So have several facutly members.”

GLENN HENDLER , Chairperson of the English department and the Facutly Senate Committee on Student Life

since the spring semester of 2012, she has received and relayed “firsthand and secondhand accounts and complaints of Jaworski’s behavior (with regard to students as well as other faculty members) over the years.”

Aside from reporting their grievances to faculty members, students have taken to expressing their frustration outside of conventional university channels. One student used a Sharpie to carve the statement “fire Jaworski no sexual predators at Fordham #MeToo” on the front of Jaworski’s office door on Dec. 6, 2017. Jaworski responded to Fordham’s inquiry about the incident through email on Dec. 8, calling the student’s action a “dehumanizing attack” that caused his family to fear for his safety.

“Please help investigators help discover who has perpetrated this latest hateful crime of defamation,” Jaworski wrote.

The student, a senior from the philosophy department, said that she found out about rumors surrounding the professor since she started taking philosophy classes.

“I couldn’t even tell you when I found out, it was more just general knowledge that he was inappropriate with women students,” she said.

After explaining that her decision to write on Jaworski’s door was in response to an incident with another professor, the student said that she did “the next best thing” and wrote on Jaworski’s door, out of frustration for multiple allegations that she stated the university knows about.

The Observer learned that in light of investigation, Jaworski has sought the legal counsel of Andrew T. Miltenberger, a New York attorney specializing in campus misconduct due process and Title IX. Describing himself as “the due-process guy,” according to the New York Times, Miltenberg has overseen more than 150 students in college disciplinary hearings across the country including the accused student in Columbia University “mattress girl” lawsuit.

The Observer has contacted the offices of Nesenoff & Miltenberg LLP where Miltenberg is a partner for a statement but was unable to reach him for comment at the time of this publication.

An Evening with Larry Pressler

By KATHERINE SMITH News Editor

The April 4 event, “An Evening with Larry Pressler,” began a few minutes later than expected. As the last of the attendees filtered into the Keating Auditorium and took their seats, Former Senator Pressler himself was among them, sitting with attendees and student press and asking questions of his own.

“What is your major?” Pressler asked a student who had come over to introduce himself. “What are your goals for the future?”

It was an entirely different atmosphere than a few of the other events the College Libertarians had hosted or helped to organize in the past year. The speaker before Pressler, Reverend Al Sharpton, had faced a lively and at times heated audience. However, the warm applause and ensuing silence that greeted Pressler as he took the stage indicated that the night would take a different turn.

Jacob Linker, Fordham College at Rose Hill (FCRH) ’18, and President of the Fordham Libertarians, was the one to introduce Pressler. His opening statement focused on the former

figure that should be able to appeal to everyone, regardless of one’s personal beliefs.

“He wants to purely serve the people of his state, not party interests,” Linker said, later

“The problem we have is a lot of young people, I

think, and all of us, is that we don’t admire peopel who run for various offices. We have to get good people to run, and we have to support them. ”

– LARRY PRESSLER , Former Senator

senator’s career, highlighting his voluntary enlistment during the Vietnam War, his refusal to take a bribe during the 1978 Abscam investigation and his decision to vote for Barack Obama in 2008 and Hillary Clinton in 2016, despite being a registered Republican. In his closing remarks, Linker made it clear that he felt Pressler was a political

adding, “He’s a person who puts principle before party, and puts service before himself.”

Pressler wasted no time once he took the mic, making his thoughts clear on what he called a “fragile” and “faltering” democracy, a state that he blamed on the populace “who do not follow closely what is going on.”

For Pressler, the solution is to

“go back to basics in American history,” become involved and encourage others to run for all forms of political office.

“The problem we have is a lot of young people, I think, and all of us, is that we don’t admire people who run for office, and we’re not getting the right people to run for various offices,” Pressler said. “We have to get good people to run, and we have to support them.”

While Pressler believes that the political philosophy of young students will likely change over the years, he also feels that it is important to become involved with the party that is most closely aligned with their values.

“You should join the party you least dislike, and try to make it better,” Pressler said.

“The way to become elected is to run as a Republican or Democrat, politically speaking.”

Pressler’s speech also shifted to journalists and their treatment of President Donald

Trump, saying that the negativity of the press has caused gridlock within the nation’s capital.

“We need good journalism, but currently in Washington, a lot of the stuff I think that comes out, from one side or another, is completely anti-Trump for the sake of being anti-Trump,” Pressler said. “I think you have to give the guy credit for being president of the United States and let him do his job.”

Throughout his speech, Pressler’s statements always returned to the importance of public service and the involvement of the public in politics, regardless of their circumstances.

“Service might mean being in business, it might be running for office, it might mean being a mother and raising children.

It might be a lot of things,” Pressler said. “I was inspired by a professor who used to say always do public service even if you’re a businessman, or a lawyer, or whatever-try to keep your thinking in public service.”

www.fordhamobserver.com

THE OBSERVER April 19, 2018

News

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Former President’s Senior Advisor at Rose Hill

By RUBY GARA Asst. News Editor

“I’m really thrilled to be here because all of you are the makers of change…you all have the ability to make a real difference in the future” David Axelrod said, his voice echoing through the auditorium of Keating Hall at Fordham College at Rose Hill (FCRH) on April 9. The guest speaker, a key figure in the realm of politics—he served as a former senior advisor to President Barack Obama and the Obama-Biden Presidential Transition team, as well as the former president’s Chief Strategist during his campaigns in 2008 and his reelection in 2012—was welcomed by a cheering audience at the event hosted by the College Democrats of Fordham University.

The student-led organization welcomed Axelrod onstage after presenting an introductory statement on his background and political involvement. Today, Axelrod is the director of the Institute of Politics at his alma mater, the University of Chicago and is currently a senior political commentator for CNN. Before he spoke, the executive board of the College Democrats read off a list of Axelrod’s lifetime achievements.

He formerly served as political analyst for NBC News and currently hosts the “Axe Files,” a series of interviews with significant political figures, including Arizona Senator John McCain.

As founder of the Chicago consulting firm “AKPD Message and Media,” Axelrod has “managed media strategic communications for more than 150 national campaigns with a focus on progressive candidates,” according to the

LAUREN GERSON VIA FLICKR

David Axelrod, former advisor to President Barack Obama, was a guest speaker at Fordham on April 9.

graduating President of the Colege Democrats Eleanor Werner, FCRH ’18.

Axelrod has also written the New York Times bestselling memoir “Believer: My 40 Years in Politics,” a book that, as stated by Werner, “spans 40 years which include corruption and transformation, turmoil and progress, offering a look behind the closed doors of politics.”

When Axelrod was welcomed onstage, the crowd applauded with admiration. The speaker’s humor immediately set about the lively atmosphere of the event.

Yet he was also aware of when a serious tone should be conveyed, such as when he discussed his daughter’s medical condition of epilepsy that led his wife to be the founder of the non-profit organization Citizens United for

Research in Epilepsy (CURE).

Axelrod became directly involved with the political world during his early childhood. He traced his “political awakening” back to one of the speeches President John F. Kennedy gave in New York in 1960, where he stated that “being an American citizen in the 1960s is a hazardous occupation, filled with peril, but also with hope.”

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“That concept about politics is the concept that has guided me throughout my life…politics is the way we grab the wheel of history and democracy and turn it in the direction that we think is best,” Axelrod said as he stared out at the crowd filled with hopeful Fordham students who “care[d] enough to make a change.”

Axelrod shared that he began engaging with politics at the age of nine, when he worked for New York Senator Robert Kennedy.

His duties consisted of distributing leaflets for the campaign.

However, before officially entering politics in 1984, Axelrod spent 8 years as a reporter for the Chicago Tribune where he covered national and local politics, making him the youngest political writer and columnist at the time.

He then spoke of the lead-up to Obama’s 2008 presidential campaign, which resulted in a landslide victory, as he shared his experience in the White House.

Working alongside Obama, he was also witness to the advertising process during the campaign; he saw Obama come up with the slogan of “Yes We Can”.

“I thought this line summed up everything we envisioned in our campaign.”

The speaking event shifted to a Q&A as students were eager to know Axelrod’s insights on topics such as the 2016 campaign. One of the students asked about the potential outcome for the Democrats during the 2020 election.

“I am leaving Fordham tonight hopeful and optimistic with how much hope you give me,” Axelrod concluded.

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Opinions

Opinions Editor Jordan Meltzer - jmeltzer3@fordham.edu

TO THE NEW USG REPRESENTATIVES

I

Observer the

STAFF EDITORIAL

n the current political climate, America is more alert than ever to threats to its democracy.

This same scrutiny should apply not only to the country’s highest offices, but also to everyday, local functions, including the newly-elected members of Fordham University Lincoln Center’s United Student Government. While The Observer congratulates the new representatives, it is important to be cautious and skeptical of one’s leaders. The highest responsibility of an elected official is always to their constituents. Their constituents in turn are responsible for holding their representatives accountable. At Fordham, this should be no different. To that end, The Observer has compiled suggestions and expectations for the new student government that reflects the opinions of the editorial board and echoes the concerns of the larger student body.

For our new USG officials, there is no greater duty than being an effective, efficient and expedient way of letting the administration know of the students’ concerns, and we expect nothing less from them. When a student feels the need to reach out to the administration to enact change, it can be difficult to know exactly where to turn.

As a result, one issue has plagued the USG in the past: the incredibly nebulous relationship between the USG and the student body. Many students are unclear as to what the responsibilities or

April 19, 2018 THE OBSERVER

duties of the USG even are, which indicates general confusion regarding the scope, function and accessibility of the USG. Some don’t even know who the members of the USG are, a telling sign of the institution’s lack of involvement in the daily lives of its students. Because of this, many are advocating

“The Observer has compiled suggestions and expectations for the new student government that reflects the opinions of the editorial staff and echoes the concerns of the larger student body.” for more opportunities to get to know their leaders.

Some have noted that the only time that they ever see members of USG are when they are campaigning. Obviously, this should not be the case.

However, the lack of communication goes both ways.

USG cannot carry out the will of the student body if Fordham students do not provide input or are simply unable to do so. Clarification and simplification of avenues of communication between students and USG

are necessary, and often this hinges on simple advertisement. USG can do great things for Fordham, but it amounts to nothing if we are unaware of exactly what our representatives are able to achieve—and how we can reach them in the first place. Observer members have suggested a well-advertised “town hall” setting to be conducted on a regular basis to maintain a dialogue between USG and its constituents.

Moreover, many on the Observer hope that campus facilities will continue to improve. An increase in gender-neutral bathrooms will certainly serve the entire community well, and deserves serious consideration. The return of the New York Times to campus newsstands would also be met with great approval. At the risk of simply adding to a laundry list of gripes, many at the Observer would also appreciate a revisit of Fordham dining service policy, as it has the potential to be more inclusive to all types of diets.

In short, it is clear that the Fordham student body’s expectations for its new leadership are high. As we keep our American democracy under close watch, so too do we look ahead to our student democracy with cautious optimism. We wish the best of luck to the new USG representatives in the coming year and await the positive, productive change we hope they will effect.

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Editor-in-Chief Morgan Steward Managing Editor Reese Ravner Business Manager Michael Veverka Layout Editor Loïc Khodarkovsky Asst. Layout Editor Esmé Bleecker-Adams News Editors Colin Sheeley Katherine Smith Asst. News Editor Ruby Gara Opinions Editor Jordan Meltzer Asst. Opinions Editor Owen Roche Arts & Culture Editor Sam DeAssis Asst. Arts & Culture Editors Kevin Christopher Robles Marielle Sarmiento Features Editor Jeffrey Umbrell Asst. Features Editors Izzi Duprey Lindsay Jorgensen Sports & Health Editor Artemis Tsagaris Asst. Sports & Health Editor Luke Osborn Photo Editor Jon Björnson Asst. Photo Editors Andrew Beecher Lena Rose Comma Coordinators Elodie Huston Erika Ortiz Copy Editors Erika Ortiz Gianna Smeraglia Social Media Managers Angelika Menendez Andronika Zimmerman Observer Intern Michaela Browner

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POLICIES AND PROCEDURES • Letters to the Editor should be typed and sent to The Observer, Fordham University, 140 West 62nd Street, Room G32, New York, NY 10023, or e-mailed to fordhamobserver@gmail.com. Length should not exceed 200 words. All letters must be signed and include contact information, official titles, and year of graduation (if applicable) for verification.

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THE OBSERVER April 19, 2018

The McKeon Elevator Epidemic LENA ROSE Asst. Photo Editor

I’m going to be honest: my Monday mornings aren’t great. I have 8:30 a.m. classes every day, so I’m forced to wake up early. I roll out of bed at 8:15 a.m., throw on some clothes, brush my teeth and pack my folders for class. I haven’t eaten anything, but it’s 8:20 a.m. I have plenty of time to get to my class, though, right?

Nope. The elevators don’t want to cooperate today. Again.

A strange and recurring issue for Fordham University freshmen lies with the McKeon Hall elevators. The elevator doors refuse to close the first time without fail.

Sometimes they just won’t close at all. If I didn’t know any better, I’d think these elevators have dedicated themselves to becoming the bane of my existence. Ask anyone: the demonic monotone voice of the Elevator Lady will follow you into your worst nightmares. We’re a Catholic school, and our elevators need an exorcism.

This issue has only been present in McKeon Hall. The Lowenstein, Law School and McMahon elevators work just fine, even when filled to capacity. I’m a seasoned elevator rider, and never have I seen students jumping up and down, tampering with the electronics or throwing a huge Welcome Week party in the elevators. Surely it can’t be the freshman residents’ faults. Patient Zero in the Elevator Epidemic is the elevators themselves.

Assuming that the school is aware of the elevator malfunctions, one would think that there would be something done to fix

OWEN ROCHE/THE OBSERVER

The elevator situation in the freshman dorm has its ups and downs.

them. They’re not that old, so why should they experience weekly breakdowns? That’s the students’ job. Something must be done. It’s a seemingly easy fix, right? An open-and-shut case. Well, more like an open-and-shut, open-andshut, open-and-shut… what was I talking about?

Instead of any proactive measures, the only real administrative action has been the strategic placement of laminated signs in the

McKeon lobby—signs to remind students how to use elevators correctly. As I had forgotten that I was five years old and had no idea how to read, push buttons or stand still for prolonged periods of time, this was a big help to me.

According to these laminated edicts of elevator etiquette, each elevator is recommended to hold 15 people at most. Naturally, students carrying backpacks with three or more textbooks count as

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two people and are encouraged to take a separate elevator. If the elevator that comes to you is full, you have to wait again for the next one. Unless, of course, you’re a fan of unscheduled stops between the 21st and 22nd floors as the loudspeaker berates you for your foolishness. Even when following those instructions, riders can expect to hear that godforsaken “going down” a hundred times before the doors finally close. It really is

Opinions

5

only going down from here.

This issue has led many students, myself included, to become concerned for their safety. If an elevator were to stop working entirely mid-ride, students’ lives could be in danger. Plummeting down an elevator shaft isn’t exactly on the top of my to-do list. The fact that we even have to worry about that is scary in itself, and the dangers don’t end there. Beware of sudden and prolonged stops, but please don’t bang on the doors too loudly.

The elevators are sensitive.

An unrelenting frustration has prevailed over Fordham’s freshmen. These elevators make students late to class. And I hate to say it, but honestly, if anyone thinks they’re going to walk twenty flights of stairs to get to the lobby, they’re very wrong. Unless there’s a fire. Honestly, maybe not even then.

This elevator epidemic has been an unnecessary frustration, and it must end. Students should not be worrying about being late to class or meeting their imminent doom in McKeon Hall, just because of a few disobedient elevators. We have other things to worry about, like midterms, student debt and just generally being alive. Your calves can only get so big from climbing the stairs before your pants start to get too tight.

To the elevators of McKeon: it’s a painful experience watching you decide whether or not you want to shut. People have places to be and people to see. I’m tired of your incessant voice and fear of commitment. It’s not me. It’s you. I really need to get to class, and this is the hundredth time you’ve done this.

Open or close. Please, just make up your mind already.

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Opinions

April 19, 2018 THE OBSERVER

Gun Violence and White Privilege

www.fordhamobserver.com

EVILINA KURAYEVA Staff Writer

In the wake of the March For Our Lives movement, we cannot forget the lives of people of color who have been victims of gun violence in the form of police brutality. On March 27, prosecutors in Louisiana cleared the police officers who brutally murdered Alton Sterling of any charges. On March 18, the Sacramento Police Force shot Stephen Clark 20 times after mistaking his cell phone for a gun. On July 6, 2016, Philando Castile was shot and killed by police who were later acquitted and regarded as “not guilty” in the eyes of the United States. These are only three of the hundreds of thousands of minorities who face the threat of death with every move they make. White people need to start getting involved and standing behind people of color in their fight against gun violence. The students of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School have been able to check their own privilege and acknowledge the issue of gun violence through a lens that does not whitewash it. Showing your support for the movement against gun violence and excluding entire communities is unjust. We must not whitewash the cause. Here are a few ways you, as a white person, can aid in the resistance.

The first action you can take is acknowledging your privilege.

Understand that white people have inherent privilege that is not always blatantly obvious. The United States is built in a way that awards the white community numerous advantages from birth.

Use them for good. Understand that in order to dismantle racial injustice, the process starts with white people acknowledging

ANDRONIKA ZIMMERMAN/THE OBSERVER

In the American gun debate, police brutality against people of color must not be ignored.

the hierarchy of society and doing something about it. When acknowledging your privilege, listen. This is one of the most important elements in being an ally; if you are not a person of color, you do not dictate what is oppressive and what is not. When a person of color is trying to explain something to you, do not interrupt.

It may be hard to get involved at first because you don’t know where to start, but simply following a page such as @undocumedia on Instagram paves the way for your own activist endeavors.

Many different pages post several times daily with updates on social justice issues. These not only update your feed on different events and petitions in which to participate, but they also provide platforms for several social justice issues to be recognized.

Another aspect that many white people take for granted is protesting. Do not just get involved in the bigger events; go local, too. Show your support for the Black Lives Matter movement by going out and protesting.

There are many protests that happen every day, especially in the

New York City metropolitan area.

There are numerous events that advertise on Facebook, so make sure to stay updated. The same goes for getting involved at different institutions, one of which is your school. Start a club that acts as a safe space for students to talk about these issues, and support those that already do.

Lastly, be angry. Being angry when hearing of all the atrocities committed is something that is bound to happen. Turn that anger into action. Your acknowledgement is the first step, but do not stop there.

Bringing about change in modern society is not done through neutrality, it takes time, effort and aid. In dismantling the system that continues to endorse state-sanctioned violence against people of color, white people must act as allies and thus advocate for the cause. Be loud and call out your friends or family members who idly stand by. Fight the power dynamic that continues to ensure white rights, and no one else’s. Anger is inevitable, but the action that comes through the emotion is up to you.

Free Trade and Equitable Trade Are Not Mutually Exclusive PATRICK RIZZI Staff Writer

What do Americans stand to gain or lose from protectionist policies? More than you probably think. President Donald Trump’s decision to impose a 25 percent tariff on imported steel and a 10 percent tariff on imported aluminum have been highly controversial. His critics on the trade issue—which include a considerable number of more moderate-leaning and establishment Republicans as well as Democrats—have accused him of inciting economic belligerence that could lead to a trade war. On the opposite side of this increasingly heated issue, Trump’s supporters argue that such stringent restrictions on trade are necessary. While Trump’s tough talk on trade may sound superficially appealing to some blue-collar workers that voted for him, rigid and aggressive protectionism could cause lasting damage to the U.S. economy.

On the issue of trade, Trump’s supporters are joined by unusual company: some progressive Democrats, such as Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Sherrod Brown (DOH), who very rarely even come close to a state of affirmation with Trump administration policies.

Progressives’ reasons for supporting what essentially equates to protectionism, however, are almost radically different than the anti-free trade motivations that appeal to right-wing economic nationalists such as Trump. Concerns over how neoliberal free trade could negatively impact the rights

GAGE SKIDMORE VIA FLICKR

Though Trump’s brash trade platform is based in “winning,” Americans win with a more careful approach.

of workers dominate why progressive liberals may express great skepticism over the issue of trade agreements. Politicians like Trump and Sanders have both made claims that U.S. trade policies are unfair to American workers.

During the 2016 presidential campaign, both Trump and Sanders originally supported U.S. withdrawal from the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), which is considered to be President Barack Obama’s signature piece of his trade policy. After Sanders lost the

heated Democratic primary to Hillary Clinton, she added support for TPP withdrawal to her platform.

Clearly, debate over trade policy is starting to impact how voters across the political spectrum perceive of the issue. Given the current state of economic supply and demand, the practicality of Trump’s tariffs looks quite dim. An analysis by The Atlantic notes that more manufacturing employees work in industries that buy steel rather than sell it. As a result, such manufacturers could have signifi-

cantly greater input costs, which could claim jobs.

Another concerning development Trump has stated regarding trade is his ill-conceived proposal of a U.S.-Mexico trade policy.

Trump believes that Mexico should be hit with extensive tariffs in order to fund the construction of a wall on the U.S.-Mexico border. In reality though, this would be catastrophic, especially considering the economic benefits surrounding GDP growth that the United States, Canada and

Mexico have been able to reap from the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) since the agreement’s inception in 1994.

Simply slapping tariffs on Mexican products for no good reason would lead to drastically higher prices on Mexican goods for U.S. consumers. What do Americans looking to purchase imported electrical machinery for their business, enjoy a bottle of tequila or pick up some avocados from the grocery store all have in common?

They all could end up footing the bill for the wall.

Trump’s trade policy is built on a misguided interpretation of American exceptionalism: that if this country is exceptional on the world stage, other countries must not be. According to Trump, not only do we need to “win” at trade, but other countries need to “lose” to project a psychological image of toughness and strength. This mentality could not be further from the truth. In reality, free trade is not a zero-sum game. When the United States works with other countries to develop fair and free trade policies that boost our own economy while respecting concerns of other nations, all parties involved in such agreement stand to benefit. In the global economy of the 21st century, it is evident that globalization must be embraced rather than shunned. The only way to participate in such embracement through commerce is the creation of sensible trade policy. The future of American trade hangs in the balance. Americans have everything to lose—and even more to gain.

Arts & Culture

Arts & Culture Editor Samantha DeAssis - sdeassis@fordham.edu

April 19, 2018 THE OBSERVER

Macbeth to “The Prom:” A Junior’s Juicy Future

By MORGAN STEWARD Editor-in-Chief

I recently met up with Wayne “Juice” Mackins, Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) ’19, on a dreary, cold spring morning in a crowded coffee shop off Columbus Avenue. Dressed in all black, from his hoodie down to his sneakers, he looked worn out. As he entered the coffee shop where I was waiting, he scanned the room, looking to find me among the crowd of people. The minute we locked eyes, he smiled.

After a hug and the usual pleasantries, Juice and I made our way to the line where I told him to order whatever he wanted because the trip was on me. Initially, he refused, but my stubborness won, and, after a few minutes, we sat at a hightop table laughing, me with a hot chai latte and he with a frappuccino and a warm sandwich.

Wayne was in rehearsals for the last Mainstage show of the year, a new version of William Shakespeare’s “Macbeth” set in a post-apocalyptic Scotland. Directed by Dawn Saito, professor of movement and acting in Fordham’s theatre department, this version of Shakespeare’s most famous tragedy incorporates dance and butoh, avant-garde Japanese movement, to help the actors express the darker side of the human condition through movement.

For Wayne, incorporating extra movement into his performance was natural; before he was an actor, Juice was a dancer. Growing up in Chicago with a sports-loving family, Juice desired to find a hobby that would distinguish him from everyone else. “I don’t want to be related to anybody else,” he explained. “So at a young age I thought, I’m going to do something different. I’m going to dance.”

Juice’s eyes lit up, and he began to laugh as he recalled the exact moment he fell in love with dance. “I was sitting on the couch with my grandfather watching Michael Jackson and Usher on stage performing together. The reaction shots from the audience amazed me. [I realized] you can make people laugh, cry, smile and go through the entire range of human emotions with performing.

LENA ROSE/THE OBSERVER

Wayne “Juice” Mackins plays the title role in Fordham Theatre’s production of “Macbeth”.

That’s what I want to do.”

While still living in Chicago, he began taking dance classes at the YMCA before enrolling in the Debbie Allen Dance Academy at seven years old when his family moved to Los Angeles, where he would stay until he left California to attend Fordham at age 18.

Wayne credits Debbie Allen with inspiring him to branch out into other areas of performing. “In high school I transitioned fully into acting, but under Debbie Allen’s umbrella and her expertise,” he explained. “She made it known to us that we have to learn to do everything. Constantly hearing her say that I had to dig deeper into music, that I had to get deeper into singing, even now I have to learn more with acting… and you know what, I can’t see myself doing anything else.”

Making conversation with Wayne is easy—he is warm and open, willing to speak about anything and everything. The intensity in his eyes is intimidating; you can tell that he is really listening and synthesizing every word that is spoken before he responds.

Though quick on his feet, his re-

sponses are calculated and wellthought out, a trait that I can only assume he has inherited from his many years of studying lines of dialogue in preparation for becoming a professional actor.

One of the actors Wayne looks up to as he continues to refine his craft is FCLC’s very own Denzel Washington. When the name got brought up during out conversation, Wayne’s mouth dropped to the floor and his usually articulate speech became stuttered and chaotic.

“He is my favorite actor in the world,” he says of the 1977 alumnus. “I found out he went [to Fordham] I mean this is where he started acting, and he started acting pretty late at that people would say so I learned that and I was like ‘Oh my god, Fordham made that man?’ Or it helped cultivate the beginnings of him? I have to go there.”

Before leaving California to try his hand at the East Coast, Juice asked the bicoastal agency that represented him to connect him to their New York branch. When meeting with the agency to discuss how he wanted to formulate

his career and what he was looking to audition for, Wayne, never one to not challenge himself, asked for everything… literally. “I want to see what I can do,” he explained to me as I chuckled at his comment and shook my head. “I said give me everything and then I’ll tell you what I can’t do… voice overs, stage, film, television, commercials, musical theater, give me it all.”

And so they did. Three years into trying it all, it seems Wayne has landed the role that might kickstart the rest of his career: Broadway.

Earlier this year, Wayne participated in a lab of the Broadway-bound musical “The Prom,” helmed by Tony Award-winning director and choreographer Casey Nicholaw and starring Tony winner Beth Leval. In November of 2017, Wayne was seen for what he thought was an early audition for the musical. Instead, after speaking to his friends and colleagues after landing the job, he found out he was actually a new addition at the tail end.

“It was an early morning call, we had to be there at 9 a.m. ready

to dance and sing,” he recalled.

The youngest one in the room, Wayne knew he had to bring his A-game to make himself stand out among the more experienced competition. Luckily for him, the dance call was first.

“The choreo was fast, uptempo and specific. The stamina…

I was glad they did that because that was like the key, you saw people dropping like flies. While we were dancing I tried to show how much I loved it because I did,” he recalled. Out of 16 men, the casting directors asked Wayne and one other man to stay to move on to the singing portion of the audition. “I had my two songs, I just had to sing it the best way I knew how. My momma always says keep it simple,” he laughed. After performing “Dear Theodosia” from “Hamilton” and “Poison Ivy” from “Smokey Joe’s Cafe,” Wayne left the audition feeling good. A few days later, he found out he got the job.

Before we could discuss “The Prom” too intensely, Wayne was quick to remind me that just because he did the lab, that doesn’t mean he’ll make it with the show when it opens on Broadway at the Cort Theatre this November. Not wanting to jinx his chances, we discussed instead what it means to him that he was able to begin fulfilling his dreams on such a large scale at just 20 years old.

Always humble, Juice averted his eyes for the first time and smiled at the floor. “Well honestly, it means a lot. You put hours and hours and hours into this craft and hope to get recognition for it, but for this to happen to me at 20 years old, it means the world,” he said. “My family was going off the wall. It’s more for them than for me. It’s more validation for the time and effort that they put into me that it’s not wasted or unnoticed.”

And what does Miss Allen think? “That woman is so busy. I called her to tell her and she goes ‘oh someone already told me. I was like, ‘well, still you know I had to call you,’” he laughs. “I called her while she was at an awards ceremony, so it still means the world that she answered. [She couldn’t talk long,] but I could hear it in her voice. She was very proud.”

A Beginner’s Guide to Broadway on a Budget

By MARIELLE SARMIENTO Asst. Arts Editor

As a student at Fordham Lincoln Center (FLC), the campus is within walking distance of Broadway, giving us access to the center of live theater. Fordham’s proximity to Broadway was a big factor for me as a prospective student. However, soon after moving to New York, I realized that although I was closer to all my favorite shows, my wallet most certainly wasn’t. I had big dreams of going to see a Broadway show every weekend, but two semesters into my time at FLC, I was thoroughly disappointed at the lack of shows I’d seen; that had to change. So I sat down with three theatergoing experts—Kara Hogan, Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) ’19, an intern at Rattlestick Playwrights Theater, Carli Freeman, FCLC ’21, who wants to compose musicals, and Erika Ortiz, FCLC ’18, who completes an annual Broadway showa-thon—hoping to learn all their Broadway secrets.

With the sheer number of shows out there, it seemed impossible to

find information about affordable ticket options. “My biggest recommendation for people who love Broadway is broadwayforbrokepeople.com, which is a website that lists all the cheapest ways to get tickets for all the shows currently on Broadway or upcoming,” Hogan said. After speaking with our theater connoisseurs, I decided the top methods for an economical Broadway experience are rush tickets, lotteries and student discounts as well as Fordham-specific opportunities.

General rush tickets can be purchased by going to a show’s box office on the day of the performance. The tickets offered are usually discounted in the $30-$40 range. Some shows offer their partial view seats as their rush tickets, meaning parts of the stage obstructed. “It’s about being in the room,” said Hogan when I asked if partial view seats deterred her.

Most box offices open at 10 a.m. but lines can begin to form hours earlier depending on the popularity of the show. When it comes to shows like “Waitress,” Freeman recommends being in line one-

and-half to two hours early. Hogan said, “Sometimes it’s cold and you have to wait, but for some shows, like ‘Band’s Visit,’ I recommend rushing because it’s a fairly intimate show and you want to be as close as possible. Rush tickets are usually in the orchestra even though they’re partial view. You could buy $50 tickets for the rear mezzanine, but then you’re too far back.”

In addition to general rush tickets, many theaters offer Student Rush. It’s the same process as general rush, but are only open to students or people under a certain age. “Student rush is the easiest,” said Freeman, “and the best place to do that is Lincoln Center because no matter what’s playing you can get $30 student tickets by going to the box office two hours before the show.”

When it comes to rushing Broadway tickets, Ortiz said, “The best tip I can give is to go on a day when the weather is bad. It usually deters the casual theatergoers, and the less people that show up to rush, the better chance you have of getting your tickets!”

Most Broadway shows offer lotteries. “The Book of Mormon” in-person lottery opens two-anda-half hours before curtain and names are drawn two hours before the show right outside the theater.

The tickets are $32 and the lottery winners are allowed to purchase two tickets. “Hamilton,” as well as most other shows, have digital lotteries that you can enter online or through an app. Digital lotteries open at different times throughout the day, depending on the show and when the curtain opens. Some shows open their lotteries the day before, and close the morning of the performance. TodayTix opens the “Cursed Child” Friday Forty lottery every Friday at midnight for the next week’s performances.

Freeman has won several lotteries, including the “Spongebob Squarepants” lottery twice! “I used to enter lotteries daily during the beginning of the semester,” said Freeman. “Most of them are open from midnight until 9 a.m. So if you’re a night owl, stay up until midnight, or if you have an 8:30, do it before class.” I asked her if you can really get “good” at win-

ning lotteries. Freeman told me the science behind her luck, “Wednesday shows are generally easier to win because they’re two-show days, double the winners, and it’s in the middle of the week. There aren’t as many people entering them.” Lotteries take dedication, luck and time, but the payoff can be amazing.

At Fordham, the Resident Hall Association hosts Theatre Thursdays, where they sell $20 tickets for Broadway shows in McMahon 109. The next trip is to see “Anastasia” on April 26. Another theatergoing opportunity is to take a class in the theater department. “I took Invitation to Theatre and you get discounted or free tickets as part of the curriculum,” said Hogan.

Combined, Hogan, Freeman and Ortiz have seen over 50 shows this year, and have mastered Broadway on a budget. “Do your research, because you can get a good deal if you’re willing to put in a little extra energy or effort,” said Hogan. “It’s a myth that Broadway is unaffordable. It’s hard, you have to do a little work to get the discounted tickets, but you can do it!”

Stratis and Smith: The New Dynamic When commuting to Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC), Demetrios Stratis takes the QM2 bus from Whitestone to West 55th Street and walks, or he jumps off at Bryant Park and takes the B or D train to Columbus Circle. That is unless he doesn’t take the QM2 bus because it costs $6.50 round-trip and Midtown tends to have a lot of construction. In that case, he takes the Q15/Q15A to Citi Field or Main Street, rides the 7 train to Queensboro Plaza and transfers to the N which lets off at 57th Street about ten minutes away on foot. Stratis, FCLC ’19 and the newly elected president of United Student Government (USG), has evidently learned as much about adapting to the circumstances of his university as he has about accommodating the conditions of the unpredictable Metro Transit Authority.

Arriving at Fordham University in the fall of 2015, Stratis noticed what perhaps many of his fellow commuter students had perceived for years: it was very hard to make friends with the residents. “I didn’t like the atmosphere on campus,” he said. “I felt it was very divided, very sequestered. Everyone was divided in sections. I didn’t feel like it was what college was promised to be to some extent.” The commuter experience was, in his understanding, a largely unknown and unacknowledged aspect of campus. He joined the Commuting Students Association (CSA) and struck up the issue of early registration for commuters.

He went to an underclassman town hall organized by then president of USG, Leighton Magoon, FCLC ’18. As he can remember it, he was the only commuter there. He raised the concern of registration and of the divide between those who lived on and off campus.

He realized that for many of the members of USG, it was the first time they had heard about these issues, and that “when

Demetrios Stratis USG

President

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they did hear it, there was always this atmosphere that people weren’t talking to each other on campus about things,” Stratis said.

With that, he bid for office in USG and was elected sophomore senator in the spring of his first year.

For USG, that year was the year of Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP), a vetoed club-turned-symbol of free speech on campus and a subject that Stratis admitted he would for the most part prefer to forget. As arguments flew from both sides, the campus turned to USG, who were scrambling to keep up. “We had to issue statements, we had to meet together, we were talking about sovereignty–what does this mean for us now that we got vetoed. It was a mess,” Stratis said.

He also said that he took away three lessons from that year: “One, as an official, you have limitations. Two, you can’t plan for everything; things can just suddenly come out of nowhere and cause problems. Three, you need to understand the language of student government and work with club leaders and delegate,” he said. “Be passionate about what you do, have pride in yourself as an individual, have faith in yourself, but there’s so many other student leaders and people working on campus.”

With that in mind, Stratis barely pondered the idea when friends told him he should run for president at the end of his sophomore term. He would have had to face off with Becky Song and Alec Padron, rising seniors and veterans of USG. He waited, ran for Vice President of Operations and came into the position with the intention of changing its status in the university community.

“I tried to be extremely transparent. There were updates to the constitution, how we were doing things,” Stratis said. “I tried to maximize the amount of clubs that were being pushed for and voted upon...I basically became a lot more organized. I learned to pay attention to the minor details.”

One major issue, however, became the focus of his efforts: the cultural clubs were collapsing. Stratis saw a pattern. “Even though we have the most clubs than we’ve had compared to previous years, we have the lowest membership,” he said.

In response, he created “Meetings-only Status,” a designation used to float clubs on life-support while they restructured their membership. “I wanted to be very proactive and get the point across that I am here for people and that involvement is important,” Stratis said.

Engagement was a top priority.

Likewise, he had been dealing with the challenge of maintaining a community since the beginning of 2017 when he created the Facebook page “Fordham Memes.” Now boasting more than 1,700 members and a revised name, “Faithful Fordham Memes for Facetious Jesuit Teens” is not only a point of pride for Stratis, but a system analogous to USG. Like the meme page, Stratis dreams of “an honest environment” where people work together, inspire and relate to each other. “That to me is the spirit of a community,” he said. “Great things begin small.

And this is a campus with a lot of potential.”

Stratis may very well have a new tally of lessons under his belt by the time his presidency ends, but he is already well aware of his responsibility to inspire the student body. His final remarks to me could easily serve as those he will eventually have to make at the end of his term: “If I, a guy who never expected to get here, can be sitting in this chair, then anyone else can have the drive to do something to positively impact this community.”

c Duo of United Student Government “I thought of some good puns—too many actually,” newly-elected United Student Government (USG) Vice President Katina Smith said of her viral advertisement campaign, the vestiges of which can still be seen on bulletin boards and plastered across students’ laptops. Iconic flyers picture her proudly astride Lincoln Center’s ram statue, and the appearance of her signature “KitKatina” slogan on notebooks and bags demonstrates continued support for the Vice President around campus. For Smith, the road to the vice presidency was paved with punny one-liners and an infectious school spirit she aims to spread across Lincoln Center in her plans for the 2018-2019 school year.

Smith considers her enthusiasm for Fordham, approachability, and love for witty comedy major aspects of her identity as Vice President. The office’s responsibilities entail a large amount of event planning, most notably Winter Ball, which Smith interprets as highly compatible with her fun-loving character. “If there’s this stuffy person, wearing a suit—I don’t think it’s the right image for the position,” said Smith, “plus, I’m not very good at being stuffy.”

With two years of mock trial and one year as a Resident Assistant under her belt, Smith feels well-equipped to enter the Vice Presidency as an approachable figure well-known around campus. She believes participating in different clubs has given her the platform to function as a link between students and administration on campus.

“In order to make the changes you want to see at Fordham, you need to work with the people who are in power,” Smith said. She acknowledged that Fordham students are driven to enact changes and drive forth social justice, but that administrative roadblocks can at times stifle these ambitions; as Vice President, she aims to create a social atmosphere that will encourage students to “approach [her] with problems or questions…so I can facilitate that [student concerns] on campus.”

At the core of Smith’s agenda is uniting Lincoln Center’s student body through a resource she believes is currently lacking on campus: school spirit.

“In order to have a better representation of student government on campus, you need to have spirit,” Smith said of her own stress on enthusiasm. “It’s something that people can unite around and it’s something people can enjoy and create a positive association to the university.”

The Vice President’s main focus next year is generating and maintaining school spirit on Lincoln Center’s campus via a framework of four incentives: creative advertising, incentivized collaboration, media coverage, and increased accessibility. With these individual plans, Smith hopes to transmit her own excitement for the university to the student body and create a more unified community on Lincoln Center’s campus.

As one of her creative advertisements of school spirit, Smith will enact “Fordham Fridays,” days on which students will be encouraged to wear Fordham gear or maroon clothing. By providing a platform for people to wear their Fordham apparel, Smith aims to create visually and sentimentally united Fordham on campus.

In order to cultivate more student involvement on campus, Smith will incentivize clubs and students with rewards for intra-club collaboration. As an example, Smith posited offering extra funding for events organized by more than one club, simultaneously increasing event attendance and quality by involving a greater number of attendees.

Smith herself intends to reach out to organizations across campus increase the media coverage of Fordham pride: specifically, she aims to work with media outlets across campus to publish a “School Spirit Spotlight” bringing attention to students participating in Fordham Fridays and other university events. Smith hopes highlighting enthusiastic students will cause others to “look up to that person” and subse-

quently “create a community where people care more about Fordham spirit.”

As another way to increase school spirit, Smith believes university events must be openly accessible by the university’s population. At her vice presidential debate, Smith explained that although planning Winter Ball is one of the Vice President’s most important tasks, she herself had never attended it due to the high price of the ticket. As part of her campaign, Smith pledged to broaden the audience of such events, saying she “would rather have a cheaper event, maybe not at such a high-end place, but that more people can go to.”

Smith’s four incentives work to create an infrastructure on which greater school spirit can be generated and sustained. “Wearing a Fordham shirt alone won’t foster a more spirited community,” Smith said, but she believes her various incentives (including the Spotlight, various prizes, and free food) will create a current for continued unity until school cheer picks up.

“If everyone is doing it, then more people will continue to do it,” Smith said with a shrug before quickly adding, “Okay, peer pressure isn’t always a good thing, but it can be a good thing when you’re trying to foster a community, because you need people to be a part of it.”

Ultimately, Smith hopes her persuasive plan for school spirit will strengthen the bonds between the diverse students at Lincoln Center. “We do have a community in that we’re all very driven, we all do things outside of school, in the city. I think that through creating an atmosphere where there is more school spirit, it’ll give us more of a… community vibe within the mecca of New York City.”

Smith looks forwards to implementing her policies next year, alongside USG President Demetrios Stratis (Fordham College Lincoln Center ’19), with an enthusiastic flair. Students can expect a continuous stream of puns and spirit from their new Vice President, a self-proclaimed “comedic genius.”

Katina Smith USG Vice President

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“Lobby Hero:” Lasting the Test of Time

By MARYANNA ANTOLDI Arts Editor Emerita

Late night, 1990s. The lobby of a modest apartment complex in New York City. This simple setting is the basis for director Kenneth Lonnergan’s two-hour drama “Lobby Hero,” playing now at the Hayes Theater.

First performed in 2001, “Lobby Hero” is a play as small as the intimate, 600-seat theater it occupies. The set is simplistic: a rotating room consisting of just a security desk, elevator, armchairs and door—meant to represent a typical waiting area. There is no music, with little to no sound effects either. And the cast? Just four members: Michael Cera (“Juno,” “Scott Pilgrim”), Chris Evans (“Gifted,” “Captain America”), Bryan Tyree Henry (“Atlanta”) and female lead Bel Powley (“Diary of a Teenage Girl,” “A Royal Night Out”).

The cast portrays different members of law enforcement, all with interweaving relationships.

Jeff (Cera) is an awkward security guard who works the nightshift, the only company he has is his boss, the nitpicky William (Henry), who visits during his rounds.

Bill (Evans) is a renowned NYPD officer noted for his heroism and bravery, but his newest partner, the anxious Dawn (Powry), becomes the latest object of his sexual appetite.

But things are more serious than meet the eye: William’s brother commits murder, and William is hesitant to provide a false alibi on his behalf. If he does, his brother will most likely run free.

If he doesn’t, his brother will be convicted. William confides this information to Jeff, who struggles to keep the secret to himself

COURTESY OF JOan marcus “Lobby Hero“ stars Michael Cera, Chris Evans, Brian Tyree Henry, Bel Powley

once faced with Bill and Dawn’s questioning. Add that to Jeff’s growing affections with Dawn, who is attempting to rebuke Bill’s sexual advances. As the characters interweave with each other’s plotlines, one major question appears to bubble out of the surface: Does wearing a uniform really make you a better person? Or does it just make the sting worse when you yourself break the law?

This moral conflict is what drives these characters to their individual breaking points. Lonnergan tackles the same issues

of sexual harassment, racial profiling and abuse of power in the workplace as in the play’s original run in 2001, but they still retain a sad poignancy 17 years later in the age of #MeToo. However, the play is not agenda-driven. These issues are touched on briefly, for they are just a part of the world we live in and fuel some of the conflicts within each character.

This play is about the individual rather than the society as a whole.

Lonnergan loves imperfect characters. Many of his other works such as “Manchester by

the Sea” specialize in flawed people—the kind who try to do the right thing but fail in the process.

This is the exact pattern we see in “Lobby Hero:” William, who is so desperate to uphold his reputation as an officer, fights with himself on whether to back his brother’s false alibi or not. Jeff, a 27-year-old man kicked out of the Navy for smoking pot, swears that he will finally get his life back on track. William’s confidence in Jeff pushes him to the breaking point—afraid that his own life will get derailed if he keeps Wil-

liam’s secret to himself.

And next we meet Dawn, an anxious new police recruit eager to prove her potential to her superior, Bill. Bill’s a celebrity among the NYPD, and he and Dawn quickly grow attracted to one another. But a romance soon turns into a problem when Dawn realizes Bill is sleeping with other women on the job—and threatens to ruin her career if she spills his secret. Suddenly her idolization of the man turns into hatred, and the police force itself is not nearly as heroic as it first appeared.

With the amount of drama permeating in each moment of the production, every actor holds his own on the stage and delivers an excellent performance. There are points where the dialogue comes off awkward and choppy, but the actors more than make up for it with the amount of emotion each delivers. Evans especially shines in his Broadway debut, and it is a shame that his character is the least prominent on stage. Powley’s performance also stuns, her raw emotion instantly placing the viewer on her side from beginning to end. Out of the four actors, Evans and Powley clearly have the best chemistry together. However, do not underestimate Cera and Henry. Their performance is intense, physical and completely captivating.

“Lobby Hero” may not be the most enthralling play on Broadway, but it stands as an intellectual work that truly makes you sit and question aspects of society by the time of its completion.

Lonnergan’s work lasts the test of time, and the newest cast does the script justice. With a short run ending in May, it holds its own amongst the bigger productions, so see it while it lasts.

“Tri” Out These Movies At the Tribeca Film Festival

By BRIAN MCCLAIN Contributing Writer

On Apr. 18, the 18th Tribeca Film Festival officially kicks off. While perhaps not as established as the older, uptown New York Film Festival, Tribeca has found its niche with all manner of independent films, including such recent charms as “Hunt for the Wilderpeople” from Taika Waititi (director of 2017’s “Thor: Ragnarok”) and Mike Birbiglia’s “Don’t Think Twice.” Here are five high-profile films to check out at this year’s festival, as well as some other programs unique to Tribeca.

“Zoe” The centerpiece of the festival, “Zoe” centers on two employees at a research facility that specializes in technology to perfect romantic relationships, and the things they discover in the process. The film stars Ewan McGregor (of “Star Wars” fame) and Léa Seydoux (from 2015’s “Spectre”), and is directed by Drake Doremus, a well-established director of romantic drama. As the centerpiece of Tribeca, this film is for science fiction and romance fans alike.

“Woman Walks Ahead” Based on true events, “Woman Walks Ahead” follows Catherine Weldon, played by Jessica Chastain, as she travels to the Dakotas to paint a picture of the great Native American chief, Sitting Bull (Michael Greyeyes). Along the way, she has to endure constant hostility from the men around her, including two army men played by Sam Rockwell (“Moon”) and Ciarán Hinds (“Justice League”), as she navigates the tension between Native Americans

and the United States government.

Chastain is no stranger to moving period pieces, and looks to be extending her streak here, while Sam Rockwell is fresh off his Academy Award-winning turn in “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri.”

“Song of Back and Neck” Produced, written, directed by and starring Paul Lieberstein (bestknown as the unlucky-in-life Toby Flenderson on the U.S. adaptation of “The Office”), “Song of Back and Neck” follows a paralegal named Fred who suffers from back and neck pain. When a beautiful woman seeking a divorce (Rosemary Dewitt) enters the law firm he where he works, she introduces him to acupuncture, where he discovers a unique ability. Fans of “The Office” will certainly want to seek out this romantic comedy.

“Little Woods” This family thriller centers on two sisters, played by Tessa Thompson (“Thor: Ragnarok,” “Creed”) and Lily James (“Cinderella,” “Darkest Hour”), who reunite in the town of Little Woods, North Dakota when their mom dies. When the two are forced to come up with mortgage money for their mother’s house or risk foreclosure, Thompson’s character finds herself pulled back into her shady past, dragging her sister along with her. Although this is director Nia DaCosta’s first fulllength feature, the strong casting of Thompson and James (as well as James Badge Dale and Lance Reddick) shows a lot of promise.

“Cargo” Not to leave out something for horror fans, Ben Howling and Yolanda Ramke’s Australian thriller will also make its premiere at Tribeca. The

film follows Andy (Martin Freeman, “Black Panther,” “The Hobbit”), who finds himself forced to protect his infant daughter at every turn, in the middle of a zombie outbreak in the Outback. Along the way, Andy encounters a young Aboriginal girl, who is on her own journey to find a cure. Filmed on location in the breathtaking Australian bush, “Cargo” packs a tender family drama into a nightmare down under.

Other Tribeca Film Festival events to check out: Anniversary Screenings Along with new films, Tribeca is also bringing back two iconic films for retrospective screenings with subsequent Q&As, both taking place at the Beacon Theater on Broadway between 74th and 75th Street. On Thursday, Apr. 19, Tribeca will be screening Brian De Palma’s remake of “Scarface” for its 35th anniversary, followed by a conversation with Brian De Palma and actors Al Pacino, Michelle Pfeiffer and Steven Bauer. Then, on Apr. 26, Tribeca will also present a 25th anniversary screening of “Schindler’s List,” followed by a conversation with none other than Steven Spielberg, alongside actors Liam Neeson, Sir Ben Kingsley and Embeth Davidtz.

Documentaries Besides the wealth of narrative films, Tribeca also boasts a wide array of documentaries covering everything from the dying culture of roller rinks (“United Skates”) to a sobering look inside a maximum security prison (“It’s A Hard Truth Ain’t It”). Some notable entries to look out for include “The Fourth Estate,” an exploration of New York Times coverage of the 2016 presidential election, and biographical

COURTESY OF TRIBECA FILM FESTIVAL

The Tribeca Film Festival ends on April 29.

docs about the lives of beloved performers Howard Ashman and Gilda Radner.

Time’s Up Event As the Time’s Up and #MeToo movements continue to surge forward into 2018, Tribeca will be hosting the first official Time’s Up event in New York City on Saturday, Apr. 28.

A full day of panels and interview will take place from 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Tribeca Festival Hub, followed by a cocktail reception in the Roxy Hotel. Notable speakers include actresses Ashley Judd, Julianne Moore, Sienna Miller, Marisa Tomei and Amber Tamblyn.

Tribeca Festival Hub The Tribeca festival may deal pri-

marily in film, but it also hosts the Tribeca Festival Hub at Spring Studios on 50 Varick Street, where many other special events will take place. There will be Tribeca Talks interviews with renowned actors like Bradley Cooper and Robert De Niro, as well as a series on the future of the film industry from technological, financial and narrative standpoints. The Hub will also feature a host of virtual and augmented reality experiences, from video games to nature documentaries to short films, and features content from creators as prestigious as director Terrence Malick. Tribeca is still primarily about screening films, but the Hub demonstrates a tandem intention to trailblaze the future of storytelling as well.

www.fordhamobserver.com

THE OBSERVER April 19, 2018

Arts

11

“Ready Player One:” Spielberg In His Element

By KEVIN CHRISTOPHER ROBLES Asst. Arts & Culture Editor

Over the five decades that Steven Spielberg has spent making movies, one theme has been prevalent in all of them: hope—whether that means hope for a better future, hope for those imprisoned in concentration camps or even just hope that the giant shark doesn’t eat the sheriff. However, many have criticized Spielberg’s insistence on preaching his idealism in his work, and it is difficult to disagree that his films can sometimes come off as maudlin or overly sentimental. Some go so far as to call Spielberg a hack filmmaker or someone whose films are simplistic fantasy fare with no depth or nuance, especially when compared to the other artists of his generation such as Martin Scorsese, Brian De Palma and Francis Ford Coppola.

When others were making “Scarface,” “Taxi Driver” and “The Godfather,” Spielberg was busy at work on “Jaws,” “E.T.” and “Raiders of the Lost Ark.” It can be easy to dismiss Spielberg’s filmography as nothing more than shallow blockbuster entertainment, especially when his peers seem intent on making “very important movies” while Spielberg appears much more interested in being a showman than a philosopher. But this sort of thought misses the point of his movies entirely and is emblematic of a greater problem in the modern pop culture landscape: a bizarre worship of the “real,” the “gritty” and the “dark.” Spielberg’s films nary ever feature the sort of depth of depravity that his contemporaries’ films always featured. Yet, this is where Spielberg’s strengths lie, and to underestimate

that is to deeply understate his value as an artist. There is perhaps no film that truly encapsulates Spielberg’s relentless optimistic drive than his latest outing: “Ready Player One.” Truly, only Spielberg could come out with a science fiction blockbuster three months after releasing “The Post,” an Academy Award contender starring Tom

“‘Ready Player One’ is Spielberg playing Ozymandias... with the biggest most beautiful heart ever conceived.”

TOMMY CUNNINGHAM, FCLC ‘21

Hanks and Meryl Streep. Watching Spielberg’s filmography in order must seem like witnessing an atonal mess—but that ability to take disparate tones, smash them together and have them make sense is exactly what was needed for a feature adaptation of Ernest Cline’s seminal novel “Ready Player One.” The book and film are set in the Oasis, a virtual space where everyone goes in order to escape the dreary lives they lead in their increasingly dystopian world. The plot revolves around the hunt for the Easter Egg, a mythical object left behind by the Oasis’s late creator, James Halliday (Mark Rylance), an odd and eccentric man who was obsessed with the ephemera of his youth. Whoever finds the Easter Egg inherits Halliday’s obscene wealth and total control of the Oasis—and thus the everyday

lives of most of the planet On the surface, it very much feels like a paint-by-the-numbers young adult science fiction plot, just with an overabundance of pop culture references and visual callbacks to seemingly every piece of entertainment under the sun.

Whether it be as obscure as “Silent Running” or as popular as “Back to the Future,” “Ready Player One” never misses an opportunity to pay homage to something in its endless catalogue of visual sight gags or jokes. But there is much more to “Ready Player One” than a brief surface-level analysis will provide, and so the hard-nosed movie buffs of the Filmmaking Club at Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) were consulted for their opinion on the new film. Tommy Cunningham, FCLC ’21, reported with a glowing review: “‘Ready Player One’ is Spielberg playing Ozymandias, only the power trip is replaced with the biggest most beautiful heart ever conceived.”

Others, like Luke Momo, FCLC ’19, applauded the acting, with particular praise for the female lead: “Olivia Cooke has arrived and it’s kind of magic. It’s as if by fate she was given all of the heart, charm and grace her contemporaries sorely lack.” A trend is obvious; there is something different yet familiar about “Ready Player One” and it can only be explained by that effervescent Spielberg magic.

People have fallen in love with this movie because of Spielberg’s sentimentality and optimism. This is a film that functions as a love letter to the very notion of nostalgia; the secret is Mark Rylance’s Halliday, whose strangeness is matched only by the subdued eagerness of Rylance’s portrayal. Halliday, in

GAGE SKIDMORE VIA FLICKR

Steven Spielberg speaking about “Ready Player One” at the 2017 San Diego Comic Con International.

many ways, is emblematic of Spielberg himself: using the film—like the Oasis and the Easter Egg—as a tool to examine and contextualize his legacy. Yet, there is no cynicism and no tiredness. Spielberg is send-

ing a message to all the cynics of the world: hope and optimism are paramount, especially in a world that feels like it’s constantly falling apart. In this day and age, what message could be more important?

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Features

Features Editor Jeffrey Umbrell - jumbrell@fordham.edu

April 19, 2018 THE OBSERVER

Ailey Students are Raising the Barre

By IZZI DUPREY Asst. Features Co-Editor

At Fordham Lincoln Center, there are a wide variety of majors to choose from. All will lead to heavy workloads at times, but the hope is that you are doing what you love, so the work becomes manageable. For students completing a BFA in dance through the partnership between Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) and the Ailey School, it would be impossible to even think about committing to the program if they didn’t love what they did.

While a majority of Fordham’s students avoid registering for classes that meet at 8:30 a.m., this luxury is not possible for the Ailey/Fordham BFA students. To balance the academics required

by Fordham with the necessary Ailey classes, dance majors inevitably end up setting their alarms for early classes most days of the week. Isabel Wallace-Green, FCLC ’19, usually starts her day with an 8:30 a.m. academic. This semester, it’s Latin. Others, like Sarah Grace Houston, FCLC ’20, wake up and head straight to Ailey for an 8:30 a.m. ballet class.

This full schedule can

seem overwhelming at first, but the dancers get used to it quickly.

Maya Addie, FCLC ’21, is a freshman in the program. “Everyone at Fordham and Ailey were very helpful if I had any questions and I also had 30 other BFA classmates that were in the same boat as me and understand how difficult this transition can be s ome times.” Now, less than a year in, she feels “like a pro” and has her schedule memorized.

To stay on top of deadlines and the demands of their schedule, practically everyone in the program relies on an organized planner. Shaina McGregor, FCLC ’18, said that for her, “the key to balancing dance and academics is time management.

Planners and to-do lists are a ne-

JON BJÖRNSON/ THE OBSERVER

Isabel Wallace-Green practices her improv at the Ailey Studios.

cessity in my survival because they keep me organized and focused.”

Houston agrees. “You’ll never see me without my Bluetooth headphones, my planner and at least one book in my bag,” she said.

The planners are needed for both their dance sc hedules at Ailey and the COURTESY OF JUSTIN REID

Shaina McGregor will be graduating this spring.

course load from Fordham, especially for those with an academic major or minor on top of the dance major. McGregor is currently taking her last course as a New Media and Digital Design minor, and said that in the past four years, she has learned that “procrastination only brings exhaustion and stress,” and that “it is always better to be proactive.”

Houston is working to complete a joint major in Mathematics and Computer and Information Science. Her planner keeps her on top of things. “I make sure to manage my homework around classes, breaks and any rehearsals I have.

There’s nothing worse than having to work on insane multivariable calculus problems at 2:45 a.m. because you weren’t proactive enough to work during the one break you get a day,” Houston said.

Not only do these schedules require diligent planning, they also make it difficult for the dancers to have free time — even for lunch. When you’re

waking up before 8 a.m., running back and forth from Ailey on 55th Street to Fordham on 60th all day and starting homework in your room after the sun has already set, organization is imperative.

The dancers have their days planned down to the minute. Houston explained her morning routine

a n d h o w she gets as much sleep as possible while still getting her work done and making it to all her classes.

“I love to sleep but I love getting to Ailey with enough time to warm up, so that means I’m eating oatmeal while doing my hair and makeup most days!” Wallace-Green has figured out what works for her. “I’ll have a 40 minute lunch break, which I spend sitting at Ailey chatting with friends. I make a sandwich in the mornings and pack an energy bar and a piece of fruit to get me through the day.” Though their days are hectic, it is worth it in the end. McGregor’s days are “jampacked with dance classes and rehearsals,” but she loves it. “Each day consists of devoting myself to my craft and deepening myself as an artist … Dancing is rewarding

because I wake up every day despite my fatigue and I get the opportunity to do something that I love, even when it drives me crazy, I feel the satisfaction of working towards something that I deeply care about,” she said.

Addie noted that as dancers, t h e y face constant rejection due to the audition-process that comes with finding a job, but that it pays off. “When you finally book a job it is so rewarding … All of the blood and tears from long rehearsals and hours of training each week were worth it.”

The other dancers share similar sentiments. Wallace-Green said, “There always exists some selfdoubt,” but that “at the same time, that’s the excitement of it all — the reason I wake up and do this every day. Each day I make strides towards achieving my dream of dancing professionally, which is such a gift. I also love the feeling of performing — to touch an audience is definitely a huge reward of the field.”

Houston shared, “Day in and day out you have to stand in front of a mirror and pick out everything that’s wrong with yourself. And sometimes that can get immensely depressing but the thing that always keeps me going is the work.”

She knows that as much as the schedules and both the physical and mental exhaustion are taxing, “there’s nothing like the feeling when all the puzzle pieces come together and you finally nail that turn or you finally p e r form that piece for an audience, and it’s incredible.

It makes it worth it and it makes me want to keep going on this career path, no matter how many times I hear ‘your foot isn’t pointed enough!’”

High School Students Read at Poets Out Loud POETS FROM PAGE 1

students involved.”

Feinstein said that each summer, Dubrow meets with the high school teachers to plan for the upcoming year. Then, she passes along information about the program and potential poets to her own students. “There’s a lot of logistical [issues],” Feinstein said, both for teachers and students. The biggest challenge for her is “finding students who are interested, but also able to travel far from home in the evening” for the readings. Often, the students don’t leave Fordham until after 8 p.m., and “that can be hard, especially for younger students who don’t live in good neighborhoods.”

Despite the challenges surrounding transportation, Feinstein noted that “students are interested, and really enjoy meeting the poets.” For them, they get a “a taste of college: going to a college campus, being taught by college instructors and then going to a public poetry reading.”

Aaron Pinnex, a Fordham Ph.D. candidate whose work focuses on contemporary and post-colonial poetry, leads many of the outreach workshops that precede each reading. In the workshops, Pinnex works with a small group of students (usually around 20, but attendance varies by week); they explore literary concepts and writing strategies,

often by studying the poets of that day’s reading. He echoed many of Feinstein’s sentiments regarding student interest and engagement.

“I have been very impressed with how much the high school students know [and] how much they come into the sessions with,” he said. Pinnex finds that the students are always “very engaged,” and he is “consistently impressed” with the work they produce.

Each workshop runs differently, but Pinnex emphasized that, above all else, “it’s a conversation.” He wants to know what “they [the students] find interesting,” and said that “what they find interesting are not necessarily the same things that I find interesting.” Each workshop usually begins with pizza, and afterwords Pinnex hands out selections from the poets who are reading that day. In discussing the poems, Pinnex often tries to focus on formal or thematic concepts that he feels “would be interesting to high school students, [and] that they would find intriguing and accessible.” Then, the students write poetry of their own, incorporating and building off the concepts they discussed. “I think it’s important not to think about poetry as something that happens ‘up here,’ far away,” Pinnex said, “but as something that the high school students are engaging with.”

Towards the end of each workshop, the poets from that day’s reading join to discuss their work

and answer students’ questions.

The discussions reflect the high level of engagement with the poems that the students have. “You can tell by the kinds of questions that they’re asking the poets, they’re interested in this,” Pinnex said. “It’s a real interest, they’re motivated.”

All of the poets who have worked with the students, said Pinnex, have been “very welcoming to the kinds of questions and engagement. They seem to be very interested in the conversation [too].”

Feinstein noted the importance of the communal aspects of the workshops as well. It’s a unique experience, she said, for students to hear professional poets read their work, and “to talk about it with high school students from across the city” who are equally interested in discussing poetry.

The work that the students put into both studying and writing poetry was certainly evident at the April 11 workshop and reading. They looked at selections from Jess’ “Olio,” including some of his syncopated sonnets. The students discussed the complex ways in which voice is transmitted, repressed and given power in the poems. When Jess joined the group at the end of the workshop, he said he was impressed with the variety and depth of the questions asked by the students.

After the workshop, the stu-

JEFFREY UMBRELL/THE OBSERVER

Tyehimba Jess read selections from his book “Olio” on April 11.

dents and teachers migrated across the hall to the 12th floor lounge for the reading itself. Before Jess read, the night began with selections from the students’ original work. One student, from Bronx Early College Academy, expressed her appreciation for the support of her friends and family and said that being able to read her work “means a lot.”

Her poetry tackled complex issues with an impressive linguistic dexterity, as did the work of all the students. Employing a clever and effective use of rhyme, she addressed both domestic and foreign poverty: “Finding clean water is no easy task, / And dehydration is an easy way / For a child

to leave this world in one day. / Now, what do you have to say? / Nothing.”

After the students read, Jess praised the work he and the audience had just heard. “We’re bringing them up right,” he said. “[I’ve] got some serious competition.”

The extent to which the POL outreach program allows students to explore, study and write poetry easily surpasses that most high schools. Pinnex explained that, as a student, he lacked a similar outlet in which he could explore his creative interests. “I didn’t have this kind of community engagement,” he said, speaking about his high school days. “I wish I had.”

www.fordhamobserver.com

THE OBSERVER April 19, 2018

A Different Study Abroad Experience

Features

13

By KAYLA WOLF Contributing Writer

I have always known that I wanted to study abroad. Where, however, I was unsure. It was a last-minute decision to apply to Fordham’s Ubuntu program in South Africa, and I can say it was one of the best decisions I have ever made.

What separates Ubuntu from other study abroad programs is its emphasis on community-engaged learning. In addition to taking four classes at the University of Pretoria, we all volunteer at various sites in and around the Pretoria area.

For decades, South Africa existed under an oppressive ‘apartheid’ regime, which translates to ‘apartness’ in English. Under apartheid, people were categorized as either white, black, Indian or colored and forced to live in areas based on that factor. Only white people were allowed to live in cities while people in other groups lived in townships on the outskirts of major cities. The apartheid regime only ended in 1994 and the effects and inequalities are still incredibly evident in South African society.

Every Tuesday, about six of us travel to the township of Soshanguve where we work at an aftercare program. The program has about 50 students who come from local primary schools to do their homework and play. It is here that I feel I make the most impact. The center has a library that previous Fordham Ubuntu students put together, but most of the books are far above the reading level of the primary school students. A few weeks ago, I saw one of the older girls mindlessly pick up the first Harry Potter book and walk away with it. I followed her, asked if she was going to read it and she started reading aloud to me. That day, she and I took turns reading pages and finished the whole first chapter. After we finished, she told me that she never thought that she would be able to read a

PHOTOS COURTESY OF KAYLA WOLF

The Fordham Ubuntu program incorporates community service into the unique study abroad experience.

book that big and was so proud of herself for doing so. Now each week as soon as I get there, she is there waiting with Harry Potter in hand. I have trouble finding the words to describe the impact that empowering this one little girl has had on me. I came to South Africa with the intention of making a difference in the lives of the people here, but instead, I am the one who is moved by their kindness.

Stephanie Galbraith, Fordham College at Rose Hill (FCRH) ’20,

explained it best: “Fordham University’s Ubuntu program takes its name from the South African humanist philosophy that holds as its central tenet that a person is a person through other persons. In other words, you are who you are because of your interaction with the community around you; if the community thrives then you will thrive.”

I chose to study at Fordham Lincoln Center because I wanted something other than the traditional college experience, and I

continued that trend by deciding to study abroad in South Africa. Here, I have realized just how privileged I am even just to have gone to school in the United States. Even in the poorest and worst of schools in the U.S., there are indoor bathroom facilities.

Those kinds of necessities are not a given here and it has humbled me to travel and experience life beyond what I am used to.

Luckily for me and the other 10 Fordham students living here in Pretoria, we are only halfway

through our time here. The 11 of us come from all sorts of different backgrounds: different countries, states and campuses, but the one thing we all share is our dedication to helping the people we have met while here. I am forever grateful to Fordham for providing me with this opportunity to have not only New York as my campus, but South Africa as well.

If you are interested in donating to Fordham University’s Ubuntu community project, go to the program’s GiveCampus page.

Free Speech at Fordham: Seitz Looks to the Future

By GIANNA SMERAGLIA Copy Editor

On Feb. 27, 2018, Associate Professor of Theology Jonathan Seitz released a petition titled “Statement on the Future of Free Speech at Fordham” to members of Fordham University. This petition called for Fordham to create a better policy concerning free speech on campus — allowing students more freedom when it comes to speaking out on social justice issues and giving constructive criticism to decisions made by the university.

A little over a month later, Seitz has received both criticism and praise for the petition, which has started a conversation on campus between both staff and students about free speech at Fordham. As of March 25, 2018, Seitz’s petition has 146 signatures. Seitz hopes that the conversation that this petition has started will lead to changes in university policy — creating a more open and accepting place for both students and staff to express their opinions. The Observer conversed with Seitz to discuss the university’s reaction to the petition and his goals for the future regarding free speech at Fordham.

Gianna Smeraglia (GS): Some of Fordham’s top administrators, including President Rev. Joseph M. McShane, S.J. and the Dean of Students at Lincoln Cen-

ter Keith Eldredge, have claimed that they were either unaware of the petitions existence prior to The Observer’s initial article about it or that they did not have access to it. Has this changed at all? Has the petition reached any other school administrators?

Jonathan Seitz (JS): I sent the petition to Dean Eldredge and Dean Rogers. I did not hear back that they could not read it, so I assume they saw it, probably after the time when the Observer asked them about it. I do believe they were able to access it since their office reached out to a colleague of mine through the Faculty Senate’s Student Life Committee to see if they might discuss it. The plans for that meeting are in the works, as I understand it. I believe I will be included in that meeting. I think the people in charge of Student Affairs know about it. I know the college deans know about it. Rafael Zapata, the Chief Diversity Officer, has heard me talk about it.

GS: With the proposal of public squares, students would be able to practice free speech at any time. But with free speech, some people tend to border or cross the line into hate speech.

How would you regulate or monitor that?

JS: This is a really tough question. And a good one, by which I mean it is a question we need to be asking and need continually to keep asking. To me there is

no foolproof way to stop people from crossing the line into hate speech. We will never achieve the perfect solution to this problem. But that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t do our best to try, especially since hate speech is so often targeted at people with so little power and thus so much vulnerability.

So, my thought on this was to cultivate a student-led and student-approved democratic system of accountability. That’s the idea behind the “honor code” and “honor council.” These would be democratic student-led institutions, with a code and mandate that gets renewed each year by student vote. Students, in other words, would be deciding together how to manage these really tough questions which, after all, are the questions that face us every day as citizens of this country.

GS: You suggest in your petition to convene a team of university members to create a more expansive and clear policy for free speech which would include both faculty and students. How would you want students and faculty to be chosen? How closely would you want both groups to work together?

JS: Another good question. I would favor an open invitation for participants. I have never been at a meeting where there were too many volunteers to do the hard, detailed work. This

JON BJ Ö RNSON/THE OBSERVER

Jonathan Seitz, professor of theology at Fordham University.

puts the responsibility on representatives of various interest groups and loyalties and affinities to show up. I can think of lots of folks smarter than me and with more credibility on this stuff who would do a good job leading a group like this.

GS: Looking to the future, how do you plan to move forward with the petition and your overall proposal to change Fordham’s policy on free speech?

JS: I hope that the petition will continue to gain signatures from all sectors of the university, including staff, students, contingent faculty, faculty and admin-

istrators. I will work to make sure that the petition and the issues it raises will receive a hearing at the level of the administrators who make policy decisions. I will continue to work with colleagues and students and anyone else who would like to advance these issues and help me figure out ways that this can gain traction. I think we can benefit from learning and talking with one another more about these issues. I think we can make real progress. This is all about love for Fordham.

For the full interview, visit www.fordhamobserver.com

Fun & Games

April 19, 2018 THE OBSERVER

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EDITED BY DAN NASTA AND MEG CRANE

Across 1. Jetfuel’s weakness 6. Ed of “The Hangover” 11. Relaxation hub 14. Excite without release 15. 58-across rejector 16. Feathers vs. bricks unit 17. Deliverer of colored eggs and candy 19. Status of personnel with hon.

discharge 20. Inquire 21. Webchat bots 22. As a friend, French-ly 24. Ensemble 26. Procured, as with blood 27. Col. level American history 29. PC’s dashboard 31. Double reeded woodwind 34. McCreery and Clarkson 35. Dignified seriousness

37. Famed CD compilation 38. Heart healthy nuts 40. Eminem’s celestial domain 41. Fizzy drink for the old folks 43. Bookish 45. Round up 46. Period 47. Margot’s redeemed ice-skater 48. Furious’ friend 50. Pink wine elixir 51. Princes with power over Kushner 53. Male partner, as in 50 Shades of Grey 54. When doubled, a lollipop 57.

Web addr.

58. Tesla power source 63. Long fish who harnesses the power of 58-across 64. What laborers produce for corporations 65. State papers 66. Unit of time in which Rome was not built 67. Tests 68. Rich person raft Down 1. Part of a recipe 2. Shred 3. Mild 4. NY time zone 5. Civil War general 6. Tough-to-break tendency 7. Ostrich cousins 8. Tony winning Miranda, familiarly

9. Early Skype pred.

10. More bashful 11. Seed-spattered fruit 12. Free verse or sonnet 13. Rihanna’s 2016 Album 18. Rug burn result 23. Light emitting conducting gas 24. __-de-sac 25. India’s silk state 26. Passed on 27. Worship 28. With exceptional force 29. Johnny B. _____ 30. Radius’ neighbor, anatomically 32. Godzilla’s destruction zone 33. TV sports award 34. Small worm movement 35. Urban occlusion 36. Early Windows pred.

39. GRE cousin 42. One man parenting unit 44. Loneliest number 47. Pressure unit 49. Correctly spelled appliance 50. Religious ceremonies 51. Targeted legally 52. One half the base times the height, in a triangle 53. Icky Residue 54. A burned mixtape, perhaps 55. Mormon state 56. Old school adventure game 59. Hollywood’s airport 60. Common Core writing assessment 61. Harvard ground creeper 62. Pompeo’s org.

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9 8 1 7 5 3 2 4 5 6 7 8 4 9 2 7 4 9 5 3 3 2 5 1 8 6 8 9 7 2 1 6 5 8 EDITED BY LOÏC KHODARKOVSKY

LETTER FROM THE EDITORS: To The Observer Staff of 2017-2018, Thank you all for such a phenomenal year on the newspaper.

We appreciate all of the hard work and dedication you put in, as a group and as individuals. You are all excellent people who made those late Tuesday production nights (or, maybe better said, early Wednesday mornings) really fun and meaningful.

The work we did may have been challenging, but the lasting friendships we have made with you all has made the stress and severe lack of sleep so worth it.

Not to mention the awesome final product we continued to improve on as a team issue after issue.

We are excited to follow the amazing things you each accomplish next year. Please know you have two friends (and loyal Observer readers) for life.

Love, Morgan and Reese

Sports & Health

Sports & Health Editor Artemis Tsagaris - atsagaris@fordham.edu

April 19, 2018 THE OBSERVER

Studies Suggest Benefits of the Keto Diet

By LUKE OSBORN Asst. Sports and Health Editor

The ketogenic (keto) diet involves the intake of very little carbs and a high intake of fat instead. Entering a state of ketosis is the goal of the keto diet. Ketosis occurs after a few days of reduced carbohydrate consumption. Once reserves of glucose (the essential molecule of carbohydrates that stores energy) become depleted, the body can no longer use glucose as its major source of energy. To satisfy the body’s need for energy, the liver takes in fat molecules and converts these molecules into ketones. These molecules satisfy the body’s energy need and replace the role of glucose.

The keto diet helped Patrick Hannaford, of Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) ’21, stay alert and satiated.

Hannaford consumed around 30 grams of carbohydrates to maintain ketosis. Even though Hannaford’s body was no longer running on carbohydrates, he continued to feel full after meals. Of course, Hannaford had cravings while on the keto diet, but he explained, “There’s a difference between needing to eat and wanting a muffin.” Thus, eating keto allowed Hannaford to eat more and continue to lose weight.

Ketosis can have many positive outcomes on your body and overall health. According to The European Journal of Clinical Nu-

trition, the keto diet has shown promising effects on weight loss, cardiovascular disease, type two diabetes and epilepsy.

In terms of weight loss, the low carbohydrate diets have proved to be more effective than low fat diets. One theory behind this trend postulates that the higher intake of protein reduces hunger. Additionally, researchers find that more fat cells are burned than made during ketosis, and researchers also note that the fat to ketone pathway consumes excess calories.

The keto diet raised concerns among members of the medical community for its emphasis on a high fat intake, for high fat diets used to be associated with a higher risk for heart disease.

Nevertheless, strong evidence points towards the keto diet’s ability to lower cholesterol and increase beneficial high-density lipoprotein. On top of reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease, the keto diet can reduce insulin resistance in individuals with type two diabetes, as well as reduce the frequency of seizures in individuals with epilepsy. Significant evidence points towards the numerous benefits of the keto diet.

There are several ways to undertake the keto diet. The standard

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keto diet involves proportions of 75 percent fat, 20 percent protein and five percent carbohydrates.

Other forms of the keto diet put more emphasis on protein. For instance, a high-protein keto diet would include 60 percent of fat and 35 percent of protein. Individuals who are interested in feeling more satiated or intend on exercising on the keto diet would be more successful eating a higher proportion of protein. In terms of quantity, one must consume under 50 grams of carbohydrates to achieve ketosis. Like most diets, the keto diet is intended to be

Avocados are excellent sources of plant-derived, monounsaturated fats.

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ments and unhealthy, processed fat.

After cutting these foods, the keto diet emphasizes increasing consumption of meat and food products high in fat. For example, one would consume more red meat like steak, ham and sausage with each meal.

Food products that are high in fat would include unprocessed cheese and butter. Eggs also provide nutrients like omega three fatty acids and ample amounts of fat and protein. The keto diet also emphasizes a lot of plant-derived fats: these include avocados, nuts, seeds and olive oil.

Some low-carbohydrate vegetables like leafy greens, tomatoes and peppers are also included in the keto diet.

The keto diet provides one’s body with an interesting challenge. One is intaking the same amount of food, but the body has to work differently to get energy from the food. Though refusing carbohydrates may seem like a daunting task, the keto diet seems to have various health benefits.

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Since one must restrict his or her carbohydrate intake drastically, the keto diet involves cutting out a large amount of commonly consumed food. Above all else, one should avoid foods with a high content of added sugar. These food items include candy, ice cream and cake and also many drinks like soda, fruit juice and smoothies. The next food group to exclude would be grains and starches: pasta, rice, bread, cereal, etc. Most other diets usually increase the intake of fruit, legumes and root vegetables, but the keto diet excludes these food groups. However, one can consume small portions of berries on the keto diet. Other food items that are cut include alcohol, low-fat diet foods, sugar-free diet foods, some condi-

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