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The debut of a Fordham Minecraft server By JESSICA FIGUEROA Staff Writer
One of the many things that I had not previously expected to take up a portion of my quarantine procrastination time is a Minecraft
server made by and for Fordham students. It was created by the students running the Instagram meme account @lc_sinners. You may have seen their recent activity on Instagram with a petition calling for Fordham to refund housing and tuition for the spring 2020 semester as a result of
the coronavirus bringing a halt to in-person classes and on-campus housing. You may also be familiar with their memes. Their main goal is to unite the Fordham community on both campuses, and this new online version of Fordham on Minecraft is another method of
theirs to help build stronger relationships among students. “I think students right now don’t have the ability to see friends or fellow community members face to face,” a member of @lc_sinners, who wished to remain anonymous, wrote to The Observer on Instagram. “A Minecraft server gives students the
see Minecraft page 11 CAPTURED ON MINECRAFT
April 22, 2020
VOLUME XL, ISSUE 8 Online-Only Edition
Welcoming the Class of 2024 Digitally By MICHELLE AGARON and ALLIE STOFER Staff Writers
High school seniors and rising college freshmen, including Fordham’s incoming Class of 2024, have had to grapple with a number of losses: graduation, prom and the chance to familiarize themselves with their prospective colleges in person. After the state of emergency was declared in New York due to the coronavirus (COVID-19), New York City, along with Fordham, shut down. Due to the cancellation of all spring events, incoming students are having to take virtual tours, attend online Zoom sessions and rely on Facebook groups to get to know their future classmates. Without the traditional in-person Admitted Students Day, incoming students are unable to fully interact with current and future students. Some students have yet to even visit the campus. Dylan Larsen, a student from Pine Bush High School in Middletown, New York, intends to commit to Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) without ever seeing the campus in person. However,
Keating Hall is the starting point for players when they enter the Minecraft server. Its creators hope the digital campus will “strengthen our community.”
see 2024 page 5
Lincoln Center Elects 2020-21 United Student Government
What Lies Ahead for New York? LEO BERNABEI Staff Writer
By SOPHIE PARTRIDGE-HICKS News Editor
FIVE GUYS New York City Politics
GABE SAMANDI/THE OBSERVER
The coronavirus pandemic has shut down the streets of New York City, and we can only hope that life returns to normal soon.
On April 16, Loreen Ruiz, Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) ’21, won the contested race for the United Student Government (USG) President for the 2020-21 academic school year. Resham Sansi, Gabelli School of Business Lincoln Center (GSBLC) ’21, will join USG’s executive board as Chair of Student Affairs. Lydia Hallett, FCLC ’21, will assume the position of Chair of Facilities, and Rachana Komatireddy, FCLC ’22, as Chair of Operations. A full list of the E-Board can be found on USG’s OrgSync page. Ruiz ran against Robert Stryczek, GSBLC ’21, in a more contentious race than often seen at Fordham Lincoln Center. A total of 322 students participated in this year’s election, with Ruiz gaining 185 votes, and Stryczek following closely behind with 132.
Hope is dawning in New York City. It wasn’t long ago that everything seemed dreadful: hundreds dying each day, an upward curve of new infections showing no sign of slowing down, an impending shortage of ventilators and personal protective equipment, and 8.6 million shut-in city residents.
Today, New York is beginning to emerge from the coronavirus crisis. Now, new cases and deaths due to the coronavirus are dropping across the Empire State, as is the need for health care resources. Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced on April 15
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Sports & Health
Opinions
Arts & Culture
Fun & Games
Quarantining on Campus
Rams on the Frontlines
Chaotic Evil or Lawful Good?
Filmmaking Club
Missing the Rams
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What life is like for students on an empty campus
see NEW YORK page 8
Past and present STEM students navigate the future
see GOVERNMENT page 4
How your quarantine behavior reveals your character alignment
COURTESY OF LOREEN RUIZ
Loreen Ruiz, FCLC ’21, won the vote for United Student Government President by a margin of 53 votes.
Film festivals to proceed, with students making distance-inspired work
The Student Voice of Fordham Lincoln Center
Public health is not a game, but it’s fun to dream about the return to Fordham
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News
April 22, 2020 THE OBSERVER
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A Look at Fordham’s Last Pandemic: The Swine Flu By GRACE GETMAN Opinions Editor
“We hope that students who experience influenza-like symptoms or are diagnosed with the flu will take steps to isolate themselves to limit the exposure to others,” Dean Keith Eldredge said. This was not, in fact, in relation to the coronavirus crisis. It was the fall semester of 2009, and a very different pandemic had reached Fordham’s doors: the swine flu. By December of that year, 165 cases of H1N1 had appeared at the Rose Hill campus and 12 at Lincoln Center. While the coronavirus and H1N1 share symptoms such as fever, coughing and shortness of breath, they are very different from each other: The swine flu is 10 times less deadly than the coronavirus. College students were considered particularly at risk for getting the swine flu due to their close physical contact in residence halls and social contact inside and outside the classroom. People between the ages of 18 and 25 were more likely to get the H1N1 virus itself, which many have attributed to lingering antibodies in people who lived through a swine flu epidemic in 1976. Throughout 2009, Fordham took steps in line with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines for institutions of higher learning to limit the spread of the virus. Fordham used many of the recommended precautionary and preventive measures, such as advertising information and advice about the swine flu. They also installed hand sanitizer stations throughout campus, some of which are still present today. Another difference between the coronavirus and the swine flu was the university’s contingency plans, based on the CDC recommendations at the time. According to a September 2009 Observer interview
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Editor-in-Chief Owen Roche Managing Editor Courtney Brogle Business Managers Teymur Guliyev Srushthi Kshirsagar Online Editor Izzi Duprey Layout Editors Esmé Bleecker-Adams Lara Foley Asst. Layout Editors Maddie Sandholm Olivia Stern News Editors Gus Dupree Sophie Partridge-Hicks Asst. News Editors Joe Kottke Katrina Lambert
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During the swine flu epidemic of 2009, University Health Services offered students vaccinations for the H1N1 virus.
with Eldredge, the university had no plans to shut down in the event of a widespread outbreak. Instead, Eldredge said, “Self-isolation will be the first measure taken,” and that students who lived within a 150-mile radius of campus would be asked to return home if they contracted the swine flu, but that they would not be “forced to do so.” For students who remained on campus, Eldredge explained that it would mean that “students living in three-bedroom, two-bathroom apartments will be asked to confine themselves to one room and one bathroom and separate themselves from their roommates.” If an outbreak at Fordham Lincoln Center became too large for just self-isolation, Pope Auditorium was to be used to house sick students because of its “good ventilation system.” According to Eldredge, Fordham made plans to arrange for linens and food delivery in the event of quarantining students in McMahon Hall.
This was affirmed by the Rev. Robert R. Grimes, S.J., Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) dean emeritus, who, at a College Council meeting, said that “no plans have been made to close the college in the event of a widespread breakout.” In October 2009, Marc Girard, FCLC ’10, was quarantined in an empty three-bedroom apartment on the 19th floor of McMahon after running a fever of 104 degrees. He told The Observer in 2009 that “Everybody was great ... they even brought me food from the cafeteria for the three days I was there.” Girard was released once he was fever-free for 24 hours. Other students with family nearby returned home to recover while they were ill. While those in the Fordham community were concerned about the swine flu at the time, it ultimately had little impact on the Fordham community after reaching its peak in the fall semester of 2009. Speaking to those on campus now, few memories of the swine flu epidemic
PJ WILLIAMS/THE OBSERVER
At this October 2009 College Council meeting, Grimes said there were no plans to close the university in the event of a mass outbreak of the swine flu.
remain. Aristotle Papanikolaou, a theology professor at Fordham and the Archbishop Demetrios chair in Orthodox Theology and Culture, wrote, “I do remember the epidemic, but, honestly, I don’t have any memories of Fordham doing anything out of the ordinary. None at all, in fact.” Jason Morris, chair of the natural sciences department at FCLC, concurred, writing, “I don’t remember the event at all.” Morris accounted for this gap due to the existence of a vaccine, saying that its presence “is probably a good bit of the difference between something I don’t even remember a decade later and something that will be a formative experience for several generations of people worldwide.” Once a vaccine for the H1N1 virus was released, Fordham’s University Health Services provided a flu shot clinic in November, inoculating 600 students at the event. They continued to vaccinate students throughout the semester with remaining doses, despite some student reluctance. Anna Loizeaux, FCLC ’10, told The Observer in 2009 that she did not receive the vaccine because “I feel like influenza is always changing, and a vaccine will only serve to make the virus stronger and our immunities to it lesser ... How do we know that H1N1 won’t be different in a month?” Sam Wong, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences ’11, said, “[I think] universal vaccination does not put an end to the viral infection. Students need to exercise proper hygiene and that should be good enough.” Following the fall 2009 semester, fears about the H1N1 virus largely quieted and were eventually swept away as the epidemic died down. While the coronavirus and swine flu pandemics received very different plans from Fordham, it is important to remember that the two diseases are markedly different from each other. The path of the university will remain unclear as the pandemic continues to unfold, as this virus is so different from the one that came to the university over 10 years ago.
Opinions Editors Grace Getman Evan Vollbrecht Asst. Opinions Editors Emily Ellis Haley Smullen Arts & Culture Editors Ethan Coughlin Gillian Russo Asst. Arts & Culture Editor Kendall Bottjer Features Editors Samantha Matthews Nicole Perkins Asst. Features Editors Jacqueline Pierce Emma Seiwell Sports & Health Editors Patrick Moquin Lena Weidenbruch Asst. Sports & Health Editor Aiza Bhuiyan Photo Editor Andrew Beecher Asst. Photo Editors Isabelle Dalby Andrew Dressner Fun & Games Editor Esmé Bleecker-Adams Copy Editors Libby Lanza Jill Rice Lulu Schmieta Social Media Editors Roxanne Cubero Maca Leon Shamya Zindani Newsletter Editors Gillian Russo Shamya Zindani Multimedia Editor Caitlin Bury Asst. Multimedia Editor Alison Ettinger-DeLong Retrospect Host Kevin Christopher Robles Retrospect Producer Alyssa Morales IT Manager EJ Ciriaco
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THE OBSERVER April 22, 2020
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COURTESY OF ABIGAIL PRATT
Isolated on Fordham’s Empty Campuses By JACQUELINE PIERCE Asst. Features Editor
When Abigail Pratt, Fordham College Rose Hill ’21, an international student from New Zealand, first received word that face-toface instruction would be canceled for the rest of the semester, she was overwhelmed. “I was just trying to figure out what that meant for me in terms of getting home because it’s not a two-hour journey to get home. It’s more like 20-something hours to get home, and going through four different airports.” On March 13, the Office of the President announced in an email that residential students should vacate the residence halls “as quickly as they can,” and that all students would be required to move out by Friday, March 20. On March 18, another email clarified that “the University is making limited ex-
ceptions” to address the needs of students with extenuating circumstances, including international students. Pratt felt for a number of reasons that returning to New Zealand was not a viable option, including the safety of her grandparents who live with her family. “If I’m quarantined at home, it’s a risk to my family as well.” Pratt contacted the Office of Residential Life (ResLife) in a number of emails to express that she would not be able to return home, saying, “The flights are too difficult of a situation for me to get home right now, so if I’m not allowed to stay on campus, I’ll be couch-surfing around.” Though Pratt received a number of offers from friends whom she could stay with, she felt it was necessary for her to stay on campus, as she didn’t want to become
COURTESY OF JAZMIN SOLOMULI
a burden for another family during this stressful time. “Because it is still the academic semester, I have a lot to focus on academically. As soon as you change where you’re living, especially if I’m living with another family I don’t fully know, it’s just an additional stress.” Pratt was first given an extension to stay until March 27, but was approved soon after approved to stay through the end of the semester. Though she described the process of getting approval to stay as “stressful,” Pratt, who is also a resident assistant, felt comfortable in her communications with the administration. “I think being a part of the ResLife family, I’m familiar with them, so that eased my worries.” However, others found the process more complicated. One student, who asked to remain anonymous, is staying at Rose Hill, but was unhappy with how ResLife handled the situation. “It was really difficult to get ResLife to allow me to stay and it was really anxiety-provoking, especially when everything unfolding was so new to us. “I am grateful that they allowed me to stay, but getting to that point really was a fight when it shouldn’t have been,” she continued. Pratt explained that while some students remaining on campus have had to move residences, she
has been allowed to stay in her apartment. “I’m still in the same place because I’m in Campbell, which is one of the apartment-style places, and it’s where quite a lot of the staff that stay all year live, so it made sense to keep these buildings open.” As a New Zealand citizen, Pratt is still able to return home, but there is now a mandatory 14-day stay in a quarantine facility. “I’m definitely going to stay until the last day of the semester,” she said. She is still figuring out where she will go from there. “The plan is to stay in New York. There’s no point going back to New Zealand.” After she leaves campus at the end of the spring semester, Pratt hopes to return as soon as possible. “For the second session of summer, hopefully they’ll reopen and I’ll be back on campus, but it’s kind of up in the air right now.” For now though, she finds herself on a very empty campus. “I see a couple of people, like the RDs (residential directors) that live here year-round ... I think there are 10 or 15 other students staying at Rose Hill, but I don’t really see any of them,” Pratt said. Students are allowed off-campus in order to get food and essential supplies, but Pratt stocked up before restrictions were in place. “Honestly, I have not left campus ground in three or four weeks,” she said. Other students who live
off-campus in nearby apartments have decided to stay in the city. Jazmin Solomuli, Fordham College Lincoln Center ’22, who often moved around growing up, identifies New York City as her home, living just eight blocks away from the Lincoln Center campus. Solomuli also wanted to stay in the city in order to be near her grandparents who live in Brooklyn. “I felt it was my responsibility to take care of them and to be here if they ever need anything.” Solomuli has not been on the Lincoln Center campus since spring break, but she has seen the area around campus change dramatically. “There’s not that many people walking around anymore and lots of restaurants and shopping places have closed.” “It’s empty and it’s quiet,” Solomuli said about the Lincoln Center area. “They have put up barriers blocking Lincoln Center. At the top of the steps, it’s gated and on the other side, that part is also blocked off.” “It’s weird being at a campus that’s so quiet, but I’m used to it now,” Pratt said. “It’s quite nice, and the squirrels are back in full force.” With the streets around campus empty, students at and near Fordham find themselves in an entirely new environment. However, those who remain have found ways to adjust, hoping that things might soon return to normal.
COURTESY OF JAZMIN SOLOMULI
COURTESY OF ABIGAIL PRATT
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News
April 22, 2020 THE OBSERVER
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Lincoln Center Elects Ruiz After Competitive Campaign GOVERNMENT from page 1
By comparison, the 2019-20 election saw a much steeper margin between the two presidential candidates; Thermadam secured 331 votes, while her opponent, Austin Tong, GSBLC ’21, received only 53. “It was a complete surprise,” Ruiz said about learning of her victory. “In these circumstances, it was so hard to gauge how this election was going to go.” Due to the the coronavirus pandemic, USG was forced to host its annual debate online and modify some of the election protocols in order to accommodate distanced learning and students not being on campus. Thermadam noted how these changes affected the elections, yet she stated that “despite the remote nature of our academic environment, students participated in the election whether it is attending the debate, voting on Orgsync or going as far as running for various positions to make 2020-2021 the best it can be,” she said. Ruiz also recognized how being forced to quarantine allowed her
to focus more time on her campaign. “I didn’t have any experience in campaigning, so I looked at successful campaigns, spoke to previous USG presidents and tried to incorporate the things I learned into my own campaign,” she said. In the coming year, Ruiz hopes to work on improving the image and reputation of USG, which she thinks will increase student participation. There are currently 2,104 undergraduate students at FCLC and 366 at GSBLC, which places the voter turnout for the 2020-21 election at 13%. Thermadam echoed Ruiz’s hopes for increased participation in the coming years. “I hope that students continue to keep student government on their minds as they hopefully come back in fall and feel motivated to actively participate in their University,” she said. One way that Ruiz hopes to achieve this is by updating USG’s website in order to make information more accessible. “We need to clearly state what each officer’s purpose is and how students can easily reach them,” she explained.
Election Results Write-ins 0.6% Declined to vote 0.9%
She expressed her hope to reach out to Rose Hill colleagues to talk about a successful digital platform. Some of Ruiz’s other immediate goals include getting to know the rest of the USG E-Board both professionally and personally in the coming weeks in order to facilitate a productive working environment. Ruiz also extended her thanks to Stryczek, whom she referred to as a “well-respected member of the Fordham community.” “I welcome Robert back to USG if he would like to work with me on encouraging student involvement, which was something that we both agreed needs to be a priority at Fordham,” she said. Stryczek extended his congratulations to Ruiz and expressed his intention to run for USG Vice President in fall 2020. “Not being President of USG doesn’t mean I’m leaving,” he said. Thermadam also thanked the hard work of Anastasia Gomez, FCLC ’20, who worked closely with her on the election committee, and wished the incoming USG board and senate the best of luck in their future endeavors.
Fordham Lincoln Center Student Participation
Loreen Ruiz 57.5%
Voted 13%
USG Board President: Loreen Ruiz Chair of Student Affairs: Resham Sansi Chair of Facilities: Lydia Hallett Chair of Operations: Rachana Komatireddy Secretary: Joseph Van Gostein Treasurer: Joseph Moyer Jr. Senior Senators: Kylie Aronson and Kirsten Murphy Junior Senators: Ian Smith, Sajani Patel and Robert Sundstrom Sophomore Senator: Tamara Mazets
Robert Stryczek 41%
Did not vote 87%
GSB Sophomore Senator: Melanie Szultman GRAPHS BY MADDIE SANDHOLM/THE OBSERVER
Utilizing University Health Services for COVID-19 By MICHELLE AGARON Staff Writer
Since the beginning of the coronavirus outbreak in New York City, the importance of health care workers and medical professionals has become increasingly apparent. As the city struggles with the rapid spread of the virus, University Health Services (UHS) at Fordham continues to serve and support students and staff, albeit remotely. On March 6, a week before Fordham suspended on-campus operations, Maureen Keown, director of the Health Center at Lincoln Center, issued a coronavirus update via email encouraging students to call rather than visit the center if they were experiencing symptoms associated with the virus. On March 19, a former Fordham Lincoln Center student who tested positive for the coronavirus reached out to any students they had been in contact with. One of the contacted students, who asked to remain anonymous, called the health center to inform them of their situation and sought advice for next steps. “I called Public Safety, and they told me to call Health Services –– they gave me the Rose Hill number. The RH office wouldn’t pick up even after I called around 7 times, so I googled the number for
the Lincoln Center office and they picked up on the first ring,” they said. “The woman who picked up there was super nice, took down all the information I gave her and collected my friend’s information to follow up with her. She also checked in with me about how I was doing to make sure that I was prepared to self-quarantine and understood all the symptoms of COVID-19 to watch out for.” Following the signing of the New York State on PAUSE order by Gov. Andrew Cuomo, which mandated the closure of all non-essential businesses, Fordham students and employees began working remotely. Due to this change, the Health Center is no longer able to serve students’ needs in person, but staff members continue to make themselves available to students via telephone, text and email. On April 6, UHS sent out a newsletter with information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) related to coronavirus prevention, seasonal allergies and hay fever, and advice on how to deconstruct stigmas that may arise during the pandemic. Contact information for Rose Hill and Lincoln Center health centers, counseling and psychological services, and disability services are also listed.
On a day-to-day basis, Keown works with her staff to not only provide support for students but also to discuss improvements and future projects for the office. The staff has been incorporating telephone triage since March, as well as strategizing new protocols and standards of care upon return to UHS. “As a healthcare provider, it is devastating to see the effects of the virus. Continued research and education is going to be vital,” Keown said. “My staff and I will stay abreast of this current health crisis and collaborate with other colleges, and health providers in order to bring forth the best way to take care of our students and keep our staff safe.” “The most difficult part of this pandemic has been not seeing our students and fellow colleagues on this beautiful campus. We will all be back working together soon and will learn from this pandemic and grow together as a community in bringing our students together once again,” Keown continued. Melissa Quiroz, a licensed practical nurse and nurse manager at the Health Center, shares this sentiment. She sympathizes with the seniors for their end-ofthe-year losses and misses daily interactions with her fellow colleagues and Fordham students.
Although her in-office responsibilities have been limited due to the switch to remote work, Quiroz recalls the lead up the pandemic as a scene of meticulous preparation. “We facilitated the need for medical supplies in our office, followed and practiced CDC guidelines and protocols helping to prevent and respond to the coronavirus,” Quiroz said. “I created dialogue templates, charts and instructions with the tools needed
for our staff to best promptly identify, isolate, and evaluate persons with possible COVID-19 over the phone and/or in person.” As the Health Center continues to operate remotely, students are encouraged to reach out with any concerns, whether they are related to the coronavirus or not. The office is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and staff members are available to offer their help and support.
JESSE CARLUCCI/THE OBSERVER
Even though the Health Center cannot help students in person, the staff is still working hard to provide assistance remotely.
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THE OBSERVER April 22, 2020
News
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Fordham Hosts Zoom Sessions for Class of 2024
2024 from page 1
he hopes to be able to visit in June or July. Fordham is currently letting admitted students sign up for self-led tours at both campuses as early as June 15. Larsen stated that he isn’t worried about not having seen the campus in person. He explained that “there are plenty of photos and videos of the campus and the dorms for me to get a great grasp of it. I’ve also been to Manhattan many times, so I have a grasp of the city.” In addition to virtual tours, Fordham is offering virtual admitted students days through Zoom for all admitted students. However, these Zoom calls lack the ability for incoming students to speak with their future classmates. One student on the call was Jenna Fazzone from Shaker High School in Albany, New York. Fazzone com-
mitted to Fordham College at Rose Hill (FCRH) and said that although she was able to ask all of her questions on the call, she had hoped to meet her new peers at Accepted Students Day. “Unfortunately, I will have to wait until the fall to meet people in person,” she said. Bella Sabino, a student from Immaculate Heart Academy in Bergen County, New Jersey, also attended a Zoom session for FCRH. Sabino echoed Fazone’s thoughts that although the Zoom call was helpful, it was not ideal. Sabino explained that current students gave their perspectives on Fordham and then provided their emails for admitted students to use if they had more questions. However, due to the online format, it was not clear who was on the call, limiting the questions being asked. “I just wish that the zoom session was more unfiltered,” Sabino
said. “I know I had a lot of questions about the party scene at Fordham but I was so scared to ask because I did not know if different directors, teachers or general adult figures were listening.” Incoming students also had other significant concerns directed at the Office of Undergraduate Admissions regarding the acceptance of Advanced Placement exams, whether students can defer to a later start date or if there is flexibility with the deposit deadline, and potential online options for international students who may not be able to attend in the fall. Patricia Peek, Ph.D., dean of undergraduate admissions, emphasized the office’s commitment to continuous communication with incoming students and sensitivity to their concerns. Over the past month, the changing nature of communication with the Class of 2024 has generated a new under-
standing of what students need to hear. “What we have learned already is that our expanded virtual options will serve students well post-pandemic. Our new information sessions and chat options will be great alternatives for international students, as well as improve access for students who are unable to visit campus for various reasons (distance and expense most notably),” she stated. “Our plan for the future is to create an even more comprehensive visit program designed to meet students where they are, as well as on our campuses,” Peek continued. Sabino explained that the hardest part of being an incoming freshman is the possibility of not having a normal college experience. “The class of 2024 already has dealt with the heartbreak of our senior events, proms, and even graduations being canceled, and so all
COURTESY OF JENNA FAZZONE
COURTESY OF BELLA SABINO
Although Sabino found the Zoom calls useful, she has concerns that her freshman year will be impacted just as her senior year of high school was.
we yearn for is a ‘normal’ college experience, but COVID-19 might not allow that to happen,” Sabino said. “While we are all grateful for our health and safety, all the uncertainties are overwhelming and upsetting.” Conor O’Kane, assistant dean of first year students, has been in contact with both current and incoming freshmen since the university closed. “I’ve been so impressed with how well students have adapted, and that they’ve done so largely with a sense of generosity and grace. Current and incoming students are often called ‘digital natives,’ in that they’re well versed in technology,” O’Kane said. “I think it’s one of the great gifts that current and incoming students have brought to this challenging time. I’m deeply grateful for that and it makes me very hopeful for the future.”
Fazzone highlighted that even with the Zoom calls, she is missing opportunities to connect with her peers.
Fordham Opts Out of Using Exam Monitoring Software By JOE KOTTKE Asst. News Editor
Universities are faced with making yet another difficult decision on how to conduct final examinations online after suspending face-to-face classes due to the coronavirus outbreak. Fordham University’s “Coronavirus Faculty FAQs” page was up-
dated on April 20 with a section titled “Completing the Semester.” In the post, instructors are encouraged to “think creatively about types of assessments that would enable students to demonstrate their achievement of learning goals,” since traditional closed-book, multiple-choice exams may not work in the current learning environment.
Professors have also been told to consult their department chairs before deciding to abandon administering a final exam altogether. If an exam is still allotted to happen online in a timed format, it will take place at the same scheduled time, with exceptions for individual students in different time zones. Dean Laura Auricchio said
ANDREW DRESSNER/THE OBSERVER
Fordham is encouraging professors to develop online final exams that would enable students to demonstrate their learning goals, even with course materials open in front of them.
these ideas have been discussed over the past few weeks in town halls, at chair meetings and with individual faculty members. According to Anne Fernald, special adviser to the provost for faculty development, they are working out the technical aspects of conducting exams online while also maintaining “cura personalis,” since students may be grieving, had their lives disrupted, or left books and notes in their dorm room. “We are not operating out of a place of suspicion, but of compassion,” Fernald said. “The outbreak has been traumatic; we are going to assess you, but are conscientious of its impact.” Fordham looked into various software and proctoring possibilities, with options for monitoring students through videoconferencing live or with the aid of artificial intelligence. Software being utilized by other universities, such as Proctorio — which monitors students’ “suspicion levels” by using facial recognition and browser lockdown — was deemed “prohibitively expensive” and “overly-complicated” to be implemented this semester. However, Fordham will “explore alternative options in coming years.” Instead, conventional exams will most likely be accessible through Blackboard, the university’s supported learning management system for undergraduates, although it is not required. Steven D’Agustino, director of online learning, emphasized the importance of taking each stu-
dent’s access to technology, reliable internet and a quiet study space into account when professors are devising plans for final examinations. D’Agustino’s role is to support instructors in the development of online learning and to use technology more effectively. “The best way forward is for faculty to reconnect to who we are as a community and what we are trying to measure,” D’Agustino said. Nationwide, educators are having conversations about academic integrity, as Advanced Placement (AP) exams move online into a briefer format, lasting only 45 minutes; the SAT and ACT may follow suit later this year. “The overwhelming majority of Fordham students are honest,” Fernald said. “It is possible for students to synthesize information open-note instead of completing a multiple-choice exam.” If a multiple-choice exam is necessary, Fernald said randomizing the order can help alleviate worries about academic dishonesty. Both Fernald and D’Agustino said students should be given more time than normal so that students with unstable internet connectivity are accommodated. Also, students who are supposed to receive testing modifications should reach out to the Office of Disability Services. “All other supports are in place as well,” D’Agustino said. “You are not on your own. We are still committed to your growth and development.”
Sports & Health Editors Patrick Moquin - pmoquin@fordham.edu Lena Weidenbruch - lweidenbruch@fordham.edu
Sports & Health
April 22, 2020
THE OBSERVER
Fordham STEM Students Past and Present Reflect on COVID-19 and Health Care Careers The future of health care providers is in jeopardy due to the coronavirus
COURTESY OF STEPHEN HOWARD
ESMÉ BLEECKER-ADAMS/THE OBSERVER
New Yorkers display their gratitude to those on the front lines, including some Fordham students and graduates. By COURTNEY BROGLE Managing Editor
As millions of doctors nationwide work to treat the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), reports of senior medical students being rushed out of classes and into the hospitals that need the most help have been increasing. But for many first-year medical students and graduating college seniors working towards a career in healthcare, those futures are in jeopardy. Some students, like Stephen Howard, Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) ’20, have been working in hospitals during the pandemic while juggling academics and Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) preparation. Howard has been working as a medical scribe at Mount Sinai Urgent Care in Union Square, the Upper West Side and Brooklyn Heights since June 2019, which requires him to perform physician clerical duties that optimize patient care. The Union Square facility became a testing center in mid-March that saw persons under investigation (PUI) for the coronavirus. “All employees are required to wear masks while in the facility and when seeing patients, they had to wear PPE (personal protective equipment) including N95 masks, face (masks), and protective (gowns),” Howard explained. “My job was to allow the physician to more efficiently treat the patient as scribes document the charts of the patients so that the physician can focus on patient needs.” Brett Taylor, FCLC ’18, has also found himself working on the frontlines of the coronavirus pandemic. Taylor, a neuroscience major, used his gap year to apply to medical schools and worked with the Translational Genomic Research Institute (TGEN) on glioblastoma treatment research in Phoenix, Arizona. However, with the rapid spread of the coronavirus, he transferred to the TGEN North coronavirus testing
site in Flagstaff to help process the FDA-approved polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests. “TGEN North is helping with overflow testing for Arizona ... especially in northern Arizona, where there’s a lot of rural communities, there’s reservations and different jails that need testing,” Taylor explained. Taylor’s main duties are to work on what he refers to as a “PCR assembly line.” After the rural clinical testing sites perform a nasopharyngeal swab on a PUI, the samples are transported to TGEN North. The RNA from the sample is converted to DNA to test for viral primers associated with the virus. “We’re doing the extractions, we’re doing the lab techniques behind (the coronavirus testing),” Taylor said. The coronavirus pandemic has also affected first-year medical school students like John Venticinque and Catherine Imossi, both FCLC ’19. Imossi studies at the Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine at Seton Hall, and Venticinque attends the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in the Bronx. While the shift to online-only classes has been jarring for many undergraduate students, Venticinque explained that the structure of his current classes has allowed for an easier transition into digital learning. “You don’t have to attend physically, but all the classes are normally streamed and recorded so you didn’t have to, so in that respect those classes haven’t really changed too much since we could watch them online anyways,” Venticinque explained. Imossi noted that in accordance with the Association of American Medical Colleges, which “strongly suggests that medical students not be involved in any direct patient care activities” wherever personal protective equipment stockpiles are low, hospital rotations for students have been suspended. As a
result, the impact of the virus has been greater on upperclassmen, whose curricula typically include clerkship lessons of hands-on learning in hospitals, as well as didactic lectures. “The clinical parts of the curriculum have been adapted. For instance, our clinical skills courses are now focusing on tele-health. I just had a clinical exam during which I had to take a patient’s history and counsel her over Zoom,” Imossi said. She and Venticinque noted that both of their schools have placed a higher emphasis on community outreach during this time. “While the COVID(-19) epidemic has presented some challenges, all in all, I think it has really given me an opportunity to work on being adaptable,” Imossi said. “Flexibility is an integral part of the medical profession, so I’m grateful for the ways in which these curriculum changes have strengthened my ability to adapt to new circumstances.” Venticinque did acknowledge that not all are able to go out into the field — some make bigger differences staying home. While his peers have taken up volunteer and medical outreach opportunities available to them with Einstein, Venticinque returned home to Long Island and is now responsible for making sure his younger sister with Down syndrome adapts to remote learning, in addition to completing his own studies. “My sister has special needs and is in a program that lets her attend high school at 21,” he explained. “I’m responsible for being a live-in tutor essentially, since my mom has to work and my dad has to worry about the house.” Both also acknowledged the potential impact that distance learning may have later in their careers. Imossi is unable to shadow local doctors in different specialties to get a sense of what medical field she fits best in, and Venticinque said that depending on the health circumstances, re-
Stephen Howard, FCLC ’20, balances his time as both a student and medical scribe during the coronavirus outbreak.
search opportunities that are key for securing a spot in strong residency programs may or may not happen. “My school has been connecting us with physician advisors we can talk to about future career goals. Unfortunately, nothing replaces shadowing in the clinic, but I think under the current circumstances, getting the chance to speak with physicians is a great compromise,” Imossi said. “Hearing about their sacrifices strengthens my conviction that medicine was the right career for me.” One concern Taylor has about attending medical school in the coming months is how to make the most informed decision he can. His “second looks” have all been made digital, meaning that he cannot be on campus with other accepted students and current faculty members to mingle and to determine if the school is the right fit for him, or check out the labs and research opportunities available to him at the institution. “It’s a really big decision, especially as an MD/PhD student,” he said. “The average time to graduation is eight years, so I’m kind of choosing where I’m going to live for almost the next decade of my life.” As he gears up for his own MCAT exam, Howard noted that many students in his position are in limbo and unsure of how the coronavirus will impact their medical school applications and long-term career goals. “Since it is a year long process to get into medical school, many students were planning to take the MCAT during the spring so that they would get accepted for the fall of 2021,” Howard said. “Because of COVID(-19) and the long process to apply to medical school, adjustments need to be made to the application process.” Brielle Intorcia, FCLC ’20, planned to take a two-year gap between finishing her undergraduate degree and starting medical school. She initially planned to
use this spring for separate research projects at Fordham and Montefiore Medical Center, both of which have been suspended due to health concerns. She does, however, plan to move forward with the post-grad position she secured with Weill Cornell Medicine/New York Presbyterian. “My start date has been delayed indefinitely (I was supposed to start training in May), but I’m not bitter — training new employees is expensive, and all resources should be going to the patients right now. I can wait,” she said. Howard, on the other hand, plans to return to work at the end of April after taking a brief break this month. He will be commuting from Connecticut and is preparing to take the extra sanitizing measures to keep the rest of his family safe if it means that he can get back to helping those in coronavirus-stricken communities. “They say ‘scribes save doctors while doctors save patients,’” Howard explained. “Being there for the doctors really opened my eyes to how much they are needed. COVID-19 patients are losing their lives due to this terrible virus and these doctors are able to provide exceptional care to help these patients.” Intorcia, who coincidentally decided to specialize in infectious disease before the pandemic, has been following coronavirus developments since it was a “mysterious respiratory illness” in December 2019. She hopes that during her career, she can make a difference far beyond the healthcare system. “Something else I’ve learned during my time in Fordham is that medicine is not an isolated field,” she said. “Like the virus itself, the consequences of the pandemic infect us all. So absolutely, COVID-19 has reaffirmed my motivation to specialize in infectious disease because it’s more than a study of medicine — it’s a field that forces us to re-evaluate our community and improve its shortcomings.”
www.fordhamobserver.com
THE OBSERVER April 22, 2020
Sports & Health
Four Ways to Maintain a Healthy Immune System
By LUKE OSBORN Sports & Health Editor Emeritus
There’s no scientifically proven link between lifestyle choices and a subsequently improved immune system. In spite of this knowledge, medical professionals believe maintaining general healthy habits to be the best way to make sure our immune systems continue to do what they do best. These habits include getting adequate sleep, eating well, exercising and eliminating stress in our daily lives. We live in an especially uncertain period in time, and after Fordham sent its students home for the rest of the semester, many of us see our adjustment to online classes and a life without regular social interaction as major stressors. However, the change of pace in our lives may offer us an opportunity to capitalize on healthy habits that will ensure the capabilities of our immune systems.
Sleep
As simple as it sounds, sleep is an integral part of maintaining a healthy immune system. A lack of sleep causes a rise in the chemical cortisol to keep one alert, which may negatively affect the immune system. In contrast, the body releases cytokines while one sleeps, and these molecules are important in the immune response against infections. Getting adequate sleep is an important part of general health as well. According to the Mayo Clinic, getting less than seven hours of sleep can negatively impact your health through an increased risk of weight gain, diabetes, depression and high blood pressure. Sleep is restorative for the body in that it fosters longterm memory storage and regulates hormone levels in addition to other processes that enable you to recover from a long day. Sleep is also an excellent way to destress. Setting a reg-
ular bedtime can add structure to your day, especially when our lives lack much of the structure we used to rely on. The Mayo Clinic recommends that adults get around seven to eight hours of sleep per night. Making sleep a priority may preserve your general health as well as maintain optimal immune function.
Exercise
Beyond benefitting the immune system, exercise aids cardiovascular health and lowers blood pressure. For this reason, exercise may improve the circulation of immune cells throughout the body. According to the U.S. National Library of Medicine, one theory behind the link between exercise and the immune system involves the increased respiration that occurs during exercise. It’s possible that the heavy breathing during exercise may flush out bacteria and viruses in the airways. Exercise also increases body temperature for a short period of time, which may produce a similar effect to a fever — that is, it may hinder the growth of bacteria. The release of stress hormones — which may interfere with optimal immune function — decreases with exercise. Consistent moderate exercise is more likely to have a positive effect on the immune system than bouts of strenuous exercise. Moreover, the U.S. National Library of Medicine advises against exercising more to increase immunity if you already work out regularly. In the same vein as sleep, setting a workout schedule can help combat stress and provide us the comfort of a set schedule in a time of uncertainty.
tein, fruits, vegetables and water are all components of a well-balanced diet. Protein provides the raw materials our cells rely on to work well. According to Simeone, “Good protein sources include lean meats, poultry, fish, low-fat dairy products, eggs, beans and lentils.” Phytonutrients in fruits and vegetables may help support the immune system in addition to reducing inflammation and preventing chronic disease. These nutrients are also responsible for the color and flavor of fruits and vegetables. “By eating a diet
rich in color (carrots, dark leafy greens, berries or mushrooms etc.), you will get a wider spectrum of nutrients,” Simeone said. The last component of an immune-sustaining diet is water. Hydration has numerous benefits, one of which includes aiding our bodies’ ability to flush out pathogens and toxins. Simeone advises that if you’re wondering how much water is enough, calculate half your body weight and consume that number of ounces of water per day. That is, if you weigh 130 pounds, you should be drinking 65 ounces of water a day, which is equivalent to about
Diet
According to Simeone, eating particular foods won’t prevent disease, but maintaining a well-balanced diet can support optimal immune function. Pro-
GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATION BY ESMÉ BLEECKER-ADAMS/THE OBSERVER
7
four tall glasses of water. Eating healthy is super important for the immune system because there are many food options that can be a detriment to our immune systems. Simeone emphasized that processed and sugar-rich foods, as well as alcohol, don’t provide much nutritional benefit and are pro-inflammatory. Specifically, these foods may negatively impact our sleep, increase our cortisol levels and prevent immune cells from carrying out essential defense functions.
Stress Management
Stress can have a major impact on the immune system, which is not great news to receive during highly stress-inducing times like the current moment. It’s important to deal with stress in a productive manner because not only can stress hormones affect the immune system but more importantly the coping mechanisms we may use to alleviate stress can impact our bodies’ lines of defenses. It’s difficult to research stress and the immune system because stress and stressors are hard to define. It’s even harder to model them in research. For this reason, the direct link between stressors and the immune system is unclear. Assistant Director of University Health Services Mary Ann O’Shea advises students to avoid behaviors like alcohol, tobacco and other drug use in spite of stress, since these sources of relief may come at a detriment to our ability to fight infections. Rather, O’Shea recommends that we indulge in habits like getting better sleep, exercising regularly, eating well and meditating. For more individualized advice, Melanie Simeone is available to work with students virtually. Her contact information is available at www.fordham.campusdish.com.
An Era Comes to a Close: Fordham Athletic Director Announces Retirement By NIKOLAS KONSTANTELLIS Staff Writer
With the coronavirus pandemic halting the world of sports, Fordham managed to make waves around the NCAA by announcing the retirement of longtime Athletic Director David Roach, effective at the end of the semester. Roach was at the helm of the Rams’ athletics for the past eight years, leading and overseeing athletes around campus both on and off the field. Leading multiple Fordham sports teams to 12 Atlantic 10 championships, as well as one Patriot League title for football in 2014, Roach insisted on perfection and focused on ensuring athletic success throughout his tenure at the university. Prior to joining Fordham University in 2012, Roach held the same position at both Colgate University and Brown University, serving as their athletic director for eight and 14 years, respectively. Furthermore, he was the head swim coach at Brown from 1978 until 1986 and at the University of Tennessee until 1990 before moving to an administrative role. Roach, 70, spent more than half his life involved in collegiate athletics, and his significance can certainly be seen at all four universities where he has worked. In a statement announcing his retirement, Roach wrote, “Over the years, I have often
been asked which athletic moments are the most memorable. It’s never been one game, one championship or one season. The thrill for me has been the satisfaction of having been a small part in helping young adults develop, graduate, and find success as they pursue their talents and passions.” At Fordham, his impact on and off the court was evident, both literally and figuratively. The Rose Hill Gymnasium, which serves as the home court for several varsity teams at Fordham, saw major renovations during his time at the school. Under his leadership, a multi-million dollar upgrade took place, including the installment of a brand new court, two large video boards and improved grandstand seating. One of the most successful teams to call the Rose Hill Gym home is Fordham’s women’s basketball team, led by Head Coach Stephanie Gaitley. Although Gaitley’s hire predated Roach’s arrival, his work at the university was still impactful to both her and her team. “We have had great success the past few years and it takes a team effort. We thank Dave for his support and wish him all the best in retirement,” Gaitley said. In addition to these renovations to Fordham’s facilities, Roach worked alongside Janssen Sports Leadership Center in creating the Fordham Leadership
COURTESY OF FORDHAM ATHLETICS
After decades working for other universities, David Roach spent the final eight years of his career as the athletic director at Fordham University.
Academy. Through this program, Fordham athletes and coaches are guided to become successful leaders in their athletics, academics and future endeavors. Following the departure of David Roach, Fordham announced that Senior Director of Development and Senior Associate Athletic Director Ed Kull would assume the position of interim athletic director beginning on July 1. Kull, who has been
with the university for the past three years, has already made tremendous strides in improving the university’s athletics prior to his promotion. University President Rev. Joseph M. McShane, S.J., discussed Kull’s attitude in a statement regarding his new role. “Ed is a consummate professional, a gifted leader, and a talented fundraiser,” McShane said. “In the last three years he has impressed
everyone at the University with his abilities and his can-do demeanor. We all look forward to working with him in this new role.” Roach’s contributions over the past eight years have helped to create an environment where athletes can succeed. His efforts will be missed going forward, but the future remains bright for athletics at the university under new leadership.
Opinions Editors Grace Getman - ggetman@fordham.edu Evan Vollbrecht - evollbrecht@fordham.edu
Opinions
April 22, 2020 THE OBSERVER
The Silent Sufferers of the Coronavirus: Human-Trafficking Victims TIZIA-CHARLOTTE FROHWITTER Staff Writer
The tentacles of the coronavirus pandemic have infiltrated the darkest of all places in the world — human trafficking. One disastrous side effect of social distancing is the danger of millions of people falling victim to human trafficking in the coming months in developing countries. According to the National Human Trafficking Hotline, human trafficking is a form of modern-day slavery in which traffickers use force, fraud or coercion to control victims for the purpose of engaging in commercial sex acts or labor services against their will. This includes forced labor, marriage, prostitution and organ removal. Estimates assume there are 40.3 million victims worldwide, which makes one in every 200 people a modern-day slave. Of that number, 10 million are presumably children. The sad truth is that since 2003, only 225,000 victims have been detected, with an alarmingly low number of prosecutions and even fewer convictions; for example, there were only 9,071 convictions in 2016. It is a multibillion-dollar industry, bringing in around $150 billion a year for the traffickers. The global lockdowns have had a brutal impact on the human-trafficking world as sex-trafficking victims struggle to care for their basic needs, the numbers of cybersex-trafficked children rise, and human-trafficking rescue missions temporarily stop. Furthermore, the lingering pain of hunger endangers even more people to fall into the arms of traffickers. Sex-trafficking victims struggle to care for their basic needs The highest number of people in modern slavery is in India. In rural areas, 75% of the population, roughly 133.5 million people, live on 43 cents, or 33 rupees, per day. While the Indian government has pledged $23 billion for food and cash for its poorest citizens, it remains questionable how the millions of people without bank accounts or paperwork will have access to the stimulus.
COURTESY OF NOMI NETWORK
The anti-human trafficking NGO Nomi Network is working in India to provide resources to those most affected by the coronavirus.
As an advisory board member for the anti-human trafficking non-governmental organization (NGO) Nomi Network, I witness the deepened horrors this pandemic evokes through the eyes of our local staff. The Nomi Networks on the ground in India are working in the poorest states of Bihar, West Bengal and Odisha. In our last Zoom meeting update, they painted a picture of the current pandemic’s implication for sex-trafficking victims that were so dreadful it is difficult to grasp. The shock waves of the novel coronavirus do not stop at the doorsteps of brothels. As the red-light districts have been shut down, sex workers are robbed of their work. To their traffickers, they now have zero value. Consequently, their tormentors do not provide for their basic needs like food, water and hygiene products on a regular basis anymore. However, most sex workers in redlight districts are undocumented sex-trafficking victims who do
not have government-issued IDs. Therefore, they do not qualify to obtain a permission ID allowing them to partake in food and water government aid programs — if and when they make it into the rural areas. When hunger and thirst force them outside, they face brutal police violence. Additionally, due to the wrongful channeling of frustrations, robbery and domestic violence are skyrocketing. Since there is only limited law enforcement at night, rape and murder in red-light districts are intensifying as the industry shifts even more below the radar. Together with the local government, Nomi Network was able to obtain four permission ID cards at each of its nine centers, allowing them to participate in government aid programs and provide for their communities. Additionally, a community kitchen was initiated along with widespread training programs to prevent misinformation and teach
hygiene in accordance with World Health Organization guidelines. In the coming days, the women of Nomi Network will have sewn 15,000 masks to be distributed among the villages. Danger of falling victim to human-trafficking However, it is not only the abundant sex-trafficking victims that suffer from hunger due to the lockdowns. In developing countries, the fear of starvation is spreading even faster than the virus itself. The hunger-induced sword of Damocles hanging over the heads of the poorest forces incites the most vulnerable to fall right into the clutches of traffickers. Gruesomely, the coronavirus pandemic will act as a catalyst that will reverse the trend of reduced poverty and erase nearly all the valuable progress of the last five years. The World Bank estimates that as a direct consequence of the novel coronavirus, nearly half a billion people could be pushed be-
low the poverty line, highlighting the magnitude of this economic shock. Those in extreme poverty, or those living on less than $1.90 a day, could rise from 40 million to 60 million people; the number of people living on less than $3.20 a day from 40 million to 150 million; and those living on less than $5.50 a day from 70 million to 180 million. These numbers portray potential prey for traffickers. With no other hope on the horizon, poverty can force the affected to turn to the last resort, in a desperate attempt to stave off their thirst and hunger. With schools closing, the U.S. FBI has issued a warning of the rising risk of children across Southeast Asia to be targeted by cybersex traffickers. The Philippines, an epicenter for livestream sex abuse trade; Thailand; and Cambodia report an increase in online sex abuse. Human-trafficking rescue operations put on halt Globally imposed travel restrictions have forcefully brought human-trafficking survivor rescue missions to a freeze. Consequently, sex-trafficking victims are forced to quarantine with their tormentors. Rescue organizations that save Cambodian and Vietnamese “brides” in China are left with only the possibility to advise the victims on places to hide if they have not already lost contact after the virus outbreak struck. Brazil’s government has stopped all anti-slavery operations until further notice. Rescued Bengali sex-trafficking survivors are stranded as the Indian government halts trains and bus services to Bangladesh. These fragments of fates stand exemplary for the millions of shadows. At the end stands the question of how tall the pile of broken glass will be after the pandemic has passed. Will the earth stand in solidarity and protect the most vulnerable? Once you fall into the devil’s clutches, the chances of ever getting out again alive are small. Hidden in dark corners behind shadows, far from the visible eye of the masses, these realities cause silent tears to drop.
A New Normal for New York NEW YORK from page 1
that the state would even be giving away some of its ventilators to states further behind on their infection curves. Mayor Bill de Blasio has taken a more cautious tone, canceling permitted events in the city until at least June and telling New Yorkers to keep their expectations low for summer plans. It hasn’t been since Feb. 29 that New York state was coronavirus-free. Think about where you were then. You probably didn’t have an inkling of what was about to happen — I know that I didn’t. But our world is now changed, and our past life on campus may seem like a fleeting memory. But the state and city won’t remain closed forever. Normal life will return. We may not shake hands, as Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, argued, nor may we flock to sporting events or concerts as we used to, but we will go back to our regular life. The questions remain: How so, and when? Because the virus is spreading asymmetrically throughout the
country, it’s likely that states and cities not hit as hard may reopen before New York. The Trump administration is anticipating a late April or early May “Phase One” reopening for many parts of the nation. But the federal government can only reopen so much. This burden lies on states and their governors. Cuomo has already indicated that he does not have a potential timeframe for when New Yorkers will resume their normal lives. Likewise, de Blasio said it might not be until July that the city is largely back to normal. But there are certainly some logical steps that the city and state can take to ease us all back into the swing of things. Cuomo and others want first to increase their ability to conduct widespread testing in order to isolate the sick and track existing cases using Bluetooth technology. This is step one. We still need to practice social distancing even if the state is able to test every New Yorker because of how contagious this virus is. With businesses, restaurants and schools open, this will be difficult, but not impossible. Just as Cuomo originally limited
restaurants and bars to 50% of their legal capacity, the same tactic should be employed in all businesses, including essential stores, to ease us out of a shutdown. It’s also likely that his requirement to wear masks in public places where social distancing is impossible won’t go away anytime soon. New York may begin to look like cities in China where mask-wearing is seen as a necessity for many. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority, which has been running on a curtailed schedule for the past month, will still need to clean and sanitize their public transportation on an expedited schedule. And, of course, we shouldn’t even entertain the thought of packing Madison Square Garden or Yankee Stadium to the brim until a vaccine is widely available. Sean Hannity jokingly suggested that we drink beers at Yankees’ games with straws. Once the stadium opens, that may not end up being a joke. Instead of discussing academic and residential life policies with Fordham’s freshman class, maybe the administration will opt to replace a visit to the New York Society for Ethical Culture with a
GABE SAMANDI/THE OBSERVER
The coronavirus pandemic forced Fordham to close. Now, students are wondering when they can return and what life will be like on campus.
discussion on sanitation and dormitory cleaning procedures from a doctor or nurse. This is all part of the normal we’ll be returning to in the coming months. We must not let our guard down too quickly. Even when we return to campus this fall (hopefully on time), it’s all but guaranteed that the novel coronavirus will still be spreading in our city and across the country. It’ll be on all of us to
continue to slow this spread and, hopefully by this fall, keep the curve flat. But with cautiousness moving forward, we can only hope that our city returns to normal very soon. While it may seem as if we are spending an eternity cooped inside our parents’ homes with cabin fever, New York is slowly but surely getting its routine back. It won’t be long until we do, too.
Rubberneck The
HUMOR PAGE
THE OBSERVER April 22, 2020
Opinions
9
How Your Quarantine Behavior Reveals Your Character Alignment HALEY SMULLEN
As quarantine keeps students home and forces us to sort out our priorities, people’s character alignments are becoming increasingly clear ...
Asst. Opinions Editor
Despite the turbulent transition to online classes, you’ve kept up with all assignments on a rigid schedule, taking online tests the moment they become available, completing asynchronous assignments as early as possible and always interjecting yourself into the Zoom group chat to give a cheerful “Good afternoon, professor” before all your classmates have logged on. In fact, you maintain the majority of your pre-social distancing habits, viewing surmounting the obstacles that come with the disruption of typical Fordham life as feats over which to triumph with consistency and optimism.
You wake up in the morning, stumble from bed and make a beeline for a shower, some coffee or your phone (100% charged). As you thoughtfully begin to plan your day, you aspire to neither impress nor distress. You participate in two Zoom classes, use the raise-hand function once to ask a question and only minimize the window four times to scroll through Tumblr when the lecture gets boring. So far, you’ve turned in every assignment on time because you play by the rules and avoid chaotic, unregulated discourse, but once guidelines for expected behavior shift as quarantine ends, so will your habits, conduct and disposition.
The law of the land is sacred, but its morality is less relevant. As long as you are familiar with what professors are permitted to expect from their students, you understand what you can get away with. You follow regulations very carefully but prioritize your own interests, like any savvy Gabelli student. Unafraid to cite remodified syllabi if you feel even slightly perturbed by a course’s recent workload in a deadpan tone to your professor’s exhausted, hunched-over Zoom silhouette, you’ve never strayed from protocol but have also managed to weaponize generosity amid the chaos of a pandemic.
As long as you feel that you are making a positive difference in the lives of your family and your peers, your general mood doesn’t flux. You turn in your work on time so as not to disrupt professors’ grading schedules, babysit your younger siblings for your parents and check up on your friends during class using the private chat function. You’re not really concerned with how the flip to online schooling might make facets of your life more difficult to deal with, as long as your loved ones are safe and healthy. You have no particular agenda but the well-being of your community and the preservation of your capability to be a helpful student and friend during this stressful time. God bless.
You’ve always wanted more time to play guitar, and with the cancellation of public life, when will there be a better time? Adjusting to online classes is important, and you believe you’ve done that with effort and grace, but deep down you need to tap into the artistic desires that are rooted in your soul. You don’t have any classes in the morning, but everyone in your house is either telecommuting or sleeping until 10 a.m. Like any respectful but willful Ram, you creep out from your bedroom at 7 a.m. to practice the prelude to your favorite pop-rock song on a rock in your dark and dewey backyard.
Rose-colored glasses don’t come in your size. The world is the way it is — coronavirus and all. Studying from home has disrupted your school schedule, disintegrated your expectations for the spring semester and even forced you to reevaluate your plans for summer vacation. You aren’t happy, but you recognize that disruption is a routine gamble in the game of life. You log on for all your Zoom classes, refuse to let the quality of your schoolwork suffer and maintain an adequate sleeping schedule. If the Wi-Fi were to falter, however, and you were excused from assignments for a few days, you wouldn’t give it a second thought. Don’t we all deserve a reprieve once in a while, as a treat?
When Fordham first sent word that face-to-face instruction was terminated for the remainder of the semester, you nearly jumped for joy. With a soft spot for the liberation from confining expectations that come with unprecedented situations, you see an opportunity to go big once you’ve gone home. You aren’t planning to disrupt your family or test your professors’ patience, but the uncertainty laying in the months ahead will be manipulated to your advantage. You’ll finish all your work and be respectful to the vulnerable and distressed around you, but you plan to fulfill these meager expectations in the most entertaining and confusing ways possible.
The axiom “every man for himself” has never resonated with you more. You aren’t going to go out of your way to hurt anyone, but desperate times call for desperate measures. We are in a pandemic, you find yourself explaining to your irritated siblings, “I need to claim the deal on Dad’s Verizon plan so my I can upgrade my iPad to keep up with my college (emphasis on college) courses!” Society’s rules have never been so flimsy, and you take advantage of every opportunity to enhance your circumstances.
As long as your needs are being fulfilled, the disruption of others’ livelihoods doesn’t matter. You didn’t want to go to your 8:30 a.m. ET Zoom session, so you shut off your alarm and rolled over in bed, despite the fact that a classmate was counting on you as moral support for his upcoming presentation. The homemade face mask your friend sewed for you clashes with your coat, and staying fashionable at the grocery store is important to you, so you eschew the anti-virus protection policy recommended by the governor. Addressing your wanton needs is most important to you, and you’ll find a way to fulfill these desires on a whim, pandemic or not.
What Your Zoom Background Says About You EMILY ELLIS Asst. Opinions Editor
As students of Zoom University, most college kids have gotten used to the difficulties of attending class through a digital platform. The untrustworthy Zoom links, difficulties of screen sharing and struggles of unmuting the microphones are all familiar to us. We have grown comfortable with seeing our classmates’ faces in tiny boxes. Undoubtedly, one of the most fun (albeit kind of creepy) consequences of the coronavirus is our newfound ability to look into the childhood homes of our peers. Whether they are lying in bed, sitting at their desk or camouflaging their background with a virtual projection of a beach, Zoom backgrounds can tell a lot about a person. Who needs CoStar anymore? Here are some of the trends that I have noticed. Which one are you? The Diligent Desk-Sitter These students, usually freshly showered with a cup of coffee or
tea in their hands, seem totally unaffected by the switch to online classes. They look polished, ready for the day and eager to complete assignments. If you are this type of person, you probably set your alarm for an hour before class begins so you have time to eat a proper breakfast and get ready for the day. Some of these students sit at desks in their room, with their bed made in the background. However, the vast majority of these students sit in their study or their parents’ home office, with fully stocked mahogany bookshelves setting a studious background behind them. If you have this background, you are a straight-A student. From the bottom of my heart, I applaud you. Slothlike Sleepers We’ve all seen these students and, let’s be honest, we’ve all been one of them at some point this semester. With the laptop haphazardly leaning on their knees, these students engage in class from the comfort of their own bed. They could choose to turn their video off, but instead, they decide to keep it on.
They are unashamed of who they are. Rather than throwing on nice clothes or moving to a secondary location, they embrace their quarantine outfits and dare the world to criticize them for it. Their alarm is most likely set for five minutes before class starts, and I’d bet you that they haven’t eaten a full meal since quarantine started. In short, they are my idols. Beach-time Baddies If you use a virtual background during your Zoom calls, it means two things: You are rich enough to own a computer capable of handling virtual backgrounds, and you have something to hide. Whether it is a messy room, embarrassing celebrity posters or unruly family members, virtual backgrounds conveniently shield peers from seeing the truth of a student’s surroundings. If your background is a beach, a meme or a pattern of colors, you desperately want to escape the monotony of quarantine life, and nobody in the world can blame you for that. Or you’re on the run for tax evasion. Either is fine.
ZOOM
Whether you’re lying in bed, sitting in an office or pretending to be on a tropical beach, Zoom backgrounds can tell a lot about a person.
Black Screen Brutes The last, and undoubtedly bravest, group of Zoomers are the black screen brutes. With their cameras turned completely off, these students refuse to bow down to the expectations of school life during quarantine. Undoubtedly lying in bed or using their phone to listen in on class, these students are often
the ones who contribute the most to class discussion. Even if you can’t see them, their voices are heard and their stances on class issues are heavily defended. The sight of their name on a black screen might seem lackluster, but the absence of a video rarely means a lack of participation. These students are not letting anything, even quarantine, slow them down.
Arts & Culture
Arts & Culture Editor Ethan Coughlin - ecoughlin7@fordham.edu Gillian Russo - grusso12@fordham.edu April 22, 2020
THE OBSERVER
‘The World’s Collection’: Libraries Seek to Broaden Access to Digital Archives By GILLIAN RUSSO Arts & Culture Editor
While Fordham’s library system and the New York Public Library (NYPL) branches remain closed, their staffs are turning their efforts to augmenting and streamlining their digital stores. Both of these libraries are responding to Fordham community members and city residents, respectively, now scattered around the world, as the shutdown of New York continues due to coronavirus (COVID-19) concerns. There are limitations to the amount of new material they can provide to patrons while fully remote, but both Fordham and the NYPL are using this time to make accessibility of previously available materials a top priority. The digital collections at Fordham’s libraries encompass an ever-growing trove of books, photographs, letters, videos and more related to the history of both the university and the neighborhoods that surround its campuses. Certain special collections come from sources solely within the university, such as archives from various academic departments including theater, visual design, English and psychology. Others are sourced from Fordham-affiliate organizations with an off-campus reach, such as archives built in conjunction with Italian American and African American history initiatives, both based in the Bronx. Besides the digital collections, the library also has an institutional repository called “DigitalResearch@Fordham” which provides open access to published materials by Fordham community members. A map on its homepage shows visitors’ locations and downloads in real time, and between March 1 and April 17, it saw nearly 6,000 visitors from six continents. According to Mariah Lewis, metadata management librarian at Fordham Libraries, the ongoing process of building these collections has slowed. Most organizations have temporarily reduced or ceased operations, so they are not
providing much new material to add. Another large part of building the online collections is the digitizing of the library’s print stores, which has also been put almost entirely on hold since staff are not in the building to scan materials. Instead, Lewis and her colleagues are making improvements to their existing content. “I want to look at this and be sure everyone can access our content, whether that’s making sure the keywords and metadata are accurate and helpful, to making sure the website’s working,” she said. Such tasks were already part of Lewis’ daily routine, so her own transition to online work has been fairly smooth. In addition, library staff scanned a number of archives in advance to upload for the public throughout the shutdown period, having anticipated the transition to remote work. She said the staff’s current projects include adding previously scanned materials to the Fordham postcard and Fordham football pamphlet collections. As might be expected, viewership of these digital collections appears to be on the rise. Monthly page views on the digital collections have steadily risen in the past three months, from 15,055 in January to 20,269 in March. Data is incomplete for April; as of April 15, the collections have gotten 9,790 views. If the second half of the month experiences a similar viewership, however, April views are on track to at least match, if not exceed, the March total. The NYPL reported a similar uptick in digital readership. According to NYPL Assistant Director of Media Relations Amy Geduldig, the library’s website saw a 6% increase in visitors in the first week of the shutdown alone. The digital research collections, which consist of approximately 890,000 items, specifically saw a 3% increase in traffic during that time. The NYPL’s virtual reference desk, AskNYPL, experienced a 101% increase in inquiries in that first week. The library is now focusing on parlaying the efforts of formerly in-person reference work-
COURTESY OF FORDHAM LIBRARIES
The postcard collection also offers a glimpse into Duane Library, the building that formerly housed Rose Hill’s main collection.
COURTESY OF FORDHAM LIBRARIES
Fordham Libraries continues to update its collections with new material, including the postcard archive, which includes postcards such as this one from the early days of the Lincoln Center campus.
GRAPH BY LARA FOLEY/THE OBSERVER
ers into servicing the platform and potentially introducing a live videoconference service where employees can answer questions with patrons “face-to-face.” Similarly to Fordham, the NYPL is focusing on refining all of its digital platforms during the shutdown while physical digitization efforts are stalled, according to Brent Reidy, NYPL’s senior director of digital research. In addition to its own collected archives, the NYPL provides access to databases owned by outside sources. Normally, there is a paywall for users who try to access them without a library card or from outside a physical library location. “We’ve been working with a number of leading databases and vendors to release restrictions during our public closure and during the COVID crisis so that patrons at home can have access that they used to only have at our branches,” Reidy said. The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Ancestry, JSTOR and EBSCO are among those entities. The NYPL is also investing efforts into e-reader programs for patrons. In addition to the existing SimplyE app, through which patrons can sign up for a library card and view about 300,000 of the library’s e-books, the NYPL also rolled out a new platform called Digital Research Books, which allows users to search and read public-domain and open-source books aggregated from places like Google Books and HathiTrust. Though originally scheduled for a later release, the library launched the beta version of the platform early in response to the library closures, and Reidy hopes to get feedback and refine it during the shutdown.
Both Lewis and Reidy envision the current moment, too, being preserved in their archives one day. After seeing other libraries begin to compile materials from people living through the pandemic for preservation, Lewis expressed interest in doing the same. She said Fordham Libraries is in the initial planning stages of a coronavirus archive, and she cited faculty hosting symposiums online and music students doing digital recitals as just some of the potential sources for material if the world stays remote for the foreseeable future.
Both Lewis and Reidy envision the current moment, too, being preserved in their archives one day. “I’m curious to see if people still keep trying to do these oral history projects, because you might be able to do it over Zoom, and then if we record that and upload it, it’s just as helpful as being in a room interviewing people,” she noted. “We want to make this a historical event that we can look back on and use in future studies ... I think we might eventually, if this goes on for a while, have such a need for this that we’re going to have to redefine our workflows and make sure we’re able to take on everything.” For the NYPL, the preservation of life during the coronavirus would mark the latest project in the library’s already-extant of col-
lecting materials related to public health. The library’s collections include multiple centered around the HIV/AIDS epidemic, such as the Gay Men’s Health Archive, according to Reidy. He said there is no concrete plan in place for how the NYPL plans to build a coronavirus archive yet. “What we’re trying to do is have all the conversations with our peers to see where we can complement what Columbia’s already doing, what NYU’s already doing, what 200 institutions across the country are doing as well,” Reidy said, “so that we’re all sort of together, being comprehensive and cohesive as a group, rather than overlapping in ways that don’t use resources best.” And really, these new digital projects — preserving archives, broadening access and collaborating with other sources — aren’t truly new. As evidenced by DigitalResearch@Fordham, a worldwide, digital audience has long been a target. And for the NYPL, its digital efforts simply bolster the library’s core mission to provide widespread digital access for the masses. “This is the world’s collection. This is the public’s collection,” Reidy said. “A decade ago or 15 years ago, I think that there would be so much less possible in terms of things that can be accessed, meaningful work that could be done from a distance. “There’s not much to be thankful for in this moment,” he continued. “It is a scary, dark moment. But I’m thankful that we’re in this position to have so much available and have so many resources we can provide.”
www.fordhamobserver.com
By BRIELLE CAYER and WARREN CHRISTOPHER GREEN Staff Writers
As the nation practices the new norm of social distancing, many Fordham students are finding comfort in media and creative expression. Members of the Filmmaking Club are working hard to remain connected while using this time to create film content inspired by their isolating conditions. Amid canceled festival plans and virtual meeting adaptations, the club continues to prepare for its end-of-semester Fordham Film Festival. “We’re encouraging our members to stay as connected as possible by still roughly keeping up our screenwriting workshop,” club Vice President Ryan Shearin, Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) ’21, said. “People can send in whatever they’re working on and get some quick feedback and connection in this time.” Club President Tommy Cunningham, FCLC ’21, explained that the club’s online meetings have generally maintained the same structure as its regular in-person gatherings. “We normally go around the club in a circle and people chat about what they’re working on or how they’re doing,” he said. “These days it’s even less structured than that and we mainly just hang out for around an hour.” Cunningham is unfazed by the greater lack of structure, even saying that it helps “in keeping with the general ethos of the club.” He elaborated, “It’s a space where people feel comfortable around other filmmakers and I’m happy we can continue virtually.” Shearin added to this point by discussing the club’s upcoming plans to hold casual get-togethers. “We’re working on organizing some unofficial time together to watch films using Netflix Party/ things like it so we can all have a good distraction and conversation,” he said. Still, there have been unavoidable detriments for the club caused by the unexpected changes of re-
THE OBSERVER April 22, 2020
Arts & Culture
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Club Spotlight: Filmmaking Club cent months. “The biggest loss is the potential for guest speakers at meetings,” said Cunningham. “Earlier this semester we had director Brady Corbet come in and we have had other industry professionals in the past. I’m trying to work on getting some virtual guests but things are understandably tricky at the moment.” Moreover, not everyone has access to the required tools needed to make films. Normally, members can use equipment supplied by the Filmmaking Club. This new remote reality poses a hurdle for people left without their usual filmmaking gear. Despite a decrease in meeting attendance, Cunningham remains optimistic. While usual club meetings attract 35 to 50 people, he said that virtual meetings only have an average of 10 attendees. “Either way,” he emphasized, “it’s nice just to see some folks.” Club member Koty Vooys, FCLC ’22, appreciates that the virtual meetings allow people “to share scripts and continue to work on things from home.” An active participant since fall 2019, he is grateful for the presence that the Filmmaking Club has in his life, even amid the uncertainties. “The thing that I enjoy most about it is getting a chance to develop as a filmmaker alongside others who are also just beginning to create films,” Vooys said. “Everybody is really supportive and for people who are unsure of whether they can or should make things, I think it provides an incredible opportunity to explore and experiment.” Members like Vooys have been using their new free time to focus on filmmaking. “Going back home has actually given me more time to make things with my friends from high school,” he said. “I’ve started 2 weekly series on my YouTube channel and made probably around 10 - 12 shorter videos.” Vooys, along with the rest of the Filmmaking Club, was looking forward to taking part in the group’s biannual festival this semester. Previously referred to as
COURTESY OF KOTY VOOYS
Prompted to think about their given situation, members of Filmmaking Club work to express their creativity through films in quarantine.
the “48-Hour Film Festival,” the event was renamed this semester as the “Fordham Film Festival” due to new plans for it to be held at Film at Lincoln Center. Because of the current circumstances, the in-person event was forced to be canceled. “My goal with this club is to leave it in a better place than I found it because it has meant so much to me,” Cunningham said. “I think any and all collaboration with Film at Lincoln Center is a great stepping stone and however disappointing this semester may be, I’m confident we will hold it there next semester.” The club is still determined to host a successful virtual version of the event this year, set to take place on Thursday, April 23 at 8 p.m. ET over Zoom. It is expected to be an informal gathering of club members to watch submitted pieces. “Given that I have no idea how many people will tune in and everybody is dealing with their own special circumstances it won’t be more than us hanging out on
Zoom and me sharing my screen to show whatever films get submitted,” Cunningham said.
“ The thing that I
enjoy most about it is getting a chance to develop as a filmmaker alongside others who are also just beginning to create films.”
Koty Vooys, Filmmaking Club member
With the cancellation of Fordham’s on-campus semester, many Filmmaking Club members realized that their previous plans for potential film festival submissions would no longer be possible. “Originally I was going to film a 20 page short film I wrote for the festival,” Vooys said, “but after school
got shut down the project kind of went down the tubes.” Even with the recent changes, members are using this time to stretch their imaginations and let their creative juices flow. Some have referenced the impact of social isolation within their pieces. Cunningham supplied the group with a loose prompt to “use their current set of limitations to think creatively.” Though Vooys said he doesn’t have anything set in stone for the festival, he’s been able to produce more content from home in new ways. By sticking to a creative routine and following personal deadlines, Vooys has found himself creating movies he never expected to make. “I just recently made a video that consisted of pictures of stick figures that I drew myself which kind of looks like an animatic,” he explained. “This lets me tell any story that I can draw without having to rely on a cast or really anything other than my imagination.” For more about this story, visit www.fordhamobserver.com
Minecraft Is Fordham’s Newest Campus
The new Minecraft server will even host a virtual graduation service for students MINECRAFT from page 1
opportunity to play with friends from school and meet new people from the fordham community.” A Minecraft server has been an idea of the group for about four to
five months now, but it had never been a high-priority idea until recently. “It wasn’t until we put a meme on our story about the graduating class of 2020 when that changed. We joked that given the current environment Fordham
COURTESY OF LC SINNERS
The view of Keating Hall built within the student-run Minecraft server.
would have to host graduation in Minecraft. We got a lot of dms from people actually excited for a Minecraft server. This showed us there was a lot of people who would want to play.” It was also created as a small escape from the coronavirus anxiety. “(W)e decided it was especially important to make right now because people are stressed, anxious, bored and lonely. Therefore we believed that a Minecraft server where students can play with fellow community members would strengthen our community and aid the mental wellbeing of students.” After they announced that a server would be made, the Rose Hill Computer Science Club reached out to offer help. The server was announced on March 23 and launched on March 29. When you first “spawn,” or enter into the server, you find yourself in Keating Hall at Rose Hill, with a bunch of signs around to give you a starter kit and a list of rules and commands to use. When you exit the building, you’re in front of Edwards Parade, with a pressure plate you can step on to give yourself speed to run across the field. Once you’ve made it across Eddie’s, there is a Ram Van
waiting to transport you to “the Bronx,” where you are able to explore and claim a chunk of land all for yourself. Users, Fordham friends and colleagues are also around to hang out and create with, as well. So far, the server has been a success, according to the creators. As of now, there are 172 members from both campuses on their Discord server (a computer/phone video chat app used by gamers to keep in touch while playing) and an active player base. “(W)e have seen so many students come together and spend weeks building bases with friends, and reaching out to ‘strangers’ on the server and getting to know eachother better, bonding over their common community.” The server is at its liveliest on weekends and event nights, but you can log on at any time and find a few friends online. Their last big event was an egg-building contest on Easter, and their last planned event for the year will be a graduation ceremony for the seniors on May 13, as of now. There are plenty of parkour opportunities, and other mini-games are currently works-in-progress. The anonymous member of @lc_sinners said that they plan to
keep the server going after quarantine. “(W)e believe that this will extend into the summer because we have revived many dms from students saying that they are currently overwhelmed with school and don’t have enough time to play, but that after finals they’re going to join and play with their friends.” The students are currently paying for the server out-of-pocket, but their long-term goal is to fund the server through student donations. One way for users to support the server is to buy ranks. Every user comes in as a freshman, which allots them a small chunk of land and a few available commands. By buying a sophomore, junior or senior rank — with actual money, users can increase the amount of land they can claim and how many homes they can have, use commands to teleport to their friends, and swear in the chat — with the exception of slurs. Beware: The server is on hard mode, so inexperienced users should ask a friend to help them stay alive. Sincerely, someone who spent five minutes running away from a baby zombie wearing golden armor that just refused to die or stop following me until my imminent death.
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Arts & Culture
April 22, 2020 THE OBSERVER
www.fordhamobserver.com
Project (Runway) in Quarantine By OLIVIA STERN Asst. Layout Editor
Despite her major in English with a concentration in creative writing, Julianne Holmquist, Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) ’21, has struggled to get into a creative space since returning home to California. That’s why she turned to her “secondary creative outlet” during self-isolation: sewing. “Normally, if I want to write, I will go out somewhere. I’ve never really liked writing in my room,” Holmquist said. With the coronavirus quarantine restrictions in place, that is her only option. “Things like sewing with instructions and patterns where I can let my brain focus on something are easier.” Holmquist learned to sew as a child and started costuming for her theater program in high school. It was a hobby she truly enjoyed. However, she explained that making clothes was something that she could only do at home, as she could not bring her sewing machine to her dorm. She had been making projects intermittently, but because of the lack of her equipment, she could never put ample time into it. Since the coronavirus left her back in the company of her sewing supplies, she decided to take advantage of that and rekindle her long-lost hobby. Holmquist originally started sewing again to mend a skirt she
already owned, and she is now creating some of her own original pieces of clothing. Typically, the process to make a single piece takes about two weeks, doing major work on the weekends and then fixing minor things during the week. Her setup is split between her bedroom and a desk in her hallway. She cuts the fabric for her pieces and keeps her dress form in her room, but her sewing machine and other materials are kept on the desk.
“ I know there’s a lot of
pressure to be creative and start something new during quarantine, but I like to rely on the things that have always brought me peace.”
Julianne Holmquist, FCLC ’21
Since she shares the desk with her brother, she has to keep her area clear for him to work as well. “I downsized the amount of sewing materials I keep out there and I had to stop leaving projects laid out in my sewing area (still working on that one). He’s very supportive though,” Holmquist said. Her brother also built a board for her to pin future ideas, patterns and sewing tools. Using a roll of black glittery fabric from her sophomore year of high school that she never incorporated into her designs, she sewed together a long skirt. “I call it my witch skirt,” Holmquist said. “I am so excited to be able to go outside and wear it.” She
plans to make a top with the same fabric to form a two-piece set. She is also working on a project for her sister to wear to a Taylor Swift concert, replicating the pink and red sequin heart dress from Swift’s “ME!” music video. She has even branched out from making clothes to the world of accessories for the first time, as she began the process of making her own clay earrings. Acquiring fabric and other materials have been a bit difficult for Holmquist, as California Gov. Gavin Newsom issued a stay-at-home order for the entire state that went into effect March 19. Nonessential businesses are closed under the order, so instead of going outside and taking a trip to Michaels or JoAnn Fabrics, Holmquist has resorted to buying her supplies from her bedroom on those stores’ websites, which has caused about a weeklong delay. To counteract the shipping time for fabric, she keeps herself occupied with multiple projects at once and has been using fabric that she found around the house. Holmquist acknowledged the pressure for people to pick up new hobbies or learn something new in isolation, but she instead found solace in rediscovering old interests. “I recommend picking up old hobbies. I know there’s a lot of pressure to be creative and start something new during quarantine, but I like to rely on the things that have always brought me peace,” she said.
COURTESY OF JULIANNE HOLMQUIST
Using fabric she has around the house, Holmquist gets crafty when constructing her clothing. Featured are a black sheer skirt and a hot pink dress.
Ram Jams: ‘Fetch the Bolt Cutters’
Take Fiona Apple’s directive, then buckle up for a ride through her new album By VICKY CARMENATE Staff Writer
I think it’s worth mentioning that this is my first impression of Fiona Apple. My curiosity got the best of me as I saw everyone I knew posting songs from this album. So, I dove into Fiona Apple’s “Fetch the Bolt Cutters” and was presented with a piece of work that lays it all out — every stone-cold emotion a human feels. This album’s ability to be so disjointed while also working together to create a masterpiece of pain is impressive. She makes the messy make sense. Her voice is tested in such unique ways, and she consistently alters what she is doing to create different emotions for the listener. From hitting her falsetto to just making noise, she creates her world and brings her vision to life. The title track “Fetch the Bolt Cutters” features dogs barking and consistent screams throughout. It’s evident that she wants you to know this piece of art is as real as it gets. This sense of urgency she creates lets listeners know that she is frustrated, and, quite frankly, she doesn’t really care what they think about it. The instrumentals demonstrate this feeling of unwillingness to be silenced. Every track on this album
has heavy drums with rhythms that drive the song forward. Apple’s voice on “Relay” is an example where the beat and her voice work in harmony, though every song on this album reflects this format. The first half of the album is overwhelming, to say the least, but also somewhat comforting. With the frustration of our days blending together, it’s nice to know that our feelings are shared by people like Apple. “Ladies” brings a smooth break of relief; with the beat toned down and her vocals more connected, it feels as though we are coming into a new set of emotions. Midway through Apple’s album, we are brought to an emotional peak. After this, the album turns to a soulful testament of where her mind is at now, after all the pain in the first half of the album. Apple’s lyric from “Cosmonauts,” “Your face ignites a fuse to my patience / whatever you do is gonna be wrong,” still provides a sense of anger in contrast with the layers of her voice, which floats angelically. This is the first and only track where there is a distinct bass line that guides the song, contributing to this soulful feel that she brings. The next track, “For Her,” kicked me in the stomach. It starts as this beautiful song, but once you start
to pay attention to her lyrics, it becomes a song about Apple’s sexual assault. The song remains beautiful and powerful, but in a new way. When she tells us her true story, she not only demands that we hear what she’s saying, but she also demands our respect out of it. There are no instruments besides the drums and her vocals, which only intensifies the power in her voice. After this track, the album comes to an abrupt stop. You’re left thinking about “For Her” for the rest of the album, but suddenly the whole thing is over. “Fetch the Bolt Cutters” does not disappoint. My best advice when listening to this album: Leave your expectations at the door. This album is not meant for pondering its meaning — she gives it to you. Her range is incredible, and the vision is so consistent throughout the whole piece. Coming into this album knowing nothing about this artist, I didn’t know what to expect. I left with a sense of who Fiona Apple is and a newfound respect for her as an artist. This album brings truth in a way that I have never experienced. The bottom line: Regardless of whether you are faced with the same problems as Fiona Apple or not, her frustration can be felt universally.
The peaks: “I Want You to Love Me,” “Under the Table,” “For Her” The valleys: Every time I decided I didn’t like a song, it just got better and better.
COURTESY OF EPIC RECORDS
Genre: Alternative Rock, Soul
On a playlist with: Florence + the Machine, Blondie, Alabama Shakes The verdict: 10/10
Thank you. To the indomitable Observer staff, advisers and our loyal readers: Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for an incredible year. It has been a distinct honor and privilege to lead The Student Voice of Fordham Lincoln Center. Though we all pray for slow news cycles, I’m confident that this group of supremely talented, uncannily motivated (and lavishly uncompensated) individuals stand ready to tell the stories that will define our time with characteristic grace and excellence. I, along with the rest of the Fordham community, will be reading with great interest — and, as always, high expectations.
Owen Roche Editor-in-Chief Emeritus
un &
Fun & Games Editor Esmé Bleecker-Adams - ebleeckeradams@fordham.edu
ames
April 22, 2020 THE OBSERVER
Crossword: No Man’s Land
36. Triple group from World War I 37. liberté and fraternité’s sibling 38. IKEA bed frame 39. mythical land to any Fordham student 42. Bible halves: Abbr. 43. Robert of the Civil War 44. resin 47. border 48. U.K. place for Ramses to sit 52. expend (2 wds.) 55. clashed 56. not forte 57. __ __ the wind (2 wds.) 58. New Yorker John Jacob 59. china drinking ware
Down 1. treble, bass or alto 2. Egyptian city once known as Thebes By JILL RICE 3. cave 21. video calls: Abbr. 4. ___ Gras 22. outdoors co-op store: Abbr. 5. wife of George 23. open, as a door Clooney 24. ___ and the Blind Forest, 6. __ scriptura, Protestant video game tenet 25. sheepish Australian village? 7. time zone of Montana or 29. Polish town that sounds Missouri: Abbr. close to home 8. “Eureka!” 33. Elsa’s action, along with 9. any pal while in “don’t feel” quarantine 34. in weaving, the machine’s 10. stubborn or tenacious horizontal threads (2 wds.) 11. archaic negatives
Across 1. “You shout,” by Caesar 7. put a __ __: place a limit (2 wds.) 12. lime green adult insect 15. biblical queen’s territory 16. a special clover has one 18. flowering plant sometimes used as medicine 19. utopia set up in the Amazon by Henry Ford, not Fr. McShane
3
Fun Facts 13. maybe your first class time 14. Muslim having completed the pilgrimage 17. betrothed 20. Meuse-___ offensive 24. “__ __ was 7 years old” (2 wds.) 25. resembling dew 26. additional 27. between 28. country singer and TV host Campbell 29. the coop or over the cuckoo’s nest 30. development of an ovum 31. cooked beef or chicken, for example 32. health science certifications in India: Abbr. 35. little MacGregor 40. tractor-trailers 41. Valkyrie Thompson 44. nerve fibers in the brain 45. Fordham’s sports conferences for basketball and baseball 46. Baudelaire or Hugo 47. northern California Native American people 49. supply often bought with tackle 50. stare lecherously 51. Md. org. of transit 53. game whose name is shouted when you win 54. María’s “for”
A Fordham World Atlas
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1. Fordlândia
2
By JILL RICE Copy Editor
• Ramingining is a village in Northern Territory, Australia, home to the Yolngu people, an Aboriginal community. • Fordlândia was a failed utopian city in Brazil planned by Henry Ford in the 1920s. He wanted to grow his own rubber trees in the Amazon rainforest, but it became a ghost town by the mid-1940s due to mismanagement and the unprofitability of rubber. • Ramsbottom, U.K., is a popular rural tourist destination in Manchester.
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2. Westchester 1
5
3. Ramsbottom 4. Fordon 5. Ramingining
ILLUSTRATION BY JILL RICE/THE OBSERVER
Help the Lincoln Center student get back to campus!
Word Ladder By JILL RICE Copy Editor
1
Instructions: Get from where you are to where you want to be by changing one letter at each level, highlighted in maroon.
2
Clues
3 4 5 6
1. non-New York locale for most 2. sharpen (as skills) 3. sole 4. myth 5. ___ and Lady 6. with -ham, where we’d rather be
By JILL RICE
Sending love to all the Rams around the world.