The Observer Issue 4

Observer the

I N C R O S S WO R D I D E

FROM OPINIONS

Legalize Equal Rights

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For more fearless females, turn to the centerfold on page 8.

March 15, 2018 VOLUME XXXIV, ISSUE 4

FSTV Returns to Media Circuit

By CARMEN BORCA-CARRILLO Staff Writer

AIZA BHUIYAN Contributing Writer

Why should we the people of the United States be treated equally in the eye of the law? Is it because we are a citizens contributing to society? Is it simply because we are human? Why do we deserve equality? We are so privileged to enjoy the rights that we are granted, but we fail to recognize that they aren’t set in stone; in fact, they are not even established in the Constitution (unless you are a straight White cisgender male, of course). The notion of inalienable rights came to fruition in “Western” European world during the 18th century, but these privileges were not applicable to women. Women were expected to stay in their own territory/place.

In the 20th century, women began fighting for their social and political rights, but, again, within limit. They were afforded the right to vote like men but that did not equate them to men in the eyes of the law and society—they still were regarded as second-class citizens when it came to job opportunities and salary negotiations, as they had other domestic “roles” to maintain.

In 1923, the nephew of Susan B. Anthony brought to Congress the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA), authored by Alice Paul.

This amendment would essentially make systematic gender-oriented workplace discrimination illegal and ensure equal opportunity in job pursuance. But these ideas seemed too overwhelming at the time, so the amendment was kept aside. It was mentioned in congressional sessions every year after, but it was not until 1970 when Martha Griffiths finally brought the amendment back into both congressional and national conversation. The House and Senate both passed it, but the ERA fell just three states shy of ratification.

Section 1 of the Equal Rights Amendment, formerly known as the Lucretia Mott Amendment, states that “equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of sex.”

The Amendment would secure a woman’s status in the eyes of the law as an equal to her male counterpart, which could eventually transform into complete gender parity. Section 2 grants Congress the authority to create laws, based on the provisions of the

see AMENDMENT pg. 7

ments “downplay the horrors of Nazism.” On March 12, FSU held a protest to demand the administration “publicly denounce white supremacy on campus.”

Professors Carey Kasten and Carl Fischer, who are teaching a course titled “Fascism’s Aesthetics in the Hispanic World” this semester, held a brief discussion on the image at the end of class in late February before photo widely circulated the internet.

Fischer felt that they “needed to address it,” adding that the incident “really brings home what we’ve been talking about in class.

It shows the urgency of going back to these moments in history, realizing that this isn’t a far away thing.”

The Jewish Student Organization at Lincoln Center said in a statement to The Observer that the photo was “disturbing, anti-Semitic and frankly scary for the Jewish community.”

In an interview with the Observer, a former executive board member of Rose Hill’s College Republicans club pictured in the photo made the case that “if you look into the history of the flag, you’ll see that it’s a joke, it’s not meant to be offensive.” He confirmed that he had posted the image and caption on reddit.

The student, who originally gave a full interview with the Observer and then asked to have his name withheld from publication, added that the photo was not affiliated with the College Republicans. He and another student, a current e-board member of the

Fordham’s media circuit welcomed the return of Fordham Student Television (FSTV) this past semester, adding a broadcast medium to Fordham’s media circuit. FSTV joined a string of alternative media outlets across campus dedicated to bringing news produced by students to Fordham’s general population through multimedia platforms.

Student-run media like The Rival, the paper and FSTV distinguish themselves from Fordham’s Observer and Ram in their use of non-traditional mediums and narrative perspectives. Their reports bring international and local news to Fordham students on entertaining platforms, such as the paper’s scroll-and-click website, and offer production experience specific to their publications.

FSTV is a cross-campus media effort to give students the week’s news through a live video broadcast format. While many campus publications utilize multimedia to some degree, FSTV’s news packages will be Fordham’s only strictly-video source. “We have a fantastic radio station, and we have fantastic print publications, but we don’t have that TV aspect,” said Kelsey Micklas, Fordham College at Rose Hill (FCRH) ’18 and FSTV news editor, on the importance of a well-rounded media lineup. “That broadcasting aspect is so vital, especially in the digital age.”

FSTV aims to begin releasing news packages mid-April, after FSTV writers and producers complete a series of workshops on script writing, reporting and filming taught by faculty trained in broadcast reporting. “Our department is all about theory and practice,” said Dr. Beth Knobel, faculty leader in the revival effort. “You can’t learn journalism without doing journalism.”

As far as subject material, FSTV is currently organizing teams in entertainment, sports and news, along with a sketch comedy group and a dedicated tech team. News hopes to cover both local and international topics that keep Fordham at the center. Subjects include campus activities, neighborhood events in both Manhattan and the Bronx and international stories revolving around matters such as gun control. Ultimately, Knobel said, “it’s up to the students to find stories that they think will be of interest to the community.”

FSTV, like other alternative media outlets, separates their publication from others by contributing a specialized medium

see THE FLAG pg. 3

see MEDIA pg. 4

JON BJORNSÖN/THE OBSERVER

“When you finally do have a woman that’s in a position that took a lot of work to get there, I think it’s pretty inspiring,” a student said of Assistant Professor of Economics Patricia Gomez-Gonzalez.

Kekistan Flag Photo Sparks Online War

By ELIZA PUTNAM Staff Writer

A widely circulated photo of Fordham students brandishing a flag associated with white nationalism on a Rose Hill soccer field has generated a frenzy of discourse inside and outside the university. In the image, 10 Fordham students, most smiling, are seen holding what is known as a Kekistan flag on a soccer field with Keating Hall illuminated off in the distance. The students were part of a Fordham intramural soccer team and took the photograph after a game on April 3, 2017. A week later, one of the students posted the photo on Reddit and captioned it, “The Kekistani National Soccer Team made its International Debut Last Night.”

David Neiwert, author of “Alt-America: the Rise of the Radical Right in the Age of Trump,” explained that the kek flag is an edited version of a Nazi battle flag from 1930s Germany, saying “the design of the flag [is] a Nazi war flag with a kek symbol in the middle and painted green.” Some of the students in the photo have described the flag as a joke.

On Sunday March 4, the Fordham Ram published an article on the photo, in which the students’ identities were kept anonymous, their faces blurred in the photo “due to threats of legal action.”

When asked for comment, the Ram declined to specify what legal action they faced. When the Observer contacted the students in the image, many of them requested that their names and faces not be published, citing con-

cerns with future employment.

One student’s parent wrote a letter to the Observer and a Fordham administrator saying they consulted with a lawyer and believed publishing the name and image of their child would be considered “defamatory, libelous and slanderous.”

On March 5, Fordham Students United (FSU), a coalition of students originally formed in 2015 to oppose racism on campus, posted the same photo on Facebook, unblurred. The post, which stated “The Fordham Ram can’t post their faces, but we will,” described the photo as an “homage to the 1930s Nazi flag.”

The post also included a kek flag and the Nazi flag side by side.

One FSU student leader, who spoke on a condition of anonymity, shared that they had posted the photo “to create a space for accountability.”

In less than 24 hours, the post garnered more than 1,000 reactions, 300 shares and almost 900 comments. Most of the comments trolled, mocked and criticized FSU’s post. Of 100 consecutive commenters, only two had a connection to Fordham on their public profile. Several commenters wrote hateful messages that employed anti-Semitic symbols, ableist slurs and white nationalist slogans, with one individual stating “i prefer the 1930s version to be honest.” Another commenter warned FSU, “Please please please do not overreact it is truly a meme to get a rouse out of you.” The FSU student said that the post had been shared with “alt right trolls” whose com-

OPINIONS

ARTS & CULTURE

FEATURES

The diversity problem in Silicon Valley is not Google’s fault

Six ways to support New York’s leading ladies this month.

The history of the holiday and New York’s Irish community.

PAGE 15

PAGE 20

PAGE 16

Stop the Sausage Fest Women’s Appreciation St. Patrick’s Day

THE STUDENT VOICE OF FORDHAM COLLEGE AT LINCOLN CENTER

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News

March 15, 2018 THE OBSERVER

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Faculty Drafts Free Speech Petition

By COLIN SHEELEY News Editor

Associate Professor of Theology John Seitz has released a petition to members of the Fordham community condemning the university’s policies on free speech and demonstration.

He pushed out his “Statement on the Future of Free Speech at Fordham” to the faculty of arts and sciences on Feb. 27. Its contents: four proposals “intended to spur a process...that will enhance community members’ rights, clarify policies, enshrine fairness and also encourage a community of accountability and respect.”

The petition, which was drafted by Seitz and a number of colleagues in his department, calls for eliminating the guideline that mandates members of the university seek the approval of the Dean of Students before organizing on-campus demonstrations.

The section notes that demonstrations “should be allowed to proceed anywhere on campus” provided that they follow the University Code of Conduct, do not unduly “disrupt University business, do not endanger health and safety and do not inhibit others’ rights of free speech.”

As of Monday, March 6, the petition has garnered more than 100 signatures from faculty, students and staff members.

Seitz said that he didn’t “know what number is a magic number” but thought that the signatures indicate “a wide number of support.”

Seitz is considering bringing the petition to the College Council and the Faculty Senate, some members of which have already signed on to the document.

It is unclear whether or not its contents have reached the

JON BJORNSÖN/THE OBSERVER

“Now is the time for action and transformation,” the petition states.

doorsteps of administrators.

Fordham President Rev. Joseph M. McShane, S.J. acknowledged that he had not seen it nor heard of its existence.

Dean of Students at Lincoln Center Keith Eldredge confirmed that a colleague sent him

a link to the Google Forms document but that he did not have access to view it.

Nevertheless, those who hold the power to change the university’s guidelines are this document’s final destination, according to Seitz. “The idea here is to

enter into dialogue with people in the administration that have control over the policies...to frankly put a little pressure on them,” he said.

In an email containing the link to the petition, Seitz noted that the inspiration for the document came from an op-ed published in the Fordham Ram that condemned the university for allowing the notorious political agent Roger Stone to speak at a College Republican event last October.

The article, which was written by Anya Patterson, Fordham College at Rose Hill (FCRH) ’19, co-chair of the Diversity Action Coalition, charged that “‘Fordham recognizes the dignity and uniqueness of each person.’ Yet they allow Roger Stone, a man who has a history of using racial slurs, sexist and anti-semitic insults on his social media accounts, to speak on a campus with individuals from those same backgrounds.”

“I was just impressed with her conviction and her courage,” Seitz said.

Patterson did not respond to comment, but Seitz verified that she had signed the petition.

Patterson was one of a number of university members, including faculty and former students of Seitz’s, that were the first to receive the document.

In addition to scrapping the provision that demands the Dean of Students’ approval, the document also makes the case for the establishment of “indoor and outdoor ‘public squares,’” areas where university members can “practice free expression...at any time without prior administrative approval or constraint,” again on the condition of following the University Code of Conduct.

Seitz’s email referenced the Speech and Expression Poli-

cy of Georgetown University as evidence that “[t]here are better student speech policies out there.” In fact, he said that he got the idea for the “public squares” from the university’s policies on events.

Lastly, the petition advocates for the creation of two “teams.”

The first to be tasked with “craft[ing] a more robust policy for speech and expression,” reevaluating the relationship between Constitutional rights and “the principles of Jesuit education.”

The section outlines a list of questions that the team could clarify, including: “Does free speech and academic freedom include the right to invite anyone to campus? Does the University have a responsibility to extend free speech rights to external speakers invited to campus? If the University or its officials make a statement indicating that invited speakers offer repugnant views antithetical to the mission of the University, what are the responsibilities of students to acquiesce to that speech? Does the University mission require that officials take responsibility for determining the kinds of external speakers it deems appropriate to education?”

The second team, “student-led” as the document proposes, should draft an Honor Code that “would go beyond a ‘Code of Conduct’” to ensure that these more relaxed policies on free speech would not “unduly expose the vulnerable” to hate speech. Seitz said the code would ideally “protect against hate speech.”

“Our era demands that we stand as an example of the relentless, even if messy, exercise of democracy,” the petition concludes. “Now is the time for action and transformation.”

Faculty Senate Reaches Decision on Merit Pay

By ANDREW DONCHAK Staff Writer

This winter, Fordham’s Faculty Salary and Benefits Committee and Faculty Senate were dealt the task of choosing between merit bonuses and across-the-board raises for the university’s faculty in the fiscal year 2018-19. Ultimately, the decision that passed through the Senate was a reduced merit award of 0.4 percent of salary to roughly half the faculty, with the remaining 2.3 percent available going to all faculty, increasing purchasing power slightly past the Consumer Price Index’s (CPI) inflation rate of 2.1 percent for 2017.

Historically, the Faculty Salary and Benefits Committee and the Faculty Senate have negotiated purchasing power increases in addition to offsetting inflation. For the value of the dollar to go down, wages must increase, or else effective salary, or purchasing power, of the faculty will suffer. It has also been tradition at Fordham, as it has been at many schools and businesses, to increase annual wages beyond this amount in order to promote longevity and improve the purchasing power of its constituents.

The contract settled with Fordham’s administration last year offered the Salary and Benefits Committee a very strict pool of 2.7 percent to go towards both raises and merit awards for the duration of the contract, which expires June 30th, 2020. As the committee awaited information on the CPI’s figures on inflation for calendar

year 2017, they realized that they had a problem. Reports were suggesting with near-certainty that inflation would be up from the 1% CPI mark for 2016, the number used during the first year of the faculty’s current employment contract with the administration.

Merit was first tethered to inflation at the recommendation of current Salary and Benefits Committee Chair Andrew H. Clark and Senator Margo Jackson back on November 9th, 2012. This began a trend at Fordham to section off a 0.6 percent raise solely for merit each year. However, with the pool of available benefit funds set at 2.7 percent and inflation creeping past 2 percent itself, continuing such a policy would likely leave little room for any increase to the purchasing power of the faculty. This was a problem anticipated, understood and discussed during the formation of the current contract, but the final agreement couldn’t guarantee absolute protection from drastic inflation rates.

On Nov. 17 the committee presented the Faculty Senate with four options on how to handle the incoming crunch: Continuing the current merit policy (0.6 percent) irrespective of inflation, discontinuing merit fully irrespective of inflation (giving all faculty a straight 2.7 percent raise) or two other conditional options: halting or reducing merit. Either of these cases would be executed only if inflation exceeds 2 percent.

These four suggestions were put to a faculty-wide referendum, however there was much debate on

how the vote should be presented.

Instead of ranking options in order of preference, faculty members selected the position they held most strongly. As a result, even with a rather strong 78 percent of faculty participation, the vote’s results were muddled and left no clear path forward. The most votes went to maintaining the solid 0.6 percent for benefits, with 43.6 percent of all ballots cast. Placing second with 29.3 percent was the option to forgo merit entirely and support a 2.7 percent raise across the board.

These results seemingly offered a pair of contradictory conclusions; first, the most popular course of action was maintaining the 0.6 percent merit structure no matter what. Second, if inflation reaches 2 percent, the majority (56.4 percent) of faculty members would like merit to be suspended or reduced. Only 17.6 percent, included in that majority, sought to keep merit-based raises, although at a reduced value.

As was estimated, the CPI inflation rate came in at 2.1 percent, meaning there simply wasn’t enough money in the allotted 2.7 percent pool to forgo compromise of any sort. The Salary and Benefits Committee resorted to a motion to indicate the lack of consensus, and to form a new subcommittee to investigate and explore other models and practices for these discussions at other schools. In the interim, it recommended to the Faculty Senate that since consensus was unattainable, merit would remain where it had been.

The motion was voted down by

JOSE EMILIO VALCARCEL/THE OBSERVER

Chair of Salary and Benefits Committee Andrew Clark, deliberated with the Faculty Senate over the awarding of merit pay.

the Faculty Senate, who in turn approved a motion to reduce merit by one-third to a 0.4 percent figure, leaving a difference of 0.2 percent to increase the purchasing power of all Fordham faculty.

Looking ahead, Fordham fac-

ulty is susceptible to the same dilemma over benefits next year. The hope remains that there can be a stronger safeguard against inflation worked into the next contract with administration, to be drawn up in the Spring of 2020.

www.fordhamobserver.com

THE OBSERVER March 15, 2018

News

3

Students Dispute Kekistan Flag’s Meaning THE FLAG FROM PAGE 1

club, are among the individuals display the flag in the photo.

According to Neiwert, attendees have brought the flag to every “free speech” and “white nationalist” rally he has studied in the past year. It is the flag of the satirical nation of Kekistan, originally created by Carl Benjamin. Benjamin is a Youtuber who is popular on alt-right online forums and has encourDavid Neiwart, author of Alt-America: the Rise of the Radical Right in the Age of Trump, explained that the kek flag is an edited version of a Nazi battle flag from 1930s Germany, saying “the design of the flag [is] a Nazi war flag with a kek symbol in the middle and painted green.” Some students in the photo have described the flag as a joke.

aged guests on his videos to say the 14 Words, a white supremacist slogan: “We must secure the existence of our people and a future for white children.”

The student who posted the photo on Reddit described Benjamin as liberal, insisting that “the Kekistan flag is a parody flag,” adding “I can put the swastika over the gay and lesbian flag, the LGBT rainbow flag, does that make it a racist flag? No,

it’s stupid.”

On Reddit, one user commented on the team photo, “This goes against the very ethics of kekistan!

Those women are outside of the kitchen! Infidels!”

The same Fordham student responded, “It’s hard to find kekistanis on a college campus. We had to make do.”

Another student who is pictured in the photo, said that found those comments “terrible.” She added that “if people think it’s a joke, they should understand that it’s not something to joke about.”

The student, along with several others pictured in the photograph, told the Observer that they “had no idea what a kek flag was” until they were asked for comment.

A Rose Hill senior who is in the picture said he thought that “most of the people in the photo don’t even know what the flag is.” He said. “We weren’t trying to make a political statement or anything.

The kekistan flag represents, for lack of a better word, annoyance with outrage PC [politically correct] culture. We had it there as a joke.”

In an email to the Observer, another student described the flag as an “outdated meme.” While the Ram reported that nine out of the ten pictured students “were unaware of what the flag rep-

resented,” at least three students told the Observer that they understood the flag as a joke.

This is not the first time that white nationalist symbols have been propagated at Fordham: five swastikas as well as two references to white supremacy have been reported to Public Safety since fall 2015. In November 2016, shortly after the presidential election, students found a white supremacist flyer at Rose Hill’s Dealy Hall.

None of the students in the photograph reached for comment said they had spoken about it with the administration. Two students in the photo, however, had disciplinary hearings with administrators this spring regarding the Rodrigue’s Coffee House incident in December. The Observer has since learned that the administration considered the photo in these two students’ disciplinary hearings.

On Feb. 27, Dean Rodgers provided a statement to the Observer through FCLC Dean of Students Keith Eldredge after multiple requests for comment, stating that “Fordham University neither condones nor allows hate speech. After researching the background, symbolism and context of the image, the University took steps to address the situation with the students involved.”

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The Positive II Hosts Organizing Workshop

By RUBY GARA Asst. News Editor

On Feb. 28, The Positive II, a student-run organization primarily fighting for gender and sexuality equity on campus, hosted an workshop-style event led by Sasha Alexander, a former attendant of the Positive II’s panel “Let Trans Women Live.”

Forty-nine people attended the workshop that focused on the fundamentals of community organizing, as well as helping the students build their own organizing toolbox.

The workshop was highly interactive with the attendees upon trying to build a student’s toolbox. They learned effective methods of campaign organizing, power mapping and different methods of nonviolent acts.

In addition, each student was given notebooks outlining the methods of nonviolent protest and persuasion, courtesy of the Sylvia Rivera Law Project (SRLP), as the understanding of each concept is essential to community organizing in a peaceful fashion. This further helps the students build their organizing toolbox as it provides them with several strategies they can act upon when confronted with economic and political noncooperation.

Alexander is the Membership Director at the SRLP, a project named after a “pioneer in the early trans rights and intersectional movement,” as stated

by Alexander. Sylvia Rivera is widely known for founding the Street Trans Action and Revolutionaries (STAR) group in 1970 and was a loud voice advocating against gender discrimination,

fighting for the Sexual Orientation Non-Discrimination Act (SONDA) in the city of New York.

The Positive II is a “resurgence of the [2014] movement,” as stated by the student hosts, hence the roman numeral in the name of the group. That movement was led by student activists who fought to pursue greater transgender rights and access on Fordham’s campus, as well as obtain more visibility for gender non-conforming and trans students.

One of the current student leaders, Eliza Putnam, Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) ’18, stated that “The Positive is the gender-inclusive coalition advocating for increased access and inclusion in the university for trans, non-binary students and community members.” Putnam said that The Positive II is working towards getting the University’s approval to install All Gender Restroom signage on single-occupancy bathrooms.

The interactive event was the first of a three-part speaker series at Fordham on the politics of queer and transgender visibility.

It was also funded by the Deans of FCLC and co-sponsored by the political science department, the women’s gender and sexuality studies department, the American studies department and the Rainbow Alliance.

Sasha Alexander stated that the focus was primarily on the students attending the workshop, as they all are ultimately able to be student organizers, and learn how to “think about the climate we’re dealing with politically.” Alexander also stated that they hoped that, as orga-

Different Outlets Offer Different Perspectives MEDIA FROM PAGE 1

of quality to the Fordham media circuit. “We’re not trying to take the place of other publications, but [to] make something unique in and of itself,” said Madeline Johnson, FCRH ’18 and director of content for The Rival.

Generating genuine student interest in news is a staple of The Rival, an online multimedia publication whose mission, Johnson stated, is “making student news interesting.” Fordham’s publication is a chapter of the larger Rival, a multi-campus, national publication stretching across 17 universities from Wisconsin to Connecticut that publishes articles on campus, culture and current news on both local and national levels.

Johnson attributed The Rival’s free voice to its campus-centric approach. “Headquarters” is a team of students and postgraduates working remotely from New York, Charlestown, and D.C. “Since we’re headquartered separately and independently,” Johnson said, “we can do, say and criticize whatever we want,” said Johnson. “The diversity of the interests of our writers is reflected in the diversity of the pieces we put out.”

The Rival takes its role as part of the Fordham community seriously, often using its functions to help larger organizations and generate campus-wide dialogue.

For example, a parody of Charli XCX’s “Boys” video raised more than $600 in February for victims of the Dec. 28 Bronx fire, and a launch party complete with a Fordham band and DJ raised over $3,000 for Puerto Rico relief.

The expanse of the Fordham

audience also interests the paper, Fordham’s journal of criticism, review and analysis, which publishes articles ranging from Earwax, a music review, to op-eds on modern television series. “Generally, we’re writing for the entire Fordham population” said Editor-in-Chief Claire Nuñez, FCRH ’19. “Our voices on the paper come from so many different walks of life and backgrounds and demographics.” the paper achieves this diversity by soliciting letters-to-the-editors and guest articles from nonstaff writers on a regular basis.

This ease of access allows for opinions from all ends of political and social spectrums to reach the paper’s audience side-by-side with opposing viewpoints. Nuñez said this configuration aims to “strike a chord with someone—make people think, make people challenge us [and] challenge their own views.”

“They have a certain approach to issues that resonates with the community,” the paper’s adviser and Senior Vice President for Student Affairs Jeffrey Gray said. “It’s an outlet for students who wish to write through a medium that’s less traditional, less structured than others [on campus].”

All three publications, based at Rose Hill, are attempting to increase their presence on both campuses. FSTV seized its reinstitution as an opportunity to pave the way for cross-campus efforts, grouping Lincoln Center students together to facilitate team organization and travel. Micklas highlighted the importance of inter-campus communication, as she said, “You can’t really tell the Fordham story without people from Lincoln Center.”

LYNDSEY AUGÉ/THE OBSERVER

Sasha Alexander, Membership Director at Sylvia Rivera Law Project.

nizers working for social justice, the workshop would allow the students to get a sense of where the opportunities, as well as the threats, are in regards to organizing.

“Organizing helps put pressure, raise visibility around issues and offer a different kind of support than a legal strategy does,” they stated. Part of the workshop consisted of familiar-

izing the students, as “an important part of organizing is to connect people” because “relationship building is one of the most important parts of changing oppression and working towards liberation.”

Following that idea, Alexander told all of the attendees to state their name, the pronouns they identify with and what social issue they’d like to see

change in. It led the students to see mutual interests and concerns within the group, which ultimately allowed them to feel more connected to one another, as well as see potential members or “allies” to form a student-led organization on campus.

As the main focus was on community organizing and the theory of social change, the rest of the workshop consisted of doing a power analysis, “a really great tool for mapping out where you have support and the unorganized bodies of people that exist that have decision-making powers,” such as a big group of united students.

With Sasha Alexander’s guidance and utmost help, the students had to apply what they had learned during the workshop.

Following the brief lesson on power mapping and the difference in power that depends on an individual’s position in a community, the students had to work with the example of bathroom access on campus. They had to discern the map key players in this specific situation, such as who their potential allies would be, as well as the decision makers, the organized opposition and the unorganized constituencies that would be involved.

The Positive II and Sasha Alexander hope that more students will be involved in the upcoming future and that there’ll be an increase in students advocating for social justice on campus. Many students were hopeful at the end of the event, and some revealed that they had come from Fordham College at Rose Hill (FCRH) solely to attend the workshop led by Sasha Alexander.

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Sharpton and Luciano Visit Fordham

New York City Civil Rights Leaders Talk Guns, Protests and Race During Black History Month

COLIN SHEELEY/THE OBSERVER

Al Sharpton stresses “deliberate” political organization at Rose Hill on Feb. 26.

A Selfie, a Troll and the Issues that Matter to Al Sharpton

By COLIN SHEELEY News Editor

It was possibly as strange as the Facebook event made it sound. “In pursuit of broadening political dialogue, we worked to bring the dirty trickster and political hatchet man Roger Stone to Fordham in October,” the event details noted. “In the spirit of fairness, balance, and continuing discussion, we at Fordham Libertarians are proud to present, together with Fordham Political Review, the honorable Reverend Al Sharpton!”

As a whole, the Feb. 26 “Evening with Al Sharpton” was punctuated by trolling comments during the Q&A session and capped off by an audience-wide pseudo selfie, yet nonetheless touched on the national and local issues of gun violence, gerrymandering and race.

Taking the stage, Rev. Al Sharpton made his agenda clear. “I want to focus on where we are right now in the country,” he said. “I think that the gun debate that is going on right now is very important.” Sharpton, who at 13 was appointed youth director of Martin Luther King Jr.’s Operation Breadbasket, has sung the praises of “deliberate” organizing for the entirety of his 50-year political career. He said that finally, the survivors and activists of the Parkland, Fla. shooting “are focusing in the right place.”

What really matters, Sharpton argued, is the legislature, is Congress.

“Because,” he said, “if you don’t change laws, then your moment will not turn into a movement.”

That movement, or rather the “core problem”, is the public accessibility of assault weapons like AR-15. On stage, as on the television show PoliticsNation, Sharpton called for the complete ban of the semi-automatic rifle—absolute, regulative poison to the ears of conventional Libertarians.

“Anything short of addressing the basic core problem, to me, is going to only lead us to be back here again as a country,” he said.

Then he moved to another problem—“the other part”, as it were: gerrymandering. As was the case with assault weapons, Sharpton urged that “impediments to voting rights and having free voting districts” must be erased.

“To carve out districts that would almost guarantee that a certain party would have a certain amount of congressional seats,” he said, “is antitheti-

cal to the whole concept of an American democracy that represents the population.” The reverend was in rapid-fire mode.

The conversation shifted to race, the subject for which Sharpton is most loved and hated. He noted: “People say all the time that when you bring up race, Reverend, you’re being divisive,” but countered, “When you don’t bring it up you’re being divisive.”

He took aim at Fordham students, presenting a paradox. “You’re in a city that is two-thirds black and Latino,” Sharpton said. Yet, “if you go to places of high learning...you would not know that you were in a city two-thirds black and Latino.” The reverend contended that the issues prevalent in marginalized communities such as stop-andfrisk and education disparity are not pressing or obvious to college students, but they should be.

Every generation has had to manage these issues, Sharpton pointed out.

“The question is: are we going to raise and rise up to answer those challenges?”

Students, as it happened, did rise up from their seats, taking their places in line along the auditorium’s aisles as the event transitioned to a Q&A session.

Around a dozen spoke, pressing Sharpton for his opinion on topics ranging from Kentucky Senator Rand Paul to marijuana to the incarcerated rapper Meek Mill.

One student brought the accusations raised in a Newsmax article that charged Sharpton with exploiting a police shooting of an African-American man in 2014, stating the extent of Sharpton’s gaze “is money and political gain.”

“I think you should get a better source,” Sharpton replied, referencing the unnamed aunt who was quoted in the article. He pointed to the victim’s girlfriend who helped lead a 2014 march on Washington as evidence of his sincerity.

“As a student at Fordham, I’m shocked you don’t have better sources,” he said, adding, “Do you have a question?” and then a pause. “I didn’t think so.”

Finishing his remarks, Sharpton thanked the 50-some students who attended and left, but not before taking a selfie on stage with the audience who was too numbered for him to hold the phone himself.

COLIN SHEELEY/THE OBSERVER

Felipe Luciano was a co-founder of New York City’s Young Lords in the late sixties.

‘If You Were Angry Enough, Fordham Would’ve Closed”

By KATHERINE SMITH News Editor

Martinez, activists Sessle Sharpe and Vanessa Reyes, and Fordham grad“Folks, you’re not angry enough.” uate Aixa Rodriguez, explored the nuances of color and culture further, Felipe Luciano stared out at the as individuals shared their personal crowd within Rose Hill’s Flom Audi- experiences throughout their years as torium during his speech on Feb. 21, children, students and adults of Afpausing to let his statement sink in. ro-Latin descent. The first question, The event, presented by the Bronx asking each speaker to explain how American History Project, had taken they would describe their identity, a somber turn after it began as a cele- prompted insightful and detailed anbration. Musical group Bambula drew swers into the complications of trying several audience members out of their to live as a member of both the black seats to participate in the onstage per- and Latino community. formance. Yet those same people who Reyes spoke about her mother’s inhad danced minutes before now sat fluence in forming “an unapologetic quietly in their seats, nodding along blackness.” to Luciano’s statement. The music had “She always made sure that I knew, stopped, and now it was time to listen. especially going up to contexts like el“What I don’t understand is how ementary school,” Reyes said. “People we read and take the education super- would question me because of how ficial concepts of blackness, and do I appear and my last name, so she not get angry?” Luciano said. “I don’t made sure that I knew I was a black see righteous indignation in this city, woman, and I just so happen to have and I don’t see it in the nation.” hispanic or Latin American heritage.”

Luciano is no stranger to student Sharpe, a 25-year-old man of Afactivism. Before he became a journal- ro-Cuban descent, described growing ist and a political figure, he was the up in the South and how many people co-founder of the New York branch of responded to his heritage, saying that the Young Lords, a left-wing Puerto by leaving his community, he was Rican organization able to understand that stressed the imhis full identity. portance of self-de“In the South I don’t see righteous termination and comyou’re black to munity service, as indignation in this city, someone.

You’re well as self-defense Black.

Doesn’t against oppression. and I don’t see it in this matter what lanResistance, particuguage you speak, if nation.” larly the outrage that you speak French, causes it to occur, Spanish, it’s like seems to be lacking you’re Black. And in Luciano’s eyes, esyou can’t run from that. So me growpecially when the country is at “the ing up, I couldn’t run from that,” precipice of the wildest ride” he has Sharpe said. “So when you have peowitnessed since 1939. ple like me who try to speak Spanish “If you were angry enough, Ford- or a different language, people would ham would’ve closed down,” Luciano question like, what the hell are you?” said. “Schools would have been closed Luciano also stressed the similardown. McDonald’s would have been ities between African and Puerto-Rishot to the ground. Goya would’ve can communities, learning about one been thrown out.” another through shared family valThe reasoning, Luciano believes, ues, food, and culture. Through those lies not just in policy, but in a deeper similarities, Luciano said that it has issue facing the affected communities. formed into a “cultural strength,” one “Part of the reason for our lack that needs to be solidified as a “politof righteous indignation—and I was ical angle.” talking to the chair of the Black Pan“I believe that I was put I am here ther Party Bobby Seale about this—is for a reason,” Luciano said. “I hope that we are not black enough,” Lucia- that this movement that we’re talking no said. about-Puerto Rican, Latino, black The panel directly after Luciano’s folk-that we begin to understand that speech, featuring journalist Janel we are family.”

“

Opinions

Opinions Editor Jordan Meltzer - jmeltzer3@fordham.edu

APPROACH FREE SPEECH WITH CAUTION

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“squares” on campus designated for protests, in which students can “practice free expression...at any time, without prior administrative approval or constraint.” he requests proposed in the first two items of the petition are conducive to the promotion of

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“We support the petition on the condition that great care is taken to respect the rights of the entire Fordham community...” free speech on campus. However, the third and fourth items are more concerning.

They involve the development of a more robust free speech policy and a universitywide free speech “Honor Code.” A team of students would manage the development of both the policy and the Honor Code as well as any potential violations. s a student publication, we approach these demands with extreme caution and find it unwise to entrust any single governing body with the responsibility to decide what deserves the designation of “free speech.” Although the

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Observer the

STAFF EDITORIAL

ordham theology professor Dr. John Seitz is circulating a petition that aims to address the free speech dilemma at Fordham.

It intends to create a hybridized, integrated approach to freedom of expression in a university long known for its repressive policies. n deciding whether to implement the changes suggested by this petition, our university has an important decision to make.

On one hand, commitment to “pure” free speech requires the tolerance of unproductive hate speech with the hope that the best ideas ultimately win out. However, the petition has presented Fordham with another option: to regulate free speech, monitored for needlessly hurtful and derisive rhetoric. any items in this petition are beneficial; they mirror recent efforts by American universities to provide better avenues of expression to their students, and they address specific Fordham practices prohibitive to free speech. he first item calls for the elimination of the prior approval policy for on-campus protests, which requires administrative approval 48 hours in advance. he second item describes the need for one or more public

March 15, 2018 THE OBSERVER

petition specifies that students will revise and vote on the code each year, we cannot assume that each year, the majority opinion will justly represent the Fordham community. A policy that, though well-intentioned, aims to rigidly define free speech runs the risk of limiting community members’ First Amendment rights instead of protecting them. The future of free speech at Fordham must not be unpredictable. r. Seitz’s petition presents a vision of free speech at Fordham that is inclusive, fair and conducive to meaningful dialogue. However, these efforts must not go too far in that they paradoxically impede such discourse. We support the petition on the condition that great care is taken to respect the rights of the entire Fordham community to speak freely, engage in productive discussion and protest without fear of undeserved retribution. Hate speech and violent threats are absolutely unacceptable and should warrant punishment, but we must be careful not to infringe on students’ right to free speech.

Fordham has a choice to make. The future of free speech on campus hangs in the balance.

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

Visual Advisor Molly Bedford Editorial Advisor Anthony Hazell

PHOTO FEATURE

PUBLIC NOTICE No part of The Observer may be reprinted or reproduced without the expressed written consent of The Observer board. The Observer is published on alternate Thursdays during the academic year.

Printed by Five Star Printing Flushing, N.Y

To reach an editor by e-mail, visit www.fordhamobserver.com

“Take a trip on a train. Look out the window, you may like what you see, you may not.”

-Siblings in window, 2018.

JON BJÖRNSON /THE OBSERVER

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

• If submitters fail to include this information, the editorial board will do so at its own discretion.

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• The Editorial is the opinion held by a majority of The Observer’s editorial board. The Editorial does not reflect the views held by Fordham University.

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THE OBSERVER March 15, 2018

Opinions

Silicon Valley Diversity Crisis: Don’t Blame Google OWEN ROCHE Asst. Opinions Editor

It’s no secret: Silicon Valley is a sausage fest. More specifically, a white and Asian one. Gender and race pay gaps coincide with markedly lopsided demographics in the technological capital of America, and it’s not getting better in the next generation of tech workers.

With a largely homogenous group constituting the majority of its hiring pool, the tech industry is reaching the breaking point of its diversity crisis. Silicon Valley is desperate—with no company more desperate than Google, American tech’s crowning jewel.

Inclusivity eludes the search giant and its seemingly forward-thinking work environment, as Google has drawn much criticism for diversity-related issues in the past. The company was subject to a Department of Labor investigation over pay discrimination this past year, and an internal memo criticizing diversity efforts that surfaced in 2017 drew widespread condemnation. However, recent allegations against the search giant are different: the company was accused by a former employee of encouraging racial and gender quotas in their hiring plans—a violation of California and federal labor laws.

If the allegations are to be believed, Google is more desperate than ever before to improve its yearly diversity reports. This is not a good thing. Google felt forced to resort to unethical means to produce skewed, pseudo-inclusive diversity numbers because the individuals they hire and pass over are nothing more than that: numbers in an equation. While a commitment to diversity is important, Google has gone about it all wrong.

Any company would be doing itself a disservice to treat its industry like it’s more inclusive than it actually is. Manipulating

JOEY ROZIER VIA FLICKR

Women compose 23 percent of Google tech workers, while five percent are Hispanic, Latinx and black.

the data looks better on paper but delegitimizes the problem at hand.

It should not be up to corporations to treat racial and gender minorities like prizes in a cereal box; this falsified version of equality is misleading and harmful. It is unacceptable to be lulled into a false, feel-good sense of fairness that these quotas provide.

It’s easy to blame Google. Its diversity record is poor, and recent accusations reveal a company— and industry—unsure of how to hire the best workers from all walks of life. Diversity initiatives are only a quick fix. Gone too far, they mask the larger issues plaguing the tech industry’s applicant pool—but they just might reveal why, in the case of the great Silicon Valley Sausage Fest, Google is not to blame.

Expectations of equal representation in any industry assume that there are equal amounts of applicants from a wide range of

ethnicities and genders for jobs in the tech industry. That’s not nearly the case, and as a result, any tech company has circumstances of equality stacked against them from the start of their hiring process.

The statistics are old news: more than half of all American college graduates are female, but the computer software engineers and math-heads are overwhelmingly male. Moreover, the males with STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) degrees are mostly white and Asian—and they’re the ones filling the ranks of America’s tech companies. As impartial as their interview methods and skill criteria may be, their results will reflect the garish population disparity between white and Asian men with STEM degrees and the rest of the competition with identical credentials. Increased diversity, especially in such a lopsided field, will not benefit companies

as long as they feel they are forced to maintain quotas and pass up on talent in order to achieve a certain level of equal representation.

The solution is far simpler than blaming Google’s hiring practices. Companies shouldn’t have quotas or selective hiring practices simply because they shouldn’t be necessary. Google shouldn’t have to change its hiring methods; the applicant pool must diversify beneath them.

It’s time to rethink and revise our demands for equality, working from the bottom up instead of skimming off the top. Equal employment from unequal candidates is not a burden for Google to bear, but propagating interest in their field and investing in tomorrow’s job applicants most certainly is.

Fostering interest in STEM among the youth of underrepresented groups will undoubtedly pay dividends in the future, and this is where Google’s responsibility lies.

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It is Silicon Valley’s job to diversify its pool of future, not current, hires. Initiatives are already in place to introduce programming and engineering to those who wouldn’t normally be exposed to such material, and this work should continue until college graduation rates for STEM fields equalize across race, gender and economic status.

The most popular programs have encouraged young women to pursue technology and engineering, but this is only one piece of the puzzle. What may be more challenging—and less glamorous for the press—is the tech industry’s obligation to encourage future hires across traditional economic and ethnic lines. When the applicant pool is equally represented, hiring in the tech industry is sure to reflect it.

Teaching children to program and explore their interests in the emerging technological landscape of our world should know no boundaries nor follow any stereotype. If these opportunities are established from the beginning, we’re off to a good start.

Eight of the top 10 highest paying positions at Google involve software, engineering or finance, all fields and areas of study underrepresented by female, African-American and Latinx college graduates. It doesn’t have to be this way forever. Those qualified for the most valuable positions in America’s most ubiquitous tech firm can proudly represent the gamut of the American people— but they need to be qualified first.

The inequality in Silicon Valley is not enforced nor perpetuated by Google; it’s born and raised in the American system that allows certain groups to adapt and specialize to the industry while leaving others behind. It’s a difficult truth, and it will involve far more effort to solve tech inequality at its roots than simply to maintain race and gender quotas. However, it is where real change must begin.

Equal Rights Amendment Necessary Now More Than Ever AMENDMENT FROM PAGE 1

Amendment, to facilitate the institutional equality between sexes.

As the ERA movement grew in popularity amongst women and men in the United States, it met many rivals. One was Phyllis Schlafly, a well-educated lawyer who created the STOP ERA countermovement— “STOP” was an acronym for “Stop Taking Our Privileges.” Many accredit the failure of the amendment to her movement because of the “turncoat voting” it induced amongst women. She emphasized the comfortability of life in America for women as the primary homemakers of the family.

Schlafly denounced the ERA and mainly targeted women to join her movement, although there was no shortage of men joining the campaign. Also in opposition were businesses, who feared having to pay their female employees more, and religious groups, who wanted to prevent a potential victory for reproductive rights and people in the LGBTQ community.

In the 1980s, President Ronald Reagan actively spoke against the ERA as well. Reagan and Vice President George H. W. Bush represented “family values” to their supporters, a concept highly valued by white Americans of the time. An extension of Phyllis Schlafly’s philosophy was celebrated; women were identified as the primary caretakers of the family, and men were the breadwinners supporting the family; however,

EDDIE WELKER VIA FLICKR

American Heroines: Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Susan B. Anthony and Lucretia Mott led the women’s suffrage movement of the early 1900s.

marginalized groups once again felt unrepresented by this “American” way of life.

Since the condemnation of the ERA by Reagan, the conversation regarding the necessity for the ERA has re-emerged, both in politics and in greater American society. In 2011, Senator Robert Menendez and Representative Carolyn Maloney pushed to bring it back when Justice Antonin Scalia stated that the 14th Amendment did not prohibit gender discrimination. In 2015, figures such as Meryl Streep encouraged the passing of the ERA in order to bridge the wage gap. In 2017, the election of Donald Trump threatened the agency of many women and other marginalized groups. President Donald Trump blatantly endorsed xenophobia, attacked Dreamers,

condemned reproductive rights by his staunch denouncement of Planned Parenthood and maintained a victim-blaming complex in regards to gender-based violence. It was realized that social standing for marginalized groups was always in flux and largely dependent on the reigning political party’s values.

Ruth Bader Ginsburg emphasized that we were able to accomplish almost all that we could have thus far with the Supreme Court Justices’ interpretations of the 14th Amendment and created legislation accordingly, but legislation itself is susceptible to being changed or repealed. The Equal Protection Clause in the 14th Amendment does not explicitly state the equality between men and women. Another thing to

note is the intent of the Founding Fathers; women’s rights, or even rights for people of color, were never thought of when the Constitution was created, which is why it is so necessary that we implement an amendment to represent the majority of the population. In order to provide agency to these marginalized groups, it is important for them to be assured that no matter what political arena the country is in, their rights could not be disputed, rather they would be guaranteed because the equality stature between the sexes would be established as a fundamental tenet of society.

The ERA is not only about equality between the sexes, but also equality within them as well.

The fourth wave of feminism prides itself on intersectionality— it is understood that women are not seen as equal to other women.

For example, the wage gap is not only a factor between men and women, but also between women of color and white women. Asian women and white women earn higher average hourly wages than black and Hispanic women and even black and Hispanic men. It is easy to say that the groups making lower hourly wages should try to get better, well-paying jobs, but many systematic impediments and social constraints continue to shackle them to lower paying positions. The implementation of the ERA could protect these groups and help give them the equal opportunity they deserve.

Without the “supreme Law of the Land” establishing equal rights for over half of the population, there is no way to fully protect women and other marginalized groups. Decisions made about women are still run by a male-majority Congress that is now also a conservative majority. Of course, the ERA will not act as a remedy for every gender-related issue, but it will safeguard our rights when they are being disputed.

Although the embers of the Equal Rights Amendment may have been extinguished since the 1970s, they can and must be reignited. Much has changed since the era of “family values,” and the paradigm of the “American family” has been greatly altered due to the social progress we have made since the late 20th century.

Women have roles in society that extend beyond the household.

They have integrated into society as equal contributors; however, they still lack any constitutional clause that explicitly indicates the equality between the sexes. The legislation that currently protects women from gender discrimination can easily be repealed or changed, so it is vital that the “supreme law of the land” upholds equality for all. It’s time to bring back the ERA and grant women their lawful equal status to men in the eyes of the federal government. Our grandmothers and mothers paved the road to equality for us; it is our duty to level it once and for all.

Fordham Women Who Inspire

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By LOIC KHODARKOVSKY AND JEFFREY UMBRELL Layout Editor and Features Editor

We asked the Fordham community about the female faculty they find inspring at Fordham. Here’s what they had to say.

“The number one in my mind is Claudia Rivera who is the primary secretary in our department [Communications and Media Studies] here at Lincoln Center … She’s a go-getter and she is tough and strong-willed but also kind and really supportive, and she’s just a wonderful woman,” Professor Chris Vicari

“Marjan Fadavi Ardekani is so dedicated to her profession in a field that’s so full of men … she is so dedicated and so committed to everything that she does,” Hope Barker, FLC ’21

“One of the best things about being a philosophy professor is the opportunity to make a difference in my students’ lives. I strive to help them develop their abilities to think clearly and critically about important ethical questions. It brings me joy to know that I have inspired some of my students at Fordham,” Professor Jada Strabbing

“[I teach because] I see that women are still struggling, and fighting the same battles that women fought in the 19th century. That’s always been an inspiration to me,” Professor Vlasta Vranjes

“Professor Luisita López Torregrosa … she’s a superhero,” Paige Burke, FCLC ’19

“People like Sister Beth Johnson, she’s probably the most prominent feminist theologian in the country and she is a woman of great voice, I’m not talking about singing voice, I’m talking about moral voice and my ... she’s a great intellectual role model I can’t speak highly enough of her,” President Joseph M. McShane

Pictured, from left to right: Olivia Lucas

“Professor Evanson has taught me, and I’m sure all of her classes, the importance of language and culture. I have great respect for her, especially her genuine care for teacing French. Her commitment to her students and their growth in language is apparent; I had many fostering conversations with her at Pause Cafe. As students, we are lucky to have her as a professor, elle est une femme incroyable,” Steph Lawlor, FCLC ’20

“Professor Stone has made me a better student, writer and person by challenging me to extend my own limits and the limits of the world around me,” Cat Reynolds, FCLC ’19

“There are so many incredible women at Fordham. Something that I’ve really valued about my experience here is having such impressive women professors who have really fostered a sense of knowledge and love of learning in myself,” Olivia Lucas, FCLC ’19

“My English teacher, Heather Dubrow …

She’s got the whole empowerment vibe going,” Tommy O’Connor, FCLC ’20

“One of my favorite professors that I’ve ever had is professor Vlasta Vranjes … she’s inspired me to have confidence in my own writing,” Sabrina Polkowski, FCLC ’19

s, Sabrina Polkowski, Christopher Vicari, Paige Burke, Maryanna Antoldi, Hope Barker and George Cemovich

“Amy Aronson, a communications professor, and Vlasta Vranjes, the associate chair of the English department, both are really successful in their fields and they’re both very intelligent. They’ve both been extremely supportive of me,” Maryanna Antoldi, FCLC ’19

” PHOTOS AND REPORTING BY LENA ROSE, LOÏC KHODARKOVSKY, AND JEFF UMBRELL

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Opinions

March 15, 2018 THE OBSERVER

www.fordhamobserver.com

Support Artists, Buy Your Music

JORDAN MELTZER Opinions Editor

I am an artist. Like billions of other people around the globe, I derive great pleasure from expressing my deepest and most honest thoughts in a creative form. Collectively, I and the people like me refer to this creative expression as “art.” You have probably experienced lots of art, especially as a student on a liberal arts college campus and a New York City regular. But how often do you support the artists whose art you consume?

In the age of the internet, it is safe to say that many of us consume art—namely, music—digitally. Music is readily available on sites like YouTube, Spotify, Pandora and Apple Music. These services do not require per-song or per-album payment from users like us. So how do creators get paid for their content? The answer is that they really don’t.

Any site, service or physical location that hosts music has to pay money to what is known as a performing rights organization (PRO). PROs are responsible for paying artists when their music is played on the radio, at a club and, yes, on a streaming service like YouTube. In addition, the streaming service must pay the artist every time their music is played on that streaming platform. This sounds like a fair deal, but a problem arises when considering exactly how much the artist makes from having their music played.

The rates that PROs and streaming services pay artists are dismal, to say the least.

SoundExchange, the most widely used digital PRO, pays its artists $0.0023 per digital performance.

This covers all subscription-based services, including SiriusXM, Apple Music, Music Choice and any other streaming service you can imagine. Streaming services are not far off: Spotify, the owner of the largest share in the digital

RASHMI SINGH/THE OBSERVER

Spotify pays artists about $0.0039 every time one of their songs is streamed on its platform.

music streaming market by far, pays artists $0.0039 per stream.

YouTube comes in with the lowest payout rate, clocking in at $0.0007 per play.

To put these numbers into perspective, let’s apply them to a real artist: the local New York pop punk group State Champs. According to their #2017Wrapped—a viral marketing campaign Spotify conducted at the end of last year—fans listened to 2 million hours of State Champs’ music in 2017.

Liberally estimating that each of their songs is about three minutes long, that means that State Champs songs were played about 666,667 times on Spotify.

If they got paid $0.0039 per play, the band made a grand total of $2,600 from Spotify plays last year. With that money, they will

have to pay five band members, not to mention their label will take a cut. Other band-related expenses include tours, merchandise, advertising, studio time, a producer, a manager, a booking agent and more. Of course, many of these costs are often covered by the band’s record label, but the more of that stuff the label does, the less money the band is making.

So now that you know that your favorite artists are making close to nothing, what can you do? The answer is simple: buy your music. Yes, you can still buy concert tickets and merchandise; in fact, odds are that your favorite artists make most of their money through touring. But you would be contributing a substantially higher amount of monetary support to their art than you are

now by streaming their songs on the internet. If you listened to 100 hours of State Champs’ music on Spotify last year, you would have earned them $0.13—again, to be split amongst five artists and a label. But if you bought their two (amazing) full-length albums instead, you would have given them approximately $20.

Even though this money is still split amongst a lot of entities, it is 154 times what you otherwise would have given them.

I know that the general response to this argument is that the music consumer cannot afford the music. This is a fair argument. As a college student, you might be working a low- or even minimum-wage job and that might be your only stable source of income. But for most of us, it is not. I acknowledge my privi-

lege as someone whose parent can afford an extravagant (read: “expensive”) education at a prestigious university. You should too. And if you can afford that five- to six-dollar frappuccino at Starbucks, you can afford to give up two of those overpriced cups of sugar water to your favorite artist in exchange for an album.

As silly as it sounds to say out loud, I think we can all agree that emotionally-charged, meaningful art is more valuable than a cup of unnecessarily expensive coffee.

Morality is a big part of why buying music is important. Most musicians are creating art that means a lot to them. They pour their hearts out into their lyrics, spend countless hours writing and perfecting the instrumentation and spend unimaginable amounts of money on studio time and a good audio engineer.

Then they promote the finished product hoping that people will consume their art and respect it enough to support it monetarily. The disappointment an artist feels upon discovering that streaming services have taken advantage of their music is ineffable. It kills art and, more importantly, tears down an artist’s confidence and self-respect. What’s more, many musicians create art for a living, and streaming makes it close to impossible to be able to live comfortably. Buying music would alleviate this stress, quite literally, exponentially: the more people buy music, the higher the artist’s profit margin becomes.

With that, I implore you: buy your music. Give artists your money. Dedicate a small portion of your monthly budget to supporting the art they create; not the merch or the concert, but the art itself. The art is worth your support and respect.

I am an artist. I pour my heart out onto the pages of my notebooks and the cracks in my vocal cords to be able to create and share my passion with the world.

And my art deserves your support and your respect.

President Trump and Fox News: A Dangerous Love Story PATRICK RIZZI Staff Writer

For a president who spends as much time criticizing news outlets as he does, President Trump sure loves the media.

There’s just one catch: he loves media that gives him favorable coverage around the clock. Enter Fox News, the most viewed cable news channel in America today that has been widely accused by its critics of heavy conservative bias and, more recently, right-wing populist viewpoints.

While Fox has always been a conservative-leaning channel, its coverage has never before been as partisan and politically biased as it is today. According to polls, the American public views it as the most ideological cable news channel in America today. 47 percent of American adults identify Fox as “conservative,” whereas the percentages of adults who specifically view CNN and MSNBC as “liberal” are 37 and 36 percent, respectively.

Trump, a devoted fan of Fox News, is reported to typically watch the channel several hours per day. He often tweets about stories or events he sees while watching Fox. The two programs he appears to view the most on the channel are “Fox and Friends,” a morning panelist talk

show, and “Hannity,” a primetime cable news and talk show hosted by right-wing pundit Sean Hannity. The president has been accused of making decisions primarily based on what he sees on cable news shows, particularly these Fox shows.

At the risk of stating the blatantly obvious, the president’s affinity for Fox News is likely primarily due to their criticism-free coverage of him and his administration. However, there are other reasons why Fox News is particularly appealing to Trump. The lowbrow and somewhat schlocky presentation and aesthetics of Fox programming works well for an often anti-intellectual president. Trump’s political opponents often criticize him heavily for making claims that are outrageously false, such as the baseless conspiracy theory that three million people voted illegally in the 2016 U.S. presidential election. Some Fox programming to which Trump has been exposed has included highly misleading statements or beliefs that dabble in conspiracy theories. For example, both Sean Hannity and Trump have questioned the birthplace of former president Barack Obama. Fox has also touted a conspiracy theory about the murder of Seth Rich, a Democratic National Committee employee who was shot and killed in Washington, D.C.,

GAGE SKIDMORE VIA FLICKR

Sean Hannity is often criticized for his alleged pro-Trump bias.

in the summer of 2016. During the 2016 presidential campaign, Hannity shared a photo of a staffer for Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign from a distance and claimed he was holding an epi-pen to deal with Clinton’s allegedly deteriorating health, when in fact the staffer was actually holding a small flashlight.

Like it or not, Fox News

definitely will not be going away any time soon. Its viewer ratings are outstanding, and “Hannity” is now the most viewed nightly program on cable television in the United States. In a polarized and hyper-partisan America, politicians and concerned citizens of all stripes will have to come to terms with the fact that for many American conservatives, Fox News exerts almost total

dominance in the realm of the news media. In many ways, Fox’s biased and sometime scorchedearth coverage helped us ease into the divisive and often surreal political era Americans live in today. This format of journalism is ideal for covering what many Trump critics have labelled “the reality television presidency,” a reference to Trump’s time as a reality TV star in the decade prior to his 2016 campaign and tenure as president. We should understand that while biased reporting in media outlets such as Fox may sometimes provide an echo chamber into what some of us may “want to hear,” they also tend to be quite deficient in journalistic value. They also need to understand the incontrovertible evidence that Fox and its coverage builds a sense of cohesion among Trump’s base, especially among his most hard-core supporters. If we want to ensure that Americans continue to have the ability of separating truth from falsehood and fact from opinion, we all need to come together to promote an understanding of facts. All of us should respect such common fact, even though we may disagree strongly on opinions or viewpoints on issues relating to the fact. If such facts can be generally respected in our democracy, the future of our society will look brighter.

Arts & Culture

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

March 15, 2018 THE OBSERVER

Fordham Professor’s Show Opens at Joe’s Pub

By GILLIAN RUSSO Contributing Writer

Daniel Alexander Jones explores themes of self-identity through his character Jomama Jones.

Self-proclaimed as “artist-driven and radically inclusive,” the Public Theater has long been known for its unique array of performance pieces that are highly influenced by contemporary social issues. On Feb. 25, one of its sub-venues, Joe’s Pub, opened the curtains on its newest cultural celebration: “Black Light”. The piece is headlined by Jomama Jones, the alter ego of Daniel Alexander Jones, theatre professor and head of the playwriting program at Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC).

The show, created by Jones, is comprised of Jomama’s childhood anecdotes interspersed with original songs, which together are a joyous blend of entertainment and empowerment.

Jones explores themes of identity, self-expression and growth, while actively interacting with the audience, inviting them to do the same. The Observer caught up with Jones to discuss his inspiration as an artist and what he plans on taking from the show back to the classroom from “Black Light”.

TO: I’m going to turn this toward Fordham now—are there any experiences throughout your career at Fordham that have influenced your body of work, this show or your persona in general?

DAJ: One hundred percent. One of the main reasons I came to Fordham was that I fell in love with the ethos of the theatre department and with the students and my colleagues. One of the things that’s really influenced me is that they’re so brave, so open-hearted and so committed to trying to use art to do something positive in the world, and that’s kept me really honest. I had the great pleasure of having some of my students come down to have class at the Public because I was in technical rehearsals and I said, there’s no difference to me between working on this piece of art and being in a classroom because it’s all about trying to engage a really brave and bold conversation. I feel fortunate to be at Fordham where those values are upheld inside our department.

Daniel Alexander Jones: Well, I think there are a couple things I’d say. The first is, it is my performance persona, Jomama Jones, and I feel like… in the piece, we come to see a kind of high priestess. She’s a very open, fun and entertaining figure, but I think she has a mission to try to connect people and open people’s hearts. When you come to the show, you’re really coming to an audience with this energy that is definitely going to entertain you but is also going to ask you some really provocative questions. The second thing I’d say is that I’m always really interested in form, so this is a piece that deliberately mixes a concert with theatre and a kind of conversation. My hope is people will come and expect the unexpected, expect to go on a little bit of an adventure.

DAJ: We started about two years ago and the project was commissioned by the Public [Theater], by Joe’s Pub. I started with songs—I had written a bunch of songs with my collaborators, about a number of themes that really were important to me. We then began to ask questions of the songs, and then questions about the world we were in. It was right around the beginning of the presidential election process, and the deep discord in our country was surfacing in such a pointed way.

I and my collaborators all knew that we had to engage our own discomfort—with that discord— through the show. We first performed it right after the election, about a year ago. Over the last year, it’s grown and changed a lot because our country has grown and changed a lot, and revealed a lot about our own crisis.

As Jomama says in the show, “No matter where you find yourselves politically, I think we can all agree we’re in a real crisis in our country,” with regard to our civic dialogue. So I’m hopeful that the

TO: What makes this show different from Jomama’s last show at the Pub, and what makes it special to you?

DAJ: Personally, I’ve had a lot of deep feelings of loss and grief around what’s happened in our country, and I wanted to do something about it. Being able to do this work right now has helped move that energy in me, it’s given me a sense of purpose and an action to take. I feel like that’s mirrored in the country right now—so many people are finding a way to use their voice and take action to try and bring our country together.

The Observer: For someone who hasn’t seen the show and is unfamiliar with your act, how would you describe it?

TO: What was the process of creating “Black Light?” Where did you get your inspiration and when did you begin working on it?

ly be present with one another, even if they have deep political differences with one another. It feels like one of my missions on the planet is to do that work.

TO: What have you learned from creating this show that you would pass on to your students?

JOAN MARCUS/THE PUBLIC THEATER

show will be a place where people can come and, rather than be lectured to, be invited to be vulnerable around what they feel about that topic.

TO: What was that like, performing right after the election?

Where did you first perform the show?

DAJ: We did it at Joe’s Pub as part of the Under the Radar Festival, but we also did it in St. Paul [MN] at Penumbra Theatre, which is one of the oldest black theaters in the United States.

That was a particularly powerful thing, to do it in the Midwest and to do it in a community that’s very politically and culturally open and charged.

TO: I bet it must have been. What was your favorite part of the process as a whole and about performing it now?

DAJ: One hundred percent, my favorite part is the experience of working with my collaborators— this band, vocalists and the peo-

ple who came on board to work with me on developing the material. It’s been like being in a huge family, so much love and so much skill—I mean, as you heard, they’re just amazing musicians.

TO: Have you worked with them before?

DAJ: Some of them I’ve worked with before, but several of them are new to this process and new to working with me. Within New York City, within the arts community, you have these constellations of people who know people, and I’ve been very trusting that the right people will come to the project. For example, one of my vocalists and our amazing bassist came highly recommended by people who I love, not only because of their skill as artists, but because they were really open-hearted people. I love that built into this show, it asks you as an audience member to trust in the unknown. In the process, I, as an artist, had to trust in the unknown and work with new people. I loved the process

of working with them all. And I think the part I love about performing it is that every night, the room changes because every audience is so different from one another. I love that I never know—we never know—what to expect, and that, in very subtle ways, the show has to be different every night to meet the room.

That makes me excited as a performer, always, because you can never be on autopilot. You come in with real energy.

TO: How has Jomama evolved since her inception in the ’90s and since her last time at the Pub? DAJ: I think she’s become a very wise person who is very confident in her own understanding of things. And I think when she first came out, she was a little bit more of a classic diva. And since the last time, I think there’s been a real shift toward understanding that one of the responsibilities she has is to try and open up that space I was talking about earlier, where people can real-

DAJ: One big thing is that it’s very important to trust that, when you’re making something new, it’s going to look and feel like itself. If you’re honest, it’s not going to look and feel like anything that’s existed before, even if it may be similar in genre.

You have to be able to listen to what’s specific about what you are doing. Sometimes you have to fight for it and sometimes you’re fortunate enough to be in an institution that will support it, but you have to make sure it sounds, moves and feels like you. I’m really grateful to the Public for giving me this space to do that. I feel very proud of [“Black Light”].

TO: One last question: although this project isn’t quite over yet, do you have any idea what’s next for you and Jomama and where you might go from here?

DAJ: I’m about to work on recording a new album over the course of the summer, so hopefully we’ll be done and able to share some of that music by the year’s end!

TO: Like another performance or are you aiming for an album?

DAJ: Probably all of the above!

“Black Light” will be at Joe’s Pub at the Public Theater until March 25. Don’t miss it!

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Arts

March 15, 2018 THE OBSERVER

www.fordhamobserver.com

Celebrate Women’s History Month in NYC

By MARIELLE SARMIENTO Asst. Arts & Culture Editor

It’s only three months into 2018, and women are already making strides in activism across the country, from the widely-attended second annual Women’s March to the “Time’s Up” and “#MeToo” movements in the entertainment industry. We can take time to reflect on progress this March during Women’s History Month, a nationally recognized month-long celebration to recognize women’s achievements and

tampons, menstrual cups and other menstruation products to support the women in need in our community. All proceeds will be donated to I Support The Girls, an organization helping homeless women maintain their dignity by providing bras and feminine hygiene products.

Stove’s Second Annual Feminist Comedy Show—March 20

A collaboration between Stove’s Cabin Crew, FCLC’s comedy club,

No matter how you choose to celebrate Women’s History Month, it’s a time to remember the achievements of women and a time to be inspired by them. contributions to society in America. There are many events and activities to attend at Fordham Lincoln Center and around New York City: The Feminist Alliance Pad and Tampon Drive The lack of access to menstrual products for women experiencing homelessness and poverty is a pressing issue. They are highly needed items in women’s shelters but are often overlooked when it comes to donations. The Feminist Alliance is hosting a feminine hygiene drive this month that will go through the end of the semester. Every other Thursday, they will be tabling in the Indoor Plaza as well as collecting donations at their other events.

Donate unopened boxes of pads,

and the Feminist Alliance has resulted in a comedy night filled with sketches, stand-up and character bits from an all-female cast of comedians. This show will act as a promotional event for the upcoming production of The Monologues. The Feminist Alliance will be collecting donations of feminine hygiene products at the door. Support women while having a laugh on March 20 at 8 p.m. in the Student Lounge!

Open Michelle—Ladies Open Mic at Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre, East Village—March 22 Calling all funny women! This month we celebrate women’s brave achievements, talents and strengths. Why not celebrate yours? Several students in the

Fordham community are involved with the Upright Citizens Brigade (UCB), an esteemed improv theatre in the city. On March 22 at 6 p.m., UCB will be hosting a ladies’ stand-up open mic night at their East Village location. Participants will be drawn out of a hat and given a three minute set. The performance is free.

Monuments For Women in Bryant and Riverside Parks New York City has celebrated March as Women’s History Month since 1981, even though it has only been recognized by Congress as a national month since 1987.

This city recognizes powerful women all around. The New York City Department of Parks and Recreation has compiled a list of parks and monuments dedicated to influential women of the city.

Travel across the city and sightsee these monuments: take the train to Bryant Park and pose with the statue of Gertrude Stein near the New York Public library, or relax by the Josephine Shaw Lowell Memorial Fountain, the first major monument honoring a woman in New York City. You also don’t have to go far from campus to find women’s monuments. At Riverside Park on 72nd, you can find the Eleanor Roosevelt Memorial, an elegant sculpture by Penelope Jencks of the honored first lady.

Women’s history is documented all over the city.

Art Inspired by Carrie Mae Weems—March 28 If you’re too lazy to leave campus to get creative with Women’s History Month events, you practi-

Take an all-new course this summer: • T&C: Running in Literature (ENGL 2000) • Masterpieces of Chinese Film (MLAL 3030)

Or choose from more than 200 other available courses!

Register via my.fordham.edu after March 19.

Session I: May 29–June 28 Session II: July 5–August 6

SUMMER SESSION 2018

ANDREW BEECHER/THE OBSERVER

Gertrude Stein’s statue is one of many women’s monuments in NYC.

cally don’t have to. Located right behind Fordham Lincoln Center, the Gertrude Ederle Recreation Center is hosting a free art lesson sponsored by the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation. The lesson is an overview of the works and technique of American contemporary artist Carrie Mae Weems, followed by a hands-on workshop. The event is open to the public, but you must RSVP. More information can be found at their website.

Women’s History Month. There are several affordable exhibits to check out around the city.

From now until May 19, Tuesday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., “The Intersectional Self” is showing at the 8th Floor Gallery. The pieces showcase how feminism has benefited society.

Additionally, The Shady Ladies touring company has launched a special “Nasty Women” guided tour at the Met for Women’s History Month. Book the tour online at www.shadyladiestours.com.

Special Women-Centric Art Exhibits

No matter how you choose to celebrate Women’s History Month, it’s a time to remember the achievements of women and a time to be inspired by them.

Artists and museum curators are enthusiastically participating in

Features

Features Editor Jeffrey Umbrell - jumbrell@fordham.edu

March 15, 2018 THE OBSERVER

Rachel Antonoff: Reclaiming the Uterus

By OLIVIA LUCAS Contributing Writer

People cannot identify a uterus when they see one. Or at least that was the discussion topic on a Friday afternoon during my internship at the Rachel Antonoff studio, a small, two-story loft with floor-to-ceiling windows located in the heart of the Garment District. Antonoff and co-designer Hannah Mosman sit upstairs at large pink painted tables where they find inspiration for new collections, sketch designs and discuss current events. It’s hard not to listen in—they are two of the coolest and most insightful women I have ever met.

The uterus is Antonoff’s signature design. The “Randy Sweater,” which features a two-toned uterus on the front, is the piece that introduced me to the brand several years ago. The sweater, like many of Antonoff’s designs, fosters a sense of women’s empowerment and awareness. On top of that, a portion of the proceeds from the Randy Sweater goes to Planned Parenthood. In wearing the sweater, one evokes an important message: I am proud to be a female and I support women; I care about my reproductive health and making sure all women have access to care.

At first, I did not think it was possible that the average person could not recognize the shape of half the population’s reproductive system. The first article of clothing I purchased was the “Reproductive Sweatshirt,” which features an illustration of a uterus.

After my order came in the mail I wore my sweatshirt everywhere I went. I finally understood. My female cousin thought it was a flower, while others thought it was a map or abstract art. My sister, on the other hand, could name every tube, which made me realize how little I knew about my own body. It was only after the purchase that I became fully aware of the vital structures inside me.

I interned with Antonoff in the fall 2017 semester. On the first day of my internship, I was greet-

JON BJÖRNSON/THE OBSERVER

Rachel Antonoff’s signature design is the “Randy Sweater,” wchich features a uterus on its front.

ed by a group of women seated around a conference table. They were all wearing white t-shirts which read “Hysterical Female” across the front in bold black letters. The extremely soft, cotton blend tee is a reclamation: the word “hysterical” has had connotations of diminishing and silencing women for being “emotional,” and blames their emotions on gender. In early summer 2017, a member of the Trump administration’s personnel used the term “hysterical” to describe female Senator Kirsten Powers.

A year earlier, Antonoff made her mark in the 2016 Presidential Election with the release of

t-shirts and sweatshirts that read “I’m With Her!,” “Not With Him!” and “I’m With Human!” Regarding the inspiration behind her designs, Antonoff remarked, “It was never a conscious decision to politicize the clothing. The line has always been an extension of myself and my thoughts and feelings, so when we started doing t-shirts with slogans on them, politically-inclined statements naturally made their way in.”

Antonoff utilizes her Instagram, @rachelantonoff, as a platform for political change in America. She asks her followers to support other Instagrams that promote gun safety, such as @ev-

erytown and encourages people to reach out to Senators to show discontent for health care bills by providing access to telephone numbers. She re-posts pictures of people wearing her clothing to create a sense of community. Additionally, the brand is as inclusive as it is politically-inclined.

Antonoff hires models of color and plus size models for all of her collections’ photoshoots.

Antonoff has created a trend of making statements through clothing. Large companies such as Urban Outfitters have produced graphic tees with feminist slogans such as “Impress No One” and “Keep Your Laws Off My

Body.” In my four months interning at Antonoff, I was able to see the process of making garments from start to finish, and the impeccable attention to detail that goes into to making politically-inclined fashion. I was able to witness business meetings and experience the power that is derived from an all-female office.

I learned about fabrics I cannot pronounce and how much work there still needs to be done in the fight for equality. Antonoff’s clothing is revolutionary: it speaks for itself and asks critical questions of the people who come into contact with it. Can you identify a uterus?

An Immigrant’s School Celebrates St. Patrick’s Day

By ISABELLA MALFI Contributing Writer

St. Patrick’s Day has become bigger than itself. The globally-known holiday celebrates Irish culture and St. Patrick, the Roman Catholic patron saint of Ireland. What used to be a simple feast-day for those of the Catholic faith has become something much grander. Parades, festivals, music, food, drink and dance are just some of the ways people celebrate this mid-March holiday, regardless of nationality.

For many New Yorkers, St. Patrick’s Day is one of the most highly-anticipated holidays of the year. On March 17, whether you’re attending mass at St. Patrick’s Cathedral, cheering on the parade as it gallantly marches down Fifth Avenue or decking yourself out in every shamrock and shade of green, you’ll feel part of a culture deeply rooted in New York tradition.

For Fordham students, St. Patrick’s Day is a major part of our school’s culture, as an Irish

immigrant founded the school.

John Joseph Hughes, the founder of Fordham University, was born in 1797 in County Tyrone, Ireland. Though he lived the first 20 years of his life in Ireland, by 1817, he and his family had immigrated to the United States and settled down in Pennsylvania. Hughes applied to Mount Saint Mary’s College, and, by 1820, he was granted admission to the school.

In 1826, Hughes was ordained into the priesthood at St. Joseph’s Church in Philadelphia and began bettering the lives of those living in the city. He founded the St. John’s Orphan Asylum in 1829 and constructed a new church, St. John the Evangelist, in 1832. Hughes sought to educate others about the word of God and began to look for the ideal place to build a college. In 1846, he purchased 100 acres of land along the Bronx River and called it St. John’s College.

St. John’s became the first Catholic school of higher learning in the Northeast. In 1907, it added a law school and a med-

ical school before it was sold to the Jesuit Order and renamed Fordham University. In December of 1842, Hughes became the bishop of the Diocese of New York, and, in his new position, re-focused schools to educate through the Catholic faith. He always gave extra consideration to the Irish children within those schools.

Irish pride is alive and well in the city of New York. It is the best place to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, other than Ireland. Be sure to check out the parade, which begins at 11 a.m. on March 17 and travels up Fifth Avenue between 44th Street and 79th Street. If you’re looking for some traditional Irish eats, try out Lillie’s in Union Square or Cronin and Phelan’s in Astoria.

And if you’re looking to spend the day quietly inside, reflect on the roots of the institution we all attend and be proud of its beginnings. Fordham University is not only the product of an Irish immigrant, it has and always will be a place for immigrants—Irish and otherwise.

ANDREW BEECHER/THE OBSERVER

Irish pride is prevalent in New York, notably at Lillie’s in Union Square.

14

Features

March 15, 2018 THE OBSERVER

www.fordhamobserver.com

L’importance d’apprendre une langue The Importance of Learning a Language

By GIANNA SMERAGLIA Copy Editor Students might think that Fordham University’s foreign language requirement seems like a waste of time or money, but there is more to it than simply learning a new language. It is about discovering a new culture—a new way of thinking. Fordham sees the immense value of learning a new language, even if students initially may not. Whether you are already skilled in multiple languages or are just starting to learn a new one, the benefits are greater than being able to say a new phrase or conjugate a verb.

Sitting down with Kari Evanson, a French professor and Fordham’s French Language Coordinator, she makes it clear that learning a language is about more than just memorizing grammar rules, it’s about discovering a new culture. As someone who started learning French in high school and continued her studies throughout college, Evanson’s appreciation for the French language and Francophone cultures is something that she wants to pass on to her students.

For Evanson, “it’s important, especially for American students, to learn about other cultures [and] to see how other people live, to see how other people view their world.” To learn another language is to see through another’s eyes, and Evanson believes that learning a new language gives

LOIC KHODARKOVSKY/THE OBSERVER

Kari Evanson, French professor and French Language Coordinator at Fordham.

both a “greater understanding” of other people and “a better understanding of who you are.”

One of Evanson’s favorite parts about learning a new language is when she comes across a word or a phrase that is “untranslatable.”

These words and phrases generally relate to an emotion that reflects the values and morals of the

culture, which Evanson finds fascinating. An example of this is the phrase “coup de foudre,” which means “to fall in love” or “to experience love at first sight.” The direct translation equates to being unexpectedly struck or blown by lightning, but the French connect it to the feeling of love.

In addition to the new under-

standing of a culture, there are a great deal of mental benefits to learning a foreign language that can last a lifetime. As humans age, learning more than one language can actually help them prevent cognitive diseases like Alzheimer’s and dementia. Even at a young age, learning a new language can improve test scores,

improve information processing and help with creative thinking.

Having to juggle two or more languages requires the memorization of verbs and grammar rules, which can enhance multitasking skills. It can also help improve memory, as learning new languages helps strengthen the parts of the brain associated with memorization.

Studies from the American Council of Teaching Foreign Languages show that the younger one learns a foreign language, the better one tends to comprehend and retain that language. Until someone is eight years old, “the way the brain processes a foreign language is the same way the brain processes a mother tongue,” Evanson said. This can give students the tools to use a language to study the history of other cultures and even learn math or science in another language.

While it may feel like a pain to have to take up to four classes in a language, and there may be moments of frustration and annoyance as you struggle to understand a new verb tense or a new sentence structure, the benefits greatly outweigh the aggravation. To learn a new language is to understand a new culture and better understand yourself. This knowledge gives you the tools to approach your studies in a new light, which are skills that last far beyond four classes.

Join Us! General Meetings Mondays at 5:30, LL 524.

Fun & Games

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45. Farm container for 42-across 46. Artistic results of applying needles filled with color to the skin 47. Off-key 49. Chances to play 51. To what one says yes to, on TLC 53. Musical paces 57. Receiver of an earring 60. Constellation near Scorpius 61. Amazement 62. As well as 63. Method to circle the Rosie 66. Softsoap competitor 67. Without exception 68. On the ocean 69. Sleazy lawyer whom you had better call 70. Secretary of Education under Donald Trump 71. Change the spacing between characters Down

Across 1. Unfortunately 5. Singing group 10. Best Animated Film in 2018 14. Songwriter who moves in mysterious ways 15. Get together again 16. Prayer concluder 17. One of the upper crust 19. Cash register 20. Featured Smith in “Latch” 21. To seek an answer 22. With good reason

24. Puts pressure on 26. Prenatal prefix 27. Statue belonging to 10 across 29. Soothes 33. Catchall category, abbr.

36. Hems and haws 38. Stretches to prom 39. (Running) crazily 40. Refill your tank, so to speak 42. On the cob 43. Italian fashion capital

1. It’s not an acid, it’s ____ 2. He who speaks for the trees 3. Dragon Ball Z or Fruits Basket 4. The Titanic’s dying plea, abbr.

5. How to make waffle fries 6. What the ____ 7. Lord’s Prayer opener 8. Where the IV goes 9. Rods and Cones Receptor 10. Religion of Father McShane 11. Leave out

12. What the mitochondria powers 13. “You’re my one and ___” 18. Things accrued after applications of 46-across, for short 23. Fish-breather 25. 14-across genre 26. Deodorant applique sites 28. Famous cookie maker 30. A wolf in Dungeons & Dragons 31. Peppermint patties 32. Equifax hack leaks 33. 2013 horror movie with matriarchal theme 34. “Who are you?” response from Pennywise 35. Star Wars film coming out in May 37. George Takei Star Trek character 41. Saoirse Ronan ____ the title character in Lady Bird 44. Your RA, slangily 48. Stared at, unpleasantly 50. Close to 52. To drive, in Finnish 54. Coca-Cola: The ____ that refreshes 55. Not a renter 56. Car holding four or more passengers 57. Tampons alternative 58. Makeup brand found at Sephora 59. Jacob’s twin, biblically 60. Hostile for no reason, slangily 64. “Catfish” leading man 65. Pokemon-bearing professor

WORD SCRAMBLE: LUCK OF THE IRISH 1. NERLADI: _________________

7. COOF LUVE RRFEAL: ____________

2. ROSHSHAA EMKKC: _____________

8. YULCK: ________________________

3. PREECHNAUL: __________________

9. LILAWA RYGG: _________________

4. NISSEUNG: _____________________

10. BAR RICESHETREN: ____________

5. CAGILE: _______________________

11. NOOB: ________________________

6. NOBWAIR: _____________________

12. FOO TD PGOL: _________________

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Sports & Health

Sports & Health Editor Artemis Tsagaris - atsagaris@fordham.edu March 15, 2018 THE OBSERVER

Intro to Counseling and Psychological Services

By LUKE OSBORN Asst. Sports & Health Editor

We are in the midst of the busiest time of the year for Counseling and Psychological Services (CPS): the latter half of the semester. Luckily, Jeffrey Ng, clinical psychologist and director for CPS, assured that CPS provides various mental health resources for Fordham students: “We [conduct] evaluations for students, … provide individual and group counseling, psychiatric evaluations, medication management and walk-in appointments for students in crisis,” Ng said. Alternatively, if a Fordham student has concerns regarding the mental health one of their peers, like a roommate or classmate, CPS also provides consultations to help students to “most optimally provide support” for that peer. Finally, CPS provides education and training to members of the Fordham community about mental health.

Dr. Ng has spent eight years at Fordham as a clinical psychologist and now oversees the CPS offices on both Fordham campuses.

“During the 2016–2017 academic year [CPS] saw approximately 1,900 different students …. Between all those students, we provided about 9,000 routine clinical appointments,” he said. All in all, around 15 percent of Fordham students use CPS services. Dr. Ng believes CPS provides students with an outlet for them to reveal, explore and address their mental and emotional health concerns. “It seems like more and more students are really lacking that … space where they can deeply confide in another person.”

In college counseling services across the country, anxiety has replaced depression as the most common mental health concern. There are numerous explanations for this trend. There has been speculation

ELIZABETH LANDRY/THE OBSERVER

Counseling and Psychological Services is located in Room G02 in the 140 West building.

in the mental health and higher education communities about the increasing level of “parental involvement” in the lives of millennials, which “may be contributing to delayed independence, autonomy or coping skills.” Dr. Ng, however, explained that other factors like “the rising cost of education coupled with decreased job prospects” may lead to more stress for students.

Dr. Ng added, “the other [factor] that I think is unique to millennials and generation Z [students] is the pervasiveness of social media and technology in their lives.”

Dr. Ng highlighted that the increased availability and accessi-

bility of negative news through social media “has contributed to the perception that the world is perhaps more dangerous or threatening than it might actually be.”

Naturally, frightening news coverage incites feelings of impending danger, yet with the rise of social media, users may find themselves constantly bombarded with the dangers the world has to offer. Dr. Ng pointed out, “In many ways that’s really what anxiety is. It’s a neurophysiological response to real or perceived threats.”

On the other hand, social media can cause anxiety through constant exposure to what Dr. Ng described

as “airbrushed versions of people’s lives.” Social media allows us to put our lives on display, and we have complete control over what we choose to display. Therefore, social media users are often presenting the best versions of their lives to others. Users who always see the best version of others can fall into a state of constant comparison, and Dr. Ng warned that “the end result may often be that I’m not enough: ‘I’m not doing enough, I’m not smart enough, I’m not competent enough, I’m not attractive enough,’ all of which can understandably lead to diminished self-esteem.”

All these perceived shortcom-

ings can incessantly bother an individual through anxiety, however Dr. Ng provided two strategies for minimizing social media stresses. First, he recommended thinking critically about social media consumption: “It’s important to remember and remind ourselves that what we’re receiving through social media may not be entirely reflective of reality.” Second, Dr. Ng believes young social media users should be more self-compassionate. Dr. Ng stated, “We see a lot of students who have internalized perfectionistic, oftentimes unrealistic, standards for themselves—standards that they probably wouldn’t apply to those that they cared about.” This self-compassion serves to make an individual more grounded in who they are as person; in effect, the images of other people’s lives on social media become less of a threat to their self-esteem. In a broader sense, Dr. Ng also recommended practicing “mindfulness” to alleviate one’s anxiety. Practicing mindfulness prompts us to pay attention to our experiences in the present moment without judgement, and it is in the present where we can begin to observe our thoughts. Dr. Ng asserted, “Oftentimes our thoughts become the threats that trigger anxiety, but if we’re able to observe our thoughts non-judgmentally, not become too attached to them and recognize that they may not be entirely reflective of our realities, it can go a long way towards reducing our anxiety.”

Overall, Dr. Ng and his staff at CPS provide a welcoming place for students to safely investigate their mental and emotional health.

There is never anything wrong with seeking help for whatever you may be struggling with, and CPS is always there for anyone who needs it.

Stop the Stigma Of Mental Health

By ANGELIKA MENENDEZ Social Media Editor

Fordham Lincoln Center’s mental health club, Active Minds, has a saying that goes “Not everybody struggles with mental illness, but everyone deals with mental health.” This is to say that depression, anxiety and other mental health issues are more common than they seem, but go unrecognized because of stigmas that frame them in a negative light. The common phrases of “it’s just a phase” or “you’re over-exaggerating” reduce the importance of acknowledging mental health. Additionally, people with mental health issues should not be afraid to seek help.

According to the United States Department of Health and Human Services, depression is one of the most common mood disorders. The symptoms include sadness, loss of interest in activities one used to enjoy, change in weight, difficulty sleeping or oversleeping, energy loss and thoughts of death. While most prevalent in women, depression can start manifesting itself in children as young as 15 years old.

There is a common myth that people can simply “get over” depression; in fact, someone can be genetically predisposed to depression. According to St. Vincent’s Hospital, 30 percent of depression cases stem from genetics. Along with that, stress,

HANA KEININGHAM/THE OBSERVER

Student-run organization Active Minds advocates for mental health visibility and support.

a negative view about oneself or the environment a person is surrounded by can trigger a person’s depression. Alisia Ortiz, Fordham College at Lincoln

Center (FCLC) ’20 and the Active Minds secretary, said that she thinks mental health constantly permeates every aspect of our lives, though people may

not always recognize its effects.

One shouldn’t be afraid of seeking help to treat depression or feel alienated by it because depression is more common than it

seems in today’s world. A study conducted by the National Institute of Mental Health concluded that 16 million adults had at least one depressive episode in 2012.

Therefore, students should never feel like they are alone when dealing with depression.

At Fordham, students can turn to Counseling and Psychological Services (CPS) when they need help. CPS says they offer “a range of services to help students address and cope more effectively with their stress and psychological concerns.” All sessions with CPS are confidential, so students can share their thoughts and feelings without fear that they will leave the room. This is one of Fordham’s many outlets for help with mental health.

Along with that, Ortiz said that Active Minds always has their door open for anyone who wants to talk about or is struggling with their mental health.

There are many different levels of depression and mental health issues, but the moment a student notices an issue, they should reach out to someone.

Mental health is not something that can be ignored and needs to be recognized as something serious in our society. Whether the solution be antidepressants or simply talking to someone, measures should be taken to help treat depression and prevent further mental health issues that could potentially lead to worse situations.