Observer Issue 13 2016-2017

Observer the

NOVEMBER 17, 2016 VOLUME XXXVII, ISSUE 13

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Peter GilSheridan: Writing to Understand

By BESSIE RUBINSTEIN Contributing Writer We’ve heard it from our parents and friends: “It’s hard to make it in the arts.” No student pursues a degree in the liberal or fine arts without worrying about future career prospects. So it is important to hear stories like that of our own Peter Gil-Sheridan, who despite finding his calling later than expected, pursued his passion with determination and practice and found success in the process.

Gil-Sheridan, Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) ’98, is a busy professor. Not only is he in his second year of teaching at the University of Iowa, he’s also a noteworthy playwright with work that has been performed from Arizona to Minnesota to New York. One of his pieces, “Cockfight,” hit the Fordham mainstage on Nov. 9.

Gil-Sheridan arrived on campus as a freshman theatre major who wanted to be an actor. It was not until his time here at Lincoln Center that he became certain his future career would lie in theater. He credits Elizabeth Margid, the current head of the directing program, as his mentor. Gil-Sheridan dabbled in the department, honing a variety of skills. He branched out from acting to directing, and even wrote on the side when he had the chance.

However, when he graduated, his path took an unforeseen turn.

Disillusioned with acting and fearing his youth would bar him from directing jobs, he decided to exclusively pursue playwriting. He joined a writing group with other Fordham alumni. After writing two new plays, he sent them off to two of his favorite undergraduate professors.

The feedback was overwhelmingly supportive. With his professors’ encouragement, he pursued further education in the field. Gil-Sheridan got to work on his applications, and at age 23 ended up a graduate student at the University of Iowa with only two plays under his belt. By the see GIL-SHERIDAN pg. 10

OPINIONS

Local Elections Stay informed and involved Page 8 ARTS & CULTURE

Dr. Strange When science and movies combine

Page 7 FEATURES

Great Smoke-Out Helping students break the habit

Page 12 SPORTS

Ram-Crusader Cup Fordham vs. Holy Cross

Page 11

Crowds chant and carry homemade signs in front of Trump Tower on fifth avenue after hearing the election results.

SAMUEL MCHALE/THE OBSERVER

Anti-Trump Protests Attract Students

By STEPHAN KOZUB News Co-Editor Michael Appler, Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) ’19, said that what he saw on the night of Nov. 9 was “strange” and “really bizarre.”

Standing among the protesters outside Trump International Hotel and Tower in Columbus Circle, Appler said that people were “yelling and protesting and you could see the silhouettes of people just casually eating dinner inside of Trump Tower.”

“That just seemed like the strangest thing,” he said. “For them, it was probably just like the ultimate voyeurism to just sit there and drink their wine and eat their food and just sort of look out the window and see a sea of begrudged millennials.”

Appler was one of several Ford-

“ You’d have a group of queer people yelling out for Muslim lives and you’d have a group of Muslim people yelling out in solidarity with undocumented people.”

– CLAIRE HOLMES, FCLC ’19

ham students who witnessed or took part in anti-Trump protests in the week following the election.

While he’s “just as angry and upset as everyone else is,” he said that he “didn’t necessarily go to protest.”

“But you get a sense that some serious history is being made,” he said. “So you make your way down to see what’s going on and people get really into it.”

Appler attended both the anti-

Trump protest in Columbus Circle on Wednesday night and the protest on fifth avenue outside Trump Tower on Saturday. He was among the first to arrive in Columbus Circle on Wednesday, and recounted seeing the circle being completely blocked by protesters.

Other Fordham students were drawn to the protests out of the desire for advocacy, such as Billy Pickett, FCLC ’17.

“I felt like I needed to be there, not for me, not for the bisexual white boy from Long Island, but for people of color, and women, and immigrants, and people with disabilities, and anyone,” Pickett said.

“It was a really good experience when I was there. There was a lot of positivity, until about 8 or 9 p.m., when there was a pinata of Trump on a noose and I was like, that’s not what I’m here for. But there was a lot of love and acceptance.”

He added that the cops were “very kind, or at least tolerant” of the protesters and that there was “much more positivity in the signs than negativity.”

Claire Holmes, FCLC ’19, who participated in protests on Wednesday and Saturday, attested to the positive and accepting environment of the protests. see PROTESTS pg. 3

Students Sleep Out for Change

By ELIZABETH LANDRY Asst. News Editor

Flattened cardboard boxes covered a large part of the outdoor plaza of Fordham Lincoln Center (FLC) on Nov. 7, where students and staff met overnight for the Sleep-OUT 4 Change. This event included a facilitated discussion and experience of the struggles and stigma of homelessness.

This final event of Campus Ministry’s Ignatian Week was organized

by Residential Life and staffed by members of the office, and was adapted from similar sessions held at schools across the country. Over 30 people attended as they sat wrapped in coats and blankets on the cardboard in 45-degree weather well into the night.

Assistant Dean for Freshmen at

Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) Joseph B. Desciak, Ph.D., spoke, as well as a panel of individuals who have worked professionally with the homeless. This included former FCLC Residential Director Lindy Emerson Desciak, Lynden Bond of the Coalition for the Homeless, Nova Lucero of the Metropolitan Council on Housing and Renee Best from Henry Street Settlement.

Assistant Dean Desciak addressed the gathering, speaking of the Jesuit value of cura personalis, which lies at the heart of Fordham University’s approach to student life. He emphasized how in the case of caring for a homeless person, this idea of caring for the whole person requires eye-to-eye recognition, which is unusual in our society.

The panel spoke about their experiences with homelessness

through their work and answered questions from the crowd. They discussed the impact of social media on public engagement with the homeless, as well as the difficulties of navigating their personal lives when their professional work is so consuming.

The last question of the night came from a student who did not identify himself by name, but revealed that he had been homeless for five and a half months and had struggled to find a shelter and a way back to stability.

“I see a lot of homeless people on the street sometimes and I always want to help them, tell them where the shelters are,” he said. “But I was wondering, what are the first actions you should take if you do become homeless so you will find a shelter and you will find help as soon as

THE STUDENT VOICE OF FORDHAM LINCOLN CENTER

possible?”

Lucero informed the crowd that as a single adult, an individual has a right to shelter, regardless of documentation. “The work that I actually do is we go out at 12 a.m., we go out at two [o’clock] in the morning to make sure that every person who wants a bed has a bed. So know that you have a right to two sheets and a blanket and a pillow, a toothbrush and warm water and meals, and someone to act as a case manager to help you get off the streets.”

She also acknowledged that many have had negative experiences in shelters, so there might be reasons that some homeless individuals do not seek them.

Best added that the intake process for families is “almost punitive.” see SLEEP-OUT pg. 2

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News

November 17, 2016 THE OBSERVER

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Student Solidarity with the Homeless SLEEP-OUT FROM PAGE 1

She said, “I’m not sure why anybody would fake like they’re homeless to be in a shelter, but the system is set up to weed out those who are faking their homeless situation.” For example, individuals must submit a ten-year housing history when they enter.

But, she said, for domestic violence victims it is very easy to secure shelter.

Best recommended that those who find themselves in that situation call 1-800-Safe-Horizons or contact her workplace, Henry Street Settlement.

Frank McAlpin, Residential Director for First Year Students closed the night, saying, “I think it’s so critical to do these kinds of events and to engage in social justice work in this way. This is exactly why I came back to Fordham and exactly why you attend a Jesuit University. You attended to be engaged with yourself and others in the community and to create change.”

Rose Lyn, FCLC ’17, said that although she was not planning to sleep out due to recent illness, she was happy to help organize the event. “We as Fordham students experience so much privilege and basically most of us are getting it paid for by our parents,” she said. “Just outside of our small community are so many people who are experiencing homelessness that we just kind of walk by on a day-to-day basis without paying attention to it.”

Lyn recalled a habit she had recently gotten into after advice from a friend. “I have an unlimited Starbucks card that my mom refills,” she explained. “When I see homeless people standing or sleeping by the [Starbucks] at Columbus Circle, I’ll be like ‘do you want a hot chocolate?’ It’s the cheapest thing on the menu, and even though I know I don’t have a lot, I know I can at least bring someone something. It’s small things like that where you don’t feel like you’re making that much of a difference but it might make a big difference to them.”

Aakash Kumar, FCLC ’17, did sleep out, and said, “I think the most important thing to take away from this is learning from the homeless, what they’re going through and what hardships they’re facing. When you think you’re educating them, they’re most likely educating you.”

Before students slept, the gathering was treated to foil-wrapped grilled cheese sandwiches and encouraged to make conversation about what they had learned, and reflect on the experi-

A young woman protests the presidential victory of Donald J. Trump on Nov. 9, demonstrating at Columbus Circle.

FIBONACCI BLUE/FLICKR

Fordham Reacts to Trump Presidency

By STEPHAN KOZUB News Co-Editor

In a victory that defied predictions, Donald Trump was elected as the next president of the United States on Nov. 8.

Following the election, students have organized to write letters to electoral college voters, demonstrated in anti-Trump protests in the area and come together in groups on campus to discuss their reactions to the event.

Students reported that some of their professors also cancelled their classes on Nov. 9.

In the days after the election, we sought out a diverse mix of perspectives on these recent political developments from members of the Fordham community. Here are some of the responses we received: MARTIN NUNEZ-BONILLA, FCLC ’18 “I’m Latino so it’s just very scary to hear someone with Trump’s rhetoric win, because he did talk a lot about just basically marginalized populations in general, and not in a very positive way. He talked about us in a way that was very antagonistic and it seemed like he was blaming us for a lot of the things that are happening in the United States right now and in a bad way. And that’s scary. It’s scary to think that there’s a lot of people that listen and subscribe to these theories.”

DORIAN CUPERO, FCLC ’17

“It just felt like a slap in the face, a punch in the stomach. Like everything that I’ve cared about for so long, I’ve supported her since 2008, and everything that I’ve cared about for so long was just like, just thrown away. And a lot of it in many ways felt like the epitomization of being a woman, just because we put forward the most qualified candidate we had, the best candidate we had, and in the end, a man who was louder won.”

LINDA INFANTINO, GSBLC’19 “I had a couple friends over and we had a little viewer party. And it started out pretty calm, but as more and more states started coming in, everyone got really anxious. And it was very odd because I was the only Republican in that particular room.

So they kept freaking out and freaking out and freaking out and I was just like ‘oh god, why am I a Republican right now?’”

“Don’t hate on someone who voted third party. There’s no guarantee that that person will vote the way you wanted them to vote. The third party voters voted for the people they thought were best and that’s their decision. Don’t blame them because your candidate won or because your candidate lost. There’s no guarantee.”

CHARBEL ABI-HASSOUN, FCLC ’17 “New York City is definitely stunned, to say the least. I think

a lot of people are in disbelief, whether that’s positive or negative.

I think regardless of the outcome, right now we should just focus on the more important things that lie ahead. We need to focus more on like, wage equality for women, we need to get better treatment for our veterans, and I think those are the really important things to focus on, rather than being happy or sad on who won. I think there are more important things for us ahead as a country.”

DEMETRIOS STRATIS, FCLC ’19 “There have been hate crimes in my neighborhood, Queens, one of the most diverse places in the world.

There’s been stories of kids on buses screaming ‘Go to the back of the bus. Trump is elected.’ Now, I don’t think every single Trump supporter is a racist xenophobe. I really steer clear of that. I believe that many of them were citizens who had their own reasons for voting for him and that we have to have conversations with them, because there’s an echo chamber in this country that many of us never bother to pierce.”

KELLY MARTIN, FCLC ’19 “I feel like it still hasn’t hit me that he’s president-elect. But also, I feel like I had more of a reaction to the protesting, because a lot of people were scared of all of the social repercussions of having Trump as president. And I was like we need to

somehow get together and be peaceful and work through this, and I feel like maybe I’m too optimistic, but I think that already, Donald Trump... he’s changed the vibe that he’s giving out and he’s definitely calmed down.

He’s like ‘We’ll put a fence up, not a complete wall’ and ‘I’m not going to completely repeal Obamacare. I’m just going to replace certain aspects.’

So I feel like he’s being more reasonable. I think it’s going to be okay.”

MARIELLA SYPA, FCLC ’19 “A Trump presidency is not going to be the end of the world. We shouldn’t be afraid of it, we should embrace it and be prepared for good things to come out of it. As FDR once said, ‘The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.’ I think people on both sides need to take a step back and really look at the bigger picture at hand...We all play for the same team and want to see our country prosper and move forward.”

STEPHANIE HARB, FCLC ’18 “I just felt like my place in the world was being challenged, that the better part of America doesn’t want my successes, that the better part of America doesn’t want my safety, the better part of America doesn’t care about qualification, the better part of America doesn’t care about decorum, the better part of America doesn’t realize the way that America affects the whole world abroad, that this soundwave that we’re thinking is just contained within our little box doesn’t just affect us.”

Clubs Unite for “Pies for Charity” “ What a great opportunity to build community, to have the Muslim Students’ Association and the JSO cooperate.”

By STEPHAN KOZUB News Co-Editor

On Nov. 10, when many students were still taking in the largely unexpected presidential election results, clubs united for a more entertaining change of pace: Pies for Charity.

The event, organized by the Muslim Students’ Association (MSA) and the Jewish Students Organization (JSO), raised money to help Syrian refugees. It was cosponsored by the Campus Activities Board (CAB), Desi Chai, UNICEF, United Student Government (USG) and Stove’s Comedy Club.

The premise of the charity was simple: donate five dollars for the opportunity to throw a pie tin of Reddi Whip into the face of a student or faculty volunteer. The clubs raised more than $1,000 from the event.

Jason Morris, Ph.D., chair of the Natural Science Department and Faculty Advisor for Hillel on campus, helped organize the event.

Morris said he was inspired to put the event together after seeing a talk from the Hebrew Immigrant

PROFESSOR JASON MORRIS, PH. D. CHAIR OF NATURAL SCIENCES

SAMUEL MCHALE/THE OBSERVER

Olivia LaBarge throws a pie in a volunteer’s face for charity.

Aid Society (HIAS) that expanded the mission from helping Jewish refugees to settling Syrian refugees in New York.

“I thought, what a great opportunity to build community, to have the Muslim Students’ Association and the JSO cooperate for an event

for HIAS to help save the refugees,” he said. Hillel bought all of the supplies for the event, according to Morris.

Morris, along with other faculty members in the Natural Sciences Department, sported plastic ponchos during the event and actively

encouraged those in attendance to “pie” them.

“I thought, what would be fun for students that we could get the professors involved, and I knew it would be late in the semester when tensions are high,” he explained, “and I’ve always thought that students would enjoy being able to have this kind of fun with their professors and this seemed like a great cause.”

He quipped that they couldn’t get a dunking booth. “Too cold.”

Student leaders also took part in

the event, standing on the receiving end of the Reddi Whip-filled pie tins. Among them were Leighton Magoon, Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) ’17 and president of USG, Chandler Dean, FCLC ’17 and president of Stove’s Comedy Club, and Muhammad Burnay, GSBLC ’19 and president of MSA. “I’m really glad that all of our clubs came together for this,” Burnay said. “Who doesn’t want to pie the presidents of their clubs?”

Regarding organizing and taking part in the event, Morris said that “It’s such a privilege to be able to work in a community that’s so passionate about this conversation and this kind of social justice.”

“If we can encourage American doors to stay open, to take people in, I think that’s the greatest thing about this country, and as a patriotic citizen I want to help that,” he said. “In terms of community building here, I think the idea of so many clubs, people of different religions, ethnicities, national backgrounds, passions, they were all able to come together on an important issue like this.”

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THE OBSERVER November 17, 2016

News

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Students Attend Anti-Trump Protests PROTESTS FROM PAGE 1

“Just every single type of group imaginable was there and they were all there together,” she said. “And you would have these straight-passing white men yelling out for abortion rights, or you’d have a group of queer people yelling out for Muslim lives and you’d have a group of Muslim people yelling out in solidarity with undocumented people.”

Students such as Shannon Constantine, FCLC ’19, participated in the protests for two reasons.

“At first, I went to the one on Wednesday night because I was in shock and I was angry and I needed a constructive way to process some of that anger,” she said. “And on Saturday night, I did it more to mobilize with members of the New York community and to hear more about the grievances that people have of going

into the next administration.”

Across these students’ experiences were situations such as witnessing a 13-year-old actively encourage other protesters and watching parents walk with or carry their young children through the crowds of people.

“That day there were kids in strollers, and I saw elderly people walking. I felt a unity between people of different ages, races and sexual identities, the whole gamut, and it

was nice,” Pickett said.

Moving forward, Constantine is hoping to write to faithless electors (electoral college voters capable of voting against their state) as well as elected state officials in her home state of Washington.

The protests weren’t wholeheartedly embraced by all, however. Appler said that “the one thing that did bug me about the protest and one thing that kept me from really being

an active protester” was the lack of Hillary Clinton signs and posters at the events.

“It’s an interesting question, why people protesting the election of Donald Trump over the election of Hillary Clinton bring very few Hillary Clinton campaign posters to the protest,” he said. “And it makes you wonder who they voted for or, more importantly, who they didn’t vote for.”

Diversity Task Force Releases University Study “ We have to admit to ourselves that the issues

By ELIZABETH LANDRY Asst. News Editor

The Task Force on Diversity at Fordham University has released the results of their long-anticipated study. The 38-page packet was delivered by email on Nov. 14 to the entire Fordham community along with a response from the university, following letters of request from student organizations and the Faculty Senate which responded to racially charged incidents on campus.

University President Rev. Joseph M. McShane, S.J. created the Task Force in December 2015 to study the climate on Fordham’s campuses and develop recommendations to help the University address its obstacles. A heavy emphasis was placed on the evolution of Fordham in its Jesuit ideals and “welcoming and affirming ‘Catholic’ culture.”

The task force was comprised of faculty, administrators, students, alumni and support staff from the Office of the President, for a total of 21 members. These members held interviews with all deans and vice presidents and/or their designees, in which five questions were

we face and the conditions they create can only be solved by a conversion of heart.”

– REV. JOSEPH M. MCSHANE, S.J. , PRESIDENT OF FORDHAM UNIVERSITY

asked about their perceptions on racism and discrimination at Fordham University, what their “office/ school/group” is currently doing to address these problems and what they and the University need to do in order to create and maintain a more diverse and inclusive university community.

Meetings were also requested with departments “critical to the life and functions of the University,” and five committee meetings were opened to all members of the Fordham community. Graduate students were welcomed at two meetings.

The findings of the study included a “wide-ranging feeling among undergraduate students of color that diversity is not valued, and safe

spaces do not exist for them to express their concerns or voice their complaints about what they are encountering as learners at Fordham.”

Discrimination, recurrent microaggressions, “emblematization” by professors, isolation in residence halls and financial concerns were also reported by students of color.

In addition, the task force found concerns that implicit bias exists in hiring decisions within the administration and faculty, and a lack of diversity and human resources training or a diversity plan at all levels of hiring. They also studied the school’s relationship with the Bronx and its service to New York City.

Final recommendations of the task force included the appoint-

ment of a Committee on Diversity and Inclusion, a Vice President for Human Resources and a Chief Diversity Officer to the establishment of a required, credit-bearing course that “helps students address racism and exclusion and grasp issues surrounding diversity.” In even broader contexts, they recommended ongoing preparation for teaching about diversity all faculty members and instructional staff, as well as the establishment of a junior college located in the South Bronx to recruit the local population in financial need. This was rejected in the university’s response.

The university’s response and action plan included several concessions to the goals set out by the task force. The first is the appointment of an officer to hold the title of Special Advisor to the President for Diversity, Chief Diversity Officer and Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs, who will report to the President and the Provost, as well as the hiring of a Chief Human Resources Officer and the creation of a standing Diversity Committee.

The plan says that Fordham will “place priority on diversify-

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ing the ranks of all University administrators and faculty members” and conduct annual workshops for deans, chairs, vice presidents and search committees. They will consider establishing a peer mentoring program for students of color while creating specific scholarship funds for students who seek to become leaders in diversity and inclusion.

The plan outlines curricular changes beginning next academic year, such as an expansion of the new student orientation programs for undergraduates and “a proposal to require all first-year undergraduate students to enroll in a one-credit ‘First Year Experience’ course containing a significant diversity component.” American Pluralism, Values Seminar and Interdisciplinary Capstone Core courses will have expanded focuses on race and diversity.

In the concluding reflections, McShane said, “We have to admit to ourselves that the issues we face and the conditions they create can only be solved by conversion of heart. If that is the case, we have to engage in honest examinations of conscience and of consciousness.”

Opinions

Opinions Editor John McCullough - jmcculloughiii@fordham.edu

November 17, 2016

THE OBSERVER

STAFF EDITORIAL

TRUMP’S CABINET REFLECTS ESTABLISHMENT IDEALS There are many explanations for Donald Trump’s upset victory in the 2016 Presidential Election, including Democratic National Committee (DNC) meddling in their party’s primary, the FBI’s ill-timed investigations of Clinton’s emails and a willingness on the part of the Trump campaign to pander to rising xenophobic sentiments. The most touted factor, however, has been a perceived populist desire in Trump’s campaign to take down “the establishment” and “drain the swamp.”

Contrary to these assertions, one of Trump’s first appointments as Chief Executive has been Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus as his White House Chief of Staff. Priebus brought the GOP out of $23 million in debt and led outreach to women, Hispanics and minorities, but he has advocated for tea party activists and been accused of condoning voter suppression and intimidation in his home state of Wisconsin.

More worrisome is Trump’s selection of Steve Bannon as his chief strategist, best known for his role as executive chairman of Breitbart News, an ‘alt-right’ platform which opposes feminism, diversity, gay

“As members of this community, we have a responsibility to stand up for those in marginalized groups. rights and globalism. According to the Washington Post, he has been an apologist for white nationalism, has faced charges of domestic abuse and once expressed concern that his daughters’ school had too many Jewish students.

These selections confirm our fears that Trump would both reach out to the conservative “establishment” of the Republican Party and retain

the influence of far-right ideologues that have played an important role in his campaign.

His picks for the new administration have so far been a long-term obstructionist party leader and an extremist whose ideas cause millions of Americans, including many in the Fordham community, to reasonably fear for their safety.

These choices are a reminder of the importance of putting pressure on the President-elect and his provisional cabinet, in the interest of protecting those who could be harmed by reactionary influence. To Fordham students who are fearful in the face of Trump, we vow to defend your rights.

As members of this community, we have a responsibility to stand up for those in marginalized groups when their civil liberties are at risk. While many implore opponents of Trump to “give him a chance to govern,” the appointment of men like Bannon and Priebus does nothing to inspire our confidence in his leadership.

the

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Opinions

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Vote Local, Not Just Every Four Years JORDAN MELTZER Contributing Writer

After you finish reading this sentence, raise a finger for every one of your local representatives whom you can name without using Google, including your state, county and city.

If you put up three fingers, I am impressed. Last year, I would not have been able to do that myself. Sure, I had seen the yard signs and gotten the automated robo-calls for all the local candidates, but did I care enough to look up their names when I got home? No, because it was just local elections. They are not glorified like presidential elections every four years, so they obviously could not be of much importance, could they?

During the 2016 primary season, I, like many other young people, supported social-democrat Bernie Sanders. I was proud that the first time I paid careful attention to politics, it was to support someone who stood for everything I did: he shared my views on abortion, foreign policy and the economy. I was naïve and relatively uneducated about the country in early 2015, but I taught myself about politics because I found a candidate whose moral outlook truly resonated with me. But even as primary season progressed, I could not tell you anything about Governor Chris Christie of my home state of New Jersey, other than that he had a short-lived run for president as a Republican and he did something really bad with the George Washington Bridge. I suppose I chose not to pay attention to him because he did not resonate with me like Sanders did… but then again, neither does Donald Trump, and I soon found out how important it was to know about him.

I never cared for Christie until I noticed that something he did directly affected my life. Last month in New Jersey, Christie pushed through a bill that would implement a 23-cent per-gallon tax on all gasoline purchases for motor vehicles. Suddenly, I found myself livid. I had no say; this was not fair to me!

COURTESY OF SCOTT NORRIS/FLICKR

While many Americans only pay attention to presidential elections, much of political life is decided in municipal, state and congressional races.

But, of course, I’d already had a say. I just hadn’t cared enough to say anything.

Not caring about Christie was as dangerous as not knowing about Trump. What I failed to realize is that I live in New Jersey just as much as I live in the United States, and both Governor Christie and President-elect Trump have the ability to execute the laws of my land. Christie could ameliorate or decimate my quality of life in a matter of weeks, just like Trump could.

But state elections are not, by any means, the smallest elections in which Americans can vote. Voting goes down to county and city officials; even laws appear on local ballots. For example, I voted for my county’s sheriff and clerk as well as

a New Jersey law regarding casinos and gambling on election day this year. It all comes down to being informed.

Being informed is the most important thing one can do to prepare for election day. Ignorance leads to unwanted outcomes in elections. All it takes is a Google search and a half hour of spare time to find out more about nominees. The common misconception that one vote does not matter must be stricken down by force.

This year, in the general election, the 2 percent vote that went to Gary Johnson in many states could have been the difference between a Trump or Clinton victory. The race in New Hampshire was within 15 votes at one point, with Clinton eventually

pulling off a narrow win. According to the United States Election Project, 46.6 percent of eligible voters did not vote. According to The Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement, 50 percent of millennials did not vote.

I provide these statistics to prove one point: every vote counts. For the first time since the Bush administration, the United States has a Republican President, Senate and House of Representatives. With Trump having won the presidency, there will likely be a Republican Supreme Court, which means all three branches of the government will be controlled

by Republicans. This will affect the land in which you and I live and go to school and work, both on the national level and on the local level.

Please do not say that your vote does not matter. If you really are enraged by the results of this year’s election, don’t wait until 2020. Get out and vote in the midterm elections in two years and try to help Democrats regain the Senate and the House, which will balance out the impending far-right Trump presidency. Local elections matter. Don’t pass them off as unimportant, because you will not just be hurting yourself, you will be hurting everyone who lives in the same area as you.

Do some research, educate yourself, enjoy the learning process and make an informed decision. Your town, your county, your state, and your country need your vote. Your voice matters, nationally and locally.

Act like it.

“The War On Drugs” Is A War On Much More CECILE NEIDIG News Co-Editor

Everyone is better than the worst thing they have ever done.

I am paraphrasing lawyer, author and Founder and Executive Director of Equal Justice Initiative, Bryan Stevenson. He said this in a Ted Talk in which he explained the racial injustices built into our society and criminal justice system. He said that people who lie are more than just liars, someone who steals is not just a thief and even someone who kills is more than just a killer.

We are missing this sense of compassion and respect for human dignity in our criminal justice system, especially with regard to our drug policies. We have continually criminalized and dehumanized nonviolent drug offenders and drug user, leading to an overpopulated prison system.

Nonviolent drug offenders are given harsher sentences than their crimes deserve and drug users are put behind bars when they should be given treatment and the opportunity for rehabilitation. We force this population out of society and limit their chances of getting better.

A drug conviction could keep you from getting a job or housing, keep you from going to school, keep you from getting federal benefits like food stamps or keep you from voting. Even if we’re not at the point

RYAN LACKEY/FLICKR

The war on drugs has been an economic and human disaster.

to simply release nonviolent drug offenders, we need to allow them to resume their lives post-conviction instead of perpetually treating them as criminals, excluding them from receiving basic human dignities.

Many of our draconian drug policies and sentencing laws came out of what has been known as the war on drugs, surfaced around the 1970s under the presidency of Richard Nixon. Drugs, and those who dealt and used drugs, became “public enemy number one.”

But the public enemy was never just drugs. We not only declared war

on drugs, we declared war on the poor and on people of color.

The U.S. has the highest prison population with one in every 111 adults incarcerated in a federal prison, according to the Drug Policy Alliance. The war on drugs has contributed to this over-population of our prison system, often times placing nonviolent drug offenders behind bars.

According to the same source, even though black, white and Latino people use drugs at about the same rate, about 57 percent of those behind bars for drug offenses are black

or Latino. We are disproportionately criminalizing, incarcerating and ruining the lives of minorities for crimes that are punished unjustly.

It is estimated that the U.S. government has spent over $1 trillion fighting this war, yet we still have this overpopulated system. Ending the drug war and reforming our drug policies so that we do not imprison nonviolent offenders will not wholly end our mass incarceration problem, and there are other flaws in the system that need to be addressed.

But, according to The Washington Post, the most serious crime keep-

ing 51 percent of the federal prison population behind bars is a drug conviction. We are in no way helping these individuals, their families or their communities by putting them behind bars. We are exacerbating poverty and excluding certain members from participating in society.

President Obama has commuted the sentences of 944 prisoners during his presidency, and it is important that clemency continue to be granted to nonviolent drug offenders. Mandatory minimums should be slashed, treatment and rehabilitation should be implemented instead of harsh prison sentences, and we should treat them with humanity and dignity.

While Hillary Clinton outlined a $10 billion plan to tackle prevention, treatment and recovery should she have been elected, according to ABC News, Donald Trump has proposed to build a wall, hoping that doing so will stop the trade of illegal drugs.

His tough-on-crime persona as the “Law and Order candidate” will do nothing to cut the prison population.

In fact, it will more likely increase it.

Instead of doling out harsh sentences, we need to treat drug offenders with compassion. Addicts are not criminals and punishing them as such does nothing to help. Nonviolent drug offenders do not deserve to suffer draconian measures such as mandatory minimum sentences.

They do not deserve 25 to life, they deserve a second chance and basic human dignity.

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Opinions

November 17, 2016 THE OBSERVER

www.fordhamobserver.com

The Democrats Must Move Left or Die JOHN MCCULLOUGH Opinions Editor

In the early hours of Nov. 9, Donald J. Trump was declared the winner of the 2016 presidential election. This was a result completely unexpected by most of the media and the Democratic Party. In the midst of all of the fallout, supporters of the Democratic candidate have sought desperately to find a reason for this loss. In some cases, this has manifested in blaming the progressive wing of the party and third party voters, instead of looking inward and seeing how the party itself is responsible. The hollowness of this argument becomes apparent when one sees the glaring faults of a distant, conservative Democratic leadership. This election is less a story of the left abandoning a “Never Trump” coalition, and more a story of the failure of the Democratic Party to inspire an opposition to the rising far-right by not countering it with a bold, progressive vision.

To make a more concrete point, there is no doubt in my mind that, had he been victorious in the Democratic primary, Bernie Sanders would have been elected the 45th President of the United States. The evidence for this lies in an analysis of the states that truly cost Clinton the election; namely Michigan and Wisconsin.

Both in all the major polls for this election cycle and every Presidential election since 1988, these states were reliably “blue”; no analyst thought Trump had a chance at taking them.

And yet on election night, Trump stood victorious.

Despite winning these states, Trump won them with a similar vote count that Romney had lost them with. According to results from the Associated Press, Trump received 2.2 million votes in Michigan in 2016, compared to 2.1 million for Romney in 2012. Similarly, Trump received 1.4 million in Wisconsin, while Romney received almost the same. Additionally, both Trump and Clinton received far fewer votes than Barack Obama received in each state (2.5 million in Michigan and 1.6 million in Wisconsin) when he won both in 2012.

It is logical to assume, therefore, that a candidate that could have inspired greater Democratic turnout in these largely working class states (along with other states won by Obama and lost by Clinton,

JESSICA HANLEY/THE OBSERVER

During his run for the Democratic nomination, Bernie Sanders drew massive crowds of enthusiastic supporters, such as this one in Brooklyn.

such as Ohio) would have stood a far greater chance at winning them.

Bernie Sanders, or any progressive Democrat, would have done far better in Rust Belt swing states, as they benefit from a populist message that does not denigrate minorities and other marginalized groups, as Trump’s right-wing faux-populism does. Winning these states would have meant winning the country, the defeat of the Republican Party, and perhaps a re-establishment of a Democratic Senate majority.

This could be criticized as “Monday-morning quarterbacking,” but there is an important lesson to be learned from this disaster. The future of a vital Democratic Party lies not in the centrism epitomized by the Clintons, but in the left-populism of the Sanders wing. The failure of the Democratic Party in the 2016 elections should be no surprise when looking at recent electoral history. A similar crushing result came in the 2014 midterms, when the Democrat-

“Only an intersectional left-wing coalition of all dispossessed groups can cut down the rise of right-wing populism.” ic Party lost its control of the Senate due to historically low turnout- a pathetic 36 percent. Senate Democrats ran hard to the right, not putting forward a progressive vision, but instead critiquing from the right what small progress had been made by the Obama administration in six years.

Instead of winning over centrist voters, they alienated their own base and failed to inspire them to turn out to vote. If they had set out an agenda that expressed an intention to pursue progressive reforms and framed the debate within the context of Republican obstructionism, the senate majority may have been maintained.

The same is true for 2016.

After his victory, Donald Trump tweeted: “The forgotten man and woman will never be forgotten

again.” It is the imminent duty of leftists to see that these “forgotten men and women” are not scooped up by reactionary demagogues that prop-up the “establishment” while claiming to oppose it, but that they find their place in a grassroots progressive majority. In order to survive, the Democrats must take decisive action to reshape themselves into a political organization for the working class. That means supporting leftwing, social-democratic measures.

It means transforming itself into a party that supports a single payer healthcare system, and the nationalization of the banks as public utilities. The Democrats need to commit themselves to building up the power of unions and breaking with failed neo-liberal trade deals like NAFTA

and the TPP. Simultaneously, they also must do all in their power to protect marginalized groups such as Muslims, people of color and queer folks, as they are at their most vulnerable in Trump’s America. Only an intersectional left-wing coalition of all dispossessed groups can cut down the rise of right-wing populism. If the Democrats refuse to implement these changes, then the left must break from the party and build new organizations that will actually challenge the status quo and further the march of human progress.

A decisive move to the left, and a committal to a platform that fights for the interest of all marginalized groups is vital to defeating the forces of white supremacy, misogyny and economic stratification that have been empowered by the victory of Trump and a Republican congress.

In this new fight, the Democrats have two options: move to the left towards a progressive vision of justice and equality, or die.

Regardless of Trump, The Electoral College Should Remain ALEX SEYAD Contributing Writer

In the most recent presidential election we were faced with a situation in which one candidate secured the majority of electoral votes while the other won the popular vote. The candidate who won the electoral vote, Donald Trump, was announced to be the winner and President-elect, to the dismay of many. While this isn’t the first time this has happened, with the last time being the 2000 election, many are calling into question the reliability and effectiveness of the electoral college.

Before anyone can begin to question the viability of the electoral college, it is important to understand how it works. The electoral college is as old as our nation and was the product of a debate over how the nation could fairly choose a president.

The electoral college system calls for people in each state to vote for a ticket that consists of candidate for President and Vice President. The winning ticket will then determine who the elector, or non-government officials

ADAM THEO/FLICKR

After Trump’s victory, many demanded the end of the Electoral College

who are selected by the state, will cast the designated vote for when the college convenes in December. The number of electoral votes given to the state is determined by the number of representatives they have in congress, which totals to 538 votes. All states, with the exception of Nebraska and

Maine, operate with a winner takes all system which bestows all the state’s electoral votes for the candidate with the most individual votes.

Since the admission of Hawaii as the 50th state in 1959, the “magic +number” for securing the majority in the electoral vote and thus se-

curing the Presidency has been 270.

Donald Trump managed to secure 306 electoral votes but only won 47% of the popular vote, 630,877 votes less than his opponent, Hillary Clinton.

This difference has made many question why the candidate with the majority of the popular vote wasn’t able to win the majority of electoral votes.

In response, many have called for the abolition of the system itself.

One obvious issue with the electoral vote is that it clearly doesn’t reflect the national consensus. However, there are very good reasons that the electoral college still exists today.

The college was designed to make sure that voting power was properly dispersed among states. While Hillary Clinton did win the popular vote, it is important to note that she also won some of the most populous states such as California and New York, both home to disproportionately liberal populations. If the election was determined solely based on the popular vote, voters in smaller states such as Wyoming or Montana would be made to feel that their votes would be worthless compared to those of residents of larger states such as California, Pennsylvania and New York.

One issue with the electoral college is the existence of “faithless” electors, or electors who are not bound to vote for the majority ticket. These electors can cast their vote for another ticket when the college convenes and could possible change who wins the election. While this is an interesting idea, given the fail safes in the election system it hasn’t successfully happened in the course of American history. If neither candidate manages to win the majority of the electoral vote, the President would be selected

by The House of Representatives.

At this point, you may wonder if there have ever been any attempts to abolish the electoral college and the answer is yes, there has been numerous attempts over the years. The main reason that they have failed is due to the fact that there is no better alternative to the Electoral College.

Many have called for the Presidential election to be decided based on the popular vote alone, but as explained, there are issues with this method that make it less than ideal on its own.

While many are unhappy with the electoral college’s pick for president, abolishing it in favor of the popular vote wouldn’t be the best answer.

Arts & Culture

Arts & Culture Editors Elena Ciotta - eciotta@fordham.edu Ana Fota - afota@fordham.edu Morgan Steward - msteward2@fordham.edu November 17, 2016 THE OBSERVER

Adam Frank Brings Science to “Doctor Strange”

By MARYANNA ANTOLDI Staff Writer

Over the past few years, Marvel Studios has released some of the most popular films in box office history. The studio’s newest film, “Doctor Strange,” introduces audiences to ex-super-surgeon Steven Strange and his incredible mental abilities that bend the walls between worlds and time itself. A film focusing this heavily on science and philosophy required an expert to help explain the truth behind the concepts, and Adam Frank, an acclaimed astrophysicist, fit the bill perfectly. I had the opportunity to speak with Frank via conference call, where he provided insight on what it was like working on “Doctor Strange” and the science behind the film.

Frank, a lifelong Marvel and science fiction fan, was contacted early in the filmmaking process by Scott Derrikson, the film’s director, and asked if he would like to work with them as a science consultant. Frank agreed, and six months later he received the “best email ever” that Marvel wanted to work with him.

“My main job was really spending a day out there talking with filmmakers,” Frank said. “It was all of us in a room: Scott Derrikson and a writer John Space, Kevin Fiege [the President of Marvel Studios] and executive producer Stephen Broussard. We just spent the whole day [together] and had an amazing conversation, talking about certain scenes and ideas about consciousness and philosophy.”

Frank was hired to help the “Doctor Strange” team find a balance between incorporating science and philosophy into the film while preserving the essence of the hero’s character. He decided to tackle this issue by introducing Marvel to a prevalent philosophical principle— the nature of consciousness, otherwise known as the mind-body problem. Basically, the mind-body dilemma is the question of how the physical human body and the non-physical mind interact with each other.

“Our discussions were about how to ground Doctor Strange’s powers in the open question about consciousness. The fact that there is no scientific theory for that means that

TOM SIMPSON/FLICKR

Marvel’s latest comic adaptation stars Academy Award nominee Benedict Cumberbatch as the title character.

it could be where the source of his powers emanate from,” he explained.

“We often talk about science in the Marvel Universe, but here is the place where we could explicitly discuss philosophy.”

In terms of scientific principle, “Doctor Strange” highlights the idea of the multiverse. Throughout the film, Doctor Strange travels in and out of different universes, each one containing unique sets of scientific law. While we have yet to discover these universes, Frank believes there is scientific evidence supporting their existence, and that was enough fact to integrate the concept into the film.

However, Frank is not looking for movies that are completely accurate to science. Part of the fun of making science fiction films is crafting unique universes and adding scientific elements to them. Depending on the world, things may not be too accurate—but that is the joy of the movies.

“People go to movies because they want good stories. What I really want for a movie is that they have respect for science—that they have respect for the scientific process and they represent it in a way that pays homage to what science is giving us.

I want a good story where the science is incorporated in a way that is thoughtful.”

But what made working on “Doctor Strange” so fun for Frank was not seeing his name in the credits—it was being in the same room with people who are responsible for the comic world he grew up with as a child.

“Marvel has been my hero for the stuff they have done. The Marvel Cinematic Universe has been sheer genius with how, step by step, they have built this coherent and consistent virtual world. Being part of that process, to be in that room talking about the movie and its ideas, was just a highlight of my life.”

With Frank’s assistance, “Doctor Strange” merges real philosophy and science with a fantastical world where sorcerers have the ability to travel between dimensions, live outside of their bodies and stop time.

Frank’s work does not go unnoticed, and the passion put into the film by all those involved is definitely evident while watching.

“Black Mirror” Reflects A Dark Reality

By SAM DEASSIS Staff Writer

Sometimes, when it comes to college life, an escape from reality is necessary. This escape can be found through a variety of different mediums: books, movies, television, etc.

But, the most convenient location to find many new realities to explore is one college students are pretty well acquainted with: Netflix.

The common Netflix viewer may be familiar with “Black Mirror,” a show that has been around for about two years now. But what differentiates this show from the average Netflix series? It does not simply provide one alternate reality to follow for the duration of the season—“Black Mirror” is unique in that every episode is completely unrelated to the others of the season. With each hour long segment introducing a new cast, new characters and a new plot altogether, every season of the series provides a diverse multitude of realities for viewers to enjoy.

Recently, to the delight of many devoted fans, a third season of the British anthology series “Black Mirror” was released on Netflix in October after a three year hiatus.

COURTESY OF NETFLIX

Originally airing in the United Kingdom in 2001, “Black Mirror” was revived by Netflix in 2016.

As someone who had not watched the past few seasons, I was wary to begin watching the series during its third season. But as “American Horror Story” has taught me, not all television shows are necessarily meant to be watched in chronological order.

As I jumped into this new season of a show I had zero experience

with, I was pleasantly surprised with what I found.

Starting with the pilot episode of the season, it is clear that this show has a “Twilight Zone”-esque strategy of storytelling. Not only do the episodes create their own realities where unusual and interesting events ensue, but they also seem to make social commentary on the is-

sues of our world.

“Nosedive,” the first episode of the season, brought the viewer into a world where all worth was based on ratings from other people on social media. This is a topic that hits close to home, as it is apparent that social media has become influential to the point of possible danger in today’s world. “‘Black Mirror’ is very interesting to watch because it works as both a means of entertainment and an identification of very real problems in our society,” Rachel Meyer, Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) ’20, said. “It is a very thought-provoking show that causes the viewer to reflect on aspects of their own lives.” “‘Black Mirror’ is a fascinating and terrifying look at our culture and the consequences of our actions,” Melanie Katz, FCLC ’20, agreed. Similar to “Nosedive,” “Shut Up and Dance” is an episode that also focuses on how much technology has impacted our lives. The episode zeroes in on the importance of reputation and embarrassment in the lives of teens.

A third effective episode from this new season is “Playtest,” which toys with our ability to distinguish between fantasy and reality. This

episode plays upon the same idea brought to light by the hit movie “Inception” in 2010—the unsureness of our sense of self and consciousness, a deep and obscure route that our minds don’t usually take on their own.

Prior knowledge of the show is not needed to enjoy it. “Black Mirror” is an amalgamation of our fears and the consequences of our actions, combining these qualities in a disturbingly realistic manner, which is something that many Fordham students were able to appreciate on a meaningful level.

“Everyone should watch at least a few episodes of ‘Black Mirror’—if not for its intrinsic entertainment value, then for the importance of its social commentary,” Jordan Meltzer, FCLC ’20, said.

The beauty of the show is that it is unique because it does not depend on order—for the busy, time-constrained student, It is an experience that requires little to no commitment. Whether you are in it for just the one hour, mini-movie experience or if you are looking for a new show to binge-watch, “Black Mirror” is an experience that many others could not successfully create.

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THE OBSERVER November 17, 2016

Fordham Features

9

“

[‘Memoria’] is a piece that was created for the company to perform. We have to hold ourselve accountable for dancing at a certain level because you’re not just responsible for yourself, but the outcome of the group.”

–

GRACE BERGONZI, FCLC ’17

PHOTOS COURTESY OF ELLIE SATO, GRACE BERGONZI, LAUREN RUSSO, MINGA PRATHER/ SAM KALTENTHALER, THE OBSERVER

Prather is a junior participating in Ailey’s “Memoria.”

are the way they are, and what exactly [Favors] is asking us to do,” Dempster said. Although demanding, Dempster can’t help but smile when describing the fun, energetic environment of rehearsals and the excitement of working not only with different students, but the company members. “Rehearsal is one of my favorite parts.

You get to be with the company and just see them goofing around,” Dempster said.

“It has been amazing being able to learn repertoire that was choreographed by Alvin Ailey himself, let alone one of his most memorable and famous pieces,” Bergonzi said. Choreographed

by Alvin Ailey in 1979, “Memoria” celebrates the life of his dear friend and colleague Joyce Trisler. “[Favors] makes a point of us knowing who we’re celebrating; the teachers that have come before and led to Mr. Ailey,” Dempster said. Russo felt a personal connection to Mr. Ailey’s inspiration.

“This piece means a lot to me because I dance for [Trisler] and the people that I have lost.”

“Memoria” goes through various tempers, beginning with a painful first section of a woman isolated despite the surrounding dancers and

ending with a joyous and vibrant celebration.

“Memoria” is accompanied by the jazz music of Keith Jarrett. “The music is really challenging because there’s no real counts. A lot of dancers are accustomed to a standard meter, and in ‘Memoria’ you have to listen to the multi-layered dimensions of the music; the different instruments, the different tones,” said Bergonzi. “And that’s where you get your cues to switch position or transition. It’s a lot of being tactically aware of your surroundings and the music. If you’re off the music, it just doesn’t work.”

Because “Memoria” is not as physically demanding as other Ailey repertoire for the company, Ailey dancers try to create a fun energy for the students. The combination of anticipation and nerves that come with looking out at the colossal theatre holding tiers of patrons is perhaps the perfect breeding ground for pre-performance jitters. “Of course you get a little nervous, doing penches (a position where the leg lifts behind you to a 180 degree angle) in one count,” Dempster joked.

“It’s unbelievable dancing with the com-

pany, getting to see the dressing rooms, the costumes, and the lighting…it all starts when you’re backstage seeing all the dancers warming up, watching from the curtains, cheering each other on and telling us good luck. They’re all so encouraging of each other and of us,” Dempster said.

Bergonzi added to this, saying, “It’s such a big deal to be dancing with the first company at City Center. This is a piece that was created for the company to perform and we’re just being inserted into that. So we have to hold ourselves accountable for dancing at a certain level because you’re not just responsible for yourself, but the outcome of the group.”

“It is such an immense blessing to perform in ‘Memoria,’” Kaltenthauler said. “The ballet is full of wonderful movement and it is an absolute joy to dance with such incredible people.”

“Memoria” will be performed at New York City Center on Dec. 3, 4 and 10. More information on seeing “Memoria” or other Ailey works during its 2016 winter season can be found on the Ailey website.

DESIGNED BY KATIE MAURER/ THE OBSERVER ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY ELENA CIOTTA, MORGAN STEWARD & SABRINA JEN

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Fordham Features

November 17, 2016 THE OBSERVER

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BFA Students Join Alvin Ailey in Production of “Memoria”

By SHAINA OPPENHEIMER Staff Writer

For many dancers, taking the New York City stage is a milestone, an accomplishment of the crème de la crème. This coming December, Ailey/Fordham BFA dancers Malerie Dempster, Fordham College Lincoln Center (FCLC) ’17; Grace Bergonzi, FCLC ’17; Minga Prather, FCLC ’18; Lauren Russo, FCLC’18; Ellie Sato, FCLC ’19; Sara Erickson, FCLC ’19; and Sam Kaltenthaler, FCLC ’19, will perform alongside Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in its production of “Memoria” at the New York City Center.

Each year, the company invites students from The Ailey School to audition for the piece. This year, seven Ailey/Fordham BFA dancers were among the 26 students selected.

“I remember getting texts from friends telling me that I got into the piece,” Sato said. “I didn’t believe it. Since then, I have been so inspired and happy. In such a difficult career path, these opportunities feel like large victories.”

For Dempster, this will be her second year performing “Memoria.”

Rehearsals began mid-October and take place on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays for two hours with Ronni Favors, a former Ailey dancer. After learning the choreography, Favors runs the group section by solos, spending 10 minutes with each individual to ensure a mastery of the choreography. Bergonzi described the rehearsal process, saying, “Every single minute

of the rehearsal is used so efficiently, you’re always gaining something from it. [Favors] is also teaching us about how to be professionals in the field beyond the dancing. Throughout the weeks she’s given us lessons about being timely, responding to emails, going to studios and how to represent yourself in a way that makes you desirable for a company.”

“It’s a really different experience from dancing in the BFA program, because the choreography is so specific. Your pinky has to be in the perfect place at the right time,” Dempster explained. Typically, students in The Ailey School work with outside choreographers who create pieces specifically for the Ailey students.

Learning Ailey repertoire poses a new challenge for the students. “Memoria” requires an almost militant attention to detail, timing and placement. “[Favors] really wants to see us grow as artists; on stage, in rehearsal, out of rehearsal, she expects a lot out of us,” Dempster added.

Prather echoed the same sentiment. “‘Memoria’ is a very technical piece, so the challenge is making the technique not look like technique.

It’s learning how to perform it and make it look like it’s more than what it is so it translates on stage,” Prather said. “You have to know who you are and stay true to that. It’s easy to be boxed in by the technique, so you need to make sure you know who you are and how you move can still

translate into the movement.”

For Russo, this was not always the case. “One of my biggest challenges was definitely doing the steps without being a perfectionist,” Russo said.

“It is not always easy showing the emotion I’m feeling to the audience while staying true to the dance steps at hand.”

Within the Ailey school, there are three different programs, with the BFA program partnering with Fordham. Although the programs mix in classes, it is rare to work intimately with students of a different program. “It brings the BFAs, Independent Studies and Scholarship students all together,” Dempster explained. Erickson added, “It has been an amazing experience rehearsing with dancers from other programs at The Ailey School that I otherwise might not have had the opportunity to collaborate with during my four years in the Ailey/Fordham BFA program.”

In “Memoria,” the students dance together as a corps de ballet, a group of dancers that frame the company members. This opportunity is no doubt lacking in intimacy. With around 50 people on stage, the students must figure out how to perform fully while surrounded by bodies.

“My first year it was really nerve-wracking because I was with all the older students, but this year I’m a lot more comfortable with the choreography and [Favors]. I understand why things

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Arts & Culture

THE OBSERVER November 17, 2016

10

Fordham Alum Van Hughes Takes a Look Back

By ANA FOTA Arts & Culture Co-Editor

On a warm fall afternoon, Broadway actor Van Hughes and I were sipping coffee in the backyard of a Williamsburg cafe. Hughes, who graduated from Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) in 2005, went on to star in several Broadway musicals, as well as movies and TV shows. Yet, he had spent the day we met doing the opposite of that: curled up in his Brooklyn apartment, writing the score for an upcoming horror film on his laptop.

We were meeting to talk about another project he had been scoring, a new musical. Imagine my surprise when I found out not only about the movie, but a couple other projects he had taken on. Combining the onstage spotlight with the solitude of writing, Hughes is keeping his plate full.

“I have a well-rounded life,” he laughed. Hughes has been part of several Broadway shows, including “American Idiot,” “Hairspray” and, most recently, the revival of “Spring Awakening.” For the past couple of years, he has been collaborating with fellow Broadway performer Andy Mientus (known for his role in the TV show “Smash”) on “Manhattan Kids.” The team is aiming for out-oftown tryouts to begin next summer.

Also part of the team are Hughes’ band, Teen Commandments, for which he plays bass, and an extensive creative team.

Among the many instruments Hughes plays is the ukulele. He got one as a gift from Graham Skipper, FCLC ‘05, whom he has written music for before and whose new movie he had been scoring that day. The

VAN HUGHES/TEEN COMMANDMENTS

Hughes, left, plays bass guitar for the synthpop band Teen Commandments, pictured above.

skill came in handy back in 2009 when he was auditioning for “9 to 5” in front of Dolly Parton. He sang the Beatles’ song “Something” with “a more shuffle- vibe,” as he explained.

With his ukulele in hand, he even yodeled. Parton was pleasantly surprised, saying “I bet you threw in that yodel just for me.” Needless to say, he got the part.

“I love to perform, so if I know I’m gonna perform, I look forward to that moment all day,” Hughes said. Getting to the theatre before the show, he would sometimes listen to music to get energized. While on

tour with “American Idiot,” it was rock bands like Smashing Pumpkins or Surf Blood. For “Spring Awakening,” his first choices were Billie Holiday and Ella Fitzgerald. “Other than that, I don’t really have many preshow rituals. I like to stretch a lot. I try to be as relaxed as possible; that’s something I learned at Fordham.”

As a performance major, Hughes took acting classes that taught him how to use his whole body when telling a story on stage. Pointing to his torso he said, “As an actor, this is my canvas.” After attending high school at the Governor’s School for the

Arts in Norfolk, Virginia, Hughes was looking to hone his acting skills when he found out about Fordham’s Bachelor of Arts Degree in Theatre.

While learning to relax his body in acting classes, he opened his mind through social science readings. “It wasn’t always the theatre classes that unlocked something in me,” he said.

“It was also the philosophy classes, for example. My brain was unlocking and seeing the world for what it is. It completely changed me as a person.”

Last Broadway season, Hughes was part of Deaf West Theatre’s ac-

claimed “Spring Awakening” revival. As a swing, he was covering three different parts, each with their own instrument: piano, electric bass and guitar. The first two instruments he learned to play specifically for the show. “After being in rehearsal all day, I would get home and practice for another hour or two,” he said.

“There’s a lot of change happening during the previews, so as a swing you’re constantly running around trying to remember everything.”

His hard work paid off. When the piano player lost his voice after only a week of performances, it was Hughes’ time to shine. “They asked me if I thought I could do it, and I said yes,” he recounted. “I ended up going on with no rehearsal, I didn’t even have a costume until about an hour before the show. I mean, talk about getting in the zone.” He played the role for three weeks, including the show’s opening night, while afterwards alternating between the piano and bass roles. Ironically, the only role he never got to play was that of the guitarist, the only instrument he had known to play his whole life.

Adding to the list of memorable moments, Hughes was also the cast’s recipient of the Gypsy robe. A tradition spanning over five decades, every Broadway company holds a ceremony the day their production officially opens. The robe is given to the ensemble member with the most Broadway credits. The robe’s recipient then visits every dressing room, thus blessing the show. “It’s a really cool honor,” he said. “I like that it’s something you earn, not something you are given.” And if the past is any indication, there’s plenty more honors for Hughes to earn in the future.

Gil-Sheridan’s Play to Premiere on Mainstage GIL-SHERIDAN FROM PAGE 1

end of his schooling, he would have six more.

It was at the Soho Repertory Program for writers and directors, a year-long program in which playwrights create new material, that Gil-Sheridan created “Cockfight.”

The idea for the show came about when he thought about his adolescence, comparing his father’s admiration for men to his own. Whereas Gil-Sheridan—a gay man—desired men romantically, his father appreciated their machismo and strength.

At the center of “Cockfight” is Juanie, a teen with a white birthmother being raised by his Latin father and step-mother, both drunks.

Throughout the play, he realizes and struggles with his sexuality to the dismay of his father. The play isn’t what you would call autobiographi-

cal. “My parents aren’t drunks,” clarifies Gil-Sheridan, but there are parallels to his adolescence—he was a “gay, awkward white kid in the middle of a Latin family.” In both the play and his own life, a father must weigh his parental love against his masculine pride. In a way, says Gil-Sheridan, the show is an alternate version of his own childhood— ”the way [he] wishes [it] went.”

While working on “Cockfight,” he met Anna Brenner, who is now directing the production. Gil-Sheridan collaborated with Brenner and then took the play to PlayPenn, a Philadelphia-based conference, for further development. This is where the piece took its final shape.

The strength and limits of human relationships seems to be a popular theme in Gil-Sheridan’s art. In “Ritu Comes Home,” another of his more notable plays, two gay men sending money to a woman in Bangladesh

must question the constraints of their charity when she shows up in America. In “Topsy Turvy Mouse,” the son of Lynndie England (the woman tangled in the Abu Ghraib scandal) must come to terms with his mother’s horrible past.

Although some of his work involves magical realism, Gil-Sheridan shrugs it off as a “critic’s term.”

He doesn’t like to label his work as a specific genre; he simply uses plays to “make sense of the world he lives in.”

Theater may be a form of catharsis for him, but he certainly works hard at his craft. He took full advantage of the opportunities Fordham had to offer, and used his connections to break into an unforeseen career after graduating. A talented playwright, Gil-Sheridan is a fantastic example of an artist who took time to learn his skill and now creates powerful material.

ANA FOTA/THE OBSERVER

The Fordham Mainstage production of “Cockfight” will run Nov. 17, 18 and 19.

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Features Editors Ruby Buddemeyer - rbuddemeyer@fordham.edu Reese Ravner - rravner@fordham.edu

November 17, 2016

THE OBSERVER

Putnam Returns to Continue Mission

Fordham student takes semester off to address global issues in Mexico, returns inspired.

By CARSON THORNTON GONZALEZ Contributing Writer

To pursue something you are passionate about is something we all strive for, but finding work that aligns with your passions can be extremely difficult. By determination and luck, Eliza Putnam, Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) ’18, found this ideal combination in the city of Puebla, Mexico.

After starting in 2014 and attending Fordham for a year, Putnam decided to apply for a threemonth volunteer position with an organization called the Poblano Institute of Rehabilitation, otherwise known as IPODERAC. IPODERAC focuses their energy on providing permanent homes for homeless youth who have experienced neglect, abuse, exploitation or trafficking, and have been put in a vulnerable position that requires a full-time living situation until they are adults.

Unlike foster care systems in the United States, Mexico’s child care system consists mostly of institution-based orphanages. According to Putnam, these institutions will often provide food and shelter for children until they are 18 years of age, at which point they are left to fend for themselves without any skills or understanding of the workforce.

“IPODERAC, 50 years ago when it started, said we don’t want to do that, what we want to do is figure out a way that these kids can actually be productive members of society, be part of a community, feel like they can live in solidarity, feel like they can be responsible for themselves, feel like they can care for themselves and care for the people around them, especially when they face so much hardship as young children,” Putnam said.

She continued, “It’s really an organization that focuses more on an educational model that lets the

“ My future plans are to be part of a communi-

ty that I care about deeply, figure out how I can contribute to that community and support the people who are the most vulnerable...”

–ELIZA PUTNAM, FCLC ’18

JON BJORSON/THE OBSERVER

Eliza Putnam is a Fordham student with a passion for non-profit work.

kids be responsible for themselves, their actions, and their decisions.”

With this model, kids who leave IPODERAC as they approach adulthood are able to either go on and continue schooling, or join the workforce with adequate knowledge of how to maneuver the system.

Putnam was introduced to the program after a teacher from her hometown in Vermont recommended it to her. “She told me one time,” Putnam elaborated, “you clearly are going to be spending time in Latin America, you clearly love working with kids, I implore you to go volunteer at this organization.”

In her position over the summer, Putnam worked directly with children between the ages of six and 10, supporting them in their daily

lives. However, when her three months in Puebla came to an end, Putnam knew she could not leave.

“It’s funny,” she said, “I went down there just to spend a summer there between my freshman and sophomore years.” Instead, she decided to take a gap semester in the fall of her sophomore year and spend the rest of the semester with IPODERAC. “When I got down there, one, I immediately fell in love with the kids I was working with,” she said, “and then the organization was also in the middle of a capital campaign because right now it’s only an institution that supports boys – boys and young men – and they realized that girls face just as extreme conditions of poverty and violence.” Putnam’s passion for helping young children and working with a non-profit fit perfectly into IPODERAC’s model

as an organization.

But her gap semester wasn’t always easy. “The hardest part was trying to know if you were doing the right thing,” Putnam explained.

“It’s difficult both to know if the organization that you want to support is actually going to be helpful longterm or if it’s enabling the systems that are creating these problems in the first place and if your role in the organization is the right one.”

Luckily, Putnam felt that her work with IPODERAC was worthwhile and pursued her passion for helping others and working with non-profits upon returning to the United States.

In March of 2016, Putnam applied for and received her dream internship: working at Democracy Now, an independent media organization that puts on a daily news hour. Having worked on fundraising in Mexico, Putnam felt that she could easily apply her skills to being a development and outreach intern with the organization. “I realized that this was something I was really good at, and that I might be able to apply my skills in fundraising to non-profits I believe in,” she said.

The most exciting part for Putnam during her time at Democracy Now has been working on Amy Goodman’s, the host and executive producer of Democracy Now, “100 City Speaking Tour.” This national

tour aimed to bring together people who both loved Democracy Now and wanted to support local media organizations. As a young person who followed Democracy Now for many years, this internship and the opportunity to help with this project was a dream come true for Putnam.

However, in December, when her internship comes to an end, Putnam plans on taking steps in a different direction. “I’ve worked in development for about a year now, and I’m still doing volunteer work for IPODERAC.” She added, “I’m thinking next semester I’d like to do an internship that’s a little bit different from development work in non-profit: do some advocacy, work with kids directly, or I could do some policy work.”

When asked of her plans postgraduation, Putnam could not pinpoint exactly what she wanted.

Instead, she shared these inspirational words: “My future plans are to be part of a community that I care about deeply, figure out how I can contribute to that community and support the people who are most vulnerable in that community, how I can feel fulfilled and how I can be happy.” While Putnam continues to search for the ideal career option, it is clear that she will continue to better whatever community she is a part of.

Female Protagonists Dominate Political Television Dramas

By KYLE J. KILKENNY Contributing Writer

It’s everywhere. I can’t recall one time in the past five years where I haven’t seen an advertisement for a TV show centered around politics. “Scandal,” “The Good Wife,” “Madam Secretary,” and everyone’s darling, Netflix’s “House of Cards” have been plastered across television screens in American households. As someone who religiously watches all these shows, I have spent the past few months thinking about how American political dramas have become the new superhero movies of television, with new ones seemingly being produced more than once a year.

This got me thinking: why change laws when you can shape minds?

One attribute you may notice about the four shows I’ve listed is that all have a female powerhouse at the helm. These shows exemplify all the roles women can have in the political world, and to my surprise (and to Hollywood’s delight), no one character is quite like the other.

“Scandal’s” Olivia Pope is a former White House Communications Director-turned-“fixer”, a coveted lawyer who specializes in saving endangered careers drowning in, you guessed it, scandal. “The Good Wife’s” Alicia Florrick follows in Hillary Clinton’s footsteps, as the wife of a disgraced politician looking to start a career in her own right.

At first glance, “Madam Secretary’s” Elizabeth McCord may seem like

HOUSE OF CARDS/ COURTESY OF NETFLIX

Robin Wright stars as Claire Underwood on Netflix’s “House of Cards.”

the Clinton-archetype you’re looking for, but her complete disregard for protocol and valuing diplomacy over poll numbers puts her in a minority of television’s political class.

Lastly, the chilling co-protagonist of “House of Cards,” Claire Underwood, is introduced as the founder of Clean Water Lobby, but audiences quickly realize Jenny from the “Gump” is meant to be so much more than Kevin Spacey’s trophy wife.

Perhaps the reason for America’s fascination with these shows, and the reasons they run for years on end, is that they illustrate a political

fantasy: women in positions of power. While women, including those from historically disadvantaged communities, are enjoying more political influence than any other period in American history, these shows illustrate what would happen if more women sought public office.

At the end of an election cycle on an urban campus setting, I turned to some community members to give their take on the role women are playing in these political television dynasties.

When asked who the most realistic and idealistic characters were out

of the five leading ladies, Nora Hafez, Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) ’19, made her case for Madam Secretary herself: Dr. Elizabeth McCord. Hafez, a middle eastern studies major, argued, “Elizabeth, who plays the role of a female Secretary of State, of all the other characters on the show, does the most work and is always the most prepared/informed person in the room.”

Thania Hussein, FCLC ’19, had a different answer. A political science major, she argued for my personal favorite, Claire Underwood. “As a female, she had her own charity, her own NGO which she ran, but,” she continued, “she was always expected to be on the sidelines. Her husband was always the priority.” While Claire and Elizabeth are two incredibly different women in Washington, I’d argue that they exemplify the realities for a woman in Washington.

Hussein continued, “The idealistic one… “The Good Wife,” Alicia Florrick... Hillary Clinton! That’s who she is, because she still stood by her husband and rebuilt her career, and even opened her own law firm for all female associates.”

Elisabeth O’Neill, FCLC ’19, argued the life of “Madam Secretary’s” Elizabeth McCord “seems to be portrayed in the most unrealistic way.”

She added, “...The producers probably do not want to spend a long time on one topic. However, when they spend only one or two episodes on a serious issue that faces our country, I find it hard to believe.”

So, does the representation of women in political television shows reflect Americans’ desires to see women hold elected office or positions of influence? O’Neill, a communications and media studies major, agreed with this statement, adding, “In media, now more than ever, we see television shows with strong female protagonists that go against the stereotypical roles that are usually given to women.” Hafez was quick to remind me, “Shonda Rhimes is known to incorporate every Godgiven minority into her shows. Olivia Pope is an African-American woman in the most male-dominated field in the world: politics.”

I should also note when Kerry Washington was nominated for an Emmy in 2013, she ended a drought for women of color, who had not been nominated in the category of “Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series” in 18 years. Washington, like her character in the world of politics, represents a changing landscape in the medium of television.

Hussein concluded that these shows “should definitely include people of color, trans women and queer women. There needs to be more of an effort, because that is the reality of our world.” Despite their flaws, however, these political television shows illustrate a changing political climate, and I look forward to seeing more historically disadvantaged communities being represented on our screens in the years to come.

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November 17, 2016 THE OBSERVER

www.fordhamobserver.com

Extinguishing Fordham’s Smoking Habit

By RUBY BUDDEMEYER Features Co-Editor

Every year on the third Thursday of November, the American Cancer Society challenges smokers across the nation to come together and take part in the Great American Smokeout. On Nov. 17, Fordham University will host its annual Great Fordham Smokeout at both the Lincoln Center and Rose Hill campuses, in which faculty members aid students in quitting (or contemplating quitting) smoking.

David Vassar, a reference librarian at Quinn library, is one of the many faculty dedicated to The Great Fordham Smokeout. Vassar explained that the Smokeout is an opportunity “to bring awareness to the possibility of greater health for yourself and the environment around you.”

“We really hope that this time it can be an occasion for some, especially of our smoking students, to seriously consider quitting now, while it is maybe not such a deeply entranced addiction as it may well become in later years,” Vassar emphasized.

Vassar has worked at Fordham for nearly 18 years, and as both a father and an educator, he expresses a deep concern for the well-being of the Fordham community. After noticing an abundance of students smoking on campus, Vassar felt obliged to help. “It just occurred to me one day that there are quite a few students who are lighting up,” he said, “and it always bothered me to see that. You know, these are really bright young people. They are conscientious.”

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), approximately 40 million adults in the United States currently smoke cigarettes. A leading cause of preventable disease and death in the U.S., cigarettes account for upwards of 480,000 deaths per year.

Thus , it is no surprise that both Fordham faculty and students are concerned with the well-being of our smoking community. In an effort to shift the Fordham Lincoln Center campus into a healthier, smoke-free environment, last spring the Department of Facilities Operations banned smoking within 50 feet of all building entrances, as

JON BJÖRNSON/THE OBSERVER

The Great Fordham Smokeout is an opportunity for students to kick the habit.

well as street-level and plaza-level entrances to Lowenstein, McMahon and McKeon. While the University has no formal plans to ban smoking completely, the new policy is a step in a positive direction.

When it comes to quitting, Vassar places value on the importance of self-care. “Fordham has this ethic of cura personalis, [which is] basically care for the whole person,” he said, “and I really think it behooves Fordham as a community to really encourage the younger members of this community particularly to choose lifestyles that are good for them and their surrounding community— because tobacco smoke does adversely affect people around you as well, and that’s another big interest of mine.”

Cigarette smoke in the public sphere has become a norm, and some New Yorkers, such as Vassar, have grown accustomed to clouded air. “I love walking around New York,” he explained, “but sometimes, if you’ve got a smoker ahead of you, you really can’t avoid that fallout unless you take evasive action (which I sometimes do).” Vassar believes that

the smoking issue surpasses just the smoker, and stresses the crippling effects of secondhand smoke. “It’s really a community health problem, it’s not simply the smoker himself or herself.”

Caroline Shriver, Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) ’19, is a concerned student. A member of the Alvin Ailey BFA Dance program, Shriver feels particularly strong about maintaining a healthy lifestyle. “When I see people who smoke, especially dancers or athletes, I’m sad because I know it will shorten their career a lot.” In regards to assisting students in kicking the habit, Shriver says a clear presentation of the harmful side effects is sufficient. “I think showing people the facts about smoking is really helpful. For people who are committed to dance or being an athlete, telling them how it will affect their career would be beneficial.”

“Personally, the health effects are the main deterrent for me not to smoke,” Melanie Katz, FCLC ’20, stated. Katz is another member of the Fordham community who chooses not to smoke. When it

comes to friends and acquaintances that smoke, Katz believes quitting is a decision that the smoker must make for themselves. “I try to encourage my friends not to smoke,” she explained, “however, it is their prerogative. Also, I understand that it can be very difficult to stop once you’ve started.” Katz added, “I think that [Fordham] should provide support to help students quit smoking, if they do not already do so. Smoking is a serious addiction and needs to be treated as such.”

The Fordham Smokeout will be an opportunity for the Fordham community to come together and commit to pursuing healthier lifestyles. Whether you are a smoker or non-smoker, the event is an excellent way to learn more information about the many adverse effects of smoking. Students interested in quitting can expect “quit care packages,” filled with tobacco-free items to help reduce the urge to smoke.

The package consists of mints, chewing gum, straws, lollipops and informational handouts on staying tobacco free. “There will be a number of pieces of information

related to quitting, to the damage that smoking does, as well as ways of quitting, with a lot of tips,” Vassar explained. The Fordham Smokeout will serve as a reminder that “there are ultimately more enjoyable ways to live life.”

Vassar added, “Really it’s going to be an appeal for students to listen to their better judgment.” Urging students to band together, he says “Please, if you have a friend who smokes, talk to this person. Friends don’t let friends smoke, that’s kind of an attitude that we have.”

During The Great Fordham Smokeout, faculty members will ask participating students to complete a six-question survey. Fordham University Health Services explained, “Once students [respond] to the questionnaire, we are then able to rate their level of nicotine dependence according to the points allotted for each answer.” The scoring system ranges from zero (no dependence) to 10 (very dependent).

“Higher scores typically [reflect] higher dependence on nicotine,” the department added. The questionnaire enables faculty to trace the success of the event. In 2015, 12 Lincoln Center participants assessed their overall nicotine dependence.

“Out of the 12 participants, three participants (25 percent) scored a very dependent level, three participants (25 percent) scored a moderate dependent level, four participants (33.33 percent) scored at low dependent level, and two participants (16.66 percent) scored at no dependent level.” The turnout for this year’s event can help faculty members efficiently and accurately record current statistics on Fordham’s smoking community, giving faculty an idea of the effectiveness of their efforts.

The event will kick off at 11 a.m. on Thursday, Nov. 17, and will conclude at 3 p.m. Lincoln Center students will find information booths in the Lowenstein Plaza and Rose Hill students in the McGinley Center lobby. In addition to the table with an abundance of information and guidance, Vassar and his colleagues will spend portions of the day outside, talking one-on-one with student smokers. “I think that tabling is great, but taking the message to the folks involved is raising the bar a bit, hopefully in a positive

International Education Week Promotes Study Abroad

By CARSON THORNTON GONZALEZ Contributing Writer

As one of the world’s international hubs, New York has always been a city that promotes travel and intercultural exchange. Similarly, Fordham is a strong proponent for students experiencing life outside of New York, with nearly one third of the student body traveling abroad during their undergraduate experience, according to Fordham’s study abroad website.

In order to cultivate a global community and promote international and intercultural learning, the International and Study Abroad Programs office at Fordham is sponsoring International Education Week (IEW), which will take place this year from Nov. 14-18. IEW is a nationwide initiative supported by the U.S. Department of State’s Education and Cultural Affairs Bureau to inform students of all ages about the benefits of international exchange and learning abroad.

By senior year, many Fordham students go abroad and return recounting extraordinary experiences. Olivia Bryce, Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) ’17, is one of those seniors. Bryce carried out her studies in Cape Town, South Africa with the Center for Interna-

EUROPEAN CENTRAL BANK/FLICKR

Fordham University will celebrate International Education Week.

tional Education Exchange.

“I was doing a service learning program, so half of the time I was in classes and the other half I was doing an internship with a public health NGO, specifically an AIDS NGO,” she explained. Along with classes and work, Bryce was able to travel around the southern part of the continent, making lifelong friends along the way. “I’m actually

visiting one of my friends from the program this weekend,” Bryce said, “definitely a lot of people you’ll know forever.”

“I think it has really added to my personal experience at Fordham,” she continued, “I’m a humanitarian studies major and I was able to do a lot of my major requirements abroad and get some experience in my field.” Like Bryce’s experience,

for many students, the program choice for their study abroad experience can be tailored to best suit their academic and personal interests.

But what about having to leave the greatest city in the world? “New York is amazing, let’s give New York some credit, but there are so many cool places in the world that you want to check out and see if it’s some place you’d want to live,” Bryce said.

One of the most valuable resources for Fordham students is the Study Abroad Office, which has a strong presence on campus. The office helps students navigate the study abroad experience by offering one-on-one meetings and weekly information sessions. It is run not only by administrative staff, but student representatives such as Bryce. Bryce began her work with the office at the beginning of the semester as a paid Study Abroad Student Ambassador. Her responsibilities include assisting with office tasks, as well as general student advising, and most importantly, spearheading the International Education Week events at Lincoln Center.

“I’ve been working with my counterpart at Rose Hill to plan events and coordinate, we’re going

to have themed food in the dining halls, and there’s going to be some talks and things of the sort,” she said. Along with these activities, the Study Abroad office will be “[partnering] with Operation Smile to host Songs for Smiles, which is always a great event,” according to Bryce. On Nov. 17 there will also be a representative from The Department of State setting up a table to share information on how to apply for a passport.

As a student at Fordham, it is important to take advantage of assets right here on campus. IEW will be a great opportunity for students to familiarize themselves with the study abroad programs and better understand the benefits of international exchange and education.

Sajana Blank the Assistant Director of The International and Study Abroad Programs Office added, “[We are] pleased to have worked closely with the Office of Multicultural Affairs, the Office of International Student Services, Admissions, Student Involvement, and many others to put on IEW for the first time at Fordham.”

International Education Week will be held at both the Lincoln Center and Rose Hill campuses.

Look out for posters regarding the event around campus.

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November 17, 2016

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JESS LUSZCZYK/THE OBSERVER

Streaming music poses an ethical question for music lovers, as they must ask themselves if they feel comfortable with their favorite artists being underpaid.

Streaming vs. Pay-Per-Song: The Ethical Implications

By NICOLE SHAPIRO Staff Writer

With the rising popularity of music streaming platforms such as Spotify, Apple Music and Google Play, there are now fewer reasons to purchase songs and albums individually. This is to the dismay of several artists who claim they are being robbed of the total revenue they deserve for their work. Their argument is similar to the following analogy: you do not go into a clothing store and pay an entrance fee to then collect all of the items you want. This is what they feel listeners are doing when they pay a monthly fee to use services like Spotify Premium and Apple Music. They also think it is not fair to other fans who go out and buy their CDs when others just wait to listen to it for free online.

What happens now is that big companies like Apple, YouTube, Vevo, Pandora and Spotify are determining the worth of artists’ music by arbitrarily choosing a set monthly price for their audiences to pay. By doing this, it is the companies, not the artists who profit.

Let’s say you add 100 songs to your music library this month. Would you rather pay six to ten dollars for the monthly fee or a dollar per song?

It is obviously more enticing to pay less for more, but we do have to acknowledge this may come at the cost of the artists and their collaborators who put the work into making the music. iTunes by Apple Inc. was notorious for having the early pay-persong method. Even then, people would typically undercut the transaction of paying for individual songs by illegally downloading music through torrents such as LimeWire.

Apple saw this pattern and found a way to bring in those potential customers. They recently followed the streaming trend by launching Apple Music in June 2015. As of September of 2016, Apple has reported over 17 million paid subscribers for their service. Spotify, on the other hand, has approximately 100 million to-

tal subscribers, 40 million of whom pay for premium service.

Tidal, a newer streaming company, claims to offer an additional service: better sound quality. Sound quality is usually lost when using other streaming methods. Bought and rebranded by rapper Jay Z almost two years ago, the company takes pride in supposedly paying the most in royalties to artists,

est and cheapest way, is it morally correct? Should we feel compelled to pay more in order to give artists the money they deserve for their creative and labored efforts in providing quality content? Or do we just look out for ourselves and pay less, seeing as some of these artists already have so much money?

We should consider those smaller artists trying to make it in the

These streaming platforms have made music more accessible and given smaller artists a way to actively share with world audiences, but for people who solely rely on the revenue they receive from their music, we are actively encouraging the undermining of the production and publishing process. songwriters and producers. With a higher subscription fee and exclusive content from multiple artists, many believed this would lead to more music piracy and a lack of continuous customer growth.

In July 2016, the company claimed to have a little over four million paying subscribers. Several artists like Nicki Minaj, Chris Martin and Beyoncé also co-own Tidal, basically making it the first music streaming company to provide music straight from the source to fans, without a middleman providing the service. With this newly promoted pride in giving 75 percent of subscription fees to artists and their respective record labels, it does cost customers an average of $240 per year. Another criticism of Tidal is about who actually earns the profit.

The co-owners and artists involved in the company are already internationally-recognized artists. Does the higher fee also help the more obscure, less popular artists?

So with these large companies trying to meet the desires of people wanting to listen to music the easi-

music industry. If we choose to use Spotify, we can find relatively unknown artists and listen to their music without actually paying them at all. The more money these artists lose, the less freedom they have to work and create for their fans. It is a choice between what would benefit artists and listeners in the long run and what is currently cheaper and more popular.

It is a vicious cycle these companies are profiting from and with steadily increasing popularity, it is easy to say it will not stop soon.

Fiona Whalen, Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) ’19 believes that “streaming sites should provide monetary support for less well known artists and the more popular artist becomes, the less money they are given by the streaming platform.”

All of these companies significantly profit from this content, yet do not put money back into the production process. For similar platforms like YouTube and Vevo, artists actively pay to have their content published. They are benefitting from

the entire transaction of publishing music, audiences seeking it out and actively listening to it.

Shareholders are also making more and more everyday, while the artists who create the actual content you listen to are being left in the dust. Popular artists such as Thom Yorke from Radiohead, Taylor Swift and Will.I.Am have spoken out against this unfair operation, some going as far as to pulling their music entirely from streaming platforms.

Yes, the music streaming business does make content more readily available, allowing people to find more music from different artists and possibly giving some the ability to become more popular. The royalties paid to artists are so low, however, that they cannot solely use that to continue their work, leaving them in desperate need of more revenue.

Singer-songwriter Beck said the following in an interview with Pàgina/12 on the matter: “Streaming is inevitable, it’s something that is coming, like it or not. But I question how I can hang on or stay afloat with this model, because what Spotify pays me isn’t enough for me to pay the musicians I work with, or the people producing or mastering my music. The model doesn’t work....”

It would take almost 250 million streams on Spotify to provide an artist with a minimum wage of approximately $15,000 a year. Daft Punk’s popular summer tune “Get Lucky,” reached about 100 million streams, granting each member of the techno-duo about $13,000, which is not a lot when taking into consideration the production costs of making the entire album it was released on. If they relied solely on making money off of Spotify, they easily would not be able to continue funding their projects. “I was not surprised to find that songwriters and producers are paid so meagerly...” Whalen claimed. Think about how popular that one song was, now think about the singles, EPs and albums other artists release that do not reach the same level of fame.

Google Play and Pandora have

also been known to back artists into a corner in order to publish their content with a large pay-cut.

Members of the band Pink Floyd have also spoken about the hidden 85-percent pay cut they received when tricked into signing a contract with Pandora. Google tries to smuggle in anti-copyright agreements with labels and artists in order to make more off of providing their content to audiences, as well as include their own chosen commercials before most videos and songs.

With more and more artists not being able to afford making and publishing content on streaming platforms, it is definitely possible that the music industry will become more exclusive. Artists not signed to record labels do not always have large amounts of disposable revenue to promote their content and support themselves while they make more. And what about the other genres of music outside the popular techno, pop, rap and R&B groups? Jazz and classical artists are also greatly suffering as their generally unpopular forms of music continue to fall back on streams, even on readily-accessible platforms. If people can literally not afford to quit their day jobs to pursue careers in music, we can soon expect to see a drop of individual and unsigned artists.

With active piracy prevailing, despite the recent popularity of streaming, artists continually struggle to make ends meet and make what they and their fans love—their music. These streaming platforms have made music more accessible and given smaller artists a way to actively share with world audiences, but for people who solely rely on the revenue they receive from their music, we are actively encouraging the undermining of the production and publishing process. We are robbing these individuals of the money they deserve and feeding it right into the pockets of major services like YouTube, Spotify, Pandora and Apple Music. Entering this digital era had music doomed from the start.

Sports & Health

Sports & Health Editor Mohdshobair Hussaini - mhussaini2@fordham.edu November 17, 2016 THE OBSERVER

Health Technology Enhances Student Wellness

By MOHDSHOBAIR HUSSAINI Sports & Health Editor

The life of a college student is dominated primarily by academics, but attention to one’s health is equally necessary. As Jennifer Huang, APN-BC, put it, “An emphasis on self-care is important.” Modern technology plays an important role in enhancing one’s self-awareness of bodily health The health triangle is often used as a guide to gauge one’s overall health. It consists of three elements: physical, social, and mental and emotional health. All three aspects should be equally emphasized in order to achieve superb health. The increased accessibility and availability in health-oriented technology helps students follow the health triangle.

The first component of the health triangle is physical health. Taking care of one’s self helps in managing ones weight, strengthens bones and muscles, and can reduce one’s risk of cardiovascular disease. This is important for students who have a full week of classes, leaving little room for exercising. Apps available on both the Apple and Play stores such as “Lose It” and “Running for Weight Loss” can be used for establishing a weight-loss regime. This can be useful for students who don’t have the time to spend an hour each day in the gym, by instead setting up a more targeted schedule to shed a few pounds.

Another mobile app that focuses on physical health is “Sworkit.” This particular application provides its users with custom workouts for exercise and fitness so that students can pivot their training sessions toward certain parts of their bodies.

This can range from the upper and lower body to cardio and strengthening one’s back.

While mobile apps are convenient, wearable technology is also valuable. Many new devices have been created to function as pedometers, but also encompass other capabilities. Wrist bands produced

by Garmin, Fitbit and Misfit, offer step-counters, in addition to heartrate monitoring and measurements of one’s sleep cycle. Huang stated that the benefit of such devices is “to track steps and activity. They prevent students from being sedentary, and can even motivate certain individuals.”

The second component of the

JASON WANG/THE OBSERVER

Greater accessibility to technology and devices makes it easier for students to stay on top of their health.

“ [Mental and emotional health] is important

for students because they are often under stress.

Paying attention to this aspect of one’s health helps students from not being disenfranchised from friends.”

– health triangle is social health. Social health involves maintaining healthy and meaningful personal relationships with other individuals. This can be better fulfilled with the technology available in today’s day and age.

The Fitbit and Nike Plus Run technologies offer platforms for students to compete with their friends.

Students can even link their social media accounts with their devices in order to keep track of their peers

JENNIFER HUANG,

APN-BC

and family members’ accomplishments in reaching their fitness goals. Apps such as “RunKeeper,” “Runtastic” and “Endomondo” help multiple individuals create running and workout goals. These workout goals can be used as a source of motivation for students.

The final component of the health triangle is mental and emotional health. Some often interchange mental health with mental illness, and thus, feed into a larger

stigma. Maintaining good mental and emotional health is important in that it determines how people handle stress and make decisions.

For students, mental and emotional health is essential in order to succeed in class. Huang said, “[Mental and emotional health] is important for students because they are often under stress. Paying attention to this aspect of one’s health helps students from not being disenfranchised from friends.”

“Headspace” is an app used for guided meditation and mindfulness.

Another app, “Fit Brains Trainer” can be utilized to train one’s brain with science-based games as well as challenge one’s memory, focus and speed.

Another form of technology which focuses on mental and emotional health is a sleep cycle alarm.

A sleep cycle alarm analyzes a person’s sleeping pattern in order to wake up an individual in his lightest

sleep phase. This can be quite useful for students, specifically during midterm and final examination periods. Huang articulated, “Seeing the Fordham population, sleep is very helpful. Such devices can help students who want to achieve better health.” She continued, “If students go without sleep, it may affect their cognition.”

By maintaining a high standard of mental and emotional health, students can make better decisions in regards to their food intake. Many free apps will measure the calories of different food products. This is beneficial for students who may be on weight-management programs or are dieting. Huang gave a practical example: “If a person wants to lose five pounds per month, a calorie tracker would spread their intake throughout the day.” She accentuated that such tools will be most advantageous in “helping those with lifestyle management in the long

Students Should Rely on Vaccines for Flu Prevention

By JADE GRIFFIN Contributing Writer

We all cherish the joys that come with fall: endless cups of hot cocoa, cozy sweaters and vibrant leaves in Central Park. Nonetheless, we despise fall’s evil twin: flu season. As flu season is underway, it is important to recognize the importance of staying healthy. Good health is the optimal way of living; people are able to go about their lives without the limitations of an illness. The flu, being highly contagious, hinders us from important commitments such as school, work and spending time with friends and family. Fortunately, there are a plethora of things that you can do to remain healthy through the severity of flu season, such as practicing good hygiene and maintaining a balanced diet. Above all, though, there is the flu shot, a praised injection that combats the flu virus.

The injection was first introduced in 1938, consisting of antibodies that develop in the body and protect against infection. Jennifer

SHIRLEY HON/THE OBSERVER

Students can visit health services or a local clinic for the flu vaccine.

Huang, APN-BC, Nurse Practitioner at Health Services Lincoln Center, promoted the flu vaccine, “since the benefits outweigh any risk.

[The] flu vaccine not only reduces the risk of contracting the flu, but it also reduces the severity of illness in those who are infected.” Accord-

ing to WebMD, influenza kills an average of 30,000 people each year.

The flu shot will aid against the flu virus as well as many other respiratory illnesses, such as bronchitis or pertussis, and simply won’t hurt the immune system in any way. Undoubtedly, the vaccine is the best

precaution during flu season.

Although the flu vaccine is recommended for almost everyone, Huang warned that, “those with severe, life-threatening allergies to egg proteins or any other components found in the flu vaccine, as well as individuals with GuillainBarre Syndrome (GBS),” should steer clear. Otherwise, anyone is at risk of getting the flu. Huang even added that, “students living in communal halls are at increased risk of contracting the flu and should really consider coming [in] for their flu shots.” Basically, if you’re a McMahon or McKeon resident, you should plan a trip to Health Services, or any other medical office providing the flu vaccine.

She continued, “Anyone who has ever experienced flu-like symptoms such as fevers, chills, body aches, cough, sore throat, headaches, congestion or fatigue knows how awful it can be. The flu can also lead to more serious problems, such as pneumonia and even death.” Fortunately, both Lincoln Center and Rose Hill campuses offer flu vacci-

nations for a fee of $30. Considering the harsh symptoms and potential risks of the flu, the vaccine is worth every penny.

Many may doubt the effectiveness of the flu vaccination. Often, the following question is raised: does the flu vaccine make its recipients entirely immune to the flu? Let’s break down what the shot actually does for you. The vaccine’s efficiency varies from year to year, as do the viruses. It will work better if the viruses circulating that season match the administered vaccine. It also depends on the age and health of the individual vaccinated. Thus, the flu shot’s potency varies and does not protect against all viruses. Nevertheless, it is the best preventative measure against the flu.

Aside from receiving the flu shot, practicing good health decreases one’s chances of contracting the flu and other illnesses during flu season. Huang suggested good hand hygiene, adequate sleep, a healthy diet, vitamin C and zinc intake, avoiding alcohol and drugs, and minimizing stress to promote good health.

www.fordhamobserver.com

THE OBSERVER November 17, 2016

Sports & Health

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ALLY WHITE/FORDHAM SPORTS

Students from both the Lincoln Center and Rose Hill campuses can join intramural leagues in order to stay active without the responsibilities of a college sports team.

Stay Active with Fordham Intramural Sports

By ALEX SEYAD Contributing Writer

While the Lincoln Center campus is known to be Fordham’s home for the liberal arts including dance and theater, along with a large amount of science majors, it has never been known as a center for sports.

This is not to say that the students at Lincoln Center aren’t athletic, but rather the campus doesn’t offer any forms of sports facilities other than the fitness center on the second floor of McMahon Hall. To address the lack of recreational sports available on campus, students are invited to sign up for intramural sports during the fall and spring semesters.

The intramural teams are both single-sex and co-ed and offer a wide array of sports from flag football to basketball and soccer. Once a team is assembled and registered, students take part in scheduled games against other teams from both campuses. Each team hopes of earning an opportunity to compete in the

championship. Intramurals also offer students the fun of playing their favorite sports without the time commitment of being on an actual college team. Of course, students from Lincoln Center are presented with the challenge of transporting their teams to and from the games.

Because the games are exclusively in the Bronx, it can be tricky since some games are scheduled late in the evening on weekdays. However with the help of the Ram Vans, transportation can be made easy.

While the existence of intramural sports is a surprise to many here at Lincoln Center, those that do take part in these leagues find it to be a fantastic experience. Intramurals give students an outlet to get active, and compete as a part of an organized team. While these competitions are friendly, the rivalry between Lincoln Center and Rose Hill teams is very present. Despite this, some teams consist of players from both campuses. Recently, one of these mixed Rose Hill and Lin-

“ For many,

intramural sports provide a moderately competitive and athletic outlet that students can miss after their high school sports careers end.”

ERIC TODDY, FCRH ’18

coln Center intramural soccer teams managed to make it to the semifinals in a division that consisted of over 40 teams. One member of the team, Eric Toddy Fordham College at Rose Hill (FCRH) ’18, said, “For many, intramural sports provide a moderately competitive and athletic outlet that students can miss after their high school sports careers end.”

Another positive aspect to intramural sports is the ability to compete on a team that consists of both guys and girls as opposed to the traditional single-sex teams. When asked about her experience of being on numerous intramural teams, Jessica Toufayan, Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) ’18, said, “I think it’s fun and cool to be taking part in intramurals being from Lincoln Center.”

One common issue regarding coed teams is the lack of fairness between the male and female players.

She added, “I think [co-ed teams] are a great idea but the guys make these teams and sometimes put girls on it because it is a requirement. Sometimes we don’t play many minutes or even get a chance to make significant contributions.” Her comments about the roles girls play on some teams can be a cause for concern, but it goes without saying that almost every girl goes into these games with the mindset of crushing their competition. A point raised by Toufayan

is the minimum requirement of two girls on the field for each team. If a team is down one girl, then they will have to forfeit that game. Another scenario is if a team only has two girls, then those girls would have to play the full duration of the game without being able to take a break.

It is important to note that the rules are designed to ensure that girls play a role during games instead of simply showing up to be placed on the bench.

Intramural sports definitely mean a lot to those who love sports but also love going to school in Manhattan. While Lincoln Center students have a discounted access to the local YMCA and the benefit of being a few blocks away from Central Park, playing intramural sports provides a form of satisfaction that can’t be obtained from a regular pickup game.

It is also a great opportunity for Lincoln Center students to show others we are not only are we masters of the arts, but that we enjoy sports just as much as everyone else.

JOIN THE OBSERVER FOR OUR REVAMPED STAFF MEETINGS ON MONDAY EVENINGS FOR THE SPRING SEMESTER. EMAIL FORDHAMOBSERVER@GMAIL.COM FOR MORE INFORMATION.

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Sports & Health

November 17, 2016 THE OBSERVER

www.fordhamobserver.com

Rams Crush Crusaders at Yankee Stadium

Anderson and Edmonds lead Fordham to fifth consecutive Ram-Crusader Cup victory.

SABRINA JEN/THE OBSERVER

By MATTHEW MCCARTHY & ALEXANDER DIMISA Managing Editor & Asst. Sports & Health Editor

This year’s matchup between the Fordham Rams and the Holy Cross Crusaders was special for both teams.

The game marked the 31st annual Ram-Crusader Cup, which took place at Yankee Stadium in front of a crowd of 21,375 fans.

Entering the game, the Rams were on a hot streak, having won four of their last five games and situated at second place in the Patriot League with an overall record of 6–3. On the other hand, Holy Cross had lost two of their last three games giving them an overall record of 3–7.

To start the game, both teams brought out alumni from their respective football programs as honorary captains for the opening coin toss.

Fordham chose Andy Lukac, Fordham College at Rose Hill (FCRH) ’51, and John Skelton, Gabelli School of Business at Rose Hill (GSBRH) ’10 and former Arizona Cardinals quarterback, to stand with the team. Vince Promuto, a former Washington Redskins All-Pro, and Gordie Lockbaum, a College Football Hall of Fame inductee, represented Holy Cross. In addition to the alumni, members of the military also represented each team in honor of Veteran’s Day. Fordham won the toss and elected to receive the ball. Jihaad Pretlow, FCRH’18, returned the opening kickoff 26 yards to the Fordham 32-yard line. After starting the drive with three consecutive complete passes by Kevin Anderson, FCRH ’17, and three rushes by Chase Edmonds, FCRH ’18, Fordham scored. Edmonds broke free for a 41-yard touchdown run to give Fordham the first score. After an extra point, Fordham was up 7–0 with 12:18 remaining in the first quarter.

On Holy Cross’ first drive of the game, Fordham’s staunch defense held Holy Cross without getting a first down, and return the ball to the Rams’ offense. To start Fordham’s second drive, Anderson completed three passes of 20, 17 and 18 yards.

Three plays later, Edmonds rushed for a one-yard touchdown with 7:25 remaining, and after a successful extra point, Fordham led 14–0.

After a 38-yard kickoff return, Holy Cross started their second drive from their own 48-yard line. Eight plays later, Holy Cross turned the ball

over on downs at Fordham’s 24-yard line with 4:23 remaining in the first.

Then, wide receiver Corey Caddle, FCRH ’20, caught a screen pass, which he then threw to Jorge Solano, FCRH ’19, for another Fordham score. At the end of the first quarter, the Rams led the Crusaders 21–0. Fordham’s offense dominated the first quarter with over 200 total yards compared to Holy Cross’ 50 yards.

Both teams started the second quarter with stalled drives. It wasn’t until Fordham received the ball with 10:53 remaining that they were able to drive the length of the field and get the first score of the quarter. Fordham marching down the field set up Edmonds’ third touchdown of the day with 7:10 remaining in the half. However, Holy Cross responded quickly with a 55-yard pass which set up an eight-yard touchdown run, cutting the lead to 27–7.

The game wasn’t limited to just onfield action between the teams.

During a media timeout, Fordham celebrated its donors, who combined donated $45.6 million dollars to the school in the 2016 fiscal year. Rev. Joseph M. McShane, S.J., thanked the donors for their contributions during the presentation.

After the timeout, Fordham began its next drive with passes of 23, 21 and 14 yards. A 17-yard touchdown pass from Anderson to tight end Isaiah Searight, FCRH ’20, brought the score to 33–7 with 3:50 left in the second quarter. Despite a strong start to their next drive, Holy Cross’ offense slowed down after a failed fourth-down attempt. On Fordham’s next drive, Anderson completed a 60-yard pass to Austin Longi, FCRH ’20, to set up the Rams with first-and-goal. On the ensuing play, Anderson threw a twoyard touchdown pass to Robbie Cantelli, FCRH ’17, and the completed extra point put Fordham up 40–7 to end the half.

After a halftime performance by the Holy Cross marching band, the Crusaders started the second half with a touchdown drive capped off by a 36-yard pass to cut the deficit to 40–14. On Fordham’s first drive of the half, the Rams marched 81 yards in 10 plays to take a 47–14 lead after a sevenyard touchdown pass from Anderson to Longi. Fordham’s defense once again came up strong with a six-yard sack on the first play of the next drive.

They forced a turnover on downs to end the third quarter.

A slow start to the fourth quarter ended when Edmonds capped off the scoring with his fourth touchdown of the game. The final score was a resounding Fordham victory 54–14.

Edmonds’ 119 rushing yards moved him into first place for career rushing yards in the Patriot League.

This was also his 25th 100-yard game of his career, which is a Fordham record. After completing his first 10 throws, Anderson finished 28-33 on pass attempts for 426 yards, which moved him into fifth place for Fordham career passing yards.

After the game, Head Coach Andrew Breiner made it clear that this was an all-around team victory. He put the praise on his players when he said, “Ideas don’t win football games.

Execution does.” Breiner also expressed how the program does more than just breed football players. “I couldn’t be prouder of them as football players and, more importantly, as people,” he said.

Next week, the Rams travel to Lewisburg, Pennsylvania to take on the Bucknell Bison in another Patriot League matchup. A win this week puts Fordham in prime position for a playoff opportunity, but they are just focused on Bucknell for now. “Hopefully we have a shot at postseason play, but we attack every game the same,” Anderson said after the game.

MOHDSHOBAIR HUSSAINI/THE OBSERVER

ANDRONIKA ZIMMERMAN/THE OBSERVER

From top to bottom: Fordham celebrates in the endzone after scoring a touchdown. Fordham’s Chase Edmonds rushes towards the endzone for a touchdown. Michael Kay celebrates Fordham’s victory by raising the Ram-Crusader Cup.