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Vote of No Confidence by Faculty Senate Hits One Year Mark By RUBY GARA & CARMEN BORCA-CARRILLO News Editors
April 19 marked the one-year anniversary of the Fordham faculty vote of no confidence against the leadership of University President Rev. Joseph M. McShane S.J. In the year since the vote, negotiations have yielded little change for faculty while the administration promises a better funded future. Last year’s vote came as a result of a series of conflicts between the Faculty Senate and Board of Trustees on the grounds that administration had violated university statues in changing faculty healthcare and benefits without Faculty Senate approval. Of the 611 faculty members eligible to participate in the vote, 411 of the 488 participating faculty voted against McShane’s leadership. Negotiations between faculty and administration eventually yielded a three-year contract providing assets to faculty and staff, including a $250,000 hardship fund meant to offset increased costs associated with the new healthcare plan. Though the fund’s initial approval date was April 1, further negotiations between Faculty Senate and administration have delayed the fund’s establishment, ideally reaching a resolution in the upcoming weeks. The Observer reached out to Dr. Andrew H. Clark, Vice President of the Faculty Senate, Chair of the Faculty Salary & Benefits Committee and a leader of the faculty in the no-confidence vote, as well as Bob Howe, Assistant Vice President for Communications
ADRIANA BALSAMO-GALLINA/THE OBSERVER
Students and faculty rallied together to protect faculty benefits.
and Special Adviser to the President, to discuss the state of faculty salary and benefits a year after the vote of no confidence. “A year after the vote, there is not too much that has changed,” said Clark. “Without ongoing negotiation, there is perhaps a little less visible activity, but each of us faces the crisis of our dwindling academic budgets, understaffing, increased labor, weak salary raise
and general malaise on a daily basis.” Clark expressed concern over reconciling Fordham’s strategic budget framework, specifically that of Continuous University Strategic Planning (CUSP), with the President’s “50 by 20” goal, which aims to place Fordham in the top 50 schools ranked by the US News and World Report by 2020. Howe commented on the Pres-
ident’s “50 by 20” plan as representative of the administration at Fordham. “The University is concentrating on areas that will improve the student experience while raising our rankings,” stated Howe, “those areas include improving retention and graduation rates, class size and investing in enhanced academic programs.” see FACULTY BENEFITS pg. 2
CARS-V and SAGES Demand Change at Fordham By ALEJANDRA GARCÍA Asst. News Editor
On the evening of April 18, a small but impassioned group of students gathered on the Lincoln Center campus plaza to protest sexual violence, campus assault and Fordham’s mishandling of sexual violence committed within the Fordham community. The protest was organized by the Coalition Against Relationship and Sexual Violence (CARS-V) and the Students for Sex and Gender Equity and Safety (SAGES). This was the first protest to take place on Fordham’s Lincoln Center campus this year, and was approved by Fordham as a part of CARS-V’s week of action. CARS-V gained official club status this year, though not easily, according to club president Dia Kefalas, Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) ’19. Kefalas stated that the process to be officially recognized took longer than it needed to, which affected their programming. Dissatisfaction with Fordham’s handling of sexual assault cases was echoed throughout the protest, which opened by providing statistics drawn from Fordham’s 2016-2017 Campus Climate Survey. The survey included the finding that 92 percent of students who experienced
May 3, 2018 VOLUME XXXV, ISSUE 7
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Students protest Fordham’s handling of sexual assault.
sexual violence while at Fordham did not report their case to administration, as well as that 22 percent of Fordham students stated that they would not report a friend who had committed rape. The organizers held hand-
made signs with statistics related to Fordham’s handling of sexual assault cases, as well as statements that expressed solidarity with survivors of sexual violence. One sign simply read, “STAND WITH SURVIVORS,” while another stated, “We need consent
bystander education NOW.” Organizers of the protest took turns sharing personal testimonials about their own experiences with sexual assault, and voiced their discontent with Fordham’s handling of their cases, eliciting tearful responses from many of the onlookers. Many of the protesters also claimed that Fordham had failed to follow through on their promises to penalize abusers. Alisia Ortiz, FCLC ’20, gave a testimony about her rape, and later expressed her personal experiences with Fordham administration. According to Ortiz, Fordham refused to let her remain on campus for fear that she would commit suicide due to her history with anxiety and depression. In regard to Public Safety, Ortiz said, “they called me hysterical, they said that they were going to have to restrain me.” “This school didn’t protect me- they victim-blamed me, and blamed it on my mental illness, and utilized that stigma around mental illness to label me as hysterical, which is so inappropriate, and so uncalled for,” Ortiz said. After reporting her case to both Public Safety and the police, Ortiz’s mother received a call from the Director of Residential see STUDENT PROTEST pg. 4
Going Green at Fordham By JEFFREY UMBRELL Features Editor
On the small plot of grass that occupies the space on the plaza level between McMahon Hall and the fence along 60th Street, there are four plant beds. Located just around the corner from the McMahon plaza entrance, they’re easy to miss; one has to walk back towards the fence to see them. The beds were built by the Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) Environmental Club, and their construction exemplifies the numerous, if not immediately visible, efforts made by the university to improve sustainability on campus. Indeed, FCLC is more environmentally friendly than one might initially think. The Robert Moses Plaza is technically a green roof, as it covers spaces including Pope Auditorium and the former Quinn Library. Additionally, the Law School and McKeon Hall are certified U.S. Green Building Council Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design “environmentally responsible” buildings, and the renovated 140 West building has been retrofitted with a green roofing design and an energy-efficient glass curtain wall along the 62nd Street facade. Maddie Griffith, FCLC ’19, is the treasurer of the FCLC Environmental Club, and she helped get funding from the university for the McMahon garden alongside numerous other green projects on campus. She explained that even a relatively small project like the garden requires going through a complicated approval process. Representatives from the club meet with the facilities department and propose their project. “It’s a matter of sitting down with them and explaining what we’re looking for, the impacts and benefits of [the project],” Griffith said. The process involves a lot of “nitty-gritty work behind the scenes.” Last semester, many of the see SUSTAINABILITY pg. 19
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Bill Ritter
Celebrated news anchor speaks to the Observer staff.
PAGE 5 OPINIONS
White Castle
The Impossible Slider: evil meatless slider must be stopped.
PAGE 8 ARTS & CULTURE
Campus Movie Fest
Filmmaking competition at Rose Hill and Lincoln Center.
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Inside the Outreach
Students prepare for GO! summer projects.
PAGE 20 SPORTS & HEALTH
Chase Edmonds
Fordham Runningback drafted into the NFL.
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“The Vagina* Monologues” Spark a Conversation
By ALEJANDRA GARCÍA Asst. News Editor
The annual production of “The Vagina* Monologues” performed at Fordham and in spaces all across the country, sparks conversations about a number of social issues. The play, originally written by Eve Ensler in 1996, shed light on topics such as body hair, menstruation and sexual experiences. Fordham students have been performing “The Vagina* Monologues” for the past 13 years, and in the past two years, have featured a large number of student-written monologues. This year’s production, directed by Eliza Putnam, Fordham College Lincoln Center (FCLC) ’18 and Beatriz Martinez-Godas, FCLC ’18, featured some monologues from the original play, but was almost exclusively composed of student-written monologues. All proceeds were given to Girls Educational and Mentoring Services and to the Sylvia Rivera Law Project. The latter organization’s website states it “works to guarantee that all people are free to self-determine gender-identity and expression.” “The Vagina* Monologues” took place in Franny’s Space from April 19-21. The room was warm and intimate, bathed in rosy lighting, which amplified the sense of unity among the performers and intensified their connection with the audience members. The programs noted that Fordham’s Office of Student Affairs has never supported or officially recognized “The Vagina* Monologues,” and included an expression of gratitude to the Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies department “for their guidance and financial support, and their solidarity with student survivors and advocates.” It was emphasized - in promotional materials, as well as at the show itself - that the title of the show had been amended. The word “Vagina” bore an asterisk, indicating that the show is meant for “*any vaginas, all vaginas” and “not just vaginas.” The push for inclusivity was visible in the diverse array of identities and experiences of the performers as well as the subjects they chose to present to their audiences. The show featured monologues discussing sexual violence, gender and sexual identity, and misogyny. Although large parts of the au-
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The performers of “The Vagina* Monologues” stand together.
dience were brought to tears over many of the monologues, various performers took a comical approach to exploring themes such as menstruation and sexual encounters. Carmen Borca-Carrillo, FCLC ’20, grappled with weighing comedy versus seriousness. Borca-Carrillo, a member of Fordham’s comedy club, Stove’s Cabin Crew, said she feels at ease when she can make people laugh. Though this was her first year participating in “The Vagina* Monologues,” she wrote two original monologues: “The Big V,” which was humorous, and “Anise,” a piece about her journey to self-acceptance. Giving a voice to the voiceless or to those who are afraid to speak out about painful experiences was heavily underscored in this year’s production of “The Vagina* Monologues.” The play provides a platform for individuals to vocalize their experiences, and for audiences to better understand different viewpoints or to find solace in
shared emotions. “The Vagina* Monologues are called The Vagina* Monologues because it’s one person talking, but it’s really a conversation, I think,” Borca-Carrillo said. Borca-Carrillo explained how “The Vagina* Monologues” gave her the courage to perform a serious and very personal piece, which dealt with her self-image and relationship with her family. “I do comedy here at Fordham; I don’t like being open and vulnerable. “The Vagina* Monologues” forces you to do that,” she said. She explained that Putnam and Martinez-Godas’s directorship was instrumental in realizing a truly unique production of “The Vagina* Monologues.” “They really wanted to make sure that all voices were heard, which was really important, and so they worked with everyone who wanted to write a monologue,” Borca-Carrillo said. When asked about the greater importance of “The Vagina*
Monologues,” she explained that the play “is a protest piece that shouldn’t have to be a protest piece anymore, but that continues to be because we’re in a place that won’t support it fully.” She continued to say that, “Fordham, in sort of staying quiet about it has actually said more about what it actually feels about the materials talked about in the show, which people resonate with, which people feel connected to.” “I think that the giant community that ‘The Vagina* Monologues’ creates every single year is a testament to the fact that there are underrepresented voices here at Fordham that continue to be underrepresented,” Borca-Carrillo added. Many of those who feel underrepresented here at Fordham are victims of sexual violence and assault — a major theme of the production. Some performers wrote monologues describing their experiences with sexual and relationship violence, and they expressed
their frustration with Fordham’s leniency toward perpetrators of sexual violence and assault. Posters were tacked up against a black backdrop directly behind the performers, bearing messages about sexual violence and assault, statements about gender identity and denouncements regarding Fordham’s treatment of these issues. One poster read, “Fordham does not recognize or respect its students’ gender identities or preferred names, or offer trans-friendly housing.” Another, less-specific but no less stark than the other read, “BELIEVE SURVIVORS.” The production closed with all of the performers standing before the audience — feet firmly planted on the ground, faces set. Together, they pledged their solidarity with victims of sexual and relationship violence. Together, they established themselves as individuals determined to be heard.
Faculty Benefits Conflict with Budget SEE NO CONFIDENCE FROM PAGE 1
Clark fears some “50 by 20” strategies may hinder rebalancing the budget to improve faculty salaries and benefits. “The conflict between the two will continue to put financial stresses on the institution which will ultimately also impact academic budgets, faculty salaries, benefits and maybe even teaching leads.” For example, Fordham’s generous financial aid benefits 76 percent of its students and incentivizes high-scoring prospective students to attend; however, without a generous
endowment - which several other private institutions such as Columbia and NYU receive - Fordham relies on tuition and fees for nearly 84 percent of its budget. As a result, Fordham has launched its $175 million “Faith & Hope” financial aid campaign, which has funded 139 new scholarships thus far and raised $131 million towards its goal. The administration hopes such fundraising campaigns will enable Fordham to continue its scholarship funding while lessening stress on the budget. Salary raises have also presented the faculty with a less
optimistic situation than they had hoped for. While Howe reports that the salary pool for faculty and staff stands at a 2.7 increase for fiscal years 2018, 2019 and 2020, Clark said the raise struggles to cover both the cost-of-living and merit-based raises standard for each year. The Faculty Senate eventually decided to allocate .4 percent of the raise to merit (diminished from its usual .6 percent), leaving a .2 percent for cost-ofliving. Clark said that this will result in most of the faculty receiving “virtually no salary increase in real terms next year even though they face rising
costs in everything they must pay for.” Going forward, both faculty and administration expressed desire for increased investment in Fordham’s academic future. Future financial plans, Howe reported, promise a 33.1 percent raise in academic budgets since 2011, as well as investments in new programs such as Cyber Security, Data Analytics, a master’s degree in Real Estate and a new partnership between the Graduate School of Education and the United States Military Academy. Clark stressed the importance of continued pursuit of faculty
benefits in creating a brighter future for Fordham, saying that, “without better salaries and benefits in the future, Fordham will not be able to recruit and retain its best faculty, research will be less productive, and teaching and advising will suffer.” One year after the vote of no confidence, faculty remain disillusioned by the effects of their protest. Faculty benefits, Clark concluded, will remain in limbo until “there is a strong belief among all the University that academic excellence (and thus a supported, excellent faculty) is the most vital ingredient in Fordham’s future success.”
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Ad-Hoc Committee Fights For Change on Campus By RUBY GARA News Editor
The idea of attaining guaranteed free speech on campus has spurred many actions from members of the Fordham community this academic year. Controversies surrounding protest and free assembly inspired a faculty-drafted petition endorsed by more than 100 students and professors condemning the administration’s policies addressing student protests. The petition, and those who created it have additionally argued for necessity of “The Ad-Hoc Committee on Freedom and Accountability at Fordham,” a part of “the process of moving our community in the direction of ‘more speech.’” In March, the committee outlined a list of resources and actions entitled “Promoting Freedom and Accountability at Fordham: Eight Actions You Can Take.” A work in progress, the document encompasses what it views as the imperative to “Take a stand against hate speech” and to “Model inclusive behavior and actions.” It also discusses “academic freedom, free speech and other issues of concern at Fordham and beyond.” To do so, the document recommended the students to educate themselves and engage in existing efforts such as the event hosted on April 14, the “Hate Speech or Free Speech: A Workshop on the Politics of Language on College Campuses,” organized by Professor of Anthropology Ayala Fader and planned by the ad-hoc committee.
The workshop featured several professors from different institutions, such as New York University and John Jay College, and discussed concepts such as campus activism and teaching anti-racism, as well as taking a leadership position in higher education. Associate Professor of Theology John Seitz, the principal architect of the petition, is among the few members of the relatively new committee. He was invited into the group of mostly faculty after he released the petition in late February. He said that because “it’s healthy to think across divisions,” the members of the committee “discuss sets of concerns and issues” and think about “ways that might be effective to promote reform, as well as move forward” during their meetings. Although the committee’s agenda does not run on a formal schedule, Seitz, who has attended several meetings said that they work on balancing an opposition to hate speech by navigating their “values of inclusivity and respect for a community,” which he said, “create an atmosphere of mutual respect.” “We can’t change policies without changing culture itself,” stated Seitz. He hopes that Fordham will become an “open environment for student organizing” and “develop a culture of accountability.” Professor of Sociology Jeanne Flavin is one of the members responsible for the origins and gradual development of the AdHoc Committee on Freedom and
Accountability at Fordham. Flavin and Professor of Theology Jeannine Hill Fletcher convened to look at “follow-up steps with regards to the event that took place at Rodrigue’s in the fall.” Another factor in assembling a committee
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Faculty members convene to create a committee dedicated to free speech and accountability on campus.
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was the appearance of the white nationalism-associated Kekistani flag on the Rose Hill campus, Flavin and Hill reached out to a few faculty members with any potential interest to start a proactive “conversation that might brain-
storm possible responses and initiatives.” “It evolved from that initial concern about some of the things occurring on campus and looking for a place to come together and discuss them,” she stated. The topics they explore during their meetings center around speech and bigotry issues as they were “getting a sense of what kind of additional conversations might be needed.” According to Flavin, the members of the committee are trying to be “both structured and flexible.” Albeit no remarkable changes since the release of the petition, Flavin stated that “it has reminded us of the importance that these conversations take place and we figure out ways to act,” that would essentially be more collaborative, participatory and inclusive. As for future hopes and ambitions concerning the Ad-Hoc Committee on Freedom and Accountability at Fordham, Flavin hopes that “at the end of next year, more of us will be better informed and have complicated our own thoughts with regard to free speech, academic speech, hate speech and bigotry.” The committee also envisions “using this knowledge to strengthen how [they] respond to these issues.” She smiled as she stated that “I think it’s a modest goal, but I’d be happy to see that transformation.” “We’re committed to continuing this ongoing conversation in the following year until a better vehicle or venue is identified,” Flavin concluded.
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Student Protest Gives Survivors a Voice
SEE CARS-V AND SAGES FROM PAGE 1
Ortiz recalled the conversation between Campbell and her mother. “I really need to learn better coping mechanisms, because people’s parents were going to get mad that their children were spending more time with me than doing their own work, and then eventually they’re going to get sick and tired of taking care of me, and eventually leave me — those were her words” Ortiz said in reference to Campbell’s message to her mother. Ortiz expressed concern with what she called “invalidating language” used by the administration when speaking to victims of sexual violence. “I urge them to educate themselves, and learn how to communicate effectively and make students feel safe. Even if it’s through something as simple as diction, changing their language, but then you can’t change your language, unless you change your mindset,” said Ortiz. The speakers were unified in the belief that Fordham has not fulfilled their responsibility to protect their students and provide them with the resources necessary to feel safe in their learning environment. “To hear that the people who are supposed to be taking care of us feel that way, it makes complete sense that people don’t want to report their cases to these people — which is not the culture that you want to be promoting here, as common as it is; Fordham can do better,” protestor Margaret Cohen, FCLC ’20 said. Assistant Vice President and Dean of Students Keith Eldredge, arrived to the protest before it started, but was asked to leave after a number of protesters voiced their discomfort with his presence. “Some people who planned to speak at the protest felt unsafe because of his presence, and they
ANDREW BEECHER/THE OBSERVER
Students held signs demonstrating Fordham’s statistics addressing sexual assault.
felt that if they were going to be surrounded by peers and community members who care deeply about this issue, they did not consider Dean Eldredge to be among them, and they asked me to ask him to leave,” explained Eliza Putnam, FCLC ’18. One of the members of SAGES, Putnam discussed student activism efforts at Fordham, stating, “the challenge is that, at Fordham, when students raise concerns about the wellbeing of their peers, and raise concerns about administrative policies, practices, programs or even in-
dividual administrators, instead of their voices being heard, and a conversation being opened up, those students tend to feel very — either actually invalidated and told that they shouldn’t be talking about this at all, or they’re just ignored.” Student-run groups like CARS-V and SAGES feel that they are having to take on the job of the administration when it comes to creating a safer campus. “At a Jesuit school, when we say that we care for the whole person, when people are being harmed, we should be able to fill in, and
try to help them, and that that’s not the case here is so disturbing. But we are just trying to fill in the needs at the most basic level,” Putnam said. While some view the prospects of Fordham changing as dismal and demoralizing, many of the students in attendance have faith that their work will produce change, including Putnam. “I so much want Fordham to be a better place, and I believe that it’s going to happen. And everything that they’re doing in the meanwhile is hurting the school, and they’re going to realize that
it’s not in their interest,” she said. As the protest came to a close, the president of CARS-V, Dia Kefalas, FCLC ’19, asked the crowd, “When survivors are under attack, what do we do?” to which the group chanted in response, “Stand up! Fight back!” The crowd gathered at the protest may not have been extraordinarily large in number, but their energy was abundant. They made their message clear: they are dissatisfied with Fordham’s handling of sexual violence cases, and they are not backing down until changes are made.
Dennis Walcott Confirmed as 2018 Fordham Commencement Speaker By CARMEN BORCA-CARRILLO News Editor
Fordham University’s 173rd Commencement will welcome Dennis Walcott, president and CEO of the Queens Library and former New York City schools chancellor, as its keynote speaker for the class of 2018. The May 19 ceremony will also honor Walcott with the University President’s Medal, awarded by University President Rev. Joseph M. McShane, S.J. “His integrity, his commitment to teaching and learning, and his longstanding service to the diverse communities of New York City are in the best traditions of Jesuit education,” McShane said of Walcott’s achievements in a Fordham News article. “I am pleased he will have the opportunity to speak to some of the most important issues facing our educational system, our city and our nation.” Walcott carries a distinguished history of work within the New York educational system, beginning as a kindergarten teacher in his home borough of Queens. Soon after, he served as president of the New York Urban League for 12 years and spent this time expanding the organization’s educational and after-school programs. He then served as chancellor of New York City Public Schools under Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s administration, joining in 2002 as a deputy mayor and serving as chancellor from 2011-2013.
COURTESY OF BRUCE GILBERT
Walcott carries a distinguished history of work within the New York educational system.
During Walcott’s term as chancellor, he carried out reforms that improved graduation rates, cut dropout rates and focused on diversity, such as a $13 million expansion of after-school programs directed towards ensuring the
success of black and Latino students in the city. Beatriz Martinez-Godas, Fordham College Lincoln Center (FCLC) ’18, said she appreciated Fordham’s “effort to diversify commencement speakers,” and
was pleased to hear Walcott’s history with school outreach. “I hope that Fordham takes a note from Walcott’s action in funding programs for black and Latino students’ education.” In 2016, Walcott became presi-
dent and CEO of the Queens Public Library. His predecessor was fired in 2014 due to the misuse of over $200,000 in funds. Walcott has focused his term on ensuring the library functions as an “information source” for its 2.3 million users and increasing its resources. The new president is well-known at the library for moving his small desk to the library floor, rather than in his predecessor’s renovated private space. Walcott also holds the title of Fordham alumnus as a graduate of Fordham’s Graduate School of Social Service in 1980 where he worked as an instructor in the Master of Science in Nonprofit Leadership Program. He is also a recipient of an honorary doctorate of humane letters at Fordham’s 2015 commencement. “Mr. Walcott has a deep appreciation for education and equity that I think are important qualities in someone who lives and does work in New York,” said Raphael Famatigan, FCLC ’18, who sat on the Commencement Committee that selected Walcott. “I also think that it’s great that as a Fordham alum, he sort of understands us in a much more personal way.” Generally, seniors expressed approval of their speaker. Sunny Kim, FCLC ’20, commented on the importance of choosing a good speaker to start graduation on the right foot. “It’s the thing that sets the tone for what’s next after you leave college.”
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News Anchor Bill Ritter Speaks to the Observer By RUBY GARA News Editor
As he spoke to a room full of aspiring journalists on the evening of April 23, WABCTV news anchor Bill Ritter opened a discussion about his own career, and gave advice about covering local and international news in a field increasingly infused with “fake news.” During the event, Ritter offered his insights to students interested in entering the job market in journalism and he addressed questions about politics and ethics embedded in media. Ritter opened his speech by detailing his shift from print journalism to television, explaining that he didn’t want to feel as if he was settling down in print only because “it was what [he] knew and what felt comfortable.” He traced the trajectory of his career, beginning as a writer for the Los Angeles Times, where he later won the “Los Angeles Times Editorial Award” for reporting on a $200 million broker fraud in San Diego, Calif. Later, when Ritter was offered the opportunity to work in the TV industry and news broadcasting, he took it instantly, as he wanted to “take on a new challenge.” While transitioning from print to broadcast was a challenge, Ritter said his “most challenging story” was covering 9/11 for WABC-TV’s “Eye-
witness News.” He recounted realizing the city – and the nation – was under attack the moment the second plane hit the South Tower of the World Trade Center. “It was wrenching to see that happening to your country,” he said, with the pain of remembering that day seeming to resurge the more he discussed it. In his conversation with the Observer staff, Ritter also shared his experience of being kicked out of college in 1972 for his anti-Vietnam War activity at San Diego State University. Decades later, he enrolled at The New School and earned his degree in 2016. One of his projects at The New School ended up becoming one of the stories that he is most proud of reporting. The project, which he eventually pitched to ABC News, focused on a young woman’s endeavor organizing and endorsing prison gardens. His reporting found that the nurturing act of growing food and vegetation would fundamentally lead to improved conditions for the inmates and a decline in the rates of recidivism, or the inmates’ relapse into further criminal behavior after being released from prison. His stories showcased the work of the Insight Garden Program, a non-profit organization whose mission is to make inmates “reconnect to self, community and the natural world,”
through “vocational gardening and landscaping training,” as stated on their website. After being featured on ABC, their popularity soared. First, the California State Prison System’s leadership contacted them for help implementing prison gardens statewide. This eventually led to prison systems in other states taking notice and contacting the Insight Garden Program to start programs across the nation. “I’m very proud that my study and the way I approached that as a reporter led to two stories that sparked a national movement,” he said. During the event, Ritter also discussed journalism ethics and the need for integrity in the age of ‘fake news.’ As journalists’ duties consist of searching truthful facts, Ritter stated that “we have an obligation to fight the assault and the attack of the so-called ‘fake news’ and speak truth to power.” After answering several questions, Ritter left off with an expression of belief in today’s young adults, especially after witnessing the recent initiatives of high school and college students to be changemakers in the nationwide debate over gun control. “It is thrilling to work with young people because of how determined and hopeful they are,” he said. “It makes me optimistic about what your generation can do.”
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WABC-TV News anchor Bill Ritter sat down with the Observer’s staff.
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May 3, 2018 THE OBSERVER
ACKNOWLEDGE THE VAGINA* MONOLOGUES
T
he production of “The Vagina* Monologues” at Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC), featuring student-written pieces, closed earlier this month. As has become routine, the mere existence of the play has prompted another year of moral reevaluation at this acclaimed institution. This year, “The Monologues” discussed sexual violence, misogyny, gender and sexual identity — all topics relevant to Fordham’s diverse and wide-ranging student body. This innovative production, however, is not enough to garner official recognition by the university: although “The Monologues” has been performed annually at Fordham for the past 13 years, Fordham has never financially supported the production. This lack of support is an implicit show of disapproval to “The Monologues,” which speaks to topics which the university has infamously failed to address. Fordham’s silence speaks volumes. It is clear that, in our recent social dialogue surrounding sexual assault and violence, survivors should be heard and supported, not disavowed. One need not look further than a smartphone or a nearby television screen to understand the culture of sexual harassment in our country. There is no need to continue the dysfunction in a school that touts its high moral standards. It is important, now more than ever, for Fordham to support “The Vagina* Monologues” and the various topics that the
show addresses. By remaining quiet, Fordham negates the importance of subject matter of “The Monologues.” Fordham’s administration should be alarmed that its students are more comfortable telling their story to strangers from a stage than they are talking to administrative authorities who are trained to handle incidents of sexual assault. Fordham should see this as a wake-up call for administrators and other staff members to take students and their stories seriously, instead of brushing them off, as if their trauma is neither valid nor important.
“Fordham’s silence speaks volumes.” Fordham’s actions only further point to a disheartening trend among universities across the country who fail to uphold Title IX, a law which requires and aims to enforce accountability — something Fordham denies as long as “The Monologues” are performed without its support. Jesuit values are integral to this university’s mission, yet Fordham fails to uphold them through its inability to foster social awareness. Enforcing this ignorance forces students to take extra steps and, sometimes, overstep university rules and policies in order to inform and protect others — only further continuing this toxic cycle. In addition to discussing
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students’ personal experiences with sexual assault and violence, “The Monologues” tackles another topic on which Fordham has been mum: gender identity. Fordham has yet to acknowledge transgender students’ identities officially or offer trans-inclusive housing. The crew of Fordham’s “The Monologues” has adapted its production to be more inclusive, and the administration should, in turn, follow suit. Not acknowledging the needs of transgender students not only alienates these students, but also forces them to feel as though they are not valued in the same way that other students are. After all, one of their only platforms is a nonschool-sanctioned production. Despite Fordham’s claims that it supports all of its students, there are many among us who feel unheard and unsupported by the administration. It is important to notice who and what the university does and does not endorse, as Fordham must be held accountable for supporting the entirety of the student body. As this semester comes to a close, the Observer hopes for the Fordham community — students, faculty and administrators — to return next fall with a common goal. After 13 years of performing “The Fordham Vagina* Monologues” unendorsed, the student body deserves a university that finally supports and defends them. In the meantime, to the Fordham students who are struggling to be heard within the community: we stand with you both on and off the stage.
Editor-in-Chief Colin Sheeley Managing Editor Izzi Duprey Business Manager Luis Navarro Online Editor Madison Leto Layout Editor Sabrina Jen Asst. Layout Editors Esmé Bleecker-Adams Steph Lawlor News Editors Carmen Borca-Carrillo Ruby Gara Asst. News Editor Alejandra García Opinions Editors Jordan Meltzer Owen Roche Arts & Culture Editors Courtney Brogle Marielle Sarmiento Asst. Arts & Culture Editor Kevin Christopher Robles Features Editors Lindsay Jorgensen Jeffrey Umbrell Asst. Features Editor Gianna Smeraglia Sports & Health Editors Luke Osborn Artemis Tsagaris Social Media Editor Madison Leto Photo Editors Andrew Beecher Lena Rose Comma Coordinators Tatiana Gallardo Cat Reynolds Alexandra Richardson Abby Wheat Copy Editors Lulu Schmieta Sami Umani Visual Advisor Molly Bedford Editorial Advisor Anthony Hazell
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THE OBSERVER May 3, 2018
“Fortnite” is Here to Stay KEVIN CHRISTOPHER ROBLES Asst. Arts and Culture Editor
In 1993, video game developer id Software released “Doom” and revolutionized the gaming industry by introducing one of its most enduring and popular genres: the first-person shooter. In the wake of its release, imitators began cropping up, many of them using very similar gameplay structures as “Doom.” Among these came “Marathon,” “Star Wars: Dark Forces” and “Duke Nukem 3D.” It is not an exaggeration to claim that the release of “Doom” and the rise of its copiers, known by their nickname of “Doom clones,” opened the floodgates not only to an entirely new genre but also to a gaming craze that would eventually give us works like “Half-Life,” “Halo” and “Call of Duty.” Without the revolution of “Doom,” the gaming industry would likely look very different. Presciently, id Software was keen to support early adopters of their formula, even licensing their original engine to other studios, which allowed games like “Heretic,” “Hexen” and “Strife” a chance at the same success that enabled their development in the first place. id Software recognized that being the progenitor of a genre would ultimately foster more interest in their own products, a wager that worked out splendidly when they released the megahit, “Quake,” in the late ’90s. Presently, something very similar is happening, but with a markedly different effect on the industry. In March of 2017, designer Brendan Greene — better known by his pen name PlayerUnknown — recruited
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“Fortnite” borrowed much from “PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds,” but it’s a knockoff we need.
members of developer Bluehole, Inc. to create and release “PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds” (PUBG). Inspired by the 2000 film “Battle Royale,” it features slow-paced, tense gameplay as 100 players are dropped into a vast arena with only one goal: be the last one standing. It was a smash hit, and it easily climbed up to the most-played charts in a way that the industry had not seen with an independent multiplayer title since the release of “Counter-Strike” in 1999. Meanwhile, the success of “PUBG” — not unlike “Doom” — began to create imitators, so-called “Battle Royale” games. Most were largely benign and
unsuccessful in the wake of “PUBG’s” absolutely monstrous domination of its newly-created market. This continued until September of 2017 when Epic Games released “Fortnite: Battle Royale,” unexpectedly creating a global phenomenon that has enraptured millions worldwide. It took until February 2018, but “Fortnite” eventually overtook “PUBG” in popularity, with $126 million in revenue generated monthly. Needless to say, Bluehole was not pleased with “Fortnite’s” tremendous success. It didn’t take long before Greene and his company began actively working against Epic Games. Bluehole threatened legal action against
the “Fortnite” developer, especially when it turned out that Epic Games referenced “PUBG” and other Battle Royale-style games in their marketing. “After listening to the growing feedback from our community and reviewing the gameplay for ourselves, we are concerned that Fortnite may be replicating the experience for which PUBG is known,” a Bluehole press release noted in September. Greene, in a Reddit AMA (Ask Me Anything), added with anger, “Other companies will, of course, enter the marketplace, but I would just hope they put their own spin on the game mode and not just make a carbon copy!”
Opinions
7
While “Fortnite’s” popularity gives it enough of a shield against legal action, this has not stopped Bluehole from filing lawsuits against companies like NetEase to stop their less-popular Battle Royale-style titles. So, this begs the question: How much ownership does a developer have over the mechanics that they created? This is not an easy thing to answer, but there is a larger precedent to note here that goes beyond the gaming industry. When “Doom” came out in 1993, there was always an undercurrent of creative independence in early developers like id Software, not unlike those present in revolutionary filmmakers. Imagine if Orson Welles sued every film that copied the new techniques he pioneered in “Citizen Kane.” What if George Lucas decided that he was the only person who could make epic space operas? And what would have happened if Steven Spielberg kept the game-changing tech behind “Jurassic Park” for himself? It’s the same in gaming. Very rarely do new genres take shape in the game industry — but when they do, they tend to spark eras of immense creativity. “Doom” is the perfect example and, in many ways, “PUBG” is to Battle Royale games as “Doom” was to first-person shooters. What Bluehole is doing is stifling the gaming industry and reducing its capacity for creativity, when it should be welcoming new entries in the genre as id Software did in the ’90s. People evidently love these games, if the success of Epic Games is any indication. And, really, does anyone — other than Brendan Greene — want “Fortnite” to go away?
Syria: The Global Conflict of Our Time PATRICK RIZZI Staff Writer
Throughout the weekend of April 6, 2018, the international community was largely aghast as news broke that Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad used chemical weapons on his own people, again. Tragically, this is far from the first time such an atrocity has happened, and the odds of the United States finding a sustainable and manageable solution to the crisis in Syria grow slimmer by the day. The Syrian civil war as we know it has been ongoing since 2011. It commenced during the Arab Spring as a rebel movement led by ordinary citizens against Assad’s brutal regime. Today, Syrian rebels occupy a significant minority of the country’s land that includes cities such as Aleppo. Assad’s regime is primarily supported by Russia, Iran and Hezbollah, an extremist militant group from Lebanon. They have used chemical weapons in areas held by rebels multiple times. Despite this, Russia and Iran still continue to have no problems supporting Assad’s depravity — and at the United Nations, Russia even vetoed a U.N. Security Council plan to investigate Syria’s use of chemical weapons. Additionally, the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) is attempting to exert control over Syrian territory. ISIL is a terrorist organization that has the goal of creating a caliphate extending Iraqi and
Syrian territory. ISIL territory in Syria is mostly found in the eastern part of the country, close to the border separating Syria and Iraq. What can the United States do to improve the appalling situation in Syria today? Unfortunately, our options on how to handle this crisis are more limited than we might like to believe. Providing direct support to Syrian rebel militias is not a realistic option. While we share their goal of holding Assad accountable for his barbarity, it is important to remember that the Syrian rebel movement is supported to some degree by Al-Qaeda fighters. Obviously, this would make clearly aiding rebel fighters problematic. For this reason, U.S. military intervention in Syria must be limited to attempting to stop ISIL. Additionally, the United States should come to terms with the fact that despite the atrocities perpetrated by Assad’s regime in Syria, even very well-intentioned attempts on our end to support a regime change in countries often do not end well. In 2011, the U.S. military worked with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) to provide covert assistance to rebels to kill Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi. Even though Gaddafi was killed, Libya remains no closer to instituting any type of democratic rule now than it was then. There are, however, some pragmatic and reasonable options on the table pertaining to U.S. policy surrounding
Syria. Firstly, the United States must continue to keep at least a minimal military presence in Syria. While I am generally a non-interventionist regarding U.S. involvement in foreign entanglements, this scenario is necessary for two reasons. First, it allows us to continue to attempt to make grounds in the fight against ISIL. Also, we must at least keep some military presence in Syria out of respect to our ally, Israel. If the United States were to pull out of Syria immediately, that decision would risk allowing Iran and Hezbollah, Israel’s enemies, to make gains in the country. Their increased strength would be deeply threatening to the country’s existence as the Jewish state we know it to be since it declared independence in 1948. Secondly, we must provide humanitarian assistance to Syrians, who are faced with unimaginable suffering on a daily basis as a result of the country’s civil war. A $200 million humanitarian aid package for Syria was passed by the U.S. Congress, but it has not yet been implemented. We must authorize it immediately and promptly send this much-needed aid. Thirdly, we must continue to aggressively sanction Russia and Iran, both of whom not only support, but may very well profit through weapons sales from Assad’s regime. Both of these nations are active enablers of his government. Fourthly, the United States
KREMLIN.RU VIA WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
The U.S. must make strides to keep Bashar al-Assad in check.
should propose a resolution at the United Nations to impose a no-fly zone over Syria. This could help stop airplanes carrying weapons or other supplies to aid the Assad government from entering Syrian airspace and then coming into the country. Finally, as long as the Department of Homeland Security acknowledges that intended security screenings and vetting procedures are proper and effective, the United States must step up to the plate and allow a fair and humane number of refugees from Syria to resettle in the United States. Most European Union member nations have begun to do so already, and
it is past time that the United States realizes that we have an obligation to the international community to assist with such a large-scale humanitarian crisis. At a minimum, the United States should commit to allowing 75,000 Syrian refugees to enter the country over the next 365 days. There may be no end in sight to the global crisis in Syria, but these steps could be taken to at least provide nominal improvements to the situation in the country. Against discouraging odds and intimidating enemies, the United States must do what’s right to put an end to this conflict.
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Opinions
May 3, 2018 THE OBSERVER
www.fordhamobserver.com
Evil Meatless Impossible Slider Must Be Stopped
OWEN ROCHE Opinions Editor
Eating meat is about as American as apple pie, drone strikes and — quite literally — fast food hamburgers. However, a new threat looms on the horizon: vegans and their non-committal friends, vegetarians, are going mainstream. At first, the plant-based eating movement seemed harmless enough, quarantined to communities of rich people with nothing better to do and too much time to think about the morality of their actions. It was once a passing fad, relegated to subheadings in “Women’s Health” and fond memories of ex-hippies. But times have changed. This new unhealthy obsession with health and unamerican aversion to animal products is tearing down our shared culture as we know it, and it must be stopped. Unfortunately, American fast food chains, fingers ever-present on the sluggish pulse of the nation, have been quick to respond to the plant-based craze. Today, vegan depravity is everywhere; worse yet, it’s affordable. We shook our heads in dismay when McDonald’s tested a “McVegan” in Europe. We watched aghast as TGI Fridays debuted a “Beyond Meat” burger in January. But will we stand by and let the greatest mainstay of American culture fall to the radical vegan agenda? Will we allow the hallowed parapets of freedom to crumble under the weight of a couple kale-consumers? Too late. As of April 12, 2018,
White Castle has fallen. The Impossible Slider is here. On April 12, the fine eating establishment famous for its classic sliders colloquially known as “belly bombers” and “rectum rockets” welcomed a sinister addition to its menu: a burger sporting a patty
Alas, the damage is already done. In the game of carnivorous chess, the vegans are always one move ahead. of nefarious origin. White Castle’s Impossible Sliders pack onions, pickles, lies, deception and the Impossible Burger — a misleading meaty masquerade — between their buns. The amalgamation of plant protein is produced by the startup Impossible Foods and is meant to imitate and replace the classic beef patty. This is preposterous, impassable, inconceivable, unthinkable, impractical, insurmountable and downright improbable. Much like the steam engine, iron lung and self-checkout kiosks, it will never be the same as good old flesh and blood. This beguiling burger was made available in all New York, New Jersey and Chicago locations, including the White Castle mere steps from the gates of Fordham University’s Rose Hill campus. As a faithful Jesuit institution, we know God gave us cows because they’re so delicious. Are plant-based cultists really trying to one-up the Big
Man? One look at White Castle’s menu says yes. Surely, just as Frankenstein’s monster sought revenge on his creator for his unnatural, cursed existence, so too will humanity face its $8, two-slidersfries-and-a-drink comeuppance. The Cursed Castle is playing God, and we’ll all pay. What’s worse, our arsenal of comebacks and self-justifications against the vegan menace is dwindling. With White Castle’s meatless sliders, gone are the days of the anemic, emaciated vegan stereotype. What’s more, the rich, twig-eating suburban strawman is a thing of the past. The diabolical anti-meat powers-that-be have used White Castle to widen the scope of unnatural meat alternatives, and in their quest to make plant-based food more accessible, an $8 Impossible combo may sadly be too enticing for many red-blooded Americans to resist. How ironic that a greasy, alabaster castle now stands to symbolize accessibility, progress and lower blood pressure. That being said, the fact of the matter remains: a meal without animal cruelty just doesn’t feel right. Eating red meat and processed meat without the exhilarating knowledge that you’re ingesting known carcinogens just isn’t the American way. Feeling like a piece of garbage for pulling into a White Castle drive-thru at 2 a.m. and ordering a Crave Case containing 30 all-beef sliders is a bona fide rite of passage for citizens everywhere. Impossible meatless sliders soften the pointed, useful life lessons contained in this experience, and consuming
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the flesh of sentient beings in the parking lot under the dirty glow of a White Castle sign is a constitutional right. Vegans should not meddle with this delicate ritual. It is downright sick to disallow a cow to die a noble death for the benefit of a self-hatred-fueled 2 a.m. burger binge. Alas, the damage is already done. In the game of carnivorous chess, the vegans are always one move ahead. Americans may feel helpless to stop the flow of alternative meats into their favorite eating establishments, but they’re certainly not alone. The vegans have blood on their hands, and dutiful omnivores worldwide will continue to resist — in the name of freedom, tradition and the pursuit of cholesterol. Unlike other Missions
Impossible, it must be ensured that the sequels end here. Thanks, but no thanks, radical plant-munchers, we’ll keep vegetables in their rightful place: the wilted, flavorless eighth of the plate that gets scraped into the garbage bin when nobody’s looking. We’re very content with our current worldviews, thank you very much. Meat is meat, change is scary and nutrition is just about as legitimate as vaccines. The plant-based community can’t waltz into America now and expect us to dance to their repulsively ethical tune. White Castle is on the wrong side of history. You can’t tell America to eat less meat; it would be downright impossible. But, then again, so are those sliders.
OWEN ROCHE/THE OBSERVER
Don’t be fooled: that’s not meat. It’s an affront to human dignity.
the comma
spring 2018
MARY MAGDALENE’S LEGACY ANNE MARIE WARD
JACKIE CHIN
Mary Magdalene’s death broke the hearts of a few. That much can be assumed, even though that was not covered in the local papers of the time. All the headlines read, “Hunlock Creek Infant Drowns in Rain Barrel,” or something to that effect. On July 11th, 1953, at 7:30 pm, Mary drowned in a washtub that her family kept beside the porch to collect rainwater for their vegetable garden. She was eighteen months old. In the hours before her death, she and the rest of the Hassaj family—pronounced HASS-eye—spent the afternoon swimming at Moon Lake, near Lake Silkworth in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania. Upon returning home for the day, the family went inside to change into dry clothes. Soon, Mary’s mother, Mrs. Jacob Hassaj, realized that her baby was missing. After Mary did not come when called, the family began a search and found her unconscious body in the washtub. They rushed to the nearby summer home of Dr. Rudolph Martin, but because he wasn’t home, Dr. Lewis B. Thomas was summoned from his neighboring house to treat the toddler. The doctor and two Lehman County police officers attempted to resuscitate the child, but to no avail. The county coroner ruled the cause of death as accidental drowning. The funeral was held the following Tuesday in Sacred Heart Slovak Catholic Church. Aside from her parents, Mary Magdalene was survived by her paternal Grandmother, Mrs. Mary Hassaj, her maternal grandmother, Mrs. Helen Kovach, and her five older brothers and sisters: Rosemarie, Margaret, Jacob Jr., Helen, and Paul. This is all the papers revealed of the tragedy, and many of the stories used the same phrasing to describe the events that transpired, as they were probably owned by the same parent company. Some details were too complex to report. The papers didn’t have a follow-up story on the family’s mourning process or weekly installments detailing their stages of grief. They did no research on how trauma trickles down generations, warping timelines and worldviews—they showed no minds dented under a sudden blow, no renderings of the Hassaj family’s broken hearts. My mother is a Hassaj—she even kept it as her middle name after marriage. She was born on the last day of August in 1959, six years after the drowning. She, too, was named Mary, like her mother, paternal grandmother, and her late older sister, baby Mary Magdalene. Some of the things that the papers didn’t cover: My mother says that her parents never talked of it, really. The drowning. And I wonder what their silence said about its effects—how Mary Magdalene’s untimely death changed the workings of the Hassaj family, and how this pain seeped across decades. My grandmother never brought it up unless pestered. My mom believes that she was the one who found Mary Magdalene. When asked, all my grandmother would comment was that, “Mary was so big for her age. I remember that her coffin seemed so big.” And that was that, a big baby coffin. It also slipped out that Mary Magdalene died because when she fell off the porch, the weight of her little body crushed her windpipe. My grandmother never liked to talk about it, but she kept clippings from three different local papers. She neatly cut them out, and pressed them into a photo album. No one ever tossed them. The clippings still exist nearly seventy years later, yellowed and thin. I don’t know if I understand my grandmother, my Baba (from the Polish word for grandmother, babcia). She was devout as all hell, often had a rosary. She crocheted beautiful brown and orange blankets. She was a woman who was sometimes bitter: she once beat my mother with a cat-o-nine-tails as punishment for refusing to get on the school bus, leaving red welts on my mom’s legs, for all her classmates to see. But Baba was also loving, and never blamed my Aunt Helen for the death of Mary Magdalene, even though there were whispers that she was supposed to be watching her baby sister. My Baba died shortly before my younger brother was born. My mother never asked her dad about it, and he never mentioned it. He drank a lot, but her parents fought about that privately. Never while my mother was in the room. The drinking still gave him ulcers. Was it the immigrant culture? That part of Pennsylvania was coal-mining country, full of blue-collar Eastern Europeans whose villages were sliced and diced during and in-between the Wars. Before he developed black lung, my grandfather was a coal miner. Then he made cabinets. It was cultural, here, to have a church on every other corner with a bar in between. My grandfather frequented the bars, and gambled in them. Sometimes he won, sometimes he lost: never much either way. My mom would sit with him at the bar, as a child, drinking soda and eating chips as he drank whiskey and played cards. Still, he was an always-mellow drunk. He enjoyed making wine and had no teeth. He made delicate crosses out of palm leaves on Palm Sunday to be tucked under your mattress for a year of safety. He died in 1989 from a massive heart attack. Baba found him next to the bed after returning from walking the dog. Rosemarie called my mom in Manhattan, and my mother packed her stuff and headed home to bury her father. Her boss called a car service, and she tried to not cry behind dark sunglasses. I’m confused about Mary Magdalene’s death. I’m struck by its significance and banality. Mary Magdalene was probably too young to have a proper consciousness, too young to know her namesake, just too young… But her death changed things; I am sure of it. I knew nothing before her death. Neither did my mother. But I wonder how they felt. I wonder about their pain and how it passed down. I wonder who Mary Magdalene would’ve been. Would I be here if she was? 10
SEASONAL DEPRESSION: A SERIES OF HAIKUS OLIVIA LUCAS Winter Laying in my bed all I want are Oreos but the store is far. Spring April showers bring me a dry spell. Weather is nicer than most men. Summer His tan arms make me weep. There is no hope for us; I check out today. Fall The leaves are dying with them my diet and will to shave my legs. EMILY DAVANCENS
ON THE NYBG KATHRYN HORNYAK
The day I went to the Botanical Garden for the first time, New York City was experiencing a heatwave. Most leaves had fallen off most trees, save for a spectacular few. The air felt so saturated with oxygen that I could only take deep breaths, the mid-day sunlight soft and unseasonably warm on our shoulders. Kylie was leaving next semester and there was truly no one else I wanted to be there with than her. We shared a playful joy in the ability of trees and shrubs and roses to create themselves that I would have been embarrassed to share with most others. I stared at the smooth white curve of the greenhouse, stark against the sky, framed by colors that should not have existed in November, and thought about how it must have looked the same in 1890. I understand the appeal of sprawling English gardens and of keeping plants inside. I understand the Transcendentalist attachment to nature and I understand the Victorian impulse to contain it.
ESME BLEECKER-ADAMS
I want to run across a stretch of grass so green that you can smell it until I run out of breath and collapse in laughter with you. I want to climb the rocks at the very bottom of the stream, at the very edge of the forest, to look back on the panorama of miles that trailed behind our shoulders on the way there. As with most museums, I want to be let in the gates that say Do Not Enter just to understand how they sustain a miracle. I want to feel that much peace and that much possibility every day of my life.
IMPRESSIONS ERIN KIERNAN
No one knows that vinyl is edible. It makes sense to listen to it; you can preserve its sound, But you can only taste it once. I prefer tongue to drum, and so I eat my records. The first one I ever ate was Borodin Prince Igor The sweetest dish I’ve ever tried. The vinyl splintered and tore at my gums Until I minced it down to filaments. It slipped through my throat like pulp, And I felt like a queen. I don’t have a worldly palate, But I know exactly where that dish came from. Not Russia, not Polovtsia, But my nameless motherland where I am Queen, A place I’ve only seen in that tapestry on my grandmother’s wall And only felt in my heart. I’m not one for temperance, So I ate that record in one sitting. I can’t taste it again, But I still and will always know that I am The Queen.
MICHAEL APPLER
11
I loved you with all the colors of the world –
what
suddenly
matters.
How easy it is to love things of beauty, How selfish to keep them to ourselves.
Loving you was so simple.
It’s funny what you remember in the wake of After. It’s funny
Burning burning red, Drowning drowning blue, Happy, simple yellow.
Like the way a lover learns to let go.
Like the way the wind carries the promise of rain,
I fell open the same way A novel reveals itself to the reader, Gently, quietly Softly, Without noise but still swirling with words –
I told you secrets and you understood.
I would have served you all my life.
My secret pal, my beloved queen,
Eager to please, ready for anything.
You were my favorite, enchanted and exquisite. I doted on your wheelchair like a servant at your throne,
You were my queen.
HER HIGHNESS MARY ANN BRIELLE INTORCIA
Those stupidly short years – a decade-and-then-some —
Soaring over the world that so desperately needed you it held you captive to the ground.
I don’t know why I see you in aviator goggles, Trading your gown for a pilot’s vest (and looking just as regal),
I don’t know why I imagine you in some far-off kingdom, drinking wine and flirting with the lords.
I don’t know why I expect you to return.
Gentlest love of my life,
Your Highness,
Will never be enough, And I was a foolish combination of selfish and blind But those were my happiest days – How lucky I am To have had something to lose – How heavy I am with the weight of your loss.
Nothing was enough – Sixteen years
I was not enough, I know –
In the garden I grew flowers with the seeds of my apology but it wasn’t enough –
Sorry for being sixteen and stupid, Sorry for being so sad all the damn time, Sorry for the swearing and the yelling and the fighting, Sorry for the family that cannot build a bridge over the earthquake that has split between them, Sorry for the family that cannot gather under the umbrella of loss when the storm of grief rolls in, Sorry for the sickness that ravaged my mind and made me impossible, I’m sorry nobody spoke at your funeral, Didn’t they know that was the least they could offer their queen – I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry.
I am sorry.
There is nothing that can justify that.
Nobody spoke at your funeral.
I wonder who you’d see in me now. The stumbling servant without her queen, trying desperately to be her own royal – but the crown doesn’t fit. Nothing quite fits anymore, now that you’re gone.
So beyond in a world shackled to the ground.
You
were always
endless
that
What is the protocol for a loss so unremitting –
How does a kingdom mourn the ruler it never deserved –
way.
Even the flowers bowed to you when you passed, Aware of the true rose among them. The sun smiled down on you Because it knew it’d found an equal, Someone just as bright as she, Someone who brought light to the earth on the rainy days when she couldn’t reach.
You were so cherished.
Your reign was so, so short.
Sitting together at every dinner The soft wheeze of your breaths Your aviator sunglasses – a pilot, you wanted to be a pilot – The softness – the coldness – Of your hands, Like finely worn paper The warmth of your castle And the peace of the trees, Like soldiers standing guard. You were all the stars I could finally see Now that I was out of the city – You were the long stretch of highway on the way home – You were always endless that way, Infinite in a world defined by limits,
CARLA DE MIRANDA
I won’t think of it.
If you are happier without me –
But as a grandmother –
Not as a warrior,
beyond.
I love you with all the colors of the world: Swirling twirling pink, Warm nostalgic green, Endless, endless white, From our quiet, tender beginning To the stretches of beyond,
Grandma,
And painted churches at her easel by the window.
As my secret pal, my bestest friend, who sang Que Sera, Sera
Not as a queen or a leader or a pilot,
I would send a message that I love you –
Your Highness,
And if I knew your kingdom’s name I’d send an envoy to tell you everything. How the castle is faring in your absence How the other servants hush about me The way my chest collapses at the sight of this particular boy How I had to change my hair to change who I am The decisions that split me in half and half again How I wish you’d come home, I want you home, More than anything I want you home, If I could I would send an envoy and I’d attach a message for you to come home.
But perhaps you are the ruler of some other realm now,
Well,
If you find solace in the unfamiliar, If you find peace in the life of somebody else,
In some foreign ballroom by the coast.
Dancing the way you used to,
(even without me)
I don’t know why I imagine you singing and laughing
WELCOME BACK JENNIE KIM
i was told that sentimentality is a form of vulnerability and that vulnerability is synonymous to weakness. my parents did not want a weak child. i distinctly remember my mother tell me that nothing is worse than someone or something hold you back in efforts for me to dream bigger to move out of my current environment. i realize that they did not want someone like me. a true robot, down to the dot. i disagree with their claims—only to refer them to their statement that sentimentality is a form of weakness. i call it tact. i have systematically reprogrammed myself to forget events that hold no significance in my life or emotions that deem me a burden. my emotional queue has filled up. i must delete ‘fear’. are you sure you want to delete? i press ‘yes’. i live my day-to-day life without fear—many people like that about me. this causes relationships and bonds. i, now, have friends. i never had that many friends before. friends are nice and they provide background noise for my thoughts. these thoughts never go away, but they’re pushed to the back of my head. i realized, though, that i am not the lead role, but more of an extra. i am fine with that because i have realized my relationship queue is almost full. i rush home and work on my ‘trust’. labelling trust as a burden, i choose to delete. are you sure you want to delete? i press ‘yes’. i have realized that using my relationship queue has made my parents angry. they want to shape me into the person they want me to be therefore i reduce the amount of relationships i have accumulated. i realized that i am unhappy however i will get over it. i have determined i did not trust them that much anyways. i have realized that i am “happy” with the way i am built. i have made some modifications to insure that i become the best version of myself. i have deleted ‘disgust’, ‘surprise’, and ‘anticipation’. are you sure you want to delete? i press yes. this has transformed me into a ‘chill girl’. i don’t really care for becoming the chill girl because i have realized it requires more relationships. it’s fine though. it’s not like i trusted them that much anyways. my mother has complained that i have a bad temper. i am here to support them - to not create problems. i am black and white. they are in color. i have realized that ‘anger’ has formed more problems than solved them. i choose to reprogram myself. i delete ‘anger’. are you sure you want to delete? i press ‘yes’. i show my creators my progress and they seem happy. i am only joy and sadness. i learned how to smile with my teeth. people find it convincing. throughout my modifications, there is only one person who has noticed my changes and despite my efforts to delete that person from relationship queue i haven’t. this is strange. i have never hesitated before. is this how fear feels like? i wouldn’t know. this person can see straight through my smiles and straight through my lifeless eyes. your eyes are a direct door to your soul. i wonder if that person sees my modifications. i wonder if this person understands why. is this what anticipation is like? my relationship queue and emotional queue are almost full. i am my creators’ perfect product. yet i realize i have never experienced joy. i wonder why i am like this. is this sadness? i feel a wave of “sadness” rush over me. i reduce ‘sadness’ because it is not something i want to experience. i met you accidentally. i realized that my relationship with you is weak therefore i deleted you. like a virus, you have persisted. always finding ways to crawl back into my life. you have infected my relationship queue. i have realized i want you to stay. this is a reason i must annihilate you. i run home to reprogram myself. ARE YOU SURE YOU WANT TO DELETE? CANCEL. ARE YOU SURE YOU WANT TO DELETE? CANCEL. ARE YOU SURE YOU WANT TO DELETE? CANCEL. ARE YOU SURE YOU WANT TO DELETE? NO. ARE YOU SURE YOU WANT TO DELETE? NO. ARE YOU SURE YOU WANT TO DELETE? NO. ARE YOU SURE YOU WANT TO DELETE? YES. i sigh deeply and tell myself i am happy. you are a virus that infected my system. the next day i have realized that you are still in my relationship queue. like a tick, you refuse to leave. like a tick, i crack my neck. as i try to delete you, you infect my hardware. i fight to get rid of you, only to be forced to press ‘restore’. as i go onto the restore screen, there is an option to ‘restore from beginning’ or to ‘restore from a certain date’.
MACKENZIE HESLIN-SCOTT
THIS POEM IS NOT ABOUT ME! ERIN KIERNAN
We first met when I landed in Shannon You were tired You grabbed my hand and took me to the country Where the color returned to your face Where you looked more like the pictures Only deeper, Erin
Your eyes were sandy, Erin But every time you blinked you glossed them blue When you curled in the grass I couldn’t find you! You were the grass You were ash, my lass You stood strong like a castle Bubbled like tea Weathered soft like a pebble Kicked like a fire So why why did you always cry, Erin? I thought we were having fun But I pulled my sweater tighter And let you weep your weep Was it because you were hungry, my love? Because you saw your brother die? Erin, I marvel at you At the way you sometimes let the brogue slip out And cut the air As you cut your tears With a smile
this was when i realized that i am truly fucked. i realized that i have modified myself to the point of no return. i am only joy and sadness. even though i am two emotions i only experience sadness, never joy. i am not happy. i do not have a high relationship queue and i feel alone. loneliness was not accounted for in my modifications. i have become the perfect product for my creators yet i am not happy. i do not have the emotional queue to start from the beginning therefore i continue. ARE YOU SURE YOU WANT TO RESTORE? YES. FROM THE BEGINNING OR FROM A CERTAIN TIME? FROM A CERTAIN TIME. i restart my program. you are still there in my relationship queue and for once i feel joy. then, unconsciously, i press UNDO CHANGES. ARE YOU SURE YOU WANT TO UNDO YOUR CHANGES? NO. again. ARE YOU SURE YOU WANT TO UNDO YOUR CHANGES? NO. again. ARE YOU SURE YOU WANT TO UNDO YOUR CHANGES? NO. again. ARE YOU SURE YOU WANT TO UNDO YOUR CHANGES? YES. FROM THE BEGINNING OR FROM A CERTAIN TIME? from the beginning. i smile with my teeth. for once, i believe it. WELCOME BACK. 14
ESME BLEECKER-ADAMS
JEFFREY UMBRELL
THE CHAPEL OF LOVE JULIA GAGLIARDI
The Body of Christ lays on the slick, prickly surface of my tongue and I pretend to pray. I am a long-sighted voyeur, sitting in the second pew of the south transept, facing the east side of the altar. The parishioners move from the spinal nave of the Church in a long procession during the distribution of Holy Communion. My elbows stand erect on the back of the pew, an extension of the arm rest, and I bring my face towards the palms of my hands. My hands fold together and form the cross section of a roof, and in between the rafters of my fingers, I survey the line of parishioners and scout for boys my age. In the middle of the line, a boy moves mechanically between two parishioners, following the simple movements of those in front of him. His shoulders are slung back. Sandy, khaki pants. Blue button down. Dark brown, my-family-sails-during-the-summer loafers. He’s got pretty good posture, too. His hands are folded together and swing below his waist. Each step he takes towards the altar is a swagger. I push the Eucharist around in my mouth. There’s no taste. It’s dry, like packaged cardboard. I play my game of prayer. I imagine holding hands and kissing this stranger. We would date for years, through college, and then realize we had to get married before our expiration date of twenty-six. Our families would watch our ceremony in this very chapel, and later, take pictures of our children’s baptism at the head of the church, reminiscing on our wedding. On our anniversary, we would tell our friends and family we attended the same church for eighteen years! Always the service at nine-thirty in the morning, and after, dousing the same stale drip coffee over doughnut holes at the parish coffees. Coincidently, without ever meeting each other! All in God’s plan, an aunt would nod. I hear my mother mumbling a quiet, quick prayer next to me. Her words mingle, coalesce and wed with a cloud of heavy, sweet perfume on her clothes. My eyes are drawn again into my prayer-formed hands, looking through hand-made binoculars. The boy is next in line for the Holy Communion. The boy, head lowered, holds his hands out in an open offering to the priest. I hear the dialogue play in my head. I ’m here to receive the Body of Christ. The priest responds, M ay the Body of Christ guide your soul into eternal life. I watch the boy’s lips move to say the word, A men. The priest presses the Holy Communion into the palm of the boy’s groveling, upturned hand. I wonder if the cross burns a tattoo into his palm. The boy slides the Eucharist into his mouth. He turns away from the priest, and from me, and walks down the length of the nave. I continue my pretend prayer. Another boy appears in the line, and as I observe his walk, his looks, and his clothes, the altar bread in my mouth grows more present. The size and shape of the circular disc, unfair and clunky in my mouth, causes me to rustle uncomfortably on my knees. I wonder how I should consume the Body. My lips cloister my secret act. My tongue tilts the pale wafer back and forth between the walls of my mouth. If I press the Eucharist between my tongue and the red, rib-cage cavern of my mouth, the wafer will soften in a lagoon of moisture, like oatmeal. Or, if the Body settles in the furthest reaches of my mouth, my m olaris dens can grind and crunch the Eucharist. I like pretending that I’m eating a potato chip. I tilt the wafer against the inside wall of my incisors. I could break the Eucharist in half, an immaculate snap down the middle, with the tip of my tongue. The printed stamp on the center of the wafer allows for a clean break everytime. The cross looks more like a plus sign, anyhow.
15
the comma spring 2018
cover art: maggie ball
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF erika ortiz // EXECUTIVE EDITOR elodie huston // LAYOUT EDITOR abby wheat // FACULTY ADVISOR elizabeth stone // EDITORS megan crane / tatiana gallardo / alex merritt / cat reynolds / bessie rubinstein // MEMBERS mary alter / lucia bailey / kiley campbell / sophie guimares / alexandra richardson / abby wheat
Arts & Culture
Arts & Culture Editors Courtney Brogle- cbrogle@fordham.edu Marielle Sarmiento- msarmiento3@fordham.edu May 3, 2018 THE OBSERVER
Campus Movie Fest-ivities at Lincoln Center
By COURTNEY BROGLE Arts & Culture Editor
For its 10th year running, the week of April 17 saw the return of Campus Movie Fest (CMF) at Fordham University for its annual student film production project. Started as a passion project in 2001 by students for students, CMF engages with colleges all across the country (and select international institutions), providing various production resources and culminating with a school-wide screening of all entries. All participants are given Apple computers with Adobe editing software, HD camera equipment and high-tech audio gear — free of charge — to create a five-minute comedy, drama or documentary that is ultimately shown to the public in a red carpet event. “The CMF is a huge opportunity for film and television majors and non-majors alike to collaborate creatively and have tons of fun,” Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) artist-in-residence James Jennewein explained. “You get to script your own original story and film and edit it — and then enter it into competition. [It’s] a great way to test your creativity and put your work out into the world.” CMF participants from both the Rose Hill and Lincoln Center campuses are given a week to produce, shoot and edit their submissions. In competition with more than 30 schools nationwide, Fordham participants premiere at Edwards Parade at the Rose Hill campus before select finalists move to the CMF Grande Finale, in which young filmmakers and producers internationally compete for student film awards. Categories include
Best Picture, Best Director, Best Story and, more recently, Best Sound. The 2017 CMF Campus Finalist Michael Stearman, FCLC ’20, explained his personal creative process and experience: “Last year my friend Celia [Mesa-López, a former transfer student at FCLC] started writing a movie [“Becoming No One” (2017)] for the competition and I came on board later to co-write and co-direct it,” he said. Aware of the week-long time crunch, “We worked on the script before the film week started and planned out how to shoot everything. After two days of shooting, we holed up in Celia’s room for the whole weekend to edit.” Despite the challenges and inevitable stress, Stearman has nothing but praise for the contest. An economics major with hopes to attend law school post-graduation, Stearman said, “The whole thing was an absolutely wonderful experience that allowed both of us to flex our creative muscles on a passion project.” For him, the collaborations both on and off the screen “really made the movie what it was.” He has even reentered the competition this year, dabbling in comedy with FCLC students David Moses and Dean Tierney in a project that has been in the works for over two months. Fordham Lincoln Center Film Making Club Vice President, Nevin Kelly-Fair, FCLC ’19, also shared a similar sentiment. “[The competition] gives structure and a deadline, two things creatives are inherently averse to,” Kelly-Fair said. For this year, he and Filmmaking Club President Luke Momo, FCLC ’18, crafted a self-described, “short one-shot comedy that mixes New York City film genres for comedic ef-
ANDREW BEECHER/THE OBSERVER
Michael Stearman, FCLC ’20, at the Campus Movie Fest screening at Rose Hill.
fect.” Inspired by the variety of filmic narratives centered in and around New York, Kelly-Fair said, “We wanted to physically manifest the feeling of being caught off-guard by someone’s words … I think people sometimes forget how to feel, or how words can pack as much of a punch, if not more, than a lineman.” In addition, CMF also doles out dozens of prizes for their winners. “They can win anything from a year’s worth of Adobe Creative Cloud to the opportunity to see their films screen at the Cannes International Film Festival,” CMF representative Joey Engelman explained. And with sponsors
including Amazon Prime Video, Adobe and Panasonic, the handson experience and enticing prizes will inevitably make for an exciting and creative time. The opportunity is undeniably a wonderful chance for majors and novices alike to fuel their creative energy in an artistic atmosphere with their peers. Jennewein himself loves the amount and “wide variety of work that is produced,” finding it “a joy and a ‘wow’ to see the story ideas that Fordham students come up with each year.” Kelly-Fair agrees; he enjoys “seeing young people come together to author a visual story … it’s great to see students take
advantage of a medium that has become increasingly easy and streamlined to tell compelling, emotional stories through.” Currently heading film practice studies as a decorated Hollywood screenwriter, Jennewein offers sage advice to those in the competition — “If you like film and television or media in general, get involved. Go for it. Come up with an idea and film it with your friends. Make what makes you excited!” Be sure to check out campusmoviefest.com for more information and to stay up-to-date on Fordham University student entries. Best of luck to all competing!
The One with the “FRIENDS!” Review By MARIELLE SARMIENTO Arts & Culture Editor
Many students at Fordham are drawn to life in New York City because of the sheer amount of TV shows, movies and books that take place here. Everyone probably grew up watching reruns of “Friends.” If it hasn’t been your day, your week, your month or even your year, make sure to head down to St. Luke’s Theatre because your favorite friends have extended their Off-Broadway run of “FRIENDS! The Musical Parody.” From the creative team that brought you “Bayside! The Saved By The Bell Musical” and “90210! The Musical,” the hit sitcom “Friends” is parodied live on stage. The hilarious show chronicles all 10 seasons of the lives of Ross (Landon Zwick), Rachel (Patricia Sabulis), Chandler (Seth Blum), Joey (Alan Trinca), Monica (Lisa Graye) and Phoebe (Katie Johantgen) as they navigate relationships and romance as a friend group in New York City, with charming songs to move the story along. The most compelling part of the show is the attention to detail in recreating aspects of “Friends.” The interior of the intimate theater is made to look like Monica and Rachel’s iconic Manhattan apartment, with orange and purple walls and the same lamps as the TV show. The actual set, alternating between the apartment and Central Perk, the friends’ regu-
lar coffee shop hangout, are almost exact replicas from the TV show down to the coffee mugs. The cast had audiences dying of laughter with their spot-on impressions of the mannerisms and speech patterns of their television counterparts. The costumes and wigs consisted of each friend’s most recognizable outfits from the show. Johantgen and Trinca gave particularly noteworthy performances; t heir portrayals of Phoebe and Joey were near perfect impressions of Lisa Kudrow and
Matt LeBlanc and yet they still added their own funny quirks that refreshed the characters. The cast had the energy of an opening night performance, but moved together like a seasoned team, every movement and stunt clearly rehearsed. The songs are full of fun nods to all the inside jokes and major plot points in the show, using tight harmonies that correlate perfectly with the dynamics of the characters. While the musical doesn’t include any music from the TV show’s
COURTESY OF ST. LUKE’S THEATRE
“FRIENDS! The Musical Parody” has extended its run through the summer, bringing the parody to wider audiences.
soundtrack, it features original music by Assaf Gleizner, music director of other Off-Broadway parodies such as “Katdashians.” The choreography is almost cartoon-like and matches the outrageous personalities of the characters. The show is an overall entertaining experience, but when attending, it’s important to keep
in mind that it is a musical parody. This derivative work could not stand alone without an extensive knowledge of “Friends.” The show covers all the running gags and quintessential moments in the storyline, but a linear plot is nonexistent. In order to fully appreciate the show, you need to be a very particular type of fan. Casual or even regular viewers of “Friends” might not understand the joke references, while diehard fans may be offended by how much the musical mocks the original work. The ideal spectator has probably watched and rewatched all 10 seasons, but can enjoy poking a little fun at it. The show’s self-awareness and ability to make fun of itself by repeatedly breaking the fourth wall is what keeps it light and funny, and from falling far into the trappings of tackiness. This Off-Broadway show is a must experience for anyone who knows exactly when to clap during the opening credits of an episode. It’s the perfect activity for a fun night out with your own group of friends. “FRIENDS! The Musical” has extended its run through the summer at St. Luke’s Theatre on 308 W 46th St.
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Arts
May 3, 2018 THE OBSERVER
WWW.fordhamobserver.com
’Wright Next Door By GILLIAN RUSSO Staff Writer
Tucked away in Lincoln Center on the other side of the Metropolitan Opera, is a little gem known as the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts. Aside from being a great place to study if you need a break from the crowded Quinn Library, it’s a great place to visit for its free special exhibitions which change every few months. Now until May 5, the library’s museum space houses a small but rich exhibit entitled “Portraits of American Playwrights” by the award-winning, London-based photographer Bronwen Sharp. This exhibit is not Sharp’s first experience in photographing playwrights; she has photographed scriptists and theatre in London for 10 years. Now, she has come to the United States to document American theatre and the people who create it. Keeping with this implied theme of the roots of these playwrights and
The exhibit features more than a dozen contemporary American playwrights of various genders and races. their work, her photographs were taken in the playwrights’ own spaces — their writing rooms and their rehearsal studios.
COURTESY OF THE NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS.
“Portraits of American Playwrights” is currently at the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts.
The exhibit features more than a dozen contemporary American playwrights of various genders and races. Although one may not be familiar with them all by name, theatre lovers may know their work, as many of these playwrights’ works have headlined Broadway in recent years. Lisa Kron, who wrote the lyrics and book for the musical “Fun Home,” in addition to fea-
tured playwrights Lucas Hnath and Colman Domingo, who wrote Broadway’s “A Doll’s House, Part 2” and Off-Broadway’s “Summer: The Donna Summer Musical,” respectively, are featured in the exhibit. For those curious to know more about the works of the playwrights exhibited, especially those not currently on Broadway, a list of featured works from each playwright is displayed next
to his or her portrait. It also lists a directory of materials by that playwright available in the New York Library for the Performing Arts, which include scripts, full tapings of performances, critics’ reviews and more. In addition to the portraits, the exhibit also features memorabilia from performances of these playwrights’ works on display. Perhaps the most intriguing —
even to the non-theatregoer — is a photo of a young Eddie Redmayne from when he performed in the play “Red” by featured playwright John Logan. Pages from some of the playwrights’ scripts are also on display along with other memorabilia. So why go? The better question is — since the exhibit is just a two-minute walk from campus — why not go? A student interested in photography can marvel at the interplay between light and shadow in Sharp’s black and white photographs. A student interested in theatre can get a glimpse into the work of a playwright that interests them or discover a new playwright’s work to explore. A student interested in cultural studies can begin to learn about artists from various backgrounds and the conversations their work has begun. And for everyone else? Maybe you could go as a way to procrastinate on your final paper for a little while. Maybe you could go and discover a newfound interest in a writer’s work previously unknown to you. Or maybe, you could simply take a moment to look into the playwright’s pensive faces, which carry an undeniable sense that they are looking right into the future of the arts. You could be inspired to create something groundbreaking. The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts is open from 10:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday, and from 10:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Monday and Thursday. The exhibit can be viewed at any time during library hours.
“Avengers: Infinity War:” The Crown Jewel of the MCU By MARYANNA ANTOLDI Arts Editor Emerita
It’s finally here. From the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU)’s inception in 2008, fans have embraced 19 films’ worth of superheroes beginning with “Iron Man” and continuing all the way to “Black Panther.” But with each film, each character journey thus far has led to this very moment: a cosmic threat so dangerous, so life-threatening that it would take every single hero banding together to stop it. This isn’t your average Marvel movie. This is the climax. This is “Avengers: Infinity War.” And was it worth the wait? Yes. Yes, it was. We all know what to expect from Marvel by now: an action-packed film with convincing, genuinely lovable heroes and witty dialogue. But “Infinity War,” directed by Anthony and Joe Russo, is Marvel to the nth degree, the studio playing its best cards to make you laugh, cry and gasp over and over again. The characters everyone learned to love are now at risk, and each and every one of them is tested to their very limits. The result is emotion at every corner, because for once there’s a very plausible chance that the heroes may not actually make it out of this one alive. But who could be so powerful that he could stop an army of superheroes? The answer is Thanos (Josh Brolin), one of Marvel’s greatest villains. This deep-voiced, purple intergalactic adversary is out to harness the power of the “Infinity Stones” — six powerful gems introduced throughout the MCU films — in order to “balance” the universe. In other words, he wants to wipe
out half the galaxy. And, once he finds all of the stones, he can do so with just the snap of his fingers. Despite his daunting appearance, Thanos’ motivation is just as flat as most of the villains that came before him, touting the age-old mantra of wanting to fix the universe of its ills. What makes this antagonist so terrifying is his power. Whenever Brolin appears on screen, he commands it with only a handful of lines in each scene. While he does make his henchmen perform most of his dirty work, his appearances demand attention, everyone stilling to see just what he destroys next. He is powerful, unpredictable and captivating — just as any good villain should be. And with a villain of this size, both the Avengers and the Guardians of the Galaxy must unite to stop him. The sheer volume of this cast (with 76 characters in total) is intimidating for moviemakers and audience members alike. But, surprisingly, no scene feels overcrowded. “Infinity War” divides characters tactfully into groups with several subplots, flipping back and forth between them like episodes of different television programs. One moment you are with Thor in outer space, and the next you are following Captain America and Black Panther in Wakanda. It’s the smartest method to tackle such a massive project, and it was executed in the best way possible. Compared to previous Avengers flicks, “Infinity War” moves incredibly fast, with action and dialogue jam-packed into every moment. There are no breathers in this film. The Russo Brothers craft every scene with a specif-
ic purpose in mind; however, at times, the pace was overwhelming. With so many overlapping plotlines, it occasionally proved difficult to keep track of the story and absorb everything in an action sequence. The only way to truly comprehend everything in this film would be to see it a second time. The clear stars of the film were some of Marvel’s newest: Benedict Cumberbatch’s Doctor Strange, Tom Holland’s Spider-Man and the entire crew of the Guardians of the Galaxy. Whenever these characters land on screen, they provide some of the greatest moments of the film. Doctor Strange’s solo film was not the most memorable in the MCU. However, he is integral to “Infinity War,” and Cumberbatch’s performance is simply excellent, showing just how much the character is capable of to anyone who thought otherwise. Holland is also one to watch. While his character falls into the middle of the pack, it is his innocent sense of humor and heroic drive that make him stand out. The Guardians, on the other hand, were always excellent, witty characters; however, we now see them shine. They are responsible for both the loudest gasps and the biggest belly laughs, seamlessly fitting their humor into the severity of the film. They steal the spotlight, and rightfully so. The reason all these characters work in such a convoluted, chaotic movie is simple: we relate to them.This is the film where audiences are able to see their heroes stripped down to their very cores, revealing they are exactly the same as us. Their emotion in this film is unparalleled. The weight of the universe rests on
POSTER COURTESY OF WALT DISNEY PICTURES
“Avengers: Infinity War” is the culmination of a decade of movies.
their shoulders, and as a result of this we see their fear — sheer terror even — of losing. Losing the war, losing their loved ones, losing their own lives. Underneath the superpowers are people who just want to do good for others. And when the moment arises when they may not be able to do that, they are emotionally bare. We see them for who they really are: just as human as the audience members themselves.
So, with this amount of character development packed into a nearly three-hour blockbuster, “Avengers: Infinity War” is one of Marvel’s most profound. It’s fastpaced and action-packed, with twists and turns at every corner that keep you guessing. The only downside? The conclusion. I would have happily sat through two more hours to see what happens next. But, for now, I’m stuck theorizing just like everyone else.
Features
Features Editors Lindsay Jorgensen -ljorgensen@fordham.edu Jeffrey Umbrell - jumbrell@fordham.edu May 3, 2018 THE OBSERVER
At Fordham, Sustaining a Green Climate
GOING GREEN FROM PAGE 1
Environmental Club’s efforts were focused on reducing on-campus food waste. The club met frequently with Aramark, Fordham’s food service provider, to discuss expanding its recycling and composting programs. Generally, Aramark does “a lot of composting,” Griffith said, “but as far as the freshman dining hall [is concerned], there’s a lot of food waste.” While FCLC is a relatively small campus, she explained that “we still want to have as good of an impact on the environment as we can.” This past March, after talks with facilities, the club installed a compost bin in the second floor McMahon trash room, and Griffith hopes to soon install bins on other floors, too. Last semester, the Environmental Club circulated a petition to gauge support for an increased composting program, and students responded quite positively. Generally, Aramark has been “totally willing to listen” to and work productively with the club. “I think at times they’re taken aback,” Griffith said, “[because] they didn’t realize how strongly … the student body as a whole feels about sustainability.” Even if food waste in the dining locations could be reduced, Griffith explained that a lot of work goes into sorting the remaining trash and recycling. “We have so many bins that separate the plastics and paper from the trash waste,” she said, but added that it ultimately falls on students to put their waste into the proper receptacles. Students have to make a “cognitive choice” in deciding to recycle, and Griffith stressed that the Environmental Club, Aramark and facilities could all be doing a better job in “publicizing the importance” of making environmentally-conscious decisions. Griffith spoke highly of Fordham’s efforts to maintain and conserve its limited green spaces. By far the largest such space that the university owns is the Louis Calder Center (LCC), a 113-acre Biological Field Station located in Armonk, NY. Fordham acquired the property in 1967, but the existence of the LCC is not overtly publicized. Professor Thomas Daniels, the
JEFFREY UMBRELL/THE OBSERVER
Fordham conducts extensive biological and ecological research at the Louis Calder Center in Armonk, NY.
director of the LCC, explained that “there’s a lot of people who are interested in ecology and conservation issues [at Fordham], but you’d be surprised how few of them know about the Calder Center.” The LCC supports both graduate and undergraduate research. “[We] really want undergrads up here,” Daniels said. Often, students’ work involves them “going out” and “getting their hands dirty” while studying the center’s carefully maintained environment, which includes deciduous woodlands, a 10-acre lake and surrounding wetlands. “Lots of interesting ecological questions … can be addressed up here,” Daniels said. “It’s
just a question of finding the thing that you’re interested in.” A problem that Daniels and other faculty members are currently addressing is the prevalence of invasive species, such as vines that have been growing on and damaging the area’s trees. “The woods now are not the woods we had 30 years ago,” he noted, with regard to the effects that invasive species have had on the LCC. He and other faculty members consider ways in which they could delay the “assault” of invasives, taking into account the cost, feasibility and longterm effects of any potential decision. “It took a long time for the woods to get this way,” Daniels said. “It’s going
to take a long time for the woods to not be as bad.” Despite the harm caused by invasives, the LCC’s tree nursery program continues to thrive. The center has dedicated approximately one acre of land to the growth of trees that, once grown, can be dug up and transplanted to the other Fordham campuses. “We now have more trees here than they can use on campus,” Daniels explained, “so we’re going to use that space for other things.” He stressed that “the trees will stay,” but the space will be used in tandem with other research projects. Growing the trees on university-owned land is cheaper than buying them
elsewhere, and “by default,” Daniels said, “[when] you plant a tree, you’re helping reduce carbon emissions.” Daniels noted that conservation, ecology and sustainability are fields that “a lot of people are interested in” at Fordham. “I think it’s a testament to the university that they’ve maintained this center for 50 years.” Still, individual efforts to improve sustainability are just as important as those of institutions like the LCC. Griffith stressed the importance of always being environmentally conscious, which, on campus, can be as simple as “making sure that you put your waste in the right places.”
Westbrook-Lowery Hopes to Help By GIANNA SMERAGLIA Asst. Features Editor
Justin Westbrook-Lowery is a familiar face around Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC). A rising junior, he is known for his vast political knowledge and never-ending community work. Walking down from Fordham Lincoln Center with Westbrook-Lowery to Sacco’s Pizza on 9th Ave., we discuss the special election taking place in New York City and his excitement as this is the first special election that he gets to vote in. Arriving at the restaurant, we grab a slice, sit down and discuss the already impressive political career of Westbrook-Lowery and what drove him down the path of public service and politics at such a young age. For Westbrook-Lowery, public service has always been a part of his life, and his interest was piqued at a young age. “My mother is a second-generation trade unionist,” he said. “[She] works hard to make sure that people get their wages and benefits that they need to survive.” His father is a retired social
worker who worked for the Department of Mental Health and Hygiene. Westbrook-Lowery’s parents set the example for him, inspiring him to get involved in his community in the Bronx. When he joined Bronx Community Board 9 at 17, he was the youngest member in the board’s history. He now serves as the Secretary of Bronx Community Board 9 in addition to serving as the vice chair of the Social Services and Housing Committee. Along with being a member of the Veterans Committee, he is a member of the Bylaws Committee, a chairperson of DYCD Bronx Neighborhood Advisory Board 9 and a member of the NYPD 43rd Precinct Community Council. Westbrook-Lowery was also inspired by his mother at a young age to take an interest in politics. “My mother always used to take [me] to vote,” he said. “When I was old enough, she would let me pull the lever.” In 2004, his interest was sparked again by the presidential election: he recalls a mock vote that was held in his class — which gave him a taste for
politics. However, politics would not become a true passion until late 2007 when he first saw then-Senator Barack Obama on television during the Democratic primary debates. For Westbrook-Lowery, this was a turning point, as he saw that Obama was “a black man, a senator; he looked like me.” Seeing this representation sparked Westbrook-Lowery’s dream to pursue politics. As a young, gay black man, Westbrook-Lowery strives to advocate for and serve both the black and LGBTQ communities; he is the Vice President of the Stonewall Democratic Club of New York City and a member of the Parkchester NAACP. It is evident that politics and community service are driving forces in Westbrook-Lowery’s life when you take a look at his extracurriculars. In addition to being extremely involved in the Bronx community, LGBTQ communities and the NAACP, he is the male vice chair of the Young Democrats of America (YDA) Labor Caucus, secretary of the New York State Young Democrats and first vice president of
ANDREW BEECHER/THE OBSERVER
Westbrook-Lowery is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in political science.
the Bronx Young Democrats — to name a few. Pursuing a bachelor’s degree in political science, Westbrook-Lowery has high hopes for the future to land a career in public service. His biggest dream is to become a United States senator from New York. “I love the Senate; it’s so fun, it
is not quick, fast and in a hurry,” he said. “It is deliberate and thoughtful and that’s something that I have always tried to be. I think that the Senate would be a very good place for me.” While he does not know what the future holds for him, his dream and goal — first and foremost — is to help people.
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More Than Just “Helping:” Students GO! to Brazil By LINDSAY JORGENSEN Features Editor
As students impatiently anticipate the end of spring semester at Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC), Global Outreach (GO!) participants eagerly wait to begin their summer projects. This summer, accepted GO! students will embark on service outreaches in Brazil and Chicago. For those who are unfamiliar with GO!, according to its website, it is “a cultural immersion and service program where Fordham students learn about various issues of social, economic, political and environmental injustice while living a simple lifestyle that fosters communal and spiritual growth.” GO! also incorporates Jesuit teachings and beliefs such as “Magis,” which means “striving for the better” by encouraging its volunteers to learn about the inequalities in the area they are visiting. “We really contextualize your Jesuit education,” Paul Francis, director of GO!, said. “By taking you out of the class, you have a hands-on experience.” GO! offers applications for both national and international programs. They also provide scholarship opportunities for students. Francis stated that GO! tries to do the same projects every year to maintain a consistent relationship with their partner organizations. “We’re not going someplace, starting something and leaving, but we have an ongoing, continuous relationship with the organizations,” he said. “We really try to work through the organizations, our partner organizations.” For the Brazil program, students will be working through St. Sebastian’s Parish and their outreach efforts. In Chicago, students will be working through the David Darst Center for Service and Peace, Spirituality and Education, and the project will
COURTESY OF MICHELLE LAU
For her last outreach with GO!, Lau spent her spring break in Nicaragua.
be LGBTQ-focused. GO! is a little different from other outreach programs in that it is student-founded and student-led. While Francis manages the budget, aids in maintaining an ongoing relationship with the partner organizations and reaches out to donors, the students are expected to take the initiative with planning most of the project and gathering their team. “I think [GO! is] a little bit unique, we’re different from a lot of other schools where there’s someone in a staff position basically dictating what happens,” Francis said. “We really try to be more supportive rather than
pulling the team.” The GO! Brazil student leader this summer is Michelle Lau, FCLC ’19. A student participant in GO! Nicaragua’s spring project in 2017, Lau has taken on the responsibility of choosing the chaperone, interviewing and choosing her team (in conjunction with the GO! professional staff), planning weekly meetings and managing the finances of the trip through fundraising. Although most of the finances for the trip come through fundraising by the students, Francis stated that the organization gives out over $60,000 annually in scholarships, and is working to-
wards increasing the scholarship fund every year. The GO! Brazil team has been holding bake sales each Thursday in April. They have most recently made empanadas and quesadillas and delivered them to McKeon and McMahon Hall residents. They also held a thrift shop event on April 23. “We really try to get them to be leaders and take leadership. I think they learn how to be hands-on leaders,” Francis said. Lau’s success in forming a team that worked well together was simultaneously her greatest reward and challenge. “What I find so rewarding is the com-
munity that’s forming. I’ve been really lucky where my two teams have been such great people,” Lau said. “Challenges, I would say, [however,] is getting that community started. You’re bringing in different people, different perspectives, different personalities, so just trying to find that connection between people [is a challenge].” Although the Brazil project is still a work in progress, Lau stated that they will definitely be addressing environmental protection, food justice and education. She said they will also encourage social inclusion through creating a community garden and visit schools to learn about social justice issues that are prevalent in Brazil: racism, colorism and colonialism. “We do have a mantra in GO!, that’s ‘participate, don’t anticipate,’” Lau said. “I’ve heard that there’s a misconception of GO!, where people think we’re just going in there to ‘help’ people, but that’s not necessarily the case, because we do prepare to go into the host communities that we’ll be staying in, whether that’s learning about the social justice issues we’ll be facing.” Lau is having her team learn some Portuguese in preparation for the trip. Joshua Somrah, FCLC ’20, one of Lau’s team members, is “very excited to learn about a new culture and work with the people in Brazil to help them with the two main things we’re working on, which is food and security and education.” Students who wish to apply to a GO! program can apply online. According to Francis, the program typically receives a surplus of 150 applicants. “It’s heartbreaking, because we really want to try and find an opportunity for all those students to participate with Global Outreach,” Francis said. Lau and her group will be leaving May 21 for Brazil and returning at the end of the month.
Controversy and Coffee At Comey’s Book Tour By SAMI UMANI Copy Editor
It is unusual for most people’s Wednesday mornings to include an hour wait on a windy cross street; however, on April 18, hundreds lined the blocks around Barnes & Noble Union Square to purchase a copy of James Comey’s new book, “A Higher Loyalty: Truth, Lies, and Leadership.” At stake was the potential to get a signed copy and wristband to attend a talkback later in the evening. Lucky for me, I got both. When I returned to Barnes & Noble that evening to reserve a good seat for Comey’s appearance, it was apparent that the book drew polarizing reactions. In the morning, I saw people eagerly lining up to purchase his book. Hours later, police barricades fenced off the sidewalks outside the front of the store and protesters gathered outside, clutching signs that read “Jail Comey” and “Corrupt Comey.” Inside, the audience both heard and produced audible gasps when, at the stroke of seven, they spotted the 6-foot-8 man making his way to the stage. Comey had stated before that he did not want a commercialized book tour, and even refused to sign copies of his book up until two days prior to its release. Yet, he paraded his way through the obligatory press photos and
waited for his cue to go on stage, all while an ocean of iPhones and selfie sticks floated above the audience. One of the first things Comey said was that “when you suffer loss, your obligation is to try and make something good come from it.” This was the overarching theme of his discussion and the premise of his book, which he described as trying to be both — and at the same time, neither — a leadership book and a memoir. Comey noted that today, “we don’t have a good picture of what ethical leadership can be and should be.” In today’s world, he added, “we care about the rule of law.” It is this commonality that unites us all. Through a series of personal stories, the book focuses on what it means to be an ethical leader on both a personal and national level. With previous presidents such as George W. Bush and Barack Obama, Comey stated that they were held accountable to what they promised, and the public “tethered them to that.” Currently with President Trump, however, Comey spotted a clear distinction in the lack of responsibility entrusted to the president. He compared and contrasted the actions of the former presidents with the current, and the public’s reactions to them. Comey hit well with audience members through touches of humor. He detailed small
ANDREW BEECHER/THE OBSERVER
James Comey’s new book reflects on his years as the director of the FBI.
moments like President Obama’s poker face and what actors his children would choose to play him in a biopic, which he was vehemently against. At other times, audience members were impressed with his unaffected nature reacting to hecklers during his Q&A. While the talkback focused on the purpose of the book, he also mentioned some of his own insecurities, in-
cluding controlling his ego and the negative reputation that he thinks he has personally made for the FBI. Critics recognize that Trump’s occupancy in the novel holds bias, including a detailed description of his physical appearance, and is said to hurt Comey’s reputable image. Although Comey has faced widespread criticism on his book, President
Trump is only mentioned in three of the 14 chapters. Nonetheless, Comey’s confidence, humility and humor delineates from the typical memoir and creates a dialogue for reevaluating the current leadership, prompting us to ask ourselves what it means to be an ethical leader. Comey closed with a cry to the people: “Do not withdraw. Do not become disenchanted.”
Fun & Games
May 3, 2018 THE OBSERVER
CROSSWORD 44. Of small width 46. Ways of putting a sentence 50. Dish soap scent 51. Graduate’s woes 52. Johann, opponent of Martin Luther 53. ___-di-dah 54. CityMD’s style of care 56. Milton-reading grad’s field of study 58. McKeon or McMahon 61. Old cloth 62. “I could ___ horse!” 64. Literal and literary Bedelia 66. National hardware store 67. Student Affairs awards for graduating Rams with great conduct in student orgs. 68. Tender touch 69. 14-across’ camera flash 70. Dramatic backgrounds 71. Lobs Down EDITED BY DAN NASTA
Across 1. Fordham Fulbright winner Elodie 7. Nerd 11. The Source Family Father 14. Steve Jobs’ texting device 15. Wander, as on Mars 16. Scene, to Jacques 17. Packed away 18. On the waves 19. Golden State Killer’s alt. alias 20. Wilder’s “Our ___” 21. Down in the dumps 23. Posture
25. Expelled Syracuse frat Theta ___ 27. Jacques’ response to the Dress 29. Solid ___ core of Earth 30. Lemon juice and battery fluid 32. Exam practically taken when trying to understand diploma designations 34. Tried out, as with software 36. Griller’s serving utensils 37. Buck’s mate, heteronormatively 38. Queen of Chicago 40. “A long time ___ in a Galaxy far, far away” 43. Cantaloupe or honeydew
1. JSTOR-loving grad’s field of study 2. “I solemnly swear that I am ___ no good.” 3. “Twin Peaks”-reviving cable network 4. Dorothy’s shuttle to Oz 5. Loneliest number 6. ___ Declassified School Survival Guide 7. Fordham’s seniors on May 19 8. Rounded lip balm brand 9. The nights before Christmas and New Years 10. The building outside of Ford
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WORD SCRAMBLE Question: What many Fordham students experienced last Thursday through Sunday? WEALI SHSPRRO
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Answer
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-ham where graduates will sit for commencement 11. “Pee-wee’s Playhouse’s” flirtatious Miss 12. Parts of a pound or parts of a cup 13. Abandon 22. Internet service provider with free trial CDs 24. Farm-based insects 26. Malaise one might feel upon graduation 28. “What business is ___ yours?” 30. Introduce 31. Gabelli grad’s dream job 33. ___ instant 35. Mustachioed surrealist 39. Signal of when to leave a message 40. Cavities within a graduation gown 41. Unknown sticky substance 42. Possess 43. Word after lion’s or Gucci 45. Writers’ customers 46. Like wives or knives 47. Disgraced comedian Louis’ web series title character 48. Dunked (on), teasingly 49. Descend a slope 55. Yarn that’s spun 57. Diplomatic tool 59. Action anticipated of Christ and leavened dough 60. Volume’s brother and density’s cousin 63. Ink on skin, abbr. 65. Communist Chairman
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2 9 6 5 1 4 3 4 3 6 2 4 7 8 5 6 3 2 9 3 5 9
9 2
8
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7 1 7 9 6 6 8 5 1 7 4 2 6
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Features
May 3, 2018 THE OBSERVER
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FORDHAM SENIORS LOOK BACK Their futures bright, with confidence and hope, friends, peers and leaders reflect on their time at Fordham University. Here are some of their fondest memories: “Production nights were great. As a transfer student, it allowed me to feel like I was more part of Fordham’s community. Coming to the Observer and becoming a member of the Observer … it was really great because it was people from all grades and different parts of campus coming together and working on something that I feel is very important because student media is important. We have bonded a lot and it’s been really nice to part of something bigger than myself on campus. If there was something that I would highly recommend to others it would be to join the Observer, or any other club that you’re interested in, because it helps you to create a community of your own.” - Katherine Smith
“Oh brother! Okay. There are so many. My favorite thing here at Fordham hasn’t been one particular moment, but it’s been overall. I’d say through my experience with ResLife and also in BeWell LC, it’s been rewarding to get see my residents and see the wellness educators learn and grow, and also see myself learn and grow through that process, and just have everyone get to know one another better and have that sort of reciprocal learning.” - Sophie Scott
“My favorite memory at Fordham was my Global Outreach program in Nicaragua. It was such a transformative experience. I realized what a Jesuit education meant once I went on that project because Global Outreach is structured according to the Jesuit Volunteer Corps. It was an all-encompassing experience where I was able to apply what I’ve learned at school and what I grew to learn about Nicaragua and sort of bring it all together. It was one of those real life experiences that reinforced what a Jesuit education meant to me. ” - Sandhiya Nadarajah
“One of my favorite things that I’ve had throughout my time at Fordham is being in the first class of the Gabelli program at Lincoln Center. It’s great because we’ve sort of been able to build a community over the four years that we’ve been here.”
- Joe Gorman
“One of my favorite memories at Fordham is the Senior Leadership Awards from last year, because I had a lot of friends who were graduating and it’s just really nice to see a moment when the Fordham administration acknowledges how much they appreciate everything that leaders do. Obviously as friends we know it and see it and support each other all the time, but hearing the nominations
“My most positive Fordham
that people wrote for people
memory was studying abroad.
you care about, and hearing
Just being so far away from
Miss Campbell and Dean Eldredge and Claire Cumberland and everyone stand up and say we love you and appreciate you and could not
everything I’ve grown up knowing, I’d never been out of the country and being able to explore all these places but still
have done any of this with-
having the sense of commu-
“After my second semester
out you … It’s so beautiful
nity, like travelling with other
finals freshman year, me and
… You can hear what the
Fordham students and learn-
all my friends sprinted to
ing in all these crazy places I’d
Central Park and we got bed
administration has to say but also what the students are saying about other students and I think that that’s really beautiful … And I love it.” - Nadia Semmar
never been to. Even though we were so far [away] there was a strong sense of ‘ramily.’” - Meg Crane
sheets, laid on the grass, and listened to music. It was a little intimate oasis in the middle of the city.” - Brett Taylor
“One of my favorite Fordham experiences was being part of Poetry Collective, a student-run weekly meetup where people share writing that they enjoy. I met most of my closest friends through it, including some of my roommates, and I can’t imagine college without the late nights in McMahon, sharing poetry with people I love. I also had an amazing time on my photography study abroad to Tokyo in the winter of my sophomore year.” - Gillian Bashaw
Photo courtesy of Ruby Gara, Colin Sheeley, Steph Lawlor, Jordan Meltzer, Courtney Brogle, Sophie Scott, Jeffrey Umbrell and Luke Osborn
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Sports & Health
Sports & Health Editors Luke Osborn - losborn1@fordham.edu Artemis Tsagaris - atsagaris@fordham.edu May 3, 2018 THE OBSERVER
Sexual Health at Fordham: Facts and Prevention By LUKE OSBORN Sports & Health Editor
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), young people 15 to 24 years old make up half of all new cases of sexually transmitted infections (STI). What’s more, the number of reported cases of chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis are increasing at dramatic rates. The number of reported cases of chlamydia in males increased 14 percent from 2012 to 2016. In the same time period, the number of cases of gonorrhea in males increased 29.9 percent. While the number of reported cases of both gonorrhea and chlamydia in females decreased by 1.4 percent in this same timeframe, the prevalence of both infections continues to pose a danger to young adults that are sexually active. For instance, the overall rate of reported cases of chlamydia in 2016 was 3,437.5 cases per 100,000 females between 15 to 24 years old, and the overall rate of reported gonorrhea infections was 540.8 cases per 100,000. Cases of syphilis increased even more than gonorrhea and chlamydia. In the same period, syphilis cases increased by 54.2 percent in males 15 to 24 years old and 64.5 percent in females of the same age group. The cases of syphilis per 100,000 individuals, however, are much lower than that of chlamydia and gonorrhea. Needless to say,
the dramatic increase in rates of syphilis year-to-year is cause for concern. For college aged individuals (ages 20 to 24), the rates of syphilis are 6.7 cases per 100,000 females and 37.9 cases per 100,000 males. Men who are 20 to 24 years old appear to have the highest rate of syphilis among all age groups and sexes. The rate of syphilis increased among women 20-24 years old by 28.8 percent from 2015 to 2016. However, the above statistics exclusively apply to heterosexual interactions. Data for men who have sex with men (MSM), shows a different trend in rates of STIs. 80.6 percent of recorded syphilis cases are from MSM. For MSM, the rates of syphilis are much higher than men who have sex with women (MSW); the rate of syphilis among MSM is 200 to 400 cases per 100,000 MSM compared to 37.9 cases per 100,000 MSW. Other STIs like gonorrhea are also present in different rates among MSM. The rate of gonorrhea among MSM from 2010 to 2015 has increased 151.0 percent. In 2015, the CDC estimated that the rate of gonorrhea was 3,434.7 cases per 100,000 MSM. Though HIV can be spread in ways other than sexual contact, it is important to note the rates of new HIV cases, because transmission is highly preventable via the use of condoms or oral pre-exposure prophylaxis
Another Ram Makes It to the NFL
ANDREA GARCIA/THE OBSERVER
Edmonds is the first Ram drafted into the NFL since John Skelton in 2010. By LAUREN RUSSELL Contributing Writer
Chase Edmonds, Fordham College at Rose Hill (FCRH) ’18, a former Fordham football standout, is taking the next step in his football career. On April 28 Edmonds was drafted by the Arizona Cardinals as the 134th overall pick of the NFL Draft in the fourth round. This makes Edmonds the first Fordham Ram drafted since John Skelton was selected by the Cardinals in the fifth round in the 2010 NFL Draft. The Cardinals invited Edmonds to a predraft visit, so he must have left a great impression on the team. Edmonds will be joining David Johnson, Elijhaa Penny, Victor Darius and T.J. Logan in the Arizona running back room. The Fordham product has the ability to catch passes out of the back field which is a skill becoming highly valued in running backs. He runs with the ability to make quick cuts and elude defenders. He draws comparisons to current Tennessee Titans running back,
Dion Lewis, because of his running style and their similar size. During the first week in March, Edmonds participated in the NFL combine. The NFL combine is where pro football hopefuls can showcase their talents to scouts by performing in a variety of football-related drills. Overall, the former Fordham star had a great showing at the combine. In the three cone drill, he put up the best time out of all the tailbacks, with a time of 6.79 seconds. Edmonds’ time for the 20-yard shuttle - 4.07 seconds - also stood out as it was tied for the best running back time. His strong combine performance was something that definitely helped him get drafted as high as the fourth round. But, ultimately, Edmonds performance at the collegiate level is what granted him the invitation to the combine. In his career at Fordham he rushed for 5,862 yards; the fifth most in NCAA FCS history. He also recorded 67 rushing touchdowns. WFUV Sports staff member Emmanuel Berbari, Fordham College at Rose Hill (FCRH) ’21, said before the draft that if Edmonds gets picked it would have a big impact on the football program recruiting process going forward, because it shows recruits that they can have success at Fordham. He also believes having a big player come out of the program like Edmonds can increase the publicity the teams gets in the future. So, although Edmonds might not be physically on the field helping the Rams to victory, his legacy may be encouraging high school stars to play for Fordham.
supplements. In 2016, 20 to 24 year old individuals made up the largest age group among new HIV diagnoses. Overall, 70 percent of these diagnoses were of gay and bisexual men and 23 percent of them were of heterosexuals. Nevertheless, the number of new diagnoses of HIV is decreasing; in the years between 2011 and 2015, new HIV diagnoses have decreased by 5 percent. Here’s how you can protect yourself: The CDC recommends, “Abstaining from sex, reducing the number of sexual partners, and consistently and correctly using condoms” in order to prevent new STIs. Executive Director of Fordham University Health Services, Kathleen Malara, also stresses that students who engage in high-risk behavior, like having multiple sexual partners and/or inconsistently practicing safe sex, should get tested for STIs often. The CDC recommends testing at least once a year for all sexually active individuals. Fordham Health Services is available on campus to provide screening for every STI. Moreover, if you are diagnosed with any STI, Fordham Health Services can provide you with treatment. The only thing Health Services cannot provide you with are condoms. According to the Ethical and Religious Directives for Catholic Health Care Services that was issued in 2009,
BRU-NO VIA PIXABAY
Condoms are contraceptives that also prevent STI transmission.
Fordham Health Services must abide to the following guideline: “The Church cannot approve contraceptive interventions that ‘either in anticipation of the marital act, or in its accomplishment or in the development of its natural consequences, have the purpose, whether as an end or a means, to render procreation impossible.’” Though Fordham Health Services can provide ample measures to treat STIs, they cannot aid in preventing them beyond endorsing abstinence. Nonetheless, students can gain
access to condoms at any walkin clinic, and they are readily available commercially. At any rate, preventing STIs is a matter of choice. You must pick which method of prevention best fits your lifestyle. Whether abstinence or safe sex is the best plan of action for you, it is imperative to take steps to protect yourself from STIs, for the rates of STIs are generally increasing among young adults. Reducing these rates is possible as long as measures of prevention are widely practiced.