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By SOPHIE PARTRIDGE-HICKS News Editor
Hundreds of people gathered on the morning of Saturday, Jan. 18, despite freezing temperatures for the city’s annual Women’s March. Demonstrators gathered at Columbus Circle, minutes away from Fordham Lincoln Center (FLC), and downtown at Foley Square in a massive show of support for women’s rights. On West 72nd Street, Women’s March Alliance (WMA) protesters began gathering as early as 10 a.m., bundled in layers to brave the cold donning pink pussy cat hats and posters with feminist quotes. As the march began, demonstrators chanted “No justice, no peace!” while marching toward the Trump Hotel down Central Park South. Many Fordham students were alongside the hundreds of demonstrators. “I went because I wanted to be a part of this great group of strong and powerful women who are not in anyway afraid of fighting for their rights,” said Maya Nayman, Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) ’23, who joined the rally in Columbus Circle. The 2020 WMA march theme was “Rise and Roar,” as Co-Chairwoman Arzu Brown explained, “We have to roar, have to be heard, and it resounds to make sure it makes an impact.” see MARCH page 5
January 22, 2020 VOLUME XL, ISSUE 1
Women’s March 2020
Fordham Takes Action With New Dean for Student Support
COURTESY OF TRACYANN WILLIAMS
Williams will be the first dean for student support on LC’s campus. By KATRINA LAMBERT Asst. News Editor
The Assistant Dean’s Office at Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) — currently composed of four deans for each class and transfer students — will introduce a new position to the team: the Assistant Dean for Student Support and Success. Laura Aurrichio, dean of FCLC, announced in an email sent to Fordham faculty on Jan. 17 that the newly created position at Lincoln Center will be filled by Tracyann Williams, Ph.D. Williams will officially start on Feb. 5, according to Aurrichio. Williams is coming to FCLC from The New School in Lower Manhattan, where she currently serves as the Director of Academic Affairs in the Bachelor’s Program for Adults and Transfer Students. The New School is also Aurrichio’s former place of work before she was appointed to replace the Rev. Robert R. Grimes, S.J., in April 2019. Aurrichio made it known that she and Williams crossed paths at The New School; Williams reported to her for three years during their time together. However, she told the search committee for the new position, “Although I knew her and liked her, I don’t want that in any way, shape or form to influence their decision making.” Aurrichio said she was very
See pages 10-11 for more photos JOE KOTTKE/THE OBSERVER
Demonstrators storm New York City’s streets demanding women’s rights and protesting injustices.
FCLC Students Premiere Digital Comedy Show ‘A Sip With Vodka’
Revisiting Fordham True Crime Cases By EMMA SEIWELL Asst. Features Editor
In the palmy days of one’s college years, it’s easy to overlook the lingering threat of campus violence and crime. Often preoccupied with the day-to-day academic demands and social occupations, comfortable in the secluded community that university life cultivates, students can lose sight of the fact that their campuses are very much a part of the real world. The following two criminal cases involve members of Fordham’s past student populations, but the specific circumstances stand at opposite ends of the spectrum. Considering the relatively small size of the Fordham student body, it is shocking that such newsworthy events involved Fordham students. In February 1997, Fordham Patrick McNeill, Fordham College at Rose Hill ’98, went missing after a night out with friends at a popular Upper East Side college bar called the Dapper Dog. Around midnight, when McNeill decided he was going to head back to Fordham’s Rose Hill campus close to midnight, a female friend of his see CRIME page 18
see page 6
COURTESY OF MICHAEL KUSHNER
Tai Leclaire, Sarah Rachel Lazarus and Andy Vega (left to right) star in the series about a wannabe American housewife. By GILLIAN RUSSO Arts & Culture Editor
“There will be a moment when you are asked to let loose,” says Natasha, the lead character of “A Sip With Vodka” (“ASWV”). “You. Are. Ready.” Perhaps the production team thought something similar last weekend as they unleashed the new comedy show, in all its campy, quirky, Russian-American glory, upon the digital world. On Jan. 18, “ASWV’s” pilot
episode debuted at an intimate premiere party at The Artist Coop, ahead of its public YouTube launch on Jan. 20. The approximately 70 guests laughed and chatted over pierogis, cupcakes and, of course, some sips of vodka, keeping with the show’s Eastern European influence. “ASWV” follows Natasha, a Russian woman, as she moves to America with dreams of becoming a real housewife. The concept is the marriage of diverse influences in the life of Sarah Rachel
see DEAN page 4
Lazarus, Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) ’19. She herself is the great-granddaughter of Russian immigrants, and her grandmother often told her stories of the country. Lazarus, the creator, producer, co-writer and star of “ASWV,” began developing Natasha’s character as an amateur video project in high school. “I am Russian housewife and I am going to meet Andy Cohen,” she said in a Russian accent, reenacting the video. She jokingly called Natasha her “other per-
sonality,” inspired not only by her heritage, but also her lifelong fascination with reality TV. “It’s trash in a fabulous way, which I love. Anna Nicole Smith was my life,” Lazarus recalled. “It’s such an interesting form of entertainment, reality TV, because it’s not real, but it’s an interpretation in a different world. I don’t know how to describe it. But I’ve always loved the housewives.” see VODKA page 15
Opinions
Arts & Culture
Sports & Health
Features
A dying major receives a lively defense
FCLC junior to debut original play in The Bowery Page 13
Should you be counting calories at the club?
Clubs and advisors help students prepare for their futures Page 18
Justice for Classics Majors Page 9
Student-Produced Theater
What’s in a Drink? Page 19
The Student Voice of Fordham Lincoln Center
Demystifying Pre-Law
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January 22, 2020 THE OBSERVER
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Fordham Faces Flooding Emergency to Start Spring 2020
By GUS DUPREE and SOPHIE PARTRIDGE-HICKS News Editors
On Jan. 13, the first day of the spring semester, Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) was forced to close after a 36-inch water main broke and flooded West 63rd Street at Broadway. The burst happened at 5 a.m., and by 7 a.m., Public Safety contacted students announcing that classes were delayed. The break prompted the closure of Broadway between West 61st and West 72nd Streets and suspended the 1, 2 and 3 subway lines from Times Square to 96th Street. NYC Water announced in a tweet that “there will be temporary water outages in the area,” as crews try to make repairs. Students were advised not to use the water in McKeon Hall and the 140 West Building. Martha de Pumarejo, residence director for upper-class students, contacted students that morning explaining that water “is very scarce due to the breakage from our neighborhood.” “The water in the building is shut off and facilities are working their best to mitigate this issue,” she wrote in an email at 11:30 a.m. After being told they were unable to use the water, McKeon Hall residents were given permission to utilize the showers in the McMahon Fitness Gym. Water in McMahon Hall was also affected, and de Pumarejo warned residents of cloudy water, which she advised could be resolved by running the water until it clears. The limited water services also caused dining services on campus, including Argo Tea and the Din-
ing Hall, to close. Without water, dining room staff were unable to wash their hands or properly clean equipment, making it impossible for them to meet food safety and Department of Health standards. Deming Yaun, the university dining contract liaison, explained that “if an inspector were to walk in and see us operating without water or steam, there would be all kinds of issues. Everything with food safety requires that kind of support.” The Ram Cafe was partially closed as well, only selling pre-packaged food and beverages that had met food safety standards. “In the case where we cannot use our facilities, we are able to feed residents for three days with pre-packaged food supplies we have on campus,” Yaun said. The university also has relationships with vendors who would bring food onto campus if that support were needed. In this type of emergency situation, Yaun explained that the biggest priority is supporting students in McKeon Hall who don’t have kitchens. “It’s really frustrating to have to go out and spend money on food right away because of the limited options at Ram Cafe,” said McKeon resident Larry Hetz, FCLC ’23. At 3:30 p.m., de Pumarejo announced that water had been restored to McKeon Hall, and that the Community Dining Hall, initially indicated to be closed for the day, would be open from 5 to 7 p.m. Ram Van services were also disrupted, with service between Lincoln Center and Rose Hill suspended until 4 p.m. Students with classes at Rose Hill were still obli-
gated to attend, most using the D train to get to class on time. While the reason for the burst is still unknown, Ted Timbers, a spokesman for the department of environmental protection, told the New York Times that wintery conditions put pressure on New York’s city older pipes as the water expands and contracts with the temperature changes. The day before the pipe burst, Jan. 2, temperatures in the city soared to over 60 degrees Fahrenheit before dropping back down to 45 degrees on Jan. 13. The rupture also affected steam services which connect the Lincoln Center campus to the city and help heat and cool buildings. The Lowenstein Building and the 140 West Building’s heating systems were compromised. Students, staff and faculty were advised to bring an extra layer of clothing to campus on Jan. 14, according to a 2:30 p.m. Public Safety email. The university was able to use a temporary external piece of equipment supplied by Con Edison to supply the campus with steam and heat temporarily. That system allowed Argo Tea, the Ram Cafe and other on-campus dining options to resume full services on Jan. 16. Full services were expected to be restored across campus on Jan. 21, but Public Safety emailed the Fordham community at 5 p.m. that day explaining that damage to the steam lines was worse than anticipated. Without central heating, students have complained about cold temperatures. “Classrooms in Lowenstein are still freezing,” Caleb Pelmas, FCLC ’21, said. “Everyone was sitting in class with their jackets on trying to stay warm. It
GUS DUPREE/THE OBSERVER
Firefighters redirect water flow from the ruptured main onto 61st Street between Broadway and Columbus Avenue.
made it really hard to concentrate and actually take notes because I was so cold,” he continued. Public Safety assured students that they have ordered a special high pressure boiler from Con Edison to provide heat to the campus. “We apologize for the inconvenience that our Lincoln Center community has endured and are actively working to bring appropriate heat to every space,” John Carroll, associate vice president of public safety, wrote in an email. “Obviously the school has no control over it, but I wish there could’ve been better preparation
and a clearer protocol for this situation,” Hetz said. However, Yaun believed that FCLC had a great response to the emergency. He said that Fordham officials were on conference calls almost immediately after learning about the burst and were in constant communication throughout the day. “Emergencies are not scripted,” Yaun said, noting that the incident with the burst pipe will be something that he and other members of Fordham’s emergency response planning committee will be able to learn from in the future.
Timeline of Events 5 a.m.
7 a.m.
10 a.m.
11:30 a.m.
2:30 p.m.
3:30 p.m.
A 36-inch water main servicing the Upper West Side breaks, flooding 63rd Street at Broadway.
Fordham College at Lincoln Center delays all classes.
Public Safety announces that classes are canceled.
Water in McKeon is shut off, and McMahon residents are warned that water might be cloudy.
Students are emailed that FCLC campus would reopen for evening classes at 5 p.m.
Water is restored to McKeon and Community Dining Hall, which was initially closed for the day, would be open from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.
PHOTOS BY ANDREW DRESSNER/THE OBSERVER
City officials worked to contain the flooding on 63rd Street and remove the water through pumps. The subways and roads were closed for multiple hours until order was restored.
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THE OBSERVER January 22, 2020
News
Fordham Honors MLK With ‘Radical King Week’ Events
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By JOE KOTTKE Asst. News Editor
To honor Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Arto Woodley, Ph.D., executive director of the Center for Community Engaged Learning, lectured on the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s life and legacy. The Jan. 21 event commenced “Radical King Week” on the Fordham Lincoln Center campus. Chief Diversity Officer Rafael Zapata helped develop the week’s theme with the hope of fully representing King’s legacy. As Woodley noted in his speech, “When you think of King, you think of the ‘I Have a Dream’ speech; we don’t look at what his words really meant.” In the past year, Fordham has worked to develop initiatives surrounding inclusion, diversity and equity. That, coupled with an 18% increase of black students enrolled at Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC), led to a more coordinated attempt to celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Woodley centered his lecture on King’s final book “Where Do We Go From Here: Chaos or Community?” The book was published in 1967, when King developed his positions on racial inequality to also include socioeconomic status. “King discovered the battle was not just between black and white, but between the haves and havenots, which sparked his poor people’s campaign,” Woodley said. King cited racism, consumerism and militarism as negating the war on poverty. “King talked about poverty and how African Americans amassed power from an ideological, educational and economic standpoint,” Woodley explained. One lecture attendee, Devin Deane, a graduate student at the NYU Silver School of Social Work, said that he enjoyed the lecture because it went beyond the conversations usually found in
JOE KOTTKE/THE OBSERVER
In a lecture discussing the radical shift of Martin Luther King Jr., Arto Woodley, Ph.D., engages students and faculty in a dialogue about the civil rights movement.
classrooms and explored radical shifts. “King understood that the civil rights movement did not end with eliminating segregation but moved into economic justice and fulfilling the ideals that America promised to all people,” he said. Woodley said that nonviolent resistance was just the beginning of the civil rights movement, though that is often the extent of teachings on King. “When we think about leaders in the civil rights movement, we put them into a bubble as ‘nonviolent’; we don’t look at their growth as leaders,” Deane said. Woodley said that King had a revolutionary approach to leadership, community and love. King also believed in sacrificial leadership and was a “radical listener.”
At the end of the lecture, Woodley answered questions from the audience, pushing his listeners to be “bridge builders” by intentionally making relationships with different people. “In academic settings, we are good at talking, but we don’t take action,” Woodley said. The small audience began their discussion by talking about the importance of developing a dedicated and committed community. “Although this isn’t a packed room, it’s an energetic room; it takes a group of committed people to make change,” Zapata said. Lecture attendee Jayden Doan, FCLC ’22, expressed an interest in engaging in community work at Fordham, but wished the event’s attendance was higher. “I loved
the lecture, but I was very disappointed in the turnout. I went to MLK events at Rose Hill last year and the room was packed with community leaders, faculty and students,” she said. Woodley’s lecture is the week’s first event, to be followed by student-organizing workshops and additional speakers, including Janaya Khan, co-founder of the Black Lives Matter movement, on Jan. 23. Zapata, who is in his third year of serving as Chief Diversity Officer, is already planning next year’s events. He said he will ask for input from the Fordham community and is exploring possibilities of renaming the week “Justice Week.” “Our goal is to organize events for people to come together to
hear, engage and reflect,” Zapata said. “You discover who else cares about the issue; we want to convene the community around shared values and our mission.” Elizabeth Hinton, author of “From the War on Poverty to the War on Crime: The Making of Mass Incarceration in America,” is already scheduled to speak next year. Zapata said he also wants to plan a film screening of “Decade of Fire,” a 2018 documentary chronicling the fires in the Bronx throughout the 1970s. Zapata reaffirmed Woodley’s placement of importance on action. Woodley closed by saying, “If you don’t take the words and experiences that King left and you don’t make a difference, then was it just a dream?”
Alex and Jean Trebek Receive Fordham Founder’s Award By GUS DUPREE News Editor
Members of the Fordham community, including the Rev. Joseph M. McShane, S.J., gathered at the Bel-Air Country Club in Los Angeles on Jan. 7 to present iconic “Jeopardy!” host Alex Trebek and his wife Jean Trebek with the founder’s Award. Alex Trebek had been recording five “Jeopardy!” episodes the same day and was still wearing stage makeup when he received the award, which was a statuette of Fordham founder the Rev. Joseph Hughes, S.J. This was the first time that the founder’s Award was presented outside of New York City. Roger A. Milici Jr., vice president for development and university relations, stated that the founder’s Award “recognizes individuals whose personal and professional lives reflect the highest aspirations of the University and its defining traditions, as an institution dedicated to wisdom and learning in the service of others. “Awardees,” Milici continued, “are designated founder’s of Fordham for their personal achievements for their contributions to the life of the University, and for their support of founder’s Scholars. Fordham founder’s exemplify the renewal of the University’s identity and mission through successive generations of women and men for others.” Alex and Jean Trebek have been actively involved in New York City philanthropy, founding the Alex Trebek Endowed Scholarship Fund in 2015, which provides
COURTESY OF FORDHAM NEWS
Trebek accepts the Fordham Founder’s award with an inspiring speech about the power of prayer in his life at the Bel-Air Country Club.
financial aid to Fordham students from Harlem and East Harlem. Earlier in 2019, the Trebeks donated an additional $1 million to the fund. Alex Trebek has been the host of the famous game show “Jeopardy!” since 1984 and has received numerous awards, including six Emmy Awards for Outstanding Show Host, and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
In his acceptance speech, Trebek emphasized the “power of prayer” which has helped him over the past year dealing with stage IV pancreatic cancer, as well as the outpouring of support he’s received since the diagnosis. Jean Trebek discussed how education, “and probably more importantly, higher education, is one of the linchpins of society. “Once we are allowed to have
the support that leads to an educated mind,” Jean Trebek continued, “that mind has the opportunity to be open and curious which allows for a fuller understanding and appreciation of our humanity both individually and collectively.” The Trebeks’ son Matthew is an alumnus of Fordham College at Rose Hill who graduated in 2013 with a degree in philosophy.
McShane praised Trebek for his “quiet generosity” and invaluable role as a teacher to a wide audience. “As the host of ‘Jeopardy!’ he is our school teacher and we look forward to going to school every evening,” McShane said. “He teaches us about how to live each day with purpose, with focus, with determination, with love and without being obsessed with oneself,” McShane added.
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January 22, 2020 THE OBSERVER
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Expanded Community Center Welcomes Student Veterans By GUS DUPREE News Editor
Of the 468 student veterans who attend Fordham, nearly all of them volunteered after the Sept. 11 attacks. As the veterans leave service to begin their studies, the Veterans Center serves these former servicemen and -women as they reenter civilian life. In November 2019, the Veterans Center was expanded and now resides in room 145 of the 140 West Building to include more office space and a lounge for student veterans to congregate. Matthew Butler, director of military and veterans’ services for the Student Veterans of America at Fordham (SVAF), said that the Veterans Center acts as both a meeting place and resource for student veterans to continue their studies at Fordham and act as a space for veterans to socialize. Butler described how student veterans face unique challenges when returning to civilian life, and why support systems like the Fordham Veterans Center are so important. “The military is a culture that you join, it kind of wraps around you and then you leave; it’s like leaving your family,” Butler said. “As soon as they leave, that support ends and they have to figure out how to bridge those different networks and systems and bureaucracies to get to a point where they’re in school.” For student veterans like Damaris Gonzalez, a first-year junior at Fordham, the Veterans Center is a crucial link that connects her to Fordham. “We’re older than a lot of people in our classes. You don’t really relate to these people who are 18, 19 years old, so it’s hard to talk to them or even ask to hang out in that sense,” she said. “It’s cooler to go to the Veterans Center and see people your age — you relate to them,” Gonzalez said. “It’s easier just because we have that space and we all can meet up,” she continued. Fellow student veteran Diego Garcia, a sophomore whose service ended in September, also finds comfort in the Veterans Center. “Fordham’s definitely paved the
COURTESY OF STUDENT VETERANS OF AMERICA AT FORDHAM
Fordham student veterans attended NatCon, a national convention for student veterans across the country to meet and share their experiences.
way in a particular direction where I can see what I want in life, and the transition is probably the easiest as it could be,” he said. Comparing the role of the Veterans Center to that of high school college counselors, Butler explained how both offer insight and support to their students with continuing their education. “It wasn’t something that you just had to figure out; you had people showing you the path,” Butler said, referring to the college admissions process in which college counselors in high school assist prospective undergraduate students. “Think if you were applying for school but you were outside that support network. That’s really what a lot of veterans experience when
they transition from the military. “With the expanded vet center,” Butler continued, “We’ve got a place for veterans to congregate. It gives them a space where it’s open to everybody but specifically for veterans to feel comfortable with other people who are in their same situation.” Butler’s chief roles include ensuring that student veterans have applied for and are receiving the stipends they are entitled to under the Post-9/11 GI Bill. The bill is viable for veterans who served at least 90 days in the U.S. military following the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks and includes stipends for tuition and school supplies. According to Butler, the average student veteran was nearly iden-
tical to their traditional student counterparts in almost every way, with the average age being approximately 22 to 23 years old. “In comparison to their (student) peers, they’re just like you, just four years — in most cases — in their lives,” Butler said. Butler also communicates with prospective students who are still in service around the world. “As they try to figure out their future we give them the support they need to answer some of the unknown questions that are very critical to them making a big move,” Butler said. In addition to providing resources for student veterans, both Gonzalez and Garcia mentioned recreational activities sponsored by the
Veterans Center, including bowling parties, sports events and meet-ups with student veterans from other colleges like New York University and Pace University. “There’s a lot of activities that we want to get up in the air and get the ball rolling,” Gonzalez said. Student veterans, according to Butler, have a greater connection to each other because of their shared military background — which student veterans may rely on to feel more comfortable on campus. “Certainly the camaraderie you feel in the military is one of the things that many vets say feels like is missing,” Butler said. “Having a place to call their own is also important so that they feel like they’re part of the university.”
To Improve Retention, Fordham LC Creates New Dean Position DEAN from page 1
pleased to hear that Williams had ended up at the top of the search committee’s list. The search committee for Williams’ new position was the same committee that conducted the search to fill the position of Assistant Dean for First-Year Students, previously held by Joseph Desciak, appointing Conor O’Kane to the role on Dec. 17. Chairing the committee for both searches was Assistant Dean of Sophomores Mica McKnight. According to McKnight, the search began in October 2019. The search committee was vast, comprising eight Fordham faculty members from a variety of departments. Aurrichio said she wanted to involve a great portion of the administration in order to capitalize on the new position’s holistic aspects. Although the position was created under Frederick Wertz, Ph.D., while he was serving as the interim dean, Aurrichio said the need for this new role comes from the Fordham administration’s “desire for helping students to succeed.” Fordham President Rev. Joseph M. McShane, S.J., explained in an email to the university at the beginning of the fall 2019 semester how Fordham seeks to improve its retention rates — this
COURTESY OF TRACYANN WILLIAMS
Williams joins Fordham from the New School, the same college where Dean Aurrichio formerly worked.
position is another way of working toward that improvement, according to Aurrichio. In the past year, Fordham dropped in national rankings on the U.S. News and World Report; retention is one of the factors determining its ranking.
“Retention,” the percentage of students who stay at a school, “is a sign that we are doing our jobs properly,” Aurrichio explained. She outlined that the Assistant Dean of Student Support and Success will be in charge of examining the current advising
system, designing ways to make students’ journeys smoother and taking a holistic view of the individuals. McKnight added that the new position will also help students at FCLC “develop and understand pathways to obtaining their academic endeavors.”
As the Assistant Dean’s Office is currently only composed of four deans designated for each class, Aurrichio noted, “We don’t have anybody who is in charge of the totality of the student experience. “This position is meant to help us live up to our expectations for ourselves when it comes to the cura personalis: caring for the whole student,” Aurrichio said. In regard to living up to cura personalis, Aurrichio agreed with the search committee that Williams is the best fit for the position because of her “tremendous advocacy for students.” Aurrichio shared stories from when she worked with Williams and noticed her ability to guide students along their individual paths to success: “I would say, ‘Can you tell me why this student is only taking six credits?’ and she would immediately — without looking anything up — be able to call up this student’s entire situation. For every student.” Once Williams enters her role at Fordham Lincoln Center in February, Aurrichio hopes to work with United Student Government to host an event to introduce her, as well as O’Kane in his new role, to the students. On Williams’ behalf, Aurrichio added, “I’m sure she would welcome any opportunities to integrate more fully into the fabric of the student community.”
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THE OBSERVER January 22, 2020
News
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Demonstrators Chant ‘Rise and Roar’ at 2020 Women’s March
MARCH from page 1
The march organizers focused on issues including reproductive rights, the impeachment of Donald Trump, #MeToo Movement, environmental justice, gun control and immigration. People of all ages marched alongside each other, holding signs with slogans like “A Woman’s Place Is in the White House” and “Impeach, Remove, Imprison.” “My favorite moment was watching so many young girls lead calls for change. It was inspiring seeing someone so young out there in the cold fighting alongside the rest of us,” said Jayda Jones, FCLC ’23. Another Fordham student, Isabella Gonzalez, FCLC ’23, said that she will always remember “walking by Radio City, chanting in the snowstorm. I’m glad I went because I felt more empowered (and cold) than I ever could have imagined.” On the same day, 180 other similar marches took place around the country and the world, from Washington, D.C., all the way to New Zealand. Unlike many other cities around the United States, the New York WMA march is not connected to the national Women’s March organization. After accusations of anti-Semitism and financial mismanagment in 2019 and original Co-Chairs Bob Bland, Tamika Mallory and Linda Sarsour stepped down, WMA decided to sever ties. The Foley Square rally was organized by Women’s March NYC, the local chapter of the national organization. Their mission centered around eight key guiding principles including ending violence, LGBTQ rights, workers’ rights and disability rights. Maria Acosta, FCLC ’23, decided to go to the Women’s March NYC. She said that the march was important because “power in femininity, no matter what you believe in, is everywhere and would be everywhere.
ANDREW DRESSNER/THE OBSERVER
Protesters in the Women’s March Alliance walk down Sixth Avenue in freezing temperatures, shutting down portions of Midtown for the day.
“That’s what we saw at the march, young girls, boys, adults and grandparents from all backgrounds striving to take control of this power in our terms and not terms subjugated onto us,”
she continued. Although there were two separate marches, organizers emphasized unity and camaraderie among the activists regardless of the group with whom they
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marched. However, many have seen the division as a major setback for the Women’s March movement and highlight the falling attendance rates between the first march in
2017 and 2020. While the first Women’s March on Washington, D.C., in 2017 is considered to be the largest single-day protest in American history, turn out significantly dropped this year.
Opinions
Opinions Editors Grace Getman - ggetman@fordham.edu Evan Vollbrecht - evollbrecht@fordham.edu
January 22, 2020 THE OBSERVER
Observer the
STAFF EDITORIAL
SETTING A NEW HIGH WATER MARK IN COMMUNICATION
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hough it is a common refrain that Fordham’s communication can be startlingly opaque, for once we can sing a new song. The response to the recent water main break has been a rare exception to Fordham’s usual murkiness, proving that our administration is more than capable of explicit, effective and efficient messaging — at least in an emergency. As cloudy water pumped into New York City streets, students received timely emails and text alerts notifying them of the public safety issue and the delay and eventual cancellation of morning and afternoon classes. Overall, despite a few complaints about the lack of available Ram Vans, students were pleased with the administration’s effort to communicate and were able to stay up to date with ongoing developments. Students were notified of canceled classes, dining service closings and instructions concerning safe water use, all in a timely manner. With Fordham’s prompt notifications, members of the community were able to plan around
the disruption and reclaim the scrambled day. Without Fordham’s exhaustive efforts, the university would have been floundering in water main break bedlam.
Adopting a communication strategy that is proactive rather than reactive benefits all and hurts none. If a more serious disruption were to take place in the area around Fordham, this rapid response is vital to avoid consequences greater than just getting your socks wet. In the case of a danger on campus, like severe weather or last year’s New York Police Department pursuit at Rose Hill, a timely text from Fordham like we saw on Jan. 13 keeps students out of harm’s way. When Public Safety decides that events in our area present a clear, continuing danger to students and faculty, their quick response and warnings are commendable — especially
with the increase in scrutiny we’ve seen since the last time The Observer covered this subject — and would be welcomed in other contexts at Fordham where communication is less than stellar. Whether it be fiery issues such as Fordham’s budget expenditure, housing for transgender students, or criminal incidents near campus; or more pedestrian issues such as Student Accounts and club procedures, other departments can follow Public Safety’s lead when it comes to effective messaging. Perhaps receiving a push notification for every Fordham affair is a bit intrusive, but there are still lessons to be learned. Typically, attempting to glean information from Fordham is like trying to get blood from a stone. Adopting a communication strategy that is proactive rather than reactive benefits all and hurts none. Public Safety’s success in clear, prompt communication last week is both proof that Fordham is capable of effective messaging and the high-water mark to which other departments must rise.
A Note on Volume
A Determined Urban Vermin
ANDREW BEECHER/THE OBSERVER
It’s a bird! It’s a plane! No, it’s a giant inflatable rat — protesting anti-union asbestos removal practices near Columbus Circle.
The Observer, now in its 39th year of operation, has always prided itself on — and aspired to — the qualities of a respectable student newspaper; among them high standards of writing, thorough reporting and comprehensive local coverage. If our volume number is any indication, counting is not among them. From its inception, The Observer has managed its volumes with startling irregularity, counting over 50 volume changes in 39 years. In previous years, volume changed semesterly; other years annually — not to mention printing gaffes for individual issues adding to the confusion. As volume changes are generally associated with the calendar year, we are sure our readers have identified the problem. We’ve noticed, and we’ve fixed it. The Observer, as of calendar year 2020, counts this year’s volume as its 40th — volume XL — following a logical, annual progression from 1981 to 2020. The Observer moreover resolves to regularly count its volumes by year in the future. We hope our readers empathize with our counting struggles and share our enthusiasm for better record-keeping in the future. As we dependably strive each year to be a better, louder and clearer student voice for Fordham Lincoln Center, our volume numbers will just as steadily rise with us.
Editor-in-Chief Owen Roche
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POLICIES AND PROCEDURES • Letters to the Editor should be typed and sent to The Observer, Fordham University, 140 West 62nd Street, Room G32, New York, N.Y. 10023, or emailed to fordhamobserver@gmail.com. Length should not exceed 200 words. All letters must be signed and include contact information, official titles, and year of graduation (if applicable) for verification. • If submitters fail to include this information, the editorial board will do so at its own discretion. • The Observer has the right to withhold any submissions from publication and will not consider more than two letters from the same individual on one topic. The Observer reserves the right to edit all letters and submissions for content, clarity and length. • Opinions articles and commentaries represent the view of their authors. These articles are in no way the views held by the editorial board of The Observer or Fordham University. • The Editorial is the opinion held by a majority of The Observer’s editorial board. The Editorial does not reflect the views held by Fordham University.
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THE OBSERVER January 22, 2020
Opinions
Ricky Gervais Is Wrong to Wish for the Silence of Celebrities CORBIN GREGG
Staff Writer
Ricky Gervais, comedian and host of this year’s Golden Globes, used his opening monologue earlier this month to take a jab at celebrities who advocate for political change in their speeches. He explained that the celebrities at the show profit off companies in the industry that cause harm, saying they are “in no position” to advocate for change because of this, even joking that they would work for ISIS if it started a streaming service. First and foremost, by calling for silence on important issues facing the United States and the world at large, Ricky Gervais failed his own request to keep politics out of the Golden Globes. Shutting down advocacy is an action in favor of the status quo, just as much of a political stance as any other. There’s a broader discussion to be had over Gervais’ use of the trope of “Hollywood elites.” A common attack against celebrities when they advocate for, say, environmental policy, is that their actions contribute the most to climate change and that they are hypocritical for advocating for green causes. Silencing celebrities due to this hypocrisy, while valid, is not productive. Take individuals such as Leonardo DiCaprio or Colin Kaepernick. Although they could be critiqued for hypocrisy, their contributions to different progressive organizations have a much larger impact on the political landscape than the actions of average people. Leonardo DiCaprio may take private jets and contribute to the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere more than the average person,
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Ricky Gervais charged celebrities at the Golden Globes with being hypocritical, but promoting apathy is far worse.
but he also does far more to advocate against climate change than most. Even calling for action in favor of systemic change in speeches can be a valuable form of social justice work. In 2016, when Leonardo DiCaprio gave a speech following his acceptance of an Oscar for Best Actor, he called for world leaders to rein in large corporations responsible for climate change. By using Google search data and Twitter searches, researchers from San Diego State University were able to find that DiCaprio’s speech to 34.4 million viewers generated more conversation with the terms “climate change” and “global warming” than the Paris Climate Accord negotiations and Earth Day combined. This
makes DiCaprio’s public support of environmentalism incredibly valuable, regardless of whether he is “hypocritical.” To this end, celebrities viewed positively by the public have been shown to increase support for the political movements they support publically. Further, DiCaprio regularly contributes to green causes. Recently, his environmental association called Earth Alliance announced it would work to donate $3 million to organizations in Australia dealing with the consequences of the Australian wildfires. Would the world be better or worse off if DiCaprio restrained himself from engaging with political issues? Taking Gervais’ argument,
Colin Kaepernick should also be silenced for hypocrisy by drawing his wealth and visibility from the NFL. Kaepernick advocates against racial injustice in the United States, but the NFL, from which he drew his wealth, has its own issues with race. For example, the Rooney Rule put in place by the NFL in 2003 called for teams to give opportunities to minorities to interview for coaching positions. Yet even this year, out of the five head coach positions made available, only one went to a Latino man, Ron Rivera, while no black candidates have been hired. The Rooney Rule has proven ineffective at adequately increasing black representation in head coaching positions with
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only three of the 32 teams in the league having black coaches, despite nearly 70% of players in the league being black. Knowing this, should Kaepernick hold himself back from advocating for racial justice on account of receiving his fame and wealth from the NFL? I don’t think so. Kaepernick’s kneeling protest raised significant awareness for issues affecting black Americans. He furthered the conversation regarding the unequal treatment of black Americans by police and the importance of groups such as Black Lives Matter. From 2016 to 2017, the period in which his protest was at its highest point of controversy, he donated a total of $1 million across different organizations working for racial and gender equality. Those who care about issues like climate change should be wary of taking statements like Gervais’ too seriously and come to a more nuanced understanding of the role celebrities can play in advocating for change. Rather than shutting out celebrities who live in and benefit from systems that counter progressive goals for hypocrisy, we should view their efforts positively. Shutting celebrities out only acts counter to progressive goals. Further, most of us support Fordham College at Lincoln Center financially in some way. Our school is also the beneficiary of land received through the displacement of thousands of poor, mostly Puerto Rican families. Would it then be wrong for us to engage with important political issues of the day involving the plight of lower-income Americans and minorities? I would hope Fordham students would be willing to engage in social justice despite benefiting from the wrongs done throughout our school’s history.
New York’s War on Cars Paves On LEO BERNABEI Staff Writer
If you drive in Manhattan, you know what it’s like: going in circles around the same five streets for an hour while waiting for that precious free spot to become available, patiently idling for the street sweeper to come by so you don’t get ticketed, never forgetting your bumper guard to protect your vehicle from nicks and dings. It’s hard enough as it is to have a car in this city, you might think. But now, a cabal of anti-vehicular bureaucrats wants to do the unthinkable: Eliminate free parking altogether, exclusively reserving those rare street spots for holders of a residential parking permit. Manhattan’s Community Board 7, whose jurisdiction spans most of the Upper West Side and often hosts its full board meetings here at Fordham’s Lincoln Center campus, recently passed a resolution urging the City Council to end free parking within its boundaries. Worrying that the city’s upcoming congestion pricing will bombard the Upper West Side with an influx of automobiles (since the pricing takes effect only below West 60th Street in Manhattan), the resolution encouraged the Council to “consider more productive and equitable uses of curbside space,” such as implementing residential parking permits or parking permits “capable of surge pricing.” The New York Times estimates that New York City has three million on-street parking spots,
ANDREW DRESSNER/THE OBSERVER
New York City is looking to remove free parking in Manhattan. Should New Yorkers roll with it? No.
95% of which are free. However, in the past decade, the city has been ramping up the installation of bike lanes which often remove travel and parking lanes alike. With a spike in the number of fatal pedestrian accidents last year, the city certainly feels an onus to take action. And while this resolution was a bit watered-down from an earlier and more resolute attempt last year to ban street parking, it’s no shock that many automobile owners feel singled-out.
Last month, a writer for Curbed NY, a real estate and blog network, made a notable argument for a permit parking system. While he promotes it as a panacea for the city’s woes, the system hardly holds up in practice. He starts off by acknowledging that the average annual income of New York City’s car owners was $85,000 — well over the city’s median annual income of $55,000 and in his mind able to cough up enough to pay for a permit or garage parking. This
sounds like a good point, until you realize that New York is the most expensive city in the United States. A modest five-figure income hardly makes anyone well-off in this city. Next, the author really wades into bizarre territory. He claims that the permit system could fund “a lot of park improvement plans.” Ah, yes, a city where the mayor’s wife wasted $850 million on a mental healthcare plan which has not produced any results can certainly be trusted
to carefully allocate this money toward park improvement plans. Not to mention the fact that the community board didn’t even discuss where the money raised should go. Naiveté knows no bounds. There are plenty of other issues surrounding the elimination of free public parking in Manhattan. You’d be kidding yourself to believe that the only people worthy of parking their cars for free in Manhattan would be residents. Although New York is the only major U.S. city not to have a residential parking permit system, New York is not like other major cities in the U.S. Perhaps a permit parking system would work in the outer boroughs like Queens or Staten Island, but even the most dimly lit parts of Manhattan are home to businesses that attract workers from out of the city and state. We shouldn’t be cutting off free parking to these individuals, many of whom probably would not be able to consistently afford the garage rates. At the end of the day, a residential permit parking system would serve as another large check for a city whose annual budget is already higher than Florida’s, a state with twice the population. This city needs less money, not a penny more. Any pay-to-park system would do nothing but harass middle-income residents and non-residents alike, all while raising funds that only the most ingenuous among us suspect would be used for purposes that actually help New Yorkers.
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Opinions
January 22, 2020 THE OBSERVER
Breaking the Ice: A Case for Icebreakers
HALEY SMULLEN
Asst. Opinions Editor
I sip my coffee tentatively, my right finger swiping through Twitter as I glance around the room: Students are pouring in, their eyes glued to their phones and the cadence of their footsteps reminding me that no one particularly appreciates 8:30 a.m. classes. I lean forward to sip more milky brew, but catch the plastic straw (yikes) on my lip ring and momentarily resemble a surprised fish on a hook. I detach myself from my drink, check the time and put my phone away as the professor (they all look the same at this point) saunters in, brown satchel slung over a long black overcoat. “Alright, good morning, yes, hello, yes, this is Applied Calculus, correct? Good. Once I get organized, why don’t we go around and introduce ourselves? How about we say our names, where we’re all from and a little fun fact or two?” I have an immediate flashback to every bizarre, obscure and almost enigmatic activity that occupies my free time. What do I do for fun? I write, right? Yeah, I tell myself. I write a lot of short stories and sappy, dramatic poetry in my free time. That’s a generic, comfortable, interesting-enough detail about myself. I don’t want my fun fact to be the jaded observation that I have brown eyes, but I also don’t need to receive any judgemental looks before 9 a.m. I decide mentioning my love for English literature will suffice. The detail is just generic enough to evade reproach, but still conveys a sense of my personality. I’ll save the interesting-but-controversial facts for parties, I decide. There will be no mentioning of skin-
GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATION BY ESMÉ BLEECKER-ADAMS/THE OBSERVER
ny-dipping or trespassing or late night dine-and-dash dares. A collective groan echoes from the sacrificial circle the class has formed. I recite my introduction in my head and lean back in my chair. Frankly, I don’t care about the leisure activities of 11 random students I will likely never interact with again, and I’m sure they would rather not learn about my free-time habits, either. A young woman directly across from me commences the awkward ritual. Her name starts with an E, I think, and she says she used to be a lacrosse player? I’m not really sure. I glance at the professor, who nods encouragingly and checks a folder while scribbling in illegible cursive.
Why do we always have to do this? Why can’t she take a fast and efficient attendance and then start teaching the material? I almost jolt forward in my chair. A flash of insight strikes my consciousness, and I sift carefully through the revelation. Icebreakers are not simply an exercise in futility as I had previously assumed. They are not intended for classmates to introduce themselves to each other. In fact, I realize, icebreakers are completely separate from the delicate exchange of social niceties. Icebreakers are intended for students to learn to introduce themselves, honing their presentation skills in an affable and professional manner. The purpose
of these exercises, while useful for classmates who need to know my name and a professor who must take attendance, really lie in my own edification. I understand how to recite facts about myself, but what I need to learn revolves around relating pieces of my background to information that is relevant in my immediate environment. Yes, I am currently enrolled in an Intermediate Mathematics Course. But what makes my presence in this 4-month-long academic venture important? How do I convey my presence as pleasant, notable and beneficial? I should mention my passion for graphs and pie charts or my penchant for string theory. I should
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make myself known in the context of the environment in order to demonstrate academic interest and convey my persona positively to my peers. This has never been about learning names, taking attendance or engaging disgruntled young adults during the first five minutes of a new course. Icebreakers are a business venture, an assertion of the ego and an exercise in crafting amicable personal relevance within specific environments. As a new semester begins this spring and each Fordham student takes up new courses, activities and habits, I urge my peers to drop the notion of icebreakers as immature, scripted and ultimately irrelevant. Instead, try to view these introduction opportunities as moments to display the most relevant aspects of your character in the context of your environment. How can you present yourself as a person who is genuinely interested in broadening your comprehension of the works of Jane Austen and who has always harbored an authentic commitment to the subject? How can you ensure that your peers can trust and respect your academic integrity and authority within the classroom? When you introduce your passion for a subject alongside your name, you are encouraging your peers to associate your presence with a commitment to education. You demonstrate that you are in this classroom for a reason; it becomes obvious that you see the course material as relevant to your own academic interests and are using this semester as an opportunity to expand upon your intellectual infrastructure, the foundation of which you have already assembled with care. Icebreakers are your personal business ventures; wield your pick with panache to produce your polished persona.
Hungary’s Democratic Decline Showcases Worrying Trends PATRICK RIZZI Staff Writer
Illiberalism is an increasingly prevalent political philosophy in much of the world today. Even the use of the term “illiberal democracy” is problematic, because democratic institutions begin to degrade if they become illiberal. An especially concerning example of “illiberal democracy,” serving as both a bleak picture of democratic institutions being exploited in post-communist Eastern Europe as well as a broader cautionary tale, is that of Viktor Orbán’s government in Hungary. Orbán was elected in 2010 and has remained as prime minister since, winning large majorities in the 2014 and 2018 elections as well. During his tenure, Orbán has bought out media outlets, run incendiary and propagandistic campaigns against migrants and George Soros, and degraded the independence of his country’s judiciary. All of these activities are deeply concerning, but the primary effect of an illiberal state is the attempt to manipulate a nation’s “public culture,” or how a nation views itself culturally. Despite Orbán’s authoritarian instincts, Hungary has been more successful in building up democratic institutions than many other post-communist countries. However, he has been able to undermine many of his country’s democratic institutions that were built up for the
first time in the 1990s. Orbán’s authoritarian appeal is rooted in supposed nostalgia for the past. This is a common tactic not only of authoritarian leaders, but right-wing populists in general as well. These leaders use rhetoric intended to make their supporters feel nostalgic for the days of “strong” leaders, rather than feeling optimistic about their future. They often further attempt to generate support by noting that the past was often an era before modern cultural issues considered progressive in nature. Economic decline or stagnation often increases the appeal of this type of rhetoric, because in those cases, at least a certain group of the public will view the so-called “good old days” as a period of greater economic strength and prosperity relative to the present. Populist rhetoric is used by Orbán not only to polarize Hungarian society, but also to degrade the country’s democracy through illiberalism. This is because much of the divisive message that his political party, Fidesz, campaigns on is primarily targeted at liberals, whereas those who are illiberal are portrayed as the “in-group.” By using immigration as his signature political issue when campaigning for elections in Hungary, Orbán makes it clear that his primary goal is to exert force on the collective values of his country for political gain, especially to promote anti-liberal sentiment. Orbán primarily campaigned on the immigration issue in the April 2018 election
ANDREW BEECHER/THE OBSERVER
The Hungarian Parliament has borne witness to increased illiberalism.
in Hungary, in which he was elected for a third term. It is also important to understand that Fidesz’s scapegoating of migrants is not only for cultural reasons, but likely to also capitalize on economic concerns among the Hungarian populace. Incomes in Hungary tend to be much lower than in Western Europe, and it has become increasingly difficult for the country to compete economically with many of Europe’s financial strongholds. As a result, Orbán can present his rhetoric to try to alleviate economic anxieties among the general population by attempting to claim that migrants threaten Hungary’s economy.
This is both untrue and ironic, as Hungary is actually losing out on much potential economic growth by exerting near-total prohibitions on migrants and refugees. However, when the electorate is both angry and potentially frightened over their personal financial situation, they may be more vulnerable and susceptible to divisive and antipluralist rhetoric, especially since these people would tend to put themselves in the “in-group” and view whoever the demagogue declares as “them” as the “out-group.” It is unclear whether Orbán could be defeated electorally in spring 2022. However, as more
and more sustained attacks on democracy occur by Fidesz, the prospects for a possible return of liberalism to Hungary look dimmer and dimmer. This is also exacerbated by Orbán’s attempts to manipulate his country’s public culture through a variety of means, such as media consolidation, propaganda campaigns, and appeals to a seemingly jingoistic and irredentist past. Since these examples of actions and rhetoric are closely correlated to the manipulation of Hungary’s “public culture” and associated consciousness, they have impacted the country’s movement towards illiberalism over recent time. Prospects for a healthy democracy with a flourishing civil society in Hungary were never especially strong due to the damning impact of communism on the country, as well as the fact that it is a very young democracy. It remains to be seen how Fidesz will work in the European Parliament going forward. The EU could use more of its leverage to prevent Hungary from engaging in anti-democratic activities, especially given that a small but significant percentage of Hungary’s gross domestic product comes entirely from EU funds. It has become far more difficult to promote liberal values in Hungary today than it was when Orbán was elected in 2010, but there will need to be clear efforts by Hungarian citizens to move away from authoritarianism in government as well as to resist the worst impulses that can be brought out by intense manipulation of the “public culture.”
Rubberneck The
SATIRE SECTION
THE OBSERVER January 22, 2020
Fordham Students Don’t Need a Class to Learn How to Swim
We Came, We Saw, We Were Conquered by Fordham’s Apathy Toward Classics
Opinions
9
JILL RICE Copy Editor
How many majors does Fordham Lincoln Center (FLC) have? At least one more than you thought. Classics majors do exist at this newfangled campus. We’re there, hiding behind the business students with their suits and AirPods Pro and the new media and digital design majors with their computers. What are computers, we ask — we know only of papyrus. The most common response to “I’m a classics major”? “I took Latin, but I hated it.” This is reassuring for classics students and faculty, as well as administration. When considering budget costs, they wonder, who needs to teach Greek when they could fund eight electric vehicle charging stations or inconsistent floor renovations? After all, Latin isn’t useful to a Jesuit, Catholic school. There is no Latin in our school motto, nor are many of our majors based on classical ideas. Where would philosophy, Romance languages, the vocabulary of medicine and science, or even Western civilization be without classics? We most-beleaguered classics majors are the only thing between advancement and complete anarchy. In what other class would you learn about war and slavery before learning how to count? Who needs people like Aristotle, Plato or Cicero when you have obvious political and ethical experts such as our country’s president? Classics informs its students about the perils of repeating history but sends them on other perilous journeys along the way. As a classics major, I spend most of my days at Rose Hill — not of my own volition, mind you, but because the major is barely offered at Lincoln Center. Fordham’s website lies when it says that classical languages is a major here since I have taken the Ram Van every day for two semesters in a row. My major classes are rarely, if ever, offered at FLC. It’s a dead language and a dying major. Furthermore, Latin classes are “filled” (to call them full would be a stretch) with either pre-law or pre-med students whose mothers told them it would be helpful for their careers, or Catholic high school graduates who don’t want to speak a language to fulfill the requirement. Every decade, there might be a classics major in the class who is taking it for fun, but don’t count on that. Studying classical languages means learning Greek — why do we learn Greek if Fordham has no fraternities? The only reason people learn the Greek alphabet is for frat initiation, so who cares about Achilles’ latest fling in “The Iliad”? Major fairs are a hoot with classics. Stuck next to communications, we see starry-eyed students walk up to us and say hopefully, “I’m looking for digital technology,” to which we must respond that instead of media studies, we have a lot of interesting vases and some poetry.
GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATION BY OLIVIA BONENFANT/THE OBSERVER
Last Monday’s water main break provided much-needed athletic facilities to Fordham Lincoln Center students.
EMILY ELLIS Asst. Opinions Editor
Columbia University may be famous for its swim requirements, but Fordham doesn’t need a class to teach its students how to swim. With the recent water main break creating dirty rivers in the streets, swimming is not just a leisure activity; it’s a matter of survival for everyday life in the city. With classes canceled and winter break extended for another day, Fordham students have nothing else to do but throw on a swimsuit and brave the brown water filling nearby streets. To make it better, on the day that the water main broke, the sun was shining Sadly, Fordham Lincoln Center classics majors are a dying breed, largely due to habitat loss. Our 40 majors have dwindled to 10 in the past few years because Lincoln Center is a hostile environment to the sensitive classics major. We require oddball aged professors, homework that’s either a shopping list or an incantation, and non-alcoholic, sexually restrained bacchanals. We FLC classicists demand equality in campus locations. We need more classes offered in classics, from more on gender and sexuality to others on Greek comedy, and maybe a course on Percy Jackson to boost interest and teach myths simply. Finally, we could use some respect from our peers and faculty who think we read 18th century literature — “classics” is a bit older than that. Support your local classics majors by slipping some denarii for us under your nearest dean’s door.
down on the city, creating temperatures high enough to warrant a day by the pool (can anyone say global warming?). Columbia graduates learn in a pool, but here at Fordham, where New York is our campus, the flooding streets are our water source. This became evident when McKeon students lost access to water in their dorms and got the special opportunity to use the street water for showers. Sure, this water may not be clean, and yes, it did turn into sludge on the sidewalks as it absorbed the dirt and grime of the city, but Fordham students are true New Yorkers. We do not cringe when we see trash bags piled on the street like a barricade against the veering cars speeding down
the streets. Instead, when we see rivers filling the road, we push against the tide, bravely peering through the murkiness to navigate the maze of the city on morning commutes to work or internships. With the water main break, Fordham Lincoln Center (FLC) students received access to world-class athletic facilities right outside our door, finally placing us top-ranked for something. Columbia has nothing on us. Not to mention, FLC students have grown used to finding surprising ways to exercise. With the gym on the second floor of McMahon not fulfilling anyone’s standards, nearby city resources such as Central Park have pitched in to provide students with ample roads to
run on. The city itself seems to be concerned about Fordham’s mediocre athletic resources, even creating a convenient pool of water for students to swim laps. Of course, you have to be able to overlook the rats swimming right next to you. Unlike our Rose Hill peers, students at our campus are not known for amazing athletic ability. What we are known for our creativity, tenacity and unique ability to maneuver through Manhattan with ease. Columbia students might need a pool to learn how to swim, and Rose Hill students might need advanced athletic facilities to exercise, but here at FLC, we learn to make do with what we have. Even if all we have is flooding streets.
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GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATION BY ESMÉ BLEECKER-ADAMS/THE OBSERVER
By the Numbers Over 250 events in 180 U.S. cities In New York City: •2.1 inches of snow in Manhattan •3 events •31 blocks walked •21-38°F outside •Over 40 speakers lined up Sources: New York Times, Pix11 News, silive.com, weather.com, heavy.com, patch.com, gothamist.com
NYC Women’s
The Cold Never Bot
March 2020
thered Us Anyway
PHOTOS BY ROXANNE CUBERO, JOE KOTTKE AND MADDIE SANDHOLM/THE OBSERVER
Arts & Culture Editor Ethan Coughlin - ecoughlin7@fordham.edu Gillian Russo - grusso12@fordham.edu
Arts & Culture
January 22, 2020
Ram Jams: Best Albums of the Decade
THE OBSERVER
Readers’
Picks “Hozier” Hozier
By BRIELLE CAYER Staff Writer
By VICKY CARMENATE Staff Writer
By ETHAN COUGHLIN Arts & Culture Editor
By SAJANI PATEL Staff Writer
1.“Red” (2012) Taylor Swift Many consider “Red” to be Swift’s musical peak in which she thoughtfully reflected on the intensity she’d experienced at that time in love, heartbreak, loss and public attention. Marking Swift’s transition into pop music, the album offered a more mature perspective than her past music, as well as new collaborations with artists like Gary Lightbody and Ed Sheeran. “Red” symbolized her personal growth in life and her successful expansion among music genres. 2. “Hamilton” (2015) Lin-Manuel Miranda and the Original Broadway Cast Not only did “Hamilton” break multiple chart records, it forever transformed the way modern music is defined and interpreted. Beginning as a concept album of rap songs inspired by the life of American Founding Father Alexander Hamilton, the idea expanded into what would become a Broadway phenomenon, propelling writer Lin-Manuel Miranda into the world’s spotlight. “Hamilton” is the bestselling cast album of all time and has been certified six times platinum. Ignoring ideas of strict music genres and traditional Broadway styles, Miranda combined elements of hip-hop, R&B, soul and showtunes to craft a diverse, modern and clever retelling of the American Revolution. The album peaked at number one on the “Top Rap Albums” chart, making it the first musical cast recording to do so and breaking down previous boundaries that defined these separate genres. “Hamilton” gave permission to young writers trying to find their place in the industry and exhibited the power of creativity in a way never seen before. 3. “Revelation” (2019) Eden Espinosa Known for her work onstage in shows such as “Wicked,” “RENT” and “Brooklyn the Musical,” Espinosa made a new name for herself as a songwriter with her first original album. She effortlessly navigated questions of self-worth and strength through a versatile mix of contemporary pop arrangements and poignant lyrics. “Revelation” served as an intimate take on Espinosa’s personal journey to acceptance and peace, showcasing her lyrical craft and vocal talent.
1. “To Pimp a Butterfly” (2015) Kendrick Lamar “To Pimp a Butterfly” has been on my shuffle every day since it came out. Lamar’s ability to tell a story throughout this album is extraordinary. The entirety of this album is political in its use of funk, a style of music that was made by people of color, alongside lyrics about black struggle. “Institutionalized” is the track that makes this album my favorite of the decade. The title says it all: It’s a story about different black kids coming out of Compton, California. Even though each person is unique, they all reach the same obstacles. His lyrics are about how America’s government is systematically disproportionate toward people of color — trapped feelings of being institutionalized. A system of barriers that feels like it cannot be broken. This album tells a story of the struggle to be heard in a society that systematically pushes black and brown people out of the picture. Minorities can identify with the issues Lamar addresses, and white audiences can learn how to better support people of color. 2. “Awaken, My Love!” (2016) Childish Gambino “Awaken, My Love!” is the best modern funk album I have heard, period. The songs on the album are not only a masterpiece in the way that they are composed, but the lyrics have deeper meanings. In songs like “Boogieman,” we are presented with a message about gun violence against people of color in America. The symbolism of Gambino as the “boogieman,” alongside the background screams and the funky bassline, creates a dark picture of America. We hear screams and belting voices beneath Gambino’s vocals, painting a full picture for listeners. This makes the experience different than any other album I have listened to this decade. 3. “Jaime” (2019) Brittany Howard Howard is most well known for her career with the Alabama Shakes, and she takes their soul and funk sounds to create a mix of her own alternative music. Her lyrics speak to the biracial audience of America — something to which I am deeply connected. She expresses the struggle of not feeling fully accepted into communities, of strange looks on the streets from neighbors and other peers when she walks with her white mom, of the complicated feelings of love. This album is brilliant, and regardless if you’re biracial or not, there is something that everyone can identify with.
1. “Assume Form” (2019) James Blake James Blake completely blew me away with “Assume Form.” In just a year, I have listened to this album enough to know it front to back like no other record. While I love “James Blake,” “Overgrown” and “The Colour in Anything,” “Assume Form” outshines his entire discography. Every song is so powerful and engaging. Blake features Travis Scott, Metroboomin, Rosalía, Andre 3000 and Moses together on this album with each bringing the full force of their abilities with them. Aside from those features and a few other writers and producers, Blake does everything. The album is divided into three distinct acts, with the first two perfectly setting up the final act. The last four songs have no features, no other producers and no other writers. While some critics wrote off this album as “sad boy music,” it’s a reflection of Blake at his most vulnerable. The best I can say is that this album evokes the kind of feelings you just can’t quite describe. Every listen is just as impactful as the first. 2. “Rodeo” (2015) Travis Scott Travis Scott and his army of features such as The Weeknd, Kanye West, Toro y Moi, Justin Bieber, 2 Chainz and more, on top of Mike Dean and Travis Scott’s production, lead to “Rodeo,” the best trap album ever made. It is seldom given the credit it deserves for how influential it has been on popular music today. With T.I. narrating the entire project, this album is one of the easiest albums to listen to all the way through, as it should be. 3.“Konnichiwa” (2016) Skepta Early-2000’s London saw the emergence of grime, a unique brand of electronic music that drew heavily from hip-hop, dancehall and garage. Skepta’s “Konnichiwa” was the second grime album to receive the Mercury Prize for the best album released in the United Kingdom from a British or Irish act, and it rightfully took its place next to Dizzie Rascal’s “Boy in Da Corner” in the grime hall of fame. Skepta brings notable grime rappers such as JME and Kano onto an album with American acts like ASAP Nast and Pharrell Williams to create the album that grime needed most.
1. “Yours Truly” (2013) Ariana Grande I knew Cat from “Victorious” could sing, but her vocal ability on this album is insane. I still listen to this album regularly and know all the words from the first song to the last. Each one has a retro, airy, lighthearted vibe that’ll make anyone want to fall in love. She bounces between a delicately sultry tone in tracks like “Daydreamin’” and “Almost Is Never Enough” and a fun, upbeat dance rhythm in “Piano” and “Popular Song,” creating the perfect balance and adding variety to her style. Featured artists such as Mac Miller, Big Sean, Nathan Sykes and MIKA fit seamlessly into the songs and help form the album as a whole. This was her debut into the music world and created her initial image, which is one of the reasons this is my favorite of the decade. It really shows her transformation, and she’s able to show off her incredible vocal range, well-written lyrics and unique production abilities. 2. “Medusa” (2018) Kailee Morgue Kailee Morgue is fairly new to the music world. Her vampy poppunk style is not only catchy, but it blends well with millennial and Gen Z culture. Her voice can be both soft and demanding, but in this EP her songs make you feel like you’re floating on a cloud. If you hear her live or even on YouTube, you can see she doesn’t alter her voice much, and that fluid, light tone is natural. It’s incredible how four songs can say so much about mental health, explain thoughts that seem inexplicable and feel like a full album even though it’s an EP. 3. “I met you when I was 18” (2018) Lauv This album features “I Like Me Better,” which put Lauv on the mainstream map and boosted his fame instantly. Lauv pays a lot of attention to his lyrics and then pairs them with light melodies. This album features songs that are relatable to all aspects of love: initially falling in love, being in love and falling out of love. There is something to jam out to through the entire journey.
“Blond” Frank Ocean “Melodrama” Lorde “Lemonade” Beyoncé “Fine Line” Harry Styles “Up All Night” One Direction “Mylo Xyloto” Coldplay “Coloring Book” Chance the Rapper “Born to Die” Lana Del Rey “Lush” Snail Mail “Wasteland, Baby!” Hozier “Lost & Found” Jorja Smith “Young and Dangerous” The Struts “Surfer’s Paradise” Cody Simpson “Stoney” Post Malone “Somersault” Beach Fossils “Rattle That Lock” David Gilmour “Brol” Angèle “My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy” Kanye West “Blank Face” ScHoolboy Q Readers wrote down their favorite album of the decade at the Club Fair on Jan. 16.
For the full lists of writers’ picks, visit www.fordhamobserver.com
GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATIONS BY LARA FOLEY/THE OBSERVER
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THE OBSERVER January 22, 2020
Alumni Spotlight: Streeter Seidell
Arts & Culture
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Fulfilling his childhood dreams, the FCRH ’05 comedian now makes millions laugh on ‘SNL’ By BRIELLE CAYER Staff Writer
His journey reads like a television pilot script: One young person ventures to the Big Apple bearing a childhood fantasy of writing for “Saturday Night Live” (“SNL”). As a Fordham sophomore, he begins performing standup around the city and later lands a job writing for CollegeHumor.com. Today, Streeter Seidell, Fordham College at Rose Hill ’05, has transformed his wildest dream into a reality — he works as a writing supervisor for “SNL.” However, Seidell didn’t always plan on becoming a comedian. When he began his undergraduate education, Seidell expected to major in history, a subject he’d always loved. In hindsight, he realized, “I don’t think I have the temperament to study an ancient book for 5 years and write a groundbreaking thesis on it.” He ultimately chose to major in communications but still worked to master his comedic craft outside of classes. “Comedy — standup and writing — was something I did for fun through college,” Seidell explained. “I knew in the back of my head that I wanted to entertain on some level but it all seems so remote and unattainable as a career.” Yet, even as a communications major, Seidell was unknowingly preparing himself for a career in the entertainment industry. He expressed gratitude for the time he had to mature, saying, “Those four years and the freedom of being a half-adult in New York City really let me figure out who I was and what I thought was funny before I put myself out there.” At the same time, Seidell said, “Most of the way through
COURTESY OF B.A. VAN SISE/FORDHAM NEWS
Seidell performed comedy in college, but he didn’t think it an attainable career until CollegeHumor offered him a job.
school I assumed I was going to have a normal job after I graduated and the comedy thing would go away.” However, life after graduation did not follow Seidell’s expectations. He was immediately offered a full-time position at CollegeHumor.com, and soon after became the site’s editor-in-chief. This led to him writing for a variety of MTV series such as “Pranked,” newspaper publications like The New York Times and the ABC sitcom “Trophy Wife.” “Before I knew it, I was a professional comedy writer,” he said. “There really wasn’t time to fret about it.” In 2014, Seidell received a
life-changing phone call offering him the chance to write for “SNL.” “I’ll never forget that feeling,” he said of the occasion. “It was honestly a phone call I’d been waiting to get for my entire life and it was very much a dream come true.” As a writer, he works with others to generate ideas for each week’s show. He noted his amazement with his and all the writers’ capabilities to come up with an immense amount of material and ideas, saying, “When you’re under the gun and you have to produce, it’s amazing what your panicked brain will provide you with.” Of his writing process, Seidell said each sketch and project is
different. “Some of them come very easily and just arrive fully formed, but some are very difficult and require a lot of false starts. The most important thing for me is to just pay attention to people I meet or weird things I see and try to bank that stuff for potential future sketches.” Some well-known skits that show off Seidell’s writing are “Haunted Elevator” and “Close Encounter.” One cannot help but wonder where Seidell gained his wit and cleverness. Growing up he found inspiration in a variety of television shows like “The Simpsons,” “SNL” and “In Living Color.” Specifically, Seidell said, “I think
watching Mr. Rogers as a kid set my brain up to be creative and imaginative.” Furthermore, Seidell acknowledged the influence his childhood had on him, describing it as “very easy and carefree.” He said, “I have a pretty funny family and I think I got a lot of my humor from them. My dad was always goofing around and my aunts and uncles were always ragging on each other so I probably picked up a lot from them.” Aside from their comedic impact, the support of his family and teachers helped Seidell develop the confidence and skill to express his thoughts freely. Despite Seidell’s career success, he admitted, “Even now, 15 years into it, I’m still wondering if it’s going to work out. It’s hard to feel accomplished in entertainment because there is always someone you know doing more or doing better. The blessing and the curse of a creative career is that you’ll never really feel like you’ve done all the work you want to do.” He defines success in terms of his children: “I have two kids, and if I can keep working until they’re out of the house I will consider that a successful career.” When asked what advice he’d give to aspiring comedians, Seidell’s answer was simple: Just start. “It’s really a self-made career at the start and it’s entirely up to you to give yourself that first job,” he said. It is clear that Seidell has done just that for himself while maintaining the imagination and passion he had as a kid. Ever the ambitious writer, Seidell expressed excitement for the future. “I’d like to create my own show someday,” Seidell said. “Write some movies and see them made. I’d like to see how far I can go at ‘SNL.’”
Apocalypse Now-ish: Chloe Rice’s Dystopian Play By MICHAEL BYRNE Contributing Writer
Chloe Rice, Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) ’21, has a lot on her plate. Actually, when I met her at The Flame Diner, she only had a decaf coffee. But elsewhere the idiom applies, as Rice is the writer, co-producer and costar of a new play, “Seven Days to the End of the World,” which will be presented on Jan. 23 at 7:30 p.m. at Dixon Place in the Bowery. The Flame was a felicitous spot to talk with Rice, since it’s the same type of establishment that serves as the setting for “Seven Days,” an apocalyptic tale of two dissimilar women waiting out the end of days together. “The biggest thing about the diner that I wrote this to take place in is that it’s not old enough to be vintage and cute, but it’s not modern enough to be considered a ‘nice’ diner,” Rice said. “It lives in a kind of middle ground that makes it super familiar but also like an out-of-body experience.” Rice affectionately referred to the show as a “very staged reading,” meaning it technically leans closer to a workshop presentation than a full-on production. But one could easily think otherwise by hearing her describe the technical aspects of the show, which include “extensive lighting cues as well as fully built sound design,” according to Rice. The staging also includes props, costumes and a decorated set. Still, Rice’s ideal staging of
ed in by students, and that’s really the core of student-run theater at Fordham.”
I’m still getting up and going to class, and going to work, and going to rehearsal even though the planet’s falling apart. Chloe Rice, Playwright of “Seven Days”
COURTESY OF CHLOE RICE
Rice (right) and Roland’s (left) previous play, “Houston, We Have a Problem,” premiered at The Tank in December.
the show would include a higher production value. “It’s our best representation to test it out, get it in people’s ears and in people’s minds,” Rice said. The play’s dystopian subject matter seems especially germane with the specter of World War III in the news. “With everything going on, I’m still getting up and going to class, and going to
work, and going to rehearsal even though the planet’s falling apart,” Rice said. “It’s weird that we’re able to continue with what we’re doing, but what else do we know? I think that’s what I wanted to hit in this show.” Rice’s friend and creative partner since high school, Natasha Roland, is likewise serving as co-producer and co-star along
with directing the show. Rice sees a similar collaborative spirit in Fordham’s theater program. “We do an entire studio season, which can range from anywhere from a dozen to, say, 17 student-produced shows a year,” Rice said. “They’re either directed by students or written by students, or sometimes both. But then they’re also designed by students and act-
Rice’s Fordham Theatre community continually shows its encouragement of student-produced shows, even when they occur in venues outside the university. In December, Rice and Roland produced their original play “Houston, We Have a Problem” at The Tank in the Garment District. “Especially at our last show, which was completely independent of school, it was such an incredible experience to see the school community come out and have artists supporting artists,” she recalled. The production process has been hectic for Rice, but it was ultimately inspiring. “It’s shown me how you can create some pretty amazing things from almost nothing. We’re definitely working on tight budgets as students, so every time, I’m just amazed at what we’re able to accomplish.”
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Arts & Culture
January 22, 2020 THE OBSERVER
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The Academy of Disappointment
Neither Globes nor Oscars do right by the best movies, but I’m still watching them By ETHAN COUGHLIN Arts & Culture Editor
The beginning of the new semester also marks the beginning of something else: awards season. On Jan. 13, this year’s nominees for the Academy Awards were announced, and the Golden Globes were awarded a week prior. Every awards season, I eagerly await both the nominations and the ceremonies, only to be let down once again. Most awards shows are no longer a reflection of good cinema, but rather a reflection of the industry itself and its white, patriarchal issues. For another year in a row, the Academy has given more praise to mediocre studio films that play it safe instead of the many independent films that outshine them and take more risks. Based on “Green Book” winning best picture last year and “Bohemian Rhapsody” wrongly taking home best editing, I should not have been surprised that the Academy would move in a similar direction this year. Nine films were nominated in the Best Picture category: “Ford v Ferrari,” “Jojo Rabbit,” “The
Irishman,” “Little Women,” “Joker,” “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood,” “Marriage Story,” “1917” and “Parasite.” A notable snub was Josh and Benny Safdie’s “Uncut Gems,” which didn’t receive a single nomination despite being both a critical and commercial success. The film features a strong performance from Adam Sandler, whom many believed even had a shot at taking home the award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role. The movie was not eligible for the Golden Globes because of its late release. Other snubs included “Knives Out” and “Two Popes,” which were nominated for best comedy/ musical and best drama at the Golden Globes, respectively. Despite their Best Picture snub, they both claimed nominations in their respective writing categories. The nomination of “Ford v Ferrari” came out of left field, as the film was not nominated for a Golden Globe in that category. “1917” ultimately took home the Golden Globe for Best Drama, while “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” took home the prize in the Comedy/Musical category. Once again, the Academy is being called out for the lack of diversity within the acting catego-
ries, as there is only one person of color among the 20 nominees. With great films such as “Parasite,” “The Farewell,” “Waves” and “Us” coming out in 2019, the lack of representation is embarrassing. Renée Zellweger and Joaquin Phoenix took home the Golden Globes for leading roles in a drama for “Judy” and “Joker,” respectively. Zellweger beat Saoirse Ronan, Charlize Theron, Scarlett Johansson and Cynthia Erivo, against whom she’ll be competing for the Oscar in the same category. Antonio Banderas, Leonardo DiCaprio, Adam Driver and Jonathan Pryce are all nominated for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role with Phoenix. For the second year in a row,
GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATIONS BY LARA FOLEY/THE OBSERVER
the Academy has failed to nominate a woman for the Best Directing prize. In fact, in the last 10 years, Greta Gerwig has been the only female nominee — she was nominated in 2017 for “Lady Bird” but was snubbed this year for “Little Women.” The Hollywood Foreign Press Association also continues to ignore the work of female directors at the Golden Globes. A woman hasn’t been nominated in that category since Ava DuVernay for “Selma” in 2014. The industry used to write off the lack of women nominees to the lack of projects helmed by women, but although more great films are directed by women, few of them are still nominated. Alma Har’el for “Honey Boy” and Lulu Wang for “The Farewell” were other notable snubs in this category. Despite mixed reviews from critics and audiences alike, Todd Phillips’ “Joker” received the most nominations this year with a total of 11. Just behind it are “The Irishman,” “1917” and “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” with 10 nominations each. Interestingly enough, it was Netflix who received the most nominations of any studio with
24 total. Disney and Sony came in close behind with 22 and 20 nominations, respectively. Netflix moved up from fourth place in this race last year, showing the industry’s move towards streaming-based platforms. Just two years ago, most filmmakers were reluctant to make films with streaming services out of the fear that they would kill the theater experience. However, people will always follow the money. Netflix’s large wallet and willingness to give filmmakers more creative freedom than studios has attracted notable names like Martin Scorsese and Noah Baumbach. Streaming services like Netflix and Amazon Studios are set to have an even more successful 2020 based off the projects they’ve secured. As I sit down to watch the ceremony, set for 8 p.m. on Feb. 9, I know that I will be disappointed; I am every year. The awards season always reminds me that movies are personal. You don’t need the Academy or the Golden Globes to validate what a good film is. Enjoy what you enjoy. That being said, I will still be yelling at my TV for every award that “Little Women” deserves but doesn’t win.
Drunk Food Is NYC’s Best Food, Even Without Drinking By TATIANA GALLARDO Staff Writer
To some, I am a gastronomical heathen; to others, a late-night
food warrior in pursuit of culinary equality. After three years of eating in the food capital of the world, as both a broke college student and as a full-time
GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATION BY LARA FOLEY/THE OBSERVER
salaried employee, I am confident in my controversial cuisine of choice: NYC drunk food — the low-priced grub you get from sketchy-ish street carts or blessed 24/7 bodegas — is the best food you can eat, regardless of time or inebriation level. By “best,” I mean the most delicious, affordable and ubiquitous food available. Wherever you find yourself in New York, there’s a sense of security and comfort in knowing a dollar pizza shop, food cart or bodega meal is just a few bucks and a short walk away. In the era of foodies and Yelp reviews, I’ve passed up waiter service dinners at the latest Bon Appétit-approved restaurant to stand alone under the golden glow of a Brooklyn street light, eating an $8 chorizo torta from a Mexican street cart that doesn’t have a name other than “TACOS.” I’ve even braved the holiday crowds in pursuit of The Halal Guys’ white sauce I first discovered post-party. I’ve even ventured an extra 20 blocks home through Rockefeller Center at both midnight and midday to get a combo platter over rice with extra white sauce.
As a proud proponent of the late-night gourmet, I should clarify: I’ve eaten these foods stone-cold sober and stone-hot intoxicated, and each time the experience is equally magnificent. “Drunk food” is a misnomer. Inebriation is irrelevant, as is the “post-midnight” or “late-night” timestamp. The food is always delicious and affordable, two qualities that are often mutually exclusive in the ever-expensive NYC dining scene. So why don’t we give Michelin stars to places that are most known for thriving in the latenight hours? “Because the food’s bad!” critics will chant. “It’s not fresh! It’s cheap! It’s only good when you’re drunk!” And in response, I’ll challenge them to eat a $4 falafel sandwich at Oasis, Williamsburg’s welcomed and wondrous late-night (or lunch, dinner, or heck, even brunch!) fast Middle Eastern counter and not enjoy it. There’s the warm pita and garlicky tahini sauce covering the bright green balls of freshly fried falafel that are always hot and heavenly even at 1 a.m. And the service, like most late-night spots, is also
worth commending. As the employees smile and make conversation as they prepare your order, a realization hits: Five-star service doesn’t require five-star dining. While the food at Oasis might be “cheap,” it’s most definitely not cheap in taste, service, and quality (regardless of the hour or sober status). The same can be said about one of my other favorites: The Mexican street cart on Ninth Avenue and West 59th Street whose name is unknown but whose deliciousness is rightly ubiquitous. Any Fordham Lincoln Center student in search of a glorious taco or, my personal favorite, a chorizo torta, will find a friendly face in this truck at both lunch and late-night hours. This isn’t to say I exclusively eat at street carts and bodegas. I most definitely cook at home and I do believe a healthy diet is all about balance. But I will never disqualify the places that are deemed mere late-night spots from competing as New York’s finest. With just a couple of dollars and an open mind (and stomach), “drunk food” will be the best damn thing you eat all day. Tequila shots optional.
www.fordhamobserver.com
THE OBSERVER January 22, 2020
Arts & Culture
‘A Sip With Vodka’ Debuts on YouTube
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Students and alumni produce a Russian American riot inspired by the housewives of reality television VODKA from page 1
Fordham Theatre’s Flying Solo class gave Lazarus the first opportunity to seriously develop her housewife persona — for her final class project, she wrote and performed a solo show as Natasha. Then she got the idea to build it up into a comedy series that would eventually become “ASWV” last spring, and she had to find a team. It Takes a (Russian) Village FCLC students and recent alumni comprised a majority of the production team and much of the cast. They each cited different, but overall positive, reasons for joining the project. Co-writer Shannon Constantine, FCLC ’19, was intrigued by the originality of the concept. Director David Kahawaii IV, FCLC ’18, was looking to foray into film directing, as he had only directed stage shows through Fordham Theatre until “ASWV” came along. For some like composer Billy Recce, FCLC ’19, the reason was as simple as, “Sarah Lazarus is my roommate. She just assumed I would do it, and I did it.” And some, like Kiera Prinz, FCLC ’20, spontaneously came onto the show only days in advance. “Sarah just shot me a text and she was like, ‘Hey, are you busy on Tuesday?’” Prinz remembered. “It was Sept. 24, and I was like, ‘I have a class, but no, no, not busy, I will be there!’” Prinz plays Sue Ann, one of the real American housewives featured in a daydream that propels Natasha across the ocean. She was impressed by the amount of detail Lazarus and her team gave even to the one scene in which her character appeared. “We had different things in our martini glasses to match the color of our outfits,” Prinz said. “I had a silver outfit; I had sugar on the rim. Thorgy had a blue outfit, and she had a blueberry.” Yes, “Drag Race” devotees, season eight and All-Star season three contestant Thorgy Thor also appears as a housewife. In fact, aside from Prinz, all the housewives are New York-based drag queens. Paige Turner and Phi Phi O’Hara are among the other cameos. The queens were Kahawaii’s idea, but it was Lazarus who brought them on. “Instagram has been a huge tool for me with everything I’ve managed to do,” she said. “You’d be surprised how many celebrities’ contact info are on Instagram.” A World of Challenges Getting “ASWV” off the ground didn’t end with booking a few celebrity guests. It meant that Lazarus had to learn to become a businesswoman in addition to being an actor, and pitch the show to sponsors. She got a few, but the team faced the ongoing challenge of creating a high-quality product with limited finances. “When you work under a small budget, it takes a lot of creativity and a lot of endurance because not everything is just available to you, and you have to solve a $1,000 problem with $3,” he said. He gave as an example the common area in his Bushwick apartment building, which they transformed into settings ranging from an American living room to a Russian shtetl. When the two-month filming process ended, the job of putting it all together fell to video editor Ryan Shearin, FCLC ’21. He said the editing process took be-
tween 70 and 80 hours, but like Lazarus and the rest of the team, Shearin’s pride from seeing the finished product was undeniable. Hilarity Like Sitcom, “Heart Like Platypus” The party guests’ laughter was steady throughout the entire screening as the actors poured out line after effortlessly funny line. The 22-minute episode was stuffed with subtle wit, poking fun at urban culture while simultaneously reveling in it. “We’re headed to Mykonos tomorrow to manage a benefit for struggling Lindsay Lohans” is the kind of line that strikes a perfect balance between off-kilter satire and something you actually might hear on a reality TV episode. Those unfamiliar with reality TV but at least familiar with New York might appreciate the verisimilitude of “Would you mind giving my SoundCloud a shoutout? I write songs about my cat and how we’re all going to die.” This particular style of humor resonated with the production team, too. “Often as young artists, especially in theater, we’re not really often given the opportunity to be funny,” Shearin said. “And I think it’s really nice, especially in a time like this, to just embrace laugh-out-loud, full-bodied, campy humor. I think we don’t have enough of that, and when we do have it, it’s often heavy-handed. And I think this show really brings in the big
jokes, the broad jokes, with an emotional core of a story of belonging.” Not only did Natasha and company receive many laughs in their journey through the strange maze that is New York, but they also received as many tender sighs in response to some truly heartfelt moments. Her proclamation that “if you can make it here, you are okay” is a simple but uplifting line, met with thunderous applause as it becomes clear that Natasha’s quest to become a real housewife runs deeper than what its reality-TV influences might suggest. It’s about finding a family and a home. It seems that this spirit of belonging and of building a family from friends isn’t all that
This show really brings in the big jokes, the broad jokes, with an emotional core of a story of belonging. Ryan Shearin, Video Editor of “A Sip With Vodka”
unlike the dynamic among the “ASWV” team itself. Their work on “ASWV” is over for now, as Lazarus wants to find an outside company to produce the show, and move it to a network or streaming platform besides YouTube, before they make more episodes. The team is continuing to work together, though, on a series of variety shows at Club Cumming, the next of which is set for Jan. 30. The events are meant to showcase the talents of the people involved in “ASWV” and spread the word about the project. Lazarus hosts the show in character, and cast and crew members perform songs, standup comedy and cabaret. As with “ASWV,” she just hopes audiences are entertained.
PHOTOS COURTESY OF MICHAEL KUSHNER, MARCEL ANDRE AND SARAH RACHEL LAZARUS
Initially a solo show created for Lazarus’ class, the story of Natasha grew into what would become “A Sip With Vodka.”
“Saying, ‘Oh, your life will be changed by watching this,’ it’s ridiculous,” Lazarus said. “It’s a funny thing to watch and lighthearted, and I think we need
that right now.” Or, as Natasha similarly put it: “There’s enough crazy s--- going on in this world. We might as well just dance.”
Fun & Games Editor Esmé Bleecker-Adams - ebleeckeradams@fordham.edu
Fun& Games
For this month’s Horoscopes and a 2020-themed crossword, visit fordhamobserver.com.
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64
67
68
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62 66
BY ESMÉ BLEECKER-ADAMS
Across
24. St. ; skin care brand 26. approximately (2 Wds.) 28. another name for sesame 29. fate 31. useful clothing holes 33. “eat” when in Germany 34. uncooked 35. org. that works in human resources 36. angry, with 44 Across
1. discontinue 6. fruity beverages 10. work hard 14. mister, en Español 15. enthusiastic, of a review 16. long sandwich 17. have the flu, perhaps, with 21 Across 19. bug-killing brand 20. competed in a marathon 21. see 17 Across 22. became nice, of the weather
Hint: Together, each pair of highlighted words makes a phrase hinted at by the title.
41. “Masterpiece Theater” network: Abbr. 44. see 36 Across 45. huffs and 49. disreputable person 52. guarantee something (3 Wds.) 54. one structural part of a house 55. files: Abbr. 57. Japanese singer Minatozaki of the K-pop group Twice 58. all that exists, with 64 Across 60. John’s; pizza chain 62. glossy periodical: Abbr. 63. small children 64. see 58 Across 67. heaviest fencing weapon 68. father, of a racehorse often 69. sixteenth of a pound 70. caves 71. Argo products 72. doctor’s communication device
13
23
34 36
12
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24
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January 22, 2020 THE OBSERVER
Down 1. seated on 2. is good 3. unity 4. propel a boat 5. opposite of kosher 6. aorta, for one 7. writers Roald and Tessa 8. night before
9. feudal laborer 10. scream 11. was made aware of 12. positions in space 13. Lakshmi or Venus, for example 18. very long time: Var. 23. home of “The Bachelor”: Abbr. 25. editor’s mark meaning “let it stand” 27. October birthstone 30. antibiotic for TB 32. one who hoots 34. decay 37. between 30 and 300 gigahertz: Abbr. 38. open to men and women, for short 39. member of Tarzan’s adopted family 40. furrows 41. made a map of 42. “Road” series comedian 43. add sugar to 46. at the mouth 47. pay for 48. walk unsteadily 50. girls, in Scotland 51. expression of regret for someone’s absence, in texting language 52. frightens 53. catch a glimpse of 56. show containing arias 59. treehouse? 61. perched on 65. compete (for) 66. Air Force response to a command: Abbr.
Fun Facts
By JILL RICE, Copy Editor
• Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day (Jan. 20) occurs on a Monday between Jan. 15 (his real birthday) and 21 because of the Uniform Monday Holiday Act which placed many national holidays, including Presidents Day and Memorial Day, on Mondays to give federal workers 3-day weekends. • It was celebrated in all 50 states beginning in 2000. • The Women’s March was first held in 2017 the day after President Trump’s inauguration in response to his campaign and political views. • It has occurred yearly in cities across the country since then. This newspaper is delivered every other week. I have no idea who ordered it.
Dude, you gonna eat that corn?
BY ESMÉ BLEECKER-ADAMS
Mad Libs Now that a new
is upon us, it’s time to look back and
NOUN
was president,
CELEBRITY
VERB
was playing in grocery stores across the nation and
SONG
were all anyone could talk about. We’ve come a long way. Personally, my in the last
NUMBER
years, and while I no longer wear
NAME OF PERSON IN THE ROOM
to
VERB
became a/an
championships and the dining hall started serving students to in
YEAR
ITEM OF CLOTHING
. Here at Fordham, we switched our mascot to the
VERB
in, with a modern
FOOD NOUN
. We can only hope that we continue to
next decade will be as
ADJECTIVE
as the last.
, I have invested in some new
ANIMAL
and edible
and posters of
VERB
skills have improved
VERB ENDING IN -ING
and got hired as a/an
NOUN
on the 2010s. At the start of the decade,
How Well Do You Know Your Roaring 20s? Match the event to the year it occurred.
2020
The famous statue of Venus de Milo is found on the island of Milos.
1920
Suleiman the Magnificent becomes emperor of the Ottoman Empire.
1820
The infamous pirate Calico Jack Rackam and his crew are captured.
1720
The 19th Amendment is passed in the United States, prohibiting denial of the right to vote on the basis of sex.
1620
It is what you make of it, so buckle up and seize the day.
1520
The Forbidden City is completed in Beijing.
1420
The Mayflower sets sail.
. My friend
PLURAL NOUN
team won no less than
SPORT
. We also built a new
PLURAL NOUN
and that the
ADVERB
, which has really helped him/her/them
OCCUPATION
, our
PLURAL NOUN
, who sang at
CELEBRITY
NUMBER
for
NOUN
CAMPUS EVENT
Seeing 2020 Can you find all 32 “2020”s in this grid? They go in any direction, vertical, horizontal and diagonal.
1 8 3 0 4 2 0 6 2 9 0 0 2 0 2
2 0 2 1 9 2 5 0 5 1 7 0 0 5 0
2 0 0 2 0 2 0 6 8 0 0 1 3 7 2
2 0 2 7 1 0 6 3 1 2 2 4 2 1 1
4 8 0 0 2 2 7 1 0 2 0 2 0 5 9
9 2 2 6 8 0 0 0 4 3 2 2 2 6 2
2 0 5 0 7 6 2 0 2 0 8 5 0 4 0
9 6 0 2 6 2 9 0 0 1 3 0 4 3 2
0 4 0 0 6 0 8 3 2 0 2 0 9 6 0
2 5 2 2 1 4 0 2 0 0 0 2 0 2 1
0 0 6 8 0 0 6 0 0 7 9 1 0 2 2
2 0 0 2 0 2 3 2 6 5 0 6 4 7 0
9 1 5 3 1 2 5 0 8 0 3 8 9 2 2
2 1 2 9 7 8 0 8 4 2 0 2 0 2 9
9 0 8 0 2 0 2 2 7 0 1 2 5 2 1
Features Editor Samantha Matthews - smatthews16@fordham.edu Nicole Perkins - nperkins2@fordham.edu
Features By JACQUELINE PIERCE Asst. Features Editor
A Jesuit Approach to Army ROTC
Fordham’s Army Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) program has a long history dating back to the 1840s when the state sent 12 muskets to Rose Hill’s campus after it received threats of destruction from the anti-Catholic Know-Nothing Party. From that point forward, the university has devoted resources to training its students for military service. The university “Ram Battalion” is divided across three campuses: Rose Hill, Lincoln Center and Marist University. However, its approximately 85 cadets come from 20 different colleges and universities located in the area. The Lincoln Center ROTC program is known as the Bravo Company. While they train and take their military science classes on the Fordham Lincoln Center (FLC) campus, most of the cadets come from NYU or Columbia, and only five current cadets are FLC. One of those cadets, Vadim Karimov, Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) ’20, chose Fordham specifically because of the ROTC program. Coming from a military family in Long Island, he “heard about Fordham ROTC (and) heard that it was one of the best programs in the country.” Contracted cadets, or those who have committed to an eightyear service obligation, receive monthly stipends, book allowances and a full-tuition scholarship. Some cadets, like Karimov, receive two-, three- or four-year scholarships that also pay for their housing. The benefits come only with adherence to a busy schedule filled with training exercises, ROTC-specific coursework and other military events. Cadets must be awake at 5:30 a.m. three times per week, for Physical Readiness Training (PRT). On Fridays, the Bravo Company follows the two-hour PRT with their weekly “Leadership Lab,” where they learn about military tactics like ambushes or raids. After the Leadership Lab, the cadets have a military sci-
COURTESY OF DANIEL MAHER
ROTC cadets come from schools around NYC to join Fordham’s program, which is known as the Ram Battalion.
ence course, which changes each semester; these courses cover leadership, management and logistical skills. Fordham’s ROTC program has a unique approach to its training practices in some ways. While it has a staff of former and current military officers, known as the “cadre,” the PRT and Leadership Labs are led by upper-
classmen. As Karimov explained, “The whole battalion is cadet-led, which I think is very unique. I’ve never seen a program that’s all cadet-led.” Cadre member Daniel Maher, a former Army officer, is one of the military science instructors who teaches on all three campuses. He described how the Ram Battalion’s emphasis on student
leadership and its diversity of cadets has led Fordham’s ROTC program to be considered the top school for active duty production in the northeast region. “Whenever we send anybody to a school or summer camp, they always come back with all the accolades, all the awards.” Maher is influenced by Fordham’s Jesuit teachings. He said,
January 22, 2020 THE OBSERVER
“I’ll sit you in a classroom. I’ll tell you how we perform a task, but I expect you to go, ‘Wait, why do we do it that way?’” In an interview with FORDHAM magazine, Gen. Jack M. Keane, former vice chief of staff of the Army and Fordham ROTC alumnus, said, “The rigor of the Jesuit methodology was evident in all classes. What they were least interested in is regurgitation of information. What they’re most interested in is critical thinking based on analysis and some rigorous method of interpretation using reasoning.” Maher hopes to further recruit students already enrolled at Fordham to join ROTC. “There is no reason that somebody should be in Fordham, have the ideology of ‘I want to serve other people’ ... and say, ‘I have to drop out because I can’t afford it.’” He also emphasized his wish that more students of differing viewpoints would become involved. “I wish the general population here in New York City recognized that if they’re not happy with the way the military is running itself, they’ve got to get involved. “You think it’s terrible what the military is doing? Come do something about it. Join. Enlist. It’s not like a club. It’s not like joining a political party ... You’re bringing your party’s ideology to the workplace.” After graduation, Karimov will be taking the values he learned in the Fordham ROTC to the North Carolina National Guard. While he was incentivized by the Army paying for him to receive his degree and live in Manhattan, he cited other benefits of being a part of the Ram Battalion. “You really build a tight bond with your fellow cadets or classmates,” he said. “We hang out with each other outside of ROTC. We’re there for each other if somebody needs support, and you really build that tight bond that will last a lifetime.” “The army is pretty small. We’re bound to meet each other again either in theater or at a post. It’s a pretty tight-knit community.”
Spotlight: Patrick DeBrosse, Modern Medieval Scholar By NICOLE PERKINS Features Editor
When the typical Fordham student comes to mind, what do you see? A suit-clad Gabelli major? A theater student hurrying from one studio to another? For most students, medieval studies is as distant as the Middle Ages. The Met Cloisters might be cool once in a while, but rarely is it a hot topic discussed among students in the same way that the latest TikTok videos might be. We largely fail to notice the little ways that the medieval period affects our daily lives. Patrick DeBrosse, a Ph.D. student who teaches undergraduate classes on medieval studies, points out that we can still find the medieval period in our lexicon today — people commonly use phrases like “knight in shining armor,” “crusader” or “queen” in everyday conversations. DeBrosse started out in his undergrad at Temple University in Philadelphia. After studying a variety of historical subjects, among them the British Empire,
Latin America and the U.S. Civil War, he discovered his fascination for medieval studies while learning from Kathleen Biddick, Ph.D., a revered medieval historian. He said, “In my other history classes, I had felt a sense of accomplishment ... but my papers for Dr. Biddick brought ... a sense that I had the potential to figure out new and important things by asking the types of questions she taught me to ask. At the end of my classes with her, I decided to apply for graduate school in medieval history.” As both a teacher of medieval studies and a graduate student in the same department, DeBrosse experiences both sides of Fordham. On the experience, he said that “it’s a double-edged sword, since we still have to make time for fairly rigorous comprehensive exams and dissertation exams as Ph.D. students ... but we get a lot of experience here at Fordham while we are still surrounded by our mentors and peers.” DeBrosse asserts that we still live in a “profoundly medieval world.” In teaching this, he finds
the most rewarding experiences in the little things: a student looking at a text in a new way, utilizing distinctly different subjects to examine a reading, or choosing to major or minor in medieval history. Learning about medieval studies is just as rewarding for the students, according to DeBrosse. Fordham’s plethora of diverse scholars within the history department provide an ideal learning environment. Rather than just learning about the history of a certain period, DeBrosse encouraged his students to expand their knowledge beyond what they can find in his class by taking a class in the English department on the literature of the medieval period or a class with the art history department on that period’s art. When asked what he would say to encourage students to take a medieval studies class, he answered the following: “The study of medieval history will help you understand your world and it will help you understand yourself. You get to hear the most in-
teresting stories that we humans have collected for each other — about cruel kings, riotous towns-
men and drunken, lecherous monks. If all that doesn’t interest you, I don’t know what will.”
COURTESY OF PATRICK DEBROSSE
As a graduate student who teaches undergraduate classes, Patrick DeBrosse experiences the best of both worlds.
18
Features
January 22, 2020 THE OBSERVER
www.fordhamobserver.com
Understanding What Pre-Law Means at Fordham
By SAMANTHA MATTHEWS Features Editor
Fordham Law School is a significant part of the Fordham community — the freshmen even share a building with it. Pursuing law school after college may be a daunting feat, but at Fordham, there is a program that helps ease the transition. Pre-law is not a major or even a minor — instead, it is formatted as a track or advising program. Students considering a future in law school can declare that they are on the pre-law track at any time before their junior year. This declaration would allow them to have one-on-one extensive advising with Fordham faculty, specifically Hillary Mantis, Esq., assistant dean for pre-law advising at Fordham College at Rose Hill (FCRH) and Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC); and Dennis Cappello, Esq., pre-law adviser at Gabelli School of Business. Since pre-law is not a major, it gives students the freedom to study whatever they gravitate toward. Hillary Mantis said that “there are no pre-law prerequisites. Law schools welcome all majors.” In her 15 years as a pre-law adviser she has seen prospective law students in majors ranging from political science to philosophy. She has also advised students majoring in dance in the Ailey/Fordham BFA Program. However, if you would like to incorporate learning about law into your studies as an undergraduate, there is an abundance of classes offered at both FCLC and FCRH. There are courses on constitutional law and criminal law offered through the political science department. Mantis also teaches a pre-law symposium class at FCRH that is open to students at FCLC, which familiarizes students with careers in the law through guest speakers in the profession. Additionally, there is a Pre-Law Institute at Fordham Law School that occurs during the summer for three credits. Steven Thomas, FCLC ’20 and president of the Pre-Law Society at FCLC, just finished applying to law school. “It’s never too early to start
CRIME from page 1
thinking about law school,” he said. Thomas is a political science major and took courses in constitutional law, studying a lot of policy. “I feel like in that regard, my political science classes helped me in terms of making me more aware of international and domestic issues,” he said. Thomas said that law schools focus on GPA and LSAT scores, but freshmen and sophomores shouldn’t start worrying just yet. According to Mantis, freshman year is a time to get involved with pre-law clubs, such as the Pre-Law Society or the Mock Trial Team, meet people with similar interests and adjust to college life. Additionally, she recommends signing up for the app Handshake to be aware of internships and career fairs. Sophomore year is the time for all students to declare a major — any major that piques their interest. Additionally, for students who
are confident in their pursuit of law school, Fordham offers a 3-3 Accelerated Program. This program allows students to apply for the opportunity to complete both their undergraduate and law degrees in six years, instead of the traditional seven. The spring of junior year is when most students begin taking the LSAT exam. Mantis suggests that students who are studying abroad remember to carve out a timeline for studying for the LSAT. Senior year is finally the time to apply to law school. Mantis stresses the importance of applying to law school early, as they do have rolling admission. While the deadline may be in February or later in the year, it is ideal for students to have submitted their applications around Thanksgiving. This format is a streamlined timeline for students looking to go directly into law school from an
undergraduate education; however, it is not the most popular timeline. Mantis said, “Up to two thirds to three quarters of all applicants now take at least one year off between college and law school for them to work.” Fordham graduates who do decide to take time between their degrees can still utilize pre-law advising as a resource at any time. Pre-law advising helps students apply to any law school they wish, however Fordham University is the top feeder school in the nation for law school. For students still attending FCLC, the Pre-Law Society is a great resource. Students can join at any point in their academic career. “We’re kind of there waiting in the wings for anybody who may need us,” Thomas said. The club offers LSAT prep courses throughout the year with companies like Kaplan and Princ-
The Fordham pre-law program guides students on the complex and sometimes intimidating path towards law school.
eton Review, coupon codes for the courses and study guides, and seminars on how to finance law school, as well as organizing meetings with Mantis and Stephen Brown, assistant dean of enrollment of Fordham Law School. This semester the Society is expanding their robust programming and launching a new mentorship program that will pair pre-law freshmen and sophomores with their upperclassmen counterparts. “It will be an opportunity to talk about general advice, courses they thought were helpful and internships. Sometimes people are nice and pass down internships they’ve had once they have graduated,” Mantis said. There is no shortage of resources for Fordham students who are considering the pre-law track. Simply being aware of what is available is the first step toward pursuing the future of your academic career.
ANDREW DRESSNER/THE OBSERVER
Uncovering Fordham’s True Crime Past
asked him to wait for her outside while she went to the restroom. When she came back minutes later, McNeill was gone. Two days later, a friend reported him missing. For seven weeks, the NYPD, McNeill’s family and hundreds of volunteers led an exhaustive round the clock search, canvassing the area and hanging missing persons signs. On April 6, his body was found floating aside the 69th Street Pier in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, in the East River. His death was classified as undetermined after an autopsy was conducted. His blood alcohol content was confirmed 0.16 at the time of death and the NYPD’s official consensus was that he drunkenly stumbled three blocks away from the bar to the East River, fell in and drowned. However, Kevin Gannon, former NYPD detective who worked on the case, refused to believe this assessment. Gannon believes McNeill was stalked, abducted, held for an extended period of time, murdered and disposed in the East River based on substantial analyses of evidence. Twenty three years ago, Gannon promised McNeill’s family he would find the people who did this and continues the investigation today
RYAN MCGILCHRIST VIA FLICKR
Much of the Fordham community remains unaware of some of the tragic happenings involving its students.
with a team of private investigators. Much of the gathered evidence does not align with the announced conclusion of accidental drowning. Details including recovery location, body position, ante-mortem burn marks, additional marks suggesting binding and illogical decomposition patterns led Gannon and his team of private investigators to believe McNeill was murdered. When told about the death and
possible homicide case of Patrick McNeill, Emma Federer, Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) ’21, stated, “It’s a bit disturbing to hear that Fordham has a past with mysterious deaths. It’s not surprising, however, that I don’t know anything about this case given the fact that it has been 23 years since it happened.” In 2008, Fordham commuter student Anastasiya Andreyeva, FCLC ’08, stabbed 30 year old Aleksey Kats in his Flatbush
home. Kats was the husband of Elina Kats, a woman Andreyeva had a fling with while both in high school together. In court, Andreyeva to admitted stabbing Kats, but pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity, stating that she heard voices that drove her to stab him. Her Fordham peers and professors found the murder to be a shock, being that she was a supposedly bright, hard-working student that had never showed
any signs of extreme psychological distress or instability. Many of them did, however, note her troubling behavior in the weeks leading up to the murder. Two doctors confirmed that Andreyeva couldn’t be held criminally responsible due to determined insanity and prosecutors allowed her to make the insanity plea. These grave cases go largely unknown by the school’s community. Upon hearing about two cases which were particularly unusual in nature, many students were shocked by the grim events that are a part of their school’s history. Olivia Cook, FCLC ’20, said, “As a self proclaimed true crime enthusiast, I’m shocked that I never heard of these murders — especially since they are so close to home.” When considering why it is important that students know about these events, Leo Bernabei, FCLC ’22, commented, “It’s always important for college students to be vigilant when going out. We’re very fortunate to live in a safe area of Manhattan, but tragic events can occur even here (as we saw with McNeill). Never let your guard down, go out with others and avoid situations that leave you in a vulnerable state.”
Sports & Health By RAHUL SUKESH Staff Writer
Working out is an essential activity for those looking to lose weight, build muscle, improve stamina or live a healthy lifestyle. For most people there are three broad options: exercise at home, run aimlessly around the city or go to a gym. For Fordham students who choose a gym, there are four popular options: the free student gym at Fordham Lincoln Center (LC), two separate facilities at the Rose Hill (RH) campus and a discounted semester-based membership at the West Side YMCA. To figure out which of the four options is best for students at LC, for the sake of both your workout and your money, I went to all four gyms. Located in McMahon 108, the LC gym is by far the smallest gym I have ever entered. The gym is smaller than two Lowenstein
Sports & Health Editor Lena Weidenbruch - lweidenbruch@fordham.edu
Which Gym Is Fit for You?
classrooms combined. It is very cardio-heavy, and if all you’re looking for are treadmills, ellipticals and bikes, this is a solid option. In fact, over half the entire gym is a variety of these three machines. If you aren’t focused on cardio, your options are limited. Despite the new renovation as of last year, consisting of an increase in the number of cardio machines and newly painted yellow walls, the gym is lacking in all other areas. While this is the closest and cheapest option, the lack of variety makes getting a good, well-rounded workout difficult — but not impossible. Much like the LC gym, the first thing I noticed upon entering the RH gym was the comparatively large amount of space allocated for cardio machines. Regardless, this gym has everything you need for a sufficient workout. Although there is a distinguished section
for free weights — meaning the squat racks, bench presses and dumbells in the back — the entire gym seems to lack any organizational system. All other machines are around the walls of the main cardio room. Even though this is a free and reasonable option for LC students, it is too impractical. Whether you pay $7 for a round trip with the Ram Van or $5.50 for a round trip through the subway, the time and money spent on the commute really makes this the worst option. However, if you take a class at RH, I would recommend checking out their gym. Another facility offered at RH is the Vince Lombardi Center. With a weird and expensive pay structure, it seems as though earlier months in the academic year cost more, with a bi-monthly cost of $125 for September and October as opposed to $75 for May and June.
ANDREW DRESSNER/THE OBSERVER
The Rose Hill gym provides a quality workout, but may not be worth the trip for Lincoln Center students.
Nevertheless, if you can see past the cost, this facility is more sports-oriented, containing four full basketball courts, two tennis courts, two volleyball courts, a four-lane track and an eight-lane pool with diving boards. Despite its impressive offerings, for LC students, this is the worst option on all three fronts of cost, convenience and quality. Located on Broadway and West 63rd Street, the West Side YMCA gym is undoubtedly the largest gym a LC student could feasibly access. There is an entire section dedicated to cardio, another section for free weights, many small rooms with various machines, two pools and a basketball court. In terms of quality, there is no beating the YMCA. In addition to its superior amenities, the YMCA offers their facilities to LC students at a discounted price of $115 for one semester. This is the most expen-
January 22, 2020 THE OBSERVER
sive option, but it is worth it for students seeking a comprehensive workout within walking distance of their campus. While my considerations are based solely on quality, if I were to judge by other factors, the list would be very different. For example, if you want the most convenient option, the FCLC gym is clearly optimal. If you want the most economic option without sacrificing quality, the RH gym is best if you don’t mind the trek. When looking for the right gym, there are several options of varying quality for LC students to explore. In addition to quality, most students must also account for affordability and proximity, and finding the right balance among these three factors can be difficult. Students who find this too difficult often find themselves skipping exercise altogether. Perhaps they should consider running aimlessly around the city.
ISABELLE DALBY/THE OBSERVER
The Lincoln Center gym is located conveniently, but lacks space and variety.
Booze Won’t Help You Lose
Nutrition labels may not be provided on alcoholic drinks, but that doesn’t mean the calories don’t count. By LUKE OSBORN Sports & Health Editor Emeritus
AlcoholEdu stresses drinking responsibility, but the creators of this educational module focus on blood alcohol content and the factors that can exacerbate alcohol’s effects on the brain. Though AlcoholEdu exhaustively highlights how alcohol affects us while we are drinking it, the program ignores one major way alcohol can impact us in the long term. That is, alcohol — from wine to tequila — is packed with calories. To put the number of calories into perspective, the 2015 to 2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans states that a standard alcoholic beverage contains 14 grams of pure alcohol, which contributes 98 calories to the drink. Other ingredients in the specific type of alcoholic drink will add to the total number of calories. According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), a glass (eight ounces) of white wine will generally contain 125 calories, whereas 12 ounces of beer has 153 calories. On top of the alcohol, mixers can add even more calories to the drink. A piña colada, for instance, has almost 500 calories, which largely come from the pineapple juice
and coconut cream. It may not come as a surprise that drinking a glass of wine might be on par calorically with a bottle of Coca Cola, but it’s hard to account for such calories when most alcoholic beverages are missing a nutrition label. Alcohol does not fall under the supervision of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA); rather, the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau regulates alcohol sales and consumption and does not require alcohol companies to place nutrition labels on their products. The FDA can regulate products with 7% or less alcohol content, which is why drinks like spiked seltzers have nutrition labels. What’s more, the amount of alcohol and the calories that come with it are especially difficult to discern when purchasing alcoholic beverages in a bar setting or preparing them on your own at home. It is not standard practice for bars to list the calories in their drinks, and the amount of alcohol in a specific type of drink may vary each time bartenders make them. Of the 80% of college students who drink, it’s estimated that 50% engage in binge drinking,
which is consuming more than four to five calorie-rich drinks in a two-hour period. For example, four margaritas, at 168 calories per drink, can contribute 672 extra calories to your caloric intake that day. Overdrinking on a weekly basis could make it more difficult to control weight gain, which would coincide with the other health problems associated with alcohol. According to the 2015 to 2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, drinking in moderation means only having up to one drink per day for women and two drinks for men. Nutrition labels on alcohol bottles still seems far off from becoming a reality, so along with consuming alcohol in moderation, the NIAAA has an Alcohol Calorie Calculator that can give you a rough estimate of the additional calories alcoholic drinks provide. Meticulously counting calories is not a realistic practice and becomes even more difficult in social situations. However, keeping basic nutritional factors in mind could make for a healthier night. Alcohol content may have a more immediate effect, but high calorie counts can have long-term consequences.
One glass of white wine = 125 calories
12 ounces of beer = 153 calories
Piña colada = almost 500 calories
Margarita = 168 calories MADDIE SANDHOLM/THE OBSERVER
20
Sports
January 22, 2020
THE OBSERVER
www.fordhamobserver.com
Men’s Basketball and What Should Have Been
By PATRICK MOQUIN Asst. Sports & Health Editor
It may surprise fans of Fordham men’s basketball to hear that its players have made five combined appearances in the NCAA Tournament since 2013. In fact, one player was even selected in the second round of the 2019 NBA Draft. The problem: None of these student athletes achieved any of their success in the Rose Hill Gymnasium. After three years with the team, Jon Severe transferred to Iona College for the 2016-17 season. He made an NCAA Tournament appearance with the Gaels when they lost as a 14-seed to 3-seed Oregon in the first round. Joe Chartouny made a similar move in 2018. After three seasons with Fordham, one of which he spent with Severe, Chartouny transferred to Marquette, a program with far more potential and name recognition. In the 2019 NCAA Tournament, the Golden Eagles were upset as a 5-seed by future NBA superstar Ja Morant and 12-seed Murray State. In his second season with Fordham, Severe spent time with freshman Eric Paschall, Fordham’s most successful transfer student in recent memory. After only one season with the Rams, Paschall accepted an offer from Villanova at the peak of their prominence and his career took off. He made three NCAA Tournament appearances with the Wildcats, and in 2017, the team recorded a 36-4 record on the way to a national title win. The success did not end in college for Paschall. Following the 2019 season, the former Ram entered the NBA Draft and was selected by the Golden State War-
Timeline 2013-14 Season Severe — Freshman 2014-15 Season Severe — Sophomore Paschall — Freshman Anderson — Freshman 2015 Head coach Pecora fired, Paschall transferred to Villanova 2015-16 Season Severe — Junior Anderson — Sophomore Chartouny — Freshman Paschall — Did not play because he was a transfer student at Villanova 2016 Severe transferred to Iona COURTESY OF FORDHAM ATHLETICS
Following a successful freshman season, Nick Honor left Fordham basketball for Clemson last April.
riors in the second round as the 41st overall pick. In the time between Paschall’s transfer and the start of his NBA career, Fordham’s record was 51-75 over the course of four seasons. Though it is now hard to remember, Fordham was once touted as an Atlantic 10 contender, most recently in 2014. That season, Severe, a highly regarded high school recruit from New York City, was entering his second year, and head coach Tom Pecora had managed to recruit more local talent in New York natives Paschall and Antwoine Anderson. The team was led by rising junior star Mandell Thomas.
COURTESY OF VILLANOVA ATHLETICS
Eric Paschall left Fordham in 2015 and joined an elite Villanova program.
COURTESY OF MARQUETTE ATHLETICS
Joe Chartouny’s only year with Marquette took him to the NCAA Tournament.
It was a team built to win games and turn Fordham basketball on its head. Within two years, the entire system collapsed. The season did not go as planned, with the Rams matching their previous season’s record of 10-21. In the Atlantic 10 Tournament, they made an early exit in the second round against Dayton. Pecora was fired after the season, and following his termination, Paschall left for Villanova. Along with freshman Chartouny, the team did very little to improve their standing under the instruction of new head coach Jeff Neubauer. Severe left for Iona College in 2016, Anderson left for UConn in 2017 and Chartouny left for Marquette in 2018. The Fordham Ram’s basketball reporter and managing editor Andrew Posadas, Fordham College at Rose Hill (FCRH) ’21, blamed this mass exodus on the change in coaching staff, saying many of Pecora’s former recruits “were blindsided by his dismissal.” Posadas also recognized the choice to leave as rational and said, “Paschall decided to take his talents to Villanova to be coached by Jay Wright, and that decision has led him to the Golden State Warriors.” Recently, Nick Honor became the fifth major player to leave Fordham basketball in the past six years. Following the 2018-19 season, in which they went 12-20, the freshman guard announced his decision to transfer to Clemson University for his remaining three years of eligibility. In an article published last May, Jimmy Sullivan, FCRH ’21, the sports editor for The Fordham Ram, looked back on Honor’s brief Fordham career bittersweetly. After mentioning one of the many accolades Honor received during his freshman season, Sullivan wrote, “It was a fitting reminder of the year Honor had in the Bronx, but it may have been an even more appropriate symbol of what could have been.” When asked for comment on the topic of Fordham’s basketball transfers, Sullivan agreed with Posadas’ assessment but also attributed it to a wider culture within the sport. In an interview conducted in December, Sullivan said, “It’s not just a Fordham thing, it’s kind of a college basketball thing. If you’re looking around and you’re saying, ‘Hey, this is my last year, I’m going to see what I can do,’ then it makes sense. And that’s happening across the country.” In his article, Sullivan also described Honor’s reason for trans-
ferring, understood at the time as a family-related event, as “unclear.” It was later revealed that his mother, Carlene Honor, had suffered a heart attack in Florida, and his transfer to Clemson came as a way to move closer to her. In this case, Honor did not leave Fordham to pursue success elsewhere. His transfer also defies another trend, as he left after his first year like Paschall, rather than after his third year like Severe, Chartouny and Anderson. In the words of The Ram sportswriter Jack Roche, FCRH ’22, “Just like any other student, they could transfer for a myriad of reasons. At the end of the day, I think you have to take a step back and realize these athletes are people first.” While this case is clearly different from the others, Sullivan made one key observation: Honor is not the first prominent Fordham player to depart. He is an incidental component of a larger trend. In each of their final seasons of eligibility, three separate players decided to try their luck elsewhere. In the cases of Chartouny and Severe, those gambles were rewarded with trips to the NCAA Tournament as their former team lost regularly within their division. For Anderson, his transfer to UConn was not as fruitful, but his decision to leave Fordham for a big program is still revealing. Regarding this mutual decision, Sullivan reiterated, “I don’t know what Fordham is to do about that, because it’s happening everywhere.” He also saw the sense in a player’s desire to look for better opportunities. During his interview, he expressed disdain toward “the media destroying these kids for leaving” and said, “I think about it as a better job.” It is perhaps no coincidence, then, that the most successful transfer student is also the one who left the earliest. Following the change in leadership, Paschall wasted no time transferring to Villanova. As Posadas pointed out, he achieved things for the Wildcats no Fordham player could ever fathom, and he improved to a degree that would qualify him as an NBA-level talent. In 2015, his Fordham team only managed to win 10 games. He is now starting for the Golden State Warriors. There is no reason beyond a Fordham bias for people to criticize a player’s choice to look for success elsewhere. Several players have remained loyal to Fordham in the past and have paid
2016-17 Season Anderson — Junior Chartouny — Sophomore Severe — Senior, NCAA Tournament appearance with Iona Paschall — Sophomore, NCAA Tournament appearance with Villanova 2017 Anderson transferred to UConn 2017-18 Season Chartouny — Junior Paschall — Junior, NCAA Tournament champion with Villanova Anderson — Senior, played for UConn 2018 Chartouny transferred to Marquette 2018-19 Season Honor — Freshman Paschall — Senior, NCAA Tournament appearance with Villanova Chartouny — Senior, NCAA Tournament appearance with Marquette 2019 Honor transferred to Clemson University, Paschall drafted by Golden State Warriors 2019-20 Season Honor — Currently not playing following Clemson transfer dearly. They should no longer be accused of betrayal or disloyalty for seeking better opportunities. Fordham men’s basketball has lost the trust of its players and fans to build a successful team over time. They have wallowed at the bottom of the Atlantic 10 for years, and several extremely talented players have walked through their doors during that time. Multiple coaching staffs have tried and failed to properly utilize these players’ skill sets and convert them into wins. As a result, players like Paschall and Severe should be able to look out for themselves in the offseason, as they can no longer trust their current team to give them the prominence they deserve. That trust has been lost, and Fordham basketball has to earn it again before anyone can recommend patience in the notion of “what could have been.”