Observer Issue 13 Fall 2022

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‘The Moors’: A Dark and Whimsical Comedy

By SOPHIA GRAUSSO Staff Writer

Running from Nov. 6 through Nov. 11, Fordham Stu dio Theatre’s “The Moors,” writ ten by Jen Silverman, centers femininity, solitude and com panionship against the un forgiving and savage whimsy of its titular environment.

The play fo cuses on the

lonely estate of two sisters, their brutish Mastiff and a maid wearing many hats as they all prepare for the arrival of a young governess.

The governess, enchanted by letters she had received from the house’s master, arrives en thralled by the position and the man offering them. When the master of the house is nowhere to be found, the governess finds herself caught in the snare of cruelty, unable to escape though not actually held captive.

At the center of the play’s ee rie and foreboding atmosphere lies loneliness and the desper ate clawing for emotion that rises within us. The play is pains takingly human, as the fren

zied need for connection binds people in love, hate and ob session. Director Manon Mc Collum, Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) ’24, spoke on the multi facetedness of the play, saying, “All these plots center the feeling of being truly seen, and the lengths to which we will go to get that feeling of truly being seen … again and again.”

Students and Staff React to 2022 Midterm Elections

By MARYAM BESHARA News Editor

The 2022 U.S. general mid term elections, which concluded on Nov. 8, highlighted multiple issues on ballots across the nation and consisted of tight electoral races between candidates that de termined governorships and party controls for the House and Senate.

According to The New York Times (NYT), one of the topics highlight ed nationwide was abortion rights, which is a result of the reversal of Roe v. Wade via the case of Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Orga nization. Other topics that brought voters to the polls included conver sations concerning drug policies and voting access.

The Democratic Party recently maintained control of the Senate after Catherine Cortez Masto’s win in Nevada, giving the Democrats a 50-49 Senate majority. Georgia’s Senate election will advance to a runoff scheduled on Dec. 6 due to neither Democratic candidate Raphael Warnock nor Republican candidate Herschel Walker receiv ing over 50% of the votes.

Control of the House remains unknown with the results of nine districts too close to call. Either party needs to win 218 districts in order to gain control, and as of Nov. 15 the Democrats hold 209 districts while the Republi cans hold 217. The Democratic Party held the majority following the U.S. House election results of

2020, after winning 222 districts compared to the Republicans’ 213 districts.

For the Senate races, the Dem ocrats were able to flip one seat, in Pennsylvania, in the election be tween Democratic candidate John Fetterman, Republican candidate Mehmet Oz and Libertarian candidate Erik Gerhardt. Ac cording to NYT, these wins in the Democratic Party and the tight races across the coun try, both for governorships and positions in the House and Senate, have led Repub licans to question their per formance in the midterms.

Students Disappointed With Fordham’s Attendance Policy

By MADELYN KINZEL Staff Writer

Fordham’s attendance policy expects students to attend every class for the courses they are reg istered for and allows flexibility for attendance at the professor’s discretion. As a result, whether unexcused absences are penal ized or permitted is contingent on the instructor.

An unexcused absence, per the university’s definition, is any reason for missing class other than a religious holiday, serious illness, death in the student’s im mediate family or required par ticipation in a university-spon

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sored event. The student must provide the appropriate docu mentation to their dean by fill ing out an excused absence form.

According to Jenifer Campbell, dean of students at Lincoln Cen ter, the university opted to use the form to monitor the different reasons students were request ing absences in order to make the process for filing for an un excused absence consistent.

The maximum number of total absences, excused or unexcused, allowed in a class per semester is six for a class that meets three times a week, four for one that meets two times a week and two if it meets once a week, unless

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otherwise noted in the profes sor’s syllabus. Professors have the liberty of deciding how many of those absences can be excused or unexcused, ranging from zero to the maximum number allowed by the university.

A student’s final grade can be docked for accruing excessive unexcused absences if it is their professors policy, professors maintain final say on the matter and are not obligated to allow for students to complete make up work. Faculty members are required to specify their atten dance policies in their syllabus, which is to be distributed at the first course meeting, and estab

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visit, which would then result in them receiving no documentation for an excused absence. This can cause students to attend class while sick in fear of how this may affect their grade.

Rachel Dasey, Fordham College at Rose Hill ’25, shared that she be comes sick often and gets a fever every two weeks.

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“I have IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome) and I have celiac dis ease, so sometimes it happens that I get cross contaminated, for what ever reason, and I’ll get really ill,” she said. “I definitely don’t want to come to class.”

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Fordham Hosts UN Event For Pope Francis’ World Day of the Poor

The international political economy department introduced the Pope Francis index on Nov. 11 to address the importance of ending poverty

By KIA FATAHI Staff Writer

The international political economy and development de partment (IPED) at Fordham held an event on Nov. 11 to recognize the World Day of the Poor, a Ro man Catholic observance estab lished by Pope Francis in 2016 which is marked annually on Nov. 13. The event took place at the Church Center for the United Na tions (UN) and was co-sponsored by the Caritas Internationalis and Catholic Relief Services.

The organizers for the event included Archbishop Gabriele Caccia, permanent observer of the Holy See to the UN; Henry Schwalbenberg, director of IPED

at Fordham; María Alejandra Hincapié, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences ’22; and Bill O’Keefe, executive vice president of Catholic Relief Services and the keynote speaker. Brianna Fitzpatrick, liaison to the UN for Caritas Internationalis, moderat ed the panel.

In honor of World Day of the Poor, the panelists highlighted the pope’s call on nations to take concrete actions in reducing glob al poverty.

“Too often we participate in the globalization of indifference,” O’Keefe said, reiterating the pope’s own words. “May we strive instead to live in global solidarity.”

On behalf of Fordham, Schwalbenberg and Hincapié

first presented the 2022 issue of the Pope Francis Global Poverty Index, a global multidimensional poverty measure. Schwalbenberg summarized the findings of the report, noting that “extreme glob al poverty is the worst it has ever been since 2016 when the index was first created.” He attributed these findings to four existing categories that reflect the current problem: undernourishment, lack of above-subsistence-level em ployment, gender inequity and restrictions on religious freedom.

“Based on the most recently available data, we found that seri ous gaps exist in all seven dimen sions,” he said. “They range from a low of roughly 9% to a high of 59% of the world's population. The global poverty score is cur rently 26.2%.”

Following the analysis of this report, O’Keefe delivered the keynote address titled “Global Climate Crisis – Pathways for the Poor.” He emphasized that the convergence of increased conflict, the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the long-term climate crisis and high inflation rates could “greatly aggravate human suffering, dis placement, hunger and poverty.”

In his address, he also added that even though we have made “steady progress” toward better living conditions, there are still things that need to be done to en sure that the leaders of the most powerful nation on earth can tackle climate change head on. “I think there’s an increased

consciousness. Even in our own country, which is the last country to accept the reality of climate change, our own expe riences are beginning to make a difference,” O’Keefe said, re ferring to the renewed initiative of U.S. President Joe Biden’s ad ministration to combat climate change in the ongoing session of the UN Climate Change Confer ence (COP27) in Egypt.

At COP27, Biden announced funding for new initiatives to ex pedite the execution of the Emer gency Plan for Adaptation and Resilience (PREPARE), which aims to support more than half a billion people in poor countries to adapt to the effects of climate change. Efforts include the al location of $100 million to the Adaptation Fund (AF) and $150 million to the Africa Adaptation Initiative.

According to O’Keefe, the first step to allocate $100 million for global adaptation to climate change requires increased fund ing for climate adaptation. Adap tation is the process of adjusting to the current and future impacts of climate change, whereas mit igation entails dealing with the root cause. O’Keefe said that rich countries such as the U.S are “doing worse on adaptation than mitigation” and not doing enough to help the most vulnera ble nations.

The second step, which allo cates $150 million for disaster emergency response across coun

SCOTUS’ Affirmative Action Ruling May Impact Fordham Admissions

By KASSIDY DE NOBREGA Contributing Writer

The United States Supreme Court heard two affirmative ac tion cases on Oct. 31: Students for Fair Admissions (SFFA) v. Harvard College and SFFA v. University of North Carolina (UNC). SFFA is a nonprofit fighting “racial classifi cations and preferences in college admissions” and places Harvard and UNC affirmative action poli cies in direct violation of the Civil Rights Act. As a higher education institution, affirmative action is implemented in Fordham’s admis sions practices.

In both cases, SFFA argued that in their efforts to admit a diverse class of undergraduate students, the universities discriminate against Asian American appli cants. The broad case against UNC targets the 2003 court decision of Grutter v. Bollinger, which upheld the constitutionality of the land mark affirmative action decision, Regents of the University of Cali fornia v. Bakke.

The legitimacy of affirmative action was established in 1978. Now, SFFA is challenging the no tion that historically underrepre sented groups should continue to be given a collective advantage. UNC, however, maintained that affirmative action was necessary to their diversity mission. Even today, only 8% of the UNC’s un dergraduate student population is Black, compared to 22% of the to tal North Carolina population.

At Fordham, affirmative ac tion has served as a vital role in diversifying the student body and

acknowledging the collective dis parities which pro-affirmative ac tion groups have fought to convey during the Supreme Court hear ings, according to Patricia Peek, dean of undergraduate admissions at Fordham University.

“As a Jesuit university in the heart of a multiethnic and inter national city, it has been both part of the University’s mission and an important goal for us in the Office of Undergraduate Admission to build a campus community that is likewise diverse, and which fosters inclusive mindsets,” she said.

Shirley Omari-Kwarteng, Ford ham College at Lincoln Center ’25, said that she believes affirmative action is necessary for redressing past and present injustices and that the Supreme Court’s likeli hood of overturning the policy represents a regression in redress ing historical wrongs.

“The only question I pose for the Supreme Court is that if we are all equal and meritocratic method is what you wish to proceed with from henceforth, why do we still, as a na tion, celebrate firsts in positions of authority,” Omari-Kwarteng said.

She explained that when histor ically disadvantaged individuals of Black, Latine and Indigenous de scent win elections they are still celebrated as instances of racial progress as opposed to their suc cess being standard.

“Why don’t we acknowledge white people in power in the same manner?” she asked

University President Tania Tet low, J.D., spoke with ABC News regarding race-based college ad missions prior to the Supreme

Court hearings concerning affir mative action and highlighted the importance of diversity on college campuses as well as addressing historical inequalities between different groups.

“When we have groups miss ing (from campus), we know we're missing some of our best and bright est,” she said. “There’s something very particular about growing up in this country, dealing with the ways that you were underestimated, the educational opportunities you were denied — when a student comes to us having overcome all of that, and succeeding in a way that means they belong at Fordham we’re even more eager for them to be here.”

Past Supreme Court cases against affirmative action result ed mainly in narrowing race-con scious admissions to be more in dividualized for each applicant. This individualization ensured that no applicant should be put at an advantage solely for their racial identity, a process referred to as holistic admissions. Should SFFA prevail, UNC, Harvard College and other universities across the coun try would have to adopt race-neu tral admissions policies that do not evaluate applications with nuance due to applicants’ racial identities.

Currently, Peek believes that Fordham approaches the admis sions process holistically by consid ering diversity, inclusion, academic performance and high school rigor as well as the availability of oppor tunities, service and commitment, and leadership among other fac tors. Pending the policy’s potential removal, the university’s Office of Undergraduate Admissions intends

to implement colorblind initiatives, according to Peek.

“Any further narrowing will create a loss of information that informs an understanding of the student experience,” she said.

“So admission offices will need to think about more race-neutral strategies that can provide some of that missing context.”

The extent of the Supreme Court’s potential overturning of affirmative action legitimacy is expected to trickle down to other race-conscious programs, includ ing employment policies.

Omari-Kwarteng believes that eradicating affirmative action in higher education would hinder up ward social mobility and achieve ments for minority groups.

“If the Supreme Court proceeds with the assumed ruling on Affir

tries in Africa, requires govern ments to be accountable for their climate impacts and participate responsibly in addressing the is sue of “Loss and Damage.” Public climate finance must be provid ed in the form of grants rather than non-concessional loans, and O’Keefe noted that the al ready existing gap between core and periphery countries when it comes to making decisions about climate change must lessen.

Echoing the statements of Schwalbenberg, O’Keefe contin ued by highlighting that nations in the Horn of Africa, Southeast Asia and the Middle East are the most harmed by the impacts of climate change due to minimal basic infrastructure and humani tarian assistance.

O’Keefe also recounted stories about local people taking action on domestic problems in nations like Somalia, Afghanistan and the Philippines to inspire the au dience to take action on issues of climate change and poverty. He concluded his presentation by stating that it is “a moral and ethical imperative” for nations such as the U.S. to support those least responsible and capable in handling such issues.

“I believe that the arc of histo ry does bend towards justice, but that requires people to bend it,” O’Keefe said. “It all depends on the actions that individuals, fam ilies and communities take which will make a difference in the long run. It’s up to us.”

mative Action, they are robbing American youth of potentially lev eling the socio-economic playing field,” she said. “We’ve only just seen marginalized groups begin to crack the glass ceilings placed above us for centuries and to eliminate affirmative action is to re-seal the cracks made by those before us.”

The court will likely not re lease a decision until June or July of 2023. Due to the court’s con servative majority, the potential effects of the abolition of affirma tive action policy are being seri ously considered by universities and students across the U.S. if the court rules in favor of SFFA, the Office of Undergraduate Admis sions concluded that they would have to modify their 2024-25 ad missions cycle.

The court’s decision to prohibit the consideration of race in admissions would alter a core component of the university’s acceptance process and diversity mission

NEPTUUL VIA WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

At this event for the World Day of the Poor, leaders addressed the importance of reducing global poverty and climate change.

ANDREW DRESSNER/THE OBSERVER

If the Supreme Court decides to prohibit affirmative action policies, the values of diversity in Fordham admissions could be impacted.

Running the Tracks: Faces of the MTA

By MARYAM BESHARA and AURELIEN CLAVAUD News Editor and Asst. Photo Editor

The New York City subway system is used by New Yorkers and tourists alike, serving as a vital function of many people’s daily mode of transport. Accord ing to the Metropolitan Trans portation Authority (MTA), the subway maintained a ridership of approximately 2.4 million dai ly passengers in 2021. On Sept. 21, the subway system transport ed 3.8 million people, due to the convergence of riders using the MTA for school, work, concerts, games and other special events across New York City, surpassing the MTA’s previous record of 3.7 million riders on Sept. 20. These are the highest ridership num bers since March 2020 as the city continues to recover from the pandemic.

The transit lines offer 28 rail services that run through the city’s five boroughs. The subway holds the stories of passersby as they set out on their daily com mute, as well as tourists who visit the city. These accounts also in clude those of the employees of New York City Transit (NYCT), a subsidiary of the MTA that em ploys the New Yorkers who trans port millions throughout the city.

We intended to accurately represent the faces of the transit employees in an effort to bring attention to their work and lives.

Working our way down from the 72nd Street station to the 59th Street-Columbus Circle station, we captured the workers of the 1, 2 and 3 lines.

72nd Street

Looking up at the schedule of the 72nd Street station, we

eagerly awaited the arrival of the downtown 2 train. As the train came to a stop, the opera tor smiled and posed for a pho to. Despite working a demand ing job, the operator was cheery and waved goodbye as the train pulled out of the station.

A few more trains passed on either side of the platform. Pas sengers came and went, but the station wasn’t too lively. Even tually, a downtown 1 train crept to a halt before us, and the win dow to the operator’s cabin came down.

“I hope you’re making me look good,” the operator said.

66th Street-Lincoln Center

The Lincoln Center station was not crowded, but a few pas sengers wandered up and down the platform awaiting the trains which weren’t operating as fre quently at 9 p.m. Other than an express 3 train passing through the station every few minutes, the station was quiet.

Before hopping on the down town train, we took a last-minute photo of an operator who pulled down their window and posed with a peace sign.

59th Street-Columbus Cir cle

We took the 1 train downtown to Columbus Circle with the same operator who had posed for us. After exiting the train, we turned to unexpectedly see the operator look at us, smile and wave.

“Have a good day now,” they said with a nod.

As we made our way toward the exit, we decided to capture one last image of a train operator. Run ning to the front of the uptown 1 train, we saw the driver turn to our lens and flash a wide smile.

The NYCT subway operators offer a window into the efforts of the individuals who are respon sible for facilitating the smooth transportations of millions of riders across NYC’s boroughs throughout the day. We sought to capture the diverse workers of New York’s MTA, the largest and most developed public

system in the United States.

transit

AURELIEN CLAVAUD/THE OBSERVER

A train operator motions a peace sign to the camera after dropping the window and says "Have a good day now" as his train leaves.

New York’s transit network carries millions of passengers daily, a task that relies on its operators

AURELIEN CLAVAUD/THE OBSERVER

An NYCT operator checks the platform before departs from the 72nd Street Station.

MARYAM BESHARA/THE OBSERVER

Passengers at the 66th Street-Lincoln Center station stick close to the wall as they wait for their train to arrive.

AURELIEN CLAVAUD/THE OBSERVER

An NYCT employee watches passengers board the downtown 1 train and monitors the flow of traffic on the platform.

AURELIEN CLAVAUD/THE OBSERVER

Train cabin crews consist of a driver at the front of the train and an operator in the middle of the train.

Bivalent Booster Mandate Triggers Debates Across Fordham

Members of the university community express their positions in response to the administration’s decision, with some pushing petitions in support of the mandate and others against

By MARYAM BESHARA News Editor

Fordham’s mandate of the biva lent booster sparked reactions both for and against it. Separate peti tions have been released by differ ent organizations in the Fordham community and a protest was orga nized on the same day as University President Tania Tetlow’s, J.D., inau guration prior to the university’s vaccination deadline.

In accordance with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and its recommendations, Fordham updated its COVID-19 policies and protocols to mandate that anyone seeking access to cam pus receive the bivalent booster dose, according to Marco Valera, vice president for administration and the university’s COVID-19 co ordinator. Valera announced the new vaccination guidelines in an email sent on Sept. 26.

Prior to the announcement in September, the university’s week ly “Five Things” email newslet ter, which contained Fordham’s COVID-19 announcements and updates, noted in its April 1 up date that “it may be necessary to require a second booster shot for eligible individuals beginning in September 2022.” The updates were discontinued one month later on May 6, 2022.

Community Members Respond to Bivalent Booster Mandate

Fordham’s bivalent booster mandate caused petitions both in support of and in opposition to the mandate by faculty members. Ac cording to Mark Naison, professor of African American studies and history at Fordham Rose Hill and one of five faculty members who organized a petition in support of the mandate, they collected 222 signatures over the 10 days that the petition was open

On Oct. 17, the faculty group began circulating the petition in support of the booster mandate, according to Naison. He noted that it was sent to Tetlow on Oct. 27 and was mainly composed of faculty signatures across the Lin coln Center, Rose Hill and West chester campuses.

Naison said his reasons for sup porting the mandate stem directly from his contact with commuter students and residents of the Bronx who are more susceptible to con tracting COVID-19 than other areas of New York City.

“The booster requirement is important to protect the health of everyone at Fordham, especially the most vulnerable among us, and people living and working in the areas adjoining our Lincoln Center, Rose Hill, and Westchester cam puses,” the petition read.

Fordham Together, an organi zation composed of 573 parents, Fordham staff, faculty and stu dents, has an ongoing petition in opposition to the mandate that has yielded 1,297 signatures as of Nov. 14. According to the group, an af filiated organization by the name of Fordham Students Together collected over 300 signatures as of Nov. 14 on a separate petition.

On Oct. 14, during Tetlow’s inauguration, Fordham Togeth er protested the bivalent booster mandate. The group had sub mitted a letter to the university voicing their opposition to the mandate a week prior on Oct. 7 and according to James Mermigis, senior owner and partner of the Mermigis Law Group, they had not received a response from the university as of Oct. 20.

“This censorship, vagueness, refusal to provide scientific reason

ing, and conflicting responses con tinue to this day,” Fordham Togeth er told The Observer on Nov. 14. “If Fordham was as open to diverse perspectives as it claims to be, cen soring and social shaming its own students and staff would not be an option and forming our group would not have been necessary.”

Mermigis Law Group, a law firm on Long Island, has threatened lit igation against Fordham for the mandate, according to The Bronx Times. Mermigis co-authored a let ter addressed to Tetlow calling the policy “coercive” and cited it as un lawful since the vaccine is current ly being distributed under emer gency use authorization. Mermigis also claimed that the mandate is a “breach of implied contract” be cause it was announced after stu dents paid their tuition.

Nicholas Tampio, a political science professor at Fordham, at tended the protest held on Oct. 14 against the bivalent booster man date and was one of the organizers of the faculty petition that was in opposition to the mandate. The pe tition read that the group believed “the final decision whether to re ceive the bivalent booster should be left to the judgment of each individ ual, in consultation with that indi vidual’s physician and conscience.”

According to The Ram, the fac ulty petition in opposition to the mandate has received 113 faculty signatures as of Oct. 25.

Virginia Ungaro, organizer of the protest and a Fordham Office of Enrollment Services employ ee, spoke with The Fordham Ram about her opposition to the man date and shared her concerns about the university’s lack of transparen cy regarding the repercussions for not receiving the booster.

“They are not telling us if you don’t get this, you will be disen rolled,” Ungaro said to The Ram. “I think they’re just purposefully pulling a bait and switch on the students, and parents should be outraged. This is not cheap, it’s an education.”

According to The Ram, approx imately 20-30 Fordham students, faculty and staff gathered outside the university’s main gates across from the New York Botanical Gar den on Southern Boulevard to pro test the bivalent booster mandate while Tetlow’s inauguration cere mony was taking place.

Robert Dineen, vice president of Public Safety, told The Observer on Nov. 1 that, at the time, the univer sity was in the process of contacting members of the Fordham commu nity who did not update their vacci nation status and did not receive an exemption for the booster, for which

the deadline was Oct. 28, to confirm their compliance with the policy.

Bob Howe, assistant vice presi dent for communications, said that as an institution, the university is not in a position “to choose among the many COVID-19 studies” and relies on guidance from the CDC to formulate its COVID-19 protocols.

“The University is not reconsid ering the vaccine/bivalent booster mandate,” he said on Oct. 31. “The Jesuit teaching that runs through everything Fordham does is being people for others.”

Howe added that the vaccine is about protecting the community and cited that multiple news out lets have reported an increase in COVID-19 infections in Europe which, in the past, has foreshad owed trends in the U.S.

“Being fully vaccinated and boosted helps protect students, faculty and staff — some of whom are more vulnerable to COVID-19 because of age or their individual medical histories,” he said.

Howe did not comment on the potential lawsuit the university is facing, the petitions released in support of and against the booster from faculty groups or the protest.

Jenifer Campbell, dean of stu dents at Lincoln Center, said that she was aware of the Fordham Parents Together group. She add ed that she was aware of some complaints from students regard ing the booster mandate but that those complaints “were tied to the parents that had been protesting.”

Campbell stands by the uni versity’s decision to mandate the booster and noted, “I love the fact that we offer it.”

“At this juncture, the universi ty is standing by its right to say this is what we require for indi viduals to enter the premises, and there is no plan to change that,” she said.

Students Respond to the Mandate and Share Their Vaccination Experience

Louis DeSalvio, Fordham Col lege at Lincoln Center ’24, re ceived his bivalent booster dose on Oct. 27 in Lincoln Center’s South Lounge located in the Ram Café. He did not have an appoint ment and noted that his overall experience took him a little un der an hour. DeSalvio suggested that the university make greater use of its availability for appoint ments and mentioned that he was unable to set up an appointment once the times were released.

“I don’t know how other peo ple’s experience was with ap

pointments, but for me it wasn’t very good, and I would have liked people to get in and out of there pretty fast,” he said.

Veronica Eulate, Gabelli School of Business at Rose Hill ’25, received her booster dose on Oct. 31 in the Great Hall at the Joseph M. McShane, S.J. Cam pus Center and expressed similar thoughts to DeSalvio. She noted that her overall experience was time-consuming and could have been improved if the process was more organized.

“I actually took around four hours, which was very frustrating because they actually ran out of Pfizer vaccines in the middle of it,” she said. “I understand that there was a lot of people coming in, which was something very good, but at the same time I thought they would be more prepared for something like that — especially since the deadline for the booster mandate is coming up soon.”

Eulate expected the wait to be 30-40 minutes and noted that she ended up being late for her class while waiting in line to get the vaccine.

In response to student com plaints about the long waits at the university’s vaccination sites, Campbell said that she believes that the lines are a result of stu dents “waiting until the last min ute to take it” and said members of the Fordham community had ample time to secure an appoint ment for the booster prior to the Nov. 1 deadline.

Sophia Maier, Fordham Col lege at Rose Hill ’23, received her bivalent booster dose on Oct. 18 at the Lincoln Center campus in the South Lounge and noted that her vaccination experience was “pretty unremarkable.” She men tioned that because she received her booster dose prior to the week leading up to the deadline and made her appointment in early October, her experience getting the vaccine was not difficult.

“I walked right in, and I was 20 minutes early for my appoint ment too because I got out of class early,” she said. “But they took me in right away and didn’t make me wait for the appoint ment or anything.”

Maier noted that from the time that she arrived to when she re ceived her vaccine, including the wait time, her appointment took no longer than 25 minutes.

Regarding the mandate it self, Eulate thinks that everyone should be vaccinated but believes that the mandate is getting to a point where “we don’t really have a choice anymore.” She noted that

the obligation to get a fourth dose is “getting a little too much” and added that she is mindful of other people’s frustrations.

“Am I going to be getting a booster every six months until I die?” she said. “That’s my way of thinking about it.”

DeSalvio noted that he was not surprised to see that the pol icy received backlash. He added that Fordham’s mandate was an “interesting choice” and men tioned that in a city like New York, transmission of COVID-19 is “really, really easy.”

DeSalvio noted that the uni versity’s decision to mandate the bivalent booster was an “interest ing choice” but that he was not surprised to see that the policy received backlash. He understands Fordham’s mandate and men tioned that in a city like New York, transmission of COVID-19 is “real ly, really easy.”

“I think it’s a necessity,” he said. “It seems like we’re past the pan demic, but I think it’s kind of stu pid to sit there and say, ‘Oh, well, this doesn’t matter anymore,’ and throw a fist about a COVID vaccine mandate.”

Maier believes that getting the vaccine is the “right thing to do” and worth it because she believes that it will help prevent others from becoming sick.

“Especially as Fordham likes to say that it is a member of a larg er New York City community, in order to that we have to take into consideration our neighbors and the people we’ll be interacting with,” she said.

Student Body Raises Concerns Over Vaccine Mandate

United Student Government at Rose Hill (USGRH) held its sixth senate meeting of the semester on Oct. 6, at which one of the public concerns raised was regarding the vaccine mandate.

President of USGRH Santia go Vidal Calvo, Vice President of USGRH Gaby Simporior and Sen ator Jamie Serruto, all Fordham College at Rose Hill ’24; Senator Keegan Roeder, FCRH ’23; and Senator Sean Power, FCRH ’24, spoke with Keith Eldredge, assis tant Vice President and dean of student services, about the con cern and fielded questions from the student body.

During the conversation, an audience member said that they were speaking on behalf of a large group of students, parents and members of the Fordham commu nity and asked what the universi ty’s response would be if the man date received a lot of pushback.

Eldredge responded by noting that the CDC is not a regulatory authority that installs mandates but that their guidance is benefi cial to the Fordham community. He also emphasized that the uni versity is considerate of their con stituents’ concerns.

“We listen to all the feedback, but ultimately those who are in charge of making these decisions are in charge of making these decisions,” Eldredge said at the meeting. “Feedback will be con sidered, and we will try to make the best decision that we can.”

Although Fordham is one of the few institutions to mandate the booster, alongside Harvard University, Tufts University, and Yale University, the administra tion believes that others will fol low suit, according to Howe.

“We strongly suspect other in stitutions will be revisiting their vaccination policies this fall, if they have not done so already,” he said.

ANDREW DRESSNER/THE OBSERVER

The bivalent booster is being administered in the South Lounge on the Lincoln Center campus.

Tight Races in 2022 Midterms Spark Concerns Over Party Control

Political Science Professors Share Key Insights Into Midterm Elections

Christina Greer, associate professor of political science at Lincoln Center, spoke in a panel co-sponsored by the Academy of Political Science, Columbia Uni versity’s School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA), and the Tenement Museum, hosted at the Museum at Eldridge Street on Nov. 3. The event, titled “2022 Midterm Elections: Democracy at Risk,” dis cussed the issues highlighted in the midterms and the importance of voting in the elections.

Ester Fuchs, professor of inter national and public affairs and po litical science at SIPA, moderated the panel and posed a question to Greer regarding redistricting and voter turnout across the state.

“My students in the audience would know this: I always say that states are inherently red,” Greer said. “There just have to be enough districts within those states to turn them blue.”

In discussing voter turnout and the issues that would bring voters to the polls, Bruce Berg, professor of political science at Fordham Rose Hill, noted that crime, the economy, reproductive rights and the future of democracy were is sues highlighted in New York City polls this election cycle. Berg also mentioned that, in New York spe cifically, the governor’s race was a major debate topic as Democratic candidate and current governor Kathy Hochul was seeking a full term in her race against Republi can candidate Lee Zeldin.

With his research specializing in New York City politics and inter governmental politics, Berg noted that Manhattan and the Bronx are Democratic party strongholds. Ac cording to Berg, he did not foresee Zeldin resonating with those two boroughs, especially on his crime campaign, which aimed to oppose any efforts to defund the police, increase the number of police of ficers and require unanimous de cisions by Parole Commissioners granting parole. Berg also noticed

that Hochul did not perform as strongly as previous Democratic candidates either.

On the topic of reproductive rights, Berg highlighted that, for several decades, the Democrats have done better locally and na tionally in terms of gathering the attention of women voters in com parison to men. He added that al though Zeldin said that New York State’s policy on abortion would not change if he were elected gov ernor, he’s not sure that voters trusted that statement “given the Republican party position on this issue nationally.”

Zein Murib, assistant professor of political science and co-director of the women, gender and sexuali ty studies department at Fordham, noted that the Dobbs decision may have been a factor for people going to cast their ballots.

“Social science research sug gests that people don’t like to lose things they’re used to having,” they said. “Furthermore, the ma jority of people polled support abortion access in some way.”

Faculty and Students Speak on Their Voting Experience

When voting, Berg noted that he faced no problems and was able to vote up the street from where he resides in the Upper West Side, and Murib shared that they were traveling before the midterms, so they voted absentee in New York City but heard differing experienc es from their students.

“I was lucky to get my ballot in time to submit it, but I’ve heard many stories of students from states like Arizona and Illinois not receiving the absentee ballots they requested, which means those stu dents were disenfranchised,” Mu rib said.

One student who experienced such issues was Maribelle Gordon, Fordham College at Rose Hill ’25. She shared that her voting expe rience was frustrating because she did not receive her absentee ballot to vote in Harris County, a county located in Texas’ seventh congressional district. She submit ted her application for an absentee

ballot in late September but never received a paper copy confirming her request.

“I was able to go to the website where you can track the ballot, but it said that since I had not actu ally sent in the actual application there was no ballot to be tracked because I hadn’t ‘received an appli cation yet.’”

Jelaney Wright, Fordham Col lege at Lincoln Center ’24 and a resident in the North Bronx, men tioned that because she was al ready registered to vote, casting her ballot wasn’t too difficult.

“My voting experience for the midterm elections was pret ty okay,” she said. “It was a quick process.”

Wright voted in person at an el ementary school near her house in the Bronx but mentioned that her mom was turned away from the voting facility where she was ini tially registered to vote at, forcing her to go to a different location. She spoke on how the lack of no tice could act as a hindrance for citizens who are attempting to cast their ballots since not everyone has the flexibility to make last-minute adjustments to their plan.

“I think it’s also interesting be cause in the North Bronx there’s a lot of Black residents and obvious ly that’s historically a Democratic vote, so it was all the more insidi ous that it’s in the North Bronx that there’s voter suppression,” she said.

Regarding the provision of resources at Fordham, Gordon noted that some of her professors had canceled classes or moved classes to be asynchronous to ac commodate students who were trying to cast their ballots on elec tion day since the university did not provide the day off. She also mentioned that outside of those accommodations, she did not re ceive information or hear from the administration about voting.

“I don’t think there was a lot that was being done, at least by the administration,” she said. “I know that there were a lot of students who were mobilizing their friends to vote.”

Gordon added that although she is unaware of the resourc

es other colleges provide to their students, she believes the univer sity could have done more and that providing resources like the installation of ballot drop boxes throughout campuses would have been helpful for a lot of students.

According to Fordham News, the School of Law launched its “Vot ing Rights and Democracy Project” on March 16 to train voting rights lawyers in an effort to protect the rights of voters in civil rights cases. Fordham Law Advocates for Voter Rights also partners with When We All Vote, a nonpartisan organiza tion working to increase voter par ticipation across the country. Aside from this, the university’s under graduate colleges at both Rose Hill and Lincoln Center did not have ballot-drop boxes or active posts about access to voting resources around its campuses.

Jenifer Campbell, dean of stu dents at Lincoln Center, noted that no students have voiced their dis satisfaction in Fordham’s attempts to encourage or facilitate voter participation for the election.

“I hadn’t heard anything in all honesty, but nothing had been

brought to my attention about stu dents registering any complaints or issues about the election or ac cess,” she said.

Wright noted that Fordham emphasizes the importance of its students being politically active and shaping policy, so it has some culpability in instigating a change.

University President Tania Tetlow, J.D., advised faculty and members of the administration to be flexible with students and col leagues in their commutes to the polls in an email sent to the Ford ham community on Nov. 7.

“Tomorrow is election day, the moment we each decide whether to earn our democracy or squan der it,” she said. “Please go vote, if you haven't already.”

Although most races from the midterms have been called, con versations regarding the remain ing House races and Georgia’s Senate race advancing to a runoff continue to spark conversations on who will hold the congressio nal majority and how issues will be handled by elected political figures, both newly-elected and re-elected.

Katis believes that an unexcused absence is unreflective of the work ethic of a dedicated student if they are committed to the course loads expectations.

“If you’re a diligent student, that shouldn’t reflect your grade,” Katis said. “It’s up to you to make it up.”

Mandy Castillo, FCLC ’25, spoke on how she attended her classes while experiencing side effects of

the COVID-19 bivalent booster. Side effects in the days following the bivalent booster dose range from soreness to fever and chills. Although these effects do not con stitute a “serious illness,” Castillo noted that they may be a reason for students to not be present in class if they feel unwell.

“I had chills, followed by heat flashes and body aches,” she said. “I thought it would go away

by the morning, but I woke up feeling worse.”

Castillo added that she had two classes that day but found it difficult to get out of bed which made attending class even harder.

Additionally, commuters may also run into unforeseen events on their commute that could re sult in them missing class.

Diane Detournay, a professor in the women, gender and sexuality

studies department, highlighted the various reasons that students tend to miss class and stressed her approach of working alongside students to ensure their well-being in addition to attendance.

“If a student is missing class, it is usually because they have something going on in their lives–it could be anything from need ing to support family members to contending with mental health is sues,” she said. “Rather than pun ishing students for not attending, I think the response should be to check in and strategize together about how to get back into the classroom.”

Detournay also noted that she values time with students in class and thinks it is important for stu dents to be there, but she doesn’t believe in “punitive and disci plinary approaches.”

Fordham’s attendance policy is more structured than the policies of other nearby private universi ties like Pace University or New York University (NYU).

Korbin Vera, NYU Tandon School of Engineering ’25, said he has yet to run into any issues con cerning his attendance.

“Sometimes, a small part of your grade is determined by par ticipation which can include at

tendance, but there’s no hard rule or requirement,” Vera said. “It’s usually implied that if you don’t go to class you won’t do as well, but you can not go often and still do well.”

Laura Auricchio, dean of FCLC, emphasized that a standard at tendance policy is crucial for any university, because it serves as a guarantee of student learning as well as maintains engagement within classrooms. Additionally, the procedure ensures students eligibility to qualify for participa tion in federal financial aid pro grams as well as compliance with visa requirements.

“I have observed a good deal of confusion on the part of stu dents, faculty, and administra tors alike about the specifics of Fordham’s attendance policy and the practices of implement ing it,” Auricchio noted. “For that reason, policies and practic es around attendance are on the list of topics that will be consid ered by a new standing commit tee on undergraduate academic policies and practices that will have its inaugural meeting later this month.”

Auricchio said that the atten dance policy may soon be subject to change.

ANDREW DRESSNER/THE OBSERVER

The 2022 midterm elections pressed voters with important issues including drug policy, voting access and reproductive rights.

ANDREW DRESSNER/THE OBSERVER

Some students have been dissatisfied with the necessary requirements for obtaining an excused absence such as paying for a doctor's visit to receive an official note.

Fordham Football Tramples Lafayette Leopards, 45-10 Sports & Health

By CHRIS MURRAY Sports and Health Editor

The Fordham football team dominated the Lafayette College (LC) Leopards 45-10 on Nov. 12 to improve its record to 8-2 for the season. Yet another strong offensive performance has kept Fordham’s hopes of advancing to postseason play alive, improving to the No. 14 spot in the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) rankings ahead of its last regular season game of the year.

The Rams’ contest against La fayette began relatively slow. The teams took to the field in unchar

acteristically warm weather for mid-November — the temperature approaching 70 degrees at kickoff — but neither team started off hot.

On Fordham’s second posses sion, the offensive chemistry began to take shape. Quarterback Tim DeMorat, Fordham College at Rose Hill (FCRH) ’23, started the drive with a 59-yard connection to Mekai Felton, FCRH ’24. A pair of rushes by Julius Loughridge, FCRH ’25, moved the Rams up to Lafayette’s 1-yard line before DeMorat thrust ed through the Leopards’ defensive line and into the end zone to give Fordham a 7-0 lead with 6:54 left in the first quarter.

After a quick stop, the Rams received the ball once again. Their drive stalled, but they were able to put themselves in a position for Brandon Peskin, Gabelli School of Business at Rose Hill (GSBRH) ’24, to make a field goal and extend Fordham’s lead to 10 right before the end of the opening quarter.

In a season that has featured its ups and downs, the Fordham defense made its presence known. Lafayette’s offense failed to gather any momentum. The Rams’ de fense forced an interception, recov ered a fumble and accumulated five sacks over the course of the game.

Fordham built on its lead late in the second quarter. DeMorat car ried the ball past the goal line, run ning 3 yards to secure his second rushing touchdown of the game and increase Fordham’s lead to 17-0 with 3:49 left before halftime.

Little time remained, but the scoring was far from over. A 40yard pass by quarterback AhShaun Davis, LC ’25 rapidly moved the Leopards upfield. While the Rams prevented Lafayette from finding the end zone, a field goal by Jakob Trestik, LC ’24, put the struggling offense on the board with only a minute and a half to go in the period.

However, the time constraints were no challenge for Fordham’s electric offense, as DeMorat marched down the field in a matter of seconds. He swiftly connected with Dequece Carter, GSBRH ’23, for a 30-yard touchdown, and the Rams added to their lead after a 56-second drive. As the teams en tered the halftime break, Fordham held a commanding 24-3 lead.

After a few failed drives by both teams, Lafayette finally got the

chance to contest Fordham’s lead.

On its own 48-yard line, Fordham attempted to convert a fourth down with only a yard to gain.

The play collapsed, and DeMorat’s effort to salvage it backfired, as he was sacked for a loss of 20 yards resulting in a turnover on downs.

yard touchdown pass to Carter gave Fordham a 31-10 lead with 7:53 left in the third. Fordham scored again on its next offensive possession via a 33-yard pass to Fotis Kokosioulis, FCRH ’23, and the Rams held a commanding 3810 lead heading into the fourth.

Fordham’s final score of the competition came with 8:36 re maining in the fourth quarter. De Morat connected with Kokosioulis once again for a 14-yard touch down, changing the scoreboard to its final reading of 45-10.

DeMorat’s statistics in the rout were masterful, as he finished with four passing touchdowns for 482 yards and two rushing touch downs. Although he failed to find the endzone, MJ Wright, GSBRH ’23, caught 11 passes for 155 yards by the end of the game.

The calamitous conversion at tempt gave Lafayette prime field position, starting at the Rams’ 28yard line. The poor play continued for Fordham. On the Leopards’ first offensive play after the turn over, defensive back Stephen Wil liams II, FCRH ’23, dangerously connected with the helmet of wide receiver Carl Smith, LC ’24. The play was deemed targeting, and Williams was disqualified from the game. The line of scrimmage con sequently advanced to Fordham’s 14-yard line, and Davis threw a touchdown pass on the very next play to cut the score to 24-10.

Fordham immediately respond ed, regaining its momentum after the string of uncharacteristically disjointed plays. The Rams parad ed 72 yards into the end zone in only four plays. A contested 35-

All in all, the win marked one of the Rams’ most successful games of the season, with both the offense and the defense playing impressive ly. As the regular season comes to a close, dominant performances like this may influence the voters who hold Fordham’s postseason destiny.

Head Coach Joe Conlin re mained levelheaded after the de cisive victory. “We’re just trying to play better every week,” Con lin remarked to WFUV after the game. “Whatever we did wrong this week, we gotta fix it, and we gotta move on and prepare for a good Colgate team.”

Fordham will face the Colgate University Raiders at Rose Hill on Nov. 19 in its regular season finale. Another convincing win would increase the likelihood of Fordham securing a spot in the FCS Championship for the first time since 2015.

Women’s Basketball Loses to Maryland Terrapins

By GABRIELLA BERMUDEZ Sports and Health Editor

The Fordham women’s bas ketball team were dealt their first defeat of the 2022-23 season on Nov. 13 against the University of Maryland (UM) Terrapins, 83-76. The Terrapins are now ranked 19th according to the Associated Press rankings and 21st by the USA Today Coaches Poll after the single-digit loss, both downward shifts from their positions before the win. The competition was close throughout, but the Rams struggled to keep up with their powerhouse adversaries.

The Rams began this season with solid wins — their strongest outing so far was an 81-39 game against Saint Peter’s University on Nov. 10 — but their luck changed just three days later as they strug gled to overcome Maryland’s lead. Although Fordham was expect ed to lose, they found success throughout the game. In the sec ond quarter, the offense even man aged to outscore the Terrapins but overall failed to maintain its lead.

Fordham’s star players have de fined themselves well in the young season. Anna DeWolfe, Fordham College at Rose Hill (FCRH) ’23, led the team with 24 points; Kait lyn Downey, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (GSAS), ’24 chipped in 17; and Asiah Dingle, GSAS ’24, finished with 16.

Dingle started off the game with a made jump shot, but Ford ham’s defeat was foreshadowed by the eight points that the Terrapins racked up within two minutes of the start.

For five minutes, the Rams kept the net dry as the scoreboard held up the score, 12-4 with Fordham trailing. With just over four min utes left in the first quarter, Megan Jonassen, GSAS ’24, made a jump shot and tightened Maryland’s lead to six.

Fordham was able to continue scoring despite poor shot selec tions and rebounding struggles, earning seven more points by the end of the quarter. Maryland on the other hand, capped off the quarter with two free throws by Diamond Miller, UM ’23, exiting the period 21-11.

Both teams traded blows in the opening moments of the sec ond quarter. Not 10 seconds had passed since the players returned to the court before DeWolfe found an opportunity for a jump shot and successfully made it. Only 23 sec onds later, Faith Masonius, UM ’23, found room for a layup to recover Maryland’s double-digit lead.

The distance between the Ter rapins and the Rams continued to grow. Only three minutes into the second quarter, Maryland com fortably stood 14 points ahead. But with 6:30 remaining on the clock, DeWolfe put in seven points in just over 60 seconds to cut the lead in half.

Shots poured in from both teams, but Fordham’s defensive efforts shortened the Terrapin advantage to one point. In a deci sive shift of momentum, the score stood 34-33 by the end of the first half of play.

More of the same continued in the third quarter. The Rams con tinued to trail behind the Terrapins

by a slim margin. Miller began the quarter with two free throws, fol lowed by Abby Meyers, UM ’23, sinking a jump shot. DeWolfe re sponded by rattling in a three, and Meyers struck back with another bucket. Downey then spotted up on the wing and sent in a shot of her own. By the end of this offensive battle, the score was 40-39.

For the next five minutes in the quarter the Rams remained stagnant as the Terrapins’ grow ing score taunted Fordham on the board, 54-39.

With 4:55 left in the third quar ter, Dingle made a jumper and brought the Rams up to 41. Efforts from Dingle, Downey, DeWolfe and Matilda Flood, FCRH ’24, shrunk a 15-point lead to three points.

For exactly ten seconds, Ford ham was ahead of Maryland, 59-58. The Rams finally held a lead in the game. This short-lived triumph ended due to a foul by Flood, which sent Shyanne Sell ers, UM ’25, to the free throw line where she evened the score at 59-59. The third quarter was sealed by a three-pointer by Mill er, and Maryland reclaimed the lead, 62-59.

The Rams persisted and fought for the lead once again in the fourth. However, Maryland’s consistent shooting left Fordham stumbling, and the Rams’ missed open shots proved devastating for any hope of revival.

Sellers, Miller and Masonius drove Maryland to a predictable victory against the Rams. Still, the Rams proved worthy compet itors, and the final score reflected the back and forth as the ranked

Terrapins escaped with a margin al 83-76 win.

The two teams’ shooting met rics told the story of the game. Maryland performed significant ly better than the Rams in terms of shooting. The Terrapins made 47% of their field goals and 82% of their free throws. While Ford ham did perform better with their free throws — shooting 90% from the charity stripe — they failed to

make it to the line and only shot 11 compared to Maryland’s 28.

Fordham will next take on an other impressive opponent on No vember 16th, when they face the Princeton University Tigers. The Tigers received votes in the most recent iteration of the Associated Press NCAA women’s basketball rankings and will be yet another test for the Rams in the budding 2022-23 campaign.

COURTESY OF FORDHAM ATHLETICS

Tim DeMorat, FCRH ’23, took command with four passing touchdowns, 482 yards and two rushing scores.

“ We’re just trying to play better every week. Whatever we did wrong this week we gotta fix it, and we gotta move on and prepare. ”

Joe Conlin, head coach of Fordham football

COURTESY OF FORDHAM ATHLETICS

The Rams struggled offensively

up 22 points in the second quarter.

WTA Finals: A Recap

By MIRANDA SAENZ DE VITERI Contributing Writer

One fuzzy little green ball can discern a champion from a qual ifier, and it can transform a com petitor into a winner. This is the power of tennis.

The tennis world has recent ly turned over a new leaf, as renowned players such as Sere na Williams and Roger Federer have stepped down from their acclaimed thrones, setting the stage for the next generation. While this historic tennis season is now closing, one final tourna ment garnered attention from fans for its top-tier level of play: the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) Finals.

At the conclusion of each sea son, the WTA hosts a competitive tournament with the top eight WTA-ranked players participat ing in the event. This year the finals were held in Fort Worth, Texas, featuring (in order of rank) Iga Świątek, Ons Jabeur, Jessica Pegula, Coco Gauff, Ma ria Sakkari, Caroline Garcia, Aryna Sabalenka and Daria Ka satkina, all competing for the title. The tournament is set up in a round-robin style. The play er with the best record wins the tournament.

In the first rounds of the group stage, there was an immediate upset as Sabalenka (7) came back from a slow first set to take the win over Jabeur (2). The fi nal was 3-6, 7-6, 7-5. This match was followed by Pegula (3), the 28-year-old American, against Greece’s Sakkari (5), squaring off in back-to-back tiebreaker sets, with Sakkari ultimately pre vailing.

Then came a battle between up-and-coming U.S. tennis star Gauff (4) against French-favorite Garcia (6). After finally break ing serve in the first set, Garcia was able to convert into win ning two straight sets. Last was Świątek (1) against Kasatkina (8). Świątek reminded audiences why she is ranked number one in the world by dominating with 6-2, 6-3 sets.

Some Fordham students who kept up with the finals comment

ed on the players, providing their take on how the tournament might play out.

“Świątek is looking unstop pable,” tennis fan Noah Hemley, Fordham College at Lincoln Cen ter (FCLC) ’25, said after the first round of matchups. “Her fore hand is insane. I think the only players who could match that level of hitting might be Garcia or Sabalenka.”

The players continued to go head-to-head with one another, leading up to the semi-finals qualifiers. Jabeur and Sakkari met again for the fourth time of their careers, with the ex pectations of Jabeur’s triumph lingering on everyone’s radar, especially after making fi nals appearances in two grand slams — Wimbledon and the U.S. Open.

“After Jabeur’s performance this year, I was sure that Jabeur would make it into the finals,” another tennis aficionado, Alexa Zeiber, FCLC ’25, noted.

However, Sakkari surprised the masses by shutting down Jabeur in straight sets of 6-2, 6-3.

advancing to the semi-finals with a win of 6-3, 7-5.

Following up, Świątek domi nated Gauff, showing the young American why she has yet to be toppled from her throne; the Pole won in straight sets 6-3, 6-0.

Gauff’s loss left both Ameri cans disqualified from the tour nament; neither won a single match throughout the event. Thus, the world’s No. 3 and 4 ranked players were dismissed from contention.

“It’s so interesting to see that both Pegula and Gauff got knocked out so early,” Hemley said. “Especially with home court advantage, it’s not often you see players from their home country lose in tournaments, showing the disparity in skill between them and their respective opponents.”

In the semi-finals, fans were immediately in for a treat with a great battle of powerful hitting between Sabalenka and Świątek. To everyone’s surprise, Sabalen ka shut down Świątek in the first set, capitalizing early and win ning the set 6-2.

the impressive season she’s been having,” Zeiber said. “The game was insane. Sabalenka definitely rose to the occasion.”

On the other side of the brack et, Garcia displayed poise and precision as she handled Sakkari easily, finishing up the semi-final matches 6-3, 6-2.

When Garcia and Sabalenka finally met head-to-head to bat tle for the title on Nov. 7, the two put their best foot forward, doing everything they could to stay on serve while also doing anything they could to break it.

Pegula and Sabalenka fol lowed, with Sabalenka dominat ing the first set, leaving Pegula with her back against the wall, fighting to stay in the tourna ment in the next set. Pegula, with a great fight, was able to hold on to a 5-5 set until Sa balenka eventually broke serve,

Garcia and Kasatkina clashed to wrap up the group stage, bring ing out the true competitor in one another. Kasatkina took the first set 6-4, managing to break Garcia once. She was countered with a formidable response from Garcia, leading the next set 6-1 in Garcia’s favor. They went on to a third and deciding set, leading to a tiebreak where Garcia ultimately prevailed.

However, Świątek countered this deficit by mirroring the sec ond set, taking back control and prevailing 6-2 over the Belaru sian. In the third and deciding set, Sabalenka came out with a head of steam and defeated Świątek 6-1, advancing to the finals and becoming the third player this season to upset the top-ranked competitor.

“It’s rare to see anyone take down Świątek, especially with

The first set had no breaks and was soon sent into a tiebreak er, with Garcia pulling through, winning 7-6. As the second set began, Sabalenka was broken early, leaving her fighting during Garcia’s serves to level out the playing field. Despite strenuous efforts and tireless battles, Gar cia finished things off, winning the championship 7-6, 6-4 over Sabalenka.

“The tournament showed why these players are the best of the best,” Hemley said. “Their level of play was extraordinary, and it shows that these eight are all of the same calibers.”

CACTUS93 VIA WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

The Women’s Tennis Association Finals took place in Fort Worth, Texas, from Oct. 31 to Nov. 7.

The Women’s Tennis Association tournament leaves fans and students buzzing

ROB KEATING VIA SHUTTERFLY

Seventh-seeded Aryna Sabalenka performed well enough to reach the final round of the event but fell just short of victory.

“ The tournament showed why these players are the best of the best. ”

Noah

Hemley, FCLC ’25

PETER MENZEL VIA WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

French phenom Caroline Garcia emerged from the Finals as the victor, winning the championship match 7-6, 6-4.

“ It’s so interesting to see that both Pegula and Gauff got knocked out early. Especially with home court advantage, it’s not often that you see players from their home country lose in tournaments. ”

Alexa Zeiber, FCLC ’25

Your Guide to NYC Lesbian Bars

A rundown of the pros and cons of all the lesbian bars left in the city

JESSICA YU Asst. Opinions Editor

Lesbian bars are a sacred place for queer women. Straight bars are ... well, straight. They’re stifling — you feel like you’re be ing force-fed heteronormativity, even more so than everywhere else, and you certainly cannot kiss a girl without having at least a dozen creepy men stare at you.

Although a very different ex perience, gay bars are dominated by gay men, making them also not completely safe for queer women. Even if they are not openly hostile to queer women, it almost feels like there’s an unspoken rule that if you’re looking for fellow sapphics, you will not find them at typical gay bars. Just take a walk through Hell’s Kitchen, and you’ll see dozens of pride flags and gay men hanging out side late-night establishments, but sadly, no she’s and they’s.

After I turned 21, I began go ing to lesbian bars, and despite the fact that I’m not one for drinking, the atmosphere of these places is both exhilarating and healing at the same time. Nothing beats the feeling of finally being surrounded by queer women after searching for a sense of belonging for most of your life, especially considering how rare these spaces are.

As of 2021, there are only 21 lesbian bars remaining in the Unit ed States and only three in New York City. Well, The Woods is also a lesbian bar, but only on Wednes days. So, I guess that technically makes it three and one-seventh lesbian bars, and I’ve been to all of them. If you’re queer, over 21 and looking for a night out with fellow sapphics, read on for my reviews on all the remaining lesbian bars in New York.

Cubbyhole

Arguably the most wellknown lesbian bar on this list, Cubbyhole was originally known as DT’s Fat Cat and has been around since 1987, though it got its current name in 1994. It calls itself the “friendly neighborhood bar,” and while it’s primarily a lesbian bar, Cubbyhole welcomes non-lesbians, too. Located in the West Village, the space is small, quite literally like a cubbyhole. There is often a long line out side, partially due to its limited availability inside and partially, I hypothesize, due to the promo tions of their hot bartenders on TikTok. On a busy night, the wait to get inside can be as long as 40 minutes. Depending on your mo tives for going, it may or may not be worth the wait.

Inside, the bar takes up most of the space, with a couple bar stools and a few two-person tables. Its most notable feature is the collec tion of rainbow paper decorations hanging from the ceiling, giving the space a fun and youthful vibe. This is contrasted by the jukebox, which brings an old school feel to the place.

Cubbyhole is strictly a bar, with no dance floor. Their music is not what you go for, as it’s often play ing in the background and some

times is barely audible. The first time I went, they were playing throwback rock songs I didn’t recognize and couldn’t vibe to. The second time, it was pop songs that didn’t stand out and didn’t inspire any dance moves.

This, however, is definitely the best place to meet someone. The space is intimate, allowing for conversation. You don’t have to pine for someone across the room, as they’re probably just a few feet from you, and there’s an understanding that people are there to mingle.

If you need some liquid cour age before starting a conversa tion, the drinks are not too pricey. Also, there’s no cover charge to get in.

Henrietta Hudson

About a 10-minute walk south from Cubbyhole is Henri etta Hudson, which is not only the oldest lesbian bar on this list but also the oldest in the entire country. They often host fun events, such as queer prom, drag comedy, “The L Word” triv ia nights and karaoke nights. Most nights, though, it’s just a giant dance party. Due to their proximity to each other and their totally different vibes, I know plenty of queer women go to both Cubbyhole and Henriet ta’s on a night out. One major con of Henrietta’s is that it is the only bar on this list with a cover charge, costing $12 to get in.

When you arrive, you may be greeted by a group of older lesbians who guide you through the line to get in. Simply see ing the sight of older lesbians overwhelms me with joy — their existence is a testament to their resilience and a beacon of hope that there is a future for us in a world where hate crimes against queer women are still committed at alarming rates.

One time, I even witnessed one of the older lesbians assertively shoo away a group of straight people that were making a mockery of the place, a testa ment to their power.

The space itself reminds me of someone’s living room, with an exposed brick wall, cute nooks with cushioned win dow seats, colorful wall paper and curtains in every window. The main room has a dancefloor, a bar and a DJ. Walk through the small hallway to the back room, and you’ll find another bar and a couple places to sit. The rooms have multiple hooks on the wall where you can hang your coats.

The music is a good mix of pop, Latin pop and throwbacks. Chances are you’ll hear some Bad Bunny, Pitbull, Lady Gaga and Britney Spears. If none of those are your jam, you could also request something at the DJ booth (if you can squeeze your way through the crowd of bodies on the dance floor).

If you want to start a conver sation with a cute girl, this is not the place. But if you want to dance with your partner or wingman your friends, Henriet ta’s is your best option.

Ginger’s Bar

Ginger’s Bar sits on a charming street in Park Slope, Brooklyn. On the newer side, Ginger’s Bar was opened in 2000 by an Irish woman named Sheila Frayne. It shut down at the beginning of the pandemic, like many queer bars across the country, but thankfully survived. Like Henrietta’s, Ginger’s also hosts activities and events, includ ing karaoke, gay trivia and pizza parties.

You’re less likely to find a line outside of Ginger’s. Once you en ter, you’ll see a bar with a hallway leading to the back room with a well-decorated wall featuring queer art and a pool table in the center. Pool makes for a great bar activity, but unfortunately, the wait to play a game can be very long. When I went, there was a small blackboard on the wall with a list of 10 groups ahead of me. If you go on an emp tier night, you might luck out with an empty ta ble. Ginger’s also has a small back yard with plenty of seating options for people to sit and chat under strings of mini pride flags.

The atmo sphere is very chill, with some music playing but no one dancing. Around the pool ta ble, you’ll see plen ty of people sitting on benches making conversation with their friends. The demographic in Ginger’s is slightly older: more millennials, fewer col lege students. I even saw a pair of married women hanging out with a group of friends.

It seems like this is the best spot to go to if you already have a queer friend group, are at a more mature stage of life, or just want to have a simple, non-flir tatious conversation with other queer women. For those who are not a big fan of loud, crowd ed spaces but just want a chill queer space to hangout, Ginger’s is the place to go.

The Woods

Technically, The Woods does not identify as a les bian bar. Instead, The Woods is your closeted “straight” friend who experiments on the down low but never talks about it. Let me explain: Most nights of the week, The Woods is just a regular bar located in Williams burg, Brooklyn. On Wednesdays, though, it’s a lesbian bar.

If you do a quick Google search, you’d have a hard time finding any information about lesbian Wednesdays at The Woods. The only reason I know about it is that I have lesbian friends who dragged me there on a Wednesday night. A Wednes day! I have to admit though, it was worth sacrificing my mid week slumber for.

After some digging, I have found only one source to con firm this information: an article

HUDSON YARDS

on all the lesbian bars and popup parties in New York City. Un like pop-ups that don’t have a permanent location, The Woods Wednesdays is a regular occur rence, which is why I decided it’s worth including — that and the fact that it’s super freaking dope.

First of all, the music is fantas tic. The DJ doesn’t take requests, and it’s not hard to see why. No one could possibly request a bet ter selection of songs than what was already playing. When I went, every song was a hit and extremely danceable, from the moment I stepped foot inside to the moment I left.

In the room there is a spa cious dance floor, with a friendly younger crowd that was quick to hype each other up whenever someone busted a good move. Looking around, the demograph ic of The Woods was the most ra cially diverse compared to other bars on this list. You’ll also find pairs of queer women making out, so if you’re looking for a midweek rendezvous, you might get lucky at The Woods.

Next to the dance floor is the bar. There are three water jugs with plastic cups next to them on the bar, making it easy to stay hy drated.

The backyard space is huge. Queer women and nonbinary peo ple gather on the long picnic ta

bles to smoke and con verse. The chatter is loud, and everyone is squeezed shoul der-to-shoulder despite it being a large space. Even if it’s only for one night a week, The Woods is where I found myself surrounded by the largest groups of queer women I’ve ever seen. Be hind the tables is an outdoor bar area where you can order food. If, like me, you get hungry easily, this is a huge perk.

The fact that they only give les bians Wednesdays is frustrating, but if your schedule allows, a trip to The Woods is worth it. Wheth er you want to chat, dance, kiss or make friends, The Woods opens you up to plenty of possibilities.

There may not be a lot of les bian bars left in the country, but New York is very lucky to have three. And a half-ish. I’m grate ful to be able to access them easily and fortunate to have had good experiences at all of them. Cubbyhole, Henrietta Hudson, Ginger’s Bar and The Woods all have unique vibes, so whatever it is you’re looking for in a queer space, you have a good chance of finding it.

If go, remember well and spaces

respect serve. of us to serve queer

and when you remember to tip and treat these with the respect they de It’s up to all to help pre spaces for women.

KIA FATAHI/THE OBSERVER

Much like its name would suggest, Cubbyhole is small and intimate, with an old school feel.

KIA FATAHIR/THE OBSERVER

Henrietta Hudson is not only the oldest lesbian bar featured here, but is also the oldest in the entire country.

ALICE MORENO/THE OBSERVER

If you are looking for a more chill night, Ginger’s Bar might be the place for you.

ALICE MORENO/THE OBSERVER

The Woods might only be a lesbian bar on Wednesdays, but it is a worthwhile midweek adventure.

Observer the Opinions

Is FLC’s Library

Underfunded or Underused?

Fordham Lincoln Center’s library staff want students to know just how many resources they have at their disposal

MADELEINE BAMFORD Contributing Writer

Sentiments such as “We don’t get funded like Rose Hill does!” or “Of course, Rose Hill gets a new student center, and we don’t!” can be heard just about anywhere on Fordham Lincoln Center’s campus. Though grumbles about a lack of resources are valid, a question is presented: Are resources at Fordham Lincoln Center (FLC) really underfunded, or just underused?

I’ve observed through various plat forms that our generation is typically hesitant to believe that our calls for ad ditional resources and overall change in institutions will be answered. As young people in a quickly changing world, it’s difficult to hand over issues we deem important to our representatives, offi cials or, in this case, university adminis trators. I share the same sentiments.

Though we aren’t tasked with solving these issues, we do need to do a little digging into what we consider important, whether that is state law, representation or how to do research for our Composi tion II class. Resources are available to help cross the bridge from problem to solution, especially here at FLC.

With study rooms, quiet spaces and over 365,000 untouched books, QuinnX is a majorly untapped section of Quinn Library.

Different departments of the uni versity provide support in all the ways they can: Office of Multicultural Affairs enrichment training programs, Career Center resume writing workshops and Campus Ministry mindfulness retreats, to name a few. It’s easy to write the library off as an ambiguous institution with unfulfilled promises and limited resources, but I’m here to tell you that getting help at the library is as easy as saying, “Hey! Please help me.”

FLC’s primary library, Quinn Li brary, is home to thousands of digital and print archives, novels, scripts, plays, movies and performances. When I spoke with Nicholas Alongi, the head of access, information and collection services, and operations at Quinn Library, he expressed widespread misunderstanding and neglect of the library, which is not limited to students but extends to full-time and adjunct faculty as well.

“There’s a lot of phenomenal services offered all throughout Fordham, and it’s not just students. I think there’s also

a lot of faculty who aren’t aware of ev erything that’s taking place too,” Alongi said. “There’s a ton of adjuncts coming on board, scrambling at the start of the semester. I think it takes a while to figure out all of the things they have at their fingertips.”

With study rooms, quiet spaces and over 365,000 untouched books, QuinnX is a majorly untapped section of Quinn Library. While the third floor of Quinn Library, a dedicated silent study space, usually provides more than enough space for students to complete their classwork during typical school weeks, QuinnX provides additional space during particularly busy periods. Alongi said he wishes more students would utilize this valuable resource.

“QuinnX is the ideal study space on this campus. If I were a student, that’s where I would be doing all of my projects purely because I like that quiet, classic library environment,” Alongi said. “I sometimes find students study ing in the cafeteria or down by Student Involvement, and I always want them to know there are other options available for them.”

QuinnX is a precious space due to the sparse amount of Manhattan real estate set aside for quiet usage. For commuter students, QuinnX can be a silent lifeline among the regular hustle and bustle of FLC’s campus.

Despite the awkward placement and the unnerving presence of a security guard staffing the desk, QuinnX is a unique and friendly place. Over six years ago, the windowless QuinnX space was the main library for students and staff. When the Fordham Law School took over the newly built Malo ney Library at 150 W. 62nd St., all three floors of the previous law library were renovated for undergraduate usage as Quinn Library. Though Quinn Library

is primarily an undergraduate space, resources are also available for graduate students.

However, library staff realized there would not be enough space for their multitude of books while still allowing places for students to congregate and study. Quinn Library’s collection was split into books published since 2000 residing in the main Quinn Library space, with books published prior to 2000 staying in QuinnX.

As for funding, the library has hundreds of subscriptions to databases, journals and newspapers ranging from medical research to original theater and dance performances. The library staff works hard to ensure students have the resources they need by tracking books between campuses and all over the city.

Editor-in-Chief Allie Stofer

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Nicholas Alongi, head of

operations at Quinn Library

information and collection services,

“We have staff chasing books all day long. Whether you’re in the Bronx or the Westchester campus or here, some body can get that book for you too if it’s just not convenient,” Alongi said.

Lincoln Center students are inde pendent, motivated achievers, which sometimes makes asking for help more difficult. The library staff has recognized this and wants to help FLC students achieve their highest potential. Quinn Library has on-desk librarians during operating hours and a 24/7 chat to happily answer those 3 a.m. research questions.

“We want students to come up and say ‘Help me.’ This is why we’re here and what we’re waiting for every day. We have a ton of resources,” Alongi said. There are over 2 million books, over 50,000 journals, over 60,000 e-books and many staff librarians wait ing for students. “We want students to come and engage with us, whether it’s on the desk or doing it over the phone, Zoom, email, etc. Our students are very independent here. They kind of like to figure things out for themselves, but we do get that there are certain things that you just don’t know how to do.”

Despite the student consensus that FLC is the underfunded of the two campuses, a multitude of resources are available to students that aren’t being used to their fullest potential. They’re right at our fingertips. We just have to check them out.

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QuinnX is often overlooked, but staff encourage students to come take advantage of it.

PHOTOS BY GABRIEL GARCIA/THE OBSERVER

Library services are available for Fordham students if they are willing to ask for help.

“ We want students to come up and say ‘Help me.’ This is why we’re here and what we’re waiting for every day. ”

access,

and

It’s Time to Say Bye to Biopics

Movies like ‘Elvis’ and ‘Blonde’ are just hypocritical, shallow ploys for cash and acclaim

BIVAS THAPA Contributing Writer

Films about celebrities such as “Elvis” and “Blonde,” about Elvis Presley and Marilyn Monroe respectively, are seen as inde pendent auteur visions, powerful artistic statements and show cases of fantastic performances. However, it’s more accurate to categorize these movies as dumbed-down retellings of tragic stories for the sake of Hollywood elites earning golden trophies and a lot of money.

Baz Luhrmann’s biopic on the life of Elvis Presley, who is played by Austin Butler, glosses over Presley’s life and paints him as a tortured artist who just wants to sing but is crushed by “the system.” In “Blonde,” directed by Andrew Dominik, we see Ana de Armas’ Marilyn Monroe similarly suffocated by Hollywood, but she’s even less of a fully developed character. De Armas’ version of Marilyn has no complexity, and the movie focuses primarily on her state of suffering rather than deeply interrogating why she acts and behaves the way she does.

The best explanation that we get is a visualization of the neglect and abuse she suffered from her mother, but it isn’t suf ficient and seems to just cast her character into the predictable ste reotype as “another-girl-with-pa rental-issues.” Many viewers are repulsed by depictions of people like the one in “Blonde.” The fact that these movies achieve such mainstream success, however, speaks to how we have normal

ized these retellings as inspired, astute performances when more often they are really just self-indulgent, materialistic and Oscar-baity.

Even though there are differ ences in both films’ depictions of celebrities being suffocated, they both relish in the imagery of their subjects’ powerlessness. In “Elvis,” we see the tragic fall of the titular character, but it’s difficult to even call “Blonde” a tragedy. The movie presents itself like an inescapable nightmare that only emits pure misery.

Our male heroes are abusive yet tragic figures, while our female characters are shown as victims of abuse in constant misery. Whether we’re watching Elvis trapped in the hotel he can’t escape because of “contractual obligations” or Marilyn being torn apart by trauma, memory and nightmare, both films are ob sessed with showing stars being miserable and dehumanized.

Butler’s and de Armas’ choices to play these characters are also worth calling into question. The actors’ intent is very clear in that they simply want the golden trophy — the Oscar. We are programmed to think it is out of these actors’ pure artistic intent — that deep down, regardless of their six- to seven-figure salaries, they just wanted the chance to interpret iconic roles. Or better, they deeply cared about Mon roe and Presley. But who would want to embody such tragic and miserable characters with all that makeup and long set hours if it wasn’t for the goal of recogni tion?

This tendency to defend actors’ choices, grounding them

in the belief that they’re doing it for their artistic and altruistic interests, is a cover-up for the sad fact that their primary interest is monetary. In movies that criticize spectacle and the exploitation of artists, these performers are intent on climbing atop the hierarchy that ensures this toxic system continues. They’ll criti cize the sexism and the toxicity of the system while reaping the benefits of it.

This hypocrisy isn’t only ex tended to the actors but also the directors themselves. Luhrmann’s style is ostentatious. It condens es and edits away the intricate and complex lives of talented individuals into digestible tidbits and vignettes to fit the movie structure. Luhrmann offers nothing more than a coked-up visual interpretation of Presley’s Wikipedia page. It’s a three-hourlong Instagram Reels montage of the glitz and glamor associ ated with Presley’s career, and a dumbed-down advertisement for the brand of Elvis. The film counters the dehumanization of people into products by, ironical ly, commodifying its subject.

In the same respect, “Blonde” counters the male gaze with more male gaze. Why does Andrew Dominik think showing close-up, nude shots of Marilyn offers a legitimate critique of the patriarchy? A solution: Don’t focus the camera or use cinemat ic techniques that are qualified within the movie as “monstrous,” but rather use new devices of storytelling beyond the sexual ization of Monroe. Stop making a circus out of stories that are trying to criticize the entertain ment industry.

These movies aren’t an acci dental miscommunication of the tragic fall of good-natured artists and the terrors of the male gaze. Rather, their core intentions are to indulge in the sensory experi ences of tragedy and mayhem so that audiences everywhere can feel special. These movies give us the impression that we are peek ing into an unseen truth — akin to people watching a crime scene or looking at art in a museum. Essentially, it’s voyeuristic eye candy.

These films want viewers to talk with disdain among their peers about the tragedy of Pres ley and the misery of Monroe — but also about how great the movies about them are — so that they too can be inspired to watch

this content in order to partic ipate in the discourse. It isn’t provocative out of pure artistic merit, but rather in order to entice more consumption.

The films are vehicles for stuffy awards, spaces for direc tors to be self-indulgent, and a hypocritical visual feast for the masses. The pretension around these movies, as if they are any thing more than advertisements, is ridiculous. In a culture where everything is a product, let’s stop pretending that these movies rise above the consumerist fantasy. So much of the bile emitted onto the screen is just frenzied night mare fuel that we watch because Hollywood needs more cash, prestige and big golden statues to put in their cabinets.

Elon Musk Carelessly Indulges in Foreign Policy

JILLIAN ARENA Contributing Writer

Elon Musk became the wealthiest person in the world on Oct. 25, 2021. Five months later, Vladimir Putin mobilized Russian troops and invaded Ukraine. Shortly after, SpaceX (Musk’s privately-owned space flight company) began providing a newly invaded Ukraine with its global internet service: Starlink. Since then, Starlink satellites have become crucial to frontline communication in Ukrainian resistance efforts against Russian invasion. However, the security of Ukraine’s internet access was threatened on Friday, Oct. 14,

2022, when Musk tweeted that SpaceX could not “fund the exist ing system indefinitely.”

This declaration came days after the billionaire sparked outrage with a Twitter poll urging Ukraine to reach a peace agreement with Russia by ceding Crimea. By encouraging addition al Crimean elections and claim ing the separation of Crimea from Russia was a “mistake,” Musk implied the citizens of Crimea actually desire to belong to Russia.

The Crimean peninsula was annexed by Russia in 2014 but remains internationally recognized as Ukrainian terri tory. Crimea’s ethnic makeup is diverse, and includes large populations of both Russians

and Ukrainians. Putin uses the presence of Russians in Crimea to claim that the peninsula should belong to Russia per popular demand, the argument Musk has adopted. However, the referen dums in Crimea and similar ter ritories, overseen by the Kremlin, have been denounced by Ukraine as rigged through coercion and Russian threats of violence. The majority of Ukrainian citizens clearly do not want to belong to Russia.

tweet encouraging the surren der of Crimea — however, the billionaire’s “peace” advocacy was swiftly rejected and labeled Kremlin propaganda by anti war proponents and Ukrainian officials, and it was praised by prominent Russian imperialists.

After widespread public back lash, Musk retracted his request for the U.S. military to take on the cost of funding Starlink, tweeting sarcastically that “even though Starlink is still losing money & other companies are getting bil lions of taxpayer $, we’ll just keep funding Ukraine govt for free.”

political consequences. Rather than look to our government and elected officials to imple ment meaningful, material solu tions, many prefer relying on the charity of corporate America. Billionaire fan clubs, such as those who venerate Elon Musk, expect these innately exploit ative men and their corporations to solve society’s most pressing problems, ignoring how unquali fied they may be.

Ukrainian President Volo dymyr Zelenskyy responded to Musk by publishing his own Twitter poll asking users if they would prefer Musk supported Russia or Ukraine. Ukrainian diplomat Andriy Melnyk even told Musk to “f--- off” via Twitter. When asked why he threatened Starlink, Musk tweet ed that he was just following Melnyk’s recommendation. This petty Twitter controversy happened amid Musk’s purchase of the social media platform and after an alleged meeting with Putin. Musk denies Eurasia Group President Ian Bremmer’s claims that he spoke with Putin about Ukraine preceding his

It’s important to note that 85% of the 20,000 Starlink terminals in Ukraine are already being paid for in part by countries like the U.S. and Poland. Musk likes to imply he’s selflessly bearing the brunt of the cost, but in reality major pow ers are supporting the expensive endeavor. It appears as though Musk only tried to back out of his commitment because the violent humanitarian crisis in Ukraine was not profitable enough for the man who just bought Twitter for $44 billion.

This contentious situation brings a broader issue into ques tion. Why does an individual bil lionaire feel entitled to involve his company in foreign policy? How can the fate of a country at war be influenced by the will of one man? How has the U.S. created an atmosphere in which an Amer ican celebrity believes himself qualified to potentially cripple a resistance movement overseas?

Musk’s crass impulsivity is one of many examples in which the idolization of the exorbi tantly rich has adverse social or

Musk got involved during the early stages of the Russia-Ukraine conflict. He was celebrated for his apparent selflessness but quickly trivialized one of the most blatant cases of violent imperialism since the 20th century as soon as it became unprofitable. Elon Musk is aware of the rigged elections and intimidation taking place in Crimea, and presumably, he fully understands the increased violence that would ensue should Ukraine cede Crimea. Still, he used his influence to threaten Ukraine’s internet access after publishing a Twitter poll publicly announcing his support for these elections — and therefore, for the Kremlin agenda.

Just as the majority of the world’s wealth should not rest in the hands of one man, no indi vidual (especially not a business man ill-versed in foreign policy) should assume the power to reck lessly influence one of the most abhorrent acts of imperialism in recent history. If Musk truly cares about the autonomy of Ukrainian citizens, he should stop spreading Kremlin propaganda and instead fulfill, without complaint, his commitment to providing Ukrai nians with internet access.

CLAIRE SEKA/THE OBSERVER

Volodymyr Zelenskyy (left) and Elon Musk (right) are at odds.

The world’s richest man faced backlash when he determined that the war in Ukraine is not profitable enough

NYCKOLE LÓPEZ LEÓN/THE OBSERVER

No individual should assume the power to recklessly influence one of the most abhorrent acts of imperialism in recent history.

Does

Healthy

KELLY SCHWINT Contributing Writer

Content warning: discus sion of eating disorders.

As a first-year student, I arrived at Fordham full of worries about adjusting to life in New York City, balancing my course load and making friends. Despite my past struggles, my relationship with food wasn’t at the top of my list of stressors. However, even though I was a year and a half into my recovery from an eating disorder when I started the school year, I still felt a bit of regression in my progress. The extensive hours of orientation left me with little time to eat and a hunger in my stomach. I was hopeful that once I settled into a routine, my eating habits would return to what they were before the first few days of college — healthy, with regular snacks and meals.

After my first trip to the Community Dining Hall, I knew this would not be the case. To my surprise, the dining hall listed cal

ories on every item on the menu. Calories are usually listed on food items in order to fight obesity. A recent study from the National Li brary of Medicine found that 88% of New Yorkers who noticed the labeling were influenced to choose the option with the lower number. The adverse effects of this strategy are often overlooked.

There is a healthier way to go about losing weight (if medically necessary) than hyperfocusing on numbers and restricting your food intake. So many college students struggle with disordered eating, with some finding comfort in restricting what they eat due to an unpredictable future. With stressors all around us, why are we pressured into focusing even more on food?

According to the National Eat ing Disorder Association, 10-20% of female college students and 4-10% of male college students suffer from eating disorders including, but not limited to, anorexia, bulimia, orthorexia and binge eating. In addition, 4.4–5.9% of teens enter college with a pre existing, untreated eating disor der. Calorie counting, a practice

encouraged by listing calories on menus, can lead to and worsen eating disorders. Whether or not you have a diagnosed eating dis order, you can find those numbers floating around in your head for days or weeks.

While some might be able to ignore the numbers and continue with their day, others could feel obligated to choose the lower ca loric option or even not eat at all. The impact of these menus is more harmful than beneficial. It should be fairly simple to value students’ physical health without disregard ing their mental health.

Fordham’s Lincoln Center campus also has very few din ing options that are open late. I acknowledge that late hours are difficult for staff; however, the limited dining choices at night cre ate a bigger predicament for those who struggle with disordered eating. A few places stay open past 8 p.m.: SVK, Argo Tea and Cronin Café are available until 10 p.m. a few days a week. But the main din ing locations, Ram Café and the Community Dining Hall, are only open until 7 or 8 p.m., depending on the day. Many students have

classes as late as 8:45 p.m., leaving them with few places for dinner on campus, if any.

By contrast, the Rose Hill campus is home to Queen’s Court, open until 12 a.m., and Urban Kitchen, which is open until 1 a.m. Many other universities have dining choices open late as well. New York University has on-cam pus food available until 11 p.m., and Columbia University has dining options for students open until 1 a.m.

In addition, students who live in McKeon Hall, a building with only one communal kitchen, are left with no choices late at night but to eat off campus or eat whatever snacks they have in their dorm bedrooms (pizza rolls aren’t exactly the best source of nutri ents). McKeon residents are re quired to purchase expensive meal plans, but there is an insufficient window in the day for students to take advantage of them. With the city’s costly food prices, it is unrealistic to expect students to frequently eat meals off campus. Some students may also feel un safe going out alone in the city at night to buy food or groceries.

The short hours at the dining halls limit students with eating dis orders and encourage all students to have a set of rules to follow around food. We are forced to eat depending on the time rather than how we feel. Rules are an impact ful symptom of eating disorders, as they tend to worsen the illness.

Instead of eating based on the time of day, many people practice intuitive eating, which is an ap proach to food focused on making choices that feel good, allowing you to nonjudgmentally under stand your body. Intuitive eating experts encourage those with unhealthy relationships with food to eat when it feels necessary and to “honor your hunger.”

Even if you can grab a bite before the dining hall closes,

you have to eat quickly, and you cannot take your food elsewhere. When students cannot bring food outside the community sitting area, it creates discomfort for those who might need to eat in a safe space, like their room or with a supportive group of friends. Many people with eating disorders feel uncomfortable eating in public areas, as they are afraid they are being watched or judged.

The options at the dining hall also fluctuate from day to day. Those who struggle with Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID) can run into challenges when their “safe” foods are unavailable on the menu.

Although the dining hall clearly cannot accommodate everyone’s food preferences, changing the op tions every day makes it impossible for those with eating disorders to plan, which is regularly suggested by therapists when encountering a possibly triggering experience.

Despite this dangerous situa tion, there is a lack of resources on campus for eating disorders. There are no licensed counselors on the Lincoln Center campus who specialize in eating disorders or have experience with them, only interns who have an interest in these disorders. The good news is that a registered dietitian, Susana Debbe, who specializes in eating disorders, allergies and dietary restrictions, can be seen on both campuses and on Zoom.

Although it is a pain to have to continue to push for resources and support for those with mental illnesses, continuing to do so is the only option. Putting a Band-Aid on a broken bone is not enough to fix the national surge in eating disorders. It takes preventing and treating illnesses with intuitive strategies and education to help those who are struggling. Fordham cannot save students everywhere, but the least it can do is support the ones at this school.

Dear Em,

I recently matched with this girl on Bumble and she has the same name as my ex. She seems really awesome, and I’ve enjoyed talking to her so far, but I get startled every time I see her name pop up on my phone. Is it weird if I continue pursuing a relationship with her? Will my ex find it weird if we ever make it official?

Sincerely, Stumped Swiper

Dear Stumped Swiper, Names are arbitrary, but emo tions associated with them are not. After dating someone and develop ing an emotional connection with them, it is only fair that their name will remind you of your experienc es and memories with them. So while it’s easy to say that names don’t mean anything, it’s useless to pretend that it doesn’t impact your experience communicating with someone.

If you like talking to this person and you see a future with them, your best bet is to give

them a nickname. Pet names or nicknames are great ways to differentiate between people, and they might help your mind create space between your past part ner and prospective future ones. Regardless, always communicate with your prospective partner about your desire to call them by a nickname and ensure that they are comfortable with that name. If they are not, you can always stick it out until they become the

primary person that you associate with the name.

Similarly, be honest with your partner about how weird you find the situation. While it might seem like a difficult conversation, espe cially early on in the talking stage, it will help your partner under stand your perspective. Hopefully, they are empathetic to your past experiences.

There is nobody at fault for this, and nobody did anything

wrong. While the situation is surely uncomfortable in a multi tude of ways, both your past and present partner will have to come to terms with the situation. Rather than paying attention to how your ex and your current partner are the same, focus on the ways that they are different. Make sure your current partner knows that you view her as her own independent being rather than an extension of your ex. You can do this by sharing

new experiences with her and refraining from talking about past romantic experiences. Nobody likes to feel like they are being compared to past partners, so en sure that you adequately address those concerns through both your words and your actions.

In your question, you ponder how your ex might feel when she discovers you are dating someone with the same name. While it is certainly an interesting situation, if you’re still worried about what your ex might think, maybe consider that you aren’t completely over that relationship. It is completely normal to care about what an ex thinks, but that shouldn’t be your only motiva tion for dating someone new. Make sure you are not pursuing people with the same name as an ex to inspire jealousy in past partners.

Lastly, if you can’t overcome the awkwardness of dating someone with the same name as a past part ner, it is okay to move on. There are many other people on dating apps that you can find connections with. Stay true to your gut, and if your gut says that it is too weird to develop an emotional connection with someone who has the same name as an ex, that is entirely okay. Everyone is allowed to have bound aries, even if they seem irrational to others.

LAUREN MOON/THE OBSERVER

Fordham’s dining policies are not conducive to a healthy relationship with food.

MADDIE SANDHOLM/THE OBSERVER

EMILY

Arts & Culture

By LOLA CRAVATH Staff Writer

Fordham Theatre Mainstage first welcomed guests on Nov. 10 to the theatrical performance of a lifetime: “Tartuffe,” freshly set in the 1980s.

The play, which was originally written in 1664, takes audiences on a fresh exploration of family dynamics. Enabled by daring cre ative choices, the play explores religious deception, sexual devi ance, patriarchy and the strug gles of trans women of color, all over the course of its two and a half hour run time. The play is an old, rhyme-y masterpiece turned modern and made brilliant by ev ery member of its cast.

“Tartuffe” is about a military family in the ’80s. Their life has been infiltrated by a religious enigma in the form of fraudulent Tartuffe. Having wooed the head of the family, Orgon, with his pi ous appearance, Tartuffe wreaks havoc on every aspect of their life. He threatens their financial stability, their home and, fre quently, their personal autonomy. Perhaps most torturous, Orgon is blind to everything until he is painfully past the point of no re turn. Tartuffe holds power over him and plays that power so well it’s sickening.

The play’s leading family con tains a variety of beautifully de veloped characters, but outside of the immediate family, their house maid steps to the forefront. The maid Dorine, played by Raekwon Fuller, Fordham College at Lin coln Center (FCLC) ’23, is a force to be reckoned with.

In this adaptation, the maid is portrayed as a Black trans wom

an, and her experiences through out the script are given new depth through this creative choice. This adaptation also chooses to center her role to an extent many other productions have not.

“She’s a servant, but she’s the one driving the story,” Fuller said. “So, to explore what it means for a Black trans woman to be taking on the brunt of this play was very interesting, very intriguing.”

This decision on the part of director Terrence I. Mosley meshed both beautifully, and painfully, with the 1980s set ting. This era, in all of its beige and Reagan-obsessed glory, was hostile not only to trans women, but also to people of color. The endurance of physical violence, abusive language and misgen dering, while loyal to the origi nal script, are used to reach out

to a modern audience. Dorine is a testament to the unique strug gles of the genderqueer experi ence, namely in an environment void of basic respect.

“Even if it does not say that Dorine is a trans woman in the script, there are so many ele ments in the script that contribute to not only the trans experience, but the genderqueer experience,” Fuller said. “Experimenting, do ing new things and experiencing the violence perpetuated against that group of people.”

Despite being an emblem of the genderqueer struggle, Dorine is far from a victim. She contin ually warns the family of the dangers of Tartuffe, encourages a sullen Mariane, played by Natalia Guedes, FCLC ’25, to stand firm against her father’s pressures, and maintains the household despite a

jarring lack of respect and grati tude. She is continually correct and content in being right, even if she goes entirely unappreciated.

“She is not an angry Black woman,” Fuller emphasized. “She is a powerful Black woman who has so much to say and knows what needs to be done.”

Beyond Dorine, the casting and depth in each character is strik ing from the first to the final mo ments. Actor Tyler Bey, FCLC ’24, who plays Tartuffe, laughed when asked who else he would play in the show if given the chance. It is apparent that everyone’s pure mastery of their respective role is too impressive a feat to challenge.

According to Bey, at a first glance over the script, some facul ty worried that the show’s charac ters read a little too flat. However, all of this changed as the roles

were given over to the actors, and the depth that lay within was brought out in full.

“Just watching them work and discover their characters and their point of views ... is very ac tive and not flat at all,” Bey said of their castmates. “It’s not some thing I would have discovered, but it’s there. It’s there.”

For Bey, his own process in discovering Tartuffe has been equally active and, for him, is still ongoing. Though Tartuffe is the clear antagonist, both Bey and Mosley wanted to avoid a “mus tache twirling, charlatan schem er.” They demanded something more complex.

“Terrence and I had this idea of: what if he’s being honest, until he’s not,” Bey explained. “Instead of someone who’s just manipula tive throughout.”

They both wanted to portray a human who does a bad thing in the end, but with motives that may have varied through out this show. Despite the play being packed with digs imply ing his pure corruption, the vi sion was actually to combat that exact perception. This choice communicates a greater faith in humanity’s goodness as well as the dire reality of temptation’s potent sway.

All in all, “Tartuffe” is a show that poses questions to its audi ence. It challenges viewers to ex amine the influences in their lives and the forces of corruption they may be blindly ruled by. Viewers leave having learned something not only about themselves but about the often silent struggles of others. It is a force for contempla tion, for reflection and ultimately, for change.

By JULIA JARAMILLO Contributing Writer

It’s a packed house at the ne on-lit Marquis Theatre on Hallow een weekend. A handful of audi ence members have donned red gowns, green hair dye and various articles of clothing patterned in black-and-white stripes. The giant marquee sign on stage reads “Bee tlejuice, Beetlejuice.” Unfortunate ly, saying the name once more will cease to summon the iconic demon after Jan. 8, 2023.

Despite humble beginnings with its 2018 premiere in Wash ington, D.C., “Beetlejuice” has grown to become a deeply loved fan-favorite among the musical theater community.

The 1988 original Tim Burton film follows a young, married and recently deceased couple, the Mait lands, as they try to scare away the new inhabitants of their home, the Deetz. They implore the help of eccentric “bio-exorcist” ghost, Beetlejuice (spelled “Betelgeuse”), who can be summoned by saying his name three times. While the be loved film is fun and enjoyable in its own right, the musical (ironically) puts a much more lively and heart felt spin on the story.

Although it premiered less than five years ago, the show is no stranger to revivals. In 2019, the Shubert Organization booted it from the Winter Garden Theater in favor of “The Music Man” due to poor ticket sales. It seemed hope less when the COVID-19 pandemic shut down a number of Broadway shows. However, similar to other

shows such as “Six,” “Hamilton” and “Dear Evan Hansen,” “Beetle juice” gained immense popularity through social media. With TikTok reenactments, Youtube fan anima tions and a mural’s worth of fan art, “Beetlejuice” was revived in April 2022 to eager crowds.

Unfortunately, the revival will not last. Alongside other shows, including “Phantom of the Opera,” “Dear Evan Hansen” and “The Mu sic Man,” it was announced in Sep tember that “Beetlejuice” would be closing its doors early next year. By its closing night on Jan. 8, “Bee tlejuice” will have had 679 perfor mances.

The pandemic took a heavy toll on Broadway. And perhaps rising inflation and rising crime in New York City led to lower tourism, and thus, ticket sales. Regardless, it’s no

surprise that “Beetlejuice” was part of the bunch.

Originally capitalized for $21 million, the show itself is an eye candy spectacle of props, effects, lighting and transforming sets. There’s even a giant animatronic snake. “Beetlejuice”’s topsy-turvy backgrounds burst with character.

The most impressive set is the Maitlands’ home, which undergoes three alterations throughout the show. Between scenes, the crew switches out furniture, decor and wallpaper as the various owners make renovations. What was once a homey country setting turns into a fresh, modern household. Yet somehow, with each version, the whimsical, Tim Burton feeling never leaves. For quick on-stage transformations, lights are shined upon the sets and change the entire

scene’s mood. This change helps portray Beetlejuice’s chaos-bring ing powers.

The musical’s departure from the film’s more macabre, albeit co medic, brooding setting isn’t the only thing that is different. The events and all the characters are al tered in some shape or form — and not just with an added song or two. Writers Scott Brown, Anthony King and Eddie Perfect expand and give much more depth to the already loved cast.

Instead of the Maitlands being the focus, the heart and soul of the musical is the Deetz’s teenage daughter, Lydia, currently played by Elizabeth Teeter. The show opens with her at the funeral of her mother, who isn’t even mentioned in the film, and she is properly in troduced after the Maitlands die.

Shades of Winona Ryder’s endur ing, deadpan film character are still there. However, now, the audience is also given, as stated in both the film and musical, a “strange and unusual” but grieving young girl.

Delia, Lydia’s stepmother in the movie, is originally an egocentric perfectionist who makes horrible avant-garde sculptures and con stantly berates Lydia. In the musi cal, Delia also has terrible design taste but is now Lydia’s air-headed life coach. Their relationship is still strained, but it’s clear that she gen uinely means well and cares for the Deetz family.

Most notably, the crude and mischievous Beetlejuice, played by Alex Brightman, has a much more prominent role. Constantly manip ulating the Deetzs and the Mait lands for his freedom, his antics and witty self-aware lines never failed to elicit laughter from the au dience. However, rather than just being a mayhem-loving demon, his behavior stems from being neglect ed in his youth. This added element of his character not only makes him sympathetic but also allows for more comedic moments and fun dynamics with the rest of the cast. Brightman’s more unhinged take on the character, for which he was nominated for a Tony, makes it all the more enjoyable.

“Beetlejuice” the musical makes many improvements to a well-loved classic. It’s no surprise that it has be come so adored online. Fortunately for fans, the show will go on a year long North American tour starting this December, a month before its curtains close on Broadway.

COURTESY OF JAMES BARTHOLOMEW

Trystan Edwards (left), FCLC ’24, and Raekwon Fuller (right), FCLC ’23, play Madame Pernelle and Dorine, respectively.

JULIA JARAMILLO/THE OBSERVER

“Beetlejuice”

Broadway at the Marquis Theatre on Jan. 8, 2023.

The Fashion Studies Program Looks Forward: Professor Allison Pfingst in Conversation

By MADELEINE SIGNORE Contributing Writer

For Allison Pfingst, Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) ’14 and current professor of fash ion studies at Fordham, the uni versity’s fashion studies program isn’t just an impressive amalga mation of disciplines ranging from finance to fine arts, nor is it simply one of the university’s most rapidly expanding programs — it’s a homecoming of sorts, the fruit of years of Pfingst’s labor.

Much of this labor happened close to home, both in the halls of the Lowenstein Center as well as museums scattered around Manhattan. As an undergraduate art history student insistent upon writing all of her papers on fash ion, and more recently as an ad viser and administrator of fashion studies at Fordham, the intersec tion of art, fashion and education has long been a cornerstone of Pfingst’s academic and profes sional careers.

“We were very vocal, those of us fashion girlies back in the day, about wanting more,” she said.

At the time, the only offering was a singular course in fashion design, taught by a Fashion Insti tute of Technology (FIT) gradu ate and the then-director of the theatre department. Since then, fashion studies has blossomed not only into a myriad of inter disciplinary courses but also into a minor at Lincoln Center with a prolific community.

The fashion studies program boasts roughly 120 students whose minors are officially de clared. Pfingst anticipates the number will increase in coming years.

She attributes the program’s popularity, affirmed by a siz able influx of students declaring a fashion studies minor, to the ways in which our world has be come highly visual, amplified by, or perhaps stemming from, social media.

“This idea of self-presentation has become so central,” Pfingst stated. “I have kids coming who have, literally, millions of follow ers on social media. And even if, you know, it’s a few dozen, or a few hundred, or a few thousand, you’re being seen by so many peo ple, all the time.”

Allison Pfingst,

FCLC ’14 and professor of fashion studies

After graduating from Ford ham in 2014, Pfingst worked in art galleries, later receiving an accreditation from the Metropol itan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute in collections manage ment. Further study of dress and textiles history led her to Scot land, where she completed her postgraduate studies in 2017 at the University of Glasgow.

Fashion Studies, Full Circle

A comprehensive background in art history informed Pfingst’s approach to crafting the fashion studies program, but she consid ers her time as a Fordham student to be the most valuable prepara tion for her current role. The cur rent fashion studies program only existed in theory during Pfingst’s undergraduate years.

Pfingst intimately knows the value of the student voice. Since her days of advocacy as an un dergraduate, she’s been focused on building the program that stu dents want.

“It’s very Fordham from start to finish, with a lot of alumni in volvement and a lot of student in volvement,” she said.

Clothing in Context

The program frequently mar kets itself as one that teaches fashion in context, an idea of which Pfingst is a fierce propo nent. She described the phrase as the notion that a piece of clothing is not solely aesthetic.

“You can’t separate it from the person wearing it,” she said. “You can’t separate them from the body, from the time period it was created in, from the culture that was surrounding it.”

From this vantage point, fash ion, and the history that accompa nies it, becomes intimate, person al and perhaps more accessible to the modern student.

According to Pfingst, teaching fashion in context isn’t only valu able for fashion studies students.

She believes that students inter ested in current trends and in the constant breadth of change that characterizes the fashion industry should also seek an understand ing of the larger picture.

“ You have your theology, your politics, your social sciences, but where the rubber hits the road is in how we present ourselves. All those ideas were kind of abstract until they met humanity, until they met the human body. ”

Allison

Pfingst, FCLC

’14

and professor of fashion studies

variety of sources, she also hopes that they understand the value of self expression as well as fash ion’s capacity to aid an individual in presenting the most authentic version of themselves.

Humanities Through a Fresh Lens

“Sometimes everything we learned about in history is so big. It’s the king, it’s the war, it’s these extraordinary, once in a lifetime things,” Pfingst said. “But everyone has woken up and cho sen what to wear, put on clothes, brushed their hair.”

The interdisciplinary nature of fashion studies is quite liter ally woven into the fabric of the program (no pun intended). The courses are hosted by a variety of departments, from “Fashion as Communication” under the com munications and culture umbrella to “Fashion and Art in the Mod ern Age” held by the art history department.

at Fordham is holistic and, given the nature of the minor program, inextricably linked to academic fields outside of the fashion arena.

“ We’re looking at ways that we can allow some more flexibility and kind of personalization within the minor and hopefully, some more overlap between the minor and different majors. ”

Allison Pfingst, FCLC

’14 and professor of fashion studies

“If you want to be at the fore front of what’s going on with fashion, you need to understand the context it’s created in,” she explained, clarifying that such an understanding “requires an un derstanding of the other cultural factors.”

While Pfingst hopes fashion studies students graduate with practical skills like the ability to synthesize information from a

Pfingst explained that a lack of photographs, especially prior to the 19th century, makes the study of art history in relation to fashion critical. Any understand ing of historical dress, she argued, comes from “paintings, drawings, sculpture, etc. So it’s really im portant to be able to understand the mechanics and the history of the art.”

While students interested in the design and synthesis of cloth ing are encouraged to take handson courses like Fashion Design, the fashion studies program has a decidedly academic focus — one that’s highly informed by FCLC’s liberal arts curriculum.

According to Pfingst, real world application is central to and inextricable from the fashion studies pedagogy.

“You have your theology, your politics, your social sciences, but where the rubber hits the road is in how we present ourselves. All those ideas were kind of abstract until they met humanity, until they met the human body,” she said.

A Bright Future for Fashion Studies

The liberal arts nature of Ford ham’s course offerings also distin guishes the university’s program from the plethora of fashion and design schools riddled throughout New York City.

“We’re not teaching you how to sew,” she said.

Instead, the program “is meant to be a broad scope, from creation through selling.” Fashion studies

“We know we’re not FIT or Par sons, which have very different focuses; the kind of transitioning between the fashion industry it self and the more academic side of fashion study I think has defi nitely been helpful when develop ing the program,” she said.

In fashion studies courses, a unique dynamic is at play — the convergence of traditional aca demic fields, like art history or business, merge with corner stones of the digital age, such as TikTok and influencer culture, making for a dynamic, unprece dented intellectual landscape.

As for fashion studies’ future? Look out for expanded course of ferings and, down the line, a new major. Pfingst is hopeful about the program’s capacity for inter section with a broader swath of fields of study so that students are able to complete the necessary courses.

“We’re looking at ways that we can allow some more flexibility and kind of personalization with in the minor and hopefully, some more overlap between the minor and different majors,” she said.

Pfingst believes that people are starting to understand the power of self-presentation “in creating an identity and a sense of self.” She hopes, quite fervently, that students see their interests repre sented in the curriculum and feel inspired to engage with them.

“I think it’s really gratifying and validating for students when they come to Fordham and real ize that we are taking this very seriously, and our courses are considering this topic seriously,” she said.

“ If you want to be at the forefront of what’s going on with fashion, you need to understand the context it’s created in.”

PHOTOS COURTESY OF ALLISON PFINGST

About 120 students at Fordham University are officially declared fashion studies minors, and Pfingst hopes to increase that number in the next few years.

Fordham’s fashion studies administrator talks self-presentation and social media in the liberal arts arena

Allison Pfingst, FCLC ’14 and current professor of fashion studies at Fordham, is accredited in collections manage ment by the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute.

Fordham Studio’s ‘The Moors’ Perfectly Suited Its Titular Environment

The play is an illuminating inquiry into the complexities of human emotion after being starved of it for so long

McCollum also credited Silver man, who presented the idea that “‘The Moors’ is not at all about queer politics ... moreso, there’s a loneliness ... an openness to change ... to being more than one thing at the same time. These are things I associate with my own experience of being queer.”

The story’s players include the cold and brutish Agatha and her younger sister Hudley. The sisters live with their maid, who goes by many names and performs many duties, all at the whim of what Ag atha demands. As each person is alone and inconsequential, they are driven by their loneliness to accept connection in any form it arrives.

The estate operates to Agatha’s every will, something particularly irritating to her sister who is des perate to become anything. Hud ley, played by Matt Green, FCLC ’24, desires nothing more than to

be known. Subjected to neglect and critique from her sister and with no other companionship, she turns to a diary, which she reads out loud at any opportunity that presents itself.

Hudley is particularly enthralled by the arrival of the governess Emilie, eager for a companion, until Emi lie and everyone else diverts her attention to Agatha. The rejection of this companionship spurs Hud ley’s hatred and resentment toward Agatha, a dynamic observed and taken advantage of by the maid, played by Isabella Acuña, FCLC ’25.

Emilie, played by Anne Lois Bullington, FCLC ’25, undergoes a transformation in the moors. Upon realizing the man she has been compelled to love through written correspondence is, in reality, the cruel mistress of the household, her initial heartbreak morphs into a savage tenderness for the woman. The reconciliation grounded by the harsh nature of the environment

spurs on Emilie’s reclamation of au tonomy and personhood, making her an actor of circumstance rather than a victim of occurrence.

Ryan Murphy, FCLC ’25, por trays Agatha with a perfect balance of harsh and soft lines, her acting breathing life into Agatha’s projec tion onto the moors — savage, wild, turbulent. Murphy’s performance is perfectly controlled, illuminating Agatha’s need to keep herself tame by allowing a measured cruelty. Murphy gives an expert portrayal of Agatha’s shock and disarmament when this affection is returned. She never forfeits the regimented viciousness of Agatha but reveals a selective softness simultaneously. Her performance is a true study of conflicting human emotion.

Persuasion becomes centered as a cornerstone of the play, as each character’s desire to be seen leaves them desperate for a manipulat ed affection and malleable to the

wills of others. Each character’s loneliness feeds off one anoth er and leaves them straining for what breeds the connection they so yearn for. Even Mastiff feels this loneliness, desperate for love in any form and willing to do anything to secure it.

The Mastiff, played by Asa Nestlehutt, FCLC ’24, encounters a Moor-Hen, played by Melissa Bau tista, FCLC ’24, after she becomes injured from a crash landing, a frequent occurrence in the moors. Mastiff and Moor-Hen rarely inter act with other characters, but their story serves as a fabling of the larg er plot. Nestlehutt plays the Mastiff with desperation culminating in aggression and control — a refusal to be left alone again. Their narra

tive exposes the animalistic nature of the toxic relationships displayed. At the crux of many relationships lies the fleeting intangibility of hap piness, the instability of love being harder to accept than the absence of any love at all.

McCollum designs a master ful iteration of “The Moors,” using the lighting, sound and set design to reflect the actors’ conflicting emotions. He presents an adapta tion that centralizes the openness essential to Silverman’s writing of the play while still fostering the feeling of being trapped in some thing insurmountable to overcome. A compelling play punctuated with a strong directorial vision and dy namic cast, “The Moors” triumphed as a Studio Show.

‘Extraordinary Attorney Woo’: Representation of Disabilities in South Korea

An entertaining and emotional show about an autistic lawyer serves as a space to discuss disabilities

By KIA FATAHI Staff Writer

Hand mannerisms, lack of so cial awareness, sensitivity to loud noises, preference for cleanliness and a fascination with whales — these are just some of the traits that the protagonist in “Extraordi nary Attorney Woo,” Woo Youngwoo (Park Eun-bin), exhibits.

“Extraordinary Attorney Woo,” a 16-episode TV series, quickly became one of the most viewed non-English shows since its release on June 29th and took over the Netflix Top 10 chart.

What makes this drama unique is its use of the slice-of-life genre to explore normal people and the real drama that arises from every day life, while simultaneously cre ating a provocative sketch of some of the underrepresented problems in Korea.

The show follows Young-woo, an autistic lawyer who is raised by her single father. She is an eccen tric and intelligent woman who is fighting to build a life where she can help people while living with a disability.

The titular character’s obsession with whales, a recurring theme of the drama, adds a childish but unique dimension to her character.

In an interview, Park remarked, “Woo Young Woo accepts that in this world, she’s a narwhal among all the beluga whales that swim around the vast ocean, that the life of a narwhal is not at all lonely,

and that it’s okay because this is her life. Her saying this may look unusual and peculiar but shows upfront that it’s also meaningful and beautiful.”

One can point out striking simi larities between her character and whales: Both are lonely yet ex traordinary.

The drama also highlights her autism as a weakness and reminds the audience of how judgmental so ciety is. Prior to the story, she grad uated at the top of her law school class at Seoul National University. But due to her diagnosis, no com pany was willing to hire her.

Finally, she obtained her first job at Hanbada, a large law firm in Seoul, through one of her father’s connections. Ironically, the name happens to be translated as “One Ocean” in English. But being dif ferent from her peers, she encoun ters clients and co-workers who are prejudiced against her in different ways.

At its core, this drama highlights what it means to be extraordinary for someone like Young-woo, in both good and bad ways. Extraor dinary, on one hand, is defined as someone who is “extremely good or possesses a special quality.” On the other hand, it also carries a negative connotation.

Even though discrimination against workers with disabilities is prohibited by the Constitution, the stigma remains prevalent in Korea.

According to Jung Youn Park, a Korean scholar, discrimination

against those with disabilities, although mitigated by the emer gence of anti-discrimination laws, emerges in the form of microag gressions.

In the third episode, people on the internet posted derogatory comments expressing their hatred for Kim Jeong-hoon (Moon Sanghoon), Young-woo’s client who is an autistic man accused of causing the death of his elder brother, who was an accomplished medical stu dent. Learning how he is treated by the public, Young-woo’s mono logue perfectly sums up the reali ty of how the society in which she lives often deems autistic people as unworthy of life.

“Only 80 years ago, having au tism meant being unworthy of life. Only 80 years ago, Kim Jeong-hun and I would not have been con sidered worthy of life. Even now, hundreds of people click the ‘like’ button of a comment that reads, ‘It is a national loss when a medical student dies and an autistic person lives,’... That is the weight those of us with this disability bear,” she contemplated with a somber ex pression.

At this point, the show poses deeper questions: Is the life of a human being only valuable if they fit societal standards? Isn’t life al ready worth living because you’re alive, no matter who you are?

Another remarkable compo nent of this show was the variety of clients Young-woo represented in each episode. Cases of domes

tic abuse, a North Korean defec tor who abandoned her daughter, among many others, shed light on the stories of marginalized com munities to both the Korean and Western audiences.

But while these themes provide some compelling depiction of the aforementioned groups in both an entertaining and educational man ner, “Extraordinary Attorney Woo” is still incomplete as it focuses on ensuring it is relatable to neurotyp ical audiences.

For instance, Young-woo is played by a neurotypical actress. Incorporating autistic people into the production would be a more appropriate way to address this is

sue. Disabled actors are able to give their characters authentic insights from their own lives and raise awareness about the shockingly low employment rates of autistic and disabled people in Korea.

Over the past few years, Korean dramas, including “Squid Game,” “Crash Landing on You” and “It’s Okay To Not Be Okay,” made strides in implementing diversity (such as LGBTQ, racial, gender, political and economic representa tion) in the media. With a second season coming to Netflix in 2024, I can confidently say that “Extraor dinary Attorney Woo” is one of them.

THEKHIP VIA WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

Following the success of its first season, “Extraordinary Attorney Woo” has been renewed for more episodes by Netflix.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF HELEN HYLTON

The show opened on Nov. 6 and ran through Nov. 11 at Fordham’s Studio Theatre.

Isabella Acuña (left) and Anne Lois Bullington (right), both FCLC ’25, starred in “The Moors.”

BY KREENA VORA

BY IRENE HAO BY IRENE HAO