Fordham Observer - Issue 4 by Fordham Observer

Observer the

MARCH 12, 2015 VOLUME XXXIV, ISSUE 4

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2015 Brings Changes to LC CrossSection

Photo Feature

By ANA FOTA Contributing Writer

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio promised to make the streets of NYC safer by reducing the rate of car accidents. Commissioner of Transportation Polly Trottenberg has been continuing the legacy of her predecessor, Janette Sadik-Khan, of redesigning the streets of Manhattan one step at a time. Columbus Avenue traffic improved by implementing changes in its most populated intersections, however, the portion between 59th Street and 69th Street, encompassing Fordham College at Lincoln Center’s (FCLC) campus, street has not been changed yet. Community Board 7, in charge of the Upper West Side, held its monthly meeting on Monday, March 2, in FCLC’s Pope Auditorium. The board voted on multiple resolutions, including the redesign of the one of the most dangerous areas on the Upper West Side: the Lincoln Square Bow Tie Intersection, where Columbus Avenue crosses Broadway and 65th Street. Members of the Upper West Side community showed up to share their support of the resolution, which is expected to improve safety for pedestrians, bikers and drivers at once. The intersection ranks as one of the borough’s most dangerous, according to crash data from 2008 to 2012, placing itself in the top 5 percent of Manhattan intersections due to the high number of people killed or injured in traffic. The new plan includes a ban for drivers making a left turn from southbound Columbus Avenue onto Broadway. This way, there will be fewer cars at the intersection, increasing pedestrian safety, only MTA buses remaining exempt from the restriction. New crosswalks will be added across Broadway, on both sides of Columbus Avenue. The board is made up of 50 members, half appointed by the see LC CROSS-SECTION pg. 2

JESS LUSZCZYK/THE OBSERVER

The Observer photographers captured New York City frozen. Hopefully this ice will be melted by the time you read this.

USG Announces New Policies for Elections By TYLER MARTINS Editor-in-Chief

The United Student Government (USG) at Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) has announced new policies that will go into effect regarding upcoming elections, according to Louise Lingat, FCLC ’15, president of USG and chair of the USG Elections Committee. According to Lingat, candidates running for executive board positions can now spend $100, which is up from last year’s $25. Executive board positions include President, Vice President of Student Affairs, Vice President of Operations, Treasurer and Secretary. Students running for Senator positions can now spend $50, also up from $25. Stu-

dents running for office must provide this money themselves, Lingat said. Candidates typically spend the money to pay for flyers, websites and buttons, among other things. This year, candidates will no longer be able to print campaign posters in LL408 or SORC, and will have to use their campaign funds to pay for printing, according to Lingat. Candidates must provide receipts to the Election Committee. “If we catch them hiding [extra spending], that is grounds for disqualification,” Lingat said. “The elections committee is very determined that elections are [run] fairly and ethically.” In addition to an increase in campaign finance, student clubs can now endorse a candidate for of-

fice. These policy changes come on the heels of the possibility of what USG is describing as competitive elections. “Competitive elections are not new to the Lincoln Center community, but they are new to the executive board,” Lingat said. “We have had competitive elections for certain positions in the past, but it seems this year there’s going to be a lot more that are contended for.” In light of that, the Elections Committee has decide to allow clubs to endorse candidates, Lingat said, “but we want to make sure that it’s being done in a fair, ethical way.” According to Lingat, the Election Committee looked to Fordham College at Rose Hill’s (FCRH) USG Election Code for precedence. According to FCRH’s USG Election

Code Article 7, Section 20, all clubs and organizations “must fill out a current endorsement form before officially endorsing a candidate.” According to Lingat, the procedure is basically the same. Clubs must first obtain an endorsement form, which will be emailed to club leaders. While at Rose Hill endorsements are secured through a majority of executive board members (Article 7, Section 21), all executive board members of a club must unanimously agree on a candidate before an endorsement can be secured. Clubs can begin handing in endorsement forms on Friday, March 27. “Club executive board members cannot endorse on behalf of their club on their own,” Lingat said. Lets see ELECTIONS pg. 4

Inside

FEATURES

SPORTS

ARTS & CULTURE

Okataba Made Gates Scholar

Giants Draft Primer

Senior Exhibitions

Classical Student Off to Cambridge

Who Should Giants Select First?

Abstractions Coming to Ildiko

Why Selma & American Sniper Differ

Page 15

PAGE 18

PAGE 12

PAGE 7

THE STUDENT VOICE OF FORDHAM COLLEGE AT LINCOLN CENTER

OPINIONS

Time is Telling

News

March 12, 2015 THE OBSERVER

www.fordhamobserver.com

NYC Tries to Make LC Intersection Safer LC CROSS-SECTION FROM PAGE 1

president of the borough, Gale Brewer, while the other half is appointed by the City Council member in charge of the neighborhood, Helen Rosenthal. Out of the members of the board, 40 were present at the meeting, and the vote passed 38 in favor, to zero against, two abstaining and zero present and not voting. The plan will make several changes to the intersection, which will affect both drivers and pedestrians alike. Up to five new crossings will be added on both sides of Columbus Avenue, stretching from 63rd Street to 66th Street. Among the plan’s main priorities are adding pedestrian safety by continuing the bike safe path, adding traffic signs and turn restrictions and enlarging the pedestrian islands using paint and plastic bollards. Turns on Broadway from Columbus Avenue will not be allowed, nor from northbound Broadway to eastbound 65th Street. For FCLC residents, improving the intersection will serve to both save time and make them feel safer. Laura Staravecka, FCLC ’15, believes she will feel safer once the changes are in place. Because there is no safe bike lane there, “bikers use the car lane and they come very close to pedestrians when they cross the street,” she stated. The high influx of cars adds to the danger as well. “When I cross I need to be extra-careful. Having fewer cars there will make me feel a lot safer,” Staravecka added. Fellow resident Shea Servidio, FCLC ’18, sees a problem in the time it takes to cross. “I crossover by Bed, Bath and Beyond on 65th [Street] very frequently and

JESSICA HANLEY/THE OBSERVER

At least five new crossing paths will be added to both sides of Columbus Avenue between 63rd Street and 66th Street.

the new crosswalks will help me save time,” Servidio stated. However, Jimmy Vicari, FCLC ’17, thinks that the plan should have been even

simpler. “I understand what they were trying to do, but I feel like a direct crosswalk across Ninth [Columbus] Avenue would have made

it a lot easier and faster, ” he stated. Bike lanes on Columbus Avenue stop at 59th Street and only begin again on 69th Street. The new set-

ting also removes the south-bound car lane, adding pedestrian safety. The project is expected to begin construction in spring 2015.

Fordham Reaches Double Digits in Fulbright Scholars By JUSTIN REBOLLO Asst. News Co-Editor

Fordham University continues its Fulbright success which began in the 2008-2009 school year, when Fordham broke into the The Chronicle of Higher Education’s list of top ranked research university for producing Fulbrights. The 2014-2015 year saw 11 Fordham students win Fulbright scholarships. Fordham is ranked number 15 on The Chronicle’s list of top Fulbright producers.

will research her project “Utilizing Evolutionary Resilience to Promote Biodiversity” in Australia. ETA programs put Fulbright winners in classrooms to assist English teachers in foreign countries. Five different Fordham students received ETA program placements. Matthew Sinise, GSBRH ’14, will teach in Argentina. Aside from the two major grants, there are also FulbrightClinton Fellowships, Fulbright-mtvU Awards and Fulbright-Nat Geo

2015 FULBRIGHT WINNERS PEDRO CAMESELLE, GSAS ’16, to Uruguay MOLLY CLEMENS, FCLC ’14, to Australia DANIEL DAVIES, LAW ’14, to the Netherlands HENRIQUE DEAGULAR VALIM, FCLC ’14, to Germany, MARY HAMILTON, FCRH ’14 to Taiwan TAYLOR JACOB, FCRH ’14, to the United Kingdom ALEXANDER LEVINE, FCRH ’14, to India LEILA NABIZADEH, GSE ’14, to Malaysia CATHERINE PAUL, FCRH ’13, to Malaysia KYLE SHOOK, GSE ’17, to Poland MATTHEW SINISE, GSB ’14, to Argentina A Fulbright scholarship is a grant for either individual research projects or study projects and English Teaching Assistant (ETA) Programs. The grants are for international exchange of culture and knowledge through the students who receive grants. There are 155 countries in which a Fulbright winner can conduct a research project or participate in the ETA Programs. The research project option allows applicants to design their own projects and gives them the ability to work with advisers at foreign universities. Six Fordham students received research grants such as, Molly Clemens, Fordham College Lincoln Center (FCLC) ’14. She

Fellowships. The Fulbright-Clinton Fellowship allows recipients to work in a foreign government ministry or institution. For those interested in music, the Fulbright-mtvU Awards are awarded for research projects in international music and popular music. One of the most recent additions to the Fulbright family of scholarships is the Fulbright-Nat Geo Fellowships. The Nat Geo fellowship allows recipients to travel to up to three countries and write about globally significant issues. The split between graduate school and undergraduate school winners is even with five winners from both. On the other hand, there is a

JESS LUSZSCZYK/THE OBSERVER

Pedro Cameselle to go to Uruguay for his project “... Challenge of Uruguay-US Relations during FDR Era”.

slight discrepancy between the number of Fordham College Rose Hill (FCRH) students and FCLC students who received Fulbright scholarships. FCRH had four winners and FCLC had two winners.

Fordham is in a tie for 15th place with three other institutions--Columbia University, Johns Hopkins University and University of Southern California. Other Catholic colleges such as,

Boston College, for the 2014-2015 cycle, according to The Boston College Chronicle, had students win 10 Fulbright grants.

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THE OBSERVER March 12, 2015

News

‘Snow’ More Mondays By ALEX MERRITT Contributing Writer

Since the beginning of the spring 2015 semester, Fordham College at Lincoln Center, (FCLC), has had four days in which classes were cancelled due to inclement weather, Feb. 2, Feb. 9, Feb. 17 and March 5. Three of these cancellations have occurred on Monday scheduled days. Combined with the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday in January and Presidents Day in February, many classes functioned on interrupted schedules for several weeks. Professor of Modern Languages and Literatures Maria Ebner, whose Intermediate German class meets on Monday, is one of several professors who have been impacted by the cancellations. “It had quite an impact on our course. I had to push back our exam dates three times and push back our starting points for all the different subjects that I had in mind [for the course] two times.” Associate Dean of FCLC Robert Moniot jokingly remarked of the snow days that “hopefully they’re over.” Although weather cancellations provide an inconvenience for many classes, the cancellations are treated with great care by Fordham Public Safety, Moniot explained that the process of making cancellations accounts for commuters and faculty members living outside of Manhattan, particularly the many FCLC faculty members who live in New Jersey. Overtime and staffing expenses are also taken heavily into account. As for making those days up, the Provost Dr. Stephen Freedman, makes a plan as they see fit based on input from the several associate deans. According to an email sent to students on Feb. 26, the make up days are scheduled for Wednesday, April 1, and Thursday, April 30. The former is currently scheduled as a typical Wednesday, while the latter is the first reading day at the end of the semester. One reason for the

PAULA MADERO/THE OBSERVER The Plaza blanketed in snow after one of the blizzards this season.

April 1 make up day, Moniot shared, is that there are more Wednesdays in this semester than any other day of the week. As for the evening classes at FCLC, which many undergraduates are enrolled in, Moniot elaborated that “I think their plans are to just leave it to the faculty. To make up their classes as they see fit.” As for the logistics of the make up plan, running a Monday schedule on a Wednesday presents a unique set of problems for the University as a whole. The reason being

that 10 different schools and programs function under Fordham. Such issues were present on Tuesday, Feb. 17, when classes met on a Monday schedule. Moniot explained that “[we] had to figure out where to move the FCLC classes into classrooms that would be vacant on a Tuesday given that the other schools that have classes on Tuesdays were still meeting.” He continued, “There was a lot of juggling and that will have to be done again… [although] we picked a day [April 1]

when the other schools are having the fewest classes.” Despite these obstacles, having an overall plan is easier for professors and faculty members, who would otherwise have to coordinate meeting times for their classes and reserve a classroom by themselves. Despite losing a reading day, Moniot definitively stated that exam week will not be altered in any fashion. Shortening the number of exam days from eight to seven by means of having multiple exams on the

same day has been done before. But according to Moniot the University tries to “avoid any student having three exams on one day. When you go to seven days, that’s no longer guaranteed. Also, students will have made [travel plans], so we decided not to mess with exam week.” Some, like Ebner, are optimistic about the make up dates. “I do believe it helps us now because I already know that I will be able to push [my class] back a little bit longer.”

Smartphone Usage Making Us Not So Smart By NAPOLEON CANETE JR. Contributing Writer

Smartphones have allowed us to keep minicomputers in our pockets and have connected us to the world and to each other. Elana Tee, Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) ’17, said, “Instagram and Twitter used to take up so much time, but ever since I’ve deleted those apps, I’ve spent significantly less time looking at my phone.” A recent study at Baylor University found that college students are becoming addicted to their cellphones. In terms of usage, the study claims that female students use their phones for an average of 10 hours per day and male students use their phones for an average of eight hours per day and both of which are potentially detrimental to the students’ academics. The study found that the most time consuming activity was texting, which consumed about 94.6 minutes, followed by sending emails and checking Facebook. Euphoria is one of the six signs of cellphone addiction as identified by one of the authors of the study, Dr. James Roberts. Euphoria is described as the pleasurable feeling one gets from receiving a cellphone notification. Text messaging and emailing take up the most time and possibly make up the majority of notifications. Social media is another potentially large source of notifications. With so much time spent on cellphones, it is not surprising that some people have found cellphones as a distraction and nuisance when it comes to academics. Gary Chen, FCLC ’15, said, “It’s tough to focus when your phone is constantly buzzing, [be-

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY PAULA MADERO/THE OBSERVER

Smartphones decrease academic success, according to study.

cause] we have a tendency to answer it.” The constant connection to the internet that cellphones provide can be distractions that pull students’ focus away from their studies. There is also a limit to how much

a cellphone can contribute to one’s studies. Katherine Tracy, Gabelli School of Business at Lincoln Center (GSBLC) ’18, said that cellphones are “nowhere near as useful as a computer, because all of the distractions

there are but everything that benefits you academically isn’t there.” The capabilities of cellphones have increased, however, they are not equivalent to full sized computers. Although many apps, such as mobile versions of the Microsoft Office suite, allow for access to productive programs, the small screens and lack of a physical keyboard do not make them complete replacements of desktop versions. Many of these apps also lack many of the features available on their full sized counterparts. The distractions are also an academic threat to classes. Dr. Heather Gautney, associate professor of sociology at FCLC, said, “We don’t meet in classrooms for very long. It’s only two and a half hours a week, so it’s a small concentrated time. It concerns me when students are unable to separate from their phones during that small window of time.” However, there are supporters of cellphone use that find that they are imperative in today’s world. It may not be that users are necessarily addicted, but that the salience of cellphones in to our daily lives simply follows the new social norms. Madeleine Haig, GSBLC ’18, said, “Your cellphone has become one of those forms of interaction. The same way that you’re addicted to different societal norms, having a cellphone and having it on you at all times is just a standard that society has established as necessary.” A lot of interpersonal communication is now done through technology and cellphones are a door to this technological age. Cellular devices have also helped improve professional communication. Victoria Cleveland, GSBLC ’18, said, “It’s a disadvantage profession-

The average students texts for 94.6 minutes a day. Females use their phone for an average of 10 hours a day and males for eight hours. ally, because most people expect that you have some email checking device where you can promptly check an email and promptly respond and if you don’t, that’s looked at as a lack of professionalism.” Cellphones have become standard in some workplaces as a form of quick communication between employers and employees. The constant connection to the world is a necessity that modern cellphones provide to college students. Cellphones also help with communication between professors and their students. Dr. Gautney, said, “Students contact me I can get back to them right away, I don’t have to be at home or here on my computer and so now I usually promise some of my classes that I’ll return emails within 24 hours … The kinds of communications you need to run a class are enabled by cellphone use.” Mobile apps, such as the Blackboard app for iOS devices allow students to access content and announcements posted by professors and, without using a desktop computer. Gabriella York, FCLC ’17, thought, “Technology opens up a whole new world of education.”

News

March 12, 2015 THE OBSERVER

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McShane Delivers Homily on Race and Racism By IAN SCHAEFER Staff Writer

On Sunday, March 1, Fordham students gathered at the Fordham College at Rose Hill (FCRH) University Church for the 11 a.m. Mass, as they do every Sunday. However, this particular Sunday’s congregation included students who usually attend other Masses, and even some who are not Catholic. These individuals came to Mass to hear President of Fordham University Rev. Joseph McShane, S.J., give a homily on race and racism in the United States. After reading the Gospel, McShane stood at the lectern, breathed deeply and looked over his notes before beginning his homily. The homily – a lesson based on that week’s Scripture readings – is a significant aspect of every Mass, but this one in particular carried the weight of being a public statement by the president of the university on the urgent issue of racism. McShane decried racism as a “sacrament of evil,” and not simply a “political, social or economic issue, but a moral one.” These statements embody the spirit of Catholic anti-racism, which was perhaps most famously manifest in Rev. John La Farge, S.J., the former editor-in-chief of America Magazine who accompanied Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., on the 1963 March on Washington. McShane called for the conversion of hearts towards racial justice and equality – a difficult and lengthy process, but a complete one. “I think it is important to have these conversations … and it was nice for Fr. McShane to say the Mass,” Emily Rubino, Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) ’17, member

COURTESY OF WFUV VIA FLICKR

Father McShane defined racism as not only a “political, social or economic issue, but a moral one.”

of the Dorothy Day Center for Service and Justice (DDCSJ), said. “His homily was obviously religious, but it had messages that applied to everyone and I still appreciated it even as a non-religious person.” The first three rows of pews were reserved for members of the DDCSJ,

a special acknowledgement for the campus group that’s mission includes organizing discussions about racism and participating in anti-racist activism and education. The Dorothy Day Center has been particularly involved in addressing this past academic year, reflecting the greater

national movement for racial equality in our nation that has gained momentum since this past summer. Further programming occurred this week, especially at Rose Hill, to continue this discussion of racial justice that McShane participated in through his homily. While racial

violence falls out of prominence in the news media, racism continues to affect our nation, even at institutions like Fordham. Events and talks, such as the one given by McShane, serve as reminders to those in our community to continue to combat racism in society.

Clubs Able to Endorse and Donate to USG Candidates RAM THE VOTE 2015 USG ELECTIONS FROM PAGE 1

say if the Vice President of [Campus Activities Board] CAB wants to endorse a certain candidate, they can’t do it without the consent of the entire e-board.” By endorsing a candidate, clubs can participate in a number of ways. “Some of the things clubs at Rose Hill focus on are their social media pages. Some people submit articles to The Ram as to why they support a particular candidate,” Lingat said.

“Flyers are doable but they need to be approved by the candidate and OSLCD. Most of the endorsements happen through social media and social websites.” Election packets, which potential candidates have to fill out and collect signatures before announcing their candidacy, are due Wednesday, March 25 at 5 p.m. Executive positions need 50 signatures and Senate positions need 25 signatures. Candidates can begin campaigning on Friday, March 27, after they have

Clubs are now able to unanimously endorse USG candidates and donate to their campaign funds. “had their petition signatures verified” and have been “notified by the Elections Committee that they may campaign,” according to the FCLC

USG Election Packet. The Election Committee is comprised of graduating officers in USG: Lingat is joined by Senior Senators Anitra Singh and Deborah Adewale and President Pro Tempore Joseph Lagville, all FCLC ’15. The committee is advised by Dr. Dorothy Wenzel, Director of Student Leadership and Community Development (OSLCD) and advisor to USG. A debate is currently slated to be held on Wednesday, April 8 at 5:30 p.m. and elections will take place on

April 8 through April 9 online via OrgSync. “I hope people actually come out and vote,” Lingat said. “Every single vote matters and that’s really important to the election.” Follow The Observer’s upcoming USG Election Coverage online on Twitter (@fordhamobserver), Facebook and on our website, fordhamobserver.com. #RamTheVote

United Nations Holds March For Gender Equality in NYC By ANNA BARBANO Contributing Writer

This year, the United Nations (UN) Women for Peace Association held its third annual “March In March” for gender equality on Sunday, March 8. This year’s theme was “50-50 by 2030,” meaning that the United Nations hopes to achieve gender equality by the year 2030. The demonstration, which started near the UN headquarters at East 47th Street and 2nd Avenue and went all the way to Times Square, was led by Secretary-General of the UN Ban Ki-Moon, First Lady of New York City Chirlane McCray and other influential gender equality advocates. “We need global action -Action!” Ban Ki-Moon urged in the opening ceremony, which preceded the march. Police officers and volunteers ensured that streets were clear for the crowd. Thousands of people showed up for the march waving banners and signs that demanded social change including achieving pay equal-

ANNA BARBANO/THE OBSERVER

Caroline Grondahl, FCLC ’17, and Anna Barbano, FCLC ’17, at the “March in March.”

ity, abolishing forced and underage marriage, ending street harassment, and eradicating rape as a weapon of war. The signs expressed concerns for women globally. Some focused on particular countries, such as one poster which read, “Look, Egypt: we march without dying” and another which proclaimed, “South Africa, to end gender-based violence, we need a national Gender Based Violence (GBV) plan now!” The crowd was comprised of many people of varying races, sexes, genders and ages. Different groups advocated for different aspects of gender equality, an example is rights for older women or for Latina women. Many people brought their younger children; one man in particular expressed to us his desire to teach his sons about gender equality because “it starts with education.” The campaign calls for every person to “Step it up!” and fight for equal rights all over the world. Photos and videos can be found on the United Nations’ Twitter @UN and @ UN_Women.

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THE OBSERVER March 12, 2015

News

‘Under the Tent’ Cancelled-Tent Too Expensive By TYLER MARTINS Editor-in-Chief

“Under the Tent,” an annual event co-sponsored by United Student Government (USG) and Campus Activities Board (CAB) at Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) has been cancelled. The event, which marked the last day of programming at the end of the spring semester and took place on the Robert Moses Plaza, was cancelled due to financial constraints imposed by the cost of the tent. According to Dr. Dorothy Wenzel, director of Student Leadership and Community Development (OSLCD) and USG Advisor, “Under the Tent” had been financed in the past by being able to keep the tent up for longer than one day. “The only way we could afford this event was to have the tent up through Commencement and share in the cost with all the departments that share in Commencement tent rental,” Wenzel said. This year, however, other departments and schools that would share the cost of the tent pulled out. According to Wenzel, Fordham Law School (LAW) is using the new Law building for all their events, and the Graduate School of Social Services (GSS) decided not to host a reception this year, leaving the Graduate School of Business and the OSLCD to share the cost. In addition, due to an incident where the tent collapsed the night before the FCLC Alumni Reunion in June 2013, the cost of the tent increased for safety purposes. Wenzel approached Brian Byrne, vice president for Lincoln Center and inquired if the tent could still be kept up through Commencement. “We were told we would have to rent the tent at the full tent rental cost for that one night, which is just cost

JUSTIN REBOLLO/THE OBSERVER

Fordham couldn’t afford the $29,000 to $33,000 tent for the annual end-of-year bash.

prohibitive,” Wenzel said. The total cost of the tent was between $29,000 and $33,000, according to Wenzel. “Part of that cost also factors in that we have to order a permit for the tent, which is around 6000,” she said, since the Plaza is open to the public and needed to be up to city code. Though “Under the Tent” is cancelled, USG and CAB are exploring other options for an end of the year event to mark the last day of programming, according to Wenzel. A

committee of representatives from both USG and CAB has been formed in order to play this event, and are being advised by Christina Frankovic, assistant director for Programming in OSLCD and CAB Advisor. “This new group is trying to dream up a new event for the end of the year,” Wenzel said. “They’re just in the planning stages right now. It’ll be distinct ... My understanding is that they’re looking to make it a completely different event.” The new event will take place in

the Atrium and Student Lounge, but that does not always have to be the case for future events, according to Wenzel. “Christina Frankovic has made comments that when we move to 140 [62nd Street], there would be a nice lounge space with outdoor space for that but that wouldn’t be until 2017,” Wenzel said. “Whether this year’s end of the year event sticks or the group next year decides they want to do something different, its too soon to tell.” According to Louise Lingat, USG

president and FCLC ’15, once both USG and CAB were informed that “Under the Tent” was being cancelled, both clubs decided to plan another event in its place. “It was just a mutual understanding and agreement that we still want to have an event because we felt there could be no end of year. We figured there needed to be an end of the year event because it would be wrong to deprive the students of that,” she said. “And as a senior leaving I would hate to not have one because it would be the last time I get to hang out with my undergraduate friends here.” According to Laura Paone, CAB president and chair of the end of the year event committee and FCLC ’16, the committee is preliminary stages of planning. “We are working to create a new identity for this event. We want something that will have the same integrity as ‘Under the Tent’ but something that works in our current situation that we can replicate for years to come,” she said. Leighton Magoon, Student Activities Budget Committee (SABC) chairperson, USG treasurer and FCLC ’17, who is sitting on the committee in a budget advisory capacity, feels that the committee is really driven to establish a new event with student input. “The committee’s coming up with a lot of ideas but we’re looking for student feedback from Gabelli students, Lincoln Center students, from freshmen to seniors we’d like to see because we’d like to make an event that’s just as good if not better than ‘Under the Tent,’” Magoon said. Though “Under the Tent” was cancelled, Wenzel was happy to see that students came together to plan a new event. “Thats the one nice thing we’ll continue doing,” Wenzel said, “having that big event to celebrate the school year in a way that hadn’t been celebrated prior.”

The Belles of Winter Ball Over 150 students danced the night away at Winter Ball 2015 held on Feb. 27 at The Lighthouse at Chelsea Piers. To the left is the Gala committee and to the right students gaze out to an icy river. JASON BOIT/OSLCD

JASON BOIT/OSLCD

Edward Cardinal Egan Remembered by Fordham and New York City By IAN SCHAEFER Contributing Writer

In a ceremony at St. Patrick’s Cathedral, the New York Catholic community said goodbye to its archbishop emeritus, Edward Cardinal Egan, on March, 10, 2015. Egan passed away due to a heart attack on March 5 at the age of 82. Appointed to the position in the year 2000, he was the predecessor to the current archbishop, Timothy Cardinal Dolan. An educator, theologian and canon lawyer, Egan was less outspoken – at least in the media – than Cardinal Dolan is, but he made difficult decisions for an archdiocese plagued with sexual abuse scandals, unpaid bills and empty pews. Egan served the archdiocese of New York during the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, and through the budget difficulties that have led to church closures all throughout

the city. In 2009, he became the first Archbishop of New York to retire in over 200 years. Cardinal Egan was also a great friend of Fordham. Egan celebrated Mass on both of Fordham’s campuses, rededicated the Rose Hill University Church after it went through renovations in 2004, and, most recently, blessed the space of the new Fordham Law School building. “He was passionate about education, and about improving the lives of the most disadvantaged New Yorkers,” Rev. Joseph McShane S.J., president of Fordham, said in an official statement. “He was a good friend to the Society of Jesus, and held a special place in his heart for Fordham. He combined great expertise with great humility, and he was one of the kindest men I’ve ever known.” PHOTO COURTESY OF FLICKR

Cardinal Egan, who led the archdiocese for a little under a decade, died at 82.

Opinions

Rachel Shmulevich — Opinions Editor rshmulevich@fordham.edu

STAFF EDITORIAL

STAND UP TO CANCER AT FORDHAM

ancer is one of the most destructive forces in our lives. It seems like almost every life has been touched by it--we all know someone who has had cancer or maybe we have battled it ourselves. But it’s time that we say no more. It is time to stand up to cancer. Fordham College at Lincoln Center’s (FCLC) Colleges Against Cancer (CAC) is doing just that. Most clubs at Fordham pride themselves on hosting multiple large-scale events, discussions or parties each school year, however CAC is different. From the beginning of the fall semester, CAC puts most of their energy into fundraising for the Relay for Life event held every spring on the FCLC Robert Moses Plaza. Relay for Life is an event planned in conjunction with the American Cancer Society(ACS) wherein

March 12, 2015 THE OBSERVER

Observer the

Editor-in-Chief Tyler Martins

people form teams to raise funds to support cancer research and various other initiatives created by the ACS to provide assistance to cancer patients and their families by helping them with travel costs, therapy and other supplies such as

“But it’s time that we say no more. It is time to stand up to cancer.” wigs. Relay for Life is a daylong event filled with walking, fun activities, food and support. The day ends with a moving luminaria (paper lantern) ceremony when participants are given a chance to light candles in remembrance of lost loved ones or as tributes to those

still fighting or who have beaten cancer. The Observer has decided to join the fight with CAC by creating a Relay for Life team. We will be collecting donations and coming together with other members from the Fordham Community to walk in solidarity and to stand up against this terrible disease that has had such a profound impact on so many. We welcome you to join us by joining our team, creating your own or just donating a few dollars. Information can be found at relayforlife.org/fulcny or on the “CAC-FCLC and GSBLC” Facebook page. FCLC’s Relay for Life is on April 18 on Robert Moses Plaza so please stop by. Because who doesn’t want to live in a world with less cancer and more birthdays?

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Opinions

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We Need To Talk About Microaggressions ALEXA MCMENAMIN Asst. Opinions Editor

Kyle Spencer’s New York Times article, “At New York Private Schools, Challenging White Privilege From the Inside”, discussed attempts by pricey New York City private schools to address diversity talks in a new way. Friends Seminary by Union Square, the Spence and Dalton Schools on the Upper East Side, and Brooklyn Friends: all of these are K-12 independent schools with tuitions comparable to some colleges (Spence, for instance, is $43,000 per year for K-12), have begun addressing white privilege in their discussions on diversity. The rhetoric around “diversity” in private schools – especially those known for having a predominantly white, upper-class student body –

traditionally relied on things like “International Day,” or celebrations of other cultures’ holidays. Normally, whiteness is not dissected. In the wake of a growing dialogue on race, microaggressions and language, educational institutions are questioning their role in these conversations. Much of recent activism has been via young people, and these K-12 schools are attempting to thoughtfully question how they’ve discussed race and diversity in the past, in hopes that their students will be better equipped to discuss it in an increasingly conscious world. Whether one likes it or not – as any Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) student can tell you – these conversations are a reality. Full disclosure: I went to a Friends school, or a private religiously-affiliated school founded by Quakers (like the aforementioned Friends Seminary or Brooklyn Friends). Without getting into a

theological lecture, Quakerism is a Christian denomination which differs from other forms of Christianity in its focus on pacifism, simplicity and social justice. Fun fact: Quakers were some of the first abolitionists in the country. If I had to make a comparison, Quaker values remind me of some Jesuit values; a focus on the community, fighting injustice and a strident role in political activism. There’s a lot of overlap. However, at my Friends school, despite our small class sizes and our declared school passion for justice and equality, microaggressions were rampant. As a white woman of privilege, I was rarely the target, besides in instances of gender discrimination (which were not uncommon). My female friends of color received the brunt of these microaggressions, as coded insults flew across the halls. Whether in the case of racial or gender-related microaggression, the fault always lay with the

offended; the offender would never take responsibility for the effect of their words. Our predominantly white institution was either unable to or uninterested in opening a conversation about these offenses and the importance of understanding why our linguistic choices mattered. In my senior year, I took part in an initiative to address these microaggressions within our high school through our Diversity Club. We believed that the tenets of our education, of equality and support for others and a willingness to address injustice and work through it, required us to address these issues. Though we were met with backlash and discomfort, I hope these conversations at least opened some minds. For me, these conversations – which happened more rarely than I liked at the time – were soon to become a day-to-day occurrence for me at FCLC, where I became a Social Justice Leader for the Dorothy

Day Center for Social Justice. So why did I go on such a tangent about high school and Quakerism? Because I feel like Bill Murray in Groundhog Day, stuck in a loop: this same conversation is happening for me all over again. And I wonder, as conversations revolving around race cannot be forced nationwide into all schools, is it Fordham’s responsibility as a Jesuit institution to at least consider what would happen if we all had to address white privilege? The Winter Ball theme, an insensitive Public Safety alert: It’s clear that many of us who care about issues of injustice and who work to fight them are exhausted, which makes it even more exasperating when microaggressions occur within the FCLC community. We’re not seeking perfection, we just want effort on both sides, to gain the ability to speak to one another honestly.

On Civil Participation at FCLC JACOB AZRILYANT Contributing Writer

Civil participation is the lifeblood not only of a stable democracy, but also of a vibrant community. Here at Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC), we are blessed with having both. Lincoln Center is different from your traditional campus; it’s smaller, mostly contained within one building, and everyone can be connected by at most a few degrees of separation. Because we have a non-traditional campus, we have a non-traditional democracy. In most large democracies, citizens participate by going to the voting booth, partaking in a town hall meeting, joining a local interest organization or a combination of the given. But FCLC is not a large democracy; it is a small one, and civil participation is not something that one has to show up to a particular

place to do. It happens every minute of every day. Civil participation happens in the classrooms, in the hallway, in the elevator and by the locker when you’re getting your belongings. It happens when you relax with your friends in the student lounge and when you sit down to eat in the café after a long day. It happens in clubs. We are a small, tight-knit community and civil participation is in the very fabric that weaves through the halls of this campus. After all, why bother going to a town hall or United Student Government (USG) meeting when you can text your representatives, or catch them during lunch, in LL408, in the dorms or just walking from point A to point B? We understand the redundancy in showing up to a particular place to talk to someone when you see them on a regular basis. But that doesn’t mean that civil participation is lacking, it means that we simply have a different way of going about participating. USG is not trapped atop an ivory

tower, in a desolate wasteland that separates it and the people of the school. The vast majority of the students may not come to USG meetings, but that is because civil participation is not limited to the confines of LL502, where we meet. In the past, many of the issues that were brought to USG were not done so in a meeting: they were brought up by word of mouth, which is an advantage in a school of our size. Students participate in ways they didn’t even realize. Clubs, as some see as nothing more than organizations devoted to a particular cause, act as powerful interest groups in ways that people can’t even imagine. Clubs have a voice, they have a presence and they have power. The road to civil participation does not lead only to USG. We are one outlet, but our community has its foundation in the clubs that make FCLC their home. As has been the case in the past, certain clubs advocate for certain things that are within their scope of concern. Sometimes it is

only the club’s representatives that will bring up their concern to us but they will be bringing it up on behalf of their entire membership and in some cases the community they represent. They don’t have to all show up to a USG meeting, for they already deliberated the issue amongst themselves, in an environment where they are comfortable doing so. And that’s okay. We understand that it is easier to discuss certain issues amongst people that you know and trust before crafting a final message. We understand that it may be overwhelming to show up to a meeting where you may not know absolutely everyone or maybe just not as well as you’d like to. And that’s okay. We want everyone to share their concerns in an environment where they are most comfortable, and if that’s in their club and not a USG meeting, that’s completely fine. Because when the club’s representatives come to us, they won’t simply be speaking for themselves, they’ll be speaking on behalf of a larger

constituency. And through this way, democracy works. Clubs, as interest groups, act as the loudspeaker for every sector of students on campus. So whether you’re in USG, another club or have friends in clubs, know that your concerns are being heard. The doors to our general meetings are always open. We welcome every individual, every new idea and every complaint. But the beauty of such a small campus is that democracy works in the places that you would never envision being “public forums.” And because of that, your voice is not limited to whether or not you show up to a specific room on a certain day at a certain time. We are one school, one community and everyone has a voice. Disclaimer: This op-ed only represents the views of the USG Vice President of Operations, and not necessarily that of the Executive Board or Senate.

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March 12, 2015 THE OBSERVER

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Strange Bedmates: Jerusalem-Washington-Tehran JONATHAN MILOHNIC Staff Writer

On March 4, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appeared in front of a joint session of Congress to discuss the dangers of Iranian nuclear proliferation. After much political turmoil, Netanyahu delivered a speech that lasted about an hour to a room full of American representatives from both sides of the aisle, though a good number of Democrats opted out of attending the meeting. Democratic leaders were very open with their decision not to attend the speech. They very quickly pointed their finger at Speaker of the House John Boehner and blamed him for creating a revived partisan feel within Congress. Truthfully, Netanyahu’s scheduled visit to speak at the American Israel Public Affair Committee (AIPAC) a few weeks prior to his bid for reelection in Israel does not have much to do with the Iranian nuclear negotiations and Boehner’s invitation to Netanyahu: it all comes down to timing. If any of those are not coincidental, it is the interception of Netanyahu’s speech at AIPAC and the Israeli election. Punches are always thrown across the aisle in Washington and that did not change this time around. The Boston Globe quoted Senator Elizabeth Warren saying, “It’s unfortunate that Speaker Boehner’s actions on the eve of a national election in Israel have made Tuesday’s event more political and less helpful for addressing the critical issue of nuclear nonproliferation and the safety of our most important ally in the Middle East.” Senator Warren wasted no time turning Netanyahu’s informative speech about a dire negotiating situation into a political stunt by the speaker and a partisan tactic by Boehner. Senator Al Franken went as far as to refer to the speech as a “partisan spectacle” in a statement he released on Monday. The deal with Iran, as it stands, is terrible and that is precisely why

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President Netanyahu’s speech is so emphatic; it reasserts the fact that Iran is the same Iran it has been since its revolution in 1979—untrustworthy and dangerous. The current deal leaves Iran with the capabilities to create intercontinental nuclear warheads if they choose to. Iran is able to leave a substantial amount of their centrifuges spinning, but must disconnect

some for 10 years. Iran is not an uneducated or underdeveloped nation: Iran is a nation of great scientists with great minds and I do not doubt their potential to speedily create nuclear warheads under the guise of using nuclear energy. The current deal also allows Iran to gain the capital necessary to invest more in nuclear warheads. By lifting the economic sanctions that

have been choking Iran for years, the country would gain an influx of liquid capital, which it would be able to direct where it deems necessary. The last concern of the Ayatollah is the well being of his people: his main concern is destroying America and Israel. It is quite obvious that this money would immediately funnel into nuclear research. Iran has no plans of placing its ability to do

so on the negotiating table. Netanyahu’s speech focused on the ongoing negotiations with Iran over their nuclear developments as well as the facts that Western nations and (largely liberal) media are ignoring. Quite frankly, the speech brought into light the issues that were shrouded by the well-crafted partisan squabble that Democrats and the President created. The Prime Minister drew on the longstanding history of Iran, a great nation “hijacked by religious zealots” and hell-bent on jihad; a nation that has consistently and bluntly voiced their desire to destroy the U.S., Israel and, in general, the entirety of the Western world. Netanyahu brought into focus Iran’s long reaching influence in terrorism and tyranny inclusive of Bashar Al-Assad in Syria, Hamas in Gaza, the Houthis in Yemen and Hezbollah in Lebanon, which have given Iran strongholds in Damascus, Sanaa and Beirut. Iran gaining nuclear capabilities will only cause other countries in the Middle East that fear Iran to get nuclear arms. We would be witnessing a nuclear arms race that could very well rival the one between the U.S. and U.S.S.R. during the Cold War, only an arms race in such a politically rocky region with deep religious rifts would be catastrophic. Iran would not hesitate to wipe out its rivals: whether Jewish, Christian or Muslim. This nuclear deal is potentially paving a path toward a global nuclear genocide. Prime Minister Netanyahu stated it better than anyone ever could: “If Iran wants to be treated like a normal country, let it act like a normal country.” Iran wants nothing more than to be a global superpower and it has been stomping its feet for years trying to get a seat at the “big kid’s table.” If there is anything that sets global super powers apart from those subjugated by them, it is their stockpile of nuclear warheads. But these stockpiles are simply there as symbolic defenses, which keep our global world in check. An Iran capable of launching nuclear warheads would simply drive the world into turmoil.

Is it Dangerous to Make Films Relevant to Current Events? RACHEL SHMULEVICH Opinions Editor

There’s a huge difference between “Selma” and “American Sniper,” and part of that has to do with time. While both touch on issues which are still extremely relevant today, “Selma” has the benefit of learning from the 50 years of history between the march from Selma to Montgomery, Ala. led by Martin Luther King Jr. and the present day. “American Sniper,” on the other hand, had a relatively quick turnaround, from 2012, when Chris Kyle’s memoir of the same name was published, to the film’s release in theaters in 2014. It’s also an Oscar-winning, widely discussed film about a victim of a crime, in theaters during the trial of the accused killer. This, coupled with the movie’s obvious hero worship of Kyle, created immense bias against Eddie Ray Routh who was inevitably found guilty of the murder of both Kyle and Chad Littlefield. Deborah Denno, a law professor at Fordham Law School, told the International Business Times, on Jan. 20, “Any movie is trying to influence everyone from mid-teens to older adults and that’s your jury pool.” From portraying Kyle as an all-American hero and glorifying war to including a statement in the end credits declaring that Kyle was killed “by a veteran he was trying to help,” it’s clear exactly how “American Sniper” is “trying to influence everyone.” But whether or

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not you’ve seen the film, the hype surrounding it virtually ensures that everyone has an opinion. For the most part, we’re in one of two camps: one that believes the image of Kyle that “American Sniper” forces on us, and one that sees the exact opposite— critics of the movie have described Kyle as a killer who enjoyed killing and never had any regrets about doing so. Routh’s right to a fair trial was in jeopardy the moment “American Sniper,” designed to influence public opinion just like any other feature film, hit theaters—maybe even when

the bloody, action-packed trailers first graced our television screens. The saga surrounding “American Sniper” and the Routh trial makes at least one thing clear: we should not be producing films about current events. The only nuanced portrayals of “true stories” we seem to be able to produce are documentaries, and those that put many years between the event in question and the film’s release—sure, it’s virtually impossible to tell any kind of story without bias, but these kinds of movies at least invite us to come to our own conclusions. We

can follow up on the expert testimony and other evidence presented to us and draw from years of history and research, instead of being force-fed a prepackaged story in which the hero’s intentions go unquestioned and everything is assumed to be “just” and “good.” The events themselves already influence us enough—you don’t have to look much further than the upcoming trial of Boston bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev. It took months to find a group of eligible jurors for Tsarnaev (from Jan. 5 to March 2), and it’s

not hard to see why. It was near impossible to find a group that hadn’t been directly affected by what transpired on April 15, 2013, and even as the trial opened on March 3, jurors were described as “dabb[ing] their eyes” and choking back tears as they listened to witnesses’ testimonies, according to USA Today. The bombing did not only wrack the nation, but shook Boston to its very core: almost everyone knew someone running that day, a spectator, or even someone who worked or lived in the general vicinity. The defense, from the very beginning, was clear about their fears that there was an overwhelming presumption in the state that Tsarnaev was guilty and that his trial should be moved out of Massachusetts. And in a case with the death penalty, juror impartiality becomes even more important. I can’t even imagine what kind of mess we’d be in if we had an “American Sniper” style movie made that, just as it glorified Kyle, further demonized the Tsarnaev brothers in the eyes of Massachusetts residents. Some stories just can’t be told right away—at least not in the format of a blockbuster film. The air is already so charged when it comes to discussing current events or issues that a Hollywood movie pushing its audience toward a certain mindset can only have a polarizing effect. In this kind of atmosphere, extreme views dominate (i.e. Kyle is either an unfeeling killer or an all-American hero) and the platform to have a meaningful debate or discussion, much less a fair trial if one is involved, disappears.

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Opinions

We May Not Be Ready for Net Neutrality TYLER BURDICK Asst. Opinions Editor

The most recent internet-themed battle going on has been related to the idea of “net neutrality.” The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has just agreed to begin adopting policies in favor of net neutrality, and while it sounds like a progressive development, not many people know what this actually means. The main point that proponents of net neutrality continuously highlight is the fact that it will end the practice of purposely slowing internet access speeds for service providers that do not pay certain premiums. This means that, for consumers, download and upload speeds will not be affected by what company you choose as a carrier, and bigger “internet giants” will not be able to play favorites with middle-man internet companies. All good things, right? Of course, this would assume that “internet slowing” was some form of epidemic affecting the vast majority of consumers. An opinion given by Robert J. Samuelson of the Washington Post in a piece called “Be Skeptical of ‘net neutrality’” made the point that the FCC never produced a single report indicating that intentional internet slowing was a “widespread” behavior, but even if it was, it wouldn’t call for additional regulation of the internet. It’s like stationing a bodyguard in your house and letting him dictate your behavioral patterns “for your own safety” when in actuality there is no one out hunting you to begin with. But, too late, you’ve already given the bodyguard free reign to do whatever he wants because it’s for a good cause, right?

And that’s the problem: pseudogood-causes. We see the word “neutrality” and think “hey, everyone’s equal, that sounds like a good thing, right? We should support neutrality!” But a word’s connotation does not necessarily carry over to the issue. Let’s assume that the vast majority of internet service providers were in fact offering slowed service to consumers, essentially meaning that their Netflix streaming and bittorrenting was nowhere near as fast as it could have been. It sucks for consumers, but the beautiful thing about living in a capitalist society is that competition is king; if you are unhappy with a product or service provided by company A, then all you have to do is take your business to company B. But applying additional regulation is a dangerous game, especially since the internet is still in a sort of a legal limbo and criminal and business law has yet to actually catch up to it. The new net neutrality ruling essentially applies Title II of the Telecommunications Act of 1996 to internet service providers. This turns the internet into a public service and places many restrictions on internet service providers. Problem is; times change. The Telecommunications Act was initially only meant to apply to cable and telephone providers (such as AT&T) and was designed to prevent single entities from holding regional monopolies and to prevent telephone and cable companies that served the same area to enter into joint ventures. Overall, it was focused entirely on ensuring fairness in the economic market. But that was 19 years ago, and applying Title II to service providers now implies that we are dealing with the exact same anima. There’s very little indication that our laws are anywhere near the goal of catch-

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ing up to the developing beast that is the internet, and attempting to apply old outdated laws is certainly not a progressive way of dealing with the problem. Don’t misunderstand me; I’m not saying that there aren’t legitimately concerning issues present in the state of how the internet is operated and how access is granted, because there most certainly are. What I’m saying is that while something may be well-intentioned it will almost certainly result in disaster if approached in a manner incompatible to the situation. Remember the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA)? It was a proposal to combat the growing trend of online piracy, and yes, it was and still is a very serious matter.

People are losing millions of dollars because their creative property is stolen and leaked onto the internet without generating any revenue for the respective artist. In short, this hurts the entrepreneur, and something needs to be done. But SOPA attempted to apply pre-existing copyright laws in the domain of the internet, and if it succeeded then it would have resulted in constant government surveillance of anything and everything that ended up on the internet as part of a search for piracy. Many feared that this could cause shutdowns of entire web domains and would ultimately lead to an unprecedented campaign of online censorship as the pirates would be snuffed out. It’s very possible that

the critics were right; copyright law as it exists simply doesn’t account for these kinds of consequences, and again a lot of it has to do with the fact that it hasn’t caught up to the internet quite yet. Is net neutrality a bad thing? Well, theoretically, no. But in times like this we have to remind ourselves that everything has its price, and we must ask ourselves if this price is worth paying. For better or for worse, the internet has existed as a free-speech forum regulated mainly by service providers; it is now a public service regulated by the FCC. Is this how we want to define the internet? At least until the law has caught up to it, probably not.

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FROZEN WATERS AND PARKS OF NYC The Observer photographers captured the few weeks of severely cold weather, where many of the rivers and ponds of New York have frozen over.

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FROZEN WATERS AND PARKS OF NYC

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Arts & Culture

Arts & Culture Editor Ramona Venturanza — ramonaventuranza@gmail.com

March 12, 2015 THE OBSERVER

FCLC Seniors To Display Abstract Work in Ildiko By MICHAELENE KARLEN Staff Writer

At Fordham College at Lincoln Center’s (FCLC) Ildiko Gallery, visitors will have the opportunity to view 10 different pieces that display abstract subject matters, ranging from things in strip clubs to the branding world. Artwork by seniors will be on display as part of the annual Senior Exhibition Series from March 13-18. As an artist working with mixed media installations and sculpture, Aubrey Vollrath, FCLC ’15, will display artwork that conveys a combination of domesticity and the strip club. “Elements from the home are brought together with clear heels, plant life, fake eyelashes, fried eggs and fish tanks,” she said. “It’s all about turning a hoe into a housewife.” Vollrath said that her inspiration comes from observing the world around her. “I just try to be in tune with the world around me and create a response to those experiences,” she said. With an approach differing greatly from Vollrath, C. Sarah Strafford, Fordham College at Rose Hill (FCRH) ’15, involves the use of animated film in her artwork, which she created the set for and filmed by herself. “I’m very concerned with the emotions I want people to experience when they watch my films, so I have to think a lot about how to get the right emotional impact,” Strafford said. As a double major in visual arts and communications and media studies, Strafford got inspiration from both studies to come up with her thesis. “What I was really interested in was how modern communications between individuals works, via texting and online messaging and such and how isolating those forms of communication can be,” Strafford said. Contrasting from the other artists, Abby Wilson, FCLC ’15, will be presenting artwork that is part of a branding project she’s currently working on. “I want viewers to leave with a new understanding of what branding can be and a sense of the vibe I am trying to create. My piece

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Seniors Exhibitions are set to premiere in FCLC’s Ildiko Gallery on March 13 and run through March 18.

will be fun, playful and interactive,” she said. Creating something incredible isn’t a quick process and Samantha Smith, FCLC ’15, has worked on her narrative film project for a long time in order to be specific in every detail of her work. “My work breaks free of the rules by using the theme of memory. Creating this sort of tension and uncertainty allows the viewers to fill in the blanks on their

own,” she said. Some of Smith’s inspiration came from what she learned in her senior seminar class. “Not only was I able to work with a group of talented artists, but most of us created work in different mediums,” Smith said. Despite these very different approaches to artwork, all the artists hope to evoke a response from visitors who view their projects. Vollrath wants to make viewers chuckle

and shudder. “It’s a curation of attraction and repulsion,” she said. From this show, students hope that they continue to grow as artists. According to Smith, “My thesis project has allowed me to grow a lot as an artist and help me in recognizing my strengths and weaknesses more easily.” For Vollrath, she is using different mediums to try and find her voice in the art world. “It’s trial and

error … like so much of life. I just try to be in tune with the world around me and create a response to those experiences,” Vollrath explained. Vollrath thinks taking a vision and turning it into a reality is a really rewarding process. “You surprise yourself, you challenge yourself, you edit yourself and change yourself in order to display exactly what you want to say to the world,” she said.

The Comma Interrobang Cream Cheese and Wannabes By MARK LEE Literary Co-Editor

A crowd of high school kids swarms in the door of the bagel place, and my first instinct is to cringe. High school was relatively painless for me. I don’t feel traumatized or anything. Yet still, there’s something about a large group of adolescents that I find, for whatever reason, inherently menacing. Like they’re going to make fun of your shoes or break your glasses or something. I don’t even wear glasses. There’s a high school just down the block, and my friend has dragged me to this place to get food with him around noon, pulling us into a danger zone of kids grabbing lunch off campus. A group of four laughs loudly, with no concern for propriety, and I wince. Maybe what I find so intimidating about these students is that I can’t find any way to relate to them. My high school memories consist mostly of driving around in my friend’s car, going to Wal-Mart just to walk around, and smoking

cigarettes by the train tracks. I distinctly remember eating a lot of Taco Bell and exchanging “What do you wanna do”s in endless loops of contented boredom. It was decidedly unglamorous. These students look like various ads for acne medication commercials—the “after” footage of perfect skin and shining self-confidence. When did bad complexions stop being a thing? Everything I’m wearing probably costs less than one of their down-stuffed coats, and there’s both an effortlessness and a self-consciousness to the way they flip their perfectly blown-out hair that I know for a fact was foreign to me at their age. I can practically smell the money and the privilege wafting from their direction. A boy near our table is complaining to his friend, and though I’m not paying too much attention, I’m pretty sure the heart of the grievance is that his parents have decided to take the family to Paris again

this summer. I wonder if this kid has even tasted Taco Bell. I urge my friend to hurry up and finish his bagel before one of these kids senses my fear and pounces. My hair? My clothes? An effeminate mannerism? What will they latch on to, and how many years of therapy will it take to fix whatever it is that breaks in me during this inevitable confrontation with 16 year-olds in a bagel joint? How could I even begin to know how to defend myself from someone who has been bossing around nannies since age three? Will I ever escape this hellscape of Canada Goose and cream cheese? My friend finishes his food, and we get up to leave. No one pays us any attention. A girl squeezes past me toward a table of her friends, and as she does, she says, “Excuse me, sir.” My whole body relaxes.

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Arts & Culture

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On March 2, the Splinter Group performed “A Chorus Line” in Fordham College at Lincoln Center’s (FCLC’s) Pope Auditorium.

“A Chorus Line”: The Splinter Group Brings Musical Back to FCLC By LOULOU CHRYSSIDES Asst. Arts & Culture Co-Editor

In Pope Auditorium, the Splinter Group opened the curtains to Fordham College at Lincoln Center’s (FCLC) first musical in two years: “A Chorus Line.” The musical was performed on March 2. Although those involved were under a tight time constraint, the cast and crew successfully pulled through to have the show go on. “A Chorus Line” revolves around a group of dancers auditioning to be in the chorus of a Broadway show. As the musical progresses, each character sings about their past experience in order for the director to get to know them. The show has been one of the most prosperous on Broadway, garnering numerous Tony wins, in addition to its own

film adaptation. One of the directors of “A Chorus Line,” Christina Mastrangelo, FCLC ’16, said, “Fordham does not have a musical theater program yet, so we wanted to bring that to our audience. It is a very important, and often, underlooked side of theater. Often, it [musical theater] is seen as cheesy, for lack of a better word.” Christina Mastrangelo and Alexandra Vittorini, FCLC ’15, the co-directors of “A Chorus Line,” are also the President and Vice-President of the Splinter Group. Both Mastrangelo and Vittorini, with the help of the cast and crew worked to put together this ensemble-based show in less than a month. Due to inclement weather, all involved endured the process of putting a cast and rehearsals together with little to no time to spare.

Vittorini said, “Our biggest feat was that we did the entire show in a month from start to finish. Our audition dates were Feb. 3, and the show [was] on March 2. The fact that the cast has pulled together and done a whole show in less than a month is the coolest thing.” Despite the hard process of pulling the musical together, Mastrangelo, Vittorini and the rest of crew put up the show, and their hard work paid off. Amanda Jean, FCLC ’18, who played Connie in the musical, added, “I wanted the audience to get what makes the entertainment business so important and to realize how hard it is because it may seem very easy from an audience [member’s] perspective, but it really is a lot harder than it looks. I think it’s important for the audience to understand why people go through

[the entertainment industry] and it shows a lot about why it was specifically important to each person who was auditioning.” “I’ve never put on a show with such little time and rehearsal. It was a challenge to squeeze what can normally be months of preparation into three weeks’ time, but incredibly rewarding,” Gianna Meaglia, FCLC ’17, said. Meaglia plays a sassy, indelicate dancer who couldn’t get dancing jobs, despite her talent, until she had plastic surgery. On doing the musical, Meaglia said, “‘A Chorus Line’ is one of those rare shows that successfully balances the entertainment of flashy dance numbers and a witty book with the depth of character reflection and development.” Emma Copp, FCLC ’17, played Cassie, a dancer who had been featured on Broadway but stopped

finding work when she moved to California. In the musical, her character moves back to New York for this audition, for which the director is her ex. According to Copp, “The overall message of the show is about performing, that success can be fragile and fleeting, but love for the art can carry people through. It’s also just a fun show with a lot of humor and dancing.” While the production accomplished what it aimed to convey, the greatest joy is felt by the cast and crew who worked tirelessly to have such an acclaimed musical successfully adapted at FCLC. Meaglia added, “Nothing can ever compare to the sensation that overtakes you when you take your bow; it’s a high you chase for the rest of your life that’s why we act.”

Eamon Redpath Showcases EDM Tracks at FCLC’s DJ Showcase By LOULOU CHRYSSIDES Asst. Arts & Culture Co-Editor

During the Disc Jockey (DJ) Showcase on March 6, Eamon Redpath, Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) ’18, took the turntable to give audiences a taste of his music. As a devoted fan member of the Electronic Dance Music (EDM) community, Redpath is a part of a DJ duo called Stazio. Redpath developed a love for music, specifically genres of music that have a pop sound to them, from a young age. “I always had a love for all types of music, growing up I would listen to Green Day, Madonna, Moby and other more pop type artists,” Redpath said. While pop music helped Redpath form an appreciation for new sounds, he realized that dance music was his escape at a young age. “It wasn’t until I was around 12 years old when I started looking for more dance type music, like Manian and Armin Van Buuren stick out from those days,” he said. “Then I discovered Deadmau5, and his sound design blew me away,” Redpath said. “He had countless tracks on his discography and I remember listening to all of them. I

BRIKEND BEHRAMI/THE OBSERVER

Eamon Redpath, FCLC ’18, performs at FCLC’s DJ Showcase.

loved the beat what can I say, each song seemed to take you to a slightly different place.” Redpath’s passion to pursue EDM as a career began when he saw one of his favorite artists, Skrillex, who is known as a big innovator and artist in the EDM community, perform live. Redpath refers to this event as a defining moment in which he realized “how much potential EDM had as a career path.” From then on, Stazio went from being a dream to reality for Redpath. Redpath and his partner instantly launched their duo into the EDM industry, performing at various venues throughout their hometown, their largest gig being at Fun Mountain, the largest outdoor water park in Winnipeg. Redpath views the DJ showcase as a new opportunity for him to further demonstrate his love for the EDM genre. “The [Songwriting Club] event is now in full swing and will be featuring Stazio and Weiyu Shen, FCLC ’17, to be DJing. Weiyu and I [plan on] mostly be playing EDM and all EDM sub-genres.” While Redpath is still in his first year at Fordham, he credits the Songwriters Club for paving the way for him to make connections and col-

laborate with other students and the Fordham community. Redpath said, “Both Weiyu and I love what we do, and could care less how many people are around while we do it. If this event raises the popularity of EDM in Fordham, then count me in; it’s a wonderful new thing in this world where there is money to be made and new things to discover.” On Fordham’s EDM scene, Redpath said, “I feel like Fordham needs to open their arms more to the EDM community. As it becomes bigger and bigger, the loud hypnotic beats allow people to just forget about what is stressing them out. It’s good for people to just lose themselves in music for awhile and forget about their pains in life.” Although Redpath has not officially declared a major, he is thinking of pursuing further studies in either philosophy or visual arts. Redpath is eager to continue his studies at Fordham, while also improving his musical and producing skills. “The classes I’m in right now I think will only help me further my career as a Producer/DJ … I’m getting a grasp more on philosophy and it is helping me realize more of the true nature of the [music] industry,” he said.

Arts & Culture

March 12, 2015 THE OBSERVER

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Rockley Family Foundation Boosts Music Department By SRI STEWART Contributing Writer

Beginning last fall, the sound coming from a musician’s strings only got richer at Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC). Thanks to a recently formed partnership between Fordham and the Rockley Family Foundation, Fordham’s music department received a violin, a cello and new pianos. In return for these instruments, Fordham will host an instrument sale to the general public in McMahon Hall from March 19-21. Fordham’s partnership with the Rockley Family Foundation, which is a nonprofit organization that promotes musical education, began when the foundation got in touch with Daniel Ott, assistant professor of the music department, who is now on leave for a faculty fellowship. According to Rev. Robert Grimes, S.J., dean of FCLC, the foundation had to go through the legal office, Provost office and the administrator’s council to receive the green light to sign the agreement. “[In the agreement] the Rockley Family Foundation would provide free pianos to the institution; in return we would host a sale of musical instruments for three days at which the instruments they had given us would be sold and replaced with new pianos for next year,” Grimes said. In addition, the foundation “outright gifts” other instruments; this was how Fordham’s music department received the cello and violin for the chamber orchestra. While the sale will go on to profit the Rockley Family Founda-

MICHELLE QUINNTHE OBSERVER

Matthew Gelbart, chair of the department of art history & music, looks forward to new music initiative.

tion, Fordham’s music department will also gain some benefits as well. Grimes explained that, depending on how much the sale makes, the foundation will gift additional instruments and possible scholarship money to Fordham’s music students. The sound quality of the instruments would be an improvement for students, which in return equips them with better quality resources to further their musical

education. For the sale, Frank & Camilles, a well-known instrument dealer from the New York metropolitan area, will be stocking the instruments. The instruments, ranging from everything to pianos and guitars, are fairly new and tuned, with most of them being less than a year old. Prices of each of the instruments will vary, depending on the instrument’s brand and size.

Although some students noticed a change in instruments, they also agreed that the quality of instruments could still be improved in the music department. Andrew Abbensett, FCLC ’16, a music major, said the instruments may be better, but the quality still needs to be improved. “The piano in [Lowenstein] 523 is always out of tune; but when it’s tuned, it’s great,” Abbensett said.

According to Christina Vilar, FCLC ’17, the quality of instruments still needs more work, but she says there has been improvement. “I think as a department on the whole, we’re really growing. I noticed an improvement,” she said. Vilar noted that in Ott’s composition class last semester, she needed a piano in order to compose her work; by this time, a new piano was in place. Although the new piano still had some problems, she found it much easier to compose with its new sound. “Before the switch in the new pianos, it was really hard to get the sound that I wanted in the old ones, but now there’s a big improvement in the sound and the quality … People are definitely noticing the music department is picking up speed,” Vilar said. According to Matthew Gelbart, associate professor and chair of the department of art history and music, the partnership with the foundation will help the music department move forward. Gelbart said, “This will give us a better idea of what kinds of pianos are reliable … We were offered to get pianos and hope for success to go forward and anticipate how to have them kept up and in tune.” Grimes has pondered how to improve the music department in an effective way that is also inexpensive. He believes the Rockley Family Foundation was the right choice, especially since he received positive reports from other colleges that have worked with the foundation and found success. He said, “We are always looking for ways to improve but at the same not to raise your tuition.”

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March 12, 2015 THE OBSERVER

Getting to Know Fordham’s Fifth Gates-Cambridge Winner By KAYLA OGLE Staff Writer

As a Jesuit institution, we look for students who have leadership skills, a thirst for knowledge and a need to use the skills and knowledge in a way that will benefit the world. Nikolas Oktaba, Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) ’15, is one of the students that has exemplified those ideals and has become the fifth student in Fordham history to win the prestigious Gates Cambridge Award. The scholarship is awarded to 95 students a year, 40 in the United States and 55 internationally. It is awarded to students that show leadership skills in their study of choice and hopes to build a global network for them as they complete their degrees at Cambridge. Being awarded such a competitive award, Oktaba explained how he hopes to bridge the scholarship with activism, all while learning more about his subject during his nine-month stay at Cambridge. The application process was no easy task. To even be considered for the scholarship, one has to apply directly to the department at Cambridge, then be one of the top three applicants in that department. Finally if granted an interview, one has to go meet them in person, or in Oktaba’s case, have a Skype interview. “I applied for top scholarships in both the U.S. and U.K. for my major in classics to get funding for grad school,” he explained. He started working closely with Mary Shelley, the assistant director of the Campion Institute here at Fordham. “Nikolas told me he was committed to the time-consuming process of applying for a prestigious award to help fund graduate school,” Shelley said, and by working with the Campion Institute, Oktaba also won the Beinecke Scholarship his sophomore year, which will be used along with the Gates Cambridge Award. Oktaba is a Classics major, focusing on gender and sexuality. He is president of Eta Sigma Phi at Fordham, which is the National Honorary Classics Society, and member of Phi Betta Kappa, Alpha Sigma Nu and the Matteo Ricci Society at Fordham. In his sophomore year, Oktaba also became a Diversity Peer Leader with Office of Multicultural Affairs (OMA) focusing mostly on LGBT+ programs. This spring, he will be holding another panel about

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Nikolas Oktaba, FCLC ’15, the Fifth Gates- Cambridge Award Winner

the transgender community at Fordham, which is coinciding with the initiative to introduce gender neutral bathrooms at Lincoln Center. When speaking to Oktaba, you realize how just how passionate and knowledgeable he is about his subject. He’s able to discuss antiquity, Greek and Latin word roots and the application process of getting the Gates Cambridge Award all with the same ferocity. After explaining the origin of the word “athleticism,” he then ends with: “That’s just one of my many interests!” and moves onto the next topic with ease. Oktaba approaches his subject with humor, describing it as “raunchy and fun.” During his sophomore year, he held a lecture series called “Removing the Fig Leaves” at FCLC which discussed

classic sex and sexuality in Greek history, which included, as he describes it, “had a wonderful PowerPoint of ancient penises and vaginas, it was quite lovely.” Oktaba says that the classics department at FCLC gave him the support to go after these scholarships. “The support given to me here has been phenomenal, because we have such a closely knit group I’ve been getting a lot of attention and training,” he said when speaking about those that helped him. Dr. Anne Hoffman, a professor of English at Fordham, says that “Nikolas is a gifted person who has a real contribution to make in the humanities.” She also said that he has the ability to draw connections from the classics to contemporary issues with sexu-

ality, and he is able to connect the two when discussing it with others. This connection is leading Oktaba to think about his future, and which way the scholarship can take him. Though his time at Cambridge will only last about a year, Oktaba knows that his time will be filled and busy. “The semesters are about one and a half months long with about two months breaks in between them because you need those two month breaks for travel, the struggle right?” It’s not all fun and games while he’s studying. “But we have to write three 4,000 word papers and a 5,000 word dissertation on top of regular philological stuff that gets us classicists excited.” The accelerated program will lead to his advanced degree, which usually takes about two years

in the U.S. Like many college students, Oktaba is still trying to figure out what he wants to do after college. “At the moment I’m very interested in academia, so I can go on to teach about gender and sexuality and these fun questions.” He then later quips about the possibility of getting his doctorate in his subject. “What does that Magic 8 Ball say? ‘Chances are good.’” At the end of this journey at Cambridge, Oktaba’s main goal is “being a voice, being an activist” in the LBGT+ community. With his leadership skills, drive and passion for the classics, Oktaba should surely be part of the Fordham elite that have gone on to do great things with this scholarship.

Are You Having a Mid-College Crisis Do Sophomores and Juniors think they have made the most of their college experience so far? By MARISSA LEGNINI Contributing Writer

It seems like every morning that I wake up for class I seem to say to myself, “I can’t wait until this is over.” The homework, the studying, the waking up at a reasonable hour of the morning has really weighed heavily on my mind for some time now but then a couple of weeks ago, something very disconcerting hit me right in the face. It was the actual realization that in just over a year from now, I am going to have to actually go to work at a real job and probably need to wake up at a reasonable hour every day for very many more years. Then the panic kicked in. “Where am I going to work after this?” “Where am I going to live?” “Will I be making enough money to stay in the city?” “Will I have to move back in with my parents?” “What am I actually doing with my life?” Being that I am in my last semester of my

junior year, sometimes it feels like there is no time left to make these decisions. As I started asking around and doing some research, it turns out that most of us ask ourselves these questions throughout our last years at college. After researching, I have come to understand that there is actually a name for this panic. It is called a “mid-college crisis” according to USA Today and Fordham sophomores and juniors weighed in on this experience, and they shared similar concerns. I think one of the most common concerns is the struggle to find the perfect internship. George Kostal, Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) ’16, double-majoring in communications and media studies and economics said, “There’s a lot of competition for internships, and to not find one means that you’re going to be falling behind your peers. Right now, I work retail part time, which puts money in my bank account but it’s not something I want to spend the rest of my life doing.” Kostal even said that he picked

up the second major in economics to impress future employers even further. When I asked him what his dream job would be, Kostal said, “I’m a huge “Star Wars” fan, and when they announced back in 2012 that they would be making new movies, I realized that that was something I wanted to be a part of. Anything involved with the production of those would be a dream come true.” Kostal’s peer, Victoria Musnicki, FCLC ’16, is studying psychology and explained why this “mid-college crisis” is such a common thing among us students. “I think it’s just a lot of pressure to be guarded and taken care of by our parents and our school for our entire lives and so now going out in to the ‘real world’ seems absolutely terrifying.” Like many of us, Musnicki is also looking for the perfect internship and contemplating graduate school. “I’m really interested in criminal psychology so I’m trying to find the perfect program at a school that’s going to give me the experience I need to get

a job in law enforcement. It’s a growing field and more and more people are becoming interested in it so the pressure is on to put myself in the right direction soon.” As juniors, I thought the pressure would be heavier on us seeing as we have much less time left at this point than we did a year ago but some sophomores said otherwise. Maria Kovoros, FCLC ’17, is a communications and media studies major and is currently interning with CBS’s “Inside Edition.”It seems as though Kovoros has made the most of her college experience so far. “I think that I definitely grew as a person making the transition from smalltown to city, though I’ve been very familiar with the city since a young age, living here is different than visiting constantly.” Kovoros is not anxious about the upcoming year and [she] “believe[s] each year brings new challenges and opportunities for me to grow as a person -- I don’t think that the title of ‘upperclassman’ will change anything too dramatically.” I must admit, Maria

definitely has more plans and goals than I did just a year ago. One of the most important things to remember at any point of one’s Fordham career is to relish every moment here and to not sweat it too much if things are not exactly going our way with internships or grades. When I entered college, I had only heard of a “mid-life crisis” and never expected I would be having a “mid-college crisis.” Before the panic sets in, maybe it would be helpful to plan the year out. Utilize the summer to search for internships and apply early. Ask professors about possible job opportunities and make connections through them or through friends. Don’t let any time go wasted and be observant for opportunities here at Fordham to plan for the future. One of the most important things though, is to remember to have fun and relax when necessary. Everyone has to let out steam sometimes. Make the most of the four years we have here and don’t fret too much midway through. Don’t graduate with any regrets!

Features

March 12, 2015 THE OBSERVER

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Spring Break: Your Dream Destinations

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An artistic shot of gothic architecture in Montreal

Maldive waters on a clear day By ALANNA KILKEARY AND HANSI WEEDAGAMA Features Editor and Asst. Features Editor

Heading out of town for Spring Break? Or just staying home to relax? Whether your day dreaming of a Spring Break location to head to or booking your ticket tomorrow, check out these five one-of-a-kind Spring Breaks that’ll have you on a plane with The Observer in hand (duh.)

1) WHITSUNDAY, AUSTRALIA -

Whitsunday Island, which is right off the coast of Australia, was named the top Eco Friendly Beach in the World by CNN in 2010. The island

is accessible by boat and features Whitehaven Beach, which is in the heart of the Great Barrier Reef. If you’re a fan of adventure, take a seaplane or a boat to explore the reefs or spend your time sailing and snorkeling in Whitehaven’s turquoise and blue waters. 2) HILTON HEAD ISLAND, SOUTH CAROLINA - If you’re not a fan of

leaving the U.S. for spring break, check out Hilton Head Island down south. There is something for everyone here, whether you’re into visiting museums or you love horseback riding - Hilton Head Island offers it all. There are more than 60 miles of

multi-use trails on the island, great for the cycle enthusiast. There are also biking clubs that coordinate weekly rides if you’re looking to ride with a group. For the nature lover, take a horseback tour to view the wildlife that inhabit the island or zip line at Broad Creek Marina Adventures to soar over magnificent oaks and catch a glimpse of Broad Creek. 3) MAURITIUS - This island off the

coast of Africa may be small, but it has plenty of things to do. Have you ever been to a tea plantation? Well you can visit one in Mauritius and take a guided tour of the plantation, trying a variety of teas and

drinking in a panoramic view of the island from the plantation’s terrace restaurant. If your idea of relaxing is more along the lines of laying out on the beach, be sure to visit Belle Mare Beach or Le Morne Beach. You’ll even be able to spot some corals on your trip! 4) MALDIVES- As one of the

most beautiful islands in the cross between the Indian Ocean and the Arabian Sea, the Maldives is noted for its natural beauty and azure seas. The waters are perfect for snorkeling and occupied by incredible sea life. The beaches are noted for their serenity, and this is truly a paradise to

add to your list if you’re looking to kick back and relax. Finish the night off with a boat trip, and you’ll be sure to experience one of the most beautiful sunset views ever. 5) MONTREAL, CANADA- What’s a better place to have a one of a kind Spring Break other than Montreal?! This city is packed with history and breathtaking architecture, as well as beautiful churches and noteworthy monuments. As a French speaking city, Montreal is also home to some incredible restaurants for all of you Fordham foodies, and the city is also notorious for its nightlife for the night owls among us.

#MyRamRoommate: The Importance of Happy Living By JESSE CARLUCCI Staff Writer

Roommate communication is always difficult, whether it comes down to cleaning the dishes or bathroom. However, other times often call for necessary action due to the severity of the situation, in which outside mediation is needed. This week’s results brought up multiple topics some may find relevant in their own living situation as a Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) resident. McMahon resident Britney*, FCLC ’17, experienced a roommate who was at a difficult time in her life. “My roommate signed up for dating sites like sugardaddy.com and started dating middle aged guys, before eventually ending up with a 56-year old man,” she said. “He’d give her $100 for cabs.” Her roommate also abused alcohol, having as much as a bottle and a half of wine per night and other drugs as the year went on, before ultimately leaving Fordham. Since leaving, Britney’s roommate has ceased old habits. If you are living with a roommate who is experiencing hardships, please reach out, whether it is to your roommate or to a Fordham staff member. This is a tricky situation, but regardless, the best solution is to always seek help, whether this be through school officials or the Office of Residential Life. McMahon resident Dustin*, FCLC ’17, experienced a similar situation with his roommate, who was dealing with clinical depression due to personal problems. While his roommate is doing better, he has since left Fordham, and is continuing his studies elsewhere. “He would cry himself to sleep,” Dustin said. “But he wasn’t willing to seek help, due to the shame he felt it would bring him due to the religious beliefs of his parents.” Dustin knew how to seek help for his room-

MICHELLE QUINN/THE OBSERVER

Stuffed animals or other tokens from your bedroom at home will be sure to lighten the mood!

mate who was unwillingly to do so. Dustin had experienced the loss of a friend due to depression and knew how to go about handling the situation with his roommate. Again, if one of your roommates is experiencing depression or difficulty with substances, please speak up, as you are not alone. It is important that both you and your roommate know that help is available here on campus at the Counseling and Psy-

chological Services office, located in McMahon Hall, room 211. So while communication is an absolute necessity no matter the issue one is facing with their roommate, those with roommates who are experiencing difficult periods in their lives may find it necessary to establish communication and awareness outside of their dorm room, in order to seek help, perhaps professional, if needed. Not

only this, but living in a joyous and healthy environment is crucial to allowing oneself to be happy. This being said, any steps that both you and your roommate can take to make your living environment a happy one, should be taken! Because as they say, “live happy, be happy!

*DISCLAIMER: ASTERISKS DENOTE THAT NAMES HAVE BEEN CHANGED HAVE A #RAMROOMMATE STORY? TWEET US @FORDHAMOBSERVER AND TELL US ABOUT YOUR EXPERIENCES!

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March 12, 2015

Features

Will The West Remember Me, Then? By PRINCESS CHUKWUNEKE Contributing Writer

I feel helpless when I think about Nigeria. five thousand miles separate my family and me, but phone calls cage me in the fearful suspense that my brother, my aunt and baby cousins could die at any moment. Since the Islamist insurgency began in 2009 with Boko Haram extremists at the forefront, Nigeria has never been the same. She has lost her liberty of religion, of education and more importantly, of life. As I boarded a plane to New York in 2011, I carried with me the remnants of the four bomb blasts from the previous year leading up to my departure. Despite Nigeria’s development since her independence, she has never dealt with the frequency of explosives this powerful. These blasts foreshadowed a nation divided, and even maybe destroyed. And on that plane, as I travelled to a different continent for college, I didn’t only feel a lingering sense of betrayal, I felt a tug of war between anger and resolution because I knew that as my people died, most of the world would remain unaware of our turmoil. I knew that as we suffered, not enough people would write about us or protest the injustice of Boko Haram or even be moved at all to discuss the gradual obliteration of a great nation. And the worst pain of all is that I knew that I couldn’t do anything about it. It’s easy to pull up information about the Boko Haram insurgency on the internet. Even Wikipedia has a nice timeline of the bomb blasts and records of the tens of thousands who have been killed since Boko Haram formed in 2002. Still, to many people, especially some I’ve spoken with here in the U.S., Nigeria is just a spot of

blue ink on the edge of a gigantic table cloth. She’s just one of those “African places” the British colonized, with generations of slaves and povertystricken individuals dying within the branches of big, sturdy trees. Along with the other 55 countries, Nigeria has been boxed into one country many still mistake as Africa, and thrown into the “not important” pile. But Nigeria is important. She is important to those of us who grew up with the teachers who caned us if we failed a test if we didn’t study hard enough, or the lady in the market who puts an extra orange in the bag even after selling her oranges to us below her usual price or the kind faces on the street who always greet us as we walk by. Boko Haram is not just destroying the largest economy in Africa and one of the top petroleum producers and exporters in the world, it is also ruining the only home that over 170 million people have ever known. And while that home may not be filled with some of the luxuries of the West, it is still rich in love, care and a concern for one another’s growth. As a child, Nigeria was my comfort. I delighted in the hawkers selling freshly-baked bread early in the morning, belting out in Yoruba words I never understood but took to mean, “Come buy some bread!” I cherished the drive to school each weekday, the honking traffic on Apapa road, and even the fumes of black industrial waste puffing into the sky and polluting the earth. I found peace among the mountains surrounding Abuja, beneath the rushing Gurara waterfalls, within the sun’s embrace, whose warming presence remained long after dusk. Beauty resided in everything, and whenever the time came to pray for my country, I would always ask God to keep Nigeria just as it was. But change is one of the most inevitable things in life. Once Boko Haram

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began to preach their message against Western education with violence, Nigeria’s present began to disintegrate. Soon, it wasn’t enough to have the coexistence of a mosque and a church on the same street. Soon, shopkeepers who sometimes helped each other with sales became suspicious of the other if either was Muslim. Soon, it wasn’t enough that children from diverse backgrounds attended school together. Schools became prejudiced against anyone with a Hausa name or from a Muslim background. And with this breakdown of the peace and love that once united our nation, Boko Haram literally and figuratively began to steal our hope for a better tomorrow. With the abduction of almost 300 school girls in Chibok, Borno State, and nine girls later in a village north-east of Nigeria, Boko Haram has effectively maintained their opinion on education, especially female education. The girls have purportedly been sold as brides in neighboring countries like Chad and Cameroon, while some remain in the hands of extremist militants

in the Sambisa forest of Borno State. The most frightening part of this is that these girls, who were mostly Christian, have been forced to convert to Islam and to marry Boko Haram terrorists whose leader, Abubakar Shekau, insists that slavery is a part of Islam and that girls from the age of 9 should be married off rather than in school. The Islam this man preaches is not the same Islam I knew about while growing up. If children are being stolen and hard-wired to believe this terrible misinterpretation, then what hope is there for Nigeria? I’ve stopped waiting for people to ask me how my family is faring. People can’t ask about issues that they don’t know or even care about. Last week alone, extremism was brought up three times in some of my classes. Al-Qaeda. ISIS. ISIS. Nothing about Boko Haram. Why isn’t Boko Haram constantly on national news in the West? Aren’t buildings collapsing? Aren’t people dying? Is it when Boko Haram succeeds in replacing Federal Law with Shari’a Law that Nigeria will garner strong public attention? Who

talks about the Chibok girls anymore? What happened to #bringbackourgirls? Beyoncé’s surprise album release in 2013 probably held public attention longer than the kidnapped girls. People die almost every month from some bomb blast in Nigeria, but who talks about that? Yet, the Charlie Hebdo shooting in Paris shook the West so much that even some of my class time was dedicated to discussing it. Why are some lives worth more than others? It doesn’t make any sense to me. These days, I mourn my helplessness in solitude. Sometimes, I place my palms on the television screen, the heat of it seeping through, the burst of colors and scurrying images providing a glimpse into my home — so near but so far. It is during these times that I miss my childhood. I wish Nigeria never changed. I wish I can take her back to the time when the educated and uneducated ate together, when children played with each other regardless of their religion, when mothers could fearlessly send kids to buy something from the nearest aboki, when our nation was still “bound in freedom, peace and unity.” My father always talks about life before the Nigerian civil war of 1960. “No one wants another war,” he says. “It’s like remaining alive even though the flames burn you.” But he’s wrong. The war has begun. Nigeria has metamorphosed into a minefield rather than a blooming garden. A graveyard rather than paradise. A tale of horror. And the scariest part of this is that I am five thousand miles away, just another pebble on the seashore. All I can do during my little TV moments is to mentally cross the screen toward my family. I suffer with them. Five thousand 5000 miles away, I might just be an observer; but if Nigeria dies, I die with her, too. Will the West remember me, then?

Sports

Sports Editor Dylan Penza - dpenza@fordham.edu

March 12, 2015 THE OBSERVER

With Keith Yandle, Rangers Can Handle Anyone By DAN FERRARA Staff Writer

For the New York Rangers, the trade deadline didn’t just present an opportunity to spend for the case of spending. They weren’t going to deal assets, including prospects and draft picks, for middle of the road players like Jaromir Jagr or David Clarkson who weren’t going to put them over the top. That’s why they made the biggest splash in the league by going all-out and trading for defenseman Keith Yandle. They paid a premium, sure, but Yandle is an elite-caliber player and is the best player that was dealt in the days before the deadline. The Rangers sent defenseman John Moore and forward prospect Anthony Duclair, along with 2015 second-round and 2016 first-round draft picks to the Arizona Coyotes for Yandle, Chris Summers and a 2016 fourth-round pick. Conservatives will argue that giving up the first-round pick was ludicrous, since that will be the fourth consecutive draft where the Rangers will not own a first-rounder. And they may have a point. But when you lose in the Stanley Cup Finals to the Los Angeles Kings the year before and think you’re one player away, you have to jump at the chance to land a player of Yandle’s stature. Yandle has been one of the league’s premier offensive-defensemen for years and has somehow flown under the radar. He’s one of only two NHL defensemen who have tallied 30 or more points in each season since 2008-09, and one of two NHL defensemen who have totaled at least 40 points in five of the last six seasons as well. It isn’t like he is suddenly playing good hockey – the twotime All-Star has been consistently productive throughout his eight-year

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Keith Yandle’s punk handling and goal scoring abilities will provide the Rangers an offensive boost as they head into the postseason.

career. The acquisition doesn’t just strengthen the Rangers’ defense, as the Blueshirts now have the luxury of playing Marc Staal on the third pairing with Dan Boyle, but it also greatly enhances their 10th-ranked power play (18.9 percent). Yandle is tied for the NHL lead

in power play assists (24) and is tied for third in the NHL in power play points (26) this season. He also leads all NHL defensemen in power play assists (102) and power play points (120) since the start of the 2009-10 season. The sudden trade was clearly one that President and GM Glen Sather

made with one goal in mind: winning the Stanley Cup. It remains to be seen if this move will accomplish that mission but the Rangers are definitely a better team from top to bottom than they were last year. As scary as the loaded Eastern Conference is, with the likes of the Islanders, Penguins, Lightning and

Canadians, The Rangers will be as dangerous as the regular season winds down. The Rangers’ speed and quickness posts incredible obstacles for opposing defenses, they have playmaking forwards like Rick Nash and Derick Brassard, and have an excellent penalty kill. Expect the Rangers to make noise in the postseason.

New York Giants First Round Draft Primer 2015 By MATTHEW MCCARTHY Contributing Writer

The 2014 season was a disaster for the New York Giants, especially on the offensive side of the ball. With the ninth overall pick in the upcoming NFL Draft, the Giants will look to fill one of many holes on both offense and defense. Their biggest issues throughout the 2014 season were a weak offensive line and a lack of big-play threats outside of Odell Beckham Jr. partnered with an incapable rotation of linebackers. If the Giants are looking to return to the playoffs, they must look towards drafting a pro-ready prospect in the first round. Colleges are now preparing their talent for the transition to the NFL, so a top-10 pick nearly ensures an immediate starter. With many quarterbacks and defensive ends expected to get picked early, New York should have their pick-of-the-litter at tackle, linebacker or wide receiver. At this point, the best options for the Giants are tackle Brandon Scherff, linebacker Shaq Thompson and wide receiver Amari Cooper. BRANDON SCHERFF (OFFENSIVE TACKLE/GUARD IOWA)

With experience at both the guard and tackle positions, Brandon Scherff is the ideal fit for the Giants’ struggling offensive line. Measured at 6 feet 5 inches and 320 pounds at the combine, Scherff’s run-blocking ability fits perfectly into second-year offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo’s scheme and playcalling. His ability to open up holes in the running

speed to cover running backs and the strength to stay with tight ends going down the field. In a division full of teams utilizing the spread offense, having athletic, versatile players on defense is imperative. Thompson would provide versatility and athleticism to a defense lacking both.

game would also be very beneficial for Andre Williams as the running back grows into a more crucial role in the Giants’ offense. Scherff anchored a powerful, run-heavy offense at Iowa and both his strength and athleticism will translate well at the professional level. A three-year starter at Iowa, Scherff would be an immediate starter at right tackle and could potentially move to the left side if Will Beatty is released this offseason. In the meantime, starting the former Hawkeye at right tackle would allow Justin Pugh to move to his natural guard position. The addition of Scherff would boost a Giants rushing attack that was ranked 23rd in the league last season. If Head Coach Tom Coughlin wants to continue to develop Andre Williams by giving him more carries, building the offensive line around Scherff would be a step in the right direction.

AMARI COOPER (WIDE RECEIVER ALABAMA)

SHAQ THOMPSON (LINEBACKER WASHINGTON)

If the Giants bypass Scherff and instead decide to improve their defense, the organization will draft Shaq Thompson from the University of Washington. Another versatile player, Thompson started at defensive back as a true freshman and transitioned to linebacker his sophomore and junior years. He even spent some time at running back during his junior year and that versatility will be greatly beneficial for the Giants in the ever-evolving NFL. The former Husky would add depth to a linebacker core that suf-

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Amari Cooper is one of the best offensive players the Giants could draft.

fered from a lack of speed during the 2014 season. Thompson has the potential to immediately start at weakside linebacker replacing Spen-

cer Paysinger in first year defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo’s 4-3 defense. Thompson’s biggest asset is his coverage ability as he has the

After a strong performance at the combine, it’s unlikely Amari Cooper will even be on the board when the Giants pick. However, if the Alabama product is available, New York owner Jerry Reese may bypass the need for an offensive lineman and take a talented receiver for the second year in a row. Cooper thrived in a pro-style offense at Alabama, racking up 1,727 yards and 16 touchdowns. With Victor Cruz still recovering from a torn patellar tendon that caused him to miss 10 games during the 2014 season, the Giants may draft Cooper as an insurance policy. The former Alabama star is a fluid route-runner with experience in a pro-style offense. Cooper has the explosiveness to be a big play threat on the other side of Odell Beckham Jr. and would allow Victor Cruz to move back into the slot position. Pairing him with Beckham Jr. and Cruz would instantly make the Giants’ receiving core one of the best in the NFL. While the offensive line is a more glaring need, Jerry Reese may choose to pick the best player available, and at selection nine, Cooper would be that player.

www.fordhamobserver.com

THE OBSERVER March 12, 2015

Sports

Carmelo Anthony Should Have Shut It Down Earlier ARTUR BALANOVSKIY

Contributing Writer

On paper, it makes perfect sense for Carmelo Anthony to have played in the 2015 All-Star Game. New York has not held the All Star game since 1998, and the fans want to see the biggest (and really, only) star of the New York Knicks represent the host city. Anthony himself said that it is ridiculous to think he missed games earlier in the season just to play for the East. Yet all of these reasons to play, in reality, are reasons the Knicks should have had him sit out. Anthony is the only player on the Knicks that is definitely in their long-term plans. Having just signed $124 million for a five-year contract, the Knick’s number one priority should be to rebuild around him. That requires keeping him healthy, and playing one more unnecessary game simply for his star power is another risk to further aggravate and prolong his injury. The Knick’s season has been, in all honesty, lost for months. As soon as it was known that the team’s biggest star for the next five years requires surgery, he should have had it and begun recovery. That brings us to the next issue with keeping Anthony going for the All-Star Game: it prolongs his recovery. Anthony himself said that he has been hurt since the beginning of the season, and the idea that he sat games out just to make it to the All-Star Game is ridiculous. The key point is that he has been hurt since the beginning of the season. So the surgery that followed his All Star appearance could have been scheduled and finished months ago. Anthony could have been healthy before the season ended, and either come back to give fans a high note to end on or had more time to get in

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Carmelo Anthony should not have risked further injuries by continuing to play until the All-Star Game, even if it took place in New York this year.

shape for the next season. A healthy Carmelo Anthony serves more than one purpose as well. The Knicks, more than any other team in the league, need to persuade some high profile players to come to New York. Aside from Anthony there is no well-established, highly productive player on the Knicks roster. Their best shot of landing some stars in a city desperate for something positive to cheer

for is offering high contracts, and the chance to play with one of the best scorers in the last decade. But Anthony is only an effective tool for convincing free agents if he is healthy and effective on the court. Had he taken care of the injury earlier, sitting out the All Star game in favor of his health, Anthony would be ready to go by the offseason. Now, any potential free agents signing will have to take it on faith that

Anthony is going to be 100 percent in 2016. Phil Jackson will manage to rebuild the roster to some extent but the quality may suffer. The fact is that, with or without Anthony, the All-Star Game is a huge event for basketball fans, and there would not be a shortage of viewers and ticket buyers. If it has been 17 years since Madison Square Garden hosted the event, fans won’t pass this year up over one player

alone. Playing in just one more game may not seem like a huge deal, but when all the time that the Knicks could have saved in bringing their best player to full health is considered, the focus should be on why the Knicks did not shut him down before the All Star votes even came in, rather than whether or not he should have participated in the one All-Star Game.

Carmelo Anthony Needed to Play Until the All-Star Game Anthony’s presence was important for this year’s Madison Square Garden-hosted event THOMAS O’CALLAGHAN Staff Writer

Many Knicks fans and sports reporters have been critical of Carmelo Anthony and the organizational decision to allow him to play in the All-Star game this year. However, this is not the big problem that some people would lead you to believe. The All-Star game was in New York, and Anthony had been excited for some time to play “host” to his fellow superstars. This decision was a point of contention by many NBA spectators, as he was dealing with a nagging injury to his left knee that had hampered his play weeks before the All-Star game. Anthony’s choice, at worst, does not affect the Knicks much and at best actually has some tangible benefits for the embattled organization. With the Knicks looking to recruit new talent during the eagerly-awaited summer of 2015, the All-Star weekend was the best opportunity for Phil Jackson and the organization to begin their search. An important part of this recruitment process was the networking of Carmelo Anthony. While his stats in the game were dreadful (6-20 from the field in a startlingly-high 30 minutes), it was important for curious free agents to experience playing with Anthony on the hallowed court of Madison Square Garden. While the rest of the organization lingered in the wings and salivated over the talent in town for the game, it was important for Anthony to

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Camelo Anthony is the figurehead of the Knicks franchise, so he needed to play and represent the team.

provide a player’s insight for others. Several of Anthony’s critics have also targeted his injury as a reason for him to get surgery immediately. With the Knicks going nowhere this

season, Anthony’s season-ending surgery could really be done almost anytime. It is unlikely that Anthony would have seriously injured himself in the farce that is the All-Star

game, so there is no problem with him playing in the exhibition. As long as Anthony is healthy and rested for the start of the 2015-16 campaign, his surgery timetable should

be of no concern to any of the fans. Another interesting byproduct of Anthony’s absence is giving the young prospects and veterans formerly on 10-day contracts a chance to show what they’ve got. The rest of this season is not just garbage time to continue tanking for a high draft pick, the Knicks need to start assembling a capable bench to back up the starting talent that the team hopes to acquire this offseason. Anthony, along with the recently-departed Amar’e Stoudemire, was taking minutes away from players that have something to prove: namely, that they can contribute and be part of championship-caliber bench. Young players like undrafted St. Joe’s product Langston Galloway and hard-nosed journeyman Lou Amundson have proven that they have the competitive drive and toughness to be part of a dangerous second unit in the NBA. While the games are meaningless for the 2014-15 season, these games are important for building the Knicks’ future. Jackson, Derek Fisher and the rest of the organization have to look strongly at which players can be a part of these future plans. While Anthony’s decision to play in the All-Star game was controversial, there are no negative consequences of this action. He rubbed elbows with potential free agents and opened the door for the Knicks’ players of tomorrow to compete to be part of this team. Anthony’s recruitment was a worthwhile endeavor, but true fans know that the adage, “whoever needs to be recruited to New York does not belong here” still rings true.

Sports

March 12, 2015 THE OBSERVER

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Could Ian Desmond Make the Mets into Contenders? By MARCELA ALVAREZ Contributing Writer

With baseball season only a month away, the Mets are preparing for a season that will hopefully end with postseason success. The Mets, with their newest acquisitions believe they have a greater chance at contending for a World Series Championship. One of the newest acquisitions by general manager Sandy Alderson is free-agent Michael Cuddyer. The Mets believe that with Cuddyer, who has a batting average of .332, they have a greater chance of making it to the World Series and possibly winning it. Moving on to the infield, the Mets are trying to acquire a shortstop. NBC Sports reported that the Mets were looking to trade for Ian Desmond by working with divisional rival, the Washington Nationals and the Tampa Bay Rays. Although, the deal fell through after the Rays wanted two Mets’ prospects, the Mets are still considering trading for Desmond, but should they? A trade directly between the Nationals and the Mets would involve prospects, something the Mets have shown that they are unwilling to trade and a large sum of money. Currently the Mets are close to exceeding their budget of about $95 million, according to ESPN. During the 2014-2015 offseason the Mets signed two pitchers, an outfielder and prospective shortstops Edgardo Fermin for $250,000, Yoel Romero for $300,000, and Kenny Hernandez for $1 million. Trying to acquire yet another in shortstop, Ian Desmond, might not be a possibility because of their tight budget. Even though the Mets increased their budget by about $10 million from last season, they are still on a tight budget because according to ESPN, three players, Curtis Granderson, Bartolo Colon and Jonathon Niese, got a raise that amounted to $27 million. Moreover, with the three new prospective shortstops that the Mets acquired they now have five

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Ian Desmond is a better player than any shortstop on the Mets roster, but is his price worth the upgrade?

total prospective shortstops, one of which, Francisco Lindor, is their second top overall prospective player, according to the the Mets MLB website. The Mets clearly have a problem with their shortstops and are trying to fix it in order to have a chance at the running for the World Series, which they haven’t won since 1986. However, acquiring Ian Desmond is not the going to fix their problems. According to Ian Desmond’s stats on ESPN, he has been slowly declining. During the 2012-2013 his batting average dropped from .292 to .280 and last season, it further dropped from .280 to .255. Also, his on-base percentage (OBP) decreased as well from .335 in 2012 to .331 in 2013 and finally to .313 in 2014. In Ian Desmond, the Mets are hoping to find a trustworthy shortstop and an aggressive offensive player as well. However, his declining statistics shows that he might not live up to their expectations and make an impact on the team’s running for the World Series. More so, he might even hurt the Mets offensively. Instead of trying to acquire more new shortstops, the Mets should focus on training and improving their current active shortstops, Ruben Tejada and Wilmer Flores. Since Flores’ major league debut in 20122013 season, his batting average has increased from .211 to .251 last year. There is room for improvement in his numbers, which is what the hitting staff should focus while training him. Therefore, if Flores’ improves his batting average, he will help the team score more runs, win more games and make it to the World Series. If the Mets want a chance at taking the World Series title from the current champions, the San Francisco Giants, they should focus on improving the team they currently have rather than trying to acquire new players. However, if the Mets still want to acquire Ian Desmond, they can always do so next season when he will be a free agent.