Observer the
April 6, 2022
The Student Voice of Fordham Lincoln Center
The upperclass men residence ALICE MOREN hall currently O/THE OBSE RVER houses first-yea rs in its first si x floors.
VOLUME XLII, ISSUE 5
Welcoming Smaller Class, ResLife Expects Pre-Pandemic Occupancy By OLIVIA LEDUC Asst. Features Editor
As the 2022-23 housing registration process comes to a close, the Office of Residential Life (ResLife) projects that it will be able to accommodate all students who completed their housing applications, as well as the incoming first-year students, for the fall semester.
Gregory Jones, director of ResLife at Fordham Lincoln Center (FLC), reported that approximately 780 returning students registered for on-campus housing for the 2022-23 school year, which is on par with previous years’ registration totals. In the 2018-19 academic year, ResLife housed what is now considered pre-pandemic levels of building occupancy, straining
to accommodate residents and introducing forced doubles and forced triples. Many residents did not return to campus during the 2020-21 academic year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, allowing ResLife to de-densify dorm rooms and no longer have forced triples. For the 2021-22 academic year, Fordham over-accepted students based on enrollment predictions,
but more students than expected committed to the university. This over-acceptance of students resulted in an influx of first-years occupying the first six floors of McMahon Hall, the upperclassmen residence hall. Now, ResLife expects pre-pandemic occupancy — a return to normalcy — for the 2022-23 academic year. see FIRST-YEAR HOUSING page 5
Students Report Issues With Accessibility By EESHITA WADE Staff Writer
ANDREW DRESSNER/THE OBSERVER
The disability accessible elevator located on the SL level is the only accessible elevator in Lowenstein.
NEWS PAGE 4
LGBTQ+ Fund
Almost $61,000 was donated on Giving Day to the wellness fund
SPORTS & HEALTH PAGE 6
Baseball’s Cold Stretch Fordham baseball drops tough contest to Saint Louis University
After seeing the crowded elevators in the Leon Lowenstein Center in 2019, Cristina Pardo, Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) ’19 and second-year law student at Fordham, and Lucy Clancy, FCLC ’19, became concerned with how the elevators may cause difficulties for physically disabled students. The university’s lack of accessibility for disabled students inspired Pardo and Clancy to form a club — Students for Disability Awareness (SDA) — with the mission of creating a community for students with disabilities and increasing accessibility on campus. Pardo ran the club as president for two years before it became inactive. “I heard it was sort of subsumed by the Office of Disability Services, and it became an inactive group support meeting,” she said.
Audience Acts in Fordham Theatre Show
Pardo added that many of the elevators in the law school are too small and crowded to be accessible. She has “found that law school is more strict about the standards of documentation necessary for accommodations.” Sarah Macy, FCLC ’22 and a student with non-physical disabilities, who is minoring in disabilities studies, said she witnessed some barriers to physical accessibility on campus, which is made worse by the attitudes of some students and professors. “People often complain when the Lowenstein elevators stop on the second and third floors. I sometimes respond to these complaints by gently reminding people that some people have disabilities and so they can’t use the stairs,” she said. Similar to Pardo, Macy said she feels that Fordham is lacking when it comes to accommodating disabilities.
The stage is a playground. In Nassim Soleimanpour’s “White Rabbit, Red Rabbit,” the lines between actor, writer and audience member become blurry. Soleimanpour creates a revolutionary theater experience where the actor becomes a vehicle of communication for him, the writer, and us, the audience. Soleimanpour was stuck in Iran after refusing to participate in military service and tells a cautionary tale of blind obedience and adherence to societal structure through these techniques of defamiliarization. The show is uniquely malleable, amplifying the experience and irreproducible nature of the theater.
see DISABILITY ACCESS page 4
see WHITE RABBIT page 13
CENTERFOLD PAGE 8
OPINIONS PAGE 12
Students protest and donate to aid Ukraine in the war effort.
Criticisms of the Supreme Court justice confirmation process
Community on Ukraine Confirmation Hearings
By SOPHIA GRAUSSO Contributing Writer
ARTS & CULTURE PAGE 15
Oscars Recap
The Academy Awards make headlines for all the wrong reasons
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April 6, 2022
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Exploring the Peace and Justice Studies Program One of Fordham’s oldest interdisciplinary programs, PJST, incorporates elements from different departments By GARGEE RANADE Contributing Writer
Founded as a certificate program in 1986 before becoming a minor in 2014, the peace and justice studies (PJST) program is one of the oldest interdisciplinary programs at Fordham and still remains relevant today. The program grew under the leadership of Robin Andersen, former director of the PJST program for 12 years, and the late Astrid O’Brien, former professor of philosophy. It is a part of a variety of Fordham departments, including sociology, political science, environmental studies and philosophy, and explores issues such as human rights and criminal justice reforms. Sarah Jane Lefebvre, Fordham
College at Rose Hill (FCRH) ’21, said that she became a part of the PJST program because it offered an interesting combination of political science and communications. “The courses (of the peace and justice studies program) focused on teaching us to ask questions and to reevaluate the way we look at things,” Lefebvre said. “Students would ask questions that were unrelated, (but) instead of blowing those questions off, the professor would spend a lot of time considering that question.” John van Buren, professor of philosophy and the current director of the PJST program, said that the program has seen many changes, including the introduction of new courses such as Environmental Justice, and Catastrophe and
Human Survival. According to the PJST program’s annual review document for the 2020-21 academic year, the program has seen a significant increase in enrollment from only nine students in 2017 to 25 students in 2020. “These courses have helped students get a more diverse perspective and sophisticated knowledge on world peace and social justice,” the document stated. The program, similar to its courses, has seen varied institutional support. “There was not very much institutional support for (the program),” Andersen said. “The PJST program came about because of a very small, dedicated and growing group of faculty who were willing to work with very little compensation.”
VIA PIQSELS
The peace and justice studies program offers a multidisciplinary approach to investigating topics from human rights to criminal justice reforms.
When Andersen retired from her administrative duties to focus more on teaching, the program transitioned to a minor, a decision she felt weakened the program.
“ The importance of
peace and justice studies is where you apply legitimately different principles, different languages, different logic from what mainstream studies often provide.”
Robin Andersen, former director of the PJST program
“As a minor, I am not sure if the program is as vibrant as it was when it was just a program with a lot of events, teach-ins and panels,” she said. “In being an official minor, it lost a lot of the faculty commitment.” Despite the program’s uncertain beginnings, Andersen noted that PJST is very essential as a subject and a program. “The importance of peace and justice studies is where you apply legitimately different principles, different languages, different logic from what mainstream studies often provide,” she said. According to the annual review document written by van Buren, the program’s goal is to offer new courses in the next three to five years in alignment with the university’s plan for PJST to become one of Fordham’s most vibrant flagship programs. The plan intended on reforming existing
courses as well as developing new ones. The program would rebrand its “web presence through the new motto A Community of Scholars for Diversity and Reconciliation,” according to the annual review. One of the new courses in the program, Communicating Revolution, takes into account the media’s role in shaping and creating new societies through revolutions. Christopher Brandt, an adjunct instructor for the communication and media department, created Communicating Revolution — or, as he described it, “evolution of revolutions.” Brandt said that one of the basic ingredients of revolutionary change is to understand the world beyond one’s own point of view. “The course tries to give students a chance to change their perspective on certain issues,” he said. “To really get out of yourself and look at this country, for example, from the point of view of a Central America peasant farmer or a teacher in a Mexican school.” Lefebvre took Communicating Revolutions in spring 2021, and said it was “wonderful.” In the class Brandt spent time considering questions raised from students and asked the class to reflect on them. “(The questions) taught me more about thinking critically than any of my classes did at Fordham,” Lefebvre said. The annual review document suggested that the program is set to rebrand and new courses are to be introduced. According to the document, the new courses will provide “students with access to the unique opportunities afforded by Fordham’s location in New York City and one of the important centers of diversity movements in the United States.”
Fordham Deans Address Problems With Advising
In a survey from fall 2020, students expressed disappointment with Fordham’s current advising system By CHLOE ZELCH Asst. News Editor
In the fall of 2020, Laura Auricchio, dean of Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC), and Maura Mast, dean of Fordham College at Rose Hill (FCRH), assembled the Task Force on Undergraduate Academic Advising (TFUAA) to evaluate how academic advising could better serve undergraduate students. The TFUAA found that students feel disconnected and unsupported with the current advising system.
“ We felt that, although
our retention and graduation rates are quite strong compared to national benchmarks, there is nonetheless room for improvement. ”
Laura Auricchio, dean of FCLC
“Although our colleges have grown and student needs have evolved over the years, Fordham’s advising system has not undergone a full review or revision in recent memory,” Auricchio said. “In short, it was time.” TFUAA began its research with a survey of all undergraduate students at Fordham in December 2020. In a report released to the student body by Auricchio on Feb. 17, 2022, TFUAA identified dis-
parities in how advising is handled due to a growing undergraduate population. The report detailed the findings from the survey and stated that “students feel they are passed around to different advisors, depending on their needs, which makes them feel detached, and almost unwelcomed.” All FCRH and FCLC undergraduate students were eligible to participate in this survey, which yielded a sample size of 361 undergraduates, a majority of whom represented FCRH. The report showed that overall, students did not reach out to many support offices often. Auricchio also identified improving retention rates as an ultimate goal for TFUAA: “We felt that, although our retention and graduation rates are quite strong compared to national benchmarks, there is nonetheless room for improvement,” she said. The report also noted that faculty advisers feel ill-equipped to help their advisees with nonacademic issues, causing them to refer students to class deans for all other issues. Additionally, over 70% of students identified discussing course selections and possible majors as important duties they expect their adviser to fulfill. Only 39.6% of students identified discussing nonacademic issues as important. Surveyed students expressed their need for a changed advising system, with suggestions for making advising more accessible, having a separate personal adviser for nonacademic concerns and decreasing the number of advisees each adviser is responsible for.
Upon releasing the report, Auricchio announced that two listening sessions would be held over Zoom for students to share their experiences and thoughts regarding advising. The first session held on Feb. 22 had zero attendees, while the second session on Feb. 28 had one attendee. An anonymous feedback form was provided for those who could not attend the listening sessions. The form allowed students, staff, full-time or part-time faculty, and graduate student instructors to share their experiences with advising. Auricchio reported that of the 90 responses received, 18 were from students. Some survey respondents voluntarily disclosed their identities to Auricchio, and she conducted one-on-one conversations with them. Mast also spoke with the FCRH’s Dean’s Council of the United Student Government at Rose Hill and the Fordham Club at Rose Hill, which is a group of FCRH senior student leaders. Within the report, TFUAA identified three potential models Fordham’s advising program could follow in the future. In the current model, students have major advisers who are also part of the faculty. The first model proposed the creation of an advising center staffed with professionals to serve as primary advisers for each student. Each student will also have appointed faculty advisers serving as advisers for their major. This model follows Loyola University Chicago’s version. The second possible model proposed creating an advising center but not appointing specific faculty as major advisers. Instead, those
INFOGRAPHIC BY ROXANNE CUBERO/THE OBSERVER
Based on information from student surveys, the TFUAA identified three models for future advising.
within the advising center would be in close contact with faculty to serve students academically. The final proposed model maintains Fordham’s current advising structure with the addition of an advising center. TFUAA noted in its report that this model “maintains our identity and emphasis on cura personalis in interactions between faculty and students.” TFUAA also hopes to increase support for first-generation students through a new advising model and training potential advising center employees on issues of inequity. “When I talked with students about (the new advising models), one student said that she’s first generation in college and she would have loved to have gone to an adviser who understood what it meant to be first generation,”
Mast said in an interview with The Fordham Ram. Currently, TFUAA has not released which of the three models Fordham’s advising program will adopt. “We are still in the process of digesting the input we received from the listening sessions and anonymous feedback forms,” Auricchio said. “In the coming weeks, we will be crafting a plan for a way forward, but I’m afraid that we have not completed that task yet.” Auricchio explained that the final advising model is not limited to those outlined in the report. “Although we do not yet have specifics, we do know that it will not be strictly one model or another, but rather a new model that takes from each of those proposed the aspects that garnered the most support,” she said.
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April 6, 2022
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RAM FEST Celebrating the Dedication of the McShane Campus Center at Rose Hill
Wednesday, April 27
4 p.m. Mass of Thanksgiving, University Church 5 p.m. Joseph M. McShane, S.J. Campus Center Dedication Ceremony, Campus Center 5:45 p.m. RAM FEST, Eddies Parade FREE food and live music! Ram Fest Rain Location: LOMBARDI CENTER
Get Ahead This Summer! Queens College is offering in-person and online classes over four summer sessions: Session 1: June 6–30 Session 2: July 5–28 Session 3: July 5–August 15 Session 4: June 6–August 15
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Take advantage of: ■ Flexible schedules, with both in-person and online classes ■ Hundreds of undergraduate and graduate courses ■ Even some hybrid courses, which combine in-person and online models ■ Earn as many as 15 credits over 10 weeks ■ Access to campus facilities, including our fitness center and Olympic-sized swimming pool ■ Affordable tuition ■ Summer Pell available to qualifying students Registration open now! Students from all colleges welcome. admissions@qc.cuny.edu • www.qc.cuny.edu/summer
3/8/22 3:31 PM
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April 6, 2022
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First LGBTQ+ Student Wellness Fund Raises over $60,000
The creator of the fund for Giving Day expressed the importance of LGBTQ+ representation at Fordham By MARIAH LOPEZ Contributing Writer
For the first time, members of the Fordham community were able to donate to the newly active LGBTQ+ Student Wellness Fund on the sixth annual Fordham Giving Day, which was held on March 8. Out of the $1,540,483 donated to the Fordham Giving Day campaign, a total of $60,840 was gifted to the newly active fund. Joan Garry, Fordham College at Rose Hill (FCRH) ’79 and leader of the initiative to create the wellness fund, contributed to half of that total. She and her wife, Eileen Opatut, pledged to continue matching all gifts made to the LGBTQ+ Student Wellness Fund up to $50,000, including those made past Fordham’s Giving Day.
“ The funds could
benefit the LGBTQ+ community at Fordham by giving the students more opportunities to feel welcomed, respected and heard, which honestly doesn’t happen often. ” Spencer Balter, FCLC ’24 and secretary of PRISM
“Our funding priorities are ambitious, from research stipends to scholarships and emergency funds. But our first order of business is counseling and pastoral care,” Garry said in a video released a day prior to the fund’s launch.
The specific division and allocation of funds has yet to be determined because the campaign was recently created. Leading up to its launch, Garry — alongside J. Patrick Hornbeck II, chair of the theology department, and Rafael Zapata, chief diversity officer — prioritized a holistic assessment of what the Fordham experience consists of for LGBTQ+ students currently and what steps can be taken to improve that experience. “I believe that the university can be doing much more to create a sense of belonging for LGBTQ students and prospective students,” Garry said. “And I believe that it has a responsibility to do so.” Spencer Balter, Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) ’24 and secretary of Fordham Lincoln Center’s LGBTQ+ club PRISM agreed with Garry that Fordham has more work to do. “The funds could benefit the LGBTQ+ community at Fordham by giving the students more opportunities to feel welcomed, respected and heard, which honestly doesn’t happen often,” Balter said. Garry echoed this sentiment when explaining her reasons for starting the fund. Reflecting on her participation as a speaker last May at Fordham’s Lavender Graduation, the university’s first ceremony celebrating LGBTQ+ students, she noted that the event was the first time in a long time that she felt welcomed by Fordham as an institution. Because of this feeling, Garry stressed that the donation campaign serves as more than just a means to raise money for the university. “When Fordham Giving Day decided to spotlight an LGBTQ initiative, it was making a really big public statement to 50,000
ANDREW DRESSNER/THE OBSERVER
The recently developed LGBTQ+ Student Wellness Fund aims to provide support for counseling resources, scholarships and research stipends.
members of the Fordham family that LGBTQ people within the Fordham family matter,” she said. “And that feels like a very, very big deal.” As the face of the fund, Garry received an outpouring of positive responses on Fordham Giving Day from past alumni in tandem with their gifts. She said that she received an email from an alum expressing their gratitude for the fund and increased support at Fordham, as they didn’t feel it was there when they attended. Brennan Connell, FCRH ’24, shared his experience as a member of the LGBTQ+ community at Fordham. “I haven’t spent enough time at the Lincoln Center campus to fully grasp an idea of the culture there,
but from what I have heard, I feel like Rose Hill could do more to help its queer community on campus because there is a smaller percentage of the population identifying as queer,” he said. “The need is more prevalent here.” Connell feels that increased funding for queer students, wherever it goes, is proof of a stronger prioritization of these needs. He also said that the money from the LGBTQ+ Student Wellness Fund could best address these needs by prioritzing mental health and hiring more queer-identifying therapists or counselors. Kate Goodman, FCLC ’23, shared the same opinion as Connell. “If the administration wants to support LGBTQ students, they
should make sure that their counselors are equipped to deal with mental health issues that pertain to the queer community which would probably mean hiring queer therapists,” they asserted. Goodman, Connell and Balter all agreed that the LGBTQ+ Student Wellness Fund is a step in the right direction for Fordham. “It pains me to think that there are LGBTQ high school juniors and seniors out there that are going to pass this university by because they’re going to make assumptions about whether or not they belong,” Garry said. “I want them to see Fordham as a really, really good option, because it was a really good place for me. Hopefully, this campaign can make them see that.”
University Claims to be ADA Compliant
Public Safety director said he is unaware of any problems faced by disabled students on campus DISABILITY ACCESS from page 1
“I’ve seen people in wheelchairs wait for ages to get onto the elevator,” she said. “Technology is also key to accessibility, and I wonder if offering Zoom as an option could benefit students with disabilities.” Robert Dineen, director of Public Safety, said that Lowenstein has an elevator designated for individuals with disabilities in case they are unable to access the others. Additionally, Dineen noted that all the Lincoln Center campus buildings are compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in terms of disability access. Macy noted that the street-level elevator designated for people with disabilities is only accessed by a key and is shared with the maintenance crew, making it crowded and inconvenient for individuals with disabilities. Moreover, the elevator outside the Lowenstein entrance on 60th and Columbus that provides access to the Plaza cannot be called from the street level. The Office of Student Affairs recently held a staff training day on the topic of disability. Macy was initially asked to send in a recording, but said that no one followed up with her after she agreed to do so. Sophie Mitra, a professor of economics and co-director of the disability studies minor, said she has seen improvements in regard to accessibility at Fordham. “I have been here 15 years, and I can see that there have been improvements in terms of physical disabilities, but there is still work to do,” she said.
At Fordham Lincoln Center, McMahon Hall, Martino Hall and the Law School buildings are all ADA compliant, according to Dineen. The Leon Lowenstein Center and the 140 W. 62nd building have ramp access at their entrances. There are ADA compliant lifts at the entrance to the 140 W. 62nd building and in Pope Auditorium in Lowenstein, allowing people with disabilities to have access to these locations. The Argo Tea elevators in the 140 W. 62nd building are shut down by Public Safety at 11 p.m. each night, preventing access to the building’s Garden Level Lounge after the building’s closure, according to Dineen. Due to this, students with disabilities are unable to leave it at night if they are working in one of the offices. Students without physical disabilities and stay in the building past 11 p.m. are able to exit through the stairwell. Every night, Public Safety makes an announcement alerting occupants of the time left prior to the building’s closure. Upon closing, when the occupants depart, the building is locked and secured, and the elevators are turned off in order to restrict access to the building. This limits some disabled students from accessing the Garden Level Lounge and the rest of the 140 W. 62nd building. “This is done for security reasons as after the building’s hours of operation, students should not be accessing the Garden Level Lounge or using the elevators,” Dineen said. “After closing, the building is secured so it remains inaccessible to all students.”
Dineen added that he is not aware of any problems faced by disabled students at the Lincoln Center campus. Fordham’s website provides a list of all places that are wheelchair accessible. Mary Byrnes, director of the Office of Disability Services for all campuses, said there have been very few issues with accessibility. “If our office is notified of a problem, we contact facilities to correct that problem immediately, and their response is always immediate,” Byrnes said. “The majority of classes for students with mobility issues are scheduled in Keating Hall,” she added. “We arrange for students with mobility issues or visual issues to have all back to back classes in the same building and when possible on the same floor to help ease the burden of rushing to another building with only 15 minutes between classes.” Byrnes noted that wheelchair-accessible desks are provided in each room. Additionally, wheelchair-accessible seating is available at the football field and at graduation, according to Byrnes. All students with a disability who live on campus live in ADA-accessible dorm rooms and touchless door openers are present throughout the campuses at both Rose Hill and Lincoln Center. She also added that there are handicap-accessible parking spaces. “Fordham does everything it can to give equal access to all,” Byrnes said.
ANDREW DRESSNER/THE OBSERVER
Keating Hall is one of the few Rose Hill building with elevators and many classes for students with mobility disabilities are held there.
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McMahon Gym to Undergo Renovations
The new fitness center is set to feature new cardio and weight rooms along with two multipurpose studios By EESHITA WADE Staff Writer
Fordham Lincoln Center’s fitness center located on the second floor of McMahon Hall will be undergoing renovations this summer. The university will construct separate cardio and weight rooms, as well as two additional multipurpose studio rooms for dance or yoga with mirrors and television screens. The bathrooms will also be remodeled with the addition of new ceilings, doors and upgraded air conditioning systems in each room. The McMahon fitness center reopened on Feb. 19 after being closed since the beginning of the spring semester due to a lack of staff to maintain a sanitary facility in accordance with COVID-19 guidelines.
“ For students who
will still be here, it is definitely something to look forward to, but for people who are in their last year, it is not the best time. ”
Owami Masiyandima-Mlotshwa, FCLC ’24
While Rose Hill’s newly expanded RamFit Center in the recently constructed McGinley Center is the third gym at Rose Hill, the McMahon fitness center is the only exercise facility at the Lincoln Center campus. According to Joseph Scaltro, director of engineering services
COURTESY OF JOSEPH SCALTRO
The layout for the renovated second floor of McMahon includes a cardio room, weight room and two multipurpose studios.
at Fordham Lincoln Center, the renovation is scheduled to begin on May 19, after most students move out of McMahon Hall for summer break. “This has always been something the board has wanted to do, and fortunately the vice president of Residential Life and the dean of students have identified this as the big priority,” Scaltro said. The fitness center was last renovated in 2019 to improve the quality of equipment and appearance of the room with a new paint job. This new project will be building off that renovation with upgraded cardio equip-
ment, as well as the addition of free weights and machines in a designated weight room. “Presently, it’s just this one room that has cardio, and the weights are kind of squished in,” Scaltro said. “When we come back, there will be dedicated cardio and weight rooms.” The addition of the studios will facilitate yoga and cardio classes since there were few locations on campus to organize them previously. The addition of television screens will also make it possible to conduct these classes virtually. Owami Masiyandima-Mlotshwa, Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) ’24, visits the fitness
center three to five times a week and said she is looking forward to the new additions. “I think it will be better space-wise because it does feel a bit cramped,” Masiyandima-Mlotshwa said. She also added that privacy is an issue due to the small space. Facilities is planning to award contracts for construction in the coming weeks to start the renovation process on time. Although there is no definite end date, according to Scaltro, he is hopeful that the renovation will be complete around spring 2023. Masiyandima-Mlotshwa said the long-term renovation will
likely force people to go to commercial gyms off-campus while renovations take place. “For students who will still be here, it is definitely something to look forward to, but for people who are in their last year, it is not the best time,” Masiyandima-Mlotshwa said. Scaltro noted the uncertainties in the end date is due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, which prevented a predictable renovation plan. “If this was a normal world, I would have targeted the end of September,” Scaltro said. “We will do our best to get it open as soon as possible.”
Housing Capacity Expected to Accommodate FLC Students
All returning students and incoming first-years are expected to receive housing for the fall 2022 semester FIRST-YEAR HOUSING from page 1
ResLife does not have a definitive count for new first-year students who are requesting housing, as many have yet to place their deposits, according to Jones. “There is still a lot of time before the enrolling class is solidified, and there is not a final number yet of enrolling residential students,” Jones explained. He noted that available housing is measured in compliance with the Office of Admissions statistics and added that the number of available rooms is coordinated in order to only make housing offers to a specific number of first-year applicants.
“ The process went well, but it was certainly not the most straightforward.”
Abby Grunzinger, FCLC ’25
The acceptance rate for the Class of 2026 at FLC fell, with 13% fewer students and 15% fewer residents admitted to FLC compared to the Class of 2025, according to Patricia Peek, dean of undergraduate admissions. Peek said the Office of Admissions is “looking to bring in a smaller first-year class this year across the colleges,” a variation from the admission cycle for the Class of 2025, which is the largest class accepted in the university’s
ALICE MORENO/THE OBSERVER
The amount of residents on campus next year is expected to be close to maximum capacity for the residence halls.
history. According to Peek, it is forecasted that there will be 580 students starting the fall 2022 semester, with 340 who will be Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) residents. Based on the predicted size of the incoming class and its residential students, Jones foresees that housing will be similar to pre-pandemic levels, with the expectation of nearly 100 percent occupancy. However, he added that if the number of incoming students exceeds expectations, Reslife “may triple or quad some first-year rooms,” which has been standard practice in past years.
For returning students, housing deposits opened on Feb. 15, with a submission deadline on March 1. Students could receive housing through the group selection process or room selection overflow process, where decisions will be released on a rolling basis in the spring. The application for the incoming class does not open until June, granting students several weeks to complete registration. Residents are expected to receive their housing status in early August. Jones noted that while any student who has met the deadlines and is guaranteed a spot will receive housing, not everyone is con-
firmed to have their first choice in accommodation. “The room selection process relies on a random lottery and with a limited number of each type of housing available … We try to grant as many roommate requests as possible, but the ability to do so is dependent on available rooms and the number of requests,” Jones said. Some students reported initially feeling stress and confusion while completing the stages of housing registration. “The process went well, but it was certainly not the most straightforward,” Abby Grunzinger, FCLC ’25, said. “It was a little
stressful in terms of figuring out exactly what to do to get the setup that we wanted.” She cited, specifically, that the housing registration process received by ResLife did not match the registration portal on her screen. Julia Jaramillo, FCLC ’25, said she experienced confusing communication with the Google form supplied by ResLife in search for roommates, due to ResLife urging rising sophomores to make groups of six for housing since that is all that would remain when they registered. Having a short period of time to find other roommates and create a housing plan was challenging and a large source of Jaramillo’s concern. “My group and I struggled to find 2 more people (since) the Google form they had to look for roommates wasn’t much of a help because everyone on there was also trying to find just 1 or 2 people to fill a group,” she said. Grunzinger, at first, grew worried after not receiving a confirmation email upon completion of the selection process but has since felt certain that she will earn the room fit for a group of six following discussions with ResLife that clarified information. “I left feeling uneasy about whether or not I actually had a room… Even with these hiccups, (ResLife) was incredibly helpful,” she said. “They were able to answer my questions or very quickly direct me to someone who could.” The room selection process ended on March 31, but residents who did not select an apartment will be assigned housing over the summer.
Sports & Health
Sports & Health Editors Patrick Moquin Chris Murray sportsandhealth@fordhamobserver.com April 6, 2022 THE OBSERVER
Fordham Baseball Drops 2 of 3 in A10 Opener
Despite improved pitching, Rams lose their first conference series to Saint Louis, fall to 6-18 in 2022 By PATRICK MOQUIN Sports & Health Editor
The Fordham baseball team dropped its first Atlantic 10 (A10) conference series to the Saint Louis University (SLU) Billikens, losing one game on Friday, April 1, and splitting a doubleheader on Saturday. The Rams now hold a 6-18 record in a 2022 season that has not yet gone to plan. Though Fordham’s nonconference schedule this year has been difficult by design, it’s unlikely that the team expected a cold streak of this duration. The team has been swept in four of six weekend series and currently holds a 0-11 record on the road. Taking on the Billikens at Houlihan Park, the Rams appeared more competitive than they have in recent weeks but still struggled at points. In almost all of the Rams’ losses this season, lapses in pitching have proven to be the deciding factor. But in their first game against Saint Louis, pitchers performed well while the offense
stalled. Billikens pitcher Logan Schmitt, SLU ’22, kept the Rams scoreless for the first seven innings, allowing six hits while striking out seven batters. Fordham finally managed to get on the board in the eighth inning when Sebastian Mexico, Fordham College at Rose Hill (FCRH) ’25, singled to center and drove in C.J. Vazquez, Gabelli Graduate School of Business ’22, from third. Mexico has been a bright spot for the team this year, batting .291 in his debut season. But his efforts were in vain on Friday, as runs in the fourth and seventh innings against relief pitcher Cameron Knox, FCRH ’24, proved to be enough of a cushion for the Billikens. The Rams failed to score again in the ninth and fell 2-1. Following the slow start on Friday, Fordham was sluggish again in its first game Saturday, as the team was kept scoreless for the first five innings. But going into the bottom of the eighth, the Rams only trailed 3-1 as the pitching held again, thanks in
Cian Sahler, FCRH ’25, at bat for the Rams.
PHOTOS COURTESY OF FORDHAM ATHLETICS
Cory Wall, FCRH ’22, throws a pitch during the Rams’ three game series. This was his first appearance of the season.
large part to Brooks Ey, FCRH ’24. After four straight losses to start the season, Ey improved significantly this weekend, allowing three runs in eight innings while striking out nine batters. Up to this point, Fordham’s only run had come after Nico Boza, FCRH ’24, scored on two consecutive throwing errors. But in his first pinch-hitting appearance of the season, Jack Harnisch, Gabelli School of Business at Rose Hill (GSBRH) ’22, broke through with a two-run home run in the eighth inning to tie the game 3-3. Fordham scored another run later in the inning to take a one-run lead and Ben Kovel, GSBRH ’23, closed out the ninth inning to earn the team its first conference victory. In the second game of the Saturday doubleheader, Ford-
ham’s struggles at the plate did not go unpunished, as the Billikens took a commanding 7-0 lead after five innings and didn’t look back. The Rams only got their second hit during a small rally in the bottom of the sixth inning, and a three-run ninth inning was not nearly enough to prevent the 7-4 defeat. With a 1-2 record in conference play, Fordham’s problems on the diamond this weekend were obvious. Batters did very little against Saint Louis’ starting pitchers, giving the Rams’ pitching staff too much to manage over the course of three games. But the team’s obvious flaws may diminish significant sources of optimism. In his first year with the team, Mexico has hit his way to the leadoff position in the lineup and earned five hits in 13 at-bats
against Saint Louis. Harnisch’s timely home run may also restore some confidence for the second baseman, who entered the series with just one hit since March 20. Meanwhile, Ey’s lengthy performance on the mound in the second game was stellar, and comes at a time when Fordham is growing desperate for someone to step up as an ace pitcher. A game of baseball is seldom won by a single person or even several people. Individual highlights managed to earn the team one victory this weekend, but more improvement is necessary before the team begins to win series as it has in the past. The Rams will be back on the road next weekend when they take on the University of Massachusetts in a three-game series starting Friday, April 8.
Softball Dominates UMass in Weekend Series
Miller tosses a no-hitter as the Rams sweep the Minutewomen to climb back over .500 on the season By CHRIS MURRAY Sports & Health Editor
The Fordham softball team outscored the University of Massachusetts (UMass) Minutewomen 22-3 over the weekend en route to a three-game sweep. The Rams never wavered against their Atlantic 10 (A10) rivals, as they led from the opening inning of the first game. The two teams played a doubleheader on Saturday, April 2, with the first game lasting five innings. The series opener was also the Rams’ most dominant performance. Fordham started the first inning with a bang as Bailey Enoch, Fordham College at Rose Hill (FCRH) ’24, launched a grand slam set up by two UMass errors that loaded the bases. While the scoring didn’t stop there, those were the only runs the Rams needed to win the game. Devon Miller, Gabelli School of Business at Rose Hill (GSBRH) ’23, shut down the Minutewomen’s lineup. Only four UMass batters reached base in the game, and none of them recorded a hit. The mercy rule ended the contest after five innings, giving Miller a truncated no-hitter, the fourth of her career. Miller’s domination encouraged the Fordham hitters to follow suit. The Rams scored in each of the first four innings, finishing the game with nine runs. This
included a three-run homer by Rachel Hubertus, FCRH ’22, and another blast from Enoch. In the second game of the day, the Rams continued to prosper. Once again, Fordham scored in the top of the first. Allie Clark, GSBRH ’25, hit a sacrifice fly to drive in a run before Hubertus hit her second home run of the series, giving the Rams an early 2-0 lead. Fordham expanded its lead in the second with a two-run homer by Sarah Taffet, GSBRH ’22. The four-baggers didn’t stop there, as Julia Martine, GSBRH ’22, led the third inning off with another blast. Finally, Enoch hit her third homer of the day in the fifth inning, scoring the Rams’ sixth and seventh runs of the game. On the rubber, Makenzie McGrath, GSBRH ’22, shone, as she struck out nine batters in a complete game performance. McGrath allowed just two runs and secured her fifth win of the season as Fordham triumphed by a score of 7-2. UMass struck first in the final game of the series. With Miller on the rubber for her second start of the weekend, the Minutewomen finally scored off of a throwing error by Miller to take an early 1-0 lead in the first. It was the only damage mustered by the UMass offense all game. The Fordham offense managed to rally later in the game. The Rams followed a similar
script to their previous contest, with Clark hitting another sacrifice fly to get them on the board before Hubertus hit another tworun bomb, her third of the series and league-leading twelfth of the year, to give Fordham a 3-1 lead in the third. Amanda Carey, FCRH ’23, tacked on another two-run home run in the fourth to further extend the Rams’ lead. Martine capped the scoring off, hitting a
sacrifice fly to score Fordham’s final run of the game. Miller cruised through the game in another flawless performance, finishing with five strikeouts and no earned runs over a complete seven innings. She lowered her ERA to 2.94 this season over the course of her assertive series performance. The Rams’ 6-1 win on Sunday also marked Head Coach Melissa Inouye’s 200th career win, add-
ing to her achievements that include the 2019 A10 Coach of the Year and an A10 Championship in 2019. Fordham now stands at 1514 this season and 7-4 in conference play. The Rams have won six of their last seven games and sit firmly in fourth place in the A10. Fordham will take on Manhattan College in a doubleheader on April 6. They will look to stay hot with just over a month left before the A10 Championship.
COURTESY OF FORDHAM ATHLETICS
Devon Miller, GSBRH ’23, dominated the Minutewomen lineup over two spectacular starts.
www.fordhamobserver.com
THE OBSERVER
April 6, 2022
Sports & Health
7
Finding the Right Skin Care Routine for Me
In search of a helpful regimen, I waded through a roster of unsustainable and expensive treatments only to discover the benefits of everyday, natural solutions By AASTHA AGGARWAL Asst. Features Editor
In this era of overly edited Instagram posts, I became obsessed with trying the best beauty treatments before I was even a teenager. I tried some of the trendiest ones, only to find that the best options were more accessible than I thought. Chemical Peels The recent explosion of perfectly contoured, poreless skin gave me the impulse to try a chemical peel during one of my monthly visits to Heyday, a salon chain based in New York. My first experience with a lactic acid and 15% salicylic acid chemical peel came with unexpected results. The aesthetician cleaned my face with a stinging probiotic enzyme cleanser bound to sweep away the most stubborn bacteria. It stung like fire but I persevered in the name of beauty. The next step involved applying a layer of this “magical” peel on my face. At first, it felt like a few fire ants crawling on my skin and stinging each pore. I tried my best to push through the pain for about 10 minutes before the assistant applied an alcohol-based cleanser. When I was finished, my skin was surprisingly soft and blemish-free. Although the facial cost a substantial $150, the noticeable effects afterward required constant maintenance through weekly cleaning. I had to keep looking if I wanted long-term, cost-effective skin care.
Hydrogen Therapy On the recommendation of a friend known for his meticulous skin care regimen in Mumbai, I visited the Rejua Energy Center, regularly frequented by Bollywood celebrities. Hydrogen therapy, which is administered at this center, promises a range of health benefits in addition to reversing aging. I waited in anticipation in the hydrogen therapy room — which looked more like a surgical center — while the technician wrote down my name on a cylinder that converts hydrogen gas to hydrogen water. The cylinder was connected to tubes that were inserted into both of my nostrils. During my first inhalation, I was overwhelmed with all the water I inhaled. Gradually, my respiratory system relaxed while I waited patiently for one hour. After the waiting period, I felt noticeably lighter and anxiety-free. Commercial applications of inhaling this product have not been endorsed by experts, and there is little evidence that hydrogen-infused water is healthier than regular water. However, a study published by the National Institute of Health suggests there may be some therapeutic effects of consuming hydrogen-infused water, rather than inhaling it. Patients suffering from liver tumors and being treated with radiation therapy have had their symptoms alleviated and quality of life improved by adding hydrogen-infused water to their diets. LED Light Therapy During one of my worst breakouts of the year, I felt prompted
ANNA SHVETS VIA PEXELS
Healthy skin care does not need to be expensive or extravagant.
to visit Heyday again for some skin care relief. The aesthetician administered the regular probiotic cleanser. After surveying the state of my inflamed breakouts, she administered what is popularly known as LED light therapy. The procedure involves covering one’s eyes with two black eye protectors and being put under the light as it promotes healing and skin rejuvenation. The LED light was administered from equipment that covered my whole face with rays as I endured the procedure for a few minutes. The aesthetician was kind enough to make small talk with me in an effort to soothe my anxieties. The results were not immediately visible, but the next day, I noticed that the inflammation
had gone down considerably and revealed a layer of closed inflammatory wounds. The procedure was more successful than I could have imagined. Studies conducted in the 1990s by NASA discovered the healing benefits of LED light therapy as they used it to help astronauts treat their wounds. Further studies have proven light therapy to be both safe and effective for the skin. Given my own experience, I would have to agree, but the optimal treatment is even more straightforward and accessible. Exercise, Diet and Hydration After spending years investing in as many beauty products and treatments as I could find, I
wondered why I needed so many artificial remedies to preserve my skin’s health. Why spend hundreds of dollars on short-term treatments when you can heal your skin naturally? Skin has the ability to regenerate itself and slow down signs of aging through a combination of factors that support the healthy functioning of the body as a whole. Any form of physical exercise will stimulate the flow of oxygen to the blood vessels beneath the skin. This allows the skin to be refreshed with a supply of nutrients and oxygen, both necessary for the multiplication and proper functioning of skin cells. A diet rich in fruits and vegetables and plant-based food results in an abundance of antioxidants, which support the rejuvenation of skin cells and eradication of inflammation. Fruits like blueberries, apples and strawberries are rich in anthocyanins that help in the reduction of inflammation. Hydration is a key element of flushing out toxins from the system and ensuring that the protective layer of skin is intact. Furthermore, a healthy sleep cycle of six to eight hours allows healing and detoxification at a cellular level. Natural skin care at home works over a long period of time and is not as intrusive as the previously mentioned therapies. Ultimately, there are a variety of treatments and decisions to choose from. Utilizing commercial skin care options can be a coin toss, so if you’re in need of quick and effective solutions, natural skin care is your best friend.
Disability Studies Program Advocates for Inclusion
Guest speakers describe the history of ableism and shortcomings of societal accessibility at virtual events
ANDREW DRESSNER/THE OBSERVER
The disability studies program hosted several virtual events. By GUS DUPREE and ANUSHA IMRAN Asst. Sports & Health Editor and Staff Writer
To raise awareness for people with disabilities and push for health equity, the disability studies program hosted several virtual events discussing past and present discrimination, as well as the obstacles that people with disabilities continue to face. Disability in an Ableist World Health equity refers to one’s opportunity to fulfill their health potential. The Division of Human Development and Disability (DHDD) focuses on alleviating health inequities for people with disabilities by helping them contribute to their communities and achieve their goals. Disability is defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act
(ADA) as a mental or physical impairment that heavily limits major life activities. According to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), people with disabilities have less access to health care than people without disabilities, are more likely to be depressed or anxious, and tend to be less physically active. With around one in four Americans having at least one form of disability, the amount of attention and infrastructure to accommodate this portion of the population is comparatively poor. People living with a disability are far less likely to receive routine health care treatments, and they are more likely to be unemployed. The DHDD monitors and researches public health data to form programs such as Early Hearing Detection and Intervention, and Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring to start early diagnosis and promote
better health and developmental outcomes. People with disabilities trying to access health care face a variety of obstacles. Many health services and facilities lack accommodations for people with disabilities. These include inconvenient appointment times, outreach services or inaccessible infrastructure in offices. The World Health Organization states that “disability is often not perceived as a health issue,” which makes it harder to bring about changes in disability inclusion in the health sector. Disability inclusion is critical because people with disabilities are three times more likely to be denied health care, are at a higher risk to experience sexual abuse and twice as likely to be malnourished. Fordham Disability Studies Program Sophie Mitra, professor of economics, and Rebecca Sanchez, associate professor of English, launched Fordham’s disability studies program in the spring 2019 semester. Mitra explained that the program’s mission is “to provide students with a background in the ways the concepts of disability and normality are understood” by exploring practical and theoretical approaches to increasing accessibility. The events sponsored by the disability studies program covered related topics on the underrepresentation and historic neglect of those with disabilities. The first event this year was on March 21 and featured Dr. Nicholas Lawson, who serves as
commissioner on the American Bar Association Commission on Disability Rights. Lawson, who lives with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), dyslexia and generalized anxiety disorder, described how graduate students with disabilities continue to be sharply underrepresented in academia. He cited data from the Association of American Medical Colleges, which showed that only 7% of people with an M.D. have a disability. Those living with sensory or mobility impairments make up less than 0.5% of the licensed medical population. People with mental disabilities such as ADHD are also underrepresented in higher education, making up only 0.3% of licensed physicians despite comprising around 3% of the population. These statistics, according to Lawson, contradict common stereotypes that depict those with mental disabilities having easier academic careers. Lawson also discussed how the media often refers to the population of those living with mental disabilities in degenerative or uncontrollable terms. Those living with schizophrenia, for instance, “are consistently seen as being dangerous,” he said. Filing a strong legal discrimination lawsuit requires “textbook-explicit” proof of discriminatory acts, Lawson said. Thus, cases of implicit discrimination, such as cognitive ability tests or mobility requirements, continue to bar people with disabilities from a wide array of occupations. Roy Richard Grinker, a professor of anthropology at George Wash-
ington University, presented the disability studies program’s sixth annual Distinguished Lecture on April 4. He described how aspects of society continue to stigmatize people with disabilities. But he argued that “we are at the cusp of ending the marginalization” of those who were previously deemed “abnormal.” Awareness and Support Disability advocates argue that a more accessible environment will go a long way in destigmatizing disability. Various proposed legislations meant to provide students with disabilities guaranteed resources and protections have been introduced to Congress over the last year, such as the Allied Health Workforce Diversity Act or the Expanding Medical Education Act. Such measures also reflect the disability movement’s many similarities and common causes with other underrepresented or oppressed groups. Lawson argued that “the disability community needs to work more with other marginalized communities” in order to unite their respective demands into a larger movement. “Other marginalized communities would benefit from including people working with disabilities,” he said. Meanwhile, Grinker called on people to view disability and accessibility under a “social model” — viewing your social environment as one that determines “disability” rather than individual characteristics. It hasn’t been until the 21st century, Grinker said, that society has begun to accept “that to be non-normal is to be human.”
Fordham Community Responds to Russia’s Invasion of Ukrain
Students, faculty and staff find different ways to provide aid, such as planning a protest and hosting fundrai By OLIVIA REYES Staff Writer
The ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine has resulted in death, destruction and upheaval. Russia’s war on Ukraine began on Feb. 24, and has resulted in at least 1,417 civilian casualties, according to the United Nations. The Russia-Ukraine war has also led to the displacement of over 10 million people. Many throughout New York City, which is home to over 150,000 Ukrainians, have displayed an outpouring of support for Ukraine. According to Olena Nikolayenko, professor of political science at Fordham Rose Hill, Russia’s war on Ukraine has been long-expected and serves to substantiate Russian President Vladimir Putin’s political standing. “This year marks the centennial of the establishment of the Soviet Union,” she said. “President Putin, I think, has a dream to be known in history, and Russian history in particular, as a politician who reunited all the former Soviet republics.” Nikolayenko believes the Russian government still views the world in a black and white way, as it did during the Cold War, a time when the United States and Soviet Union were two major global powers. Putin’s recent actions have led many to draw comparisons between him and other dictators that emerged prior to World War II. “I think in many ways Putin can be compared to Hitler,” Nikolayenko said. “Some European countries assumed that they could be safe and they could appease Hitler by allowing him to take over some states in Central Eastern Europe, but then of course they didn’t, and they paid a very heavy price.”
Nikolayenko added that the Russian invasion of Georgia in 2008 did not lead to harsh sanctions against Russia, which set a precedent for future Russian aggression. Students Rally for Ukraine Compelled by Russia’s invasion of Georgia in 2008, Elene Jishkariani, Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) ’25 and an international student from Georgia, helped organize a rally in support of Ukrainians two days after Russia first invaded. The rally took place on Feb. 26, beginning on the plaza at Fordham Lincoln Center and later joining a protest at Times Square.
“ It just upsets me so much
that we are carrying on with our normal lives, but there are people who can’t. ”
Julia Kadar, FCLC ’25
“Russia has done the same thing to Georgia in the past,” Jishkariani said. “Us and Ukrainians have been through the same struggle, so we decided to organize something to express our support for our Ukrainian peers.” Jishkariani is not the only Fordham student protesting the Russia-Ukraine war. Julia Kadar, FCLC ’25 and a New
York native of Ukrainian heritage, has been working to provide aid to those affected by the war. “I am kind of living a double life: One that cares about helping people who are suffering right now, and the other part of me is like ‘Oh, I have to study; I have to get good grades, so I can have a good future,’” Kadar said. “But, on the other hand, other people’s futures are being taken away from them.” Kadar added that she is grateful she is in America right now but also feels guilty having a warm bed to sleep in and only having to really worry about getting good grades. She also donated her own winter coats to Ukrainians in need. “Why don’t others care as much as I do?” Kadar asked. ”At this point, I’m just exasperated and frustrated.” When organizing the rally, Jishkariani and other students had reached out via email to The Office of the President, Jenifer Campbell, dean of students at Fordham Lincoln Center, and Chris Rodgers, dean of students at Fordham Rose Hill, to request materials but received no response. “We did email them about giving us resources to print out posters and things like that, and they didn’t even answer,” Jishkariani said. Jishkariani and Kadar have received various responses from the Fordham community. During the on-campus rally organized by Jishkariani and other students who rallied in Times Square, two professors joined the 30 community members in the march.
“It was really nice to see them supporting us. One of them even bought us cough drops after we were shouting, which was really sweet,” Jishkariani said. The same level of enthusiasm wasn’t present during a donation tabling Kadar arranged on the plaza level entrance of the Leon Lowenstein Center. At the tabling, Kadar offered Insomnia Cookies to those who donated but said that students remained uninterested. Some students walked past the table or asked to have a cookie without thinking of contributing any money to the cause. “It just upsets me so much that we are carrying on with our normal lives, but there are people who can’t. There are people who are literally running from death and that breaks my heart,” Kadar said. Nikolayenko said that in the West some perceive Ukrainians and Russians as belonging to the same cultural identity. “Many people in the West did not really see a big difference between Ukrainians and Russians,” Nikolayenko said. “The president of Russia and Russian propaganda, including RT (Russia Today), propagated the idea that there is no nation of Ukrainians, that they don’t exist, that there is just one nation: Russians.” Aside from being its own sovereign nation, Ukraine has a distinct culture separate from Russia. In a NPR interview, Yale professor Timothy Snyder depicted how Ukrainian culture echoes European culture and followed the path of Renaissance, Reformation and Enlightenment. “Ukraine has its own language, but also a distinct tradition in poetry and literature, which is rather beautiful,” Snyder said.
COURTESY OF JULIA KADAR
Content warning: The photo contains profanity. A rally held in support of Ukraine on Feb. 26 began on the plaza and then moved to Times Square.
Critiques on Administration’s Response An official statement from the Rev. Joseph M. McShane, S.J., was sent out to the Fordham community via email on Feb. 25. The email quoted Pope Francis’ call for the examination of God as a God of peace and not a God of war, and asked for prayers to be sent to those in Ukraine. It also stated that the university would reach out to students with Ukrainian and Russian backgrounds to offer the university’s support. Kadar’s resident director did reach out to her a few days after the email was sent out, however Kadar felt that that alone was not enough action on the part of the university. “Fordham kind of doesn’t want to be so involved, and I understand it’s a political thing and we have Russian students as well, but other universities are standing in solidarity with what’s occurring, and it was kind of disheartening to say the least,” Kadar said. Both Kadar and Jishkariani expressed dissatisfaction with the actions of Fordham University officials and the administration. Kadar noted that other institutions expressed their solidarity with the people of Ukraine and Ukrainian students in a faster and more declarative way. New York University held a vigil for the people in Ukraine and Ukrainian students on Feb. 28, with over 400 students in attendance. In comparison, Fordham did not hold a prayer service until March 10, which had less than 20 people in attendance. Kadar also expressed frustration with Fordham’s Giving Day, a fundraiser dediOLIVIA REYES/THE OBSERVER
Campus Ministry hosted a multi-faith prayer service for peace and democracy on the plaza on March 10.
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COURTESY OF JULIA KADAR
Julia Kadar, FCLC’25, waving a Ukrainian flag in Times Square.
to donating money to different pros and parts of Fordham University. 0,483 was raised, with the largest nt, $395,829, being directed to the ics department. They (the departments) were posting memes on Instagram. Sure they were , but it aggravated me because you need money right now,” Kadar said. people who need money are the ones are trying to cross the border from a one to somewhere safe.” hkariani hopes that when addresse war in the future, the university is e open about it and they voice their on more clearly to show us what posihey’re in and that they are supporting ough these hard times.”
m very glad my team and my school supports me. ”
Rostyslav Novitskyi, FCRH ’24
dham Basketball Stands With Teammate
styslav Novitskyi, Fordham College se Hill ’24 and player for the men’s tball team, was born in Kyiv, Ukraine. skiy wore the Ukrainian flag on his tball jersey in a game against the Uniy of Massachusetts (UMass) on Feb. d scored a career-high of 10 points. s really hard right now to focus on hing else, but basketball is helping,”
Novitskyi told the New York Post following Fordham’s victory against UMass. Basketball has acted as a distraction for Novitskyi and the Fordham men’s basketball team has been doing everything they can to comfort their teammate, according to the New York Post. The men’s basketball team wore the Ukrainian flag on their jerseys and the flag of Ukraine draped over the Rams’ bench as well. “I’m very glad my team and my school supports me,” Novistskyi told the New York Post. The Fordham rugby team held a fundraiser called “Chorizo for Ukraine” on April 3 to help raise money. The cost for entry was $25 for players and alumni and there is a link on the Fordham Rugby Instagram account for those who were unable to attend the fundraiser but would still like to donate. Fordham Departments Promote Resources Departments within Fordham, such as the Center for Jewish Studies and the English department have displayed their support for Ukraine. The English department promoted a talk held over Zoom, where Ukrainian writer Kateryna Babkina shared her story and her experience escaping the bombs from the invasion. In collaboration with the American Academy for Jewish Research (AAJR) and the New York Public Library (NYPL), the Center for Jewish Studies is inviting Ukrainian scholars affected by Russia’s war on Ukraine to apply for fellowships. The fellowships are prioritized for scholars of Jewish studies
and consist of a $5,000 stipend, access to library resources at both Fordham and the NYPL and the ability to network with faculty members within the AAJR and the university. The fellowship intends to aid those affected by the war by providing support and remote access to resources. The political science and international studies departments also held a roundtable discussion on March 10 with professors from the political science department to discuss the implications of Russia’s war on Ukraine and the capabilities of a response from the international community. Laura Auricchio, dean of FCLC, began including the Ukrainian flag emoticon alongside events related to the Russia-Ukraine war in the “FCLC Updates and Resources” emails sent out to FCLC students starting March 9. The most recent email sent on March 31 promoted an event from the Russia-Ukraine War: Scholars of War Lecture Series held over Zoom on April 1 that discussed existing structures of power and hierarchies in culture and academia and their relation to Ukraine. The university recently launched the Fordham Ukraine Crisis Student Support Fund, which has raised $2,000 so far. The donations will be used to assist Ukrainian and Russian students who now face uncharted financial difficulties. Money raised from the fundraiser will go toward housing, food, traveling and other necessities needed by Ukrainian and Russian students. Trustee Fellow Kim Bepler has promised to match every donation up to $50,000.
COURTESY OF JULIA KADAR
About 30 Fordham community members and two professors joined together in the march from campus to Times Square.
Opinions Editors Clara Gerlach Isabella Scipioni opinions@fordhamobserver.com
Opinions
April 6, 2022 THE OBSERVER
Don’t Sleep on ASMR
How the ASMR community on YouTube helped me get some rest AVA PEABODY Former Opinions Editor
I have never been a fan of Trisha Paytas. The YouTuber is notoriously problematic, constantly inflaming petty internet drama and generating new scandals at ear-splitting volumes. They have always just struck me as frightening. However, they’re also one of the main reasons I’ve gotten any sleep over the past two years. About a year ago, I found Trisha’s video unboxing their new Apple Watch. It rocketed to the top of my favorite ASMR (autonomous sensory meridian response) videos, and I began watching it religiously to take naps, sleep or just relax, especially during the return to in-person classes this past fall. In direct contrast to their typical obnoxious and loud persona, their voice is soft and reassuring in their ASMR videos. I have never seen the end of the Apple Watch video because I’m sound asleep by the time they take out the instruction manual every single time. In 2015, Trisha discovered and briefly joined the online ASMR community, where people make videos designed to produce a psychological and physiological sensation known as an autonomous sensory meridian response in the viewer. ASMR is often described as “tingles” in the brain or up the spine, a type of enjoyable paresthesia, combined with a sense of relaxation and satisfaction. You might have felt it when a friend played with your hair or when someone whispered really quietly near your ear. The Apple Watch video was not my first rodeo — in kindergarten, long before I had a word for the phenomenon, I felt ASMR tingles while watching a friend draw. I have been watching ASMR videos since 2017, when I stumbled across a video of someone brushing a microphone and found out that the sensation I had felt as a kindergartener was a well-documented phenomenon. I’m not the only one who relies on ASMR. There have been ASMR videos on YouTube for over a decade, but the genre began enjoying real popularity in the mid-2010s with the rise of creators like Gibi ASMR and ASMR Darling,
who now have millions of subscribers. The content also has other uses beyond tingles and naps: Comments under ASMR videos are perpetually filled with gratitude from viewers who cite ASMR as their personal antidote to everything from PTSD to panic attacks to depression. Although the ASMR community has grown significantly as more people find out the experience is not unusual, ASMR content has not been treated very fairly in wider pop culture. The online ASMR community contains a wealth of videos covering a variety of “triggers,” as ASMR creators call them. These can include auditory triggers, like striking a match or tapping on a book, or visual ones, like sorting colored markers into different piles or drawing. I understand the urge to shudder at videos of people eating lunch or touching slime — personally, I don’t like those triggers either.
Putting on some ASMR gives me a tangible way to flip the switch from day to night, awake to asleep. I understand YouTuber commentators scoffing at the more absurd and cringey roleplays. Even the idea of watching people perform mundane tasks can seem odd. But reducing the whole genre to its most divisive components misses the vast and fascinating variety of ASMR content available. Writing off all ASMR as gross or bizarre ignores how life-changing it can be to people just trying to get some rest. A video of someone sorting markers by color might strike you as weird, but it’s not hurting anyone. Personal aversion to some sounds is no reason to discount what is largely a beneficial remedy. My favorite videos, like Trisha’s, feature people doing everyday activities like flipping through magazines or reorganizing shelves, because it reminds me that there are billions of other people
out there just going about their day, which I find to be a relaxing thought. When I first began watching ASMR videos, I was mostly after the pleasant sensation of tingles. But that changed when the pandemic hit, and I found it increasingly difficult to quiet my mind before bed. I have historically been quick to sleep and hard to wake, but I found myself struggling to delineate between daytime and sleep time without hours of restlessness in between. I began putting on ASMR videos to give me something to focus on, and I found that they helped me settle down instantly. Now, as my various roommates can attest, I’m regularly out before the 10-minute mark. Without it, I would be a sleep-deprived shell of the person I am now. I think ASMR works so well because the act of choosing a video instantly signals to my brain that it’s time to sleep. Establishing a regular sleep schedule during college can be difficult, particularly when your days are varied because of assignments due and meetings to join. And if you, like me, tend to leave your schoolwork until the last minute, you might find yourself working late into the night. It can be hard to quickly make the transition from anxiously writing an essay to a deep slumber, especially when you already have trouble sleeping. And not everyone has time for an elaborate nighttime routine to wind down. (If I sound bitter, it’s because I am — I have never managed to stick to a nighttime routine in my life, despite the beauty gurus telling me it’s a must.) Repeatedly failing to stick to a 10step self-care regimen frustrates me so much because I know for a fact that the process would help me relax before bed, but I often can’t find the energy or motivation to do so, leaving me to just brush my teeth and crash. Putting on ASMR gives me a tangible way to flip the switch from day to night, awake to asleep. Trisha has recently returned to making ASMR content after seven years, a revival so random that I’m almost convinced it was an act of pity from Trisha as they saw me return to the Apple Watch video every night. Even though I’m still hesitant to praise Trisha for much, I am grateful for the sleep.
Observer the
Editor-in-Chief Katrina Lambert
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Opinions
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Quit the PDA, OK?
Getting handsy with your significant other is fine, but not when your roommate is making toast Dear PDA-phobic Philosophy Major, Managing situations with roommates, especially ones relating to significant others, is never easy. In fact, it’s usually hell on Earth. But it’s crucial to open lines of communication early, especially when other students are intruding on your living spaces and making you feel uncomfortable. Spaces like living rooms and lounges are communal, and that
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Dear Em, My roommate just started seeing another Fordham student, and I am so glad that they are happy! There’s only one problem: They’re always hanging out in our common spaces. How can I ask my roommate to quit with the PDA when I’m in the room? - PDA-phobic Philosophy Major
means that you have every right to set some boundaries on what is acceptable. Watching your roommate make out with their partner is surely not something that most people would like to experience, so you are absolutely allowed to communicate that it bothers you. Awkward conversations aren’t fun — and I can tell by the way you opened your question that you care deeply about your roommate — but you absolutely have the right to advocate for yourself and your right to privacy. Make sure that you
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open the conversation in a productive way. Coming off as combative and angry will only make your roommate defensive and prone to lashing out. Remind your roommate that you love them and support their relationship with their partner but that you need a little more distance from their public displays of affection. If you share a room with this particular roommate, work on creating a system for when they need alone time. While a sock on the door is the definition of cliché, subtle signals and warnings can help your roommate have the private time that they need. Make sure to set restrictions on this system as well so that your roommate does not exile you from your room for extended periods of time on a regular basis. You can also ask that the system be implemented in their partner’s apartment as well so that they are not constantly in your living spaces. Hopefully, with a bit more privacy, your roommate will be less likely to utilize common spaces. Lastly, check the roommate agreement. While it might have seemed like a joke at the beginning of the semester, having a document to refer back to when dealing with situations like these is helpful. If your roommate responds negatively to your conversation and a residential assistant needs to become involved, make sure that you understand the living agreements that you both made early on in your relationship.
Try to honor the plans that you formed at the beginning of the semester, and if your statements don’t line up with how you actually feel, work on adjusting the agreement with your roommate. Talking about issues like these in theory is always different than experiencing them in real-time, so don’t be afraid to ask for slight amendments as the semester moves forward. If you don’t live on campus, consider forming a roommate agreement of your own. Its always helpful to have guidelines on boundaries, especially if situations arise that require mediation.
Have questions about love or relationships in NYC or Fordham? Ask Em! Submit your dilemma with a pseudonym to opinions@fordhamobserver.com. All questions will be anonymous, and names will be changed. Submissions may be edited for grammar and brevity.
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Opinions
April 6, 2022 THE OBSERVER
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Rams Discuss: Ketanji Brown Jackson’s Supreme Court Confirmation Hearing
Fordham students share their thoughts on the legacy of confirmation hearings and the importance of having more public defenders on the bench
The Case Against Nomination Hearings ISABELLA SCIPIONI Opinions Editor
Two weeks ago, the Senate held a four day confirmation hearing for U.S. Supreme Court nominee Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson. If confirmed, Jackson will be the first Black woman to serve on the court and the third Black justice ever to serve. Jackson was presented with offensive and irrelevant questions throughout the hearing in the Senate’s most recent embarrassing installment of political theater. Key moments from the hearing include Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) asking Jackson to define the word “woman,” Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) asking the justice to rate how religious she is and Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) reading from a children’s book and asking Jackson if she thinks babies are racist. Some political commentators expressed disappointment in the hearing and stated that women of color often face the unprofessional and demeaning behavior used by white senators in Jackson’s hearing. Jackson was repeatedly questioned on her qualifications as a judge and was asked questions about critical race theory, criminal justice and white privilege, all irrelevant to the work she would
do if approved to serve on the Supreme Court. Jackson is not the first marginalized Supreme Court nominee to face discrimination during their confirmation hearing based on their race and gender. In fact, Supreme Court confirmation hearings were created to do just that. At America’s founding, the president would nominate a Supreme Court justice and the Senate would simply vote “yay” or “nay” on each nominee without holding a hearing to discuss the nominee. That changed when President Woodrow Wilson nominated Justice Louis Brandeis for the Supreme Court in 1916. Brandeis was the first Jewish judge to be nominated to the Court, and until then, the vast majority of justices were white, Protestant men. The Senate held their first-ever confirmation hearing for Brandeis, which was seeped in anti-semitism. It took the Senate a record four months to confirm Brandeis. Other nominees like Thurgood Marshall, the Court’s first Black justice, have continued to be harassed based on their identities through this process. This demonstrates that confirmation hearings have historically been used to keep certain communities from advancing to the nation’s highest court. Supreme Court confirmation hearings have also been criticized
for senators’ laughable and flagrant attempts to pursue political agendas and block Supreme Court nominees based on the party of the president who nominated them and the nominee’s perceived political bias. Supreme Court justices are not meant to be political representatives, but rather judicial experts whose job is to issue decisions on complex legal principles based on precedents set by the Court. Justices are not meant to answer to public opinion or issue decisions based on any political agendas, as the issues they decide are oftentimes far more complex and long-lasting than any current political issue. For this reason, justices are appointed by presidents and confirmed by the Senate — not elected by the people; they serve lifetime appointments so they are not pressured to appeal to the public in order to keep their positions. Supreme Court justices should examine each issue in an impartial and nonpolitical manner. However, they are often questioned on political issues at their confirmation hearings that have nothing to do with their prospective position on the court. Confirmation hearings send the message that Supreme Court appointments should be politically motivated, but the Constitution and the precedent set by the
Court in the early days of the U.S. discourage a political mindset on the bench. Senators who ask nominees questions such as if they think babies are racist make a mockery of this institution. In bringing politics into the formation of the Court, we risk losing the integrity of this institution and reducing it to nothing more than another political body whose whim changes as quickly as public opinion. Senators pretend to understand the complexities of constitutional law and ensure that Supreme Court nominees are qualified for their position when, in reality, they are often trying to prevent marginalized voices from entering the Court and soft launching their latest political agenda. It is worth questioning whether or not confirmation hearings are the best way to put justices on the Court. The current nomination system is, at best, inefficient and, at worst, an exclusionary tradition that could completely change the
function of the Court as we know it. Whether we proceed by changing our standards at confirmation hearings or finding a different way to ensure that nominees are a good fit for the Court, we must at the very least encourage senators to challenge exclusionary beliefs that are ingrained in our political system and to preserve the integrity of our institutions. This is, of course, easier said than done, but our current system is not working. The only way to save the Court from being another government institution dominated by the changing political will of white men is to adapt the way that we approach forming it and encourage our politicians to hold our institutions accountable. Otherwise, we will be left with nothing more than an empty shell of what the Court was intended to be.
GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATION BY TARA LENTELL/THE OBSERVER
In Defense of Public Defenders ALYSSA MACALUSO Head Copy Editor
In the early 1960s, a poor Florida man was accused of a felony and sent to trial without counsel. The man, who represented himself and lost the case, appealed to the Supreme Court. The resulting 1963 decision, Gideon v. Wainwright, solidified Americans’ right to counsel and the duty of states to provide counsel if the defendant cannot afford one in order to ensure a free and fair trial. After this case and the 1972 Supreme Court case Argersinger v. Hamlin (which extended right to an attorney for those charged with misdemeanor offenses), the public defender sector burgeoned. Today, public defenders play an indispensable role in protecting and upholding the rights guaranteed under these cases, the Sixth Amendment and the Fourteenth Amendment’s Due Process clause. Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson could make history as the Court’s first Black woman and first public defender in a generation if she is confirmed by the Senate at the
end of the week. Jackson, who has an Ivy League education and more qualifications and experience than some current justices on the Supreme Court, faced unnecessary backlash about her role as a public defender during her confirmation hearing. However, she would bring the much-needed public defender perspective to the Supreme Court, which has been lacking it for far too long. According to a March 2022 analysis of data collected from 2010 to 2019 by professors at Harvard University, only about 8% of federal judges have experience as public defenders. NPR reported a similar statistic in a March 5, 2022, segment on “All Things Considered,” referencing data from the Federal Judicial Center that puts the number of public defenders-turned-federal judges at only 7%. In that same segment, host Michel Martin interviewed Martín Sabelli, a former public defender who currently trains aspiring public defenders. Sabelli explained that there were both internal and external factors that contributed to this disparity but cites external factors as being more influential.
One issue he describes is “the inertia problem,” or the pipeline from elite law schools to corporate law firms to government jobs in the legal field, which is a pattern most Supreme Court picks follow and one likely to result in a less controversial Senate confirmation hearing. The other external factor he identifies is “systemic bias.” Holding a position as a public defender, providing counsel to those convicted of crimes, is cause for many to label someone like Jackson as “soft on crime,” an insult Republicans like to hurl at liberals. Jackson has not escaped any of her confirmation hearings unscathed. In her 2012 confirmation hearing for her appointment to the federal district court, Sen. Charles Grassley (R-IA) remarked that there was “some concern about how (she) will handle terrorism cases” due to her work as a public defender on a case regarding the rights of a prisoner at Guantánamo Bay. The same case was brought up during her 2021 confirmation hearing for her appointment to the United States Court of Appeals D.C. Circuit
when Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR) insinuated that Jackson did not care about national security risks. Sen. Ben Sasse (R-NE) took a slightly different track to critique Jackson’s public defender background for her 2021 hearing when he demanded to know if Jackson was worried about her work resulting in “more violent criminals — including gun criminals — being put back on the streets?” Most recently, Jackson again defended her public defender background during her 2022 confirmation hearing by reiterating the important role public defenders play in the U.S., particularly as protectors of individuals’ civil liberties and rights. “Defense lawyers perform a service, and our system is exemplary throughout the world precisely because we ensure that people who are accused of crimes are treated fairly,” she asserted. In her 2021 confirmation hearing, Jackson also affirmed that her decision to work as a public defender has allowed her to better understand the inner workings of the criminal justice system not only from the perspective of the
government but also from those petitioning it, something those in the legal field have pointed to as a deficit in the experience of current Supreme Court justices. The Sixth Amendment guarantees our right to a fair trial. If our judicial decision-makers are only trained to view cases from the side of the government, it jeopardizes everyday citizens’ chances of receiving impartial justice. We need more public defenders on the bench because they have worked with the indigent, the disadvantaged and those otherwise precluded from a fair trial. Though the Biden administration has been trying to address this deficit, with about 30 percent of Biden’s federal court nominees having experience in public defending, much work remains. Even if Jackson is confirmed, the liberal justices will still be in the minority and the ideology of the Court is not expected to shift much. However, the invaluable perspective she will bring to the Court invites room for optimism. With Jackon’s confirmation, the highest court in the land is better equipped to fairly represent the people of the United States.
Arts & Culture Editors Isabella Gonzalez Olivia Stern arts@fordhamobserver.com
Arts & Culture
April 6, 2022 THE OBSERVER
Meet These Fordham Ramfluencers
Rose Hill student content creators take pride in producing Ram Cam videos to convey their lives at Fordham By OLIVIA LEDUC Asst. Features Editor
Julian Ogawa, Fordham College at Rose Hill (FCRH) ’25, and Charles “Charlie” Phillips, FCRH ’24, have a thing or two to say about what it means to be a Ramfluencer: They show a slice of what Fordham life is like for prospective and current students. Fordham “Ramfluencers” is the title assigned to student volunteers who film short videos (called Ram Cams) of their Fordham experience, posted on the university’s YouTube channel and Instagram page. Ram Cams supply the particulars of what life at Fordham may look like and offer exposure to what students can do during their time at Fordham. “The purpose of making them (Ram Cams) was to inform prospective students who do not go to Fordham about information they may want to know before making the decision to apply or enroll here,” Phillips said. He added that the videos serve to distribute tips for current students, to which Ogawa agreed. “I like to send it (Ram Cams) out and share it with the world … and feed into the whole ‘I go to Fordham’ idea,” Ogawa said, hoping to add a different outlook of on-campus life for current students. Both of these Ramfluencers have a background in vlogging as a hobby, which partly led to their interest in becoming Ramfluencers. Phillips decided to join the Ramfluencer team at the be-
ginning of the spring semester because he wanted to be more involved with the Fordham community, and it is an extracurricular activity he now thoroughly enjoys doing. “I really enjoy Fordham and wanted to share that with others ... The combination of this passion (vlogging) with creating something for Fordham really appealed to me, so I made the decision to become a Ramfluencer,” he said. Ogawa followed suit and began producing Ram Cams in February after encouragement from family and friends. Despite initially being skeptical of participating as a content creator and how much of an obligation it would be, Ogawa, too, has come to enjoy this newfound interest. “I wasn’t sure if at first I wanted to become (a Ramfluencer) or how big of a commitment it was, but my friend and mom asked me to give it a try,” Ogawa said. Other bonuses, aside from being able to film for the benefit of Fordham students, include no strict deadlines and a small commission. Ogawa likes to create content in collaboration with his pastime of vlogging. Both Ramfluencers have posted two Ram Cams each, focused on informing the audience what it is like to be a Fordham student and adding their own creative tastes of on-campus life. Phillips’ first video featured his commute between the Lincoln Center and Rose Hill cam-
puses as a student based at the latter campus, unveiling the proximity of the FCRH campus to Manhattan and ways to take advantage of it. His second video highlighted different places to study at FCRH. Ogawa wanted to include his own original twist in the Ram Cam production from the typical “formal” approach usually taken — instead of simply rattling off information to the audience, Ogawa wanted to take a clever route. In his first video, Ogawa showed himself dancing in the rain at Rose Hill to get through a gloomy day in NYC. “I just remember thinking of vlog (ideas) and felt it was becoming more repetitive, so I asked myself, ‘What can I do to make them more interesting?’” Ogawa said. “Instead of just talking to the camera, it’s better to show them what it’s all about,” he said. Thus, the Ram Cam aimed to reveal the concept of a joyous Fordham experience was posted for students to see. Phillips and Owaga both felt that being Ramfluencers has earned them a feeling of pride while portraying Fordham life. “I had pride in being a Fordham student long before I became a Ramfluencer, but being able to represent the school in a small way makes me all the more prideful,” Phillips said. There are plans in preparation for each Ramfluencer to create more videos in the near future. Ogawa is set to have a new Ram Cam posted soon, while Phillips is toying with the
idea of making a Ram Cam centered around the charm of Fordham’s “Magic Society” club. Both Ramfluencers encourage students to give being a Ramfluencers a go if they’re interested in both filming videos
and informing the student body on Fordham. Any students who wish to become a Ramfluencer must reach out to the Office of University Marketing and Communication to apply.
COURTESY OF JULIAN OGAWA
Julian Ogawa, Fordham College at Rose Hill ’25, started producing Ram Cams for the university three months ago.
‘White Rabbit, Red Rabbit’: Actor and Audience Descend Into Writer’s Wonderland
The structure of the theater is flipped on its head in Fordham’s adaptation of Nassim Soleimanpour’s play WHITE RABBIT from page 1
Upon arriving at the theater, each participant receives a mask either declaring their consent to participate in the show or indicating wishes to remain an observer. With this, each observer receives a packet with a program and instruction sheet, grant-
ing them permission to move around pieces of the set. After entering the rabbit-inspired carnival entrance, what was once the stage is now a playground for the audience to explore. Just some of these transferable props include boxes full of matchbox cars, old technological equipment, candy and other
COURTESY OF HELEN HYLTON
Amanda Morrow, FCLC ’22, makes use of props in the ever-changing production.
collectible trinkets that can be found under the couch and in hidden nooks in your childhood home. There was such a surplus of material that the audience could not determine where the story was going, which props will become essential, and which will remain forgotten collectibles from youth. I even tried to plant a few items — an inconvenient crayon placed in a boxing glove hanging from the ceiling, a walkie talkie placed under someone’s chair, a Staples “Easy” button down the middle row — hoping their placement would result in some involvement, even if by accident or inconvenience. (Those first two actually worked out.) But even then, what has been planted cannot be planned. Everyone in the theater is united in the unpredictability of the next hour. The show had no run-through — no traditional rehearsal where the actors perfect their performance under the guidance of a director. There is even no formal director, though producer/sound designer Emily Hoffert, Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) ’22, takes on that role for the show as part of her directorial showcase. “I am not a director,” she confessed. “What I’ve been doing in this process isn’t really directing. What I see myself doing directorially is bringing together a
group of people who would all be very well-suited to work in a multidisciplinary context.” Each night of the performance stars a different actor who delivers a cold read of the play and becomes familiar with its story alongside the audience watching. The actors — Amanda Morrow, FCLC ’22; Tyler Bey, FCLC ’24; Isabella Acuña, FCLC ’25; Pedro González, FCLC ’22; and Samantha Bohrer, FCLC ’23 — all take risks as performers prohibited from practicing and perfecting their performance. Nobody knows how the performance each night will go, how it will change or how it will stay the same. Every participant in the theater has been placed on the same equal footing. Hoffert speaks of this project as a venture into the unknown, learning to trust the unpredictable nature of performance and finding value in the process regardless of the outcome on show nights. The script also calls for the direct involvement of the audience, reaching out to them to join the actor on stage to perform different tasks and tell various parts of the story. As someone who indicated my consent, I was one of the first lucky few (or unlucky, depending on how well you work under pressure) to be called up to participate. I stood there with Bey as we struggled to carry out the
instructions as they were written. Coming in, Bey was told to “look for a file” and given no other instruction besides becoming familiar with his surroundings. It was interesting to stand before an audience with someone who also had no idea how things were supposed to go, and in these moments the audience becomes just as much a performer as the actor becomes a viewer. What makes this show so special is that it amplifies and challenges the traditional power dynamics of the theater. Hoffert elaborates on this flip of the script, claiming, “You are never going to receive the same composition of audience members night by night the people in the room are never the same. What I love about this show is that it really puts focus on the (ever-changing) unpredictability of theater. That hour is never coming back.” The show itself is a complex story that uses allegory and weaponizes the excitement and insecurity of being completely unsure of what is going to happen next. The actual content of the play I cannot divulge too much about, as Solemainpour has gone to extreme lengths to keep the script confidential and exclusive to the temporal space of performance. But, I guess that just means you are going to have to go and play around for yourself sometime.
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April 6, 2022
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Arts & Culture
15
Body Inclusivity in the Fashion Industry: One Step Forward, Two Steps Back
Models, influencers and photographers maintain that the fashion industry is not yet inclusive By CARRIE BERK Staff Writer
Designers and magazine headlines preach progress in body positivity, but the fashion industry is far from inclusive. Although companies have made efforts to introduce plus-size clothing and models, experiences of exclusivity still linger. For 31-year-old model Nathalia Novaes, surrendering to industry standards proved detrimental to her mental health. She views the fashion industry as the catalyst for her eating disorder, a struggle she endured for seven years as a model. “I built this international career that I’m super grateful for, but I built that with a body that wasn’t really natural because I was dieting all the time,” she explained. “I was never able to relax around food. I was always hungry.” When Novaes was a size four, clients started to complain about her weight. “I was called a balloon,” she said. “I have big hips, and I think they’re beautiful, but I’m not like the stereotypical model that’s a straight line.” Eventually, Novaes’ work stopped completely. She dropped her agency, Elite Model Management, who was eager to let her go. “I told my agency that I was leaving, and they said they were relieved because I wasn’t getting any work,” Novaes said. Influencer Carly Weinstein also suffers from the effects of body exclusivity. “There’s always been a theme of looking down upon people in larger bodies,” she said. “I’m an average-size person, but I’ve been excluded from certain fashion brands growing up, and still now.”
And it’s not just models and influencers feeling this tension: Photographers avoid shooting larger bodies as well. “Body exclusivity has been the norm for a fairly good portion of my career,” photographer Alvin Toro said. “Everything from the runway shows to editorials, advertisements and catalog shoots have been and still are plagued with outdated beauty ‘standards.’ The 1990s brought digital image manipulation and the rise of the supermodel. With them came the unrealistic beauty standards we are still fighting against today.” Toro even admits falling into patterns of body exclusivity in his own shoots. “It was almost impossible to have anyone consider your work if the models did not fit the editor’s vision,” he said. “Because of the top-down way the industry works, advertising agencies and brands would adopt a similar stance.” Fashion Week in particular has failed to champion body inclusivity. Novaes cites Brazil Fashion Week as a triggering, toxic experience. “All the models are really focused on not gaining weight. Nobody’s actually eating,” she said. “I remember going back to my home with this mental exhaustion and feeling of hunger. I couldn’t eat because I had all of these shows.” Toro is privy to industry pressures as well. “The way the industry has developed and the shows are produced, the norm is to have the standard sample size for every garment,” he said. In an industry that still struggles to be body inclusive, it is up to the models, influencers and
photographers as individuals to spark change. After years of dieting, Novaes decided enough was enough. “I sent an email to my agents and said, ‘Okay, I’m probably going to gain weight, but I’m just not going to diet. I don’t want to hear any comments about my body anymore,” she said. Weinstein posts body-positive content to her 380,000 TikTok followers. “I want to encourage women that it’s not all about your body. We have so much more to offer to the world beyond our size,” she said. However, some efforts to demonstrate body inclusivity are disingenuous. Designers often use plus-size models to check off a box and avoid criticism or controversy. Novaes said that as plus-size fashion became more mainstream, the fashion industry realized they could profit by tokenizing curvy models. “There were not a lot of jobs for a girl like me, whereas now, you see girls with full careers,” she said. TikTok star Remi Bader is a pioneer of the plus-size population in the fashion industry. The influencer was named brand ambassador and size consultant for Victoria’s Secret Pink. She also recently announced a size-inclusive collaboration with Revolve and is heavily involved in the design process. Although progress has been made, people are still excluded from the fashion industry because of their size. “Whenever (designers) want to cast someone diverse, they go for the extreme. They think, ‘Okay, putting this plus-size woman in makes us inclusive,’” Novaes said. The model sees it as
an either-or situation: You’re either plus-size or you’re not, and there is no in between. Body-inclusive efforts are seen as a rebellion against the status quo. Larger sizes are not yet normalized in the fashion industry — every curvy campaign or runway show is given special attention. Designers receive hon-
orable mentions for introducing a greater size range, and it is not considered why those sizes weren’t present to begin with. The fashion industry is introducing more body-positive movements but at the expense of curvy models and influencers, who are either taken advantage of or excluded altogether.
COURTESY OF LYDIA HUDGENS
More inclusivity means healthier bodies in the fashion industry.
‘The 2022 Oscars’: A Slap in the Face
Will Smith’s altercation with Chris Rock overshadowed the historic winners at the Academy Awards By MICHAEL MATHEWS Staff Writer
In a shocking turn of events, the Academy got exactly what it was looking for: an increase in viewership, media attention and a ceremony that surely will not be forgotten. All it took was Will Smith publicly assaulting comedian Chris Rock over a joke to get people talking about the Oscars again, albeit for all the wrong reasons. Unfortunately, the incident between Smith and Rock has completely overshadowed the winners and positive moments during the ceremony.
When it happened, I was in shock, and immediately checked Twitter to see if the incident was real. After seeing the uncensored Japanese version along with videos of Bradley Cooper, Tyler Perry and Denzel Washington trying to calm down Smith during the next commercial break, there was no doubt that it was. For the next half hour or so, I couldn’t stop looking at the live reactions across Twitter and Instagram, completely missing speeches from key categories like best original song and best director. It was very disappointing for an Oscars fan like myself that the incident had transpired because for
GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATION BY ROXANNE CUBERO/THE OBSERVER
almost a year, I had been following the Oscar races very closely, and then that one moment completely stole my attention. The night was ruined for me and, more importantly, for some of the nominees and winners. To make matters worse, Smith gave probably the most uncomfortable and confusing speech in Oscars history. He justified his actions by stating that “love will make you do crazy things,” and that after making “King Richard,” he was inspired to develop the mindset of “being called on in (his) life to love people and to protect people and to be a river to (his) people.” So much for love, Will. Rock handled the incident professionally and made a joke of the situation, transitioning rather smoothly to the best documentary feature category. Moving on from the clown show of an event that will probably be the only thing remembered from the night, here are some positives including the hosts, live performances and historic wins that people should be talking about. The three hosts during the night were Amy Schumer, Wanda Sykes and our very own Fordham Ram, Regina Hall, Fordham College at Rose Hill ’92. I thought that the hosts did a great job with their jokes and bits, particularly their strong opening monologue following Beyoncé’s powerful performance for her Oscar-nominated song “Be Alive” from “King Richard.”
Hall had some of the more memorable jokes and bits, like her comments about the attractiveness of Timothée Chalamet and J.K. Simmons, and LeBron James’ artificially created hairline in “Space Jam: A New Legacy.” The Oscars even managed to spruce things up a little bit for movie fans through several tributes to iconic movies and franchises. Some of the best were tributes to the James Bond and The Godfather franchises, in addition to cast reunions from “White Men Can’t Jump” and “Pulp Fiction.” The live performances from this year were entertaining, particularly the two performances from Disney’s “Encanto.” Sebastián Yatra performed “Dos Oruguitas” with vulnerability and emotion, blending well with the two stage dancers and the beautiful outfits the performers wore. Later in the ceremony, the cast of “Encanto” was joined by Megan Thee Stallion to perform a vibrant and energetic rendition of “We Don’t Talk About Bruno.” There were also some historic precedents set with the winners this year. Ariana DeBose won best supporting actress for her portrayal of Anita in “West Side Story,” which actress Rita Moreno won for the same role in 1961 in the original “West Side Story.” DeBose is the first openly queer Afro Latina to win an acting Oscar, and she delivered an emo-
tional and powerful speech about the importance of embracing your identity. Jane Campion won best director for “The Power of the Dog,” which is the third time a woman has won the award and the second year in a row following Chloé Zhao’s win last year for “Nomadland.” Troy Kotsur became the first deaf man to win an Oscar for his uplifting and comical role in “CODA.” Kotsur stole the hearts of everyone in his speech with a joke about wanting to teach President Joe Biden curse words when he visited the White House, and with aheartfelt thank you to his dad and to the deaf community. Finally, Apple TV+’s “CODA” won best picture, becoming the first movie from a streaming service to win best picture. It was a pleasant surprise to see “CODA” win, as it was seen as neck-in-neck with “The Power of the Dog” for the winner of the big prize of the night. Other than “CODA,” there were not any surprises in the winners, and “Dune” ended up taking home the most Oscars with six. Ultimately, let’s hope that next year, the Oscars can avoid another live televised disaster and return as a symbol of the celebration of art, equality and unity that it is supposed to be. In the words of the great Sir Anthony Hopkins, “Let’s have peace and love and quiet.”
Fun & Games Editor Kreena Vora puzzles@fordhamobserver.com
un & ames
April 6, 2022 THE OBSERVER
Crossword: Signs of Spring Across
CROSSWORD BY KREENA VORA
Bombus
Anthophoridae Aspoidea
1. On ; created in hopes someone will buy 5. Free to 9. Delete on paper 14. “Othello” antagonist 15. Joy 16. Heavy rock type? 17. *Like spring plants 19. Play piano badly 20. “Be Our ” 21. Borders 22. Outfits 25. Victims 26. Domestic donkeys 27. *Springs up 31. Oblong shapes 32. Averages 33. Dry 34. Cleaning cloths 35. Color with a brush 36. A female bug? 37. Boxer Muhammad 38. They’re often flipped 39. of judges 40. *An ugly one in spring may be a beautiful swan in summer 42. Metal bracelet 43. Top news story 44. One throwing a party
45. Fight against 48. Espresso with milk 49. Came up, as a problem 50. *A flying spring monarch 54. There are usually two in an argument 55. Milk’s favorite cookie 56. Opposite of always, in poem 57. Metaphorical counterpart of head 58. Semester 59. Tennis has three or five
Down 1. Lady , Asgardian warrior 2. Friend 3. A big head 4. Square dance partner 5. Says yes! 6. Happiness 7. The 40 days before Easter for Catholics 8. Brain waves test (Abbr.) 9. Queen 10. Races with many people 11. Smallest particle of matter 12. Not crazy 13. Moose or deerlike animals 18. Replacements for liras and francs
Labyrinth
Sudoku
Papillonides
21. Crime 22. Failing student’s hope in school (5 wds) 23. Oceania country halfway between Hawaii and Australia 24. “Sad, Beautiful, ” 25. Prepares 27. A human, for one 28. “A Clockwork ” 29. Poses, as for an ad 30. Fashions 32. Lobster state 35. Focus 36. They’re released into the sky on Rapunzel’s birthday in “Tangled” 38. Least far 39. Action after copy 41. Title for Wilhelm 42. You might go to a brunch without one 44. One who’s always negative, maybe 45. Diaper cream prevents one 46. Canal in New York 47. Pop 48. Sirens do this to sailors 50. Twitter spammer 51. Service and delivery costs 52. Allow 53. There are 10 in a decade (Abbr.)
BY KREENA VORA
Ornitheptere
Ornithoptera
Instructions: Each row, column and 3x3 box must contain the numbers 1-9 exactly once.
BY IRENE HAO
Hyacinthoides non-scripta
Asparagales, Asparagaceae Scilloideae
PAGE DESIGN AND GRAPHICS BY KYLA MCCALLUM