Observer the
OCTOBER 2, 2013 VOLUME XXXII, ISSUE 9
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Student Leaders React to Shutdown
Photo Feature
By IAN MCKENNA Editor-in-Chief
Responses to the shutdown from the presidents of the College Republicans and College Democrats at Fordham University mirror the views expressed by Republicans and Democrats on the national stage. Failed negotiations and a budget standoff prompted the first government shutdown in nearly two decades, beginning Oct. 1 at 12:00 a.m. The Senate’s decision to kill the House of Representative’s spending bill, which was paired with several measures regarding changes to the Affordable Care Act, resulted in the furlough of almost 800,000 federal employees and the closing of over 400 national parks, among other effects. The last government shutdown began in December 1995 under President Bill Clinton and lasted 21 days. Luke Zaro, Fordham College at Rose Hill ’16 and president of the Fordham Republicans, said this time around, the shutdown is “going to last as long as there is no conversation.” This “conversation” refers to the Republican-led House’s proposal, which included a call for a committee between the two chambers of Congress in order to find a compromise, which was struck down by the Democrat-led Senate. “I think this is a mistake by the Democratic party, specifically [Senate Majority Leader] Harry Reid and President Barack Obama’s leadership, to not partake in conversations,” Zaro said. Michael Billotti, Gabelli School of Business ’15 and president of the College Democrats, disagrees, citing Democratic attempts to hold conferences earlier this year. “One of the biggest insults is that, at the eleventh hour, you had the Republicans saying they wanted to have a conference with the Senate Democrats. The Democrats, since April, have asked for 18 different conferences with the Republicans asking for some sort see SHUTDOWN pg. 3
Inside
MELANIE CHAMBERLAIN/THE OBSERVER
For this issue’s Photo Feature, Observer photographers got ready for fall by exploring New York City.
Fordham English Majors Make Top Salaries By NOHA MAHMOUD and RAMONA VENTURANZA News Co-Editors
Fordham graduates with English degrees and their counterparts from George Mason University earn more money than those from other American universities. This is true at both entry and mid-level salaries, according to the 2013-2014 PayScale College Salary Report. While the average mid-career salary of an English major is approximately $71,400, the mid-career pay of Fordham English major is $95,000, according to the study. According to Janis Barry, associate professor of economics, students are starting to shift away from majoring in English and gravitating more towards science, math and business degrees. “American stu-
dents will be well advised to go into the business-related majors, the science-related majors or the mathrelated majors,” she said. However, this decrease in the amount of students majoring in English is very slight, according to Glenn Hendler, associate chair of the English department. Currently, there are over 200 students at both Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) and Fordham College at Rose Hill that are studying English. “I think that [decreases in English and humanities majors] is not true. [Employers] want people who question critically what is going on around them,” he said. “The English major leads to any number of tracks. People in business prefer those with an English major because they can think critically,” Hendler said.
When asked what might have contributed to Fordham’s English department’s success, Sarah Zimmerman, assistant chair of the English department said, “When you take [the salary of a graduate of the English department] with a grain of salt, there are a lot of possible [factors] for this ranking.” The strength of the faculty, according to Zimmerman, contributes to this ranking. “I would say that we have such a strong faculty—[Fordham’s English professors] come from both a literature and scholarly background,” Zimmerman said. In addition to career services, Zimmerman said that many faculty members in the English department have the ability to assist students. “In New York City, our professors have a lot of connections to possible careers for students.”
Along with the strong faculty, Fordham’s location and accessibility plays a minor role in regards to the ranking. “We live in New York City—that’s part of it but not all because then New York University (NYU) and Columbia University would be at the top. I think that Fordham does a good job with placing students in jobs,” Hendler said. “Students have the access to many careers,” Zimmerman said. “Also, many of the literary publishers are stationed in New York—it provides English majors with access to jobs in publishing.” Furthermore, Zimmerman also contributes the rank of the English program to the integration of the creative writing and literature at see ENGLISH MAJORS pg. 2
LITERARY
FEATURES
SPORTS
ARTS & CULTURE
OPINIONS
The Comma
Momofuku Milk Bar
Women’s Volleyball
What of the Night?
New Delhi Rapists
A selection of student writing.
A sweet deal at Momofuku Milk Bar. Women’s volleyball weekend recap.
Mainstage production premieres Oct. 3. Four rapists sentenced to death.
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THE STUDENT VOICE OF FORDHAM COLLEGE AT LINCOLN CENTER
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News
News Editors Noha Mahmoud — nmahmoud2@fordham.edu Ramona Venturanza — rventuranza@fordham.edu
October 2, 2013 THE OBSERVER
Fordham English Majors Lead in Mid-Career Pay ENGLISH MAJORSFROM PAGE 1
SARAH HOWARD/THE OBSERVER
Fordham English department ties with George Mason University for highest mid-career salary.
Resident Manager Receives Promotion
We want you whether you’re interested in Miley or Syria or Beckham or anything in between.
By REX SAKAMOTO Staff Writer
Leslie Timoney has been appointed associate director of campus operations, which is a new position at Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) due to the opening of the new law school in fall 2014 Previously, Timoney’s position as the resident manager put her in charge of only McMahon Hall. Her new position puts her in charge of McMahon Hall, the Lowenstein building, the current law school and the new law school. Since Timoney will have greater responsibility than before and more tasks to complete, students’ work order requests will be handled differently. Before Timoney used to directly handle all of the requests personally, but now there will be a “dispatcher to handle all of the maintenance requests, “ Timoney said. Currently, she has been concerned with the construction projects on the street, which, “requires a lot of coordination with our day to day operation that effect the whole campus.” According to Timoney, maintenance and facilities will continue to work on fulfilling work orders and preventative maintenance in McMahon Hall, which is now in its 20th year of operation. While students will not see many improvements during the academic year, Timoney said, “Once we have more space in the building in the summer we will update more of the kitchens, paint the walls according to the new color scheme and re-carpet the building.” The facilities projects around campus are ongoing, but, according to Timoney, everything, including the construction of the new law school, is “on schedule.”
Fordham. “Part of the reason why the English department is so strong is because [creative writing and English literature] are all under one English department,” she said. “In other college and universities, the creative writing department doesn’t communicate with those in the English department. It makes [the English department] stronger as a department, as a whole.” Students majoring in English are not concerned about possible job prospects and salaries. “I’ve never worried about getting a job; English is such a versatile major,” Alyssa Carolyn, FCLC ’14, said, who is an English major. “The college degree is what matters, not so much what you study.” Ross Lampert, FCLC ’16, who also majors in English, agrees with the flexible nature of majoring in English. “I never worried about job opportunities or salaries,” he said. “I could do anything, like writing newspapers, articles, journals and more.” Students decided to major in English because of interest in English writing and literature. “I’ve always loved to read—I decided pretty early on that I wanted to major in English. I wanted to study something I enjoyed,” Carolyn said. “English and literature is always something I enjoyed and loved from an early age. I much rather do something that I love—you can never buy happiness,” Lampert said.
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COURTESY OF LESLIE TIMONEY
Leslie Timoney has been promoted to associate director of campus operations.
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THE OBSERVER October 2, 2013
News
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College Dems and Repubs Respond to Shutdown SHUTDOWN FROM PAGE 1
of compromise to get the spending bill forward, to get budget moving forward. But all 18 times, since April, they’ve declined,” Billotti said. “Essentially, [the Republicans] are trying to pull [the Democrats] into the driving room on the Titanic. ‘Come on in here so that we can go down together,’” Billotti said said of the Republicans’ request for a committee. On a potential compromise, the leaders of the political clubs had different ideas on what a fair compromise would entail or if any actually exists. “I don’t think there should have been much of a compromise by ways of Obamacare,” Billotti said. “The Republicans are demanding that the Democrats give up on a piece of legislation that was passed by 60 senators, 219 representatives, signed by the executive branch and passed by five of the nine Supreme Court Justices. It’s unrealistic. It’s almost unprecedented.” Zaro disagreed, saying that a delay will be effective in helping conversations between the two groups and help expedite a return from the shutdown. “Initially, a lot of Republicans wanted Obamacare stripped completely, defunded completely,” Zaro said. “I think at this point in time an appropriate compromise would be to delay it. There are a lot of problems with the law and both sides have recognized that; even an author of the law [Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont.] has called it a ‘trainwreck.’” “I think a delay would be something to get the government back up and functioning and give the public and Congress time to decide, ultimately, what they want to do with this law,” Zaro said of his hopes for a potential solution to the shutdown.
OLIVIER DOULIERY/ABACA PRESS/MCT
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid at a press conference in Washington, D.C., on Sept. 10, 2013.
International Students Increase in Numbers By TIM GAVAN Staff Writer
The number of international students enrolling at Fordham University has steadily increased during the past few years, mirroring a national trend recently reported by the Chronicle of Higher Education. Ninety-five international freshman students started at Fordham in fall 2012; this represents a 34 percent increase from two years prior. This year, there was a 56 percent spike in applications from international students compared to 2012, according to minutes published from a recent Faculty Senate meeting. But if you ask students and faculty, the increase in the number of international students means much more than the numbers alone reveal. “I think that Fordham is just a very attractive place for international students for the same reasons that it is for American students,” Monica Esser, an associate director for international admissions, said. “Because of our location in New York City, the Jesuit model of education that we operate under, our small classes and the supportive environment that students find here.” “I wanted to study abroad and come to Fordham because I love the education system in the US - it’s very open,” Zihui Ye, Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) ’15, who came to the U.S. from China two years ago, said. Ye, who is originally from Hangzhou, went on to explain some of the differences between Chinese and American styles of learning. “In China, we have a core [curriculum] and electives as well, but
I think there is less interaction in classes than there is in America. Professors will talk a lot more than here, and the classes are bigger,” Ye said. “It is much more lecture-style. I love the interactive nature of the education here—that’s basically the main reason I came.” But Esser made sure to note that the students from overseas are not the only ones to benefit from their being here. “I think [having more international students] adds a different element to the living experience and the classroom experience for all of the students, especially our domestic students who might not have the opportunity to study abroad,” Esser said.“I think our international population has really been one element of the diversity that we offer.” According to Esser, students from China make up between 40- to 45-percent of the incoming international freshman class this year. “There’s a lot more availability of visas through the U.S. State Department, and therefore, a much larger number of students who can study overseas from China. It’s a pretty interesting phenomenon that’s happening, and [Fordham is] a part of that phenomenon,” Esser said. “There was a speaking problem at first,” Ye said, who took mandatory English classes in China that focused on reading and writing. “I got stuck a lot. It’s a challenge, but I believe that language is a tool for people to communicate their sincerity. What’s in people’s hearts is the faith that makes communication good. That’s the essence of it. So as long as I have that, I don’t have a problem saying anything. I may get stuck on words, I
may respond more slowly than other people, but I’m not worried about it because I have the most important stuff in my heart—I think.” Mika Tsukazawa, FCLC ’16, an international student from Tokyo, Japan, had considerable experience speaking English before coming to Fordham, but the transition to a mostly-English setting was a challenge. “I’d never spoken English constantly because I’d never really lived in another country, so I’d always spoken a mixture of two languages. Not being able to do that was a difficulty for me,” she said. “Right now I’m okay because it’s already been months since I’ve gotten here.” “Fordham is a really warm community,” Ye added, “which I found really quickly after I met Rev. Vincent DeCola [S.J., assistant dean for first year students], who’s superwarm and helpful. And my first-year roommate, who was super sweet and took care of me just like I was her own child.” “The first time I got here was during orientation and I felt very welcomed,” Tsukazawa said. “There were a lot of people to help us like in the Office of International Students and Counseling Services. I felt very safe and everyone was nice.” Ye, who was recently elected the Treasurer of the United Student Government (USG) at FCLC, said about the position that “after two years of being in USG, learning how to be a leader and seeing that there were open positions on the executive board, I thought it would be good to challenge myself a little and become a bigger part of the community—to help other students.”
SARAH HOWARD/THE OBSERVER
Mika Tsukazawa, FCLC ‘16, is an international student from Tokyo.
Opinions
A JESUIT EDUCATION COULD HAVE PREVENTED A GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN nless you have a family member who works peripherally for the federal government or if you were planning on visiting the Statue of Liberty in the next couple of days, odds are that you are not directly affected by the government shutdown that began on Oct. 1. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t care. The shutdown, on the larger scale, has almost unpredictable political, social, cultural, diplomatic and economic consequences. But, on a smaller scale, it speaks to a fundamental problem within American politics, and maybe even American culture in general. Disagreement without an ability to collaborate seems to be at the heart of the issue. While ideological differences are another key component of Congress’ inability to arrive at an appropriate solution, what is really at the heart of the shutdown is an unwillingness, on both sides, to settle their ideals with reality. This manifests itself in the constant slew of criticism,
public attacks and fingerpointing that we see broadcasted on the cable news networks, printed in major publications and even, in the digital age, over social media. While their integrity, their willingness to stand up for their beliefs, would, in other cases, be a lauded virtue, in this case, it actually becomes
The government shutdown might not affect you directly, but we can all learn from it. destructive not only to their own goals but even to the American society as a whole. Maybe they should take an ethics class as part of Fordham’s core and learn about Aristotle’s idea of virtue in “Nicomachean Ethics:” “virtue is a mean, in that it aims at that which is the mean.”
October 2, 2013 THE OBSERVER
Observer the
STAFF EDITORIAL
U
Maria Fischer — Opinions Editor fischer_m_e@yahoo.com
Being overzealous in your desires to the point of blatant disregard of others’ is not virtue. Neither is being passive in your own beliefs. The virtue of integrity is somewhere between headstrong and spineless, somewhere our representatives in Congress are not. Maybe they should even take an Eloquenita Perfecta class and learn how to organize their ideas and express them in a responsible, graceful and proper manner. While it is obvious that our congressmen have a lot to learn from both us and the Fordham core (who knew?), there is also something we can learn from them. As we go out into the world, let’s all remember the time that the United States government shut down because groups of people were blinded by their own beliefs. Let’s remember to use reason, to use speech, to use effective expression to resolve our issues, especially when the country is depending on us.
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Opinions
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Ads Against Obamacare Go Too Far RACHEL SHMULEVICH Asst. Opinions Editor
The Obamacare debate—also known as the seemingly never ending fight between the Democrats who seek to fund and preserve President Barack Obama’s Affordable Care Act (ACA) and the Republicans who want it gone—reached new lows last week with a recent ad campaign from General Opportunity, a Koch Brothers-funded group. The Koch brothers are the CEO and Vice President (VP) of Koch Industries, a private conglomerate who have spent millions of dollars lobbying for the causes and legislation that work to minimize the role of government. In one of the ads, a young man tells his doctor that he saw an ad for Obamacare. After he informs his doctor that he decided to sign up for the program, the doctor immediately tells the patient to take his pants off and lay down on the operating table. The doctor then proceeds to leave the room. Suddenly, a man with an Uncle Sam mask pops up from behind the examination table and a message f lashes across the screen: “Don’t let government play doctor.” Another ad, aimed at women, has essentially the same premise, but it is set during a gynecological exam. Both ads send suggestive, misleading messages about Obamacare, when in reality, Obama’s ACA does not force doctors to ask patients about their sex lives nor does it include performing unwanted exams. These ads try to sway young people from signing up for government health care programs, even though for many graduating college students who are still unemployed or working part time, it may be the only option. Beyond this, the imagery in both of the
PETE SOUZA/ OFFICIAL WHITE HOUSE PHOTO/MCT
ads is extremely ‘rape-like’—when the Uncle Sam comes up behind the young man or appears in front of the woman, it very clearly suggests sexual assault. There is no way that anyone can compare Obamacare, even with all its f laws and shortcomings, to rape. Honestly, it’s ridiculous to even talk about the two in the same sentence. Obamacare is an ambitious social program which aims to offer millions of Americans subsidized, affordable healthcare with good coverage. Rape is
rape. Obamacare does not violate anyone. Young people need health insurance and we can’t stay on our parents’ plans forever. Because we’re also the sector of the population with the highest unemployment rate, remaining uninsured means we constantly have to worry about how we would pay hospital bills if something were to happen. We need affordable, quality care and it’s not something we can wait for. Obamacare provides young adults with exactly this.
The plan goes into effect Oct. 1, despite opposition from very conservative and Tea Party Republicans in the House and groups like General Opportunity. Despite the failure of the House of Representatives and Senate to avert a government shutdown by midnight on Sept. 30, Obamacare is a go. Millions will now be able to find the best plan for them on the online Health Insurance Marketplace, and in 2014, the great majority of the 19 million uninsured young adults across the
country will be eligible for free or reduced-cost health insurance. Despite what the ads suggest, providing young adults with health insurance doesn’t sound like sexual assault at all. The ACA is simply providing the means for getting insurance if you don’t have a job or work for an employer that doesn’t provide it. If the government “playing doctor” means affordable plans with good coverage, then maybe it’s not such a bad idea.
Spike in Security Alerts Due to Students’ Irresponsibility MARIA FISCHER Opinions Editor
Nothing says, “Welcome back to school!” quite like a Fordham security alert. “On Friday, September 6, 2013, at 1:40 a.m., Fordham security received a report that a male Fordham student was assaulted as he walked alone eastbound on E. 189 Street at Hughes Avenue.” “On Saturday, September 14, 2013, at approximately 1 a.m., a male Fordham student walking in the vicinity of E.189th Street was accosted by an unknown male who assaulted the student and knocked him to the ground. The assailant demanded the student’s money and he complied. The assailant then fled in an unknown direction.” Messages like these are familiar sights for students at both Fordham College at Rose Hill (FCRH) and Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC). During the first few weeks of school, not a Sunday went by without a flood of security alerts sitting in students’ inboxes, waiting to be opened. Although we received several alerts last school year, security reports have been coming in more frequently this particular semester—I noticed that I receive about three per weekend. Why the sudden spike? Although it is easy to assume that Fordham students are simply falling victim to a city with a relatively high crime rate, I think students’ irresponsibili-
PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY SARAH HOWARD/THE OBSERVER
Fordham students need to keep their eyes on their surroundings, not on their smartphones.
ty is to blame. Just take a look at this past month’s security emails and see if you can spot a common thread: the victim was walking around at night…by themselves…usually with a smartphone in plain sight. I understand that smartphones are helpful tools to figure out your location and find nearby subway stops, but students should map out
where they are going before they even leave their dorm. It is vital to keep iPhones in pockets and out of sight. Not only do smartphones divert your attention away from your present environment, but the lighted screen sticks out against a night sky and makes your valuables easy to spot. Consider the location of our
campus: New York City. Although the crime rate has improved over the years, we still attend school in a major city with more crime than most. According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation Uniform Crime Report, New York City had a rate of 240.8 robberies per 100,000 inhabitants in 2011 alone. Even the supervisor at the Port Authority
of New York and New Jersey was reported this past summer for stealing jewelry, cell phones and other electronics from the lost-and-found. As the situation at Port Authority goes to show, a thief does not necessarily have to fit the “hooded figure” stereotype—he or she may even maintain high-level positions. If grown adults are blindly robbed on a daily basis, a fresh-faced college kid makes for an especially easy target. Perhaps many of these backto-school robberies are due to the fact that many freshmen present themselves as vulnerable. New students come to live in the city for the first time after spending their entire childhoods in suburbs or smaller towns. With its diversity and rich cultural presence, New York City is one of the greatest cities in the world, but a large population comes with the price of increased numbers of thefts and robberies. Fordham students simply need to work harder to keep themselves and their belongings safe. Although crimes occur at nearly every college campus, students at very urban campuses are forced to take extra precautions. Walking back to your room late at night comes with added risks that students at quintessential “college town” campuses might not have to consider. You don’t have to spend your Friday nights hiding out in McMahon Hall; just be aware of your surroundings at all times. The last thing any student wants is to be the next victim in a Fordham security alert.
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Opinions
October 2, 2013 THE OBSERVER
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Death Sentence for Delhi Rapists Sends a Strong Message Sexual Violence Against Women Will Not be Tolerated MARINA RECIO Staff Writer
In December of last year, the Delhi rape case grabbed the world’s attention and focused it on the issue of sexual violence in India. The violent gang rape of a 23-yearold physiotherapy student inside a moving bus in New Delhi resulted in her death, causing outrage not only in her country but across the world. Once again, the case is under the spotlight as the verdict was released on Sept. 13: four of the men were sentenced to death. We have to wonder whether this is the right step for India to take with respect to improving women’s safety and changing its rape culture. Should the death sentence ever be an option? Though some argue the death penalty is not a crime deterrent, I think that sentencing these men to death sends a strong message: sexual violence against women will not be tolerated and attackers will be held responsible. Such a strong message is neces-
In a culture that holds women responsible for their misfortune, it is crucial that everything that can be done to change this attitude is done. sary to counteract the deep influence of cultural norms that excuse rape. In a culture that holds women responsible for their misfortune, it is crucial that everything that can be done to change this attitude is done. The verdict of this case may not keep rapists from attacking; however, it would mean the world to a rape victim to know that it is an unacceptable, punishable crime, in which the only guilty party is his or her attacker. Some argue that setting this precedent of the death penalty for rape can potentially discourage future victims from reporting their rapes, considering that, according
to National Crime Records Bureau, 98% of victims in India know their attacker and are often related to them. However, we must keep in mind that the crime that these men committed was unusually heinous. Not only did they rape the woman, but they tortured her so brutally that the doctors could not save her life. This case does not set the precedent that every sex offender will be sentenced to death; because the magnitude of the Delhi rapists’ offense was greater than most rape cases, the magnitude of their penalty was greater as well. But four men sentenced to death won’t end sexual violence. What it can do, however, is contribute to a shift in how rape and rape victims are viewed in Indian culture. The message that rape is not tolerated emboldens women and prompts them to come forward and report their cases. The criticism of the death penalty is understandable, but in this specific case, the sentence will have a long-lasting effect that contributes to something much larger: the fight against sexual violence.
NILANJANA ROY/WIKIPEDIA COMMONS
The death penalty verdict in the New Delhi rape case is a win in the fight against India’s rape culture.
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Condition
By STEFANIE COCOZZELLI
The brute wore clothes he had fashioned himself; all other locations of his body were covered by long thick hair. In one hand he carried wood, in the other a freshly killed deer. Its skin would make fine clothing; its meat a nice meal. He carried these two for miles, back to the cliff-side cave he called his home, where his family eagerly awaited his return. With his wood, he called forth fire, and with it he fed his family. When the meal was finished and his wards had drifted to sleep, the fire still remained. He stared at the fire, and then towards the horizon, where the sun sat as the bridge between the earth and air. It was a curious power he had not yet fully understood, but as he looked upon the fire he had made he could shake neither the feeling nor the pride that he had perhaps harnessed a small fraction of the horizon itself. The horizon was power. The brute would die, as mortals tend to do, and his descendants would be left behind. This cycle continued for many years, and with it came changes of culture and appearance, and those that resulted from the people of the brute made their own niche in the world. They were a simple people, yet they respected the land, and the animals that inhabited it. They traded, they intermingled, and they quarreled, but they were content, to a degree. During the day, everyone would work. The men would hunt, the women would nurse. The young would learn, and the old would teach. After the labors of the day, there was time for feasting, time for celebration, and time for storytelling, and all of this was done around the fire. Yet there were still moments that were not dominated by duty; empty moments that needed to be filled. It was in those moments that they would look to the horizon. What was it that it hid from their view? Were they truly alone in a world with unfathomable boundaries? Their answer would come in the form of colorful sheets just barely visible as they emerged from the distance; their origin and nature both unknown. The horizon was mystery.
Wolf By DANE GEBAUER
I wake up outrageously hung over and excessively hungry. I smell like body odor and piss and cheap bourbon. I’m in, of all places, the woods. I hate the woods. They remind me of illicit history here: strolling around in excess, arbitrarily picking off innocent bystanders to munch on with impunity, reveling in my power as the capital W Wolf in the Woods. But now that’s a thing of the past. My parole officer’s been on my case the last few weeks; I definitely won’t be able to pass a drug test. My wallet’s empty and I’m reminded of how hungry I am. The scenic verdure of the forest makes me nauseous. I double over and throw up in a bed of flowers. God damnit, I think, I used to run this shit. Now look at yourself, throwing up into a bunch of violets. Just then, a noise: obnoxious, grating, but human; female. I hobble over and peer out from behind the brush—there’s a little girl in all red, basket in hand, scampering about on the path carelessly. She smells delicious. “Hey,” I call to her, tripping over branches and rocks. She stops, turns, sizes me up, and evidently doesn’t think too much of a talking wolf standing bipedal. “Hello,” she says. “Whatchya got there?” I ask, gesturing to her basket. “Oh you know,” she responds, “Sundry food items: mostly homemade, rustic countryside type stuff. Cherry pies, apple pies, chicken pot pies; any type of pie, really.” “Wow,” I say, and then, hopefully, “You don’t think, you could, perhaps, spare one of those pies, which you frankly seem to have more than enough of…” “I don’t think so,” she says abruptly. “Well, why not?” She hesitates, apparently not expecting a follow up question. “I guess it’s because when it comes down to it, I’m a laissez-faire capitalist. You see these here?” she says, indicating her basket. “These are my privately owned capital assets. The central tenet of capitalism is that my capital assets be produced for profit in a market economy. If I simply give these to you, hand them out, as it were, not only am I violating a fundamental principle of my personal belief system, how would you ever learn to fend for yourself? Of course, in this particular instance my goods are not actually going to be produced for—” Alright, I’m thinking the whole time, this bitch is getting eaten.
Pious By MARK LEE
This prayer seems to be lasting an eternity, and I wonder if this is how all these white-haired folks imagine heaven, and what could possibly be the appeal in that. My eyes scan the sanctuary, and I’m struck by the vulnerability of the bowed heads of the reverent crowd, so neatly spaced, as if by divine design, in pews that stretch out in front of me. The prayer ends, and the heads of hundreds of congregation members level out, eyes readjusting to the low light in the auditorium and filled with a burning passion for an unseen, selectively benevolent force. As the pastor begins to speak about today’s message, I glance towards my mother seated beside me. Her red hair—impressively undyed at fifty-three—frames her softly freckled face, lined with a twenty-five year history of raising sons. She carefully pens notes onto the back of the Sunday bulletin, treasuring every word from the pastor’s lips, each one drawing her to a weekly understanding of God’s mystery, bound to be blurred by Tuesday. Photographs, cards, and scraps of paper poke out from the delicate pages of her worn bible. They are almost exclusively tokens from her children: a bookmark branded with an awkward school photo, a hand-written apology scribbled on the back of a receipt for cigarettes, a bright duplicate of a wedding invitation, a photo of the three of us in front of an enormous pine tree. Each token carefully keeping its place inside the leather binding, all the love and the caring and the chaos of her life organized so effortlessly by the pages of her bible. The first tedious chords of a worship song signal the service is coming close to an end. I sigh with relief, and notice my mother has briefly become distracted by an ancient valentine addressed to “momma,” which she seems to have found somewhere in Psalms. She puts aside her pen, forgetting for a moment her meticulously scripted notes, and turns the keepsake in her fingers. The pastor asks us all to bow our heads in prayer, and though no divine spirit compels me, I do.
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The Comma
“Thought of You” By KYLE DAVIS
I think I may just be In love with the thought of you I think that your shadow might just Send shivers down my spine And your reflection reminds me That I see myself in you Your crooning echo sings me songs That no one else can hear And when you are away from me My longing turns to fear That if you did come back to me I’d only ever want to be With the you I cannot see.
(Nothing Hurt) By FRANCESCA ATON
Sing to sleep apocalyptic droplets: (She) dreams of red sunlight in electric Tornado warnings; Kick bricks: bleed to know (She)’s alive, lost in Mexico’s Basement. Lick ice cream During miracles it rains sideways— Be monumental in the wash. You’re Unprepared— Control (her) zipper; mine The city, inside gold, (she) lies smiling, Always surviving the page. Floating hands Build walls blissfully violating life, By recruiting the current, each second Spins madly. Bring home viola than cello, French in life’s malfunction: dashing caffeine In a cloud and hold (her) hand; bodies break, But (her) brains will be. Tell (her) kids, “Mean What you say,” to give written pages.
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A Lure EXCERPT By MARGARET FISHER
The house was quiet. All lights put out save a small candle resting on the vanity, casting soft shadows across the walls. There was light enough, but scarcely enough warmth. The window sat wide open, curtains tied back, and the night air crept in to lay its icy fingers on her neck. Outside, creatures howled miserably; the few stars that were visible disappeared periodically behind the drifting clouds. But she could not bring herself to close the window. His note lay in the corner, its soft black smudges and gentle lines called to her. Get up. Get up. Morning is coming. Please don’t wait. She turned away. How could she go? Every bone in her body screamed against the darkness that lurked beyond her window. She would be swallowed whole, never seen again; panic rose in her chest, choking her; she was not ready to disappear. Reaching for some business to calm her shaking hands, her fingers closed around the slender comb. It was certainly beautiful, a pure silver spine and case with teeth of carefully carved ivory. A delicate piece of finery, yet it seemed heavier tonight than usual. She caressed the smooth exterior, traced the intricate design once, twice. She followed its winding loops and spirals, waiting to be led down to some secret place. This was hers to keep. A gift, and a promise of others to come, all she had to do was close the window, draw the curtains, forget the voice of the crumpled letter, put out the light forever. She eased the comb from its sheath and slid it slowly through her hair, memorizing the feel of its teeth against her scalp. Closing her eyes, she tried to imagine the jewels, rings, necklaces, hats, dresses, china. The endless carriages and parties. She allowed herself to drift into that future, rooms glittering with crystal and champagne, filled with lilting music and whimsical laughter. The comb began to move with a mind of its own, she was barely conscious of the motion of her arm up and down and up and down. Slower, slower, catching behind her ear and then slipping
through to her ends, it became his hand, gently tucking the hair behind her ear, softly brushing her cheek before fading away. He would not be there with her. She would be passed from stranger to stranger, examined, inspected. As she danced, hungry faces emerged from the shadows, spun her faster and faster, a labyrinth opened beneath her, twisting and writhing in on itself, lined with silver and ivory. The comb became unbearably heavy; caught in her hair; it began dragging her down into darkness. She sat up in alarm. Her heart beat wildly. How long had she been asleep? The comb fell from her hand and she rushed to the window. Peering into the darkness, she searched frantically for a light on one of the distant hills, trying to see through the thick darkness to the place where he said he would wait. The hills lay like sleeping giants, threatening even in their peaceful state, but she would not retreat. A lump developed in her throat as she leaned farther out the window, begging the night for some resolution. For one fleeting second, a flicker of light seemed to dance upon the furthest hill. It disappeared within an instant, but it was enough. Turning over her shoulder, she cast a last glance at the comb lying on the vanity, its ivory teeth forming an oblivious smile. Close the window. It’s so cold. Stay here tonight; this is happiness, I promise. Stay here. Just stay here. Just stay… A few short hours and the sky turned from black to gray. Light began to leak into the empty room. The curtains swayed limply in the icy morning air, and the window hung wide open to the quiet hills. The sun began to crawl up the side of the earth; somewhere, far away, a lark began to sing. They arrived to find the comb lying on the vanity still and cold, a tiny corpse entombed in silvery silence.
Slaying Holofernes By EMILY TUDISCO
No one’s listening so you go on and show them, show them how their necks twist and bulge in your dreams. Your hands are strong. The dagger is steady. You are ready. Should have been. Are. Impassive as the medic who examined you, measured your bruises and gave you some more. They’re not listening yet so show them how exactly how their blood will spill. On clean sheets, on silver platters, in baskets you wove yourself. On the dusty road, in the town square, on the gritty tiles of the coffee shop, dripping til the grout joints deliver rivulets to the back room where he smoked cigars and traced diagrams of your body in smoky gestures for a rapt and leering village. They aren’t listening. Soon they will learn—you are your own god now. You climbed the trellis to pluck down the rifle, you washed the vermilion from your brushes, and your hands weren’t even shaking.
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Different Kinds By HANNA TADEVICH
Him
In that house you built for me I learned to let myself be – and we sealed the bricks together with memories of real things, like footsteps, faces, and food. You left and so did chunks of me, I thought – flying in your contrail. But then I found the footsteps we had saved, and I padded around my house until I spotted your mugs in a box. I peered inside and saw the faces. The faces reminded me of my own and I laughed – to think I could fall apart in a house so strong. Preposterous.
Her
I love a woman whose sadness, its color muted as the common stone, is non-erodible, no matter how much time. It sinks further into the earth.
I love a woman whose heart hugs a pile of rocks and opens only for fragmented bitterness to join the collective weight. I love a woman whose burden makes our love heavy: a paperweight on the string of my helium heart. We suffocate together. But then I was driving last week and saw this little redhead – she was smiling at the one bright flower in a sprawling bed of rocks. All it took was one.
Him
We converse in a dreamworld “If we both end unmarried we will live together and eat casseroles – corn and sweet potato.” That would be beginning the best kind of love uncomplicated, the flavor of comfort warm buttery hearts and sugary lips.
How it feels to touch your shoulder in a new york city cab as it turns a corner at 2:53 am By TERESA TOBIN
there is a stutter that reminds me of hitting a pothole a gasp of nothingness displaced by something that reminds me of a harp string still vibrating after a high sharp has faded and then that reminds me of static electricity running off my fingers like warm satin sheets in the cool of the evening
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PHOTO FEATURE
MIMI AHN/THE OBSERVER
SARAH HOWARD/THE OBSERVER
ANGELA LUIS/THE OBSERVER
KIRSTIN BUNKLEY/THE OBSERVER
MELANIE CHAMBERLAIN/THE OBSERVER
MIMI AHN/THE OBSERVER
KIRSTIN BUNKLEY/THE OBSERVER
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PHOTO FEATURE
TYLER MARTINS/THE OBSERVER BRIGITTE AYAZ/THE OBSERVER
SARAH HOWARD/THE OBSERVER
SRI STEWART/THE OBSERVER MELANIE CHAMBERLAIN/THE OBSERVER
KIRSTIN BUNKLEY/THE OBSERVER
BRIGITTE AYAZ/THE OBSERVER
Arts & Culture
Arts & Culture Co-Editors Ludovica Martella — ludovica.martella@gmail.com Andrew Milne — amilne@fordham.edu
October 2, 2013 THE OBSERVER
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Cast rehearsal for Fordham mainstage show “What of the Night?” Maria Irene Fornes’ gripping play of social justice, financial disparity and human morality
Fordham Presents “What of the Night?” By MARGARET MCCAULEY Contributing Writer
Fordham College at Lincoln Center’s (FCLC) production of “What of the Night?” directed by Lou Moreno and written by Maria Irene Fornes, opens Thursday, Oct. 3 in Pope Auditorium. In addition to being the first New York City showing of the play, “What of the Night?” is also the first mainstage production of the Fordham Theatre Program’s 2013-14 Season: A Season of Facing Demons. In her saga of human interdependence, “What of the Night?” Fornes familiarizes her audience with destitution and incriminates the drive for wealth. The play is composed of four one-act plays, each of which poses its own moral question. Set in the years from 1938-1998, “What of the Night?” chronicles the social evolu-
tion of an interdependent familial unit. Three of the four one-acts are set in low socioeconomic areas rampant with crime and seedy-but-necessary transactions. In the first act, “Nadine,” a mother, Nadine, played by Alex Porterfield, FCLC ’16, and her son, Charlie, played by John Donchak, FCLC ’14, must cast away their scruples in order to collect money to feed their family. The second act, “Springtime,” again exhibits moral dilemmas in the hands of the impoverished, as well as issues of fidelity and homophobia. The third act, “Lust,” shows the monetary success of Ray, played by Connor Dunlap, FCLC ‘16, and his issues with classism and sexism. The last act, “Hunger” is apocalyptic, dark and an admonition
against the loss of interdependence and sympathy. “The difficulty was in determining a style for each of the different acts. They’re all so distinct and one of the main challenges... is tackling all the controversial topics included in the show” cast member Mandy Heiser, FCLC ‘16, who plays Lorraine, said. Set designer Joey Mendoza took a minimalist approach to his set and aptly conveys each act’s mood with the use of backdrops and lighting. “You have to kind of watch thematically instead of trying to follow a plot line,” Heiser said. “Even if you don’t understand it, it’s going to be so visually stimulating that you’re going to have this awesome experience regardless.” The moral struggles highlighted by “What of the Night?” are extremely relevant to Americans today, who
can walk down Columbus Avenue, flanked on the left by a homeless, cup-shaking man and on the right by two well-groomed, sweater-wearing, dog-walking, wage-earning businessmen. Evident are the effects of the opportunity gap as well as capitalism’s choke-hold on American democracy. These are the offspring of personal-interest that Fornes labels as “greedy” and “heartless.” Fornes stresses the loss of human interdependence as detrimental to the human spirit. “She kind of explores all these different facets of how poverty can affect a person,” Heiser said. In the “What of the Night?” program notes, Fornes said, “I was deeply moved by the spirit of compassion and concern for the underprivileged that I found [in America]. Now I ask myself what has happened to this spirit.” Through
these tales of moral and financial destitution, Fornes aims to awaken in her audience that old pathos for our fellow humans that have disappeared. “In these plays,” Fornes said, “I ask that we give thought to what would happen to our civilization if we don’t reverse the course we have taken.” With that question in mind, Fordham theater sets out to find an answer within its community. IF YOU GO
“What of the Night?” WHEN: Thurs. Oct. 3 - Sat. Oct. 5;
Wed. Oct. 9 - Fri. Oct. 11
WHERE: Pope Auditorium (113 West
60th Street) PRICE:General Admission: $15 Fordham Alumni and Faculty: $10 Students and Senior Citizens: $5 TIME: 8:00 p.m.
Salinger Between the Lines: What Will Become of a Great American Legacy? By ANDREW MILNE Arts and Culture Co-Editor
Holden Caulfield, the main character of “The Catcher in the Rye,” says in the modern-classic: “What really knocks me out is a book that, when you’re all done reading it, you wish the author that wrote it was a terrific friend of yours and you could call him up on the phone whenever you felt like it.” The quote seems especially selfreferential; for fans of the novel and its classically angst-ridden teen anti-hero Holden Caulfield, that fantasy is about to come true. To celebrate “Banned Books Week,” which raises awareness of censorship from Sept. 22-28, it seemed fitting to explore the changing legacy of J.D. Salinger, the man who wrote one of America’s most beloved banned books: “The Catcher in the Rye”. This past August, a controversial new biography and related documentary, “Salinger” by David
IAN MCKENNA/THE OBSERVER
Salinger is best known for his masterpiece “The Catcher in the Rye.”
Shields and Shane Salerno, about J.D. Salinger, the infamously semireclusive author revealed that previously unread works of Salinger will be published posthumously as soon as 2015. What does this, and
other revelations, mean for the legacy of a mysterious writer and for the literary world in general? The biography and documentary promise a deeper look into the incredibly private life and works
of Salinger. “He wanted to lead a private life, which needs to be respected in a way,” Kirkwood Adams, professor of English at Fordham College at Lincoln Center, said. In fact, after the enormous success of “Catcher in the Rye,” Salinger became disenchanted by public life, and eventually retired from publishing and retreated from New York to a simpler life in Cornish, New Hampshire. His quasi-reclusion served only to fan the flames of his mystique and “he had a lot of reasons to be private” director Shane Salerno said in an interview with Vulture.com. Some of these reasons included in the biography, reveal his attraction to much younger women, his purported marriage to a Nazi spy and the aforementioned secret manuscripts. Salinger’s writing and “The Catcher in the Rye” in particular are so valued by readers because of “how sensitive to melancholy and sadness the works are,” Adams
said. Yet this philosophy of celebrating angst and rejecting “phoniness” seem contrary to the point of the biography and documentary, which the Washington Post suggests is exploitative, “rushed to market” and “expensive.” Adams, however, holds out “hope for something that would challenge our expectations of who he was as a writer. That would make me very excited.” For fans who wish to learn more about the secret world of J.D. Salinger, the biography is currently available in stores, and the documentary film is set to premiere as the two-hundredth episode on American Masters in January 2014. Regardless of any controversies or mysteries linked with the new information, exploitative or not, it seems clear from his literary works, that J.D. Salinger would certainly agree with the motto of “Banned Books Week,” which includes “celebrating the freedom to read.”
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Exploring the Library for the Performing Arts think of come in and look at things for their own work: Stephen Sondheim, Woody Allen, Mike Nichols, Donna Murphy,” Amy Schwegel, administrative assistant in the Billy Rose Theatre Division, said. Each researcher is limited to only one viewing of a specific tape, but the archive is still incredibly useful. Next time a theatre student has to cite a musical in a paper, why not view and cite the archival footage instead of referencing only what was preserved on the cast recording? A quick glance through the Theatre Division’s holdings reveals original costume designs from “My Fair Lady,” the set model from “Follies,” production photos from nearly every show imaginable and Shakespeare scripts that are hundreds of years old. The most amazing part is not just that these historical items exist right next door, but that they can be accessed by anyone, including students of costume design, set design, directing, performance and stage management. It truly highlights the purpose of a public library and the privilege of having such an incredible one right next to campus.
By SIERRA FOX Contributing Writer
One of the best underutilized resources for Fordham College at Lincoln Center is the branch of the New York Public Library (NYPL) dedicated entirely to the performing arts, located at Lincoln Center. The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts is home to just about every resource imaginable related to theatre, music and dance. Nestled between the Metropolitan Opera House and Lincoln Center Theater, the Library for the Performing Arts looks deceptively small from the outside, but holds countless treasures. Past the entrance and the circulation desk are the galleries, where the library’s curator and individual divisions present exhibits ranging from costume designs to drawings by Al Hirschfeld to the most recent display which featured album artwork, manuscripts, performance photos, tour memorabilia and more from San Francisco’s “Kronos Quartet.” Also down this hallway are a reading room and the circulating books of the Music Division. The third floor is home to the ‘Theatre, Music and Dance Divisions’ research collections. There are not many books specifically about dance, so the copies that the library does have must be used onsite so that no patron is ever stuck without a book that they need. “Dance is a pretty new field in terms of how we study it,” Arlene Yu said, a specialist in the Jerome Robbins Dance Division and the Archive of the Recorded Moving Image. “Theatre has scripts and music has scores. We don’t have a universal mark-up system.” The library is currently displaying some examples of early dance notation to underscore not only how foreign they are to modern eyes, but also how drastically different they are from one another. “Now that we have cheap video, which we didn’t have until 10 or 15 years ago, there’s a lot more [preservation] going on,” Yu said. As in the past, library patrons can find a
CLOCKWISE FROM BOTTOM: SIERRA FOX, BOTTOM RIGHT: JESS LUSZCZYK/THE OBSERVER
The NYPL branch at Lincoln Center holds an impressive collection of information on theatre, dance, and music.
performance in the library’s catalog and have the video screened on the Dance Division’s monitors. Using the video players onsite, patrons can watch videos and also play different clips side-by-side. Due to copyright restrictions, only select videos are available to stream over any Internet connection but all can be watched onsite at the library. Written scores, press clippings and personal papers are a common theme throughout each division. Whether a paper calls for telegrams received by Harold Prince during the original production of “Company,” choreographic notes from Agnes de Mille, or correspondence by Felix Mendelssohn, the collections at the Library for the Performing Arts most likely have it. Personal letters may not always be useful
for student-researchers, but they can reveal surprising things about the writer. “[Correspondence is] sometimes just really awfully personal but sometimes it will give you an idea of where someone was or what they were thinking,” Yu said. “Sometimes you didn’t even realize that somebody else influenced [the writer] in a totally different field until you look at stuff like that.” One unique feature of the Music Division is the song index, which contains sheet music for about 40,000 songs. A patron can search for a song they wish to view, bring the call number to the song index desk, and receive the sheet music. This music cannot leave the library, but can be looked at onsite or photocopied. Performers can save a ton of money by using the song index
instead of buying entire songbooks for just one piece. The Music Division also contains the Rodgers and Hammerstein Archives of Recorded Sound, which not only has recordings of music but of literature and speech, and the American Music Collection, which aims to preserve a copy of every piece of music published in the United States, according to the Curator of the collection, Jonathan Hiam. Nearly every imaginable musical interest is represented in the library, from J.S. Bach to Jerry Bock. The final major division of the library is the Theatre Division. Since 1970, the Library for the Performing Arts has been making archival recordings of as many productions as possible. “It’s a wonderful resource. We’ve had anyone you can
IF YOU GO
New York Public Library for the Performing Arts WHEN: Mon., Thurs.: noon-8 p.m.;
Tues., Wed., Fri., Sat.: noon-6 p.m.
WHERE:40 Lincoln Center Plaza (ad-
ditional entrance at Amsterdam and 65th) PLAN AHEAD: Some items must be reserved in advance. Consult the catalog for specific information. RESERVING MATERIALS: Any item can be reserved for your visit. Email LPAprintdelivery@nypl.org or call 212870-1844 MORE INFO: 212-870-1844 Advance appointments to use the
TOFT Archive are strongly recommended. Call 212-870-1642 to make a viewing appointment. If you plan to make copies, bring money to purchase a copy card. The price per page varies.
FCLC’s Center Gallery Renamed Ildiko Butler Gallery By MARGARET MCCAULEY Contributing Writer
On Sept. 23 the Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) gallery formerly known as The Center Gallery was opened under a new name and with a whole new series of photography pieces, including some by its new namesake, Ildiko Butler, FCLC ’85. Butler recently offered a generous $500,000 donation which will be used for the development of Fordham’s Visual Arts program. The funds will be designated to increase the number and quality of the gallery exhibitions and underwrite the IIdiko Butler International Travel Award for Excellence in Visual Arts, a travel scholarship that will be offered to Visual Arts students. By both widening the breadth of what the gallery can curate and funding scholarships for travel, this gift introduces new pedagogical planes. The Ildiko Butler International Travel Award for Excellence in Visual Arts will annually grant three teacher-selected Visual Arts students with a travel stipend for individual artistic study. Butler, whose education was funded by scholarship, said in an interview for Inside Fordham, that “Scholarships are important for people who can’t afford education. It helps them to start a new life.” The artistic concentration in Fordham’s programs for travel has a whole
COURTESY OF GUILLAUME ROEMAET
The Butlers (center) with the Rev. Robert R. Grimes, S.J., dean of FCLC, the Rev. Joseph McShane, S.J., president of Fordham University, and Professor Joseph Lawton, visual arts program director.
different level of intensity than in any of its regular session courses. “You come back to the States with a completely different relationship with your medium, a whole
different level of understanding,” Stephan Apicella-Hitchcock, artist-in-residence and gallery director, said. “If you spend that much time with something, you
learn it, you understand what is of note for you...It’s a commitment and when you commit yourself to something, you acknowledge its significance” the professor said
on the significance of pursuing an academic-based travel. “The Dedication and Opening Exhibit” to inaugurate the renamed gallery highlights the works of Fordham’s alumni—including Butler’s—which stress the concept of travel. The exhibition also features professor Joseph Lawton, visual arts program director, and alumni Tiffany Edwards, FCLC ’02, and Dylan Chandler, FCLC ’04. Each one of them focused on a different part of the globe and captured with their photographs, their personal interpretation of the world around them. These aim to stress in this way the important impact that travel can have on the artists’ formation. Butler’s donation will also benefit a more efficient f low of exhibitions that professors will be able to use as examples in their classes. Visual arts professors will have the opportunity to bring classes to the gallery, which will provide clear examples of artistic method. “The focus of it is for pedagogical reasons,” said Apicella-Hitchcock, “we try to curate shows that we can use in our classrooms, that we can use as teaching shows.” The money set aside for the gallery will be used for reparations and to meet the requirements for more fragile, expensive art pieces, which require insurance and a reliable means of transportation.
Features
Features Co-Editor Paulina Tam —paulinatam01@gmail.com Brigitte Ayaz —brigitteayaz@gmail.com
October 2, 2013 THE OBSERVER
PAULINA TAM/THE OBSERVER
The Fordham University Women’s Choir, rehearsing at Fordham College at Rose Hill’s University Church.
Rose Hill: Alive With the Sound of Music By PAULINA TAM Features Co-Editor
Every Tuesday night at 7:15 p.m., Fordham College at Rose Hill’s University Church comes alive and aglow with the voices of women from Fordham’s Bronx and Lincoln Center campuses, myself included. Together, with the accompaniment of conductor and director Stephen Fox, they make up the Fordham University Women’s Choir. When it was first created 14 years ago, with Fox assuming the role of director five years later, the Choir’s roster included 18 members, but today, the ensemble holds 75 members. “Originally, the Women’s Choir was set up to be a ‘feeder choir’ to the University Choir and technically still works in that capacity,” Fox said. “My approach to this choir is that it is its own entity—yes, we are a part of the fine choral tradition here
at Fordham, but I hold this choir to a high standard in all aspects.” During rehearsals, Fox incorporates vocal and full body warmups, sometimes, with an assembly line-like massage courtesy of the full cooperation of choir members, alongside personal anecdotal stories that he has accrued from his years as a music student. Courtney Romans, FCLC ’17, said that she joined the Women’s Choir because she participated in musical activities during high school and middle school. “I like being in a choir – it’s like a sense of community,” Romans said. Christine Simaitis, FCLC ’15, also cites a previous musical background as a motive to continue her choral participation at Fordham. “Music just in general is very stress relieving and Stephen’s humor combined puts me at ease and together, it makes for a very great Tuesday night,” Simaitis said.
For members who are traveling from Lincoln Center to Rose Hill, it could sometimes be time-consuming and exhausting—rehearsals usually ending at 9p.m. on most nights and 10p.m. on nights leading up to two annual concerts. Waiting for the Ram Van and returning back to campus is an entirely different story but for Romans, Simaitis and Na Duan, GBA ’13, it is all worth it. “Think about it—a bunch of girls who love music—coming and singing together and having a great time every Tuesday, it is a very awesome experience!” Duan said. “Free Ram Van tickets is a very attractive feature too!” Simaitis and Duan also said that if they were having a bad day, coming to choir would automatically make them feel better. “If I break up with a boyfriend, I will make sure to come to choir!” Duan said.
For Fox, every member of the choir is enough to motivate him to come to Rose Hill every Tuesday evening. “Out of a choir of 75—when only 5 are music majors and the rest are there because they want to be there —it doesn’t get much better than that!” Fox said. “Plus, choral music and being a choral conductor is my passion—it sets my soul on fire. I could be having the worst day ever—but I get to choir and nothing else matters!” Once everybody is assembled at the church the magic begins. For this semester’s music selection, Fox selected music pieces that improve and strengthen the female voice with good, solid writing, meaningful text. Although the Women’s Choir started out as a “filler,” does not have proper choral attire or the opportunity to travel and sing abroad as the more well-known University
choir does, the Women’s Choir is, in essence, the little choir with a big voice. “This choir deserves nothing but the best,” Fox said. “But I’ll share this with you, no one is really looking at your attire—my friends and colleagues who come to our concerts are too busy watching the faces of everyone singing because everyone is engaged and sharing their stories through the lyrics with the audience. You move them not only with your wonderful sound, but your presence. And that is all I could ask for as your director.” This year’s Fall Concert is at 3 p.m. on Oct. 27 at the University Church while the Christmas Concert: Lessons & Carols is segmented into two days—Dec. 7 at 8 p.m. in the Church of St. Paul the Apostle at Lincoln Center and on Dec. 8 at 3 p.m. in the University Church.
Breaking Bad is over....what else are you going to do with your time? fordhamobserver@gmail.com
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The huge neon “Milk” sign that welcomes all visitors who enter Momofuku Milk Bar and a selection of their products.
A Sweet Deal at Momofuku Milk Bar ROSANNA CORRADO Contributing Writer
As a freshman, I recently discovered the issue that plagues all hungry college students: Where do I find food, what tastes good and is cheap? When you are on a budget and reside in one of the most expensive areas of Manhattan this can be a daunting question to answer. However, the folks at Momofuku Milk Bar have made it easier to find high quality and tasty food for those on a budget. Located on 87th street and Columbus Avenue, Momofuku Milk Bar is the brainchild of chef and owner Christina Tosi and is affiliated with chef David Chang’s restaurant empire Momofuku, a restaurant critically acclaimed for
its creative take on American-Asian cuisine. The eclectic Milk Bar menu also features savory classics from the Momofuku restaurants, which includes their famous pork buns, a heavenly bao—think steamed wonder bread in the shape of a roll— that consists of slow-braised pork shoulder, hoisin sauce and razor thin cucumber scallions. This is where the Meal Deals come in. Meal Deals are like grown up Happy Meals, only with tastier food and better ingredients. Momofuku Milk Bar only uses local and organic ingredients. They import the dairy from local New York farms. The Meal Deal ranges from $7-10 and you get your pick of either a bread or bun, a side and a drink for your Meal Deal. In addition to the pork bun, the menu also features a delicious veggie bun for vegetarians. As an avid carnivore, I was a little skeptical, but after trying the veggie
bun I became hooked. The caramelized shitake mushrooms and onions melded perfectly with the Kewpie mayonnaise, pickled carrots and pea shoots that topped the bun. Though there are only three savory side choices—pretzels, chips and kimchi slaw—the kimchi slaw is a hidden gem. For those new to the world of kimchi, it is a traditional Korean dish of spicy fermented cabbage. However, the Momofuku version is like kimchi for beginners. Instead of being very spicy, the fermented kale—it is used as a substitute for cabbage—and onions are balanced with a sweet raisin and apple puree. While you could opt for a traditional Arnold Palmer or Mexican Coke to drink, I strongly recommend the strawberry milk. The strawberry milk is a concoction of milk and tristar strawberries, a strawberry variety that is very small
in size, about the size of a large chestnut. What they lack in size they make up for in rich flavor. They are juicy and sweet, with a nice hint of acidity and sourness. The Milk Bar strawberry milk tastes like the instant strawberry milk you had as a kid without the artificial after taste. In classic Milk Bar fashion, you can always get a cookie as your side. With flavors like blueberry & cream and cornflake marshmallow, I highly recommend you indulge in one. Those with gluten or dairy allergies, don’t despair. This past year, Momofuku Milk Bar teamed up with model and baking enthusiast Karlie Kloss, to create a line of healthy and allergen-free cookies. One of the cookies in the line is called “The Perfect 10,” and features gluten-free oats and almond flour. For a reasonable price for high quality and tasty food, I suggest you go a couple of times and sample all
their menu has to offer. The staff is very friendly and will offer you their favorite meal deal combinations. When asked about his all time favorite meal deal combo, employee Steven Kelly suggested the Thanksgiving croissant, ginger beer and chocolate chocolate cookie. The Thanksgiving croissant is a seasonal item that combines turkey, stuffing and cranberries into a croissant. It is only available in November, so be sure not to miss out! The menu is ever changing so you will never get bored. Go down to Momofuku Milk Bar and become a Momofuku believer! IF YOU GO
Momofuku Milk Bar Price: $ Where: 561 Columbus Ave , at 87th st
A Token of Appreciation for Fordham Professors By NANOR HARTOUNIAN Staff Writer
Oct. 5, 2013 is World Teachers’ Day and it is the perfect day to show greatly deserved gratitude and recognition to professors at Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) who have left lasting impacts on our lives and continue to shape our minds as we navigate through college. “I admire professors who are really passionate about what they’re doing and care about the subject that they’re teaching not just on an academic level,” Shaheen Tokhi, FCLC ’16, said. Tokhi goes on to say that she appreciates professors who are very levelheaded in the sense that while
they do have their own opinions, you would never know whether they may or may not clash with yours. Instead, they let you go on journeys that enable you to form your own thoughts. Tokhi recognizes these qualities in FCLC Senior Teaching Fellow of African & African American Studies Noël Wolfe. “She was just really passionate about the way she looked at things,” Tokhi said. “I took American History twice in high school so I felt like I didn’t have anything left to learn, but I still learned about certain instances that ended up being really enlightening for me.” Alexandra Glembocki, Fordham College at Rose Hill (FCRH) ’16, also had some thoughts to share about her favorite professor, Beth Knobel, assistant professor of communica-
tion & media studies. “I admire Dr. Knobel’s true dedication for giving her students the best education possible.” Having taken Knobel’s “Power of News” course first semester freshman year, Glembocki said, “She changed my entire perspective on the media and inspired me to further my education in communication.” Glembocki believes it is truly rare to have a professor as accomplished and currently active in her industry as Dr. Knobel is and who is also very committed to helping her students succeed. Just as students appreciate their professors, professors themselves have their own positive and memorable experiences when it comes to mentoring students. Professor Jen-
nifer Clark, a communication and media studies professor, recalls appreciating professors who had a sense of passion about whatever they were talked about. “It can come across in just a level of enthusiasm, the ways that they creatively plan class or the ways that they can have informal conversations with students,” Clark said. “You can really tell when someone believes in what they’re doing and feels that whatever they’re imparting has value in the world within and beyond the classroom.” Professor Clark pinpoints what she considers to be her day-to-day successes. This involves her and her students having a collective moment in which each of them makes innovative connections. Furthermore,
Professor Clark goes on to discuss what she enjoys in terms of her experiences with individual students. “I always like it when students come after a class and say ‘I will never think about ‘x’ in the same way,’” she said. Realizing that her students continue to think critically about things like movies or televisionis rewarding for her. Noteworthy things can happen when a professor’s class surpasses the realm of necessary coursework or a responsibility. Classes can suddenly become more interesting to students who look up to and respect the professors teaching them. The results are unforgettable academic and recreational experiences that we, as students, carry with us long after we graduate.
Sports
Sports Editor Jennifer Khedaroo — jkhedaroo@fordham.edu
October 2, 2013 THE OBSERVER
Rams Move to 5-0 Record after Explosive Fourth Quarter By JENNIFER KHEDAROO Sports Editor
After a 52-7 blowout win versus Columbia University at the Homecoming game, the Fordham football team traveled to Pennsylvania for a much tighter game. Playing the Saint Francis University Red Flash team, the Rams won their fifth straight game of the season with a score of 38-20. It was the first time since 1988 that a Fordham squad started their season with an undefeated five wins. Kickoff time was 12:00 p.m., and just 15 seconds later, Fordham took the lead. Jorge Solano, Fordham College at Rose Hill, (FCRH) ’17, returned a 96-yard kickoff to put Fordham 7-0 with 14:45 left in the first quarter. For the next 10 minutes, neither team scored. But, with almost five minutes left in the first quarter, Fordham scored yet again and were up by 14. After a 70-yard drive, Dan Light, FCRH ’15, caught a 10-yard pass from quarterback Michael Nebrich, FCRH ’15. Saint Francis’ first scoring drive didn’t occur until a few minutes into the second quarter. Covering 75 yards in six plays, Saint Francis’ Kyle Harbridge rushed 67 yards for a touchdown. Unfortunately for Saint Francis, their kicker didn’t kick a successful field goal, so Red Flash still remained down by two scores. Harbridge’s touchdown was the only scoring drive for either team in the second quarter. After half-time, Saint Francis scored yet again. The team started on their own 28-yard line and got all the way down to Fordham’s 2-yard line after Harbridge rushed for 66 yards.
COURTESY OF FORDHAM SPORTS
After winning the Liberty Cup against Columbia, Fordham improved to 5-0 by beating Saint Francis.
Saint Francis scored with 13:37 left in the third quarter. Instead of a field goal attempt, the Red Flash tried for two more to even the score with the Rams. But the one opportunity pass from the Red Flash quarterback Max Warb couldn’t get completed. Although Fordham didn’t score a touchdown in the third quarter, for the second straight quarter, they eventually scored a field goal. After 12 plays of passing and rushing with some loss of yardage Fordham finally made it to Saint Francis’ 13yard line. At 3rd down and 7, Nebrich was sacked by the Red Flash’s
Neal Bishop. The sack forced a fourth down and a field goal attempt from Michael Marando, FCRH ’15. With the drive lasting exactly five minutes, Marando kicked in a successful 39 yarder. Fordham led 17-12. However, the lead didn’t hold for long. With 3:32 left in the third quarter, Harbridge again made a big play. He was definitely the Rams’ biggest obstacle that day, as he rushed yet again for big yards. In ten seconds he turned a 17-12 Fordham lead to a 71yard rushing touchdown to give the Red Flash an 18-17 lead. Then, Saint Francis decided to go for two again,
and this time Ward’s pass to Harbridge was good. The Red Flash then led 20-17. Nonetheless, the St. Francis Red Flash was going to be held to only 20 points in this game. Once the fourth quarter began, it was all Fordham. With great field position, Fordham made it to Saint Francis’ 23-yard line, and then Nebrich threw a 23yard pass to Tebucky Jones, FCRH ’15, for a touchdown, just nine seconds into the fourth quarter. After St. Francis failed to score on their possession, Fordham recovered the ball with a little over 12 minutes
left in the game. Carlton Koonce, FCRH ’14, one of Fordham’s biggest stars over the last few years, rushed for 27 yards while Nebrich threw a total of 55 yards passing to Jones and Sam Ajala, FCRH ’15. Fordham got to first and goal at St. Francis’ eight yard line. From there, Koonce rushed eight yards to give the Rams another touchdown, and kicker Marando netted a field goal. Fordham moved to 31-20. With nine minutes remaining, Saint Francis had enough time to score once more. But, they failed to after only reaching fourth down and 12 at their own 45 yard line. A little over six minutes were left when Fordham took the ball once more. It only took a minute and a half for the Rams to capitalize and score another touchdown. Fordham’s Brian Wetzel, FCRH ’15, rushed for an 84yard kick return, following a 43-yard punt from the Red Flash’s kicker Zack Drayer. This gave the Rams an amazing field position at Saint Francis’ four-yard line. From there, Nebrich himself rushed for one yard, and in the next play, Koonce rushed for no gain. The team was third and down when Nebrich threw a pass to Wetzel for three yards, completing the touchdown for Fordham. It was Fordham’s third touchdown, and 21st consecutive unanswered point, of the fourth quarter. The touchdown put the Rams on top 38-20, and that would be the final score of the game. The Rams hope to continue their winning streak with a win against Lehigh University on Oct. 5 at noon in the Bronx. If they win, it will be the first time since 1988 that Fordham starts their season 6-0.
Four Exercises Based in Central Park This Fall a.m. A group of people aged 18 years and older, warm up and then go on a 6-mile walk through Central Park together. The free walks are led by the New York Walkers Club, a nonprofit organization that promotes physical fitness and good community relations through walking for exercise, according to their website. However, the walks are not just a simple walk in the park. They are moderate to brisk walks aimed at building muscle tone, strength and increasing cardiovascular health. Although it’s more of a race than a walk, the NY Walkers Club prefers using the term, “health walking.” “Saying race scares people off, and health walking sounds less intimidating,” the club’s executive director, Lon Wilson said to the New York Times. There is no registration for this program. Just visit the North Meadow Recreation Center, located at mid-Park at 97th Street, to find the group. Health and Race Walking classes continue until the end of November.
By JENNIFER KHEDAROO Sports Editor
With fall here, it can be tempting to just throw on layers of clothing and stay indoors drinking pumpkin spice lattes all day long. But there are still activities in Central Park that will get you feeling energized and healthier. Here are four ways to get fit in the colder weather. Bouldering Bouldering is an offshoot of the traditional rock climbing. It’s a sport for thrill seekers as the main goal is to climb rocks up to 10 feet tall with your body being the only thing to support you. “This is one of the only places in the world where you can climb inside a city on real rock,” Gareth Leah, the author of “New York City Bouldering Guide,” said to the NY Daily News. “But not many people know it.” The activity is designed to increase muscle tone and strengthening, according to Leah. All you need is a chalk bag to keep your hands dry on slippery slopes. Oh, and comfortable athletic sneakers. Then you can scale boulders left and right. But be sure to bring a friend along to spot you and help out if the climbing situation gets difficult. There are many popular bouldering locations in Central Park. These include Worthless Boulder, located near 110th Street; Cat Rock, near Wollman Rink; and Rat Rock, near the Heckscher Ballfields. For beginners, Rat Rock is the least intimidating. If you think you’re up to the task of climbing a more challenging boulder, Worthless Boulder works best. Flag Football Fall is the time for football. But,
YUANXI LIU/THE OBSERVER
as much as we love the game, we would rather watch it on television than get roughed up by tackles in reality. Flag football proves to be a safer and fun exercise alternative. The rules to flag football are pretty simple since it is similar to regular American football. However, there is no physical contact with other players. There are two teams and each team member wears a belt of flags around his or her waist. A defensive player must pull off a flag from the offensive player, who possesses the ball, to stop the play. Flag football gives you an in-
tense cardiovascular workout. Expect to be running, sprinting and jogging constantly while chasing and being chased by friends. Depending on your weight, you can burn between 531-725 calories an hour playing flag football, according to fitness writer Jeremy Hoefs at LiveStrong.com. If you’re new to flag football, warm up for this high intensity workout by stretching your limbs and going for a long walk. So grab some friends and head out to the North Meadow, located at 97th Street, near the 97th
Street Traverse. Flag football is allowed onsite from mid-September through mid-November. Health and Race Walking Walking is such a simple exercise that many of us take for granted by using subways and taxis. But if you want to get into tip-top shape with a weekly, low impact fitness program, Central Park can be your best friend. That is, if you’re willing to get up early on a Saturday morning. The class is every Saturday morning from 9:00 a.m. to 11:30
North Meadow Recreation Center Kits If you find yourself in fairly warm weather in October, but aren’t willing to commit to an intense workout, you can still head to Central Park for a more informal exercise. Bring a photo I.D. to the North Meadow Recreation Center and you can borrow any kit for the day. You can pick up basketballs to use at the basketball courts in the Recreation Center’s complex, as well as frisbees, hula hoops, jump ropes and other items. There are also baseball, soccer, and softball courts at the Recreation Center. The Center is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Tuesdays to Fridays, and on weekends from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
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Sports
October 2, 2013 THE OBSERVER
www.fordhamobserver.com
Volleyball Team Goes 1-1 During First Weekend at Home By SANDY YOUSEFF Contributing Writer
In only their second and third games played at home this season, the Fordham volleyball team found themselves with both a win and a loss by the end of the weekend. On Friday, Sept. 27, the team lost to the University of Rhode Island Rams by a score of 3-0 after Rhode Island dominated each set. The following day, on Sept. 28, Fordham faced an easier opponent, the George Mason University Patriots, and it was Fordham’s time to rule the court. They walked away with a 3-1 win over George Mason. Friday night’s game against Rhode Island featured a theme where Fordham constantly allowed the Rhode Island Rams to go on high-scoring run. At the beginning of the opening set, Fordham quickly took the lead, 5-4. But from then on, Rhode Island went on a tear. Rhode Island went on a 11-3 run and put themselves ahead of Fordham by 10 points, 21-11. Fordham tried to catch up with a 4-2 run, but eventually Rhode Island won the first set 25-15. In the second set, Fordham took the lead yet again, this time by a score of 9-5. But Rhode Island came back. The Rhode Island Rams scored another 20 points to take the set with a final score of 25-16. For the Fordham Rams, Brennen Desling, Fordham College at Rose Hill, (FCRH) ’16, had a pair of kills and Maria Rodenberg, FCRH ’14, had consecutive aces. The third set went as the first two did, with Fordham trying to maintain a lead before Rhode Island ripped it away. Fordham led Rhode Island 8-6, until Rhode
MELANIE CHAMBERLAIN/THE OBSERVER
Maria Rodenberg, FCRH ‘14, at a game on September 27, 2013.
Island went on an 11-3 run. The Rams tried but had trouble hanging onto the 19-9 lead that Rhode Island built up. Rhode Island went on to win that set 25-14. With three set wins, the Rhode Island Rams won the entire match. Lisa Hipp, FCRH ’14, led the team with seven kills. Carina Thompson, FCRH ’14, added six kills and hit .375 for the match. Although they took a disappointing loss against Rhode Island
on Friday, the team wasted no time the next day against George Mason University. The night before did not stop the girls from keeping focus in this home court advantage. Despite the lead from George Mason in the opening set, with the Patriots taking nine of the match’s first 14 points, the Rams fought back. From that point on, Fordham and George Mason went back and forth until both teams were tied at 19 points. Despite the persistence
and trading points, the Patriots took the lead for the first set, 2521. But that didn’t stop the Rams as they swiftly fought back in the second set, with Hipp recording three kills to put Fordham in a 3-1 lead. They also took advantage of the Patriots’ error that extended the lead to 11-6. The Patriots attempted to bridge the gap to 16-14, but the Rams were determined to win, closing the set at 25-22. The game came very close in the
third set, with neither team holding a lead of more than two points for a majority of the set. George Mason attempted to take the lead, scoring 22-20, but the Rams once again fought back and tied the score. Carina Thompson, FCRH ’14, and Brianna O’Neil, FCRH ’16, both had kills and Rodenberg tallied an ace to give Fordham the win by 25-22. The Rams came determined in the fourth set and brought the heat. They immediately pushed for a six point lead in the beginning, forcing the Patriots to take a time out. Later on, The Rams widened the gap even more with a 11-3 lead, forcing George Mason to take another timeout. After the second timeout, the Patriots tried to catch up, closing within two at 15-13. Nevertheless, the Rams began to widen the gap again with Hipp’s 22nd kill of the game. The Rams increased the advantage to five at 18-13, but the Patriots pushed to get back into the set. Despite George Mason narrowing the lead to one on a few occasions, Fordham closed out the set, 25-22 and took the win of the match. Hipp came close to her careerhigh with 25 kills and also tallied in 13 digs. Sarah Konkel, FCRH ’14, had 55 assists and 13 opposing attacks. Thompson had 13 kills, while Lindsay Ritchie, FCRH ’15 added 12 kills, a career high. O’Neil pitched in 11 kills for the win. The win against George Mason was the first Atlantic 10 victory for the team’s new head coach, Gini Ullery. The Rams’ next game will be at home on Oct. 5, at 7:00 p.m. It will be Ullery’s first game against her previous team at Duquesne University.
Thanks for the Mo-Ments: Mariano Rivera Says Goodbye to Baseball By ERICA FREEDMAN Staff Writer
After spending hundreds of millions of dollars on players’ salaries, the New York Yankees finished their season before the playoffs began. This season was packed with injuries and a player who brought negative publicity onto the team almost on a regular basis. Yet, despite all of this controversy, the spotlight has shifted to the team’s gentleman, Mariano Rivera, when he closed his pitching career on Thursday night, Sept. 26. Rivera tipped his cap and shut the door on his career in a 4-0 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays. Two of his teammates, Derek Jeter and Andy Petite, came out onto the field during the ninth inning with two outs left in the game. From there, Rivera was able to address his teammates and the crowd to an emotional final goodbye. Unlike other players, Rivera did not fill his games with theatrics. He allowed his performances to speak for themselves. And they have. Since he began relief pitching in 1996, Rivera has earned an incredible reputation. With 652 regular-season saves, 44 saves this season alone, as well as 13 All-Star games and helping to win five World Series titles, it is obvious why he became a silent weapon. Even the Boston Red Sox, the Yankee’s number one rival, have the utmost respect for Rivera. John Farrell, the Red Sox manager, told the New York Times, “He’s a role model, and I mean that in the greatest sense that I can say it. Everyone should look up to him, the way he lives his life.” A special ceremony was held for Rivera in mid-September to honor his final appearance at Fenway Park, where the entire Red Sox team gave him a standing ovation. Other rivals all paid tribute
WILL VRAGOVIC/TAMPA BAY TIMES/MCT
On Thursday, Sept. 26, Mariano Rivera ended his legendary career as the game’s best closer.
to Rivera as well. This included the Tampa Bay Rays, who built a sandcastle for “The Sandman,” a nickname that Rivera has been called for years. The respect and admiration for Mariano Rivera has not been earned by impressive statistics alone. In fact, his attitude seems to be what has made the greatest impact. His grace under pressure, immaculate skill and ability to tailor his pitch to shattering strength and impeccable accuracy has left room for a big ego. But, at the end of it all, Rivera is just a good guy. He has been married since 1991 to
the woman he met in elementary school; he has a family, a charitable foundation and a clean reputation. Baseball fans everywhere agree that if anyone should be wearing Jackie Robinson’s number, it should be Mariano. Originally from Panama, Rivera was signed to the Yankees in 1990 for only $3500, according to the New York Times. After getting injured in 1992, he was made eligible for the draft and nearly got traded to either the Tigers or the Mariners. The Yankees weren’t happy with any of the trade offers, and eventually they tried him as a relief
pitcher instead of a starter. Once he became a relief pitcher and then earning the position of the team’s closer, Rivera started to set almost every record for relief pitchers in the regular season and the playoffs. “I’ll tell you one of the most amazing things about Mariano. In all the years I caught him, he never threw a ball in the dirt,” Joe Girardi, the current Yankees manager and a former teammate of Rivera’s, said in an interview with Sports Illustrated. “I don’t ever remember having to drop to my knees to block a pitch. I know he never threw a wild pitch that bounced. His con-
trol is that good.” And that seems to be a general consensus. He has mastered control of his pitches, control in his demeanor, control of his career and control in his life. Rivera wanted his last trip around the league to actually mean something to people outside of the players and coaches. In every road trip game, he did something nice for the people working behind the scenes. The tour was dubbed a “paying it forward” tour by the media because of the charitable work and visits he made. Whether it was an Oakland Athletics’ mailroom clerk, a group of Anaheim Angels’ employees, or other workers, Rivera wanted to show his gratitude for the hard workers. This cannot be said for many other professional players in any major league sport. It especially can’t be said about some of Mariano’s own teammates. For instance, the highest paid player on the Yankees, Alex Rodriguez, has a salary totaling $29,000,000, according to ESPN’s payroll information. For years he has been under investigation for performance enhancing drugs. Rodriguez is now accusing his team of discrediting him and attempting to strip him of his 10- year, $207,000,000 contract. The team’s star-studded business model may fill their seats, but it’s difficult to look at the remaining players and see the same respect and passion for the game that Rivera has. And even though the Yankees did not make it to the playoffs for the first time in six years, and just the second time in 19 years, Rivera was still appreciative. “Yes, we didn’t make the playoffs, but this was still wonderful,” he said to NY Daily News following Thursday’s game. After a 23-year professional baseball career, 43-year-old number 42 will leave behind a legacy that the divas surrounding him should only wish to achieve.