the
Observer
April 27, 2022
The Student Voice of Fordham Lincoln Center
VOLUME XLII, ISSUE 6
Inside: Exploring the Past Page 4
WWII Victory Bell Exploring the storied history of a Fordham landmark Class Partnership Page 10
Bronx Meditations Fordham students engage with the Bronx community through poetry Wander Through Bronx Greenspaces Page 13
Walking the NYBG The beautiful oasis provides a reprieve from urban life
Dive Into the Bronx Today Page 15
D Train Travels A look at one of the Bronx’s most popular travel methods Our Alma Mater Page 16
The Rosehill Experience Students should take advantage of different academic experiences
TOP PHOTO BY ALICE MORENO/THE OBSERVER BOTTOM PHOTO COURTESY OF MATTHEW LÓPEZ-JENSEN
www.fordhamobserver.com
THE OBSERVER April 27, 2022
CONTENTS EXPLORING THE PAST
3 • Building the Bronx
4
• The Fordham Victory Bell • The Legacy of Jack Coffey Field
5 • A Quick Guide to the Bronx
WANDER THROUGH BRONX GREEN SPACES
8
• Starlight Park is ‘Where My Heart Is’
9
• When in the Bronx, Look Up • The Journey To Find the Mitsubishi Riverwalk
OUR ALMA MATER
BRUSH UP ON THE LATEST
14
16
20
• Public Safety at Rose Hill
• Chuba Ohams: Men’s Basketball Feature
• Crossword
?
15 • The D Train Commute: A Photo Essay
12
• Ram Libs
• Bronx River Alliance • Finders, Seekers: Tuckahoe Explored
• Word River Game
17 • The Ram Van, a Link Between Campuses
13 • Gentrification in the Bronx: Fordham’s Impact
FUN AND GAMES
• New York Botanical Garden
• Lincoln Center Vs. Rose Hill
19
7
• Why You Should Take a Class at Rose Hill
• Fordham Celebrity Alumni
• University Works to Accept More Students From the Bronx
• Fordham in Featured Films
LETTER FROM THE EDITOR Dear Reader,
Observer the
Editor-in-Chief Katrina Lambert
Managing Editor Grace Getman Online Editors Corbin Gregg Jill Rice
Lincoln Center and Rose Hill are two different campuses, in two different boroughs, but they share one university that is rooted in the Bronx. When Matthew López-Jensen, professor of the Art and Action on the Bronx River class at Rose Hill, reached out to me in January about collaborating on an issue with his class, I saw this as an opportunity to bridge the 13-mile gap between our two campuses. This occurred after the devastating fire in Tremont, and as a Lincoln Center-based paper, The Observer felt disconnected from its grieving community in the Bronx. It can be easy to walk the halls of Lowenstein, plan your weekendoutings in Manhattan and forget that you go to Fordham University — an institution that was founded in the Bronx, that impacts the surrounding neighborhoods, and that you have a responsibility to take care of as a member of its community. The driving question behind this special issue was “As a Lincoln Center student, why should I care about the Bronx?” In partnership with the Art and Action on the Bronx River class, we hope that as you read and scan through beautiful visuals, you will take away a new commitment to the Bronx community.
Katrina Lambert Editor-in-Chief
Creative Director Roxanne Cubero Treasurer Adam D’Souza Fundraising Coordinator Shagun Rath Advertising Coordinator Luis Castellanos Layout Editor Maddie Sandholm Asst. Layout Editors Janine Baltazar Tara Lentell Kyla McCallum Isabelle Storella Photo Editors Alyssa Daughdrill Andrew Dressner Asst. Photo Editors Molly Higgins Ashley Yiu Head Copy Editors Sophia Collender Emily Ellis Ana Kevorkian Alyssa Macaluso Asst. Copy Editors Matthias Lai Nora Reidy News Editors Maryam Beshara Allie Stofer Asst. News Editors Insiya Gandhi Chloe Zelch Sports & Health Editors Patrick Moquin Chris Murray Asst. Sports & Health Editors Gabriella Bermudez Aurelien Clavaud Gus Dupree
Opinions Editors Clara Gerlach Isabella Scipioni Asst. Opinions Editors Jake Eraca Jessica Yu Arts & Culture Editors Isabella Gonzalez Olivia Stern Asst. Arts & Culture Editors Fabiola Arias Mael Quentin Features Editor Erika Tulfo Asst. Features Editors Aastha Aggarwal Abhipri Chowdhury Olivia LeDuc Fun & Games Editor Kreena Vora Asst. Fun & Games Editor Irene Hao Social Media Editor Samantha Matthews Asst. Social Media Editors Jessie Choi Laura Oldfather Diana Silva Multimedia Editor Alexa Stegmuller Asst. Multimedia Editors Lauren Bocalan Alice Moreno Podcast Hosts Shaily Jani Christian Madlansacay Diana Silva IT Manager Zayda Bleecker-Adams Visual Adviser Molly Bedford Editorial Adviser Anthony Hazell
POLICIES AND PROCEDURES • No part of The Observer may be reprinted or reproduced without the expressed written consent of The Observer board. • Letters to the Editor should be typed and sent to The Observer, Fordham University, 140 West 62nd Street, Room G32, New York, NY 10023, or emailed to editor@fordhamobserver.com. Length should not exceed 200 words. All letters must be signed and include contact information, official titles and year of graduation (if applicable) for verification. If submitters fail to include this information, the editorial board will do so at its own discretion. • The Observer has the right to withhold any submissions from publication and will not consider more than two letters from the same individual on one topic. The Observer reserves the right to edit all letters and submissions for content, clarity and length. • Opinions articles and commentaries represent the view of their authors. These articles are in no way the views held by the editorial board of The Observer or Fordham University. • The Editorial is the opinion held by a majority of The Observer’s editorial board. The Editorial does not necessarily reflect the views held by Fordham University. • To reach an editor by e-mail, visit www.fordhamobserver.com
Exploring the Past
April 27, 2022 THE OBSERVER
Building the Bronx: The Lasting History of the Rose Hill Campus Rose Hill Manor holds remnants of history dating back to the American Revolution
By MEGAN YERRABELLI Contributing Writer
Fordham Lincoln Center’s establishment in 1968 allowed for the process to be documented through pictures displayed across the campus’s walls. The Fordham Rose Hill campus, established over a century earlier in 1841, left few records of its founding, making the origins of the campus less familiar to current members of the Fordham community. The campus’s namesake, Rose Hill Manor, was only one of two buildings on the Rose Hill property when John Hughes, coadjutor-bishop (later archbishop) of New York, acquired it in 1839. Rose Hill Manor, previously known as Fordham Manor, had a rich history dating back to the American Revolution. Robert Watts named Rose Hill Manor after his family’s estate in Scotland when he acquired the property in 1787. Allan Gilbert, a professor in the anthropology department at the Rose Hill campus, conducted extensive research into the university’s early years along with Roger Wines, a former professor of history. In 1985, they both received permission from Fordham’s 31st university president, the Rev. Joseph A. O’Hare, S.J., to excavate the foundation of Rose Hill Manor. In their excavation, Gilbert and Wines found numerous artifacts, including patent medicine bottles, the college’s first set of dishes and rods of lead for writing on slate. Gilbert and Wines also found minuscule traces of artifacts from Native American tribes. Gilbert noted that the only information on Native American settlement in the Fordham Rose Hill area arose after colonial contact, which described a Native American village located not far from Fordham near what is now Allerton Avenue.
When the Jesuits arrived, the Rose Hill campus extended from as far east as the Bronx River to Webster Avenue.
He hypothesized that the pieces of these artifacts found in the Rose Hill Manor excavation could have been from rocks within the village that were used to fill in hollows and raise the land level. There is no way to be sure if these artifacts were in their original place. Rose Hill Manor was built by Benjamin Corsa who grew up on a smaller farm on the property, according to Gilbert’s research. He eventually bought the land in the 1730s and subsequently built the manor in 1751, which was where he and his family resided until the American Revolution. In the American Revolution, Rose Hill Manor played a vital role as a crossing point for the Continental Army. Corsa’s son, Isaac, served as a guide for then-General George Washington and Lieutenant General Rochambeau of France. “Rose Hill Manor before it became the Rose Hill Manor, the house we excavated, had a certain fame to it; it was a substantial historical event that occurred at that time,” Gilbert said. In 1838, a wealthy New York City Catholic named Andrew Carrigan bought the land for the sole purpose of selling it to Hughes.
Hughes acquired 100 acres of land in Fordham village for $29,750, which equates to around $800,000 today, and obtained Rose Hill Manor, as well as a stone building that survives as a central piece of the Cunniffe House. This amount of land is unattainable in 21st-century New York City, but at that time, the Bronx was not a part of the New York City we know and love today. The Bronx borough, then known as Westchester County, was not connected to lower Manhattan and surrounding boroughs like it is today. The area was mostly farmland and was not nearly as crowded. Although the property value was low, Hughes had trouble raising enough money to purchase the 100 acres of land needed to establish his seminary and college. Fordham’s original name was St. John’s College, in honor of Hughes’ patron saint. The name was changed to Fordham University in 1907, after the university expanded into graduate schools of medicine and law.
“John Hughes believed passionately in the necessity of Catholic higher education.”
Monsignor Thomas J. Shelley, former professor at Fordham University
Monsignor Thomas J. Shelley, a former professor at Fordham, described the financial difficulties Hughes faced while starting St. John’s College in his book “Fordham: A History of the Jesuit University of New York.” These financial difficulties were indicative of the New York Catholic community’s poverty in 1841. As an Irish immigrant, Hughes’ goal was to establish a college that would educate Catholic immigrants who suffered discrimination and could not receive a public school education. “John Hughes believed passionately in the necessity of Catholic higher education,” Shelley said. Hughes’ vision for St. John’s Col-
COURTESY OF FORDHAM PHOTOGRAPH COLLECTION
The Rose Hill Manor was named in 1787 after Robert Watt’s family estate in Scotland.
lege was to have both a seminary and college. However, after opening the St. Joseph Seminary in 1840, a lack of funds forced him to delay the college’s opening for another year. The founding of the college suffered many challenges with finances, employment and bigotry. Hughes wanted to transform his college with the help of French Jesuits who were managing a small college in rural Kentucky. At the same time, the Jesuits were looking to move to a metropolitan area. Hughes subsequently sold St. John’s College to the Jesuits while maintaining control over his seminary. A few decades later, the construction of the Harlem Railroad led to population growth within Fordham Village, as the railroad ran from downtown Manhattan to the university in an hour. According to Rev. Robert R. Grimes, S.J. and former dean of Fordham College at Lincoln Center, the Rose Hill commencement ceremony at Fordham drew crowds as it became the prime source of entertainment for the night. The university’s growing ac-
cessibility from the surrounding New York City area enabled the Jesuits at Fordham to revitalize and expand the college, primarily through the development of a more extensive faculty. Although new academic buildings, residence halls and the Walsh Library would transform the Rose Hill campus over the next century, the campus had the chance to be even bigger than we know it today. When the Jesuits arrived, the Rose Hill campus extended from as far east as the Bronx River to Webster Avenue. New York City then acquired about 26 acres of the property for $9,300 by eminent domain, which outlines the government’s power to acquire private property for public use provided that they compensate the owner with the fair market value price. This land is now known as the New York Botanical Garden. While the Jesuits had taken control of the college’s educational, financial and daily practices, Hughes still had the authority over St. Joseph’s Seminary, which was connected to St. John’s College and still remains a part
of Fordham. This relationship caused friction between Hughes and the Jesuits, as he believed that the Jesuits were neglecting the seminary. According to Shelley, there were repeated complaints about the poor living conditions in the seminary. After several conflicts with the Jesuits, Hughes moved his seminary upstate. Eventually, St. Joseph’s Seminary became St. John’s Hall, which now serves as a first-year residence hall in Queen’s Court. The land still holds pieces of the past, with some of its history still present in the architecture. “If you look at the sidewalk that runs between St. John’s and the church, you will notice that a little passageway that allowed passage from St. John’s into the church has been removed, and the openings in the walls have been bricked up,” Gilbert said. While the Jesuits transformed the Rose Hill campus into what we know today, according to Shelley, it was the choices Hughes made that allowed for the creation of Fordham University.
COURTESY OF FORDHAM PHOTOGRAPH COLLECTION
John Hughes originally opened both a seminary and a college but the seminary is now the first-year residence, St. John’s Hall.
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April 27, 2022 THE OBSERVER
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Sounding the Victory Bell: The Story of a Repurposed Artifact in the Bronx Outside the Rose Hill Gymnasium, a WWII-era bell serves as a tribute to fallen soldiers and a celebration of community triumphs By PATRICK MOQUIN Sports & Health Editor
In the midst of one of the most eventful presidential terms in U.S. history, Harry Truman’s trip to Fordham on May 11, 1946, may appear trivial by executive standards. With peace treaties to negotiate and a Supreme Court justice to nominate, it’s strange that the former Missouri senator had any interest in visiting Rose Hill, becoming only the second president to do so. Matthew Connelly, the president’s appointments secretary and a Fordham College Class of 1930 graduate himself, likely had a hand in securing Truman’s attendance in the first place. But in spite of his duties and lack of personal connection to Fordham, Truman served as a special guest during the celebration of the university’s centennial anniversary in the Bronx. After receiving an honorary degree, the president delivered a nationally broadcasted address on the terrace in front of Keating Hall. Fordham was celebrating 100 years as an institution, but more pressing events, understandably, overshadowed proceedings. Early in his address, Truman honored veterans attending Fordham on the GI bill after serving in World War II. Almost exactly one year after Victory in Europe Day, the events of the war still dominated the public conscience in the United States. Celebration and mourning went hand in
COURTESY OF FORDHAM PHOTOGRAPH COLLECTION
President Harry Truman rings the new Victory Bell in its new home at Rose Hill.
hand, and shortly before the president delivered his speech honoring veterans seeking a prosperous future, he led those in attendance in a ceremony symbolizing remembrance and rebirth.
Outside the Rose Hill Gymnasium, Truman became the first person to ring Fordham’s Victory Bell, a monument that had been installed earlier that year. The Fordham Ram reported at the time that the bell was erected as
“a token of gratitude” from students for those who had given their lives fighting for their country overseas. Between 1941 and 1945, 228 Fordham men died in action. The bell itself made its own journey during the war, one that was antithetical to those made by the people it commemorated. Beginning as a ship’s bell on the Kashiwara Maru, a Japanese passenger liner laid down in 1939, Fordham’s Victory Bell soon took on a utilitarian role in the Japanese war effort. In 1941, the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) purchased the ship and renamed it the Jun’yo, repurposing it as an aircraft carrier for a 1942 military campaign in the Aleutian Islands. Primarily used to keep time and sound alarms, the bell traveled around the Pacific Ocean for nearly three years aboard the ship. Aircraft launched from the carrier engaged in battles in New Guinea and the Solomon Islands. Though Jun’yo occasionally docked for small repairs, the ship remained fully operational for the IJN until December 1944, when three torpedoes struck the ship and killed 19 men during the Battle of the Philippine Sea. It never fully returned to action, and Japan finally surrendered in September 1945. Before the ship was released by Allied forces to be scrapped, the bell was seized by U.S. Admiral Chester W. Nimitz and given to Fordham as
a reward for the university’s wartime sacrifices. On Dec. 11, 1945, Cardinal Francis Spellman blessed the bell following a military Solemn High Mass. When Truman rang the bell in its new home at Rose Hill, its purpose changed forever. Once used to signal danger on the other side of the world, it now tolled to usher in an era of hard-won peace for a Bronx community weary of sacrifice. For students in the Bronx, the Victory Bell has remained a symbol of triumph, becoming an integral part of one of college football’s oldest traditions. Following victories at Coffey Field (or occasionally after wins on the road), seniors on the Fordham football team take turns ringing the bell to celebrate. The bell is also used during commencement ceremonies at the end of each year. The plaque beside the Victory Bell suggests that it’s dedicated to men who lost their lives in a terrible war, but in practice it’s been reserved for celebrating the triumphs that have occurred as a result of their sacrifice. In World War II, 228 men at Fordham, joined by hundreds of thousands across the country, fought and died in an effort to make the world safer, to allow everyone else to return to lives enriched by anniversaries and football games and graduations. Seventy-six years later, the bell continues to toll, forever echoing the indelible impact of a few hundred men on the lives of everyone who has passed through Rose Hill since.
Coffey Break: The History of Rose Hill’s Athletic Field Named after a Fordham sports leader, Jack Coffey Field has left a mark on athletes and spectators alike ham’s connection to the field that takes his name is not. The field is now most closely associated with the university’s football program. Fordham administrators also elected to cease operations of the football team in 1954. But it was on Jack Coffey Field in 1964 that students revived the school’s football team, resurrecting it as a club sport. By 1970, varsity football was back at Fordham, and the team called Coffey Field home. Today, Coffey Field hosts the football, soccer and baseball teams. Over the years, the complex grew and developed. Concession stands and bathrooms were built underneath the newly renovated aluminum bleachers overlooking the football and soccer field in 1990. To enhance the playing experience at Coffey Field, the grass of the field itself was overhauled in 2005 and replaced with full turf. The baseball field was also completely renovated and named after Jim Houlihan, Gabelli School of Business ’74. A former base-
ball player at Fordham and current member of the board of trustees, Houlihan donated $1 million to support the baseball program. As it currently stands, Coffey Field and Houlihan Park are integral to many athletic programs at Fordham. Coffey Field also serves many nonvarsity athletes at Rose Hill, remaining available to all students while also hosting intramural and club sports. There are many buildings and areas at Rose Hill that receive admiration from students, visitors and teachers. But few have had as tangible of an impact as Coffey Field. Named after a pivotal leader in Fordham sports history, the complex has witnessed Fordham with and without football, hosted thousands of students in its bleachers and stood steadily as a mainstay while buildings sprung up around it. Whether you care about sports or can’t tell a Frisbee from a volleyball, one thing is certain: The history of Rose Hill is not complete without acknowledging the legacy of Jack Coffey Field.
COURTESY OF FORDHAM PHOTOGRAPH COLLECTION
The field that would become Jack Coffey Field, overlooking the Rose Hill Gymnasium. By CHRIS MURRAY Sports & Health Editor
One is bound to be awestruck while walking through the Rose Hill campus. Its neo-Gothic architecture feels like something out of a fantasy novel and leaves a lasting impression on visitors. What may be overlooked as people traverse the grounds nestled between bustling intersections is the spacious field that hosts Fordham’s varsity baseball, football and soccer teams. While it does not feature the carefully constructed masonry of Keating Hall, the artificial turf and aluminum bleachers of Jack Coffey Field hold a special place in Fordham’s storied history.
Baseball was played at Rose Hill before the campus assumed the name “Fordham.” As St. John’s College, 18 Rams made it to the major leagues, including Hall of Fame pitcher Edward “Big Ed” Walsh. After the college was renamed Fordham University in 1907, Jack Coffey, who graduated from Fordham University in 1910, was one of the school’s first ballplayers to play professional baseball. At Fordham, Coffey was a solid enough player to receive a chance in the major leagues. Most of his post-Fordham baseball career was spent in the minors, but after a call-up in 1918, he received opportunities to play with Hall of Famers Ty Cobb and Babe Ruth.
It was after his playing days were over that Coffey left his indelible mark on Fordham athletics. In 1922, he became the head coach of the baseball team. Over the ensuing years, Coffey led the group to 1,160 victories, making him one of only 59 college baseball coaches to amass over 1,100 wins. Alongside his work as a baseball coach, Coffey served as Fordham’s athletic director until his retirement in 1958. While the baseball team has used the same facilities since 1930, it was not until 1954 that the field was named in honor of Coffey — just four years before his departure from the school. While Coffey’s ties to Fordham are defined by baseball, Ford-
ANDREW DRESSNER/THE OBSERVER
The turf that was installed in 2005 is now used by Fordham’s baseball, football and soccer teams.
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History
5
Lincoln Center Students’ Guide To the Bronx was spread by a faulty door that failed to close automatically, which is illegal in New York City. The New Yorker reported that many other residents in the building had the same faulty doors, a pattern that you would not see in apartment buildings in predominantly white and higher-income neighborhoods in Manhattan. The Bronx also faces environmental racism, and there are many toxic waste facilities and other sites of industrial toxicity that pollute the air in the borough. This then leads to more cases of health issues like asthma, diabetes and other serious diseases that can even be deadly. In the South Bronx, where the population is predominantly Black and brown, children are twice as likely to be hospitalized for asthma than children in any other U.S. neighborhood.
By JESSICA YU Asst. Opinions Editor
“You go to Fordham? What’s it like in the Bronx?” “Oh, no, I’m at the other campus, Lincoln Center.” If you are a Fordham Lincoln Center student, chances are you’ve had an interaction like this. While most of us believe that Lincoln Center is the superior campus, it is important to also understand the roots of our university and the neighborhoods it resides within. The Bronx has a long history and rich culture that all Fordham students should learn more about. A lot of Lincoln Center students have taken a class at Rose Hill or at least have commuted there via the Ram Van for an event. When we graduate, we will walk across the lawns of the Rose Hill campus, smiling proudly in our caps and gowns. No matter your major or your campus, all Fordham students are connected through one school and must understand our university’s history and relationship with the Bronx.
New York is our campus, sure, but that does not mean it is merely our playground.
The Bronx in Numbers The Bronx is one of the five boroughs of New York City. It is connected to Manhattan by numerous bridges and train tracks. An estimated 1.4 million people are currently living in the Bronx, with 56.4% of that population identifying as Hispanic. The second-largest ethnic group in the borough is Black or African American. There is also a large immigrant population in the Bronx, with 35.7% of the population reported as being born outside of the United States in 2019. Weekends in the Bronx While it’s hard to get bored as a college student in New York, the city’s weekend activities extend beyond Manhattan. If you’re sick of Lower East Side nights that only ever end in sweat and tears, and you’ve visited all the major museums in Manhattan, it’s time to plan something in the Bronx for your next outing. The Fordham neighborhood in the Bronx is home to some must-see attractions that are worth a trip in the muchtoo-slandered Ram Van. The Bronx Zoo is the largest zoo located in a major
ALYSSA DAUGHDRILL/THE OBSERVER
Grab a bite to eat at Full Moon Pizzeria just a few blocks from campus!
city in the U.S. Stop by to learn about the over 6,000 plus animals that live within those grounds. Zoos aren’t really your thing? Fine, I get it, but you can’t turn down a visit to the New York Botanical Garden, just across the road from campus. How can you possibly justify graduating from Fordham without visiting at least once? Tickets are free for members of the Fordham community, and no two visits are the same with new exhibits every few months and different plants blooming in different seasons. Living next to Central Park is great but it’s nothing compared to the Azalea Garden and Daffodil Valley at the Botanical Garden. Food in the Bronx With so much diversity in the borough, it’s not surprising that the Bronx boasts some of the city’s most amazing food destinations. Just outside of
Fordham Rose Hill’s campus gates is Arthur Avenue, home to authentic Italian food at prices that won’t destroy a college student’s bank account. If you’re truly a Fordham student, you most likely despise the on-campus dining options and want to take advantage of eating off campus. For some quality olive oil, fresh cold cuts, imported cheeses and even a good shot of espresso, stop by Tino’s Delicatessen, a five-minute walk from campus. And if you want to treat yourself to something more than $1 pizza, visit the many Italian pizza joints on Arthur Ave, including Zero Otto Nove. The South Bronx is also the home of many soul food restaurants like — Sam’s Soul Food, Paula’s Soul Food Cafe and Amy Ruth’s — all of which are places where you can get delicious seasoned chicken at a reasonable price. Plus, eating at these restaurants will support small businesses owned by people of color.
Discrimination in the Bronx Food and attractions aside, the Bronx is a borough that is subjected to extensive systemic injustices. Like any city and neighborhood in the United States, racism, classism and many other discriminatory practices are far too common, especially in a racially diverse area like the Bronx. It would take several, if not dozens, of entirely separate articles to even begin to address all the issues that residents of the Bronx face, but here is an introduction. To begin, earlier this year, a deadly fire in an apartment building near Fordham’s campus killed 19 residents. Journalists have noted that this was no accident but rather the consequence of careless handling of housing safety in low-income neighborhoods. The fire was caused by a space heater, something that was necessary due to the inadequate heating system in the apartment building. It
These two examples are just the tip of the iceberg. We as students at Fordham University have a responsibility to educate ourselves about the ongoings of the neighborhoods around us. A lot of us can afford a higher education here at Fordham while being protected from the fires, pollution, food deserts and more within the gates of our campus, whether it be Lincoln Center or Rose Hill. Our mere presence in the city is a privileged one. New York is our campus, sure, but that does not mean it is merely our playground. It is a place that should allow ongoing education. By learning about the Bronx, we also are able to become more mindful of how we take up space in communities where we are guests. We owe it to local residents to be respectful of our surroundings and give back when we can to the neighborhoods that host us. Visiting and informing yourself about issues in the Bronx is a good place to start.
Fordham’s History of Gentrification The university needs to take accountability for its past and educate students on how to create a better future By LAURA OLDFATHER Asst. Social Media Editor
Maybe it’s because I was born and raised in the Midwest, but I had never heard the name of Robert Moses until Aug. 27, 2021. I was in a hotel room in New Jersey, finally completing some readings for Urban Plunge, a service-based pre-orientation program at Fordham. As I read about New York’s history of discrimination and about the communities kicked out of their homes to make way for Fordham’s Rose Hill and Lincoln Center campuses, I realized that I had naively assumed Fordham did not have the same flawed past as other universities. I later discovered that many of my peers are unaware of Fordham’s history of uprooting low-income communities of color. Fordham needs to be more upfront and apologetic about how it has harmed certain communities in the past, and the university needs to incorporate more information about its history and harmful legacy into its education. Before either Rose Hill, Lincoln Center or even New York City were established, the land that both campuses are on belonged to the Lenape Tribe. The Lenape first encountered colonizers in the 1500s and they were later taken over by the Dutch in 1626. The
neighborhood of Fordham in the Bronx was established in the 17th century by Dutch settler John Archer. In 1751, he built Fordham Manor on land that is part of modern-day Rose Hill. In 1838, the Bishop of New York John Hughes bought 100 acres of land, constructing St. John’s College over the next two years. St. John’s College was sold to the Jesuit Order in 1846 and became Fordham College at the start of the 20th century when two graduate schools opened and the entire institution became Fordham University. The land that Fordham was established on is stolen land, and the university continues to gentrify the surrounding areas. For example, more than half the neighborhood of Belmont in the Bronx utilizes welfare assistance while most students have financial gurantours that guarantee payments. This leads to rising rates of rent in the area as students populate it, pushing out those who lived there first. The history of the Lincoln Center campus is also one of displacement and gentrification. As Robert A. Caro lays out in his book “The Power Broker: Robert Moses and the Fall of New York,” when Moses was planning his Lincoln Center Title I development, he was already displacing tenants from acres of real estate. Fordham University wanted to purchase more land and expand the
university, but it could not afford the expensive cost of land in Manhattan. As the chairman of the Slum Clearance Committee, Moses displaced hundreds of people to provide a generous sixacre gift to the university. The university has grown since then, and the plaque honoring Moses in what was formerly known as the “Robert Moses Plaza” was moved to storage in 2016 and has not been returned since. This is a short snippet of a complex and nuanced history, which is why more information on Fordham’s legacy should be provided for students. Part of Fordham’s mission is to connect with the community around us, and learning about our history within that community is vital. I learned about the history in a pre-orientation program, but it should be added to the full-school orientation as well. Another way Fordham could implement teaching students its history is to add an attribute to the core curriculum to address Fordham’s history and its obligations to surrounding communities. Fordham already has an extensive core, and it would be easy to fit the university’s history into it. Alternatively, it could be a required topic to cover at least a reading or two in the first-year English requirement, English Composition II. More history classes could also be added that tackle the history of New York City.
TDORANTE10 VIA WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
The recently renamed Robert Moses Plaza signifies a deep history of Fordham's gentrification and displacement, which must be acknowledged and rectified.
In the ongoing conversations about what obligations urban universities have to the communities around them, education of university members is an important first step. It cannot be the only step — because education without action isn’t helpful — but it is a good place to start. While Fordham is one of the higher-ranked universities in NYC, it is nowhere near as famous (or, rather, infamous) in other parts of the country. This lack of recognition is a reason why
Fordham has not faced as much public scrutiny and, at times, unapologetic hate as other, larger universities. Though not spoken about as much, Fordham does have a flawed past that needs to be understood by its students. No matter how Fordham proceeds, we, as a university, must begin to acknowledge the harm that our school has done in the past and perpetuates to this day. Only then can we start to take action to right the wrongs committed by our university.
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History
April 27, 2022 THE OBSERVER
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Do You Recognize These Famous Fordham Alumni?
Whether you’re a fan of football, movies or music, you’re bound to know one of Fordham’s celebrity alumni By RILEY DRUMM Contributing Writer
The alumni on Fordham’s roster make history in more ways than one. Both Fordham’s Rose Hill and Lincoln Center campuses boast an extensive list of celebrity alumni that have impacted their respective industries for the better. Each of these alumni have walked in the same courtyards and used the same Lowenstein elevators as current students. Denzel Washington Denzel Washington graduated from Fordham College at Lincoln Center in 1977 with his bachelor’s in drama and journalism and went on to become an Academy Award-winning actor in 2002. Throughout his journey at Fordham, Washington was involved in several Fordham Theatre mainstage productions, namely “Othello” and “The Jones.” His participation in Fordham’s productions led him to go on to become a leader on the big screen.
Not only did Washington land himself two Academy Awards, but he has also been nominated for nine in total. His most recent nomination was for “The Tragedy of Macbeth,” which premiered in 2021. Washington has had an extensive journey with Fordham, coming back occasionally to speak to aspiring student actors, and he has even created a scholarship under his name for Fordham Theatre students. His accomplishments do not stop there. Washington is also a philanthropist of late, working with the Boys & Girls Clubs of America, the Fisher House Foundation, Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund and Broadway Cares. Lana Del Rey You may know her for her heartbreaking ballads or her iconic pop hits, but singer-songwriter Lana Del Rey used to walk the halls of Fordham College at Rose Hill (FCRH) until she graduated in 2008.
LAURA LOVEDAY VIA FLICKR
Denzel Washington, FCLC ’77, is a two-time Academy Award winner, one for best supporting actor in “Glory,” and the other for best actor in “Training Day.”
Del Rey took home a degree in philosophy from Fordham and released her first EP, titled “Kill Kill,” in the same year under her birth name, Elizabeth Grant. She went on to release her first major album under her current stage name Lana Del Rey in 2010 after signing a deal with 5 Points Records. Del Rey has a plethora of unreleased music that is circulated on the internet — even one inspired by her Fordham journey as it is titled “Fordham Road.” Del Rey grew up in New York and worked her way up from singing in clubs on the Lower East Side to becoming a six-time Grammy-nominated artist, a winner of the Brit International Female Solo Artist in 2013, and a recipient of two Echo Awards for best female artist rock/pop and best international newcomer. Del Rey is still releasing music, with her most recent album “Blue Banisters” (2021) having the same very personal sound that her fans know and love. Vince Lombardi Fordham University’s Rose Hill campus is home to many D1 sports teams, including a football team with a long- standing history. Vincent T. Lombardi joined Fordham’s football team in 1933 and created an unforgettable legacy. After joining the team, it was clear to coaches what a talented team leader Lombardi was. After graduating from Fordham College in 1937 and coaching at the United States Military Academy at West Point, his drive and passion for football led him to become the head coach and general manager of the Green Bay Packers in 1959. During his nine years of coaching, the Packers were crowned Super Bowl Champions in 1966 and 1967. Lombardi was later inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1971 — one of the highest obtainable hon-
THOMAS HAWK VIA FLICKR
Elizabeth Grant, also known by her stage name Lana Del Rey, graduated from FCRH in 2008 with a degree in philosophy.
ors. Because of his accomplishments, Lombardi was also awarded one of Fordham’s highest honors for being an excellent teacher, the Insignis Medal. Lombardi’s legacy has also been recognized through the numerous trophies and fields named after him all over the country, such as Lombardi Field in Old Bridge, New Jersey, and the Super Bowl Lombardi Trophy. Ruth Whitehead Whaley Paving the way for Black women pre-dating the Civil Rights Movement, Ruth Whitehead Whaley was a Fordham scholar and the third Black woman to practice law in New York. Whaley entered Fordham Law School in 1920 and graduated in 1924 — she was the first Black woman to enroll in and graduate from Fordham Law School. This achievement and monumental moment for Black women did not stop there, as Whaley also became the first Black
woman to practice law in the state of North Carolina in 1933. Fordham has recognized Whaley as one of the most influential and important alumni to ever come out of the university and has created several awards in her honor. At Fordham, members of the top 25% of each Law School class are recognized as Ruth Whitehead Whaley Scholars. Fordham’s Black Law Students Association also created an award in Whaley’s honor for alumni who have shown similar qualities to Whaley. Awards created in Whaley’s honor are not exclusive to Fordham, as Rutgers, Hofstra and several other New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania schools have also created awards under her name. The legacies of each of these Fordham alumni uniquely showcase Fordham’s versatility and honorability. From winning Academy Awards to paving the way for Black women’s rights, Fordham’s alumni have made their marks on history.
Keating Hall: a Hallmark of Fordham in Film
Delve into the history of famous films that feature iconic landmarks on the Rose Hill campus By OLIVIA LEDUC Asst. Features Editor
PHOTOS BY OLIVIA LEDUC/THE OBSERVER
From romantic comedies to thrillers, a wide variety of movies have featured Fordham’s campus on the silver screen.
Fordham is rife with esteemed spotlights on the big screen. For the last 79 years, Fordham’s Rose Hill campus has been quite the hotspot for appearances in feature Hollywood films. Here is a condensed list of some films prominent in pop culture that cite Fordham as a filming location: “Love Story” (1970), “The Exorcist” (1973), “A Beautiful Mind” (2001), “Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps” (2010) and “The Adjustment Bureau” (2011). To capture the quintessential East Coast collegiate feel, filmmakers used the Rose Hill campus in the movie “Love Story.” Starring Ryan O’Neal (Oliver) and Ali MacGraw (Jenny), the film tells the story of two Harvard and Radcliffe Institute students falling in love despite the odds. Multiple scenes of background campus shots are interspersed throughout the film and showcase the gothic architecture of Keating Hall, the main building on campus. Keating Hall was also used as a backdrop in the horror film classic “The Exorcist,” a movie following a young girl who must undergo an exorcism to drive out an evil spirit who has possessed her. The basements of Keating and Hughes Halls make for an appropriately creepy setting for the suspenseful film. The interior of both have since been renovated. The basement of Keating Hall was used once again in the Academy Award-winning film “A Beautiful Mind.” The movie is based on a true story and stars Russell Crowe as John Nash, a mathematical genius diagnosed with schizophrenia. Scenes from the film set in the Pentagon office were actually shot in the pre-renovated Keating.
Keating Hall’s ubiquity as the front line of Fordham in film surfaced for a single scene in “Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps.” This sequel of the hit “Wall Street” focuses on the prison release of Gordon Gekko (Michael Douglas) as he aims to repair his broken relationship with his daughter. Gekko is seen in the first-floor auditorium of Keating Hall lecturing students for a single scene in the film.
No doubt has Hollywood left its mark on the attractive and scholarly grounds of Rose Hill. The facade of Keating Hall is on full display in “The Adjustment Bureau.” The film features Congressman David Norris (Matt Damon) who falls in love with ballerina Elise Sellas (Emily Blunt) and follows their tumultuous trek to defy the mysterious forces trying to keep them apart. The scene filmed at Fordham zooms in on David giving a speech on the steps of Keating Hall, overlooking Edward’s Parade. He is even seen sporting a Fordham baseball cap. No doubt has Hollywood left its mark on the attractive and scholarly grounds of Rose Hill. The campus has authenticated itself as a go-to prime real estate location in filming for the silver screen. From its medieval-like construction to its key location, filmmakers have repeatedly turned to Fordham as the university to capture the collegiate experience.
Wander Through Bronx Green spaces
April 27, 2022 THE OBSERVER
A NOTE FROM THE ‘ART AND ACTION ON THE BRONX RIVER’ PROFESSOR The course Art and Action on the Bronx River is designed around direct engagement with the river and is inspired by the history of activism that has helped restore much of the waterway. Each semester we find different ways to sync up with the non-profit
Bronx River Alliance and its network of stewards and volunteers working from Wakefield to Sound View. By partnering with The Observer our small class is able to reach a wide audience with stories, facts, histories and art about the Bronx River. Students
this semester selected landscapes from Tuckahoe to Harding Park as locations of inquiry. They visited the landscapes, learned the histories and met with community stewards. This research led to the works of art and creative writing shared in this edition.
There are so many ways the Fordham community can connect with the river and this connection is mutually beneficial. The network of parks and landscapes offer quiet refuge, cultural connection, recreation and can be sites for deep learning. Meanwhile,
the river and its environments benefit from stewardship and advocacy. A river is always many places and this is certainly true of the Bronx River. It is our hope that this special edition inspires more students to engage the landscape and, eventually, become stewards themselves.
- Matthew López-Jensen
By ISABELLA IANNONE Art and Action on the Bronx River Class Member
You might not expect that the small paved pathway next to the West Farms Bus Depot and the Sheridan Boulevard overpass is the entrance to a public park beloved by many, including myself. In the summer of 2019, I was in Starlight Park collecting point counts for my urban ecology research internship. As I walked in the northmost section of the park along the grass-lined path next to the chain-linked fence separating the park from the West Farms Bus Depot, I heard a bird song that I could not recognize, but I knew I had heard before. I asked my supervisor if he recognized the song, and he told me that the park’s lamp posts are home to monk parakeet nests. My grandmother-inlaw, Quechita, in Nicaragua has a few of these birds as pets. At that moment, I remembered growing up and feeding them in their cage, listening to them squawk as I drank soda and rocked back and forth in a wicker chair in her home. This memory is just a small moment in Starlight, but it helped me personally connect with the park that would later become the focal point of my work in my class Art and Action on the Bronx River this semester. As part of my work, I met Jaccell Arguinzoni, a Dominican immigrant and proud mother of three who often spends her time volunteering with the Bronx River Alliance. The organization is a Bronx nonprofit dedicated to restoring the Bronx River. Arguinzoni began her work with the alliance after meeting members during her Girl Scout troop’s community service in local parks. She then decided to participate in a trash cleanup for the Bronx River and soon became fully entrenched in park restoration work. Arguinzoni eagerly showed me the work she did in Starlight. “We have two gardens here; we planted there; we mulched there; and right here we planted all around this area,” she said, pointing at the flowerbeds and tree saplings that line the playground and the basketball and tennis courts. In my time with Arguinzoni, I found that she has a deep care and connection with nature. “We need to bring awareness,” she said. “So we can bring people outdoors and make it conscious that whatever we do to the Earth, it is going to affect everybody.” I also saw how much Starlight Park is used by local families, who are participating in the
community service work. Arguinzoni Freedom High School, which is just mated to be complete by summer 2022. said she brings her daughters to help across the street from Starlight Park, The first phase, which began in 2003 her with the work she does for the park, cannot easily access the park either, and was completed in 2013, included and she sees other moms doing the according to Martinez and Alexan- the construction of the current Starlight same. “There’s a lot of people that live der Echelman, a NYC Department of Park. Although the park was created as within this community here that come, Parks and Recreation employee who part of the construction of the Sheriand they volunteer, which is amazing works at the Bronx River House. dan Expressway in 1962, its condition, because they care,” she said. “They want On the western side of the park, as well as the condition of the southern to have a park for their kids to play in ... there is a “comfort station” being con- portion of the Bronx River, was neglecta clean place, something safe.” structed, which is the NYC Parks term ed by the city, and it turned into a heaviMy time with Arguinzoni also for public amenities like bathrooms ly polluted waterway. highlighted a major issue in how Bronx and water fountains. For a public park, Growing up in the 1980s and earparks are perceived differently between it is surprising that bathrooms and wa- ly 1990s, Martinez experienced the those who utilize them and those who ter fountains were not installed earlier, park as “mostly barren — the land do not. She told me a story about her but this admission is evidence of the was really just packed down dirt efforts in organizing her Girl Scouts lack of investment in green spaces in mixed in with some grass. The ball troop to clean Concrete Plant Park, a poorer neighborhoods. fields were concrete.” neighboring park to Starlight that will “It’s going to take a long time to reHe said the state of the river was eventually be connected by a greenway. pair the years of being ignored, the years “Full of trash, full of cars, full of tires It is also NYC’s only edible foodway. of lack of investment in the communi- — it was horrible.” But he and his According to Arguinzoni, parents be- ty,” Martinez said. “As someone who friends spent time there anyway, playgan to complain that ing football or just she chose “the worst hanging out. park in the Bronx.” “It was very The perception that desolate ’cause it Bronx parks like had a chain link Concrete Plant Park fence all around are dangerous comes it, so it didn’t look from the idea that like a welcoming the Bronx is still space at all,” Mar“burning.” Starting tinez said. in 1972, both the From the 1970s decadeslong govto the 1990s, the ernment policies river and its sur(redlining, urban rounding parks renewal, planned were cared for by shrinkage and fire community memservice reduction) bers who formed and the city governalliances such as ment’s lack of enthe Bronx River forcement of housing Restoration Projcodes, investigation ect, Inc and Youth of arson and timely Ministries for tax payments led to Peace and Justice landlords burning (YMPJ). their buildings for YMPJ conpayouts without tinues to be at the punishment and enforefront of envitire neighborhoods ronmental stewardbeing destroyed. ship in the Bronx There is also the and was a founding continual reporting member of the preof negative news decessor to the Alabout the Bronx liance. In the 1990s that warps the perand early 2000s, ception of commuthe YMPJ prodnity safety. While ded the New York some Bronx parents state government feel apprehensive to revitalize the COURTESY OF ISABELLA IANNONE park and even took when visiting parks, Arguinzoni said Starlight Park renovations are putting emphasis on restoring wetlands and former New York park employees and river shorelines. Governor George community organizaPataki on a canoe tions like the Bronx tour of the Bronx River Alliance and Concrete Friends has had the opportunity to go around River in 2000. After the tour, Pataki are working to build trust within the and see other spaces, I always used to announced an $11 million grant to revicommunity. have that feeling, like, ‘Why can’t we talize the waterway and its surrounding One issue with Starlight Park, and have this?’ Why is it that if I go to Man- parks — including Starlight — and conlots of green spaces in the Bronx, is hattan — if I go to the Upper West Side struction began in 2003. accessibility. Starlight Park has four — they have these beautiful-looking The first major roadblock to the repoints of entry: East Tremont Avenue, parks, and when I come home, my parks vitalization of Starlight Park was when the East 174th Street bridge, Sheri- don’t look anything like that?” “taffy-like” veins of coal tar, dangerous dan Expressway (now Boulevard) and Starlight Park is undergoing mas- levels of cyanide, heavy metals and volaEdgewater Road. sive renovations and park maintenance tile organic compounds were discovered Due to infrastructure such as the to restore wetlands, naturalize and for- in the soil. It was revealed that Starlight Sheridan Expressway, Amtrak’s Acela tify the river shorelines, increase park Park was built on the grounds of an abantrain line and the Cross Bronx Ex- accessibility, and connect the park to doned manufacturing gas plant, which pressway, Bronx residents cannot easily other sections of parkland. The intend- Con Edison used as a storage facility access the green space that is just a few ed goal is to complete the Bronx River until it sold the site to NYC Parks. Con blocks away. For example, Edmundo Greenway, which is a long-planned Edison was found responsible for the Martinez, the co-chair of the Bronx stretch of green space that would out- cleanup, but it was YMPJ who successfulRiver Greenway team and Concrete line the complete length of the river ly pushed Con Edison to implement high Friends, who has lived just a block away from Westchester county to the south- standards in its remediation efforts. This from Starlight since he was 6 years old, ern tip of the Bronx. The work is out- would be held as precedent in the subsehas to walk a half mile to enter the park. lined in two phases, one of which is quent 23 remediations that Con Edison Students at Fannie Lou Hamer already completed and the other is esti- was held liable for across the city.
Starlight Park is ‘Where My Heart Is,’ Says Bronx Native
This setback, as well as the pushback against building a pedestrian bridge over the Amtrak Acela line at 172nd Street and Bronx River Avenue, caused stage one to take a decade to complete. The second phase was split into three different stages: the restoration of the river shoreline and wetlands; the completion of the pedestrian bridge over the Amtrak tracks and the development of parkland on the eastern bank of the river; and the construction of a large bridge over the Bronx River that connects the western and eastern banks. Only the second stage remains incomplete. The pedestrian bridge’s construction and development of parkland on the eastern bank of the river has been stalled since November 2016 due to Amtrak’s ownership (“air rights”) of the air above their tracks at 172nd Street and Bronx River Avenue. Phase three, the construction of the largest pedestrian bridge in the park, is complete, but people will not be able to utilize the bridge until Phase two is finished. According to Martinez, COVID-19 stalled some progress on these phases, but because the park restoration was deemed as a major capital project by the New York state government, most of the reconstruction was able to continue throughout the pandemic. When all phases are complete, Martinez said his walk to the park will be cut back to just a quarter-mile walk — much to the liking of his “chubby” bulldog who can no longer make the current half-mile walk. In my experience documenting Starlight Park, I can say for certain that the people who love and care for this small stretch of land do so because they find meaning in their service. The mothers who take their children to help clean up the park, the volunteers who come from all walks of life — they all find happiness and community in caring for Starlight. That is what makes this park so special. You can feel the love and community in the park, from the children who run around and play on the playground to the couples sharing a romantic moment on the water. In the final moments in my interview with Martinez, he said something that I will never forget: Starlight Park is where his heart is. I can see his heart, and the hearts of so many other Bronx residents and stewards, in the park. I see it on the smiling faces of schoolchildren who play on the playground, and I hear it in the laughter of family and friends as they picnic by the river.
GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATIONS BY JANINE BALTAZAR/THE OBSERVER
www.fordhamobserver.com
THE OBSERVER April 27, 2022
Environment
9
When In the Bronx, Look Up By KRISTEN RONAN Art and Action on the Bronx River Class Member
I was recently walking with a friend at the Rose Hill campus, and he turned to me and said, “You gotta look up in the Bronx.” We both stopped for a minute, looked up at the sky, and admired the way the trees moved in the wind; the way the clouds floated across the blue sky; the way the world can sometimes feel both frozen and intensely alive when viewed from this angle. Malcolm Wilson County Park is just a quick 20-minute Metro-North ride away from the Rose Hill campus. To get there, take the Metro-North to Tuckahoe, a village in Westchester County that was named after the word for the green arrow arum plant — one of the staple vegetables of the Indigenous communities who once lived in this area.
We forget to pause, look up and see the life all around us that we might not have otherwise noticed.
The park itself is named after Malcolm Wilson, the 50th governor of New York and graduate of Fordham College ’33. I was pleasantly surprised to discover this in my research. We can find connections to places in the most unexpected ways. When I stepped off the platform at the Tuckahoe train stop, I looked up. Towering over the shops lining the street was a tall building with grand white columns at its front and a windowed tower complete with a
small spire atop its roof. I learned that this was the Generoso Pope Foundation building. It’s a private foundation that provides scholarships to students in Westchester county seeking higher education, as well as funding for various health, cultural, human service and civic organizations. The foundation has done incredible things not only for the individuals it helps, but also for the Tuckahoe community as a whole, helping fund schools, hospitals and public works. I turned away from this section of town, taking a left down Main Street and then Scarsdale Road. The buildings of the town became fewer and farther in between, until my path was suddenly surrounded by towering trees to my left and a small stone wall to my right, indicating the borders of Malcolm Wilson County Park. The grass covering the field beyond the wall was browned and the trees bore no leaves after winter, but the snowdrop flowers and budding plants made it easy to imagine what the area would look like with a full summer’s bloom. I entered the park through a break in the wall and headed in the direction of the Bronx River. The park’s winding dirt roads and trails lend themselves to a quiet and peaceful walk. A bit of magic happened when a butterfly landed on my arm and lingered for a few moments before flying off. I paused once again to look up and watched it disappear into the clear blue sky above. It was a black swallowtail, found commonly in southern Canada and most of the eastern and mid-western United States. This species of butterfly typically spends its winters in the chrysalis stage, with adults emerging in the late spring and early summer. Learning this made my encounter with the insect all the more strange: My new friend had no business being out and about in the middle of
COURTESY OF KRISTEN RONAN
Black swallowtail butterflies are associated with hope and change.
March. Its wings looked scratched and like they had been beaten up. I imagined that it’s had a hard time being out of step with its natural schedule and life cycle. I wondered, how did it get to Tuckahoe at this time in the first place? Did it blow in from a warmer climate? Did it awaken from under the snow? I especially wondered if it was the only one of its kind to have already emerged so early in the spring. I felt bad for the little insect. Community is essential for all living things: people, animals, insects and
even trees. All life acts together not as individuals but as a collective. It’s easy for us to get so caught up in the day-to-day events of our own lives that we forget to really notice the world surrounding us. We forget to pause, look up and see the life all around us that we might not have otherwise noticed. When I was planning my trip to Tuckahoe, I was worried about the parameters of this assignment and trying to figure out what I wanted to write about. It was through subconsciously recalling my friend’s advice and taking a moment
to simply look up and admire the world above and around me that the whole thing fell into place. These moments of reflection and admiration serve as a reset and allow us to go back to those at times stressful, day-to-day moments with a clearer head. I came to Tuckahoe to explore the parks surrounding the Bronx River and to see in person some of the spots I’ve spent this semester learning about. And while I did those things, I was also pleasantly reminded to appreciate all of the life that flows within and around us.
The Journey To Find Mitsubishi Riverwalk By ASHLEY MORALES Art and Action on the Bronx River Class Member
The Mitsubishi Riverwalk is a beautiful scenic trail that is free to the public and right by the Bronx Zoo — but good luck trying to find it! Starting from Fordham’s Rose Hill campus, the walk to the Mitsubishi trail is 0.8 miles long. But the distance isn’t the issue; the real problem is trying to get there. For my first trip to the Mitsubishi Riverwalk, I set out relying on Google Maps as my main navigation system. Unfortunately, there are no walking directions to the trail. Instead, there is a vague pinpoint on the map that you are supposed to figure out how to get to. I looked for more direct ways to get to the trail online,
but this proved futile. Even on the Bronx River Alliance’s website for the Riverwalk, when you click on the directions button, it just gives you directions to the Bronx Zoo.
The river that flows through the Bronx Zoo is the product of dams that were built to power mills in the 19th Century. This is frustrating, as the Riverwalk is advertised as a free green space for public use, but it remains essential-
ly hidden from anyone who has not been there before. While New York City as a whole has a remarkable number of trees, and many more than one would think in an urban setting, the Bronx often misses out on the benefits that trees and green space can provide. Despite statistically being the greenest borough in the city, the green space in the Bronx is not evenly distributed across class lines. Instead, affluent areas are disproportionately green when compared to their working-class counterparts. Many of the green spaces in the Bronx also struggle with proximity to highways, illegal dumping or just general lack of maintenance. These issues pose threats to the safety of residents and make them appear undesirable — who wants to spend their Sunday walking through a park that hasn’t
COURTESY OF ASHLEY MORALES
Mitsubishi Riverwalk is one of the Bronx's difficult to find green spaces.
been maintained in years or that you have to cross a highway with your young children just to get to? As I approached the Mitsubishi trail on my first visit, I could not find the entrance. I was disoriented and lost, mainly because of the lack of a direct route to the Riverwalk itself. So instead, I gave up on trying to find the Riverwalk’s main entrance and just walked through the Southern Boulevard gate to the Bronx Zoo. I decided to ask the Bronx Zoo employees how to get to the trail. They were helpful, but I kept forgetting the directions, so I ended up flagging down every Bronx Zoo employee and asking them how to get there. Each time, I received the same answer: “Go straight until you get to the sea lions, then take a left.” Once I passed the bison and saw a waterfall, I assumed I was there. According to the Bronx River Alliance, the river that flows through the Bronx Zoo is the product of dams that were built to power mills in the 19th Century. The waterfall itself, the main visual attraction of the Mitsubishi trail, is made possible by a former milldam for a fabric dyeing company, as there are no natural waterfalls in New York City. It was only after I left that I realized I did not actually reach the Riverwalk. I was on the wrong side of the river, and while it was beautiful, I wanted to actually see for myself the beauty of these two waterfalls that the trail boasts. On March 29, I geared up to take my second trip, during which I would try to actually find the trail and walk along it. To reach the Mitsubishi Riverwalk from Rose Hill, I needed to walk down Southern Boulevard along the New York Botanical Garden, then turn down East Fordham Road and walk the rest of the way along the Pelham Parkway. Walking over unkempt sidewalks with little tree cover and no railings to protect you from any potential stray
cars, I saw firsthand the issues that Bronx residents face with accessing their green spaces. Even the crosswalks are not really crosswalks, as there are no stop signs or lights. When you walk, you have to hope an oncoming car gives you a break while there is dust and dirt blowing into your hair and eyes. When I finally made it, I felt so accomplished because of the difficulty I faced trying to get there.
My journey to the Mitsubishi Riverwalk gave me a new perspective on the phrase, “It’s the journey, not the destination.” I expected the entrance to the Riverwalk to be just outside the gate, but it is actually a little past the parking lot inside the gate, right before the admissions kiosks. It feels like something that would be behind a paywall, as though you are breaking a rule by walking along the trail without paying for admission to the Bronx Zoo, even though the trail is open to the public. My journey to the Mitsubishi Riverwalk gave me a new perspective on the phrase, “It’s the journey, not the destination.” When I got to the destination, it was nice, but definitely not in its full glory. The trees were dead; it was a cold day; and the only wildlife that was visible were the geese. But what stuck out to me was just how inaccessible it was. On the walk back, I stared at the Riverwalk from behind a large fence and thought about how it would have been much easier, and much less dangerous, to get to the Riverwalk if those fences were not there to keep me out.
Art and Action on the Bronx River
Students in the class took trips to various locations along the Bronx River and created these works of art and writings inspired by the river.
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LARA FOLEY
Oval Park Bridge. View from the Parkway
From “Harding Park” by
Ethan Coughlin
Harding Park has maintain ed its distinct style thank homeowner’s association s in part to their (HOA). The Harding Par k HOA was the first cooperatively owned low - and In 1957, the neighborhood moderate-income community in the city. effectively fought off attem pts by Robert Moses to raze the land, and , 25 years later, they forme d the HOA to take ownership of their houses and the property they we re on. This was a huge win for the area, and the effects of it are still being felt today.
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Lost in the m where no b atri x of paths o Soft hil ls ad undar y lies in sig ht. o and trees w rned by monuments hose branch fr es reach ou ozen in time t to embra The beauty ce me. o of life and f nature interrupted death by the harsh as the funer rea lity a and I wa lk l procession drives b y the g round wil l ta ke re w sidence for here strangers’ loved eternit y. one The water brings me back to th e now.
Chadwell y” by Jake
e Avenue wn to Burk t spot ra d e b y el k wil l li is a grea e forest, you was built in 1949. It th with h ac re u that nce choked how yo No matter g over the Bron x R iver your surroundings. O restored to its been sorb ossin Bridge, a cr or just to stop and ab , the Bron x R iver has munit y organizers. le m ch recognizab s cleanup work by co of New York Cit y, to birdwat d nearly un eles its pollution an anks to years of ceas forest within the lim nment is to the inth ro former glory example of a floodplain vita l this k ind of envi ion and man-made w at o re h iz ra al st a ri ju s st s A Indu h of most show d animals. iver Forest ng the lengt the Bron x R e area , both people an h for water to run alo flooding worse by e pat f th habitants o have forced a narrow the flow, we have mad occurs. Floodplain in ll ure infrastruct ty. By tr ying to conta off when heav y rainfa ing; when a storm n od e ci means of ru ducing damag ing flo instead of pushing rivers in th the natura l r re ge ta k ing away is one are essential fo absorbs it li ke a spon ape benefits ever yst th dsc forests li ke into the river, the fore w preserving this lan as the Bron x R iver ho er dumps wat ets. It should be clear ely organizations such at.” re th nat it into the st in the city, and fortu are work ing to do just s ct ve li je ro P r ea B one who y d the Tedd A lliance an
in From “Find
g Wilde
GABRIELA WILDE
From "Sand and Stone Are Earth’s Memory" by Elise Soutar
Shoelace Park, which runs along what we now refer to as the Bronx River from Williamsbridge to Woodlawn, has been dug up and replanted and paved over many times. The history in its soil has been disturbed but certainly not dislodged completely. People who have lived in the park all of their lives continue to tend to any fresh wounds that come with new changes, notably beginning with the Shoelace Park Master Plan in 2019. The revitalization plan has already incorporated new wayfinding signage, park amenities like picnic tables and seating areas, as well as drainage systems and green infrastructure in the park. The change has been due for a long time. “It’s just good for human beings in general to have nature around them,” Judy Hutson, a longtime Woodlawn resident who played a major role in the development of the Shoelace Park Master Plan, said. She was most impassioned about what the people she had grown up with in the Bronx could get out of the new and improved park. It’s true: Where we leave ourselves in the land, the land also becomes part of each person who visits it, not only in the sense that its air enters your lungs, but that the memory of your time there becomes a part of what you are.
WELL
JAKE CHAD
From “ Pal
A constan mer Road Bridg t a long e” by C and some mussel shel the shore are the pil aitriona Delump a es and pil ls that was en clams ca es hu ll Geu kensia ed Corbicula flumin p. These are sma ll fr of clamshel ls d es R iver, let a emissa . Now, you m ea and larger ribbed hwater golday lo m and mussel ne the organisms th not be too familiar ussels ca lled with s play at m Once an o a major role in the h a ke up its ecosystem the Bron x p , but clam ea en lth of sewer with the h s elp of thes , the Bron x R iver h the river. e cr as my camera lens to cap eatures. The clear w gone throug h a reb irth surface. I w tu at as pleased re a forest of a lgae an er of the river a llo w by the mil down ther ed d p la n t li li e. I just ab out squea le ons of precious bub fe beneath the bles hang in d with exci tement fro g m their cu out teness.
MPA
TRIONA DELU PHOTOS BY CA
12
Environment
April 27, 2022 THE OBSERVER
www.fordhamobserver.com
Finders, Seekers: Tuckahoe Explored
The story behind a small town in Westchester County and its park nestled next to the Bronx River By LARA FOLEY Former Layout Editor
When I arrived in Tuckahoe in early March, the water banks were still brown and barren of life, with several geese floating nearby. In just a few weeks time, flowers and sparrows would be livening up the area. The little greenery on this particular day came from the soccer and baseball fields that make up Parkway Oval Park. Upon arriving, I had immediately taken a wrong turn down Scarsdale Road, leading me toward Yonkers and past The Wicked Wolf, which seemed like both an endearing bed and breakfast and something right out of a horror movie on this especially gloomy morning. A quick retracing of my steps led me back on track down Lake Avenue, where I hit Bronx Street and crossed over into the park, which was still sprinkled with a light layer of snow from the night before. A couple of dogs bounded across the hilly terrain that leads down into a basin where the soccer field lies, the Bronx River Pathway runs and the river flows. Earlier that week, I had the privilege of speaking with Erin Provenzano, a local of Tuckahoe who shared with me and my classmate her family’s long-standing history with the area. She described her connection to the Bronx River as “interwoven into the fabric of the river.” She recommended that I visit Parkway Oval Park for its simple access from town and its views of the river. Her mother, Elaine, maintains a position as a children’s librarian at the local Tuckahoe Library just a few blocks over. Her ancestors’ favorite part of the river to venture to, which they fondly nicknamed “Bare Ass Beach,” got its name after its skinny-dipping visitors. “When the weather gets nice,” she said, “the river comes alive.” The town comes to congregate by the water, as they’ve been doing for centuries prior. The river functions as a hub and connector within the community. The parks fill up with pedestrians, children playing, dogs and runners, and the plants and animals emerge for spring.
Newcomers Lara Foley The trees here are covered in spiky bursts of seeds, which dot the branches like freckles or ornaments; tucked in the back of alleys lined by brick buildings, leading to nowhere. Running down the slope of the park we meet the river, its reeds and grasses swaying in the cold March breeze; a couple of geese bobbing nearby, breaking through those icy streams, down to the trickle of the waterfall. He walks across the bridge, clad in flannel; spots a pipe running through the roots of a tree below — hidden secrets all around us as we spin round and round on the tire swing, until the local children come to join.
ART BY LARA FOLEY
Parkway Oval Park sits right next to to the Bronx River in Tuckahoe, New York. The park is just a train ride away from either Fordham campus on the Metro-North Railroad.
While she no longer lives in the area, Provenzano explained that from a particular point in the neighboring park, Malcolm Wilson Park, one can see the top of the building that her grandmother grew up in. This place holds many fond childhood memories for her. With a bench for bird watching and a small bridge to the other side of the river, I envisioned the river park to be a wonderful place to experience as a child, growing up connected to the pathway of the water. Provenzano mentioned a better understanding of the river has not only involved discussions of the beauty of the river and surrounding land, but also the negative impacts it has faced from climate change. Most recently, Hurricane Ida last year flooded the river onto the parkways, leaving hundreds displaced. Despite these turbulent times, she emphasized the brilliance of the river and its ability to overcome obstacles. “Nature knows how to heal itself,” she said.
She explained that if we as a society keep building up parkways around it and divert its route, it is in the river’s nature to return to its natural ebb and flow. While not as close to campus as Central Park, the park is near the Tuckahoe station, a quick ride up the Metro-North. Students looking for a day away from the bustle of the city can enjoy the quiet, tourist-free park and trails and, in the evening, roam the quaint streets for a bite to eat. Tuckahoe was welcoming, albeit quiet on a Friday afternoon. Decorations for Saint Patrick’s Day appeared in many storefronts but were particularly present in the Growlers Beer Bistro, where I enjoyed fish tacos and a Growler Mojito. Underneath the Gold Star Mothers Memorial Bridge, which crosses over the Metro-North Railroad tracks, lies the Tuckahoe station. While awaiting my train back to Manhattan, I caught sight of a curious copper bust of a wom-
We cross the tracks to the station, which glows yellow against the gray sky. “Finder/Seekers” hung high above our heads, greeting the newcomers to the area, sending off the ones departing, wishing them safe journeys on their travels.
an shading her eyes, looking outward in the direction of the river. She appeared to be yearning, not quite satisfied with what she was seeing. The artwork that had caught my attention had been a part of a series of sculptures made by Arthur Gonzalez, titled “The Finder/The Seekers.” Gonzalez explained his decisions in choosing the figures featured in his sculptures as such: “The old man who only has stories and little motivation unless he finds his counterpart, the young boy who begs for the old magic that he is mesmerized from the old man. Together they create an energy of living and re-living. The female across the way is a symbol of the intelligent and proactive character who is in her prime. In this positioning she holds in her hand an orb that has four small angled pipes that is the original prototype for the invention of steam power. She has found steam power.” According to the MTA, Gonzalez’s time as an artist has afforded him
the ability to investigate themes that “encourage serious deliberation and reflection on the relationship between personal concerns and world issues.” “I was commissioned to make a sculpture for the face of both elevator towers. So this is the idea that I came up with in order to conceptually join both towers and also the commuters that cross from one side to the other,” he explained. “At one point as commuters walk across, they are for a moment in the line of sight. And hopefully will notice both sculptures.” The bust is hung above a Fordham advertisement, which had initially caught my eye with its familiar maroon color and “New York is my campus. Fordham is my school” slogan. Located 18 miles north of the Lincoln Center campus, I found myself somewhere new, away from home. I caught myself reflecting on my day in this town I’d just visited, having ventured off into the horizon to find myself in this unfamiliar landscape.
A Deeper Dive Into the Bronx River
Students and organizations are working with the Bronx River Alliance to reform the river to its natural state By CHANTEL SIMS Staff Writer
The Bronx River is one of New York City’s hidden gems. Once frequented by the Mohegan Tribe, the river was known for being a beautiful and lively place for fishing, boating and other recreational activities. In the 1600s, the land was bought by European traders, leading to the river’s misuse as years progressed. By the 1900s, the river was so polluted by industrial city life that it was referred to as an open sewer. Scarsdale, a city in Westchester County, was greatly affected by the pollution of the river in the early 1900s. After years of complaints from residents, active community member Fredrick Van Wyck took on the challenge of clearing the Scarsdale air. He eventually identified an unnatural change in river structure 100 years prior as the root of current sewer issues. This gave the local government the motivation necessary to support the construction of a better sewer system. For the last 50 years, organizations like the Bronx River Alliance have been working to reverse the years of damage done to the river. The Alliance is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to act as the river’s voice. According to their website, the Alliance’s goal is to ultimately protect and restore the Bronx River, creating a healthy space for all communities. The staff hosts an array of educational and hands-on events to clean up and restore the river to its previous state. The Art and Action on the Bronx River class at Fordham Rose Hill, in collaboration with the Center
for Community Engaged Learning, works with the Bronx River Alliance to help the nonprofit’s cause while exercising student creativity. Last semester, students in the class created art from 3,000 bottle caps they collected from Starlight Park, a public park in the Bronx located along the river, and donated it back to the Alliance. Every semester, the class paddles along the river while learning about the Indigenous roots of the river from Rodrick Bell, the Alliance’s recreation coordinator. “I want students to see how creativity can play (and has played) a part in promoting, improving and protecting a landscape,” Matthew López-Jensen, the professor of the class, said. “I also want to underscore that actions like planting, cleaning and maintaining can be art themselves or generate material for artwork.”
“ With the Bronx being far, unfortunately it is an area our club does not normally explore.”
Kenneth Tang, GSBLC ’24 and vice president of Lincoln Center’s Environmental Club
López-Jensen added that he wants students to leave with a basic awareness of environmental nonprofits as possible career pathways regardless of what their major is.
COURTESY OF BRONX RIVER ALLIANCE
The Bronx River Alliance aims to protect and restore the river after years of damage from city pollution.
In 2013, the New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) gained the funding to build Starlight Park along the Bronx River. With the help of the Alliance, the Bronx community, local partners, and city, state, and federal officials, NYSDOT raised enough money to finally complete the second phase of the park over the last decade. Phase two is set to be completed this summer and includes a 0.67-mile greenway segment and the completion of nearly two miles of off-street trails. NYSDOT has also created three new access points to the park, a new bike lane, a new small park with seating that offers a view of the river and a new pedestrian bridge across the river.
Kenneth Tang, Gabelli School of Business at Lincoln Center ’24 and vice president of Lincoln Center’s Environmental Club, commented on the river issues. “With the Bronx being far, unfortunately it is an area our club does not normally explore,” he said. The club hopes for future lectures and events to learn about and increase awareness of the river. Last year, NYSDOT initiated a project to rehabilitate the entrance ramp to the Cross Bronx Expressway. The project led to the demolition of the ramp structure in 2021, which damaged the aesthetics of the river and made it hard for people to access and navigate the
freeway. The Alliance has alerted multiple organizations and office members, which prompted many investigations to be opened into the issue, but nothing has been resolved yet. For Earth Week, which was April 18 through 22, the Bronx River Alliance arranged events for each day, kicking off the week with a “Pitch in to Pick up!” event to clean up Starlight Park. On Tuesday, the Alliance hosted a virtual “Flutter By!” event on how and why it is important to protect pollinators. The week peaked with tree planting in the Bronx River Forest followed by an open house where attendees were given the chance to paddle, learn about environmentalism, compost and repair their bikes.
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THE OBSERVER April 27, 2022
Environment
13
Bronx in Bloom: A Closer Look at the New York Botanical Garden
Flowers of all shapes and colors return to the garden this season PHOTOS BY ALICE MORENO/THE OBSERVER
A viola — much like its name — dons a bright violet appearance, interspersed with yellow highlights. These plants do not survive during the summer due to the heat. By ALICE MORENO Asst. Multimedia Editor
As the spring season approaches, the transition from dead trees and brown grass to the plethora of greenery and colorful arrays of flowers is unmissable. After a long and treacherous winter, a stroll in the New York Botanical Garden (NYBG) on a sunny day is much needed. The NYBG — located across the street from Fordham University’s Rose Hill campus at 2900 Southern Blvd. — first opened its gates in 1897. It houses about 250 acres of flowers, trees and shrubs ranging from species local to New York to exotic plants from all over the world. It is open Tuesday to Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Take part in the return of this rejuvenating season by viewing the pictures taken by a member of The Observer’s multimedia team.
The daffodils gently blow in the wind on Perennial Garden Way.
A curved row of colorful tulips sits by the daffodils.
Upon entry to the New York Botanical Garden, visitors are greeted by trees that are currently in bloom.
A rabbit frolics among the greenery in the garden.
The Enid A. Haupt Conservatory — which was renovated in 2020 — houses plants from various habitats, ranging from rainforests to deserts, giving visitors a chance to experience plants from a myriad of regions.
The Native Plant Garden contains plants that are indigenous to the United States. Wildlife, such as squirrels, can be seen roaming around this area.
An array of potted plants and shrubs in all shapes and sizes are seen in the gardens.
Dive Into the Bronx Today
April 27, 2022 THE OBSERVER
The Bronx Is Tough, You Grow Up Fast
Chuba Ohams reflects on his career and credits his success to the culture of basketball in the borough
COURTESY OF CHUBA OHAMS
Chuba Ohams, GSAS ’22, was born and raised in the Bronx. By AURELIEN CLAVAUD Asst. Sports & Health Editor
Fordham University was founded in the Bronx long before it was dense and urban, but now it finds itself in the middle of a vibrant New York City community. The university is integrated in the stories of those who traverse its space and see its gates. Within the Bronx, there is a resounding love for the game of basketball. Fordham basketball star Chuba Ohams, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences ’22, was born and raised in the borough. He has been involved in the sport since he was young, and it has largely shaped his life.
“ People in the Bronx, we all walk with our chest high. We think we’re the baddest, toughest dudes.”
Chuba Ohams, GSAS ’22
Whether it’s in East Tremont, Fordham or the South Bronx, neighborhood basketball courts are vessels for confidence, grit and toil. Ohams is more familiar with these courts than most — in a sense, he was raised on them. These spaces inducted Ohams into the dynamic culture of basketball in the Bronx. If one should know anything about New York City, it’s that this town is the capital of hoops. NYC Parks maintains over 1,800 public basketball courts, serving as social hubs for many communities. As accessible as they may be, it’s not easy to play in these boroughs. The Bronx is especially known for high-intensity ball. “People in the Bronx, we all walk with our chest high,” Ohams said. “We think we’re the baddest, toughest dudes.” From NBA legends hitting stepback threes at famed parks to a son of immigrant parents playing pickup games at the P.S. 121 blacktop, every court and every hoop has a story. The neighborhoods that orbit these parks have their histories ingrained in the fabric of the sport and the stories of those who played. From Nigeria to New York Ohams’ story began across the ocean in Nigeria, his parents’ home country. His father came to America alone at the age of 23. Living in the Bronx on his own and putting himself through college, Ohams’ father built his life from the ground up. “He worked at a gas station to pay himself through school,” Ohams said.
“His story taught me a lot. To be from another country, not knowing anybody but just starting your life believing in yourself, it’s definitely an inspiration.” Ohams’ father went on to start his own accounting firm. There is an increasing population of African immigrants in the Bronx. In 2014, The New York Times estimated that around 4% of New York City’s immigrant population was of African descent. Of these immigrants, those who speak Nigeria's indigenous national languages, Ibo and Yoruba, primarily settle in the Bronx. Ohams’ father did not have it easy at first. The U.S. Census Bureau estimated that in 2021, 24% of residents in the Bronx live below the poverty line. Ohams’ father eventually built a solid foundation for his family through hard work, something Ohams said he is deeply thankful for. Since the day Ohams was born, his dad instilled in him a work ethic that taught him to be independent but not afraid to ask others for help. “The same way my dad is, I try to do and learn things on my own,” Ohams said. “He taught me how important school was, and he carries himself like a boss. I got that from him.” This message has helped Ohams structure his life, and he connects it to the tough environment he grew up in. Ohams’ family lived on East Gun Hill Road around Williamsbridge. The neighborhoods in the area have some of the highest crime rates in the borough. Because of the violence, the odds are stacked against those trying to make it out. “I know it’s cliché to say, but it’s true,” Ohams said. “Where I grew up, you rarely find anyone that even got to college.” Ohams wasn’t going to let this impact him. His toughness, grit and dedication to a sport he loved kept him away from violence. While the prevailing message from his parents was to work hard and stay in school, basketball was his passion. “I was never a victim to the violence in my area because I used basketball as the tool to stay in the gym,” Ohams said.
games he witnessed were intense, and more than that, he saw that the people playing there built reputations. The good players were well known and respected. They were stars in the neighborhood. “The big court is where all the grown men used to play,” Ohams said of his local park. “(On the big court) you either get picked up or not. If they don’t think you’re good enough, if they don’t think you're tough enough, you don’t get picked up.” Ohams worked up the confidence to start playing the tougher games, but the guiding hands of his parents were still there. Keenly aware of the crime and violence where they lived, Ohams’ parents made sure he was safe. They asked a neighbor to watch over him when he was younger and went to play at the park. In high school, Ohams began dedicating his time to the hardwood, honing his craft. Eventually, P.S. 121 became Ohams’ second home, and he built a reputation for himself just like the players he used to watch as a kid. “It was at a point where as soon as I walked to the court, guys would see me from afar and know that was me. They would say ‘He’s already on our team.’” What Bronx basketball threw at him, he learned to throw right back. Basketball trash talk is a skill, and he learned to master it. Being tough, aggressive and thick-skinned are basic criteria to be able to play on that court. Ohams mastered these too. “It was a motivation to keep getting better ... It made me a tougher person,” Ohams said of park basketball. “I remember there was a time I was playing on the big court. I was trash talking this older guy, and the whole park really had respect for me.” Those skills translated to the Rose Hill Gymnasium, where Ohams has become known for aggressive interior play. His signature, in-your-face, two-handed dunks have defined his playstyle and solidified his Bronx reputation. He directly attributes his skills to his time playing park basketball. “Fordham’s in the Bronx, I’m from the Bronx ... The grit and toughness made me a better player,” Ohams said about how his skills translated. “At the end of this year people were calling me the mayor of the Bronx.” Harlem and the Bronx The Bronx can easily be defined by how it plays basketball, as Ohams has experienced. But it can also be differentiated by how other communities in New York City play the game. Ohams spent time playing at Wadleigh Secondary School in Harlem, and it was a big change for him. His parents’ hard work paid off, and until his decision to go to Harlem, he was studying at Salesian High School in the Bronx. It offered his family peace of mind and Ohams a good education, something his father often stressed. But as Ohams began to realize his basketball potential, he knew that small private academies were not going to get him noticed. After begging
his parents, he enrolled at Wadleigh. His time there was formative, and he learned a lot about the culture of upper Manhattan. Harlem is vastly different from the Bronx. The Manhattan-grid layout is reflected in the energy and attitude of Harlem, unlike the Bronx that is built around neighborhoods. However, Harlem was still a challenging environment. Ohams’ experience playing basketball in Harlem was one that solidified his grit. “It was definitely a tough environment,” Ohams said of Harlem. “There’s a lot of violence there as well. But basketball was the tool that kept me straight. It didn’t let me veer off and become a victim to the violence.” Building a Brand In 2016, Ohams attended Putnam Science Academy in Connecticut. Detroit Pistons star Hamidou Diallo, whom he met in AAU basketball, attended the academy before him, and this was Ohams’ chief motivation for attending. Putnam Science Academy helped get Ohams noticed by colleges, but it also served as a platform to solidify his Bronx-built attitude.
“ I’m not only playing
for my teammates, I’m playing for the people in my area — I’m playing for where I’m from.”
Chuba Ohams, GSAS ’22
It was in Connecticut that Ohams began to build his brand: The way he plays is with a chip on his shoulder and the entire borough on his back. When asked what he wants people to know about his work ethic, Ohams said, “No handouts.” That mindset was directly cultivated by where he grew up. “I want to be that role model (to Bronx residents),” Ohams said. “I’m from the same environment as you are. I didn’t use any excuses; I just put my head forward, and I just worked … You can do it the same way I did.”
His parents motivated him to stay in school and develop a work-hard attitude, and the Bronx provided the experience that backed up his parents’ teachings. His journey finally led him to Fordham University, and he couldn’t be prouder. For Ohams, playing at Fordham was just one way of being involved in the Bronx. Being so close to his home, his community could come watch him play. “One of the benefits of going to Fordham University,” Ohams said, “is that my friends and family could come to a game at any time.” He has always represented where he’s from. “I already played with a chip on my shoulder,” Ohams said, “but it gave me an extra chip just knowing that I’m not only playing for my teammates, I’m playing for the people in my area — I’m playing for where I’m from.” Despite injuries and setbacks, Ohams’ many years playing at Fordham have piqued the interest of scouts and compelled him to declare for the NBA draft. Reaching the next stage of his basketball career will be tough, but his upbringing has prepared him for challenges. As Ohams enters the national stage, he wants to let people know where he’s from and that he represents the culture of Bronx basketball. “Tough, that’s definitely the word for it,” Ohams said of Bronx basketball. “It’s definitely not for everyone.” Ohams has worked hard to get to where he is now, and what he represents is the deep love that the Bronx has for hoops. He believes that no matter where you are from, if you can play tough, be resilient, take trash talk and dish some out, then the borough will accept you. Roots are clearly important to Ohams, and he wants to give back to his community. As a representative of his borough, he wants to show the best of his home to the world but also improve his native borough. “I definitely want to push my community,” Ohams said. “I want to be able to open gyms. In the long run, I want to do camps if I can.” Ultimately, Ohams is a product of the Bronx, imbued with the drive to be the best player he can be. The Bronx is tied together by the sport. Ohams is a prime example of how basketball in the borough can frame and support the lives of its residents.
COURTESY OF FORDHAM ATHLETICS
Ohams throws down a signature two-handed dunk.
Mayor of the Bronx The culture and dynamism of the Bronx is exemplified in the way the game is played there. According to Ohams, Bronx basketball makes you grow up quickly. He went to his local park at P.S. 121 and saw grown men playing on the larger court. Adults playing gritty park basketball is intimidating to any younger person. Dunks are bigger, hard fouls go uncalled, and anything is fair game for trash talk. Reasonably nervous, Ohams would often hoop alone on the smaller courts while watching the older players. Although he wasn’t participating at first, he was observing. The
COURTESY OF FORDHAM ATHLETICS
Ohams gets his name and number called before a game at the Rose Hill Gymnasium.
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THE OBSERVER April 27, 2022
LATEST
15
Commuting on the D Train When traveling between campuses using the subway, students can find many opportunities to partake in the city’s benefits By MADDIE KINZEL Contributing Writer
It is not uncommon to see Fordham students on the subway, either commuting to class or on their way to a weekend activity with friends. For Fordham, the D train serves as one of the main modes of transportation between the Rose Hill and Lincoln Center campuses. It is the cheapest option, costing $2.75 one way compared to the Ram Van’s $3.50 fare and MetroNorth’s $7.25 off-peak ticket from Grand Central Terminal. The journey from Rose Hill to Lincoln Center starts six blocks away from the Third/Webster Avenue Gate, where the Fordham Road station is located. The station is served by the B train during rush hour and the D train at all times. The station opened in 1933 as a part of the Independent Subway System’s (IND) Concourse Line, also known as the Bronx-Concourse Line. It is still the only section of the subway system that remains entirely underground throughout the Bronx. PHOTOS BY MADDIE KINZEL/THE OBSERVER
As students walk along East Fordham Road, they will find the largest shopping district in the Bronx between Webster and Jerome Avenues. In the area, there are several retail stores, such as American Eagle and Foot Locker, along with a variety of dining options, like Taco Bell and Checkers.
The entrances to the station are located at the intersection of East Fordham Road and the Grand Concourse.
After paying the fare and boarding the southbound Coney Island-Stillwell Avenue D train, riders pass through nine stations before reaching the 59th Street-Columbus Circle station. Assuming a stop is not made at 161st Street to catch a Yankees game, the ride from Fordham Road in the Bronx to Columbus Circle will take about 30 minutes. Of these nine stations, the D train passes through the 81st Street stop, which is home to the Museum of Natural History. Although the D train does not stop at the station, riders can take the B train, which runs on the local track instead of the express. In 1999, tile mosaics inspired by the museum were installed in the station.
To get to the Lincoln Center campus, students walk to 60th Street and Columbus after exiting the train at the 59th Street-Columbus Circle station, which is serviced by the A, C, B, D and 1 trains This station was shared by both the IND and the Interborough Rapid Transit Company (IRT) Lines, though it opened as an IRT line in 1904. It is now referred to as the B-2 Division and A Division after the unification of the subway system that began in the 1940s.
As one of the New York City subway’s original 28 stations, Columbus Circle was built in the late 1870s. The section of the station that was first opened by the IRT is now a designated landmark.
D Train Fun Facts! #1 Service on the D train began on Dec. 15, 1940. #2 Many songs, television shows and movies have included references to the D Train such as "Seinfeld" and Bob Dylan’s 1966 song “Visions of Johanna.” #3 The 1992 American drama "Glengarry Glen Ross" features the D train as a prominent part of its background in Brooklyn. Sources: The New York Times, Seinfeld Scripts, BobDylan.com, En-Academic.com
Due to this station’s early construction, it has been subject to a few renovations. Platform lengths were extended by nearly 30 feet in 1910, and it was converted from a local stop to an express stop in the 1950s. A renovation of the 59th Street-Columbus Circle station was proposed in 2002 and was completed in 2012, creating space for the Turnstyle Underground Market located inside the station. The market has shops, food and art for people commuting to enjoy before they head above ground. You do not need to swipe through the turnstiles to access the market, allowing anyone to visit without paying the fare.
After leaving the station, the Fordham Lincoln Center campus is just two blocks away.
Our Alma Mater
April 27, 2022 THE OBSERVER
Public Safety Speaks on Crime Near Campus By ALEXA VILLATORO Staff Writer
Fordham’s Rose Hill campus sees higher crime incidence than the Westchester and Lincoln Center campuses, according to the university’s annual security and fire safety report. The higher incidence reports are in part due to the larger student population in university-operated housing outside of the Rose Hill campus.
“ I myself have never really felt this way of unsafety that other students feel. ”
Geraldo De La Cruz, Gabelli School of Business ‘22
The university’s annual security report, which is mandated by federal law under the Clery Act, includes incidences of offenses such as aggravated assault, rape, domestic violence and drug abuse/liquor law violations. The most recent report, which detailed incidents from 2018-20, noted on-campus, residence hall, non-campus and public property crimes at both Rose Hill and Lincoln Center. Drug abuse violations decreased 50%, from 178 in 2018 to 73 in 2020. Liquor law violations saw a similar decrease, from 1,044 in 2018 to 561 in 2020. According to Fordham, Rose Hill has a higher count of students residing in university housing than Lincoln Center. Out of the nearly 7,286 students at Rose Hill, about 3,431 of them live in university-operated housing. At Lincoln Center, only 1,308 students reside in university-operated housing out of about
been slowly increasing. Geraldo De La Cruz, Gabelli School of Business at Rose Hill ’22, was born and raised in the Bronx. He highlighted the environmental and societal factors that give way to crime, such as the conditions of a major city, the historical effects of redlining, overpolicing and poverty. In regard to public safety and crime concerns, De La Cruz said that a lot of the rumors and generalizations about crime in the Bronx are projections or preconceived notions. “I myself have never really felt this way of unsafety that other students feel,” he said. “When you grow up in a major city, you know how to stay vigilant, what areas to go to and what areas not to go to more than someone who isn’t (from a big city).” De La Cruz said that language matters when talking about Public Safety, Fordham’s Rose Hill campus and the Bronx. He added that when the university overemphasizes the safety of the Rose Hill campus in relation to the surrounding neighborhoods, students and parents begin to associate the Bronx with danger. For Paulina Paszkowski, Fordham College at Rose Hill ’22, the commute between Rose Hill and Brooklyn became unbearable after she experienced repeated acts of sexual
ANDREW DRESSNER/THE OBSERVER
Public safety has reported seeing more incidents of crime this year which also coincides with a greater number of students on campus since the pandemic.
9,479 students enrolled. The 48th Precinct, where Rose Hill resides, has seen nearly twice as many offenses this year as the 20th Precinct, where the Lincoln Center campus is located, according to crime complaints compiled by the New York Police Department. The 48th Precinct, which is larger, encompasses the Belmont, East Tremont and West Farms neighborhoods of the Bronx while the 20th Precinct encompasses the Upper West Side, from 59th Street to 86th street. The police department tracks murder, rape, robbery, felony assault, burglary and grand larceny. In the 48th Precinct, there have been 584 total crime complaints to date in 2022 compared to 382 at the same time in 2021. The 20th Precinct has had a total of 320 crime complaints to date in 2022 compared to 236 in 2021. “We have seen an increase in incidents; however, this may coincide with the increase of residential students that was reduced significantly due to the pandemic,” Robert Fitzer, associate vice president of Public Safety, said about the increase in crime incidents on campus this year. The area has seen decreasing crime rates over the past two decades, according to NYPD data, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, crime has
ALYSSA DAUGHDRILL/THE OBSERVER
Rose Hill is located in the 48th Precinct.
harassment on the D train over the past few years. “It was excessive to the point where I was like, you know what, I’ll suck it up and drive and pay for parking,” she said. One day, when she had parked right outside the Hughes entrance at Rose Hill, Paszkowski said a taxi driver exposed himself in front of her car. When she reported the incident to Public Safety officers, they checked cameras and offered her the option to report the incident to the police or the taxi company of the individual. Afterward, the public safety officers concluded the individual was most likely just peeing, according to Paszkowski. According to John Carroll, who served as the head of Public Safety for over 30 years, Fordham has invested in its Public Safety department over the decades. “We know off-campus crime has caused increased concern among members of the campus community and parents in recent years,” Carroll said. “Public Safety has responded with new personnel and technology protocols designed to keep
our entire community safe and well.” The department may also expand alerts to off-campus locations where students reside even if not in purview of the Clery Act. According to George Smith, director of Public Safety at Rose Hill, the Public Safety alerts are sent if the associate vice president for Public Safety or a designee believes the crimes “constitute a potential ongoing or continuing threat to the University community.”
“ Public Safety
has responded with new personnel and technology protocols designed to keep our entire community safe and well. ”
George Smith, director of Public Safety at Rose Hill
Smith added that the department monitors local crime trends and patterns that affect the community. Public Safety meets with the commander of the 48th Precinct and staff weekly by phone and monthly in person. The department also confers with the Office of Residential
Life, the Division of Student Affairs and University Health Services. Carroll pointed to the department’s national recognition as a top 10 campus security office in 2017 by the National Campus Safety Summit. Carroll has listed annual active shooter; diversity, inclusion and equity; and workplace violence training programs as initiatives implemented throughout his tenure to improve public safety. Other initiatives that Public Safety has led include launching the Fordham Emergency app, setting up shuttle vans that help students commute to the D train station, assigning an additional supervisor to the Belmont community and becoming the first major institution in the city to have American Heart Association-approved automatic external defibrillators. Officers receive training in first aid, CPR and overdose treatment administration. Recently, the department has begun offering self-defense classes with an expert in the Krav Maga technique to students. “Public Safety’s most important resource is the trust of our students, faculty, and staff members,” Carroll said. “If members of the campus community trust us to deliver an effective, transparent, proportionate response to situations, they are more likely to alert us to dangerous situations in a timely way, thereby protecting the whole community.”
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THE OBSERVER April 27, 2022
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The Ram Van: A Driving Force for Intercampus Connections Fordham’s intercampus transport is an essential aspect of the institution, according to student workers By QUINCY REYES Staff Writer
Whether you’re a student enrolled in a class or a professor teaching a class at the other campus, you have probably taken the Ram Van. The university’s intercampus shuttle service has acted as a link between Fordham’s Rose Hill and Lincoln Center campuses for over 30 years. The shuttle service also makes scheduled trips to Fordham’s Calder Center in Armonk, New York. Across both campuses, the shuttle service has brought staff, faculty and students together, allowing for new relationships to foster and current ones to grow. The Ram Van began its operation in 1979 as a means of transporting individuals between the university’s campuses. Originally, there was only one van in service and seats were limited to about five passengers. Additional vans were added as demand increased over the years, and each van can now seat up to 14 passengers. Over time, the Ram Van began making stops from Rose Hill to the D train, as well as to other locations along the routes between the campuses. In 1997, students were able to register for a spot on the Ram Van by signing up at the security desk in the Leon Lowenstein Building at Lincoln Center or at the Ram Van office across from the O’Hare Hall at Rose Hill. This system eventually went online in 2013. The intercampus shuttle service today has a staff of over 120 student workers who drive approximately 570 round trips between Rose Hill and Lincoln Center every week,
transporting upward of 7,000 passengers, according to Plinio Gonzalez, Gabelli School of Business at Rose Hill ’08 and director of university transportation. In 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Ram Van service resumed at 50% vehicle occupancy and implemented cleaning protocols in compliance with COVID-19 preventative measures. Currently, the Ram Van service is back to 100% vehicle occupancy with the mandate for all passengers to wear face coverings. For many students, the Ram Van is an essential part of their daily routine in order to commute to their classes at another campus. Although a trip in a Ram Van normally costs $3.50, students who take classes at a different campus or participate in clubs, which do not have an equivalent offered at their home campus, receive free passes for their rides. “(The Ram Van) provides an opportunity to take classes on both campuses, which really enriches our experience and our ability to find different opportunities for classes,” Emma Dileas, Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) ’23 and a Ram Van driver, said. In addition to providing transportation to classes, the Ram Van has also allowed students the opportunity to become involved with activities and extracurriculars not offered at their home campus. Isaac Davis, FCLC ’24, is involved in a number of activities and extracurriculars at the Rose Hill campus. “A lot of my work is done at Rose Hill for open mics at Rod’s, television shoots and medieval studies meetings,” he said.
While the drivers are the faces that most Fordham students associate with the Ram Van, there is an entire system working behind the scenes to keep the vans moving. These include dispatchers, fuelers and a team of administrators. Pavel Vasilyev, FCLC ’25 and a Ram Van driver, said the “fulfillment from serving the student body” is what distinguishes Ram Van from other work-study jobs at Fordham. Dileas echoed this sentiment. “It really is a strong community. We’re very committed to each other as co-workers,” Dileas said. “Out of other jobs I’ve had, this is the closest group of co-workers I’ve had.” This sense of community and distinct working experience is what led former Ram Van driver Gonzalez to return to Fordham in 2017. In his role
as director of university transportation, Gonzalez is responsible for leading the Ram Van system and improving the vans in order to ensure the safety of all passengers. “(I) yearned to be a part of a company with the same type of culture that is found in the Ram Van office, which is a fast-paced, fulfilling work environment,” Gonzalez said about why he returned to Ram Van after graduating. Although the Ram Van remains a part of the Fordham experience, it has faced some challenges and criticism over the years. Some students have complained about the cramped conditions and motion sickness. “There’s no suspension in those things,” Felix Zhao, FCLC ’24, said. “If there’s a bump, you feel that in your spine.” Zhao found that the lack of proper
ventilation makes it difficult to breathe, saying that it is “nauseating, cramped and never at a comfortable temperature.” Davis is vocal about the stigma against the Ram Van, stating that the shuttle service is an enjoyable experience. “I like the sense of relaxation I get from having about 30 minutes without a care in the world, just listening to my playlist and watching the New York skyline,” Davis said. Gonzalez said that he encourages Fordham students to work for Ram Van in order to directly help the university community in a tangible way. “Without the Ram Van, the opportunities to take advantage of the slogan ‘New York is my campus. Fordham is my school,’ would certainly be lessened,” he added.
ALICE MORENO/THE OBSERVER
Students wait to board the Ram Van which makes 570 round trips each week between both campuses.
Lincoln Center or Rose Hill: Pick Your Favorite Comparing the aesthetics, transportation and student experience at Fordham’s two NYC campuses By ANGELA LOCASCIO Staff Writer
As a junior undergraduate in the Professional and Continuing Studies program, I have always been partial to the Lincoln Center campus. It’s where I started my college career five years ago and where I met the most wonderful professors and my fellow students. Yet, I do admit that I have a soft spot for the Rose Hill campus in the Bronx. One of Fordham University’s best features is that students can take advantage of both the hustle and bustle of Manhattan and a more traditional campus setting in the Bronx. Still, many students have a favorite campus. Use this helpful guide to learn about what each campus has to offer. Who knows, you might just realize you have a new favorite. Urban Escape or Medieval Beauty Comparing the two campuses is a bit difficult. Each has its own ambiance and unique aesthetics to share with everyone who walks the great halls of Fordham University.
Let’s begin with the Lincoln Center campus. Here we are surrounded by tall buildings of mortar, steel and glass. Many of these buildings are quite modern with their unique architectural styles. Just before one enters the Leon Lowenstein Center, they are greeted by Saint Ignatius standing tall with his hand held high to the canopy of the sky, his sword and shield planted securely in the soil. One has to understand that this depiction of our patron saint is the actual moment when he had his cannonball conversion to Christ and became a Christian. The statue pays homage to the Jesuit values Fordham was founded on. In the Plaza is our Ram Mascot,. When the sun shines down on this place, the Ram glistens, as do the windows around the arched Lowenstein entrance and the atrium of the Ram Café located on the Plaza level. But Lincoln Center lacks what the Rose Hill campus overachieves: medieval and natural beauty. When you drive up Fordham Road in the Ram Van, you enter a campus that looks like King Arthur’s Camelot
with its medieval ambiance or, for more modern readers, Hogwarts from the Harry Potter book series. Either way, one could imagine the Knights of the Round Table greeting them by Keating or Dealy Halls, or maybe Albus Dumbledore or Severus Snape strolling across the grounds with their magic wands. The Rose Hill campus is a place of vast nature where the canopy of the trees seem to take to the sky and keep us safe in the face of Mother Nature. During the snowy season, Rose Hill looks like a dreamy wonderland of flaky crystals within the shelter of the trees. The layers of white look like they’re straight from a Thomas Kincade painting. Transportation When it comes to our beloved Fordham Rose Hill Campus in the Bronx, I could take the M train from Queens, get off at West 4th Street and take the D to Fordham Road, then walk to campus. But I often chose to take the Ram Van shuttle from Lincoln Center. My reason is that the students who run the Ram Van advised me that the Fordham
GRAPHIC BY ROXANNE CUBERO/THE OBSERVER
Road station is quite a distance from campus. In the winter, the walk is quite cold, and in the summer, miserably hot. At night, the walk from the Rose Hill campus to the D train can be dark and desolate. Our Ram Van staff recommend taking the Fordham-provided shuttle connecting campus and the subway to be safe. At the Lincoln Center campus, it is usually only a two-block walk from the 59th Street-Columbus Circle station to school. Day or night, the streets of Manhattan bustle with people, and you are never alone. Students walk in from the street, show their student IDs to security and enter the building. It is much simpler. Classes and Campus Culture Lincoln Center is also known for its modern interior. All of its classes are held within three buildings. While the majority of courses offered are for undergraduate liberal arts students, Lincoln Center also hosts a global business major in the Gabelli School of Business and is also known for its law and other graduate programs. Here, one can choose a program in liberal arts, theater, business, the visual arts, education and more. As for me, I am an English major, and I love to interact with Lincoln Center’s vast community of liberal arts students. Most classes at Lincoln Center are held in the Lowenstein Building, and students are always just one elevator ride away from their classes. But be careful if you decide to take the stairs and avoid this overfilled vessel of transportation. Your class may be on the 11th floor, and that is a lot of stairs to climb while toting a heavy backpack. I have taken classes at Keating Hall at Rose Hill, and I must admit, it was a culture shock to me the first time I was there. The inside looks like a brick-andmortar, old-world labyrinth of class-
rooms. Its library is unique with cornices that crown the room, decorated with paintings of history surrounding the inquisitive minds of students like me, like all of us. In the center of the first floor, one can find a small museum. Glass display cases with pictures and other historical documents show the beginnings of Rose Hill as it was built in 1841, and wooden pews and a long conference table sit in the dead center of the hall. One must wonder if our first students who lived there sat with their professors and principal at that table, dining and talking about the affairs of the day. Another huge pro of the Rose Hill campus is that it provides students with more opportunities to get involved in athletics, either as an athlete or a spectator. Although I love Lincoln Center, it’s so much fun to cheer on our football team at our home stadium in the Bronx — go Rams! Which One to Pick? As for the two campuses, at Lincoln Center, residential are close to important buildings. At Rose Hill, the dorms are located all around the campus. To go to class at Lincoln Center, one just gets on an elevator or crosses the courtyard. At Rose Hill, all the classes are spread out in different buildings; it’s an adventure every day. As for this student, I am partial to my Lincoln Center campus. For me, as our motto reads coming down the escalator, “New York is my campus. Fordham is my school.” Yet for anyone who wants a different place to enjoy class, go to Rose Hill for one semester and take a walk through history. Maybe King Arthur or Dumbledore will be there to greet you on the way in. Just take the adventure — I highly recommend it.
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THE OBSERVER April 27, 2022
Campus
Earn your master’s degree in only one year at Fordham. Through our accelerated degree programs, Fordham undergraduates can get their master’s in one year after their bachelor’s, or two years for a law degree. You can continue your studies at Fordham seamlessly through dual-degree programs with our graduate schools of arts and sciences, business, education, law, and social service. Apply during your junior year for accelerated advanced degree programs. Interested students should meet with your academic advisers. To learn more and see which program fits your needs, visit
fordham.edu/accelerated.
COMPUTER AND INFORMATION SCIENCE
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Evening, weekend, and some online/hybrid classes are available Reduced tuition for master’s programs Visit fordham.edu/cisgrad to learn more.
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THE OBSERVER April 27, 2022
Campus
19
University Works To Accept More Students From the Bronx Community members weigh in on the university’s attempts to attract, admit and retain students from surrounding public and charter schools By INSIYA GANDHI Asst. News Editor
Fordham University’s flagship campus — Fordham Rose Hill, located on East Fordham Road in the western Bronx — is surrounded by a number of public and charter schools. The university has collaborated with programs to increase the admission and retention rates of these Bronx students. According to Patricia Peek, dean of undergraduate admissions and assistant vice president, the Office of Admissions is actively engaged in recruiting local students from New York City, with a specific emphasis on students from the Bronx. These efforts include designating an admissions counselor, Cesar Lopez, as the liaison between the Office of Admissions and schools in the borough. The Office of Admissions also conducts virtual and in-person high school visits, offers virtual and in-person college fairs, and partners with the Higher Education Opportunity Program (HEOP) and the Collegiate Science and Technology Entry Program (CSTEP) to recruit and attract students from the Bronx. Additionally, Peek emphasized that Fordham offers additional financial aid support to admitted students from a subset of local public and private schools. For the Class of 2025, the university received more than 1,300 applications from students who attended public schools in the Bronx. Of the 1,300 students, 46% of the applicants, 600 students, were admitted to Fordham, which was an 80% increase from the previous year’s admission rate of 332 students from an applicant pool of the same size. The applicant pool from the Bronx for the Class of 2026 also numbered 1,300 students, but the offer of admission increased to 630 students. “We enrolled 69% more students from Bronx public schools for the Class of 2025 (90 FCRH students) than in the previous year Fall 2020 (53 enrolled FCRH students),” Peek said about Fordham College at Rose Hill (FCRH)’s Class of 2025. “We are hop-
ing to continue this positive trajectory and increase Bronx public high school student representation in the current and future classes.” Johanna Quinn, assistant professor of sociology at FCRH, said there is always room for improvement in regard to admitting and uplifting students from surrounding Bronx public schools. She holds the university in high regard for its recent admission and retention rates and emphasized that the university has made substantial progress in recruiting and retaining students from surrounding public schools. “I think Fordham’s made good inroads in the past two years,” she said. “I think more partnerships and more connections between students and faculty at Fordham and those schools would help students to think of Fordham as a place they should be applying and wanting to attend, and making them come to cultivate and hold onto those relationships would be great for those students and for Fordham.” Growing up, Stephanie Ortiz, FCRH ’24 and a Bronx native, perceived Fordham as a good university. “My mom was talking about how it’s a prestigious school, and it’s good for education, but I’ve also heard that in regards to diversity, it’s not really up there,” she said. For Ortiz, the application process entailed attending a college fair and a meeting with her guidance counselor, who explained that she was eligible for HEOP. She described the college application and admissions process as fairly straightforward. To improve admission and retention rates, Ortiz recommended that the university contact prospective students via email, conduct on-campus tours, reach out to more public and charter schools, and ensure that students are aware of the financial aid services at their disposal. Emely Paulino Cuevas, FCRH ’23 and a Bronx native who attended a charter school in a neighborhood near Fordham Rose Hill, explained that if it weren’t for her admission to Fordham
and her high school graduation ceremony that was held on the Rose Hill campus, she would never have stepped foot on Fordham’s campus. “The first time I stepped foot on Fordham University was when I got accepted, and that was the first time ever — and I grew up here,” she said. Paulino Cuevas also described memories in which she would see students leaving for spring break on the Metro-North, leading her to believe that Fordham was mainly a university for international or out of state students. “I thought it was very hard to get into one of the top schools,” she said. “I didn’t know that their school was open to accepting people from the Bronx.” The majority of Fordham students from the Bronx that Paulino Cuevas has met are enrolled in HEOP or CSTEP. While she feels the university has made efforts in accepting more students from the area, she wishes there was a greater acceptance of Bronx residents and applicants from underfunded schools due to Fordham’s roots in the Bronx. “I wish that there was more help for the Bronx high school students, especially first-generation students, who are from families that never went to college or even high school,” she said. Despite the areas of improvement, Paulino Cuevas believes Fordham’s performance in terms of recruiting, admitting and supporting students from surrounding public schools is satisfactory. “I think they’re okay,” she said. “I don’t think they’re doing a bad job, because there are a lot of people that come from charter and public schools that are still in Fordham, and they seem to really like it, and they’re still there.” For the Class of 2025, the racial demographics of enrolled students from Bronx public high schools are 27% Asian or Pacific Islander, whereas the Bronx is 4.6%; 21% Black or African American, whereas the Bronx is 43.6%; 42% Hispanic, whereas the Bronx is 56.4%; and 8% white, whereas the Bronx is 9%. Jane Bolgatz, associate professor of curriculum and teaching at the Graduate School of Education, highlighted
the importance of implementing financial support services and programs such as CSTEP in order to recruit and retain students from surrounding public schools in the Bronx. Bolgatz emphasized the necessity of ensuring that professors are creating an inclusive and supportive environment for their students. She also stressed the importance of workshops and training for faculty on racial sensitivity, as well as racial and socioeconomic microaggressions. She underlined the importance of combating stereotype threat, a psychological risk that arises when an individual of a minority group is engaging in an activity to which negative stereotypes of their group apply. “(Fordham should) have training for all the folks who are supposed to be supportive, make it so that teach-
ers aren’t scared to talk about race and racism and address microaggressions when they happen in the community,” she said. “There’s stereotypes in our society about Black and brown people and academic achievement. Unless you mitigate that stereotype threat, that’s what’s going to happen.” In terms of methods of improvement, Paulino Cuevas encouraged the university to be more inclusive of candidates and students from diverse backgrounds and to invite residents in the surrounding communities to the campus by arranging activities on weekends and offering programs for the community to participate in. “Don’t just say you’re inclusive — do something about it,” Paulino Cuevas said.
GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATION BY TARA LENTELL/THE OBSERVER
Fordham is actively engaged in recruiting local students from the Bronx and admitted 46% of Bronx applicants for the Class of 2025.
Rose Hill Classes Are Great for Lincoln Center Students — Here’s Why. With the return to in-person classes this year, I have had the opportunity to take more classes at Rose Hill, and I love them By ROSALINE STOYKOV Staff Writer
This semester, I made the seemingly unfortunate decision to take a Monday 10 a.m. class at Rose Hill. Before returning to campus this January, I mourned the loss of my Sunday nights and Monday mornings. My roommates even gave me a pep talk the night before my first class. But when I got on my
first 9 a.m. Ram Van, I knew I made the right decision. The 9 a.m. Ram Van is always packed with Lincoln Center students traveling to their first class of the week. Like many other students, I consider my morning rides to be the moment of peace I get before the chaos of my day: I play my music, enjoy my coffee and clear my mind as I look out over the Hudson River passing by on my left.
GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATION BY TARA LENTELL/THE OBSERVER
There is no better feeling than being on the Henry Hudson Parkway, peering through the window into the sun-filled sky and hearing Courtney Love’s raspy yell blasting through my AirPods. As for the actual morning class, I find the structure and content to be similar to the Lincoln Center classes that I have attended. Learning in a different location, does fundamentally change the learning experience. The Rose Hill classrooms are not confined to the perimeter of a city block. Rather, they allow students to move between different buildings and enjoy the campus’s beautiful scenery. Additionally, the Rose Hill campus itself has far more resources for students. The library hosts hundreds of volumes, students have more on-campus food options, and Rose Hill just opened its latest addition to the campus: the student lounge. The Lincoln Center campus, of course, does not have the space to provide these resources, but we have the right to utilize them as Fordham students who pay for these resources with our tuition and fees. It would be a waste not to take advantage of them. It’s refreshing to learn in a new environment, whether it be a new building
or room or campus. Lincoln Center is surrounded by cars, high-rises and the sounds of the city. As city dwellers, we face so many distractions that it can be overwhelming at times. As soon as we step out of our dorms, our feet hit the cement. At Rose Hill, students can step out into the grass and breathe in the fresh air. Rose Hill provides us with a place to relax in a large greenspace and enjoy the outdoors.
Being at Rose Hill strengthens my Lincoln Center identity. At the same time, it is beneficial for Rose Hill students to attend Lincoln Center classes —learning in the city is a unique and rare opportunity. The part I enjoy most is meeting students from Rose Hill. Though these interactions are fleeting, the brief conversations I have rehashing the highlights of the lesson or even just asking for directions have always been pleas-
ant. People are always willing to help, and many are also lighthearted enough to poke fun at the trademark Lincoln Center student “I have no idea where I am going” face. The truth is, I like going to Rose Hill because I love attention. I love walking past my peers and hearing, “She’s definitely LC.” It gives me a sense of identity and campus pride that I haven’t felt before. Going to school in the city has made me dysphoric about my college experience: sometimes, it does not feel real. I think we can all accept that the Lincoln Center campus is not geared toward the stereotypical college life in the same way that Rose Hill is. The Rose Hill campus and students are dripping with maroon and white merchandise. The Lincoln Center hallways, are filled with swarms of fashionistas doting patterned pants, dyed hair and angst. Being at Rose Hill strengthens my Lincoln Center identity. Wherever we go, we bring the city with us. We are different, and the balance between the more “normal” college experience at Rose Hill and the urban lifestyle that I crave and have found at Lincoln Center is something that I hold very dear.
Fun & Games
April 27, 2022 THE OBSERVER
Crossword: Spring Rain Drop S 49. Where Mike and Sully work: Monsters, ___ 50. *Dimly colored and meant for nature, like of clothing 54. More spiteful 56. Iago’s foe, in Venice 57. Brandy, from France 58. Ocean floor 59. Sometimes paired with width 60. What a dog does before stays
Across
CROSSWORD BY CORBIN GREGG AND KREENA VORA
RAM LIBS GRAPHIC BY CHAISE JONES
Freestyle Your Way to the Bronx As I was
past-tense verb
into my
past-tense emotion
building at Fordham
dorm, I
about the prospect of
the Bronx campus. I was not sure of the
_
-ing verb
extracurricular
I made a get
team, I decided to
Reveal the spring secrets:
Down 1. A polygamist may have multiple of these 2. “By going,” in Mexico City 3. French fashion house founded by Christian 4. Like pie 5. Lone performer 6. Brother of Jocasta, in the Oedipus cycle 7. Neck bulge 8. Taylor Swift’s latest rereleased album 9. Immediately chills over 10. Mood enhancers (Abbr.) 11. Musical notes, especially around Christmas 12. Second brightest star in the constellation representing the seventh Zodiac season 17.
37.
28.
50.
1. Saves
2.
_
adjective
way to get there, but since I was on my high school’s
1. Walk through water 5. Eats quickly 11. ___ piety 13. Commands, to a waiter 14. Gang member 15. Galena 17. *Small fruit growth 19. Title granted to a knight 20. *Sound of a snake, or what makes 17, 28, 37 and 50 Across springy 21. Horse controls 22. Airport initials 23. Lands ungracefully 26. Dominican Republic airport code 28. *Success in a hot dog eating contest 31. It’s often served à la vodka 34. Salty corn chips 35. Bakers’ shields 36. ___ point 37. *Ship carrying pilgrims 40. Chicken general 41. Gives a speech 42. Sheepish sound 44. Final inning 46. Doctor that everyone should have (Abbr.)
verb
3.
there. 4.
at the Lincoln Center fountain to
noun
up for what was sure to be a(n)
past-tense verb
adjective
to be
14. Rappers 16. Almost-ratified constitutional reform guaranteeing sex parity (Abbr.) 18. “Don’t __ __crisis go to waste” 23. “We are as __ ___we could be” 24. Dragging out 25. Drawing out 27. Tares, as a scale 28. “___ -off” 29. ___/ace 30. XXX or OOO win this game 32. Boston, from NYC 33. Medical imaging research organization, in Vienna 35. Near the stern of a ship 37. Queen Elizabeth II for example 38. Creatively inclined 39. Noisy people 42. Reception desk pen brand 43. What’s torn in some sport injuries (2 wds) 45. To raise anger toward, or direct ___ __ 46. Some dancers use them 47. Not welcoming 48. Expert 51. Indigenous people of Colorado and Utah 52. Cuisine well known for curry and drunken noodles 53. It’s owed 55. Major YouTube gaming MCN, circa 2011
swim to the Bronx. I
adjective
the fountain
verb
and a great place to
. It
verb
was pretty crowded, with lots of other
past-tense verb
Hudson River, which is known for its waters. The journey took me roughly a relatively
adjective
into the
adjective number
_
hours,
amount of time for a trip! I
preferred my exercise to taking the train or Ram Van and RAM LIBS BY ALLIE STOFER
verb
6.
River
_
plural noun
using the facility. Afterward, I
5.
it to all of my friends!
Word River:
7.
See how each word flows into the next How to play: Fill in the blank rows by changing only one letter from the previous word to create a new word. The goal is to get from the starting word to the ending word by filling in all the blanks in between them.
8.
9.
10. Water
WORD RIVER BY KREENA VORA PAGE DESIGN AND GRAPHICS BY KYLA MCCALLUM
