Student Activist Tells How He Took On Diebold and Won

A student who successfully sued industrial security giant Diebold spoke on Nov. 19 at Fordham Law about copyright law, free culture and privacy issues in an increasingly technological world.

When Nelson Pavlosky was an undergraduate at Swarthmore College, he sued Diebold in a precedent-setting case aimed at protecting freedom of speech from the abuse of copyright law.

In 2003, internal Diebold e-mails that focused on flaws in the company’s electronic voting machines were brought to light by hackers who retrieved them from the company’s computer network.

For example, in one message, an employee wrote that in the 2000 presidential recount, one district had recorded Al Gore receiving negative 16,000 votes. Another employee mentioned that when a voting machine would not cooperate during a demonstration, that employee would fake the results.

To alert the public to the problems with Diebold’s software, Pavlosky and his peers published the e-mails online. Diebold responded with a claim of copyright infringement and threats of legal action under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DCMA).

Pavlosky joined forces with the Online Policy Group (OPG) to file counter-litigation asserting that Diebold’s claim of copyright infringement was illegitimate.

Pavlosky argued that the e-mails fell under fair use copyright laws because:
• he wasn’t making a profit,
• it was in the public interest,
• the e-mails were not creative works,
• Diebold was not losing profits over the e-mails, and
• by publishing all 13,000 e-mails in their entirety, the public could discover for itself what information was troubling.

In the end, Diebold was found to have abused the DMCA by claiming a violation of copyright laws occurred when it knew no such violation actually took place—all in an attempt to restrain legitimate speech.

After winning the case, Pavlosky co-founded Students for Free Culture, a student activist group that promotes awareness about technology, copyright and free culture issues, affects changes in policy on the local and federal levels, and trains the next generation of activists. The group has branches at universities across the country, including Fordham Law.

—Jenny Hirsch

What is Entrepreneurial Discipleship?

A new model of the church that harnesses collective innovation, community-based initiative and creativity to respond to the calling of Christ.

• WHO: Robert Brancatelli, Ph.D., visiting professor at the Graduate School of Religion and Religious Education, and David Gautschi, Ph.D., dean of the Graduate School of Business Administration.
• WHAT: A lecture discussing Entrepreneurial Discipleship
• WHEN: 7:30 p.m. on Nov. 29
• WHERE: St. Francis of Assisi Church at 135 W. 31st St.

The lecture is sponsored by the Graduate School of Religion and Religious Education. For more information, visit www.fordham.edu/gre or call (718) 817-4800.

Opus Prize Ceremony

Beatrice Chipeta, R.S., director of the Lusubilo Orphan Care Project in Malawi, Africa, and John Halligan, S.J., founder of the Working Boys’ Center (WBC) in Quito, Ecuador, were named as co-recipients of the million-dollar annual Opus Prize on Nov. 11 in a special ceremony at Fordham University.



See the full story: "Two Unsung Heroes of Faith Receive Opus Award"

Humanitarian Experts in Goa, India

The Institute of International Humanitarian Affairs in Goa, India

From Left to right: Florian Razesberger, Arancha Garcia, Larry Hollingworth, Argentina Szabados and Gonzalo Sanchez-Teran

The academic team of the 32nd International Diploma in Humanitarian Assistance program visit the Church of St. Francis Xavier in Goa, where they are currently teaching humanitarian aid professionals.

For more information go to the Institute's website, www.fordham.edu/iiha

Join In Conservation Biology Conversations This Friday

A series of lectures focusing on conservation biology, by representatives from the New York Botanical Gardens (NYBG), the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) and the American Museum of Natural History (AMNH) will take place at the Flom Auditorium in the William D. Walsh Library at Rose Hill on Friday, Nov. 19 beginning at 9:30 a.m.

The lecture schedule is as follows:

9:45 a.m.: James Miller, Ph.D., dean and vice president for science at the NYBG’s International Plant Science Center, on “Research to Inform Conservation: Assessing Risk of Extinction for the World’s Plant Species.”,
10:45 a.m.: Joshua Ginsberg, Ph.D., senior vice president and deputy chief conservation officer at the WCS, on “The Impact of Scale on Conservation Interventions;” and
11:15 a.m., George Amato, Ph.D., director of the Center for Conservation Genetics at AMNH, on “The DNA Barcoding Initiative for Conservation of Biodiversity: An International Partnership.”
The lectures represent an effort to strengthen Fordham’s Conservation Biology program as well as its partnership programs with the three institutions.

In the afternoon, faculty who are interested in learning more about grant proposal writing in the sciences can attend a 1 p.m. session moderated by John Wehr, Ph.D., professor of biology and director of Fordham’s Calder Center.

There will also be a brainstorming session to explore ways in which to collaborate in the field of conservation biology. Steven Franks, Ph.D., assistant professor of biology, and Evon Hekkala, Ph.D., assistant professor of biology, will moderate the session.

The event is sponsored by Fordham's Dean of Faculty, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, Fordham College at Rose Hill and the Department of Biology. For more information, contact Amy Tuininga, Ph.D., associate dean for strategic initiatives, partnerships & assessment at the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences and associate professor of biology. To register, go to www.surveymonkey.com/s/JHG2SRH

Opus Winners, Up Close and Personal

Last night's Opus Prize co-recipients, Beatrice Chipeta, R.S., director of the Lusubilo Orphan Care Project in Malawi, Africa, and John Halligan, S.J., founder of the Working Boys’ Center (WBC) in Quito, Ecuador, have touched so many lives that words alone cannot do their work justice. Our own Office of Marketing and Communications officer Michael Foley shot more than 40 hours of video of the two humanitarians doing what they do, day in and day out, to empower the poor in the countries where they reside.

The footage has been reduced to two eight-minute clips, which premiered last night at the Opus Awards ceremony at Rose Hill. First, Father Halligan in Quito:



And Sister Chipeta in Karonga, Malawi.



The unmistakable voice is Fordham's own William F. Baker, Ph.D., the Claudio Aquaviva Chair and Journalist in Residence and president emeritus of WNET.

—Janet Sassi

Now Playing on Fordham’s Youtube Channel . . .

Fordham University will welcome Sister Beatrice Chipeta and John Halligan, S.J., to its Rose Hill campus tomorrow, Nov. 11, for the announcement of the winner of the 2010 Opus Awards.

If you want a better idea of what these two Unsung Heroes have done to deserve the Opus Foundation’s attention and consideration, visit Fordham's YouTube Channel and watch clips of them both. First, Sister Beatrice Chipeta:




And Father John Halligan




The award will be announced Thursday, Nov. 11 at 5:15 p.m in Keating First on the Rose Hill campus.

—Janet Sassi

Fordham to Host Veterans' College Fair and Forum

Fordham’s Westchester campus will host a College Fair for Veterans on Thursday, Nov. 18, from 4 to 7 p.m. Along with Fordham, all of Westchester County’s major colleges and universities will be on hand to provide information to veterans seeking to continue their education at the undergraduate or graduate level.

A representative of the NYS Division of Veterans Affairs will also be on hand to answer questions about the Post 9-11 GI Bill and the Yellow Ribbon Program, which Fordham participates in.

After the College Fair, Fordham’s Graduate School of Social Service (GSS) will present “Serving Those Who Served,” a panel discussion on supporting active duty military, veterans, and their families. Mary Ann Forgey, Ph.D., associate professor at the GSS, will discuss military culture. Sgt. Arthur Moore, a Vietnam veteran, and SPC Fianna Sogomonyan, who served in Iraq, will tell their stories.

Paul Tobin, president of VetsFirst, and Elizabeth Rahilly and Kristen Tuttle, social workers with the Veterans Administration of Hudson Valley, will share their work with veterans and their families. The discussion, which begins at 7 p.m., is open to the public and free of charge.

Fordham’s Westchester Campus is located at 400 Westchester Avenue in West Harrison, N.Y.
For directions and details, visit www.fordham.edu/westchester

--Gina Vergel

Fordham Community Hails its Unsung Heroes

Last week, in anticipation of the Opus Prize Awards honoring some of the world’s unsung humanitarian heroes, Fordham’s news and media relations blog invited the University community to submit their own stories of people who work quietly for the betterment of the world.

Below are some of the responses.

Luke Carriére, FCRH ’04: “My unsung hero is the late Guy Bevil, who founded Amigos de las Americas in 1965, which continues to this day to partner with Latin American organizations to create young leaders and empower poor communities through cross-cultural experiences.”

Angela Belsole, grants and special projects officer in the Graduate School of Social Service:
"Sister Beth Dowd, OSU, the founder and executive director of Songcatchers, Inc. Sister Beth (pictured left) founded Songcatchers over 30 years ago in New Rochelle, N.Y. It offers quality music instruction for disadvantaged children and youth in the New Rochelle area, with a stated mission of ‘reaching for peace through music.’ It largely serves the children from Mexican immigrant families by offering lessons at $5 each. In addition to the after-school program (the music instruction), there is also an intergenerational concert choir, a choir camp during the summer and a music program for very young children.”

For Gena Clark, GSE ’90: Pastor Oren Harris of Plainsboro, N.J., is an unsung hero. The Free Methodist minister counseled Clark when she was going through a difficult time and does so for many others who have been hurt through betrayal. “Pastor Harris believes in restoration in a world where cynicism is the norm and betrayal and adultery are tolerated.”

Kristen Clonan, FCLS ’08: Fordham College of Liberal Studies Professor Thomas J. Callahan. “At a point in which I had almost given up, he made me believe I had talent and challenged me, leading to my career in the field of journalism. Great man, professor, motivator, role model.”

And Paul Francis, director of Fordham Global Outreach, provided three unsung heroes he has met through GO:

Father Martin Keaveny—a missionary priest in Colinas, Brazil, since 1994. Fordham’s GO Brazil team works with his parish, which covers a huge area and which is located in one of the poorest areas of Brazil. Father Keaveny formerly served at St. Philip Neri parish in the Bronx before heading to Brazil.”

Father Tim Murphy, (pictured right) a Glenmary priest who works in rural Mississippi. In addition to being parish priest and doing prison ministry, Father Murphy organizes a camp for kids in the summer. Fordham’s GO Mississippi team works at the camp, which services many local children from foster families and low-income households.

Terilyn Burg, a volunteer at Stand Up for Kids in San Diego, which is a drop-in center for homeless teens. She organizes Fordham’s GO students, who work with them over spring break. Burg holds a full-time job and does volunteering on the side.

And Maria Noonan, assistant director in the Office for Prestigious Fellowships, names Father John Flynn. "(He) served at St. Raymond's parish during the 1960s and 70s -- during the time I attended grammar school in the parish. He is (and always has been) a true inspiration to others! He recently retired from St. Martin of Tours due to problems with his health. He is an unsung hero -- for me and for many others whose lives he has touched.

To hear more stories of unsung heroes, visit the Opus Prize site and please attend the Opus Awards Ceremony at 5:15 p.m. on Nov. 11 in Keating First on the Rose Hill campus. You can RSVP here.

Feerick Center Wins Pro Bono Award

The Feerick Center for Social Justice has been awarded the 2010 New York State Courts Access to Justice Program Pro Bono Star Award at a ceremony held in the New York State Supreme Court in Manhattan.

The Center received the award on Oct. 25 on behalf of its Civil Legal Advice and Resource Office (CLARO). The award recognizes Fordham Law’s outstanding work in responding to the severe burdens placed on the court system by the consumer debt crisis.

Since its launch in February, 2008, CLARO Manhattan has helped over 700 litigants, drawing upon the services of 120 volunteer lawyers and 100 law student volunteers. A similar program was launched for the Bronx in 2009, and has assisted more than 730 litigants.

The award was presented jointly by the New York State Office of Court Administration, the New York State Bar Association, and the Office of the Mayor of New York. Above, Hon. Jeffrey Hong, supervising judge of the New York City Civil Court, presents a citation and crystal "star" award to Dora Galacatos (left), adjunct professor of law, and Wilma Lopez (right), administrative and programmatic assistant, of the Feerick Center.

- Janet Sassi

Center Gallery Brings a Bit of Backstreet Tokyo to NYC

(Untitled, by Kota Sake)

Last year, a former Fuji film 35-minute processing lab in the Araiyakushi district of Tokyo became the monthly showcase for an unconventional collective of photographers. The space was so small and the shows proved so popular that Stephan Apicella-Hitchcock, a Fordham professor spending a semester in Japan, often found it hard to get inside.

The space showcased the artists, known as the 35minutesmen, for only one year. But the photographs, coupled with the act of creating one’s own exhibit space, so impressed Apicella-Hitchcock that he decided to bring the work to Fordham’s Center Gallery.

On Saturday, Nov. 6, the Center Gallery opens its doors on “35minutesmen”, a photo exhibit of a seven-artist collective that Apicella-Hitchcock calls an “an anomaly of the Tokyo art world.”

“They are seven artists who said, ‘let’s do this ourselves,’ which is unheard of in the very insulated Tokyo art world,” said Apicella-Hitchcock, who is co-curating the show with Anibal Pella-Woo, adjunct professor of visual arts.

"We thought it would be wonderful for our students to see these artists’ ‘do it yourself’ strategy to showing their work, now more than ever, because today nobody knocks down the door to offer most artists a chance to show their work," he said. "Their communal spirit and energy will hopefully serve as encouragement for young photographers and emerging artists to create their own peer support structure and exhibition opportunities."

More than just an art show, said Apicella-Hitchcock, the 35minutesmen exhibits created a blurring of the boundaries between art and everyday life, one in which the shows themselves led viewers to socially interact and create a community around the shows and their openings.

The 35minutesmen consist of photographers 大同朋子 Tomoko Daido, 福村順平 Junpey Fukumura, ペイ PAI, 酒航太 Sake Kota, 長広恵美子 Emiko Nagahiro, 真田敬介 Keisuke Sanada, and 塩田正幸 Masayuki Shioda.

Apicella-Hitchcock and Pella-Woo chose the Center Gallery show from a year’s worth of images sent via email from all seven artists, in black and white, color, Polaroids, and both digital and film-based photos. Also available will be a catalog of their work, said Apicella-Hitchcock.
The opening reception will be held on Friday, Nov. 12 from 6 to 8 p.m. in the Center Gallery, Lowenstein Center, Lincoln Center campus. The show will be on display every day from 8 am. to 8 p.m. through December 19th.

As a complement to the show, Apicella-Hitchcock will be teaching a four-credit course this December in “Photography in the Documentary Tradition: Japan,” that includes a trip to Tokyo and Kyoto over the Christmas and New Year’s break.

-- Janet Sassi

Zen At Fordham | UPDATE

Roshi Robert Kennedy, S.J., will now be joining us on Tuesday, November 16 (rather than November 9), to sit, give a talk and take questions about interfaith Zen practice.

Sensei Ray Ruzan Cicetti of Empty Bowl Zendo in Morristown will visit on Tuesday, November 30, to give a talk and take questions. A dharma heir of Roshi Kennedy, he is a psychotherapist in private practice.

Sensei Michael Holleran, a Fordham alumnus and former Carthusian monk, joins us on the fourth Tuesday of every month to give a talk and daisan. He is a parish priest in New York City and a dharma heir of Roshi Kennedy.

Zen practice is held every Tuesday evening from 6:10 to 7:45 p.m., in the Blessed Rupert Mayer Chapel at the Lowenstein Center at Fordham's Lincoln Center campus.

Free and open to all, no registration required. Beginner instruction is given whenever ecessary.

For more information on this branch of the White Plum Asanga, visit www.kennedyzen.org.

The Fordham Interfaith Zen Sitting Group is based on the teaching of Robert Kennedy, S.J., Roshi, who began his Zen practice in Japan when he was sent there as a young priest. He and his dharma heirs support the Fordham Sitting Group by coming to teach each semester.

Sensei Paul Schubert, also a dharma heir of Roshi, joins us the first Tuesday of every month. Sensei Paul was a research chemist, recently taking early retirement to teach science to high school kids. He and his wife Peggy run City Tiger Zen and a sitting group at Xavier.

Roshi Kennedy was interviewed by Tom Fox at the National Catholic Reporter last year: listen to the podcast, in which he describes how he first came to Zen.

For More Information:
Roshi Kennedy: www.kennedyzen.org
Michael Holleran
Paul Schubert

Free and open to all, no registration necessary. Sponsored by the Office of Campus Ministry.