Fordham Success Stories: Michael Sansarran, GSB ’13

Cleat-clad kids throughout the country dream of one day playing professional ball for their favorite team. Michael Sansarran, Gabelli class of 2013 graduate, was no different.

“I have always wanted to play professional baseball. Having limited support from my parents and a lack of financial flexibility, I was discouraged to pursue a playing career and was influenced mainly to pursue academics. Wanting to work in sports so badly, I then set out to do the next best thing by working in the industry to some capacity,” Sansarran said.

The Brooklyn native started his undergraduate education at Fordham in September of 2009. Other than working in the Dean’s Office and attending classes, he was not involved with extracurricular activities. However, sports always drew him back to campus.

“When there were sports-related events, I made a great effort to attend and take notes because it was something that really interested me,” he said.

While attending these speaker sessions or networking opportunities, Sansarran realized that there was a complete absence of career guidance for students interested in the sports industry. He found this surprising, especially with Fordham’s illustrious history of sports professionals (Hyperlink: http://www.alumni.fordham.edu/notable/list.aspx?ID=Sports), including the voice of the New York Yankees, Michael Kay (Hyperlink: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Kay_%28sports_broadcaster%29), ESPN’s Around the Horn host, Tony Reali (Hyperlink: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tony_Reali), and Dodgers play-by-play broadcaster, Vin Scully (Hyperlink: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vin_Scully). After completing his first sports-related internship with the MLB Fan Cave (Hyperlink: http://mlb.mlb.com/fancave/) in 2011, Sansarran decided it was time to fill this void by creating the Business of Sports Society at Fordham (Hyperlink: http://www.fordham.edu/info/20479/student_organizations/4050/business_of_sports_society_at_fordham).

“It all aligned with the creation of a student club to take risks in different capacities as a student in various internship opportunities and tap into every resource available to me that was extended as a result of being a Fordham student,” Sansarran explained.

Professor Mark Conrad (Hyperlink: http://business.fordham.edu/faculty/conrad/) has been the adviser to the Business of Sports Society since the beginning.

“I became involved with BSSF shortly after being named the director of the sports business concentration at the Gabelli School of Business. Michael Sansarran, who began the club around that time, reached out to me and proposed a collaboration,” explained Professor Conrad via email.

Gabelli senior, Caroline Bulger, has been an active member of the student society since its inception.

“I remember going to the first meeting ever in Dealy. Michael had great goals for the club, which made me even more excited about wanting to work in sports,” she said.

Creating and fostering the development of the Business of Sports Society has led to a plethora of opportunities for Sansarran, including a chance to attend the 2012 MLB Diversity Summit in Chicago. At the conference, he was able to network with high level executives and hiring managers within the league.

“[The MLB Diversity Summit] (Hyperlink: http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/official_info/mlb_official_info_diverse.jsp?content=summit) was a big risk, but it paid off in a big way for me. I was called back for several interviews and ultimately found an opportunity working in Baseball Development under Frank Robinson (Hyperlink: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Robinson),” Sansarran explained.

After just a few short months in this internship, Sansarran was promoted to his current role as a Coordinator for On-Field Operations within Baseball Development. In this position, he is responsible for handling discipline for on-field incidents and on-field uniform and equipment issues, facilitating special uniform requests, and updating ballpark ground rules.

Sansarran’s job, however, has not been all paperwork and rule-enforcing. He has attended the Winter Meetings (Hyperlink: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winter_Meetings), sat in suites at live games, and even been a guest at foundation dinners.

“Last year, I was able to attend Derek Jeter's annual Turn 2 Foundation (Hyperlink: http://derekjeter.mlb.com/players/jeter_derek/index.jsp) dinner. I sat a table away from him, in the front row, and high-fived Robin Thicke during his performance. Taking a step back and being a fan, this was pretty cool for me,” Sansarran said.

When asked where he sees himself in five years, Sansarran’s face broke into a huge smile.

“I love what I do and I would be blessed to remain working in this capacity. I would love the opportunity to be the President of a team someday down the line,” he said.

With a big future ahead of him, maybe just one day this dream will become a reality.

Crunch Time for Fordham Seniors

In less than four months, the Class of 2015 will have officially completed their undergraduate

education. Although conditions are much better than for those who graduated in 2008 or 2009,

many students are still feeling anxious about finding jobs come May 16th (Hyperlink #1:

http://libertystreeteconomics.newyorkfed.org/2014/09/are-the-job-prospects-of-recent-college-

graduates-improving.html#.VMVK7kfF9p9).

When asked if she was nervous about employment after graduation, Gabelli (Hyperlink #2:

http://www.fordham.edu/homepage/664/undergraduate_business) senior, Nicole Chaux,

explained that she was, “Yes, very worried.”

Fordham career counselor (Hyperlink #3:

http://www.fordham.edu/info/20073/about_us/64/meet_our_staff), Fatim Lelenta, sees this kind

of uneasiness from students on a daily basis.

“I see a lot of anxiety from students coming in their senior year and just thinking about okay

‘how is this going to lead me to a job?’”

It’s not just finding a job that worries students, but finding one that they both excel at and enjoy.

This is a daunting task, even for students who have had a lot of great experience already. Lilly

Hugo, a senior in the Gabelli School of Business, has had multiple internships within the

entertainment industry, most notably with Saturday Night Live (Hyperlink #4:

http://www.nbc.com/saturday-night-live). Even with such a prestigious position under her belt,

Hugo still feels the pressure of finding the right job.

“I think the thing that makes me the most nervous is just maybe not getting [a job] that’s to my

liking,” Hugo explains. “I think a lot of entry level jobs are administrative and so I think I’m

more worried about finding a job outside of an administrative job.”

Although many students do not view administrative positions as ideal, they are often excellent

options for networking and learning about the industry, which can lead to faster advancement

within a company (Hyperlink #5: http://money.usnews.com/careers/best-jobs/administrative-

assistant). After even a quick Google search for entry level positions, it becomes evident that

administrative assistant positions are abundant, especially within the media industry (Hyperlink

#6: http://www.indeed.com/q-Entry-Level-Media-jobs.html).

Lelenta believes, however, that students should not worry if their first job does not live up to

their expectations. “The career process is an exploration; it’s not about that one job,” she says.

“It’s about finding what do you like and what kind of job matches you, and other options that

might lead you to a job.”

For students who have enjoyed a particular internship, full-time employment within that

company is the ultimate goal (Hyperlink #7:

http://www.businessweek.com/bschools/content/jul2009/bs20090716_865519.htm). This is

certainly true for Nicole Chaux, who is currently a College Marketing Representative for Sony

Music Entertainment (Hyperlink #8: https://www.facebook.com/SonyMusicCollegeMarketing).

Chaux has always been passionate about the music industry and is very interested in pursuing

permanent employment within Sony. When discussing whether her current position could lead

to a full-time offer after graduation, she uneasily stated, “Potentially, yes.”

For certain industries, most notably finance, the transition from intern to employee is much less

uncertain. Gabelli senior, Spyder Ali, spent her summer interning within the Asset Management

Department at J.P. Morgan Private Bank (Hyperlink #9:

http://careers.jpmorgan.com/experienced/jpmorgan/jobs/businesses/am). While finding an

internship within finance is extremely competitive, banks are often interested in hiring their top

interns upon graduation.

“They recruit with the intent of testing your skills, but different firms have estimates of how

many of those interns they want, maybe 70% [or] 50%,” explains Ali. “You may even get an

offer on the spot depending on the department you’re in. [My] internship did turn into a full-time

offer.”

However, most industries do not work in the same fashion. No need to fret, though. The career

services office is here to help students with the process.

“I think transitioning those internships into full time jobs…takes a whole lot of work,” says

counselor Lelenta. “Assisting [students] in that process [is my goal].”

Baseball is Back!Posted on April 6, 2013 by Ali

I don’t know about everyone else, but I have been counting down the days until Opening Day. I, literally, had a countdown on my phone that told me how many days, hours, minutes and seconds until the big day. For me, every Opening Day is exciting, but this one was especially so. Guess why. Yes, that’s right, my best friend and I went to Opening Day at Yankee Stadium! When she told me that we had gotten tickets – it’s a long story, but basically, we were very lucky – I actually started screaming. We were just that pumped!

Just to give you a little background info on myself, I am a die hard Yankees fan. My family, which is all from New York and Jersey, basically worships the Bronx Bombers; they are our home team. My grandma, who grew up in the Bronx, tells me stories about how, as an infant, she walked for the first time on the ramps at the Old Yankee Stadium. Growing up, I watched all of the games on TV with my dad. Naturally, we attended many games as well. My grandparents even have a picture of me, sitting on my grandpa’s lap, at my first game at the Old Yankee Stadium. I was maybe 18 months old, already entranced by the game, and in the thick of the Yankees -Red Sox rivalry. Throughout the years, I have completely fallen in love with the game.

Anyways, let’s get back to my experience of Opening Day. My friend and I woke up that morning, insanely excited about our fun-filled day to come. When we finally arrived at the Stadium, we were beyond ecstatic! It was our first live Opening Day, after all! Just outside the Stadium, we probably took at least 30 pictures, and inside we took even more. I mean, how could we not? Once we finally found our seats, it was time for the game to start. The pregame ceremonies were amazing and I’m pretty sure I almost lost my voice from cheering so much. In

the end, the Yankees lost, but I still had an amazing time! I will forever remember my first live Opening Day experience.

Recap of the Yankees – Orioles SeriesPosted on April 15, 2013 by Ali

The first 2013 regular season series between the Yankees and Orioles is complete. The Yankees claimed two out of three games and have momentum going into their series with the Arizona Diamondbacks, which starts Tuesday, April 16 in the Bronx. The following is a brief synopsis of the Friday-Saturday-Sunday series.

First, let’s start off with Friday night’s game. Sabathia looked very strong from the beginning. Through eight innings, CC only gave up two runs, one ER, while striking out nine and walking none. It was not until the seventh inning, with two outs, that the Yanks broke the 2-2 tie on what should have been a routine fly ball to center field. Instead of making what should have been a simple catch, especially for Gold Glove outfielder Adam Jones, Jones misread the ball and ended up botching the play for the Orioles. On this play, three runs scored, which gave the Yankees a 5-2 lead that they would not relinquish. However, the play that everyone is talking about happened an inning later, during the top of the eighth. Sabathia was in a bit of a jam with runners on first and second and no outs. The next play that happened is one that will replayed for years to come: a 4-6-5-6-5-3-4 triple play! Not only was this an exciting play to watch, but it was also the first of it’s kind. What better way to get out of a jam than by a triple play?! Mo went on to collect his 610th save when all was said and done.

After the excitement of Friday night’s game, Saturday’s game was a bit of a let down. Hughes just didn’t seem to have his best stuff and only made it through three, while giving up nine hits and three runs. However, on the plus side, after Hughes’ early exit, the Yankees bullpen – Phelps, Chamberlain and Robertson – went on to keep the Orioles scoreless for the remaining six

innings. This was extremely encouraging, especially in the case of Joba, because of the rough start that he’s had to the season, so far.

A strong starting pitching performance was needed for the Yankees, which is exactly what Kuroda gave us on Sunday night. In his complete game shutout, Kuroda gave up just five hits while striking out five and walking none. He was absolutely dominant and economical, only needing 113 pitches to get through nine innings. Much-needed relief was given to the bullpen, which had been overused in the previous game due to Hughes’ short start. Although the Yankees’ offense wasn’t quite what you’d call explosive, it did its job, mustering up seven hits and three runs, two of which came off the bat of Gardener by way of a home run. The story of game was definitely Kuroda, who had a question mark over his head after getting hit in the finger by a come-backer in his first start of the season.  However, he proved that he was healthy with tonight’s lights-out performance.

Overall, the series, and season so far, have been a success for the Yankees, who are still without major starters and contributors like Mark Teixeira, Curtis Granderson, Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez. If they continue with their early season success, I definitely believe that this will be a great season for the New York Yankees.

We Stand with BostonPosted on April 16, 2013 by Ali

The April 15 bombings at the Boston Marathon rocked not only Boston, but the entire world. Seeing the images of injured people, some with severed limbs, was extremely upsetting. I found myself panicking and attempting to contact everyone that I know in the Boston area. It is often incomprehensible to believe that such tragedies occur. Why would someone want to kill innocent people? To ruin young lives? We will likely never understand.

However, in the wake of such adversity, we must not despair. Instead, we must set aside sports rivalries and remember that we are all human beings. As a devout Yankees and New York sports fan, I have been taught to despise all Boston sports teams. Harassing Red Sox fans, and their team, is just a staple of everyday life for a Yankees fan. However, after the tragedy in Boston, we must remember what is most important in life. Although we are enemies on the field, we stand together during this inconceivable calamity.

The Yankees and Red Sox have certainly put things into perspective in the aftermath of the bombings.  If you’ve been on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook or any other social media Web site, you have probably seen the following posts and interactions between the two adversaries:

The Yankees and Red Sox have shown us that underneath this fierce rivalry are human beings who care about the welfare of other human beings. It is times like these when we realize that compassion truly transcends sports.

We may disagree when it comes to sports teams, but we will always stand together as Americans. Stay strong, Boston.

Derek Jeter out until after the All Star BreakPosted on April 18, 2013 by Ali

Every Yankees fan remembers Game 1 of the 2013 ALCS, and not for good reasons.  During the top of the 12th inning on that cold, October night, Jeter dove for a ball hit to him at short.  His reaction sent a tremor through the Yankee fan base.  Instead of making the play, Jeter crumbled in pain, clutching his left ankle.  He then had to be helped off the field.  This was especially worrying because of his extreme toughness and the fact that he never shows when he is hurting.  If he couldn’t walk on his own, he had to be seriously injured.

After finding out that he had fractured his ankle, Jeter’s recovery plan looked fairly straight forward.  He would undergo surgery and hopefully be ready for Opening Day.  To Jeter this was not a maybe; he definitely would be playing on Opening Day.  By the beginning of March, it looked like this would actually come true.  He played in a few Spring Training games before experiencing a set back.  Many believe that Jeter was pushing himself too much and that he should’ve given himself more time to heal.  Whatever the reason, his comeback to the Bronx has been very slow.  At first it was projected that he would only miss the first few games of the regular season.  However, the timeline for his return kept experiencing changes.

Finally, today, it was reported that Jeter made an unscheduled visit to Dr. Anderson.  Unscheduled doctors visits are never a good sign.  Soon after, it was announced that Jeter would be out of action until after the All Star Break because of a new fracture found in his left ankle. 

Reports were confirmed by Brian Cashman, who spoke on The Michael Kay show around 4:50 pm.

MLB set to suspend 20 playersPosted on June 6, 2013 by Ali

Anthony Bosch, the notorious owner of Miami clinic, Biogenesis, is apparently ready to name names.  Originally, Bosch denied that he had any knowledge regarding the distribution of performance enhancing drugs from his clinic.  Recently, however, officials have backed the self-proclaimed biochemist into a corner; either he gives them names and information or he faces charges both locally and federally.  He has obviously chosen the former.

As many as 20 players have already been listed in documents seized at the Miami-area clinic, most notably Alex Rodriguez and Ryan Braun.  Both of these controversial athletes have already faced allegations regarding the use of the PEDs.

Alex Rodriguez, in 2009, admitted that he had, in fact, used steroids during his stint with the Texas Rangers, due to the enormous pressures of his mammoth contract.  This admission was in contrast to previous statements in which Rodriguez stated that he had never used performance enhancing drugs of any kind.  He was not reprimanded for this admission.  Ryan Braun’s situation, however, was much more complicated.  In December 2011, Braun tested positive for extremely high levels of testosterone.  He was reprimanded with a 50 game suspension, which he challenged and had overturned due to the improper handling of his sample.

However, Rodriguez’s and Braun’s recent ties to Biogenesis should greatly worry both of them.  Because they have previously faced controversial allegations pertaining to their use of PEDs, it is likely that they could face dangerously long suspensions or possibly bans from the game altogether.  This obviously would be a horrible ending for 2 extremely talented players.  On the other hand, it is still possible that Bosch could change his mind about providing information and instead take the route that Dr. Anthony Galea and Greg Anderson took.  (Both faced charges from officials rather than giving information about their dealings with PEDs.)  However, for the good and integrity of baseball, let’s hope that he talks and that Major League Baseball gets to the bottom of this unfortunate situation.

The Book of Moorhead: Fordham’s Rise to the TopPosted on October 21, 2013 by Ali

After Saturday’s 52-31 win over Yale University, Fordham football is off to an 8-0 start for the first time in school history.  Not many would’ve predicted this hot start after the abysmal 2011 season and the mediocre 2012 season, but improvements have definitely been made.

These improvements really have been no accident.  After the horrendous season that was 2011, Fordham fired head coach Tom Masella and hired FCRH Class of 1995 graduate, Joe Moorhead, in December of 2011.  Moorhead, the former Fordham Rams starting quarterback, had previously coached at Georgetown, Akron, and UConn.  Immediately, the team saw a huge turn around, going from 1-10 in 2011 to 6-5 in 2012.

This year’s improvements have really been quite astounding, especially within the short time frame in which they’ve occurred.

“Last year’s [2012] team laid the foundation for our program through their hard work and dedication,” says Coach Moorhead.  “We won six games and came within eight points in our

three league losses. This year’s team picked up where last year’s team left off and have taken it to the next level.”

In the fall of 2010, Fordham announced that it would start offering football scholarships.  Although this made the team ineligible for Patriot League championships, it did allow the school to attract higher caliber players.

“The ability to offer full scholarships has allowed us to recruit more successfully against other full scholarship teams and consequently bring better student-athletes into the program,” Coach Moorhead explains. “In the old need-based model, if a student-athlete’s family needed to pay money out of pocket to attend Fordham, and they were offered a full scholarship to another school, the player and his family would choose the full scholarship 99% of the time.”

Currently, Fordham football offers 60 scholarships per year, allowing the team to attract players who would have previously chosen a scholarship from another school.

After his freshman season at the University of Connecticut, quarterback Michael Nebrich decided to leave UConn and bring his skills to the up and coming Fordham Rams team.  Immediately, his impact was felt on the team when he became just the second quarterback in school history to rush for 100 yards in a game.  Unfortunately Nebrich suffered a season-ending injury in 2012 against Cornell.  This season, on the other hand, he has been an unstoppable force, throwing for 16 touchdowns and rushing for 4, according to ESPN.com.

“Due to the nature of the position he plays, combined with the way he has performed, I would say Michael Nebrich is the biggest impact player on this year’s team,” responds Coach Moorhead.  “He [Nebrich] has shown the ability to make plays with his arm and his feet while limiting negative plays.”

In other words, Fordham football fans should be happy that Nebrich decided to transfer to Fordham.

An improved football team can work wonders for a school.

“I think it creates a tremendous sense of school pride among current students and alumni,” asserts Coach Moorhead. “You can look no further than our last two home games, both of which were sell-outs, to see that a winning football team can galvanize a university community in a very positive manner.”

Kat Towne, a Fordham junior and student employee in the Fordham Athletic Department, agrees with Coach Moorhead’s assertions.

“If our football team does well, then obviously more kids will come to the games and maybe there’ll be more of a sense of unity on campus,” she predicts.

Another Fordham junior, Caroline Bulger, agrees with Towne and even believes that school spirit, amongst students, has already started to rise on the Rose Hill campus.

“Yeah, I definitely have [witnessed more school spirit].  I know [that] I have friends that had never gone to a football game, until this year, because they are doing well [now].”

In short, more victories equals more school spirit, all around.

As Fordham continues to climb in the U.S. News rankings, an improved football team can really help to increase a university’s name-recognition.  Look no further than Boston College and Doug Flutie.  Flutie’s Hail Mary pass to Gerard Phelan gave the Boston College Eagles a victory in the Orange Bowl, which led to the coining of the term the “flutie effect.”

The flutie effect is defined as, “the phenomenon of having a successful college sports team increase the exposure and prominence of a university.”  According to an article written in Forbes Magazine, titled “The Flutie Effect: How Athletic Success Boosts College Applications”, in the two years after this play, Boston College applications increased by 30%.  Ergo, the flutie effect.  This trend has been evident in other college sports programs including Georgetown basketball and Northwestern football.  Who says that it can’t happen at Fordham, as well?

The New America: Not Just the Cleaver FamilyGrowing up, I never thought that my parents’ marriage was any different than any other

marriage. It was not until I entered elementary school that I realized that some people considered it to be different from the norm. One day, I came home asking my mom a very curious question.

“Mom,” I said. “What’s a half breed?”

“Where did you hear that word, Ali?” she asked.

“Cassie told me that I was a half breed,” I replied.

That’s when my mother explained to me that some people looked down on their marriage. You see, my mom is Chinese and my dad is white. Back in 1988 when they were married, interracial marriages were a rare site to see. In fact, they made up just 2% of marriages in 1990, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Growing up in a small, rural town in Connecticut, everyone I knew was either Irish-Catholic or Italian-Catholic; there was very little diversity. According to city-data.com, 95.7% of the population in my town is white. Looking back, I don’t think I knew any other biracial kids in school.

The fight for interracial marriage equality has been contentious since the beginning. One of the most famous interracial couples was Mildred Loving, a black woman, and Richard Loving, a white man. In June of 1958, the Loving’s travelled to Washington D.C. to marry because interracial marriage was barred in their home state of Virginia under Racial Integrity Act of 1924.

One night, after they had returned to Virginia, the Loving’s house was raided by police for violating Section 20-58 and Section 20-59 of the Virginia Code, which deemed interracial marriage a felony. In 1959, the Loving’s pleaded guilty to this charge and were forced to either leave Virginia or serve a 1 year prison sentence. In order to avoid the jail sentence, they decided to move to Washington D.C. Angry that they could not visit their families in Virginia, the Loving’s decided to bring their case to the United States Supreme Court, with the support of the American Civil Liberties Union. On June 12th, 1967 their convictions were unanimously overturned because they violated the Fourteenth Amendment of the Constitution.

Although the Supreme Court’s decision overturned this particular case, there were still states that carried anti-miscegenation laws. However, these laws would have been very difficult to enforce with such a public case being overturned at the highest level of the United States judicial system. After the 1967 overturn, interracial marriage continued to slowly increase from 0.7% in 1970 to 2% in 1980.

With interracial marriages on the rise, the United States government finally decided to change its census form. For the first time in 2000, it allowed citizens to check off more than one race. This decision was monumental for biracial and multiracial people throughout the country, including myself.

In elementary school, I remember taking standardized tests and not knowing what to check off in the race box. The problem was that the forms allowed students to pick only one race. Some multiracial or biracial people identify with just one of their races. However, I’ve always identified myself as Asian AND White. Being forced to choose just one was basically forcing myself, and other children in the same situation, to choose which parent or side they liked better. It wasn’t fair. The only alternative was to choose “other.” But what exactly does “other” mean?

Animosity towards interracial marriage, although not as prevalent in today’s society, continues to exist. The most recent and publicized example is the Cheerios advertisement that featured a multiracial family. This ad sparked outrage and extremely inappropriate comments on YouTube, forcing Cheerios’ parent company, General Mills, to disable the comments on the video. However, the company refused to remove the commercial from YouTube and continued to air it on television. Vice President of Marketing for Cheerios, Camile Gibson, commented on the advertisement saying,

“We felt like we were reflecting an [average] American family.”

This comment is certainly true, especially with 2010 census statistics showing that about 10% of marriages are interracial and that about 15% of the population identifies as multiracial.

In response to the criticism received from the Cheerios commercial, a blog titled, wearethe15percent.com, was created by Michael David Murphy, who is married to a woman of a different race than himself. Murphy, on why he created the site, says,

“We created this site to publicly reflect the changing face of the American family.”

The website is a place where interracial marriages and multiracial people are celebrated, rather than criticized. To date, hundreds of photos have been submitted to the page, which has received recognition from renowned publications like Time Magazine and the Washington Post.

Dim-sum in Chinatown, with my family, is always an entertaining experience. Because of how crowded it usually is, we always end up sitting with a random Chinese family who acts as if they’ve never seen interracial parents with biracial children. Sometimes they ask who’s related to whom (because I look like my dad, while my sister looks like my mom). Mostly, they just stare. Some multiracial people are offended when people ask them about their ethnic background. For me, I welcome it as an opportunity to discuss something that makes me who I am. Why be offended by someone’s simple curiosity?