Published: April 17, 2008

When Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) students think of athletics, it isn’t a stretch to believe that our counterparts at Rose Hill are mainly what come to mind.

Currently at FCLC, the only organized athletic groups are the soccer club, tennis club, Tae Kwon Do club and intramural softball team, Jean-Claude Ram Van (JCRV).

Fordham has begun to take a more direct role in fostering the development of athletics at FCLC. In supporting Lincoln Center sports teams, the Ram Van expenses for JCRV have now been covered.

Dorothy Wenzel, director of student leadership and community development at FCLC, explained that students are eligible for free Ram Van passes if they are part of a group “that doesn’t exist at the Lincoln Center campus, [and] that the student can only participate in at Rose Hill.” Because there are no softball fields at FCLC, JCRV met the university’s criteria.

In addition, the Rev. Robert R. Grimes, S.J., dean of FCLC, drew from an annual fund comprised of alumni contributions, which he is allowed to use at his discretion, to fund JCRV’s uniforms.

“I try to use the annual fund to encourage the development of a program on campus that I think we should have,” Grimes said. “I think the development of intramurals on campus would be a real benefit for the students of the college.”

Grimes made it clear that this is not an isolated case and that if another FCLC sports organization needed new shirts, he would be there to support them as well.

“He said, ‘I didn’t even know we had an intramural team… I would love to pay for your uniforms,’” said Jean-Claude Ram Van member Patrick Wyllie, FCLC ’09. “They were very accommodating in the Dean’s office.”

Aside from expanding athletics at FCLC, Grimes has also used this annual fund to aid in the development of other FCLC clubs.

“When the mock trial team was invited to the nationals, I was able to fund their travel expenses,” Grimes said.

“What I try to do is encourage the development of things and the annual fund is not the regular funding source for anything,” said Grimes. “I don’t think that any group should think that just because the Dean’s office did something once that we’re committed to doing that.”

In order to gain a university-approved budget, Wenzel explained that JCRV would need to make the transition from intramural team to intramural club. Captain Joe Lynn, FCLC ’09, said he was already considering the move so as to allow more students to get involved in
intramural softball.