Inaugural Issue of the Fall 2020 E-Board see page 8
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April 29, 2020 VOLUME XL, ISSUE 9 Online-Only Edition
The Budget Was Finalized. Then Coronavirus Hit. By SAMANTHA MATTHEWS, NICOLE PERKINS, JACQUELINE PIERCE AND EMMA SEIWELL
Mia Agostinelli, Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) ’23, applied to another university for the fall semester, despite loving her freshman year at Fordham. Agostinelli has discussed the possibility of transferring if the university continues operating at the same cost remotely. With more students grappling with
the decision to return to campus, a projected decrease in enrollment will in turn hurt Fordham’s overall revenue. “If we are online still, it will be really critical to see how much the university will modify its costs,” she said. “I’m sure that’s going to be a major factor in students’ decision to stay at Fordham or transfer to another university.” The net tuition received by the university — which makes
up 79.3% of the budget — is heavily impacted by the number of students enrolled and can fluctuate as a result of it. A downturn in student enrollment means a downturn in total tuition collected and less funding for the school overall. According to The New York Times, “Administrators anticipate that students grappling with the financial and psychological impacts of the virus could choose to stay closer to home, go
to less expensive schools, take a year off or not go to college at all. A higher education trade group has predicted a 15 percent drop in enrollment nationwide.” Steve Raymar, associate professor and area chair in the Gabelli School of Business (GSB), said that there are concerns regarding graduate students. “With the graduate business program, there’s logical fears of lower enrollment because of international students having
Cooking Together Across the World
difficulty getting to the United States. That, more or less, affects the whole school-wide budget.” In the dire time of the novel coronavirus, the financial situation for students, staff and the university is anything but ideal. In an official statement, University President Rev. Joseph M. McShane, S.J., wrote, “the University has had to introduce see BUDGET page 3
‘Cautiously Optimistic’ for Fall 2020 By JOE KOTTKE News Editor
It is difficult to navigate conversation with students and faculty alike without touching upon anxiety around the impending decision of the fall semester. According to J. Patrick Hornbeck II, special faculty adviser to the provost for strategic planning, Fordham University will make an announcement about the fall semester in regard to the coronavirus on May 11. “That announcement will not take the form of a yes or no, we will or won’t be back answer. It’ll be more nuanced and complex than that,” Hornbeck said. “What we would not want to do is today, in April, guess on what the public health situation will be on August 26, the scheduled start to the fall semester. We do not know what will or will not be possible at that time.” see PLANS page 4
Belongings Left in Empty Dorms By MICHELLE AGARON Asst. News Editor
food. “Leeza and I aren’t chefs,” Primis said. “When it comes to cooking, we just happen to enjoy it.” They understand the social connotations of food — how food is not just something to be consumed, but something that people can bond over.
The last time most Fordham students saw their dorms and all the belongings within them was the middle of March when the university urged all residents to return home. On March 9, the week before spring break, the Office of Residential Life (ResLife) sent an email encouraging all residents to vacate the campus until the end of the month. On March 13, the university decided to cancel all face-to-face instruction and ResLife emailed students again to dissuade them from returning to campus. Many students left their belongings, including textbooks and everyday items, as they expected to return to campus eventually. Instead, Fordham has now been emptied of everything except abandoned student belongings.
see COOKING page 13
see DORMS page 5
COURTESY OF LEEZA RICHTER
“The Zoom Show: Bringing People Together Since 2020” is a cooking show that’s not confined to just one kitchen, but to kitchens as far as the Ramily stretches. By AASTHA AGGARWAL Staff Writer
Is Zoom exhausted? Not in this socially isolated period, and not if we can cook together virtually. The latest addition to the Zoom portfolio of Fordham meetups is the brainchild of Leeza Richter and Avery Primis, both Ford-
ham College at Lincoln Center ’22. “The Zoom Show: Bringing People Together Since 2020” is a virtual cooking meetup. It’s not like the cooking tutorials of most Instagrammers, who broadcast their picturesque kitchens and glamorous finished products, but a genuinely enjoyable platform helmed by two amateur cooks,
where all the participants actually cook together. The slogan “Bringing people together since 2020” evokes familiar taglines pervading pre-coronavirus life. That is the point of The Zoom Show: Food is an enabler of connection. Primis and Richter developed a solid friendship over their love for
News
Sports & Health
Opinions
The Pass/Fail Dispute
Carton Confusion
Commuting From Home Chesca Mac Helpful tips to handle your trip to Zoom class
Singer-songwriter releases single inspired by Fordham memories
Food for Thought
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Page 11
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Students petition for a later deadline to declare pass/fail
Understanding the meaning behind egg labels
Arts & Culture
The Student Voice of Fordham Lincoln Center
Fun & Games Digest some food metaphors in this week’s crossword