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NEWS
The trees and greenery across the university’s three campuses serve as an opportunity for academic research
The Graduate Student Workers Union resumed its outreach with the goal of being recognized by Fordham
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By ALEXA VILLATORO Sta Writer
The Arbor Day Foundation honored Fordham for its protection, preservation and continued tree conservation efforts across its since 2015. The foundation’s Tree Campus Higher Education program recognizes colleges across the nation that show a commitment to the environment and dedication to their students.
In 2015, Fordham joined the Tree Campus Higher Education program, a project created by the Arbor Day Foundation in 2008 to help recognize the efforts of different universities across the U.S. in their promotion of tree conservation. Fordham’s “Tree Care Plan,” an annual report that outlines the anticipated care of on-campus greenery, notes its aim to inspire learning, build community and become a more sustainable institution.
In addition to protecting Fordham’s tree population, which involves integrated pest management and a contracted arborist, the Tree Care Plan also intends to engage students with the natural environment available across the campuses. In order to participate in the Tree Campus Higher Education program and to achieve these goals, the uni Advisory Committee.
Marco Valera, vice president of administration and member of the Tree Advisory Committee, explained that the purpose of the committee is to oversee the university’s tree care efforts. university sets aside approximately $75,000 out of its $562,000 annual greenery maintenance budget for tree care. The breakdown of the total budget includes tree purchases, labor and equipment for planting and watering different parts of campus, maintenance of grass and lawns, and other expenses.
The university’s contracted arborist conducts annual inspections
of all trees across the three campuses and the use of integrated pest management. Valera pointed to the maintenance of a variety of tree species native to America, the oldest of which is a nearly 300-year-old west elm oak tree at Rose Hill. Valera added that there are over 500 birchwood trees that belong to the Fordham Rose Hill campus alone. ed in Armonk, New York, is another location where students and researchers within the biological sciences department can engage with trees. The department of biological sciences works directly with the trees at the 113-acre site, a natural forest preserve that does not require tree care.
The Calder Center offers programs for graduate and undergraduate students, with some online options as well. A few of the undergraduate student projects available online include studies of tree diversity and landscape ecology. partment of biological sciences, said that at the Rose Hill campus, trees are used to learn about biodiversity.
“When (the course) Plant Biology was offered, we used the trees at Rose Hill for learning species ue to use the trees for my non-majors classes, as a way of introducing students to the wide range of species we have here.” campus’ diversity of bird and insect species, trees become a foundation for biodiversity since animals rely on trees for food and shelter.
Valera noted that he believes Fordham’s investments in trees, while modest, is important to students because trees engage students with the campus, absorb carbon and provide a micro-environment in the fully developed area of the Bronx. He also added that while Fordham has not tried to measure its trees’ carbon absorption, the university “realizes it’s a
Ryan Chen, Fordham College ronmental studies student who believes it is important for schools to provide access to nature. He said these areas strengthen the mental health and well-being of students.
“With the stress and pressure of doing well in school, students need regain their strength,” Chen said.
It is essential for people to connect with nature through engaging with green spaces, according to Chen. He pointed to Fordham accessing these areas in urban locations across Manhattan. ter is quite the perfect place to rest your eyes from the concrete jungle our school is in,” Chen explained.
Jason Munshi-South, an associate professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at the Calder Center, said that he is working with the United Student Govern Center to cultivate the food gardens across both campuses. The goal of the project is to develop the use of native plants, which will improve landscaping and increase sustainability.
“(Native plants) store more carbon in their root systems, don’t require fertilizer or watering, and sustain populations of native pollinators,” Munshi-South said. “They are also just as beautiful as the typical nonnative plants.”
The university’s environmental studies program also interacts garden, located on the plaza by the McMahon entrance, and Rose Hill’s St. Rose’s food garden, lo
According to John van Buren, director of the environmental studies department, the Introduction to Environmental Studies classes at Fordham use the campus’ organic food gardens as “a practicum for students.”
Fordham also partners with the New York Botanical Gardens, allowing students free access to the garden’s grounds in exchange for visitor access to the university’s parking.
Steven Franks, the department chair and a professor in the biological sciences department, explained that graduate students can also take courses at the gardens. He said several of his students have conducted research at the grounds and undergraduate lab groups also visit the gardens. with the environment elevates the learning experience for students. For their Honors Interdisci their students to observe species and leaf morphology in local ecosystems such as the Rose Hill their research at the Calder Center, they point to trees at Fordham Rose Hill as an opportunity for non-major students to explore what the microenvironment has to offer.
“Because the trees are so visually present in the landscape, they provide, for example, a nice steppingstone for discussing the broader plant diversity on cam
ROBINSON GERMAIN/THE OBSERVER Fordham has been recognized for its continued preservation of trees on campus. Walkways at Rose Hill are often lined with well-maintained trees and shrubs.
Ryan Chen, Fordham College at Lincoln Center ’24
Workers Launch Union Card Campaign
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According to Van Dyne, graduate student workers have attempted to address these issues through individual conversations with administrators.
“The fact that those conversations have not resulted in meaningful solutions is one reason why an overwhelming majority of eligible workers signed union cards indicating their desire for a union,” he said.
On Feb. 28, 2022, three weeks after the start of the union card campaign, the FGSWU hand-delivered a letter to McShane seeking voluntary recognition from the university in order to begin contract negotiations.
In their letter, the students enclosed a vision statement with a list of objectives they hope to achieve through unionizing that would give them more power over their working conditions.
Some demands in their list include increasing their income, which is currently between $15,000 to $20,000 a year and is below the NYC yearly minimum wage for 2022 of $27,456. They also seek affordable health insurance, accommodations for working parents and international students, increased funding for graduate employees, and formal grievance structures that provide protection and recourse against harassment, overwork and other workplace issues. Provost released a formal statement to the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences community. The statement recognized the value of graduate student workers and their contribution to the university.
“The educational relationship between students and the University is, especially at the graduate level, foundational to our intellectual community and to our commitment to promoting learning and wisdom through research and scholarship,” said Dennis C. Jacobs, provost and senior vice president for Academic Affairs, in the statement. The university also recognized that student workers have the right to unionize under an election process.
Fordham also created a Frequently Asked Questions page dedicated to FGSWU’s process of unionization on the university’s main website under Academic and Faculty Resources. This page states that Fordham recognizes its graduate student assistants as stu
“From time to time, graduate students also are assigned duties, such as teaching or research, as part of their training toward a graduate degree,” the page noted.
Bob Howe, assistant vice president for communications, said that Fordham respects the rights of its graduate student workers to decide whether to form a union. According to Howe, the university wants to ensure a free and fair election and is working with the union to schedule one.
The university has also en for advice as they navigate the many companies, such as Burger King and Target. In 2019, Jackson help employers remain “Union Free.” The FGSWU believes that this directly goes against Fordham’s neutral stance.
“What anyone can see is that despite their protests that they want to stay neutral, Fordham’s administration has hired one of the most notorious anti-union like that typically cost a university hundreds or even thousands of dollars per hour and help disseminate misleading information about the union.”
The next step for the FGSWU is voting in the election overseen Board in accordance with its processes. The graduate students’ efforts continue as they urge Fordham’s administration to sign a neutrality agreement in that election so that graduate student workers can add input into their workplace conditions.
Benjamin Van Dyne, head of FGSWU media outreach
ANDREW DRESSNER/THE OBSERVER Fordham graduate student workers are continuing their efforts to unionize with a union card campaign.
The war has sparked protests throughout the United Kingdom in support of the Ukrainian people
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Long-Standing Tensions
Russian troops began assembling on Ukraine’s border last autumn, and Russia has been encroaching on Ukrainian territory since the Crimean annexation in 2014, but this invasion represents an escalation in Russian President Vladimir Putin’s plan to expand the country’s territory. Russia has now captured Kherson, an important port in Ukraine, as well as Europe’s largest nuclear power plant. So far, the invasion has caused nearly 3.5 other neighboring countries.
In response to the Russia-Ukraine war, the United States and the United Kingdom have both responded with boycotts and sanctions on Russia: The Nord Stream 2 natural gas pipeline from Russia to Europe has been halted, golden passports have been limited, and the United States has cut off Russians’ access to funds held in American dollars, among others.
Many corporations have pulled their business out of Russia, and the United States has also implemented a ban on importing Russian oil, gas and coal. These measures are intended to isolate Russia until Putin is forced to retreat from Ukraine. So far, the Russian stock market has crashed, the ruble’s value has fallen drastically and interest rates have doubled.
We have discussed Russia’s war on Ukraine and its political, logistical and human consequences in There has been somber recognition of the situation, often alongside a brief probe to see if any students in class have a Russian or Ukrainian nationality or know anyone near the center of the war.
In my History of British Political Thought class, we discussed the widespread fear of what will happen to Ukrainian intellectuals, artists and activists who speak out against Putin. My European Politics class discussed Ukraine’s rapid application for membership in the European Union, which would provide citizens with greater protection across the continent but logistically wouldn’t be viable for some time.
I wanted to know more about how students’ experience of the compared to the experience of students back in New York City, which is home to the highest number of Ukrainians of any city in the U.S. as well as an epicenter of Russian-American culture.
Salma Elazab, Fordham Col and currently located in New York, said that her communication and journalism professors have been lessons, but in some of her other non-communication classes, the war was barely mentioned.
Kaavya Muthuraman, Rutgers University ’23
Student Reactions to Protests
Outside of classes, I have seen protests outside 10 Downing Street, Prime Minister Boris Johnson, with people standing in solidarity with Ukrainians and urging the British government to help “stop the war.” The United Kingdom has promised to accept Ukrainian refugees and their extended families for an initial year, along with sending 220 million pounds ($290 million) in aid to Ukraine, but protesters are asking for more.
Kaavya Muthuraman, former Fordham undergraduate student and Rutgers University ’23 who is studying abroad at City, Universi protests on Downing Street and politicians on Downing Street to allocate resources for Ukraine.
“Protest is a good form of showing support, advocacy and mobilizing ourselves as a society, reminding each other that everyone matters,” she said. “The general English population cannot do too much more than show their sup through protest.” that a lot of Fordham students, as well as others, have been sharing their thoughts on Instagram and Twitter. Muthuraman agreed with this note, saying that social media has been huge in spreading information and being a platform for people to share their opinions.
On March 6, demonstrations in people as the situation in Ukraine grew more dire and Brits felt increasingly inclined to take action.
Jeremy Corbyn, a member of Parliament and the former lead Parliament Square protest to warn against the dangers of a potential nuclear escalation and to call for the British government to welcome more refugees. While many like Muthuraman turn to protests as an accessible and reliable way to show support, some wonder about the ef in the face of real violence, particularly at protests with little organization or available resources.
Muthuraman noted that although the protest at 10 Downing
Street was a kind and open environment, she felt that it was a bit fruitless.
“I loved showing my support, but I wondered what our chanting was actually doing to help,” she said. Middle Eastern American, brought up comparisons to recent attacks on the sovereignty of countries with majority nonwhite populations, arguing that the differing Western response to situations in Ukraine and in Palestine, for example, is a display of hypocrisy.
“It’s been quite jarring to me hearing about how Western countries are letting Ukrainians into their countries without a visa, no questions asked,” Elazab said. “It frustrates me that the same acceptance and refuge is not given to non-white victims of war from Syria and Afghanistan, for example.”
Ultimately, there appears to be nitely good, but displays of support can feel futile in the face of so much power, destruction and bureaucracy.
AVA PEABODY/THE OBSERVER
Salma Elazab FCLC ’22
Proximity to the War
Despite this concern, many are simply trying to let Ukrainians know that the world is watching and is on their side. This sentiment was exhibited by Muthuraman and I both take classes, when the administration emailed study abroad students reiterating their support.
“We understand that some of you may have connections to Ukraine or family members there, so may be more directly affected. Please don’t hesitate to seek out help and support at the University should you need it,” the email read, linking counseling services.
Muthuraman said that our “proximity is kind of alarming — City, University has sent us information on what to do in regards to travel and safety. They have provided information on what students with family in Ukraine should do.”
Fordham sent a similar email offering similar services and a population who deserves our prayer.
On Feb. 26, I stopped by a protest in Cambridge that was held by the Cambridge University Ukrainian Society. There were 60 people in attendance hold a larger transient crowd that stopped to listen. Several organizers moved through the crowd to pass out informational sheets with actions people should take to help Ukraine. These sheets included QR codes that linked to templates of letters to send to representatives, ways to donate to humanitarian aid funds and to the Armed Forces of Ukraine, and future dates of protests in
The presence of Russians at in the country disagree with the imposition on Ukraine’s sovereignty, not only because they believe it’s wrong, but also because the global sanctions imposed on Russia have hurt certain population groups there. Some signs held by Russians read “Putin is the shame of my country.”
Banners featured hashtags like #closethesky, referencing over Ukraine. Although the U.S. President Joe Biden and other NATO leaders have declined to do so for fear of igniting a NA U.S. military would be shooting down Russian planes. There was also #banrussiafromswift, the Russian banks be removed from SWIFT, a messaging system that facilitates international trade.
Chants included “Stand with Ukraine” and “Stop the war,” which periodically gave way to speeches from the organizers. One speaker cautioned that “with every hour the chances can change dramatically” regarding Ukrainian people’s safety and implored the crowd to contact their members of Parliament to keep them “updated on the situation in Ukraine” and to “keep Ukraine’s sovereignty a visible topic in the media and government policy.” attendee at the Cambridge protest, said the protest was “powerful and emotional, especially because there were children who should’ve been playing and enjoying the gorgeous day it was in Cambridge, not protesting an unnecessary war.”
Curtin’s concern for the children affected by the war mirrors Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s emotional plea that “We have a desire to see our children alive.” She felt that the protest served a necessary purpose by allowing people to convene with one common goal.
“I think gathering and symbolically standing with the Ukrainian people is cathartic — especially for those with loved ones directly impacted,” she said.
Resources to help Ukraine
CARE: The global humanitarian organization is providing food, water and other items to refugees Project Hope: The global health and humanitarian relief organization is providing on-the-ground support, working in and around Ukraine to deliver medical supplies. Kyiv Independent. The Ukrainian media outlet launched a GoFundMe campaign asking for monetary support to provide news from on-the-ground.
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